"I..."
Everyone was announcing their Martial Arts Realm. Lin Yan did the same, because he was sure he wouldn’t be chosen.
In the eyes of others, he had achieved the Third-Time of Skin Smoothing less than a year ago. It would never be his turn.
Watching the two who were finally chosen, Lin Yan shook his head slightly.
’They each have their own selfish motives.’
He had a good idea of what Lin Qi was thinking. In fact, he believed almost everyone present could guess as well. Yet even so, they all went along with it for a simple reason: everyone wanted to make a good impression on the Third Branch’s main family.
Having watched the show, Lin Yan returned to his own courtyard.
The struggle between the Third and Fourth Branches had nothing to do with him, and he had no intention of getting involved.
「Three days later.」
Lin Yan was in his courtyard practicing the Smoke-Stepping Technique when a knock came from the gate.
"Lin Yan, come out, quick! The main family is summoning us."
"The main family?"
Lin Yan’s eyes narrowed. ’After all this time, someone from the Third Branch’s main family has finally shown up. Did Lin Qi actually manage to pull it off?’
However, when he opened the gate and saw the ugly look on Lin Zhaowu’s face, he knew something was wrong.
"Zhaowu, is the main family seeing us at this hour because of Brother Qi and the others?"
He was three months older than Lin Zhaowu.
"An hour ago, Lin Qi and the other two fought people from the Fourth Branch on the Battle Platform. They lost all three matches."
Lin Yan: "..."
He silently sized up Lin Zhaowu. In his mind, he had already labeled this person as someone not to be trusted.
’So pragmatic.’
Three days ago, it was "Brother Qi." Now, it’s just "Lin Qi."
"Someone from the main family is here now, in Lin Qi’s courtyard. We need to get over there, quickly."
When Lin Yan followed Lin Zhaowu into Lin Qi’s courtyard, all the members of the Third Branch’s branch family were already gathered. Everyone’s head was bowed, none daring to meet the gaze of the young man standing in the center of the courtyard.
Lin Minghai’s gaze swept over the newly arrived Lin Yan and Lin Zhaowu. ’Everyone’s here.’
"Lin Qi, Lin Ke, and Lin Xu are hereby expelled from the Lin Mansion. They are no longer clansmen of our Third Branch."
As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of the Third Branch members changed drastically. Lin Yan scanned the crowd. ’No wonder I didn’t see Lin Qi and the other two.’
’Expelled directly from the Lin Mansion?’
’Just because they lost on the Battle Platform and brought shame to the Third Branch?’
"Do you all think the Third Branch is heartless? That we expelled Lin Qi and his friends simply because they shamed us?"
As if guessing their thoughts, a muscle in Lin Minghai’s cheek twitched and he sneered. "Winning and losing fights is normal. If they had been provoked by the Fourth Branch and forced to fight, even if they had lost, not only would the Third Branch not have expelled them, we would have even healed their wounds. But to challenge others without any self-awareness, just to attract the main family’s attention? The Third Branch has no use for such fools."
Lin Minghai’s sharp, hawk-like gaze swept over everyone present, as if to see through to the selfish desires hidden in their hearts.
"Did you really think I don’t know what you’ve all been up to in the Disciple’s Quarters all this time?"
"Cozying up to everyone, calling this one ’brother,’ sharing drinks with that one... Are you here to learn Martial Arts, or to make friends?"
Lin Minghai grew angrier as he spoke. "I’ll make this clear. The Third Branch doesn’t need you to fight for its honor. The conflict with the Fourth Branch has nothing to do with you. Those who can stay here and cultivate peacefully may stay. But if any of you get any more crooked ideas, you can get the hell out and go back where you came from."
Looking at the branch clansmen, who were as silent as cicadas in winter, Lin Minghai said no more. He had said what needed to be said. If this bunch of fools still couldn’t figure it out for themselves, they would all be kicked out of the Lin Mansion sooner or later.
Only after Lin Minghai’s figure had left the courtyard did everyone heave a collective sigh of relief.
"I told you we shouldn’t have listened to Lin Qi. The Fourth Branch is stronger than us. We shamed the main family this time, that’s why they got so angry."
"It’s too late to say that now. What’s done is done. We’ll just have to keep our heads down from now on and endure the Fourth Branch’s taunts."
Lin Yan listened to them complaining about Lin Qi. Between the lines, it was clear they still thought the main family was angry simply because Lin Qi and the others had lost and shamed the Third Branch.
’They flatter the powerful and trample the weak. These people aren’t worth my time. I’d be better off going back to my Cultivation.’
"I have some other matters to attend to, so I’ll be taking my leave."
Seeing Lin Yan turn and leave, the faces of several people in the courtyard turned ugly.
"That Lin Yan is way too aloof. We’re all from the Third Branch’s branch family; we should stick together more."
"Maybe that’s just his personality. He’s not good at socializing."
"Bah! He’s just pretending to be high and mighty. Just you watch. Those bastards from the Fourth Branch are going to be insufferable for a while. When he runs into them, I bet he’ll just tuck his head in like a turtle and not dare to say a peep."

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