Chapter 103: Meeting Tianyi Gate's Eldest Senior Brother Again

The three pushed the door open and saw a man dressed in white close-fitting attire.

The other clasped his fist and smiled, saying, "Tianyi Gate, Ling Zhongsheng."

Li Lin and the other two gave their names.

After listening, Ling Zhongsheng smiled and said, "Regarding the matter of Young Master Li Xunshou, if the three of you have come to lend a hand, please state your terms; our Tianyi Gate accepts. If not, please also let us know, so we may rest assured."

The other stood openly, waiting for an answer.

Su Huafang smiled, clasped his fist, and said, "We are not here to lend a hand, but merely to check on a friend's injuries."

"Then there is no problem. Thank you three for your understanding, and we hope the three of you enjoy your time in Jincheng."

After speaking, this disciple of Tianyi Gate left.

Bai Liwei could not help but sigh, "This Tianyi Gate has a certain upright demeanor."

"It is a sect with centuries of heritage, of course it has its own way of acting." Su Huafang paused, then continued, "Actually, regarding this matter, Young Master Li Xunshou himself is not at fault; it is mostly just the unpredictability of the world."

"What do you mean?" Bai Liwei asked.

Under the curious gazes of the other two, Su Huafang recounted what he had learned.

The reason Zhao Hao was so tolerant and doting toward that young girl was simple: the girl's father, who was Zhao Hao's maternal uncle, had owed him a great debt of gratitude.

The story was actually not complex; it was a melodramatic plotline only found in great families.

When Zhao Hao was young, his mother died mysteriously, and the murderer could not be found.

His uncle's family had always treated him well, but later, as he grew older, a scheming person close to him sowed discord, making him believe his mother had been killed by his uncle in an attempt to secretly seize the Zhao family's assets.

The young Zhao Hao was not wise at the time; he buried his hatred in his heart, grew up, and practiced martial arts diligently. Then one day, that scheming person instigated him to invite his uncle to a secluded place, claiming he would help him take revenge. He happily complied.

The result was that the ambushers intended to kill both of them.

Though struck by several blades, his uncle fought desperately to save him from the trap. Before dying, he did not blame Zhao Hao at all; instead, he smiled happily, saying that as long as Zhao Hao was safe, it was the greatest fortune, and he could now go peacefully to meet his eldest sister.

Thus, this matter became an obstacle Zhao Hao could not overcome in his heart, his obsession.

And his uncle's family remained his eternal guilt.

After listening, Bai Zhiwei sighed.

Li Lin also felt Zhao Hao had a bitter fate, and suddenly thought of a question: "Doesn't Young Master Zhao have an uncle-in-law serving as Registrar in Jincheng? Why doesn't he intervene?"

If it were a Registrar in a county town, his power would be limited.

But Jincheng is a commandery... serving as Registrar here carries a completely different meaning.

His power is immense; ordinary martial sects dare not offend him lightly.

"How to put it... he is indeed an uncle-in-law, but the relationship is poor. The Registrar does not involve himself in Zhao family matters." Su Huafang sighed with emotion, "The Zhao family is now held up solely by Young Master Zhao."

In other words, Zhao Hao might indeed use his uncle-in-law to wave a big banner, but the latter is merely a figurehead.

Nevertheless, even so, it won Zhao Hao many opportunities.

Bai Liwei could not help but ask, "Then what about his father?"

"Five years after his mother's mysterious death, he fell ill from sorrow and followed her. His aunt and cousin are his only remaining relatives."

Bai Liwei's expression changed, and he could not help but slap himself.

Li Lin finally understood why the Zhao family's residence looked so desolate; it was for this reason.

Su Huafang sighed lightly, "This is also the reason the Prefect sent us here... if something truly happens, we hope we can lend Zhao Hao some support. If necessary, we may even mention his name."

Li Lin said, "What are your thoughts on what comes next?"

