Chapter 22: I fear he has embarked upon a path of no return.
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This was the first time Lin Zhengyang had ever lost his temper with his own prodigious son.
The banquet hall was completely empty. Yang Baihu and the other officials had tactfully withdrawn, leaving only the members of the Lin family behind.
Looking at Lin Tianjiao, the prodigy he had painstakingly cultivated, Lin Zhengyang recalled the scene that had just unfolded and asked, suppressing his anger, “How did you end up being knocked down with a single slap? Were you careless, or...?”
“I was careless.” Lin Tianjiao lowered his head and replied, enduring the humiliation burning inside him. “He provoked me, and I lost my composure. I wasn’t prepared...”
Only after hearing that answer did Lin Zhengyang’s anger ease somewhat. He believed in Lin Tianjiao’s strength. After all, his youngest son was a peerless prodigy whom he had painstakingly nurtured—a once-in-a-generation talent capable of killing demons of his own generation with a sword at the age of fifteen.
“Your loss of reason made you lose control, and that led to your defeat. Remember today’s failure well. Only then can you exchange it for the greatest success tomorrow.”
“Yes, Father...” Lin Tianjiao suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with indignation. “Father! But he actually dared to strike you!”
“Even if he refuses to acknowledge me as his younger brother, he has no right to disown you, much less attack you!”
“You’re his father!”
Only then did Lin Zhengyang feel his mood improve slightly.
Yet he was still carefully savoring the punch Lin Yin had thrown moments ago.
Its speed, power, courage, and angle had all been flawless.
He felt that he was becoming less and less capable of understanding his eldest son.
An intense sense of unfamiliarity filled him.
“That’s enough!” Yang Huier rarely lost her temper, but now she glared directly at Lin Zhengyang.
Lin Zhengyang’s eyes darted away again, but the question he had been dreading still came.
“Zhengyang, I’ve always trusted you. But why do I feel that Yin’er has grown more after leaving home than he ever did while staying here?”
Yang Huier was no fool. Naturally, she could see the tremendous change in Lin Yin.
His martial cultivation alone had risen from having never even entered the path of cultivation to the sixth level of the Qi-Blood Realm in barely half a month.
The family had provided Lin Yin with cultivation resources from the very beginning, yet they had never produced any results.
“The sixth level of the Qi-Blood Realm?” Lin Zhengyang frowned deeply. “Perhaps it was Elder Jiang’s doing. The Great Demon King of Jixia is bound to have a few tricks up his sleeve. I’d like to know the truth as well, but unfortunately, I never had the chance to ask.”
After a moment, Lin Zhengyang shook his head again. “But the family poured so many resources into him before without any effect. It’s not as though we never sought out renowned masters to guide him. For him to change so suddenly... What I fear is that he may have used some unorthodox method.”
“You mean...?”
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“Demonic arts, drugs, or some other forbidden substance—something that consumes one’s vitality in exchange for a temporary increase in strength.” Lin Zhengyang sighed, a rare expression of weariness crossing his face. “There is no such thing as strength gained without cause. After leaving home, it would be perfectly normal for him to lose his way.”
“You mean Elder Jiang and Yin’er used some kind of forbidden technique?” Yang Huier grew anxious. “Then why haven’t you gone to bring him back? If his vitality is completely exhausted, it will be too late!”
“If you want to find him, go yourself.” At the thought of the punch Lin Yin had thrown at him, Lin Zhengyang became irritated and waved his hand dismissively. “Whatever path he chose, he chose it himself. If it leads him to ruin, that is his choice as well! The Lin family has no son who uses forbidden arts. I cannot afford to be disgraced by him!”
Yang Huier looked deeply conflicted. After struggling with the decision for a while, she let out a heavy breath, as though she had made an important choice.
“Report him to the Royal Court,” she said.
Lin Zhengyang slowly turned around, astonishment in his eyes.
Are you really willing to sacrifice your own kin for justice?
