The Lin Residence, by the pond.
Flogged until his skin was split and flesh was showing, unable to even stand, Steward Lin gritted his teeth and lay prostrate on the gravel ground.
"Boss, no matter how you look at it, I've served this residence faithfully for thirty years. This whipping... I truly cannot stomach it."
"Even if that lowly Groom has made something of himself, it's true that, by rights, he should be removed from the Slave Registry."
"But..."
"You entrusted me with the duties of a Steward, responsible for managing the stables. As such, I have a duty to oversee and supervise."
"He eats the Lin Residence's food and uses the Lin Residence's resources, yet he returns late and leaves early every day, all to plot for his own future..."
"So why is it that when I punish him, it's as if I've broken some sacred law?"
"This slight is something I cannot swallow, no matter what!"
About ten feet in front of where he lay,
Lin Zhenhai cupped a small handful of fish food, sprinkling it into the pond.
He watched as the vibrant, ornamental fish jostled and competed with one another to peck it all away before he finally spoke in a slow, unhurried voice:
"The principle is sound."
"But the young are hot-blooded."
"The moment they become a Martial Artist, they feel as if they've broken their shackles and climbed ashore. This is especially true for those from poor families, who've exhausted everything just to barely succeed in Entering the Realm."
"What you did wasn't wrong, per se. The problem was, you ran right into the barrel of his gun."
"Having just gained some power, how could he possibly withstand such humiliation from you?"
"Back in my day, I was young and poor, born a Hunter. I served a crippled old man—who was well past his prime but had entered the Power Barrier—for ten years, just to learn a single half-move from his Sword Formulas."
"After three years of practice to master it, the first thing I did was cut down the local ruffian who collected mountain taxes in town. Then I took to the Mountain Dao and became a Swordsman."
"I roamed for eight years, until I'd earned the nickname 'Piercing Tiger,' built up some savings, and entered the five-hundred-li Anning County. Only then did I gradually make a name for myself and learn the rules of the world."
"All Martial Artists have a temper, especially when they've just come into their power."
"The fact that you're still alive..."
"...already makes you lucky."
With his hands behind his back, Lin Zhenhai quietly recounted these stories from his past.
"I've heard the name Ji Xiu before."
"Ruyue mentioned him to me once."
"The other day, when her horse was spooked on her way back to the residence, it was this 'lad' whose excellent Horse Riding Skill tamed the beast, preventing a disaster."
"From that perspective, he seems to be a promising talent."
He slowly turned around. He was in his forties, his temples half-gray, with a pair of eyes like dark, ancient wells.
Lin Zhenhai.
In his youth, he had tread the Mountain Dao, roamed as a Swordsman, and run an Escort Agency. He had mastered his craft, forged trade routes and connections in all directions, and only then established his foundation.
The businesses and shops under his name dealt in the Chai Market, Fire Kilns, salt transport, and more... making him a person of considerable renown in the surrounding area.
Aside from the Government Office, the Three Great Gangs, the Four Great Halls, and the Fire Kiln Lu Manor—the major Local Bullies of the five-hundred-li Anning County—he could hold his own against anyone else, even without the rumor that his eldest daughter had joined a Sect.
The reputation of a Sect was impressive, but it only went so far.
Unless you were an inner disciple or had broken through the Qi Barrier to become someone revered as a 'Grandmaster' wherever you went... it wasn't actually enough to intimidate a practitioner who had spent years Quenching their own Martial Arts.
The Lin Residence's current standing was owed, more than anything, to him—its 'pillar supporting the heavens'.
Looking at the miserable state of his own steward,
Lin Zhenhai just lowered his head slightly, his eyes as sharp as a falcon's. He stared for a long moment before speaking slowly:
"But, then again."
"Without rules, there can be no order."
"He struck you out of a Martial Artist's pride, unable to tolerate verbal insults. It has the flavor of 'a common man's fury can spill blood five paces wide'."
"Anywhere else, it wouldn't be my business. I might even find it somewhat admirable."
"But..."
"This is the Lin Residence."
"For him to flog you is to show he has no respect for the rules."
"Instructor Du has already gone to fetch him. When he arrives, he will be served with family discipline."
"He gave you thirty lashes, so I will give him thirty lashes in return, to pay you back. In light of him becoming a Martial Artist, I'll then host a banquet. It's better to resolve feuds than to create them. It's not such a big deal."
"However..."
Lin Zhenhai glanced sideways, as if unintentionally.
"The lad doesn't do a bad job with the horses. I went to see for myself the other day."
"Returning late and leaving early isn't a big deal, so long as his work is done well."
"You've never been the type to make a big fuss. Why pick a fight with a mere Groom?"
"You're always around Little Third. If he were to learn this temper of yours, that would be a true problem."
These few sentences were spoken.
Even though Lin Zhenhai's words already implied that Ji Xiu would be punished,
hearing them seemed to strike a nerve with Steward Lin. A cold sweat instantly broke out and poured down his back.
"Master, I..."
Before he could finish his sentence,
the CRUNCH CRUNCH of footsteps on gravel rang out, slightly lessening the tense, silent atmosphere.
Hearing someone approach, Steward Lin breathed a sigh of relief and, still lying on the ground, glanced sideways.
