After a moment of strained silence, Situ Mu asked a question he didn’t want to ask.
"About half a year," Lin Yan answered truthfully.
Situ Mu fell silent once again. To develop Sword Intent in half a year... even in one of the Major Sects of the Sword Dao, that pace would be considered genius-level.
’Baffling. Truly baffling.’
Situ Mu was silent, and Lin Yan was as well.
He was debating whether to confess to Senior Situ that he had only used the scabbard to catch his opponent off guard. But on second thought, he decided against it. ’Seeing Senior Situ’s reverent, almost pilgrimage-like attitude toward the Sword Dao,’ he figured, ’I’d just get an earful if I admitted it—scolded for not having the honorable and forthright heart of a Swordsman.’
Each lost in their own thoughts, the two of them remained silent.
Yin Ruoxi’s gaze shifted between her grandmaster and Lin Yan. "Grandmaster," she said in a bright, clear voice, "since he has a talent for the Sword Dao, and you’re a Powerhouse of the Sword Dao, you should give him some pointers."
"Pointers on the Sword Dao are out of the question."
Situ Mu shook his head. He truly couldn’t guide someone without a Sword Heart.
"Brother Lin, I am not trying to deceive you. I possessed a Sword Heart from the moment I stepped onto the path of Martial Arts, and the Sword Dao I cultivate is intrinsically linked to it. Even the up-and-coming talents I’ve encountered all possessed a Sword Heart. If I were to guide you, it wouldn’t necessarily be a help—it might even ruin you."
’Such a classic humblebrag.’
Lin Yan understood what Senior Situ meant. It reminded him of a story he’d heard in his past life about a great master whose situation was quite similar.
In that master’s eyes, even the dimmest person should have learned calculus by the age of fourteen.
That master was a genius, and the people around him were geniuses too. So, the teaching methods he assumed any ordinary person could understand were, in reality, methods that only a fellow genius could keep up with.
Finally, Situ Mu’s gaze lingered for a moment on Lin Yan’s slightly plumper frame. "Lately," he said, "you must be eating tiger meat at every meal until you’re stuffed."
Lin Yan started. "Senior, you have a discerning eye."
"It’s not about having a discerning eye; I can tell just by looking at you." Situ Mu pointed to his face. "You’ve eaten far too much, more than you have time for Refinement. The Qi Blood is piling up in your skin and flesh with nowhere to go, which is why you’ve gotten plump like this. Did you think that for the Bone Tempering stage, it’s normal to get fatter because ’strong bones mean a stout body’?"
His thoughts laid bare, Lin Yan nodded. "I did think something like that, yes."
Situ Mu shook his head. "If one could succeed simply by gorging on meat, every Martial Artist in the world would just go hunting in the mountains. Why would anyone need Elixirs? The Qi Blood from the tiger meat has now accumulated in your flesh and can no longer be absorbed. Ultimately, this will lead to your Qi Blood falling into chaos and damaging the foundation of your Martial Arts."
"I come from a poor background. To have reached the Third-Time of Skin Smoothing in my Cultivation is already a great fortune. I have no silver coins to buy Elixirs, so my only option is to hunt in the mountains. I was afraid the tiger meat would spoil if I kept it too long, so I forced myself to eat it all. I had no idea it would cause such a disaster. Please, Senior, teach me how to resolve this."
Lin Yan’s request was full of sincerity. ’He’s not willing to guide me on the Sword Dao,’ he thought, ’so he must intend to give me pointers on something else.’
Situ Mu glanced at him and chuckled. "You certainly don’t stand on ceremony."
"I wouldn’t dare miss an opportunity for guidance from a senior."
Situ Mu pondered for a moment. "Since Miss Yin has spoken up, this old man can’t just eat your meat for free. I’ll teach you a breathing technique. This Cultivation Technique will allow your body to achieve Refinement of the unabsorbed Qi Blood, preventing it from building up and turning into impurities. Consider it my payment for the meal."
Lin Yan was overjoyed and immediately cupped his fist. "Thank you, Senior!"
Situ Mu waved his hand dismissively. "This Cultivation Technique isn’t easy to master. Whether you can learn it or not will depend entirely on your own fortune."
With that, he pulled a scroll of some unknown animal hide from his robes and tossed it to Lin Yan.
"The meat’s been eaten, and the favor’s been repaid. Lass, it’s time for us to go."
Situ Mu truly had no intention of giving Lin Yan any further guidance on his Cultivation. He stood up, took a few steps, and was already dozens of yards away, leaving Lin Yan staring after him, dumbfounded.
’What level of Martial Artist must one be to perform such an effortless feat?’
"I respectfully see you off, Senior! I will never forget the grace you’ve shown me by bestowing this technique!"
Yin Ruoxi followed her grandmaster. Once they were a fair distance away, she glanced back to see Lin Yan still standing there watching them leave. She goaded him, "Grandmaster, it’s not that you misjudged him and now you’re too embarrassed to guide him, is it?"
"Trying to provoke your grandmaster, are you, lass?"
How could Situ Mu fail to see through his grand-disciple’s little ploy? He smiled faintly. "A Martial Artist without a Sword Heart cannot learn my Sword Dao."
"If even you can’t teach him, Grandmaster, doesn’t that mean Lin Yan’s talent is incredibly high?" Yin Ruoxi snickered.
Situ Mu noticed his grand-disciple’s attitude toward Lin Yan was now a complete one-eighty. Not only was she defending him, but she was also deliberately trying to provoke him. He knew the girl felt guilty about her earlier rash words.
"Lass, while that boy may speak sincerely, don’t be fooled into thinking he’s some simple, honest fellow."
"Grandmaster, are you saying Lin Yan lied to me?" Yin Ruoxi’s innocent eyes widened, and her delicate face puffed up in a pout.
"He didn’t lie to you; everything he said was true. However, he also deliberately exaggerated his difficulties."
Situ Mu shook his head and explained, "In a small county town like this, someone at the Fourth-Time of Skin Smoothing is already considered a major figure. That boy comes from an ordinary background and has certainly endured his share of hardships, no doubt about it. But to have reached the Third-Time of Skin Smoothing at his age... you could say his bitter days are over."
’Miss Yin is naive; the boy’s words made her feel guilty. But I see the situation as clear as day.’
’With his current strength and talent, that boy’s life in this town is perfectly comfortable.’
A thoughtful expression appeared on Yin Ruoxi’s pretty face. She pondered for a few moments before asking, "Grandmaster, if he doesn’t continue to advance in Martial Arts, he can live a very good life. But if he wants to go further down that path, won’t he face the same difficulties as before?"

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