Chapter 3: So He's the Overpowered Protagonist
"Little Chen, you're heading to the Salary Hall too?"
Gu Qing asked in surprise.
Lin Chen clearly had no allowance. Why come to the Salary Hall?
Was he here to humiliate himself again?
If it were anyone else, Gu Qing wouldn't think this way. After all, what normal person enjoys being insulted?
But Lin Chen was different. Despite being trash, he still went to the training grounds daily to be scolded.
The more others cursed him, the happier he seemed, even managing to smile.
Honestly, Gu Qing truly couldn't understand Lin Chen's thought process.
"None of your concern."
Lin Chen gave Gu Qing a cold glance, then stepped aside and casually tossed out a sentence.
"We're not familiar. Besides, you should address me as Young Clan Leader."
Gu Qing was speechless.
Having grown up under the same roof, how were they unfamiliar?
Moreover, I'm your future brother-in-law.
"If it weren't for your sister's sake, who'd bother with you? Young Clan Leader?" Gu Qing muttered inwardly.
With Lin Chen's attitude, if his father weren't the clan leader, he'd have been beaten to death long ago.
"What brings you to the Salary Hall?"
Steward Lin Maoliang asked with an irritated expression, making no effort to hide his disgust for Lin Chen.
"I've broken through to the second level of Body Tempering. I'm here to claim my reward."
Lin Chen stated calmly.
"Really?"
Lin Maoliang froze, his eyes sizing Lin Chen up and down suspiciously.
"Of course. You can test me if you don't believe it."
When junior clan members achieved major breakthroughs, they received rewards and could apply for increased monthly allowances.
"If you're tricking me, even as Young Clan Leader, I won't let you off lightly."
With things said this far, Lin Maoliang had to test Lin Chen despite his reluctance.
Otherwise, it would be dereliction of duty.
Taking out the testing spiritual artifact, he confirmed Lin Chen had indeed reached the second level of Body Tempering.
But...
"You still haven't met the standard. No reward."
Lin Maoliang sneered, looking at him with contempt and disdain.
Though surprised by Lin Chen's breakthrough, it wasn't much.
At sixteen years old, second level of Body Tempering was still trash.
"Why?"
Hearing there were no spirit stones, Lin Chen grew angry.
"Why, you ask?"
"Fourteen is the minimum age to cultivate Body Tempering. Our clan requires breaking through two realms within one year to qualify for full monthly allowance."
"How old are you this year?"
Body Tempering tempered the physical body. Starting too early could deform the body, so nearly all families only allowed physique tempering after fourteen.
Before fourteen, at most they could do light training or consume precious spirit pills to nourish the body.
Of course, nothing is absolute in this world.
All phenomena exist, no matter how strange.
Legend had it that some sacred lands and immortal clans possessed unparalleled secret arts, allowing cultivation from the womb by absorbing essences.
At birth, their bodies were dust-free and formidable—winning at the starting line.
Additionally, there were secret methods for child cultivation to accelerate physique evolution.
These arts were unparalleled miracles, held exclusively by sacred lands and immortal clans.
"Doesn't the clan have rules? As long as one breaks through a realm within a month, completing..."
Lin Chen trailed off, suddenly recalling that rewards required completing the breakthrough appropriate for one's age group.
"Completing what?"
Lin Maoliang asked with a playful smile.
Lin Chen's face darkened, regretting coming to the Salary Hall.
Overexcited by last night's breakthrough, he'd forgotten clan regulations.
But since he was already here, he couldn't just slink away defeated.
As Lin Chen quickly pondered how to challenge Lin Maoliang to a bet and swindle spirit stones from him, a voice interrupted.
"Steward Lin."
Gu Qing entered, coming to Lin Chen's rescue.
Though he disliked Lin Chen and would have enjoyed seeing him embarrassed,
having witnessed the situation, he felt compelled to intervene—lest it become gossip.
Gu Qing was, after all, a warm-hearted gentleman of noble character.
"Young Master Gu Qing!"
Seeing Gu Qing, Lin Maoliang immediately put on a fawning smile.
"What brings you to the Salary Hall? Please, have a seat."
His sycophantic behavior made Lin Chen seethe with rage.
Their Lin family actually groveling before an outsider—this he could never tolerate.
"No need. I've broken through to Qi Condensation Realm. Please record it."
Gu Qing said with a smile.
"What? Already?"
Lin Maoliang was stunned.
Though he knew Gu Qing had reached peak ninth level of Body Tempering, he was only sixteen.
He'd expected Gu Qing would need months to comprehend the Qi Condensation bottleneck.
"Mm."
Gu Qing acknowledged, touching the testing spiritual artifact with Yang true qi.
"Indeed Qi Condensation Realm. Congratulations, Young Master Gu Qing."
Lin Maoliang beamed with delight upon seeing this, becoming even more respectful toward Gu Qing.
After all, this was a world where strength reigned supreme. With power, one earned respect everywhere.
He hurriedly registered Gu Qing's breakthrough and handed over one hundred low-grade spirit stones.
Gu Qing's monthly allowance would now be twenty low-grade spirit stones.
Though not a huge amount, it was sufficient for an ordinary Qi Condensation Realm cultivator to practice for ten days to half a month.
Moreover, this was provided freely by the clan, unlike rogue cultivators who had to fight for every resource.
