Lin Shunhe nodded repeatedly in agreement.
After dealing with Xu Dao and his two men, he closed and locked the door. When he turned around, he saw his wife standing at the entrance to the inner room, an overcoat draped over her shoulders, watching him.
"Ah He..." Yao Shan called out worriedly.
"It's nothing, I'm here. Go back to sleep," Lin Shunhe said calmly, waving his hand dismissively.
Thanks to his old connections, Xu Dao's attitude had been relatively mild, and everything was handled by the book. This was good. He wasn't afraid of too many rules, only of no rules at all.
As for the profits, after managing an oil mill for so many years, cooking the books a little was a trivial matter for him.
The real issue wasn't that, but the support he would need after the shop was up and running.
Connections were a resource that dwindled with use. Things were fine for now, but in time, the good will would fade.
When that time came... what would he have to secure their current lifestyle?
As this thought crossed his mind, Lin Shunhe's thoughts raced, searching for a way to break through future difficulties.
He had just stepped inside when his wife, Yao Shan, couldn't help but whisper.
"Ah He, some men from the Mu Hua Bang came by today. Why are the Fu'an Bang here again?"
"Hm? The Mu Hua Bang sent people too?" Lin Shunhe's sharp instincts told him something was wrong. This usually only happened when two gangs were fighting over territory, but Xinyu Town had always been the Fu'an Bang's turf.
"Let's just stay home for the next few days and not go anywhere. We'll wait until the two gangs sort things out," he instructed.
"I'm just afraid the Fu'an Bang can't hold them off. The men from the Mu Hua Bang were so aggressive; they demanded five thousand cash right off the bat," Yao Shan said, worried.
"Don't worry. If anything, that just shows the Mu Hua Bang isn't planning to stick around. It's a one-off deal. They'll probably be gone soon," Lin Shunhe reasoned, trying to comfort her.
Despite his words, he sighed inwardly. This was what it was like to lose the protection of a benefactor, to have no security. In the past, even a steward from the Fu'an Bang would have to visit him politely and share a drink.
Not like now... Lin Shunhe had to count himself lucky that back in his glory days, he had been tactful and managed his relationships well. Otherwise, having offended too many people, he would surely be kicked while he was down now that he had lost his influence.
His current situation was not much different from that of a commoner, which was already a blessing in disguise.
*
*
*
「December.」
The weather grew colder.
Around Qingfeng Temple, withered leaves fluttered down, blanketing the ground in yellow.
The cold wind howled.
Disciples on patrol formed small teams, moving like centipedes as they slowly circled the Daoist Temple, driving away wild animals.
Lin Hui silently gripped his sword. He stood in a corner of the somewhat empty training grounds, leaning against a wooden weapons rack, slowly immersing himself in the enlightenment of the final move of the Seven-Section Quick Sword.
Just a moment ago, the final move of the Seven-Section Quick Sword had finally, successfully, evolved.
In its place, a torrent of memories and insights about the quick sword flooded his mind.
The wooden sword in his hand felt increasingly familiar, an extension of his own flesh and blood. At that moment, Lin Hui's eyes were clouded, his pupils rapidly contracting and dilating as if he'd been electrocuted.
About thirty seconds later, he finally let out a long breath of relief.
He picked up the sword again and pondered for a moment.
CHK.
Suddenly, he slashed forward diagonally, initiating the Seven-Section Quick Sword with an extremely practiced motion.
Move after move, each technique of this swordsmanship seemed to blossom with a life of its own in his hands, nimble and elegant.
He now looked like a brown blur, a phantom wrapped in the afterimages of his brown wooden sword.
All seven moves, with over fifty points of force application, flowed from his hands without obstruction. He completed the entire set in just thirty seconds.
SWISH.
Lin Hui concluded his form, stood still, and held the sword vertically along the central axis of his body. He closed his eyes, unmoving.
As he stood motionless, a cool, clear stream of energy rapidly rose from the soles of his feet, traveling up his calves, thighs, and abdomen, rushing straight to the crown of his head.
