"I decline," Lin Yan refused outright.
Lin Wang had expected Lin Yan’s refusal and immediately sneered, "In terms of age, you’re a year and two months older than me. What’s the matter... afraid you’ll lose to me and bring shame to the Third Branch?"
Hearing Lin Wang’s provocative words, Lin Yan’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. Instead, he asked, "Have you seen your brother recently?"
Lin Yan’s question left Lin Wang at a loss for words.
Since he had stayed behind in the Lin Mansion, he had only seen his older brother once and never again after that.
His older brother was too long-winded. Every time they met, it was just one nagging reminder after another, telling him not to get into pointless squabbles with others and to just focus on his Cultivation.
But his brother didn’t understand at all. Never mind the main family; even among the clan members of the Fourth Branch, there were plenty whose talent and strength surpassed his. If all he did was cultivate, when would he ever catch the eye of the main family?
Seeing Lin Wang’s silence, Lin Yan knew the answer.
"If you want me to accept your challenge, that’s fine. Go gather two hundred and eighty Contribution Points."
During his first fight with Lin Kang, Lin Yan hadn’t wagered any Contribution Points because he didn’t want to attract too much animosity. It was just a simple duel.
But since these clan members from the Fourth Branch had already targeted him, and this enmity was unavoidable, he might as well seek some benefits for himself.
"Two hundred and eighty Contribution Points? Do you even have that many? If you’re too scared to accept my challenge, just say so."
Hearing Lin Yan’s demand, Lin Wang’s first reaction was that Lin Yan was doing it on purpose. He clearly knew Lin Wang couldn’t produce two hundred and eighty Contribution Points and was using this demand to make him back down.
"The clan keeps records of Contribution Points. You should know the consequences of making a false report," Lin Yan said, looking at Lin Wang coolly.
Whether it was purchasing Martial Arts Resources from the Martial Arts Vault, exchanging for a Cultivation Technique at the Hidden Technique Pavilion, or even trading Contribution Points between clan members, the clan rules strictly forbade false reporting.
"Lin Wang, he probably really does have two hundred and eighty Contribution Points. The clan’s punishment for faking it is severe."
Listening to his companion’s words, Lin Wang gritted his teeth. He did have a hundred Contribution Points on him that he hadn’t touched, saved for exchanging for a Cultivation Technique on the second floor of the Hidden Technique Pavilion after reaching the Fourth-Time of Skin Smoothing.
"How many Contribution Points do you two have?"
"Well..."
Seeing the two beside him hesitate, Lin Wang lowered his voice. "Are you still not confident in my strength? After I defeat Lin Yan, I’ll only take two hundred points. The remaining eighty will be yours."
"I have seventy left."
"I only have fifty."
The two were indeed tempted. Lin Wang had already achieved the Fourth-Time of Skin Smoothing; beating Lin Yan was practically a sure thing. It would be foolish not to take this free eighty points.
"Lin Wang, agree to it first. I’ll go get the others from our Fourth Branch. We can definitely scrape together enough Contribution Points for you."
"Good. It’s settled then."
Lin Wang nodded and looked at Lin Yan. "Two hundred and eighty Contribution Points it is. The loser gives their points to the winner."
"Let’s go."
Lin Yan said no more. He had already given Lin Wang two chances.
The first time was when he chose Lin Kang and let Lin Wang off.
This time, by demanding two hundred and eighty Contribution Points, he was giving Lin Wang one last chance.
He did all this out of respect for Brother Lin Rong, but unfortunately... Lin Wang didn’t appreciate it.
He’d given him a first chance and a second, but there wouldn’t be a third.
「Combat Platform.」
Lin Yan stood on the platform, waiting for Lin Wang to gather the Contribution Points. More and more clan members from the branch families were heading in their direction.
The news that he was going to fight Lin Wang had spread even faster than he’d expected.
The members of the Fourth Branch were the quickest to arrive. Over thirty of them formed a square formation at the foot of the Combat Platform. For once, they weren’t spouting verbal taunts; they just stared at Lin Yan as if he were an idiot.
"Something’s not right. Why are the people from the Fourth Branch so quiet?"
"There’s something strange going on. Considering the grudge between the Fourth and Third Branches, especially since Lin Yan just defeated Lin Kang not long ago, you’d expect them to be throwing a few insults even before the fight starts. Why is every single one of them acting like they’re mute today?"
The Martial Artists from the other branches noticed something was off, but they only whispered amongst themselves. They weren’t from the Third Branch, so naturally, they wouldn’t speak up to warn Lin Yan.
"The people from the Third Branch are here too."
Someone jutted their chin in another direction.
Not many from the Third Branch had come, only a sparse seven or eight of them. They stood near the back of the crowd, neither moving forward nor leaving.
Lin Zhaowu stood at their front, arms crossed, staring at the platform with a blank expression.
A young man beside him lowered his voice and asked, "Zhaowu, do you think Lin Yan can win?"
Lin Zhaowu didn’t make a sound, but another young man next to him sneered. "Win? Win what? Defeating Lin Kang went to his head. How could he possibly know that Lin Wang has already reached the Fourth-Time of Skin Smoothing? It’ll serve him right when he loses in a bit. If he actually considered us part of the same Third Branch and interacted with us more, he wouldn’t be completely in the dark about Lin Wang’s breakthrough."
To lure Lin Yan into the trap, Lin Wang hadn’t publicly announced his breakthrough to the Fourth-Time of Skin Smoothing, but Lin Zhaowu and his group knew about it.
The two branches were hostile to each other, so Lin Zhaowu’s group naturally kept a close watch on the Fourth Branch’s activities. Although Lin Wang hadn’t made a public announcement, he had held a small celebratory banquet within the Fourth Branch, which they had managed to catch wind of.
"When he’s defeated in a moment, let’s see how he can act so aloof then."
The sourness in the speaker’s tone was so thick you could smell it from several paces away.
Lin Zhaowu still said nothing, merely pressing his lips together slightly. But just as he saw Lin Yan and Lin Wang about to finalize their agreement, he suddenly acted on impulse and shouted, "Lin Yan! Lin Wang reached the Fourth-Time of Skin Smoothing seven days ago!"
The moment he said this, Lin Wang’s expression, up on the Combat Platform, flickered. "Lin Yan, with so many people watching, you can’t say you’re backing out now."

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