Chapter 10: Night Attack
Translated by algoo | Proofread by algoo
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Qin Cong pushed himself up with one hand, the other clutching his chest, glaring at Zhao Lingyin. “This is between Lin Xiu and me. What business is it of yours?”
Zhao Lingyin looked down at him indifferently. “His business is my business.”
Qin Cong was stunned. Could Lin Xiu and Zhao Lingyin be together? No, impossible. Lin Xiu had nothing to offer besides his looks. Qin Cong believed the Second Miss of the Zhao family wasn’t so shallow.
Regardless, with Zhao Lingyin intervening, he couldn’t touch Lin Xiu today.
A yellow light flickered on Qin Cong’s chest. The pain in his broken ribs subsided. He struggled to his feet, shot Lin Xiu a cold look, and said, “We’ll meet again…”
He then limped away.
As he passed Lin Xiu, he stopped, a smirk playing on his lips. Lowering his voice, he said, “Oh, I forgot to tell you. I did have that woman killed. I wanted to favor her, but she foolishly tried to report me to the authorities. How ungrateful… How does that feel?”
The expression on Lin Xiu’s face hardened, his fists clenching white.
Qin Cong gave him a mocking glance before turning away.
Zhao Lingyin looked back at Lin Xiu. “How did you provoke him?”
Lin Xiu, instead of explaining, changed the subject. “What ability was he using?”
Zhao Lingyin shrugged. “Just the Earth-tier Stone Art. Once you awaken again, he won’t be your match.”
His mood ruined by Qin Cong, Lin Xiu lost interest in visiting the Academy library. He looked at Zhao Lingyin. “Shall we cultivate like last time today?”
Zhao Lingyin shook her head. “Too much is as bad as too little. Let’s wait two days. Your body can’t handle it otherwise.”
Lin Xiu insisted, “I can.”
He was stung by Qin Cong. Not being able to match such scum made him feel resentful. Whether it was his strength or his ice ability, only after a second awakening would his power truly surpass that of ordinary people.
Zhao Lingyin didn’t refuse his persistence.
Only if Lin Xiu cultivated diligently and improved his strength quickly would he be worthy of her sister. She was happy to help.
“Let’s go to your house then,” she said.
When Lin Xiu and Zhao Lingyin returned to the Lin residence, the Imperial Physician invited by Baron Ping’an had already arrived. However, Lin Xiu knew the cause of his amnesia was another soul inhabiting his body. Even the greatest physicians of legend couldn’t cure that.
In the end, the Imperial Physician simply informed Baron Ping’an and his wife that amnesia was incurable. Whether he regained his memory would depend on fate.
Having achieved nothing, the physician even returned half the fee as he left. Lin Xiu felt a pang of regret. Baron Ping’an had paid one hundred taels for the visit, the same amount he earned in a year as a clerk. These physicians charged exorbitant fees for house calls.
Zhao Lingyin then learned that Lin Xiu hadn’t been feigning ignorance at the brothel. She had been angry, thinking that even with amnesia, he still remembered to visit such places. It was fortunate she’d run into him; who knew what he might have done.
This thought reignited her anger, and she decided to push him harder during their cultivation session.
Lin Xiu and Zhao Lingyin closed the door and began cultivating.
In another room, Baron Ping’an sighed. “Lingyin is already a rare genius in Great Xia, and Lingjun is even more gifted, having received instruction from renowned masters since childhood. I hear her mystical art has already awakened five times. Xiu’er is truly not worthy of her…”
His wife glared at him. “How can you speak of your own son that way?”
Baron Ping’an said, “I’m just stating the facts. The Zhao family is far above us now. Rather than being bound by this impossible engagement, which benefits no one, it would be better to dissolve it early and find Xiu’er a suitable wife to continue the Lin family line.”
His wife knew his words held merit. After a moment of silence, she agreed. “Indeed, it’s us who are not worthy of them. This engagement is good for neither side. I also wish to hold a grandchild soon. Perhaps we should discuss it with Xiu’er. Let’s abandon this engagement.”
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While the couple discussed this, Lin Xiu shivered in his room, arms wrapped around himself, frost forming on his eyebrows.
Finally, unable to bear it any longer, he stammered, “Lingyin, could you… ease up a bit? I can’t take it…”
Zhao Lingyin glanced at him indifferently. “Have you forgotten what happened earlier?”
Remembering how, if it weren’t for her, he might have had his ribs broken, Lin Xiu gritted his teeth. “Come on, I can handle more!”
At lunch, Lin Xiu was wrapped in a blanket.
Despite the suffering, his Yuanli was noticeably increasing. If Lingyin helped him daily, he was confident he could achieve a second awakening within six months.