For a moment, Lin Hui felt as if he were submerged in a cool spring, yet he felt no cold at all.
Only a strange sense of relaxation and comfort washed over him.
'Success!' He opened his eyes, a great weight finally lifted from his heart.
Over a year of arduous practice had finally paid off today.
The cold current of Body Tempering was so distinct that he almost mistook it for something else.
After all, he had asked Chen Zhishen about it in a letter before. The cold current that appeared during Body Tempering was normally supposed to be a faint wisp, something you had to carefully quiet your mind to even notice.
But the one he had just felt was truly an exaggeration. That cold current had filled nearly all the blood vessels and muscles in his calves. It was hardly a wisp; it felt more than ten times stronger.
Lin Hui took a moment to feel the state of his body, then put down his sword and began a new round of Body Tempering.
There was no limit to how many times a day one could use the Seven-Section Quick Sword for Body Tempering. However, it consumed the body's energy reserves, so the maximum for anyone was ten times per day.
Of course, under normal circumstances, even geniuses like Huang Shan couldn't manage ten sessions of Body Tempering.
This was because with over fifty points of force application, making a single mistake meant starting over. Moreover, in the later stages of practice, it was difficult to maintain full concentration, making errors more likely.
So, according to what Chen Zhishen had found out, the strong ones were considered impressive if they could manage six or seven sessions a day.
The average was four or five, and the weak, just one or two.
This was the hierarchy among the Official Disciples of Qingfeng Temple.
'Body Tempering is a daily fundamental. Missing a few sessions each day... over a long period, the gap truly accumulates day by day, growing into an insurmountable chasm...'
Only now did Lin Hui feel the enormous disparity talent created at this stage—a terrifying gap that ordinary people had no hope of closing.
After completing his Body Tempering, he practiced the Seven-Section Quick Sword continuously, making it an even ten times, before slowly stopping.
It wasn't that he didn't want to continue, but a faint, sharp pain from his chest told him he had exceeded his limits.
Just as he stopped, the disciples who had been out on patrol were also returning to the Daoist Temple.
Lin Hui immediately picked up his wooden sword and walked briskly toward the main hall up front.
Now that he had achieved Body Tempering, it was time to register and change his status. The benefits of being an Official Disciple were substantial. Besides improved living conditions and lower monthly tuition fees, his name would also be recorded in Qingfeng Temple's annual list of recommended disciples, a catalog from which various factions could select and hire.
This was a system that martial arts sects like Tuyue's had long since perfected.
Passing through the main hall, Lin Hui soon spotted the Steward on duty, the old Daoist Mingchen, who was watching disciples practice their swordsmanship in the front courtyard.
He had met this man once before at the entrance to the Fog Area in the back. Later, when Mingchen had taken on teaching duties, he had seen him a few more times.
Lin Hui recognized him at a glance.
Mingchen was currently stroking his goatee, his eyes sweeping over the disciples below.
An unobservant person might have been awed by his immortal-like and dignified bearing and feel a sense of reverence.
But disciples like Lin Hui, who had been at the Daoist Temple for over a year, knew that the old Daoist's gaze was undoubtedly fixed on the curvaceous female disciples below.
"Disciple Lin Hui pays his respects to Master Mingchen." Lin Hui wasted no words, stepping forward and bowing.
"Hm, what is it?" Mingchen had clearly long forgotten the boy he had met alone once. He snapped back to attention slightly and glanced at him.
"This disciple has officially completed his first Body Tempering today and has come to update his status in the registry," Lin Hui stated directly.
"Body Tempering? Not bad." Mingchen nodded nonchalantly. "How long did it take you?"
"A little over a year."
"Acceptable. Huineng, take him to get his name changed in the registry," Mingchen ordered, pointing to a Half-Grand Daoist Child nearby.
"Yes, sir."