“Forbidden arts are the red line of the entire human race. Report him to the Royal Court and let them come to Great Xia to arrest him.” Yang Huier’s gaze was firm. “This is for Yin’er’s sake. At the very least, it may bring him back from the wrong path.”
Lin Zhengyang was about to speak, but Yang Huier raised a hand and interrupted him. “That’s enough. Don’t make it public. I’ll contact the Yang family within the Royal Court and have them act in secret. If word gets out that a child of the Lin family used forbidden arts, the Yang family will be affected as well.”
Lin Zhengyang pondered for a moment, then nodded. “All right.”
The Yang family of the Royal Court was a colossal force entrenched at the very heart of humanity—one so powerful that even Lin Zhengyang himself had to show it considerable caution. As long as the Yang family took action, this matter would surely remain concealed.
“Enough. Don’t even think about looking for that old man Jiang Shang anymore. I originally thought that although Jiang Shang was old, he still possessed a lifetime of knowledge that he had yet to pass on, and that Tianjiao might inherit his legacy. But now it seems that legacy may not be anything upright after all. Tianjiao, once the engagement ceremony is over, follow your Uncle Xiao. He has no sons or disciples either, and all his abilities are going to waste.”
Lin Tianjiao snapped out of his secret delight and hurriedly nodded. “Yes, yes!”
“Let’s go home!”
The members of the Lin family returned to the imperial capital.
Lin Tianjiao cast one last glance at Heavenly River City in the rearview mirror and let out a cold laugh.
Forbidden arts, are they? My ignorant and foolish elder brother, you are completely throwing your life away.
When we meet again, I hope you are still alive. That way, I can avenge the humiliation you inflicted upon me...
After the Lin family left, Yang Baihu finally stepped out of the office, trembling with fear.
Behind him stood a dense crowd of martial artists, every face filled with barely restrained shock and excitement.
“What explosive news! This is absolutely explosive news!”
“Time is a blade that cuts down prodigies. Is Lin Yin the embodiment of time itself?”
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“Prince Lin Yin... Does that mean we should address him as Prince Lin Yin from now on?”
“But it seems the prince’s relationship with his family is extremely strained.”
“What does the prince’s relationship with his family have to do with you? You still have to call him that.”
“True!”
Just then, Yang Baihu suddenly received a message from Elder Jiang.
Jiang Shang: Keep what happened today confidential.
...
After sending the message, Elder Jiang turned around, his eyes filled with heartache.
Jiang Zixun was carefully applying medicine and bandaging Lin Yin.
“He’s your own son, no matter what. How could you bear to strike him so brutally...?” Jiang Zixun gazed at Lin Yin with pity, tears glimmering in her eyes.
“What are you talking about? I’m fine!” Lin Yin smiled and vigorously flexed his hand, showing no concern for the injury. “See? It hasn’t affected me at all. This little wound is nothing. I’m already used to it!”
“Stop moving! Listen to me.”
Jiang Zixun forcibly pressed Lin Yin down onto the sofa. A faint,幽 fragrance drifted toward him. Lin Yin raised his eyes and saw only a pair of beautiful eyes brimming with concern. At a loss for words, he obediently sat still.
“Yin’er, no matter what happens from now on, I will stand in front of you.” Elder Jiang approached and patted Lin Yin on the shoulder. “Your hand is injured, so don’t practice with a blade for the time being. I’ll pass on to you the body-tempering technique I’ve studied all my life! It will help you rise above the Azure Clouds as soon as possible!”
Hearing this, Lin Yin knew that the old man was probably about to bring out Fleshly Body Crowning a King.
This truly amounted to giving him everything he had, heart and soul.
Two supreme-grade, Heaven-ranked techniques—he was passing them both on just like that.
How could Lin Yin not be moved?
He nodded gently. “I, Lin Yin, will never... betray your hopes, Teacher. Please wait and see.”
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