After lunch, Lin Xiu returned to the Mystical Arts Academy.
He sat alone in a corner of the library, reading a book. Qin Cong’s mystical art, the Stone Art, allowed partial or complete petrification of the body. Historically, those with this art had achieved a maximum of six awakenings, classifying it as high-grade Earth-tier.
Understanding this, Lin Xiu knew why Zhao Lingyin held it in such disdain.
Once he reached his second awakening, his Yuanli would be sufficient to condense a thick layer of ice around his body, similar to Qin Cong’s ability but with greater versatility.
But that was after his second awakening.
There were countless strange mystical arts in this world. To avoid being caught off guard again, Lin Xiu skipped dinner, spending the entire day in the library until closing time.
The Imperial City gates closed at the Hai hour, approximately nine pm. All officials, including students and instructors of the Mystical Arts Academy and the Martial Arts Academy, had to leave before then.
Lin Xiu left just before the gates closed, finding Sun Dali dozing against the city wall. He had to call him several times before he woke.
Sun Dali rubbed his eyes. “Young Master, why are you out so late?”
Lin Xiu hadn’t gone home, partly engrossed in his reading, partly to avoid the awkwardness with his parents. Without explaining, he said, “Let’s go.”
The Lin residence was some distance from the Imperial City, which was primarily occupied by officials and nobles. To return home, they needed to walk from the east side of the city to the west, taking about half an hour.
The capital enforced a curfew. After the Zi hour, no one was allowed to roam freely. It was still an hour before curfew, and the streets were already deserted.
Lin Xiu and Sun Dali chatted as they walked. The grand residences of the east gradually gave way to the modest houses of the west, the number of people dwindling.
The west side was a commoner district, not known for its safety at night. Unless necessary, people avoided venturing out.
Just one more alley to cross, and they would be home. As they neared the intersection, a stray dog barked at them from a side alley.
Sun Dali flinched. “Damn dog, scared me.”
He was about to continue when Lin Xiu suddenly stopped.
Sun Dali asked, puzzled, “Young Master, why did you stop?”
Lin Xiu’s hair stood on end. To Sun Dali, it was just a dog barking. But to Lin Xiu, the dog’s barks clearly said, “That person hiding in the alley, what are they up to…?”
They were about to pass the alley when Lin Xiu abruptly stopped a few meters away.
A moment of silence, then a glint of cold steel flashed from the dark alley.
“Young Master, look out!”
Sun Dali reacted swiftly, throwing himself in front of Lin Xiu. A throwing knife flew from the alley, embedding itself in his shoulder.
Had he not intervened, the knife would have struck Lin Xiu between the eyes!
Someone wanted him dead!
“Young Master, run!”
This time, Sun Dali didn’t flee. Ignoring the knife in his shoulder, he roared at Lin Xiu, then lunged at the figure emerging from the alley.
The figure was short, cloaked in black from head to toe.
He hadn’t expected his target to detect him. Hadn’t the intel said he was an ordinary person, without mystical arts or martial arts training?
If the target hadn’t noticed, he could have struck a fatal blow as they passed the alley.
The young man’s sudden stop had forced him to change his plans and attack prematurely. Because of the warning, his dart had been blocked by the large man.
As an assassin, martial arts weren’t his forte. A good assassin killed swiftly and disappeared without a trace.
Once exposed, the best course of action was to flee. But the reward for this mission was substantial; he didn’t want to give up.
As the large man charged, he threw five more darts, aiming for vital points.
Sun Dali didn’t dodge. Like a raging bull, he slammed into the assassin. The assassin threw a punch, a whoosh of air accompanying it, aimed at Sun Dali’s chest.
A punch that created a sonic boom indicated the assassin wasn’t ordinary either. Lin Xiu didn’t know what ability he possessed, but the assassin clearly didn’t know Sun Dali’s.
Though not exceptionally talented, and late to awaken, his ability had reached its second awakening.
Unless someone possessed a similar ability, few could match his strength. Zhao Lingyin could defeat ten Sun Dali’s, but in terms of pure strength, ten Zhao Lingyin’s couldn’t compare to him.
*Boom!*
The assassin’s face changed drastically as his fist connected. He hadn’t pushed the man back; instead, a greater force surged back along his arm.
*Bang!*
Sun Dali’s shoulder rammed into the assassin’s chest, caving it inwards. The assassin spat blood, his breathing shallow.
With darts still protruding from his body, Sun Dali looked down at the dying assassin, hands on his hips. “That’s it?”
Then, he scratched his head, confused. “Strange, why is my head spinning…?”
He then collapsed unconscious.
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