Comprehending Myriad Techniques as Woodcutter

"Thank you for your high regard, Landlord Lin, but I am still young and focused on my martial arts practice. I have no other intentions for now."

Seeing Xie Yuan’s expression remain unmoved, Landlord Lin spoke with a tone of both praise and resignation:

"It’s a good thing for a young man to have lofty ambitions. Very well, let’s head back and prepare to depart. Heh heh, you and my daughter are both young. You two can get to know each other better."

The two returned to the main residence. As they neared the rear courtyard, Xie Yuan stopped in his tracks.

Landlord Lin walked in naturally, but upon seeing several maids still waiting outside the door, he couldn’t help but frown.

"Zhen’Er still isn’t ready?"

"Master, the Miss said she’ll be ready right away."

The maids hurriedly bowed.

Landlord Lin was a little displeased.

"That girl, what’s taking her so long? Huh? Why aren’t you inside helping her?"

"The Miss said she wanted to do it herself and told us to wait out here..."

Landlord Lin shook his head.

’I wonder what she’s thinking now.’

He walked back out of the rear courtyard, looking slightly apologetic.

"Nephew Xie, that girl of mine is such a dawdler. I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you to wait a little longer... Huh? Nephew Xie, what’s wrong? Your expression... Are you feeling unwell?"

Xie Yuan quickly pulled his sleeve down, his expression returning to normal.

"No. It’s nothing, Landlord Lin. Where did you say the study was again? You mentioned the manor’s layout was quite particular, but I didn’t quite understand."

Hearing Xie Yuan say this, Landlord Lin’s eyes lit up, thinking he had taken an interest in the Lin family estate after all.

"Good, good! I’ll take you for another look. We’ll go over it again."

Xie Yuan followed Landlord Lin as they once again wandered through the large, sprawling residence with its many courtyards and halls, where every step revealed a new view. However, each time Landlord Lin wanted to elaborate on the garden scenery or the house’s furnishings, Xie Yuan would suggest they move on to another spot.

The original idea was to let Xie Yuan familiarize himself with the place, but he only gave it a cursory, absentminded glance, quickly completing a circuit and ending up back outside the rear courtyard.

Landlord Lin wiped the sweat from his brow. Xie Yuan walked so fast that the portly, sedentary landlord had trouble keeping up.

"Nephew... Nephew Xie, so, is the manor’s layout to your liking?"

"Mm..."

Xie Yuan stared at the rear courtyard, his eyes glinting faintly.

’Layout? What layout?’

He hadn’t walked that circuit to look at any layout, of course.

No wonder something had felt off about his body ever since he’d entered the estate, though he hadn’t noticed it at first.

It wasn’t until he’d reached the outside of the rear courtyard for the first time just now that a sudden searing heat had flared up on his arm.

He had pulled up his sleeve to look and discovered that the black lotus petal mark, which had never changed before, was actually flowing slowly!

This gave Xie Yuan an instant shock. Ever since he’d acquired this mark, it had never changed. This was the first time it had ever reacted strangely.

He didn’t know what was happening, but he found that the intensity of the mark’s heat varied depending on his location within the estate. After walking a full circle, he finally confirmed it: the closer he was to the rear courtyard, the stronger the reaction.

The source, it seemed, was inside.

Xie Yuan hesitated. He wanted to go in and take a look, but this was the rear courtyard of the Lin family estate, where the female family members resided. Even if he had agreed to become the Lin family’s son-in-law, now was not the time to enter.

But this was the first time in a long while that the mark had changed. If he didn’t get to the bottom of it, Xie Yuan would be deeply unsettled.

’I need to think of a way...’

As he was pondering, Xie Yuan suddenly paused and subconsciously shook his arm.

’The sensation is gone?’

’What on earth is the cause...’

Xie Yuan frowned and looked toward the rear courtyard again, only to see a young woman in a lake-blue dress suddenly walk out.

The young woman was of above-average height and quite slender, with a willow-like waist that looked as if it could be encircled by a single hand. Her oval face was very delicate, inspiring a sense of tenderness in anyone who looked at her.

She held a round fan in her hand. Upon coming out and seeing Xie Yuan, she slightly shielded her face with the fan and gave a small curtsy as a greeting.

Xie Yuan studied the young woman for a moment but noticed nothing unusual. He subconsciously made a mental comparison:

’A bit prettier than Sister Orchid.

’But nowhere near as beautiful as Situ Qin...’

When Landlord Lin saw the young woman emerge, he called out with a sigh,

"Girl, what took you so long?"

"Father, it’s a long journey, and I have a lot to pack. It’s only natural it would take some time. Why are you rushing me..."

the young woman said in a low voice.

"Alright, alright. Hurry and have someone load your trunks onto the carriage, lest we miss our departure time. Look how long you’ve kept Nephew Xie waiting! Nephew Xie, this is my daughter, Lin Zhen. I’ll be entrusting her to your care for this journey!"

Landlord Lin cupped his hands in a salute to Xie Yuan.

"Rest assured, Landlord Lin. I will see Miss Lin safely to Yunzhou."

Lin Zhen stole a glance at Xie Yuan, a faint blush rising on her fair cheeks, and quickly looked away.

Seeing this, Landlord Lin stroked his beard and chuckled.

