Lin Minghai didn’t expect Lin Yan to take first place. The clan had set rewards for the top five, a number that conveniently corresponded to the five branches. In his heart, as long as Lin Yan placed in the top five, it would be acceptable. That way, their Third Branch could preserve its dignity.
"I’ll do my best to get into the top five."
"Good. Take some men to the Disciple’s Quarters and move your things over. Now that you’ve broken through to the Blood Exchange Realm, you can live here in the Third Branch’s designated area."
Lin Yan rose and took his leave. After he had gone, Lin Minghai beckoned to a servant. "Send good tidings to the Deng State Lin Family. For their meritorious service in nurturing a clansman, reward them with ten thousand silver taels."
「Hidden Technique Pavilion.」
As Lin Mingxi stepped over the threshold, her footsteps were so light they were nearly silent.
She wore a simple, cyan-colored long dress, her hair casually tied up with the same wooden hairpin as always. A few stray strands fell beside her ears, accentuating the fairness of her complexion.
"Ah, Mingxi, you’re here."
Lin Qinghe looked up to see Lin Mingxi entering and greeted her with a smile.
"Grandpa Qinghe, I’m here to select the Four-Phase Condensing Gang Sword Technique."
"Please stop calling me Grandpa. It makes me feel like some decrepit old man." Lin Qinghe pressed a hand to his forehead as he stood up to retrieve the technique from behind the counter. "And what a coincidence," he added. "Barely anyone has chosen this technique all year, yet you’re the second person to pick it today."
"Grandpa Qinghe, someone else chose the Four-Phase Condensing Gang Sword today?"
Hearing Mingxi call him "Grandpa" again, a look of resignation crossed Lin Qinghe’s face. But then, as if an idea struck him, his lips curled into a smile. "Mingxi, why don’t you guess who the first person was? If you get it right, I’ll cover the Contribution Points for you."
"In that case, Grandpa Qinghe, it looks like you’re about to be out some points."
A cunning glint appeared in Lin Mingxi’s eyes. "There are only a dozen or so clansmen in the Blood Exchange Realm who practice swordsmanship. Someone coming for the Four-Phase Condensing Gang Sword now certainly wouldn’t be someone like Brother Mingchen. It must be a person who only recently reached the Blood Exchange Realm and hadn’t achieved Sword Intent Mastery before. Following that logic, only three people fit the bill: Brother Mingyi, and the two cousins both named Mingchen."
Lin Qinghe just smiled, saying nothing, his expression clearly stating, ’Go ahead and guess. You won’t be getting any hints from me.’
"Grandpa Qinghe, I bet you don’t know this, but I saw one of the Mingchens yesterday as he was leaving for a mission. The other one is in seclusion. Therefore, it has to be Brother Mingyi." Lin Mingxi’s face was a picture of absolute certainty, as if she held a winning hand.
"Is that your final answer?"
"I’m sure."
"Haha! Mingxi, you’re wrong," Lin Qinghe roared with laughter.
"It wasn’t Brother Mingyi? Then who else could it be?"
Lin Mingxi’s delicate brows furrowed. She truly couldn’t think of anyone else it could be.
"Want to try another guess?"
"Grandpa Qinghe, stop teasing me. Just tell me who it was."
"If I didn’t tell you, you could guess all day and still never get it right."
His words truly piqued Lin Mingxi’s curiosity. "Oh, come on, Grandpa Qinghe! Just tell me and satisfy my curiosity."
"Will you still call me ’Grandpa’ next time?"
"Uncle Qinghe."
"Not bad. You really know which way the wind blows, don’t you, little one?"
Lin Qinghe was very pleased. He stopped keeping her in suspense and revealed the answer. "It was Lin Yan, from a side family of the Third Branch."
"Lin Yan? From the Third Branch’s side family? How could it be him?"
Lin Mingxi murmured to herself. "You know of him?" Lin Qinghe asked, curious.
’Logically,’ he thought, ’with Mingxi’s personality, she probably doesn’t even know all the people from her own Fifth Branch’s side families, let alone someone from the Third Branch.’
"I’ve... I’ve heard of him."
Lin Mingxi instinctively hid the fact that Uncle Qi had approached her father about Lin Yan, as well as her father’s subsequent assessment of him.
’If Father’s assessment was right and Lin Yan isn’t a genius in the Sword Dao, why would he choose the Four-Phase Condensing Gang Sword?’
’Perhaps Lin Yan was just pretending to be a genius to get the Third Branch to value him. But choosing a cultivation technique is a decision one makes with the utmost care, based on one’s own abilities.’
’The Four-Phase Condensing Gang Sword requires achieving Sword Intent Mastery in another discipline before you can even begin to practice it. Given Lin Yan’s age and background, even if he’d had some prior exposure to swordsmanship, to have developed Sword Intent and reached Mastery would be enough to qualify him as a Sword Dao genius.’
’Could it be that Father was wrong about him?’
"Mingxi? What are you lost in thought about?"
"N-nothing... I was just surprised that someone from a side family would choose the Four-Phase Condensing Gang Sword. Anyway, Grandpa Qinghe, I’ll be going now."
"You were calling me ’Uncle’ just a moment ago, and now it’s back to ’Grandpa’?" Lin Qinghe looked utterly exasperated.
"Yes, Grandpa Qinghe."

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