"Tianyi Gate is not unreasonable... one can see this from their willingness to bet against you. Even for major matters, they are willing to give you a sliver of a chance." Su Huafang said, "Or perhaps we can find a way from elsewhere."

"Could we exchange a secret manual for their pills?"

Su Huafang said, "That might be possible."

"Then let us try." Bai Liwei smiled.

The three went to the market, bought some items at random to serve as gifts for a visit, and then arrived outside Tianyi Gate.

Tianyi Gate, with its heritage spanning several centuries, possesses a large plot of land here in Jincheng.

The area is about three hundred mu.

Besides the main hall of the sect in the core area, there are numerous surrounding enterprises.

Such as wine shops, rice stores, general goods shops, and so on.

These serve to support the hundred or so martial artists of Tianyi Gate.

Therefore, upon entering this area, one can feel that the shopkeepers and passersby here all seem to possess some martial skill.

These people are, in fact, more or less connected to Tianyi Gate.

Arriving at the gate, seeing the guarding disciple, Su Huafang clasped his fist and stated his purpose.

Soon, the three were invited into the sect and then led to a side hall.

Although Soul Hunters hold considerable status among the common people, in the eyes of those in the martial world, they are merely so-so.

Just a group of 'Yin Walkers'.

Su Huafang thought that those contacting them would be at most at the level of inner disciples.

But he did not expect the person who came to be of such significant weight.

"Tianyi Gate's Eldest Senior Brother, An Xin." The man in white close-fitting attire opposite made a bow with clasped fists, then looked at Li Lin: "Li Xunshou, we meet again."

Su Huafang and Bai Liwei looked at Li Lin with some surprise.

Li Lin clasped his fist and smiled, "Young Hero An, we disturb you."

At this moment, hot tea was served. An Xin took the opportunity to sit opposite and asked with a smile, "Have the three of you come regarding the matter of Li Xunshou?"

"Yes?" Su Huafang nodded.

"You also wish to... place a bet on the duel?"

Su Huafang waved his hand: "We Soul Hunters are only skilled in fighting Apparitions; compared to martial artists, we are naturally far inferior."

This is indeed the truth; under normal circumstances, a Soul Hunter cannot defeat a martial artist.

An Xin smiled and said, "Senior is being too modest."

"We wish to exchange a secret manual for a few pills to take back."

"Oh?" An Xin pondered for a moment, then said, "That could work. But what kind of secret manual does Senior wish to use for the exchange?"

Su Huafang pondered for a moment and said, "How about my Golden Thread Silver Bell Art?"

An Xin shook his head. "The Golden Thread Silver Bell Art of the Fragrance-Stealing Gentleman is indeed famous, but it conflicts somewhat with our sect's cultivation method."

Su Huafang clasped his fists and sighed helplessly.

In truth, the other party simply looked down on it; they were just phrasing it more politely.

Bai Liwei said, "I have a set of Lone Goose Dual-Illumination Blades here... What does Young Hero An think?"

"Our sect focuses primarily on sword techniques."

Li Lin said, "What about the Fallen Thunder Incantation?"

An Xin's eyebrows rose: "That is indeed interesting... but Thunder Arts are extremely difficult to cultivate. I fear that even if we took it, there might not be anyone in our Heavenly One Sect capable of mastering it!"

Su Huafang smiled and said, "Young Hero An is being too modest; the Heavenly One Sect is full of talented individuals."

An Xin shook his head and said, "I am the eldest senior brother, yet I dare not claim I can master the Thunder Art; others certainly cannot. As for Master and the senior uncles... they are advanced in years, and their meridians have already formed. To switch to learning the Thunder Art would be even more difficult."

At this moment, Li Lin spoke again: "I will add annotations. Every step and every movement will be written clearly."

"Truly?"

An Xin suddenly stood up.

A mental art is a mental art; a secret manual is a secret manual.

Although many people confuse them, fundamentally speaking, a mental art with the author's annotations is what constitutes a secret manual.

Compared to a mental art, the learning difficulty of a secret manual drops significantly.

(End of this chapter)