Chapter 18: The Young Man

When Lin Chen spoke these words, the crowd instantly erupted in uproar.

To produce essence in three years isn’t much?

“Lin Chen, do you know what you’re saying? Since you’ve taken up martial arts, you should know how hard it is to produce essence—I think you’re just jealous of your older brother.”

The aunt’s face flushed with anger; she would not allow anyone to belittle her son.

Grandfather Lin ChaoYang’s face turned ashen; in the past, he would have already rebuked him.

The other villagers also pointed and whispered at Lin Chen.

To produce essence in three years was already considered impressive in their eyes.

In all these years, apart from the late Jiang Provincial Graduate, only a few others in the village had produced essence—all of them left the village to become bodyguards for wealthy households in town, returning only occasionally.

Each time they returned, they did so with great fanfare.

“Chen’er.”

Lin Mu looked at her son with concern; after Grandfather revealed that Lin Ming had produced essence, she had hesitated, wondering whether she should just raise money to repay the debt.

She didn’t want to flatter Lin Ming—she merely thought that since Lin Ming had produced essence and her son was studying martial arts, Lin Ming could guide Chen’er.

“Auntie, I truly don’t think producing essence is difficult, because I’ve already produced it.”

Lin Chen’s lips curled upward; he had held this breath for a long time, and now he could finally release it.

Though, saying it himself made the boast feel clumsy, the humiliation blunt, even childish.

But wasn’t he exactly this age?

Could one truly be reborn twice and still endure hardships others couldn’t, and still cast aside one’s pride like trash?

A sword’s edge is forged through grinding; plum blossoms bloom only through bitter cold.

It was merely self-deception forced by circumstance.

“What?”

“Did I hear right? Did that Lin boy say he produced essence?”

“I recall Lin Chen only entered the martial hall this year—if he produced essence, wouldn’t it be in less than a year?”

The villagers stared at Lin Chen in disbelief. After a moment of shock, the aunt burst into mocking laughter: “Lin Chen, have you trained so long you’ve gone mad? Talking nonsense now—do you really think anyone will believe you?”

“Enough. Don’t disgrace yourself in front of so many.”

Grandfather Lin ChaoYang also spoke sharply: his most cherished grandson had spent so much money and taken three years to produce essence—this younger grandson producing it in under a year? Impossible to imagine.

“Chen’er, is this true?” Only Lin Mu stared at her son with hopeful eyes.

“Mother, it’s true. Gu Fei told you—I trained intensively this month at the martial hall because the instructor believed I could produce essence. I came home specifically to announce this good news.”

Hearing Lin Chen confirm it again, Lin Mu whirled around: “My Chen’er says he produced essence—he did.”

“Little brother, won’t you stop them? Let them humiliate themselves like this?”

Grandfather Lin ChaoYang frowned in displeasure, but Lin’s father paid no heed—he was beaming with excitement: “That’s my son! Good job!”

Lin Mu believed her son. Lin’s father believed him too.

His son had truly produced essence in just one year!

“Uncle, how could you also…”

Lin’s father cut off the aunt: “Auntie, don’t you want my Chen’er to produce essence?”

The aunt’s face stiffened; accepting that Lin Chen had produced essence hurt more than surrendering the land deed.

It meant her Ming was inferior to Lin Chen.

As the aunt fell silent, a gong sounded from the village entrance, and several figures approached.

“It’s the village head!”

“The village head’s here too? With all this gong-banging—what big joy has come to our village?”

A sharp-eyed villager recognized the village head among them.

The village head of Linhu Village was an elderly man who usually shuffled slowly—but now he strode swiftly, showing no sign of being over sixty.

“Everyone already knows, then?”

Seeing the villagers gathered before the Lin family ancestral home, the village head shouted from several zhang away: “It seems Lin Chen has returned—I have good news to announce.”

At these words, many villagers’ gazes toward Lin Chen changed.

They connected them to Lin Chen’s earlier statement.

“On my way back from town today, I met the martial hall’s announcement team. I learned our village has produced a genius—Lin Chen didn’t just produce essence within a year, he was the first in the martial hall to do so.”

Gasps!

At the village head’s words, every villager erupted again.

“I always said Lin Chen could do it—I saw his potential since he was a child.”

“Produced essence in a year—and first in the martial hall? Unbelievable. The Lin family has produced a phoenix child.”

“Lin Chen produced essence, and now Lin Ming too—so the Lin family has two martial artists? Their ancestral graves must be smoking blue!”

“Lin ChaoYang must be overjoyed now.”

“Not necessarily.”

That single “not necessarily” instantly twisted the atmosphere again.

The Lin family’s internal split was common knowledge in the village, thanks to Gu Fei’s gossip—though no one had confirmed it, and villagers hadn’t fully believed it. But what they’d just witnessed was undeniable.

The grandfather himself didn’t believe his own grandson had produced essence—wasn’t that exactly what the rumors said? He favored one grandchild to the extreme.

As for their own earlier disbelief, they now unconsciously ignored it.

Irrelevant.

They were outsiders—of course they didn’t believe. But Lin Chen is your blood, Lin ChaoYang—your own grandson—and you didn’t believe him? That’s the problem.

