’I’m afraid that after three years, when I get out of Reversed Lake, I might not be able to kill Lin Yan anymore.’
’I absolutely cannot let Lin Yan live peacefully for the next three years. Otherwise, I’ll never have the chance to avenge Mingyu.’
"Mingxing, go find First Uncle for me."
"Find First Uncle?"
"Yes. Tell First Uncle I need a True Blood Stone."
"A True Blood Stone?"
Lin Mingxing’s expression changed drastically. "Brother Chuan, I’m afraid First Uncle might not agree."
"With this True Blood Stone, I’m confident I can break through to the Blood Exchange Fourth Transformation. Just relay my words to First Uncle."
’First Uncle owes my father his life, and I’m confident I can break through to the Blood Exchange Fourth Transformation. He’ll give me the True Blood Stone.’
"Alright, I’ll pass your words on to First Uncle, Brother Chuan."
Lin Mingxing didn’t stay long. Even though he wasn’t inside the Reversed Lake Detention Room, just standing here made him feel uncomfortably suppressed, his Qi Blood struggling. One could only imagine the pain Brother Chuan was enduring inside the stone cell.
Fortunately, however, the clan didn’t forbid those confined in the Reversed Lake Detention Room from cultivation. They even allowed people from the outside to deliver Martial Arts Resources. The only restriction was that they couldn’t leave.
Imprisonment in Reversed Lake for a transgression was a punishment that restricted one’s freedom. Forbidding cultivation, however, would be tantamount to crippling a clan member.
「East River Waters.」
"You’re really not going to accept Uncle Jiu as your master?"
Lin Yan shot Lin Mingye a helpless glance. He’d already heard this dozens of times over the past three days.
It wasn’t that he was being difficult about not taking Uncle Jiu as his master. It was because when it came to the Sword Dao, he didn’t need anyone to teach him.
Besides, as Uncle Qi had said, a disciple easily won isn’t as prized as one who is painstakingly pursued.
According to Uncle Qi, he shouldn’t be in a hurry to agree. He should wait for Uncle Jiu to lay out his terms.
"Young Master Yan, Young Master Mingye!"
Before Zhao Tong even reached the door, his voice rang out from outside.
Hearing his voice, Lin Yan understood. Someone must have arrived, and they were likely very strong for Zhao Tong to warn him like this.
’He’s afraid Mingye and I might say something private that could be overheard.’
"What’s Old Zhao shouting about?"
Lin Mingye walked curiously toward the courtyard gate, but froze the next moment. It took him a second to react before turning back and yelling to Lin Yan, "Quick... Lin Yan, come out! Uncle Jiu and Sister Mingxi are here!"
Lin Yan was also taken aback and quickly rose to his feet, heading for the gate.
"Uncle Jiu, Sister Xi."
"Uncle Jiu, Sister Xi."
Before Lin Shouyuan and Lin Mingxi even reached the gate, Lin Yan and Lin Mingye hurried forward to greet them.
"Mm."
Lin Shouyuan grunted in acknowledgment, his hands clasped behind his back. His gaze first fell on Lin Mingye. "You’re Mingye from the Fifth Branch?"
"Uncle Jiu remembers me!" Lin Mingye was thrilled.
"I remember your older brother, Mingshen."
Lin Mingye: ...
"Uncle Jiu, Sister Xi, please, come in."
Lin Yan ignored Lin Mingye’s mournful glare and quickly ushered the two into the courtyard before starting to brew tea.
Seeing Lin Mingye’s resentful look, Lin Mingxi chuckled lightly and winked at him. At first, Lin Mingye didn’t understand what Sister Mingxi meant by winking, but when he saw that Uncle Jiu’s gaze was fixed on Lin Yan, he figured it out...
’Uncle Jiu is here for Lin Yan, and he clearly has something to say to him...’
’If I stay here, I’ll just be an eyesore to Uncle Jiu. No wonder he said what he did just now.’
"There have been Water Bandits appearing in the waters I’m guarding recently. Uncle Jiu, I’ll be heading back first."
"Water Bandits appearing?"
Lin Shouyuan recalled that before coming here, he had learned that the Third Branch had once annihilated the Water Bandit Alliance for Lin Yan’s sake. His gaze shifted to Lin Yan. "Are there any Water Bandits around here? If so, I’ll take you to slaughter their nest."
Lin Mingye: ...
Zhao Tong, standing by the gate: ...
Lin Yan hesitated. He was indeed tempted, but he ultimately gave up the idea.
’If Uncle Jiu leads the charge, never mind the True Gang Realm powerhouses, even those Blood Exchange Realm experts would probably all be slain by him. It’s better if I kill them myself after my strength improves in the future.’
’The Water Bandits aren’t going anywhere. But if Uncle Jiu slaughters them now, they won’t respawn for a while.’
"Thank you, Uncle Jiu, but there haven’t been any Water Bandits around here recently."
"That’s good."
Lin Shouyuan nodded. Seeing Lin Mingye standing there in a daze, he frowned. "Didn’t you say there were Water Bandits appearing? Why aren’t you back on guard duty?"
Lin Mingye didn’t dare show any dissatisfaction toward Uncle Jiu. He just shot Lin Yan another mournful look. ’In Uncle Jiu’s eyes, Lin Yan is a treasure, and I’m just a weed.’
Lin Mingye left, and Zhao Tong, ever perceptive, closed the courtyard gate and departed as well. Now, only the three of them remained in the courtyard.
The atmosphere suddenly became a little quiet.
Watching her father drink tea nonstop while Lin Yan hastily refilled his cup the moment it was empty, Lin Mingxi couldn’t help but let out a snicker.
Although a True Gang Realm powerhouse wouldn’t have to worry about getting bloated from drinking too much tea, the two of them were just too amusing.
"Lin Yan, back during your duel with Lin Wang, had you already reached Sword Intent Perfection with the Flowing Cloud Thirteen Techniques?"
Lin Mingxi had no choice but to start the conversation. She trusted her intuition and wanted to verify it now.
"Yes."
’Now that I’ve publicly revealed two Perfect Level Sword Intents, there’s not much point in denying it.’
"I knew you were hiding your strength." Lin Mingxi’s beautiful eyes shone brightly, and she followed up with a soft huff. "Then why did you refuse my challenge back then?"
"Sister Mingxi, at that time, I had only achieved Perfection in one Sword Intent, while you had already done so long before me. For a duel I was bound to lose, I figured it was more straightforward to just admit defeat."
Lin Yan had also learned quite a bit about this Sister Mingxi from Lin Mingye. She had already reached Sword Intent Perfection in one technique at the age of nineteen, and now she had another at the level of Sword Intent Mastery, just one step away from Perfection.

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