Within moments, the servants had loaded Lin Zhen’s luggage onto the carriage. Accompanied by four guards and a driver—five men in total—they set off with Xie Yuan.

The road to Yunzhou Prefecture was a major official highway with plenty of traffic, so there usually wouldn’t be any trouble; a few people were sufficient. The last time, Situ Qin had been ambushed despite having twenty people with her, but that was due to her own special circumstances.

Before leaving, Xie Yuan sat on his horse and saluted Landlord Lin to bid farewell. But then he saw the landlord take a long saber from a servant, unsheathe it for a moment, and offer it to him.

"Nephew Xie, here. This long saber is a treasure I went to great lengths to acquire and have kept in my collection. It can split a hair blown against its edge and slice through iron as if it were mud. A treasure saber is a gift for a hero. Take it."

Xie Yuan saw that the saber had a chilling glint, its fine steel gleaming. It was exceptionally sharp, truly a rare Treasure Saber, many grades above his own. He quickly refused.

"Landlord Lin, I cannot accept this. You’ve already paid the Escort Agency a deposit. I can’t take another gift."

"I’ve already cleared this with Shen the Head of the Escort. It’s part of your payment. You’re protecting my daughter. How can I be at ease if you don’t have a fine weapon? Take it, take it."

Landlord Lin forcefully shoved the saber into Xie Yuan’s hands and let go, deliberately using the Head of the Escort as a reason. Left with no choice, Xie Yuan accepted it with a salute.

"Then I thank you for your kind intentions, Landlord Lin. As for the saber’s value, I’ll have the Head of the Escort calculate it later..."

"None of that polite nonsense. There’s no other meaning behind this gift. Even if you and the Lin family are not fated to be, your talent and accomplishments at such a young age alone make you worthy of this Treasure Saber. I’d love to wield a saber myself, but it’s just wasted on me. ’A treasure saber for a hero’—those five words say it all."

Landlord Lin waved his hand and laughed with magnanimous flair.

Xie Yuan was touched. He stopped refusing, secured the saber to his waist, and earnestly saluted Landlord Lin farewell.

’There’s a reason Landlord Lin’s business is so successful,’ Xie Yuan thought. ’Though he doesn’t practice martial arts, his words and actions carry a certain heroic spirit.’

He would accept the sentiment behind this gift.

He saw Lin Zhen’s small head peeking out of the carriage window, waving vigorously at her father. He glanced back at the residence one last time, then turned away, lost in thought.

’What in that rear courtyard made my mark burn? The sensation is gone now. Let me check my status... the Black Celestial Book hasn’t changed either...’

He threw a subtle glance at the carriage and thought:

’The moment Miss Lin came out, the heat disappeared. Could she be the reason?’

Xie Yuan slowed his horse slightly to ride alongside the carriage. He gave a light cough, unsure how to begin his questioning.

He couldn’t just ask, "Hey, do you know why my arm is burning?" or "Miss, there’s something wrong with you..."

After a moment’s thought, he spoke in a gentle tone,

"Miss Lin, are you traveling to Yunzhou Prefecture to visit relatives?"

"Yes. I have an aunt who lives in Yunzhou Prefecture."

The young woman’s delicate voice came from inside the carriage.

"Are you and your aunt very close, Miss Lin?"

"My aunt used to hold me often when I was a child..."

Xie Yuan made some half-hearted small talk with Lin Zhen, circling the topic for a while before slowly steering the conversation toward the Martial Dao.

"Have you ever practiced martial arts, Miss Lin?"

"Never. I have a weak constitution. I can’t even practice the basic stances."

"I see... In that case, have you ever collected any strange or precious objects to help improve your health?"

"Strange or precious objects? No, but I’ve certainly consumed plenty of medicinal concoctions."

"Hmm... Then are there any peculiar items in your courtyard? Things like book pages, lotus petals, or anything of the sort..."

"Master Xie, we’ve only just met. Your questions about my personal life and the furnishings of my private chambers are making me rather embarrassed."

Hearing the faint tone of embarrassed annoyance in her voice, Xie Yuan felt a bit awkward and fell silent.

This round of questioning felt just like texting a girl he admired—him asking, her answering, like an interrogation—until she finally got annoyed...

Xie Yuan couldn’t help but feel he had been too hasty, but it was understandable. After all, the mark on his body had always been a source of great anxiety.

Just as he was racking his brain, wondering if and how he should continue his questions, he suddenly heard a sigh from the carriage and froze.

It was a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of a mountain, nothing like what one would expect from a pampered young lady prone to flights of fancy. The contrast with Lin Zhen’s earlier manner of speaking was immense.

What surprised him even more was that a voice spoke from the carriage again. Although the vocal cords seemed vaguely similar to before, the tone was completely different!

A voice as cold as ice, yet hoarse and weary, reached Xie Yuan’s ears:

"So, they’ve come... Master Xie, when you see your chance, run. Run as far as you can. Remember this. You must remember."

’What? Who’s come?’

’Wait, that voice... it sounds a little familiar?’

While Xie Yuan was still confused, a slender, jade-like hand suddenly shot out from the window and grabbed his arm.

Xie Yuan immediately felt the mark on his left arm flare up, burning as if it were on fire!