Decaying World

Chapter 9 009 Disappointment
The incident involving Huang Shan was just a minor, accidental episode that quickly passed.

As time went by, another month passed in the blink of an eye.

This time, many people mastered the complete sword technique, and some even fully grasped the eight points of force exertion in the first move.

As for those he couldn't control, Lin Hui personally watched as the Taoist boys in the temple notified them one by one to go home and not to come back anymore.

This includes that skinny student who used to boast and talk big.

Upon receiving the notification, the skinny man's already somewhat uneasy expression immediately collapsed.

After he goes back, he will probably only be able to take the most difficult and arduous path. Perhaps he will become the lowest-level fog explorer, or do the hardest and dirtiest work, or even work as a farmer on the edge of the fog.

After three months of living together, everyone in the dormitory had developed some affection for each other.

Chen Zhishen and the others saw him off. Before leaving, they agreed to visit the skinny man when they had the chance, but they all knew that this "when they had the chance" might be forever.

Lin Hui didn't go. Apart from being close to Chen Zhishen, he wasn't familiar with the others. He went to his usual spot to continue practicing his sword, just like always.

He has now figured out the function of the Blood Seal. As long as the evolution is confirmed, he can fully master the evolved abilities by expending energy and time.

All he needs to do is put in a little effort and time each day.

It's as if he doesn't need to work hard or practice; he can just lie down and become stronger over time.

but.
Lin Hui believes that although one can become stronger even while lying down, the purpose of sword practice is not just to learn sword techniques, but also to develop muscle memory. Simply mastering evolving sword moves is not enough.

He also needs to develop an instinct for wielding the sword, and he needs to be able to skillfully connect, transition, and vary his sword techniques. These are things that Blood Seal may not be able to provide him.

Moreover, daily exercise can increase physical fitness, which might reduce the amount of energy reserves needed in the future. This was his speculation.

In the blink of an eye, two months have passed, and the second evolution of the Hundred Turns and Thousand Hearts technique is now complete.

Just as Lin Hui was alone under the shade of a tree outside the Taoist temple, familiarizing himself with the point of force for the second move.

Suddenly, a fellow student from the same room rushed over.

"Ah Hui, Ah Shen is in trouble! Quick! Quick! Come help!"

"Hmm?" Lin Hui frowned, recognizing the other person's appearance. He immediately put down the wooden stick and followed the other person into the Taoist temple.

"What happened?!" he asked as he ran.

"It was Chen Chong! Chen Chong ruined Bai Hua!" the student said through gritted teeth, his face covered in sweat.

Lin Hui's heart skipped a beat; he knew something was wrong.

The two quickly entered the Taoist temple and headed straight for the square in front.

Before they even arrived, they heard Chen Zhishen roar angrily; his extreme rage could be heard even from dozens of meters away.

"I'm going to kill you!!"

"Hold on!! Ah Shen!"

“Don’t be impulsive!!”

The others reached out and grabbed Chen Zhishen, holding him back to prevent him from rushing towards the smug Chen Chong on the other side.

Chen Zhishen's face was flushed purple, and his veins were bulging. He charged forward on the muddy ground like a bull in a fight, but he just couldn't break free from the seemingly loose embrace of the people around him.

Not far away, Lu Baihua stood quietly in the corner, the upper half of her face blocked by the shadow under the eaves, only her fair chin and lips could be seen.

Lin Hui slowed down, chuckled at Chen Chong, glanced in this direction, then walked up to Lu Baihua, put his arm around her, and walked away with his several followers.

"This is boring. I thought he would actually dare to charge at us, but this is all we got?"

The last words he uttered struck Chen Zhishen like a thunderbolt.

He froze, no matter who pulled him, he stopped moving, just lying there, biting his lip, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

Time passed by minute by minute.

"Sigh," a student sighed, watched for a while, and then turned and left.

This seemed to be a signal, causing the others to leave one after another.

Soon only Lin Hui and Chen Zhishen remained on the field.

The raindrops fell little by little, gradually growing larger and denser.

"Let's go. Let's go back." Lin Hui stepped forward and stood in front of the other person.

If Chen Zhishen had actually charged forward, he might have tried to help him, but now...
puff.

Chen Zhishen knelt down on the ground, head bowed, a faint sob escaping his nose.

"Ahui, am I... useless?!"

“You also have parents,” Lin Hui said calmly.

Chen Zhishen choked up and stopped speaking.

He really wanted to rush up, but
"Let's go. Before we have enough strength, any so-called revenge will only destroy us," Lin Hui said softly. He stepped forward to help the other person up, and the two slowly returned to the communal sleeping area in the light rain. Neither of them spoke again.

Lying in the dormitory-style dormitory, Lin Hui pondered silently.

'Chen Zhishen is not an isolated case. This world is like this: the strong prey on the weak. Before others pay attention to you, everything may be peaceful, but that's only because you're humble enough. If you have even the slightest bit of value to them…'

"Tell me, Ahua, why doesn't she resist?" Chen Zhishen asked softly from the side.

"Perhaps I understand, or perhaps I can't," Lin Hui replied.

"Then how can I protect the people I want to protect?" Chen Zhishen asked again, his voice trembling. He turned his face to look at Lin Hui, tears streaming down his face silently.

"Chen Chong isn't strong. Do you even know the levels of martial arts?" Lin Hui retorted. Without waiting for a reply, he continued.

