"Alright, I won’t disturb your rest then, Brother Lin. We’ll have plenty of chances to see each other in the future."
Lin Rong led Lin Wang away with a smile. Once they were some distance away, Lin Wang muttered in a low voice, "Brother, Lin Yan is from the Third Branch. You know the relationship between our Fourth Branch and the Third Branch. Why are you being so polite to him?"
"Brother!"
Lin Rong stopped, his expression grave. "It’s true that we belong to a branch of the Fourth Branch, and it’s right that we should be united with them. But the internal struggles between the main family’s five branches have nothing to do with us. We came here to practice martial arts, not to get into fights."
Seeing his younger brother’s dismissive expression, Lin Rong knew he wasn’t listening.
In his younger brother’s heart, he already saw himself as a member of the Fourth Branch. The problem was, the main line of the Fourth Branch might not necessarily see these branch disciples as their own family.
They might be called a branch family, but after several hundred years, how much kinship could there really be left?
’I’ll have to keep a close eye on my brother from now on. I absolutely can’t let him cause any trouble.’
’This isn’t Jimo County. If he stirs up trouble here, I don’t have the ability to clean up his mess.’
Meanwhile, after walking for half an hour, Lin Yan finally arrived at the Disciple’s Quarters.
’The Lin Mansion being this huge is also a downside.’
Lin Yan was a bit speechless. The Lin Mansion was nearly the size of Guangping County Town. ’If I want to sneak out at night to take care of some private business in the future, I’ll leave in the middle of the night and won’t be back until dawn.’
’Imagine sneaking out in a mask and cloak, walking under everyone’s watchful eyes...’
’The scene would be too awkward.’
The upside to the large area, however, was that the Lin Family provided each of the branch disciples with their own small, private courtyard.
A single-person residence with a courtyard was quite convenient for his cultivation of the Smoke-Stepping Technique.
With several days still left before the end of the first month, branch clan members were still arriving daily.
These branch clan members from various regions, all living in the Disciple’s Quarters, gathered according to their respective lineages, forming small groups to socialize and chat.
Some wandered around the Lin Mansion, while others went to experience the prosperity of Qing State.
Lin Yan didn’t join them, nor did he seek out the other branch clan members from the Third Branch. Since moving into the Disciple’s Quarters, he spent all his time on cultivation, aside from his daily trips to the dining hall for meals.
The Martial Arts Tree in his mind was already over three feet and seven inches tall, extremely close to reaching three feet and eight inches.
What pleased Lin Yan the most was his Smoke-Stepping Technique. Without using any Martial Arts Fruits, just from his recent travels and cultivation, he was already on the verge of mastering it.
His Silk Binding Sword Intent allowed him to control his Qi Blood with a finesse far beyond that of other Martial Artists at the same realm, and the Smoke-Stepping Technique was a cultivation technique that demanded just such precise control.
SWOOSH!
Lin Yan brandished his longsword, strands of Sword Silk weaving through the air. Combined with his Smoke-Stepping Technique, his movements were truly like a phantom’s, the Sword Silk ethereal and elusive.
’Although the Smoke-Stepping Technique doesn’t increase my Qi Blood, it has definitely boosted my overall strength. At the very least, if I were to face that Fourth-Time Skin Smoothing Martial Artist who intercepted the Tang Family now, I wouldn’t need to hide my strength first to make him careless. Even in a head-on clash, I should be able to put up a fight.’
’Put up a fight!’
’But being able to put up a fight doesn’t mean I’d definitely win.’
Lin Yan was very cautious in assessing his own strength, not daring to overestimate himself.
’Before the registration deadline for branch clan members arrives, I’ll raise my Qi Blood to three feet and eight inches first.’
Though he never said it aloud, Lin Yan admitted to himself that after achieving the Third-Time of Skin Smoothing, he had indeed grown complacent.
His seemingly humble claim of having ’finally become somebody’ was, in truth, tinged with self-satisfaction.
However, this pride was shattered by the shocking events in Guangping County Town.
And when Junior Brother Zhao, already at the Fourth-Time of Skin Smoothing, left for the Profound Celestial Sect without a single day’s delay, Lin Yan was deeply moved.
’If a genius like Junior Brother Zhao is so diligent, and Junior Brother Zhuang trains bitterly every night, how can I afford to slack off?’
’In the path of Martial Arts, one must not only strive to be first, but also strive for relentless, unceasing progress.’
He applied the Secret Ointment and consumed an elixir.
He practiced his fists, his footwork, his sword.

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