The Daoist Child was only about thirteen or fourteen and was a good deal shorter than Lin Hui. But these Daoist Children were the closest attendants to the Masters, so Lin Hui didn't dare to look down on him. He immediately adopted a respectful attitude and greeted him.
The Daoist Child smiled and led Lin Hui to a small, private room to the side of the main hall. He took out the registry and carefully recorded Lin Hui's name.
"Senior Brother has a contract with the temple, so there's no need to add you to the recommendation list. Saves some trouble," the Daoist Child said with a smile.
"Indeed," Lin Hui nodded and smiled along.
"From now on, Senior Brother can train in the front courtyard on weekdays. The front courtyard is the training area for us Official Disciples. Most practice the Nine-Section Swift Sword and the Qingfeng Sword, so each person is allotted a larger space. The grounds are limited, so you'll have to wait for others to finish before you can start. Of course, you can also go out and find a spot to practice nearby. After entering the front courtyard, many senior brothers and sisters choose to leave the Daoist Temple and practice at home, only returning on instruction days to seek guidance."
The Daoist Child explained a few things.
"In short, once you're in the front courtyard, you have much more freedom than before. Some of the more powerful senior brothers and sisters even take up positions in smaller gangs to earn gold, and they live quite comfortably. So if you run into members of a small gang in the city, ask about their background before you make a move. Of course, they'll usually ask about yours first. Once they know our background, those who have some connection with us will usually show some respect and steer clear."
"Thank you for the guidance, Junior Brother," Lin Hui said thoughtfully, clasping his fist.
"Not at all. I just picked it up from hearing everyone talk about it so much," the Daoist Child said with a smile.
After the name change, Lin Hui received a new black waist token made of hardwood. It was simply engraved with the two characters for "Qingfeng," representing his new status as an Official Disciple of the front courtyard.
"You have a three-day leave now. It's up to you how you arrange it," the Daoist Child continued.
"I think I'll go home. It's been a long time," Lin Hui replied.
After finishing the registration, he turned and headed for the back courtyard. As he walked out of the main hall and passed the entrance to the dining hall, he encountered a group of disciples gathering to eat.
Among them, a few girls who were walking together happened to see him emerge from the side room where the registry was kept.
One of the girls on the left, who had a long braid, was none other than Xie Li, who had once been in the same circle as Lin Hui and Chen Zhishen.
She looked at Lin Hui, whose posture and movements were noticeably more upright, and guessed that he must have achieved Body Tempering as well.
"He broke through too. He'll probably be assigned an external post soon, just like Chen Zhishen, right?"
She herself had achieved Body Tempering last month, so she knew the situation in the front courtyard. There was a reason why the number of disciples there was always maintained at around twenty-something.
On one hand, many disciples' primary goal was just to achieve Body Tempering, and once they did, they would leave immediately to earn money.
On the other hand, the front courtyard also had a competitive system. Only those at the top were qualified to enjoy the temple's support and benefits. Those at the bottom still had to spend a great deal of money on resources to continue their cultivation. With expenses far exceeding income, few could sustain it.
"Isn't that Lin Hui? He finally reached Body Tempering. He's actually quite fast," a friend beside her remarked with a casual smile. "So, Xie Li, do you regret it even a little? Maybe he's a minor genius, you know?"
"It's no big deal. The cultivation after Body Tempering is much more difficult and protracted. That's the real challenge. With his aptitude and talent, he won't make any waves," Xie Li said calmly. "I'm following the First Senior Sister now. As someone who has also achieved Body Tempering, I can enjoy top-tier benefits from the Mu Family. My Body Tempering speed far surpasses that of an ordinary front courtyard disciple. If I were still like before, that's when I'd truly have regrets."
"True, First Senior Sister is so kind. You're really lucky," her friend teased with a smile.
"Let's go. It won't be long before he realizes just how important resources are to those of us who aren't geniuses," Xie Li said, not wanting to discuss it further. In her current state, compared to Lin Hui whose family had fallen from grace, she was already on a completely different level.
In a year at most, the gap between them would widen to a point of despair for him.