“Master Mingxiu once said that our Qingfeng Temple mainly cultivates the Qingfeng Sword Technique. The sword technique is based on the Seven-Section Fast Sword, and then used in actual combat with the Nine-Section Fast Sword. Finally, after mastering the Qingfeng Sword Technique, one can be considered a master in the entire Tuyue, except for a few hundred people at the middle level and above of the three major sects.”

Yes, this is a real world; there is no such thing as equal strength based on cultivation level. Lin Hui has learned this in detail over the past few days.

In a power like Qingfeng Temple, the internal strength is divided according to the martial arts level within the sect.

As for how well one performs in the outside world after mastering the martial arts within their own sect, it mainly depends on the battle records of their masters.

The strongest member of the sect, Abbot Baohe, once defeated several martial arts school masters in the inner city multiple times with his signature move, the Three Points of Wind Control, a killing technique of the Qingfeng Swordplay. Although he was ultimately defeated by the master of Feiyun Hall and others, his exceptional agility allowed him to escape unscathed.

Of course, these are the results publicized, and naturally, the publicity focuses mostly on the wins. No one is ashamed to actively publicize the losses.

"If I master the Qingfeng Sword, will I be able to overpower Chen Chong?" Chen Zhishen asked in a low voice.

“Perhaps. Chen Chong is just a distant relative of the Chen family, from some unknown branch. There are probably hundreds, if not thousands, of people like him in the city. If you can rise to the rank of a teacher in the Ming generation, you should be able to surpass him. After all, he is always very respectful to teachers in the Ming generation.” Lin Hui replied.

"He glanced at you one last time, and I knew he let me go because of you. I'll remember that kindness," Chen Zhishen said haltingly.

"Why?" Lin Hui asked, puzzled. "I don't think I have anything that he would be afraid of, do I?"

“You come from the Lin family. Three members of the Lin family have entered the three major inner city sects, one of whom has also joined the Chen family's main branch. And your eldest sister was recently inspired and officially became a follower of the Rain Palace sect. Those are elite members of the Sha Yue sect. You may not have noticed these background details yourself, but we outsiders remember them clearly and dare not be careless.” Chen Zhishen seemed to have calmed down a bit, and softened his voice. “This is the power of a family.”

Lin Hui fell silent.

He thought of the old clan chief, who was also his grandfather, Lin Chaoyi.

He stopped talking, but his feelings were complicated. He lay on his back on the bed, his mind replaying everything that had happened in the past few days.

Before he knew it, he had slowly fallen asleep.

Day two.

As soon as the fog dissipated, bursts of laughter and chatter echoed from the Taoist temple.

The students in the dormitory got up one after another, happily packed their things, and prepared to go out.

"You can go home today. Are your family members coming to pick you up?" Chen Zhishen was also packing his things, his face calm, seemingly showing no trace of the anger and pain he had felt earlier.

But Lin Hui knew that he had simply kept everything hidden.

"I don't know, we'll find out when we go out and see," he replied.

"Ahui, you're going the same way back with me, want to come along?"

One of the people in the communal room asked enthusiastically.

"Thank you, but no, you can go back now," Lin Hui politely declined.

He quickly tidied up his clothes, which he hadn't had time to wash yet, his worn-out boots and socks, a porcelain cup with a chip in it, and a wooden stick that he had been holding in his hand so much that it was almost worn smooth.

Pushing open the door, I saw two Taoist priests maintaining order outside the temple, checking the disciples and students as they left one by one.

They only let people leave after confirming that someone from their family had come.

Lin Hui stepped forward, and several people immediately greeted him.

Among those who greeted them were even a few members of Huang Shan's small group, who were all from circles with some background. After Chen Chong's incident yesterday, they inquired among themselves and learned about the recent changes in the Lin family.

If three people were allowed to enter the inner city, and one of them was even called to become an elite follower, then the meaning would be different.

In an instant, Lin Hui seemed to have transformed from an unknown nobody into a genius like Huang Shan, attracting everyone's attention.

Not far away, Qiu Yiren, a genius on par with Huang Shan, followed behind her senior sister Mu Qiaozhi, watching this scene from afar with some confusion.

"Senior sister, is the Sha Yue Sect's summoning power really that strong? Even a distant relative of the Chen family like Chen Chong has to give it face?"

“The Sha Yue Sect’s recruitment process generally depends heavily on talent. Within the entire sect, only about a thousand people are qualified for recruitment. Once successfully recruited, they will eventually be sent out to serve as managers, and their status and strength will not be much inferior to our Qingfeng Temple Abbot. What do you think?” Mu Qiaozhi said calmly.

"The call to heaven is like a fish leaping over the dragon gate, ascending to the heavens in a single day, becoming as strong as copper and as old as iron, and greatly extending one's lifespan. In addition, I heard that Lin Hui and Lin Hongzhen have a good relationship. If he doesn't give face, Chen Chong will be criticized when he goes back. That kid may be successful outside, but in the Chen family, he's just an ostracized nobody. He only dares to take his temper out on outsiders," Mu Qiaozhi said coldly.

She stood calmly at the back of the students, watching the changing emotions before her, her pale blue eyes filled with indifference.

Compared to Qiu Yiren beside her, she wasn't particularly beautiful, but years of martial arts and sword practice had given her an extremely strong upper body, a large chest, and long, well-proportioned legs. Her fitted light blue dress made her look like a female leopard, agile, powerful, and full of vibrant beauty.

"So, in our temple, who else has a similar background? Could you please enlighten me, Senior Sister?" Qiu Yiren asked softly.

(End of this chapter)