Chapter 140 - 14: Ambush
Under the moonlight, Zhao Ziming walked Lin Yan to the gate of his courtyard.
"Young Master Lin, please get some rest. I’ll be leaving now."
"Thank you for walking me back."
Lin Yan cupped his fist. After Zhao Ziming had left, he didn’t return to his room but instead sat down at the stone table in the courtyard, his eyes clear and showing no sign of being drunk.
’Was this a coincidence, or a test?’
Images from the banquet flashed through Lin Yan’s mind, starting from the very beginning.
From the moment he arrived, Zhao Zixuan had been disdainful of him.
He could understand it if Zhao Zixuan was merely dissatisfied that someone he considered weaker was receiving all the attention.
Following that logic, Zhao Zixuan’s challenge was understandable.
’But what if it was all a setup?’
The whole sequence of events had felt natural, but Lin Yan had caught one particular detail.
When he arrived, he had been wearing a scabbard, so to any onlooker, it would seem he used a saber.
For someone as arrogant as Zhao Zixuan, he should have asked if Lin Yan wanted to use a weapon during the challenge, lest his victory be seen as dishonorable.
Yet Zhao Zixuan hadn’t. It was as if he already knew that Lin Yan’s true specialty was unarmed combat.
Of course, it was also possible that since Zhao Zixuan wasn’t using a weapon himself, the thought simply never crossed his mind.
’Whether it was a test or a coincidence, I’ve made my point. Hopefully, Zhao Tieshan won’t disturb my Cultivation here.’
Lin Yan reined in his thoughts and glanced at the Martial Arts Tree in his mind.
The leaf for the Smoke-Stepping Technique had completely formed, meaning he had reached the Master Level.
He had also tested the effects of the Smoke-Stepping Technique today. If he had wished it, Zhao Zixuan could have fought to the point of collapse without ever touching the hem of his clothes.
As for the punch he had thrown, it contained less than twenty percent of his true strength.
...
...
In a courtyard on the west side.
Zhao Tieshan sat at a stone table with Zhou Yuanqing and two other men, sipping fragrant tea.
"Tell me your thoughts."
Zhao Tieshan’s previously warm, smiling expression was gone, replaced by a grim look as his gaze swept over Zhou Yuanqing and his two companions.
"I think Lin Yan is just here on a normal mission," Zhou Yuanqing was the first to offer his judgment. "If the Lin Family really suspected us, there’d be no need to send someone from a branch family."
Qian Wanli considered it for a moment. "I think it’s too early to jump to conclusions."
"I agree with Brother Zhou," Sun Desheng said in a booming voice. "The Lin Family recently gathered a group of their branch family members. This Lin Yan only just arrived at the main family estate. If they were going to investigate us, why would they send a branch clansman who just got there?"
All three gave their assessments, and their gazes finally returned to Zhao Tieshan.
The final call still had to be made by Second Master Zhao.
"Drink your tea."
Zhao Tieshan didn’t rush to a conclusion. He simply raised his cup. Just as they finished their tea, the courtyard gate was pushed open, and Zhao Zixuan walked in.
"Zixuan, you’re here. Come, sit down."
Qian Wanli rose and helped Zhao Zixuan to a seat at the stone table.
"You took quite a beating this time. How are you feeling?"
Zhao Tieshan asked with concern. A smile touched Zhao Zixuan’s pale face. "I’m better after taking an Elixir."
"This is my fault. Your second uncle didn’t think this through. I never expected Lin Yan to be so powerful."
He had been the one who arranged for his nephew to challenge Lin Yan. Otherwise, no matter how arrogant and conceited the boy was, he would never have provoked someone from the Lin Family on the very first day.
His goal was simple: to probe Lin Yan’s temperament and strength.
Lin Yan wasn’t from the main Lin Family but from a lesser branch. If he had been afraid of trouble and hadn’t dared to reprimand the nephew, it would have meant he was soft. A man who wouldn’t even leverage the Lin Family’s influence was no threat.
But now, things weren’t so clear.
"Let’s not jump to conclusions. Everyone, be extra cautious for the time being."
...
...
「The next day.」
Lin Yan had just finished breakfast when Zhao Tieshan arrived.
"Young Brother Lin, my nephew was terribly rude yesterday. My older brother, the Patriarch, has heard about the incident and sent me to personally offer our apologies."
Zhao Tieshan entered Lin Yan’s courtyard with a broad smile, pulling a silver banknote from his waist and holding it out. "A small token of our apology. Young Brother Lin, you mustn’t refuse."
"Brother Zhao, you’re too kind."
Lin Yan accepted it with no intention of refusing. Three hundred taels was no small sum—enough to buy three Bone Tempering Pills.
"I wanted to have Zixuan apologize to you in person, Young Brother Lin, but when the Patriarch heard that he’d dared to offend you, he had him sent back to the main residence at dawn to be punished."
"It was just a spar between us young people. Patriarch Zhao needn’t have been so harsh."
Now that he had the money, Lin Yan’s attitude was perfectly amicable. It didn’t matter to him whether Patriarch Zhao had actually summoned Zhao Zixuan home for punishment or simply to recover from his injuries. At the very least, the Zhao Family had made their position clear.
"Young Brother Lin, are you going to the entrance today, or...?"
"You’re not in a hurry to put me to work, are you, Brother Zhao?"
"Of course not. Young Brother Lin, please feel free to take care of your own affairs. As for the entrance... heh heh, there won’t be any problems."
"That’s good."
Lin Yan nodded. After they chatted for a few more moments, Zhao Tieshan left with his hands clasped behind his back.
Watching Zhao Tieshan depart, Lin Yan pulled a map from his robes. It was a topographical map of the Yantian Mountain Range, with several areas circled.
Brother Yuan had given him the map yesterday. The areas circled in red were dangerous zones in the mountains, home to ferocious beasts and poisonous creatures that he shouldn’t rashly provoke at his current Realm.
Lin Yan committed the map to memory before putting it away. He went back to his room, tucked the silver banknote and Bone Tempering Pills into his robes, and then headed to the kitchen to get some dry rations, a small pot, and a few spices.
Since he was here, he didn’t intend to waste time. He planned to head into the mountains as soon as possible.
At the entrance of Eagle’s Beak Gorge.