“Now I see those rumors were true—if my grandson said he produced essence, I’d never call him a fool or shame him.”

“Lin ChaoYang still claims his phoenix child is Lin Ming?”

“Lin Ming is nothing—three years to produce essence? Lin ChaoYang’s eyes are blind—he mistook the phoenix child.”

…

…

Hearing the villagers’ murmurs, the village head knew the Lin family’s internal feud—but he wouldn’t speak of it now. Seeing Lin ChaoYang standing stunned, he sighed inwardly.

This grandfather had truly misjudged.

“Lin Chen, congratulations—the announcement team is coming. Go greet them?”

“Thank you, Village Head.”

Lin Chen bowed to the village head. The debt-collecting thug, meanwhile, stood bewildered.

Martial hall announcement—produced essence in one year, first in the hall.

The news stunned him.

He could ignore Lin Ming—but anyone who produced essence in a year? He dared not offend them, let alone the martial hall’s top student.

In no time, they’d be a confirmed Opening Meridian cultivator.

“Since your village has good fortune, I’ll postpone the debt for a few days.” The thug tried to slip away.

“Stop.”

Lin Chen called out, and as he did, the thug’s body visibly trembled.

“Young Master Lin, my… my employer is also an Opening Meridian cultivator.” The thug’s voice lacked conviction—he could only cite his employer.

Earlier, he’d only thought the boy’s gaze was sharp, unlike ordinary villagers—now he dared not meet Lin Chen’s eyes at all.

“Debt must be repaid—that’s natural law. Find the one who owes you. I won’t stop you. My second uncle owes you nothing—you shouldn’t have injured my cousin. That debt must be settled.”

The thug’s expression twisted, but he’d overheard Lin Chen’s exchange with Lin ChaoYang—he understood the situation now.

So the grandfather and grandson were at odds? That made things easier.

“I’ll compensate for injuring your cousin.”

“Five taels.” Lin Chen’s voice was cold.

“Five taels? Are you robbing me?” The thug snapped.

“If you won’t pay, then fine—how many times did you hit my cousin? Let me hit you the same number of times. We’ll call it even.”

Seeing Lin Chen’s sly smile, the thug shuddered. To be struck by a cultivator who produced essence? Only a fool would agree—such a cultivator could wield at least seven hundred jin of force; a few punches could cripple him.

“Then let it count as five taels—now you only need ten more.” The thug bowed his head.

Lin Chen’s face turned icy. He stepped forward—and the thug and his men retreated three steps in perfect unison.

“Didn’t I make myself clear? Find the one who owes you. My second uncle owes you nothing—you must pay me five taels!”

As the villagers watched Lin Chen’s single step force the thugs to retreat and hand over five taels, many village youths etched the scene into their minds.

Is this the power of martial training?

The young man’s might surpasses the tiger!

Many villagers had once abandoned the idea of letting their children train in martial arts—but seeing this, their desire reignited.

Though training cost much, once successful, look at Lin Chen—just a few words made them hand over five taels.

Many villagers looked at Lin Hui, held in his second mother’s arms, with envy.

Lin Hui had won big.

He’d taken a few blows, but that meant only a few doses of medicine and a few days’ rest—year-end was near, no work anyway, so this money was free.

The old village head squinted at the scene, recalling a boy who’d left the village ten years ago—and fourteen years ago. Though he’d brought benefits to the village, he’d never displayed martial power before the villagers.

“Second Aunt, take this money.”

Lin Chen handed the five taels to the second aunt. She clutched the silver in one hand and hugged Lin Hui in the other—and suddenly burst into loud sobs.

“Mother, don’t cry.”

Lin Xi, crouched beside Second Aunt, saw her own mother weeping uncontrollably; she suddenly stood up and charged at the burly man. The man had intended to dodge, but under Lin Chen’s piercing gaze, he was forced to stand still.

Lin Xi wrapped her arms around the man’s leg and bit down hard. He winced in pain but dared not shake her off—he feared that the moment he did, the massive fist before him would smash into his body.

After biting him hard, Lin Xi wisely ran back behind Lin Chen. Lin Chen smiled faintly and ruffled his cousin’s hair.

The burly man gritted his teeth. To be honest, he didn’t want to pay the five taels. If the proprietor were here, he could have easily protected him—but the proprietor was gone. If he refused to pay now, he feared he’d be carried out of the village on a stretcher.

Afterward, as long as the Lin family repaid the money, the proprietor would never risk offending a young martial cultivator on the verge of opening his meridians over this matter.

“Young Master Lin, the injury payment has been made and your anger has been satisfied—can we now collect the debt? Of course, if Young Master Lin speaks up, we can delay it a few more days.”

“Do as you please.”

Lin Chen pulled Lin Xi aside.

“Chen’er, how could you do this? You have power now—you could have settled this with one word. Are you really going to let our Lin family’s ancestral fields fall into strangers’ hands?”

First Aunt, seeing Lin Chen step aside, immediately spoke, her tone laced with resentment.

Lin Chen stopped walking and fixed his gaze on First Aunt. She shifted uncomfortably under his stare—only now did she realize that this nephew she had always ignored had eyes as sharp as blades.

(End of Chapter)