He saw an attendant hurry to Lin Zhenhai's side, bend over, and whisper a few words in his ear.
The moment the words were spoken,
a peculiar expression appeared on the Boss, whose eyes were usually as placid as an ancient well. He even let out a strange little laugh.
"Oh?"
"So that's how it is."
"How interesting..."
He then looked down, sending a chill through Steward Lin's heart.
"In that case, it seems I must retract my earlier assessment of that 'lad'."
"A boy who couldn't even afford a meal, who sold himself into this residence to become a Groom just the other day—if he had possessed such connections before, he absolutely would not have fallen to such a state."
"Which means... in less than a single month, he's had this kind of fortuitous encounter..."
Lin Zhenhai stroked his chin thoughtfully, then waved to the attendant. He straightened his collar and headed for the main hall.
"Go, fetch that slave contract."
'The Young Master of the Lu Manor asks me to release a man, and I'm just supposed to do it...?
This man was raised by my Lin Residence. Your word alone isn't necessarily enough.'
...
The Lin Residence, main hall.
Ji Xiu followed Lu Yu all the way here.
The hall was simple and elegant, with exquisite decorations.
A wide, purple sandalwood desk was adorned with porcelain and blue-and-white jade vases.
In front of the large mahogany chair in the center, an ink brush, inkstone, paper, and inkstick were arranged neatly, so clean there wasn't a speck of dust.
In the past,
this was a place that a mere Groom like him was not even worthy of entering.
His circumstances were truly different now.
As Ji Xiu was reflecting on this,
Lu Yu, at his side, seemed to see through his thoughts and laughed heartily.
"Don't worry! With your senior brother here, I'll definitely win you your freedom today!"
"But then again,"
"if Master Duan hadn't repeatedly warned me not to interfere in your affairs..."
He was halfway through his sentence when he was cut off by the rustling sound of footsteps from behind.
Immediately after,
Lin Zhenhai, leading Instructor Du, strode in with the gait of a dragon and the pace of a tiger.
The sound made Ji Xiu, Lu Yu, and the Fire Kiln Stewards all turn their heads at once.
The man who entered had broad shoulders and a wide back. His spine was ramrod straight, and his hands were clasped behind him. He appeared relaxed, but...
...behind this carefree facade, hidden beneath the large black robes, were Flesh, Bone, and Skin that, under Ji Xiu's meticulous observation,
were coiled tightly together. It was as if all the Force his body had condensed was wound into a single rope, like a volcano on the verge of eruption!
At this moment, he was certain.
If this man were to make a move, in the flash of a spark...
...the outcome would be decided instantly!
"That is the Boss of the Lin Residence, Lin Zhenhai."
"Look at his footsteps."
Lu Yu whispered the introduction into his ear.
"His Force sinks like a mountain. It's clear that his skeleton is suppressing his muscles and tendons. He has already reached the Great Success stage of Iron Bone."
"A single kick from him, carrying the force of over a thousand jin, could crush a man to death!"
Great Success in Iron Bone!
It sounds like Bone Marrow Tempering.
'Is this one of the steps in the second stage of the Power Barrier, 'Bone Tempering,' that Master Duan spoke of?'
'He's truly a thousand times my better!'
Ji Xiu thought to himself, unconsciously tensing his body.
Meanwhile, Lin Zhenhai, who had strode in like a dragon, wore a faint smile the moment he entered.
"Young Master, you've come without sending word in advance! Has the Old Manor Master been well lately?"
After this casual greeting, Lin Zhenhai sat down in the main seat in a commanding manner. He didn't speak, but simply looked Ji Xiu up and down.
This caused Ji Xiu's gaze to flicker, and he felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles.
But since ancient times, it is always the one who can remain calm in such situations who is a person of substance.
Therefore, he held his breath to focus his mind. Feigning nonchalance, he relaxed his body, erasing any trace of tension or awkward unfamiliarity.
This made Lin Zhenhai's large hand, which was gripping the armrest, tighten slightly. A flash of surprise flickered in his eyes and was gone.
'He really has made something of himself.'
He nodded.
Then, with a wave of his hand, he was brought a 'slave contract'. With a RIP, he tore it in two!
"From this moment on, Ji Family's Son, you are free."
The casually spoken words left Ji Xiu stunned.
'This Boss Lin looked at me for a while, and then... just let me go like that?'
'Could it really be this simple?!'
Hearing this, he came back to his senses, and his heart filled with joy.
He was just about to rise and offer his thanks.
However—
The next second,
Lin Zhenhai spoke again, his tone rising.
"However, this Innate Talent of yours has caught my eye, and it pleases me greatly."
"I, Lin Zhenhai, have traveled far and wide in my youth and have seen a thing or two. Just now, I saw on that slave contract that you are still young, which stirred in me a desire to cherish talent. That is why I tore up your Slave Registry and wrote off the matter of you flogging my steward."
"Ji Family's Son."
"I have few sons to my name. Today, I have taken a liking to you and am willing to give you a chance."
"Let me ask you."
"Are you willing to enter my household and become my Adopted Son?!"
'Serve him tea, change my surname, and bow to him as my godfather?'
With that said,
a cup of tea, still warm,
had, at some unknown moment...
...been placed beside Ji Xiu.