This Martial Saint is Too Cautious

When Lin Shouchen declared he was leaving, it was Lin Xiao who was left in the most awkward position.

’It’s over?’

’The people from the Third Branch are leaving?’

’I don’t have to fight Lin Yan anymore, but then who gets first place?’

Three questions surfaced in his mind, but he didn’t dare ask them aloud. He was afraid that speaking up would only remind Lin Yan.

’If Lin Yan just leaves like that, I could still fight for it. Besides, the main family of the Fifth Branch would surely speak up for me.’

’In a way, it would be like Lin Yan automatically forfeiting first place.’

’He could argue his case!’

But in the next moment, the sound of Lin Yan’s cough shattered his fantasy.

"Ahem, first place hasn’t been decided yet. Are we going to continue?"

No matter how emotionally stirred he was, Lin Yan hadn’t forgotten to fight for his own interests.

"First place is yours."

Lin Shouzheng replied curtly. Right now, he just wanted the people from the Third Branch to leave quickly before any more trouble erupted.

As for Lin Xiao’s feelings...?

Who even was Lin Xiao?

Having confirmed he’d taken first place, Lin Yan relaxed. He followed behind Brother Song and Brother Hai and left the Combat Platform, surrounded by the other Lin Clan Members from the Third Branch.

Only after the people from the Third Branch had left did the scene erupt into a clamor.

The clan members from the Fourth Branch’s affiliates kept their heads down, not daring to discuss anything, and turned to leave.

Today’s events had brought complete and utter shame to the Fourth Branch.

As members of the Fourth Branch’s affiliates, their loyalties naturally lay with the Fourth Branch, but that didn’t mean they lacked their own judgment.

They were all young geniuses from various clans.

They believed that a Martial Artist could use their strength to bully the weak, but in their hearts, they could not accept Lin Wang’s despicable actions.

Especially since he had lost even after being so shameless. There was no way to defend it.

If even the Fourth Branch’s own affiliates felt this way, then the other branches were even less courteous, their words dripping with ridicule for the Fourth Branch.

"The Fourth Branch really suffered a double loss this time. They lost the match, lost the Treasure Armor, and even lost their man."

"Three years of confinement in the Reversed Lake... that’s equivalent to three years of wasted Martial Arts progress."

"Mingxi, do you think the Fourth Branch will willingly accept this outcome?"

Lin Mingxi was already turning to leave. Hearing this, she paused. "If the Fourth Branch won’t accept it, they can take it up with Uncle Qi. They can take it up with Fifth Uncle."

Even if the Fourth Branch raised a fuss with the clan elders, the result wouldn’t change.

Fifth Uncle was the Hall Master of the clan’s Law Enforcement Hall. A verdict announced before all eyes could not possibly be altered.

The Lin Clan Members gradually dispersed. On the left platform, the members of the Lin Family’s Affiliated Clans who had come to watch also began to talk quietly amongst themselves.

"Today was truly a worthwhile trip. We actually got to see two of the Lin Family’s twelve strongest True Gang Realm Powerhouses."

"Watch your words!"

The elder interrupted the young man from his clan. "With things escalating this much, all we can do is be cautious in our words and actions. We absolutely cannot let what happened here get out."

Keeping one’s mouth shut was the smartest thing to do.

"Ruoruo, stop being so reserved. The Third Branch brought their strongest from two consecutive generations. That’s enough to show how much they value Lin Yan. If you can win him over, the Bai Family will be able to rest easy for years to come."

"What are you talking about?"

Bai Ruo gently shook her head. From her first encounter with Lin Yan, she knew he was the type to be completely absorbed in his Martial Arts Cultivation. And now that his talent had earned the Third Branch’s full attention, she... wasn’t so sure she was worthy of him.

’Never mind the young ladies from the other affiliated clans; I’m afraid many within the Lin Family have already secretly lost their hearts to him.’

Lin Yan came from a branch family; his bloodline had been separated from the main family’s for dozens of generations. It was permissible for him to marry a woman from the main family.

"What are you afraid of? Among the eligible women of this generation in the Lin Family, only Miss Mingxi is good-looking. But you have an advantage that Miss Mingxi doesn’t."

Wan Qing saw through Ruoruo’s thoughts at a glance. She winked and nudged her with her elbow, causing Bai Ruo’s pretty face to flush red. Her eyes unconsciously shimmered with moisture. ’Another sensitive one,’ Wan Qing thought.

...

The Third Branch.

Uncle Qi had returned to the ancestral hall, leaving only Lin Mingsong, Lin Minghai, and Lin Yan in the Lake Heart Pavilion.

"You must have a lot of questions, don’t you?"

Lin Mingsong looked at Lin Yan. "You’ve already stepped into the Blood Exchange Realm. It’s time for you to understand some of the clan’s affairs, as well as the grudge between our branch and the Fourth Branch."

Originally, Lin Mingsong hadn’t planned to expose Lin Yan to these matters so early, but the potential Lin Yan had shown was impressive enough to make him change his mind.

"Our Lin Family doesn’t have a Clan Leader. All major clan matters are decided by the five clan elders. Each of the five main branches has one elder representative. For any matter, if two elders object, it cannot be implemented. If only one elder objects and the other four agree, then it can be pushed forward within the clan."

This wasn’t a simple matter of majority rule.

’There are five branches in total,’ Lin Yan thought for a moment and understood the reasoning behind this rule. ’If two branches object, even if the other three agree, it would, to some extent, force the two opposing branches into a faction. Over time, the entire Lin Family would become estranged and divided.’

"You only need a basic understanding of that. The enmity between our Third Branch and the Fourth Branch began over twenty years ago, but it truly erupted seven years ago. It all stems from an incident that happened seven years ago involving our branch’s Third Uncle and the Fourth Branch’s Tenth Uncle..."

Lin Mingsong didn’t go into great detail, speaking with a certain deliberate vagueness, but Lin Yan still understood.

Over twenty years ago, the Third Branch and the Fourth Branch developed bad blood due to a clan-wide competition. At the time, the grudge wasn’t particularly deep. It was common for grudges to form during these competitions, and they usually faded away after a decade or two. The real enmity exploded seven years ago.