"Lin Wang, this isn’t right."
Lin Kang frowned. They had agreed that he would be the first to fight if they ran into someone from the Third Branch.
"Brother Kang, I know him. We met before I entered the Lin Mansion, but I didn’t know he was from the Third Branch back then. Let me handle him. This way, no one can gossip about me later. Please, Brother Kang, give me a chance to prove my loyalty."
Lin Wang’s explanation made Lin Kang’s brow furrow deeply.
He didn’t want to yield, but Lin Wang was only nineteen and had more potential than him. He didn’t want to offend him.
’Tch!’
Lin Kang suddenly had a realization and scoffed internally. ’It’s precisely because Lin Wang has more potential than me that I need to seize every opportunity. Otherwise, I’ll just get left further and further behind.’
"Lin Wang, I’m sure no one will gossip about you. Let’s just stick to our agreement."
Hearing Lin Kang’s refusal, Lin Wang’s expression turned cold. However, in terms of strength, he was indeed no match for Lin Kang. Besides, the four of them had agreed when they set out that Lin Kang would be the first to fight anyone from the Third Branch.
But he didn’t want to miss this opportunity. Given the state of the Third Branch’s members, it was unlikely they’d run into another one anytime soon.
"Lin Yan, if you choose to fight me, you might spend a few less days laid up in bed."
Since Lin Kang wouldn’t yield, his only option was to appeal to Lin Yan. If Lin Yan chose to face him on the Combat Platform, Lin Kang wouldn’t be able to stop them.
Lin Yan’s expression remained unchanged as his gaze went past Lin Kang and settled on Lin Wang.
"Lin Wang, out of respect for your brother, Lin Rong, I’ll let this slide. Just this once."
Lin Yan’s tone was calm, as if he were merely stating a fact.
Lin Wang’s face instantly flushed red.
’My brother?’
’The one who wasn’t even qualified to remain in the Lin Family? The one who does nothing but nag all day? I’ve been sick of him for ages.’
"I see you’re scared. Let me tell you—"
"Shut up!"
Lin Yan cut him off, turning his gaze to Lin Kang. "You wanted a fight, didn’t you?" he said coolly. "Let’s go."
With that, he turned and headed toward the Combat Platform.
"Haha, excellent! Let’s go right now. Since you’re being so sporting about it, I’ll go easy on you. You’ll spend a few less days laid up in bed."
Lin Kang roared with laughter, shooting a look at Lin Wang. "See, Lin Wang? It’s not that I didn’t give you a chance. The man himself chose me."
The crowd of onlookers instantly perked up.
"He really accepted?"
"Does that guy from the Third Branch not know who he’s up against? Lin Kang reached the Third-Time of Skin Smoothing three years ago. He’s ranked in the top five among those at that level in the Fourth Branch."
"Who cares? As long as we get a good show."
"Let’s go, let’s go! Cultivation is so boring day in and day out. We can treat this as a good show to relax. I hope this Lin Yan has some fight in him. It’d be a shame if he gets taken down in just a few moves."
"Qi Heng loves this sort of thing. I’ll go back and let him know."
As Lin Yan and Lin Kang’s group headed for the Combat Platform, many of the onlookers followed, while others rushed off to grab their friends to watch the show.
In a courtyard within the Disciple’s Quarters.
"That Lin Yan actually challenged someone from the Fourth Branch to a duel on the Combat Platform? Has he lost his mind?"
"He’s a fool. Can’t even handle a few taunts. Just you wait. Once he loses, the Third Branch will have him thrown out of the mansion."
Lin Zhaowu and the others from the Third Branch had also heard the commotion and were now discussing it in their courtyard.
Unsurprisingly, none of them were optimistic about Lin Yan’s chances.
If Lin Yan were truly strong, why didn’t he join Lin Qi on the Combat Platform back then?
"What should we do? Just pretend we don’t know about it?" Lin Zhaowu asked.
"No."
A young man shook his head. "With so many people going to watch, there’s no way we could claim we didn’t know. If we stay cooped up in the courtyard, the main family will accuse us of being disunited. How about this... we wait until Lin Yan is already on the Combat Platform before we appear. That way, if the main family asks, we can just say we didn’t get there in time to stop him."
"I agree with Brother Yuan."
"Heh heh, let’s do that, then. That Lin Yan is always such a loner. Even if he loses and gets kicked out of the Lin Mansion, it’ll serve him right."
The Lin Mansion had three Combat Platforms. Lin Yan and his group went to the smallest one, which was also the closest to the Disciple’s Quarters.
Though called a platform, it was really just a clearing. Instead of being paved with bluestone bricks, its surface was made of large, solid flagstones, forming a square roughly two hundred feet on each side.
When Martial Artists fought, especially those in the Third- or Fourth-Time of Skin Smoothing Realm, ordinary bluestone bricks would be shattered with a single stomp. The Lin Family couldn’t afford to re-pave the ground after every single duel.
When Lin Yan and Lin Kang’s group arrived, Lin Kang, seemingly afraid Lin Yan would back out, immediately stepped onto the platform. He walked to the center, then fixed his gaze on Lin Yan. "Get up here. Don’t tell me you’re going to change your mind and back out now. We have quite an audience, you know."
Lin Yan didn’t respond. He stepped onto the platform, but instead of walking to the opposite side to face Lin Kang, he walked directly toward him.
The crowd below, who had followed them, looked on in confusion as they saw the direction Lin Yan was walking.
"What’s he doing? Why isn’t he putting some distance between them?"
"I don’t know. He can’t be planning to just walk up and attack him, can he? It doesn’t look like it."
Lin Kang frowned as well, but he didn’t back away. He simply stared coldly at Lin Yan.
"It’s a custom in my hometown. Before a duel, we shake hands as a sign of respect."
Lin Yan stopped an arm’s length away from Lin Kang and held out his right hand.
Lin Kang froze for a moment, then let out a sneer. "What kind of stupid custom is that?"
However, when he saw that Lin Yan kept his hand extended, Lin Kang hesitated for a moment before finally reaching out his own.
Their hands clasped. Lin Yan then let go and retreated, his expression calm.
’A height of three chi and eight cun. A bit less than my own. And he cultivates a Fist Technique: Iron Wire Fist.’

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