"What pure Yang true qi. Could this young man have awakened a special constitution?"
A surprised female voice echoed in Lin Chen's mind, ethereal and clear as celestial music.
"Master, what did you say?"
Lin Chen asked in disbelief.
To his knowledge, Gu Qing only possessed supreme spiritual roots—no special constitution at all.
"There's no mistake. Though this young man diluted and transformed his true qi's quality, making it undetectable to ordinary people, I can see at a glance that he must possess a Pure Yang Constitution to condense such pure Yang energy."
Her voice was certain.
"Then, Master, can you investigate what special constitution he awakened?"
Lin Chen pressed urgently.
Last night, he had successfully apprenticed himself to this mysterious powerhouse dwelling within a broken sword.
She had transmitted an unparalleled sword manual to him and revealed he possessed a fragmented Innate Sword Bone.
Lin Chen felt his rise was finally within reach, with defeating Gu Qing now in sight.
But now you're telling me Gu Qing also has a special constitution? How could he possibly defeat Gu Qing then?
"You want me to spy on a junior?"
The remnant soul hidden in the broken sword's voice turned icy.
What kind of being was she? To spy on a man's body—where was her dignity?
"Master..."
Special constitutions varied greatly in strength. Lin Chen desperately needed to know what Gu Qing's constitution was.
Whether he could catch up to Gu Qing in a short time.
Lin Chen hadn't forgotten that once Gu Qing broke through to Qi Condensation Realm, he would marry his sister.
Time was running out.
"Say no more."
"Furthermore, you have yet to pass my trials or truly become my disciple. Do not address me as Master again."
The woman's voice was frigid, devoid of emotion.
She would never spy on a man's body.
Besides, Gu Qing's constitution was already obvious—certainly a Pure Yang-type special constitution. Why bother looking further?
Moreover, she was displeased with Lin Chen.
She had awakened long ago but only transmitted techniques to him now because: first, she looked down on his aptitude.
Second, his Innate Sword Bone was too severely fragmented; taking him as a disciple earlier would have been pointless since the bone still needed to absorb enough energy to advance.
Third, she had no other choice—transmitting sword techniques to Lin Chen was a last resort.
"Fine!"
Lin Chen said unwillingly.
"This young man seems quite protective of you. Why hold such hostility toward him?"
The woman asked curiously.
She could see that while Gu Qing held no affection for Lin Chen, he bore no ill will either.
Moreover, out of responsibility, whenever he saw Lin Chen being bullied, Gu Qing would step in to help.
Gu Qing didn't mind Lin Chen being trash—how could Lin Chen disdain Gu Qing?
"Gu Qing is a hypocrite, scheming and deep-hearted. He doesn't deserve my sister."
Speaking of Lin Chuqing, Lin Chen gritted his teeth in hatred.
He would never let his ethereal, fairy-like sister marry Gu Qing.
Furthermore, there was something he didn't say: Lin Chuqing wasn't his biological sister.
The thought of Lin Chuqing marrying made his heart ache until he couldn't breathe.
"..."
She really couldn't see how Gu Qing resembled a hypocrite.
...
"So he's the protagonist. No wonder he gets mocked everywhere yet seems to enjoy it."
As Gu Qing walked out of the Salary Hall and received the system's notification, his expression was complicated.
He never imagined this world actually had an overpowered protagonist—and that protagonist was right beside him.
He had even become the protagonist's future brother-in-law.
And as the overpowered protagonist, how could Lin Chen tolerate his sister marrying someone?
"Wait, according to novel tropes, they might not be blood-related."
Gu Qing's mind recalled Lin Chen and Lin Zhantian's appearances—they looked alike, both utterly ordinary.
But Lin Chuqing looked nothing like this father-son pair.
Lin Chuqing was simply too perfect to be carbon-based, with a graceful figure, transcendent temperament, and divine features.
Her beauty was unseen in the world, her form and posture beyond praise.
Gu Qing had long known Lin Chen opposed his marriage to Lin Chuqing, but being insignificant, he hadn't succeeded.
At the time, he hadn't thought much of it, assuming Lin Chen was just throwing a teenage tantrum.
Now reflecting on it, nothing felt right.
"It seems it will be a fight to the death between us."
Gu Qing's gaze turned cold.
Lin Chuqing was someone he absolutely had to marry. Whoever stood in his way would die.
Besides, Lin Chen already harbored ill will toward him and even wanted to seize his destiny.
That's right—Lin Chen possessed the Heaven's Lone Star Fate and Devouring Master Destiny.
Sacrificing loved ones to the heavens for boundless power.
Passively plundering the destiny of relatives, friends, and even enemies.
Fortunately, he had the Super Reflect Armor System. Not only was his destiny not plundered, but he had反-plundered one thousand destiny points from Lin Chen.
"If I marry Chuqing, with Lin Chen's possessiveness, I won't even need to target him deliberately. Just showing affection in front of him will make destiny pour in, won't it?"
Gu Qing's eyes gleamed sharply.
Lin Chen's supposedly unbeatable Devouring Master Destiny had met its absolute nemesis in his Super Reflect Armor System.
See? Without doing anything, he had already反-plundered one thousand destiny points from Lin Chen.
Plus one opportunity.
With this thought, Gu Qing mounted a horse and swiftly left the Gu residence.