Lin Hui slipped out the side gate of the Lin Manor alone, using the gathering gloom and mist as cover for his return trip.

His movement techniques were simply too fast now. He had discarded the pomp and entourage Wang Hongshi and the others had proposed for a temple master, preferring to come and go as he pleased—direct, fast, and trouble-free.

The journey from the Black Dragon headquarters in the neighboring town to the Lin Manor took him less than half an hour. A retinue would only have slowed him down.

He had just bid farewell to his mother and stepped over the threshold, the clamor of the celebration for his younger sister, Lin Xiaoliu, still audible behind him. He was about to leave when a figure emerged from the shadows.

"Lin Hui... Little Brother. Is it convenient to have a chat?"

It was a man's voice, clear and distinct.

Lin Hui turned. The newcomer wore a light blue, waist-cinched robe with a pair of metallic purple-black gloves hanging at his belt. His long hair was tied in a ponytail, and his handsome features were calm. It was the eldest son of his Second Mother, Liu Wujun—his stepbrother.

"Brother Liu. It’s getting dark. If you have something to discuss, perhaps next time?" Lin Hui replied.

"Just a few words. With your movement technique, a slight delay shouldn't be a problem, right?" Liu Wujun smiled. "I heard about your engagement with the Circulation Realm martial artist Li Chi. A very impressive performance."

His tone held a hint of appreciation.

"I have fellow disciples holding high advisory positions in the New Martial Alliance. If you wish to develop in that direction, let me know. I can put in a word for you."

"Develop there?" Lin Hui raised an eyebrow, unsure of the motive.

“You can’t feel it yet, but you will soon. Judging by the pace of your Internal Force cultivation, I estimate it will take only a few more years to reach the Perfected Sixth Layer. Once you arrive at that limit, it will be time to shift your focus toward cultivating influence and refining your character. This is the standard path for all External Style martial artists,” Liu Wujun said gently.

"Yesterday, First Mother mentioned your situation to me. I thought, since we are brothers now, we should support each other, don't you agree? Now that the Liu and Lin families are blending harmoniously, and my sister and I serve in the Rain Palace, if you need help, you can send a message to the Yuanming Hall in the Inner City Rain Palace. Just mention the name Lin Hui."

"..." Lin Hui had never interacted much with him and hadn't expected him to be the first to extend an olive branch. It was surprising and slightly heartwarming.

He was a man amenable to persuasion but not coercion, so his attitude softened immediately.

"Many thanks, Big Brother. If something comes up, I will certainly trouble you." He paused, then added, "Although I know you two may not look highly upon the situation here in the Outer City, if there is a need nearby, you can also send someone to the Clear Wind Temple."

Courtesy for courtesy.

"En." Liu Wujun nodded with a smile.

Watching Lin Hui cup his fists, turn, and vanish from the doorway like a glitch in reality, Liu Wujun's eyelids twitched.

"Such a fast movement technique... This younger brother of mine is indeed capable. Even in the Outer City, he is a dragon and phoenix among men," he muttered softly.

"Do you think he discovered me?" Another slender figure stepped from the darkness—his younger sister, Liu Xiao.

"Probably not. But his movement technique is impressive enough. That burst just now was about eighty percent of your speed." Liu Wujun shook his head.

"I am different. I rely purely on power to force speed. He is taking a different shortcut," Liu Xiao retorted.

"That’s still excellent. I originally thought this family would be a burden, and I didn’t expect this little brother to have such backbone. After so long, even when facing such a major event, he never said a word to me about it. He carried his sword to duel a Circulation Realm expert alone... purely in terms of temperament and character, he stands tall."

Liu Wujun possessed such a character himself, so he admired those who were strong and independent.

"True. Looking at it this way, this younger brother is indeed a decent person. If matters arise in the future, we can definitely help him out more." Liu Xiao nodded in agreement.

"To be honest, I looked down on this family at first. But Uncle Lin and Lin Hui turned out to be decent, and First Mother is very kind. Living together hasn't been uncomfortable at all," Liu Wujun laughed. "Now that little sister Lin Xiaoliu is born, the ties between our sides are stronger. Perhaps later, we can truly be like one family."

"Perhaps. But compared to the Liu family main branch, it really is much more comfortable here." Liu Xiao's voice was light; she felt the same.

The two stood in the shadows of the doorway, whispering for a while about the disgusting history of the Liu family main branch, before quietly returning to their rooms.

….

On the other side, Lin Hui sprinted at high speed along the road between towns.

With a flash, he crossed twenty meters. To ordinary eyes, he was formless and shadowless as a ghost; they would feel only a gust of wild wind, the person already gone.

Before long, he arrived at the Black Dragon headquarters, coinciding with a group of disciples playing and cursing jokingly in the enclosed corridor, the reek of alcohol wafting everywhere.

Seeing Lin Hui, the disciples sobered up instantly. They hurriedly lined up in two rows, standing firm, bowing their heads, not daring to make a squeak as they cleared a path.

"If you want to play, go somewhere else." Lin Hui circulated his Internal Force, and a gust of clear wind blew from him, sweeping away the smell of alcohol.

"Yes!" The disciple at the front felt his scalp go numb and bowed his head.

The clear wind brushed past a jade talisman hanging on the side of the corridor, causing it to sway unsteadily.

Lin Hui was about to leave when he noticed fine cracks on the surface of the hanging jade talisman.

"This jade talisman has cracks. How much longer is it good for?"

"Uh... reporting to the Temple Master, it must be replaced when there are about five cracks. This one can be replaced, or it can hold on a bit longer." A bold female disciple volunteered.

"Who is responsible for this?"

"It’s Senior Sister Qiu, Qiu Yiren. She and the Night Jade Team, formed by a dozen fellow disciples, are specifically responsible for changing and purchasing jade talismans."

"Aren't jade talismans distributed for free?" Lin Hui frowned.

"Yes, but because the distance is great and demand is high, for large quantities, we still have to pay people to help collect them from the Rain Palace." The female disciple answered quickly.

Lin Hui intended to thoroughly understand the jade talisman situation so he could focus entirely on his cultivation.

His Body Tempering had been stuck, motionless at the First Rank.

This stagnation was abnormal. Judging by the evolved and perfected Wild Wind Sword Technique, the sword art was definitely not the problem. It had to be an issue with his training method.

"Tell Qiu Yiren to come to my... no, come to the Council Hall to see me." Lin Hui originally intended to say the study, but considering the hour, rumors of a lone man and woman might be damaging, so he changed it to the Council Hall.

"Okay. I'll go find Senior Sister immediately! She should be supervising the jade talisman replacement right now." The female disciple hurriedly took to her heels, acting as if Lin Hui were a flood or savage beast.

"Am I that terrifying?" Lin Hui was speechless. He glanced at the rest of the group, heads bowed as if waiting to be scolded, shook his head, and walked away.

He hadn't gone far when he heard sighs of relief from behind.

"Mother of God, is this the pressure of a Temple Master who has killed over a hundred people?! Too strong, I almost couldn't breathe!"

"The Temple Master is worthy of the title. Just standing there, I felt like the air was being sucked dry! It was suffocating!"

"Did you guys notice? The Temple Master's hand is usually on his sword hilt, but this time, he wasn't carrying a sword!? Could something big be happening!?"

"Big my ass, didn't the Temple Master's sword break during the battle with the Flying Stone Sect?"

"Oh, right..."

The group of young people chattered, the atmosphere lively again. Being teenage martial practitioners, they couldn't stay quiet for long.

Lin Hui laughed despite himself. As he walked through the corridors, everyone he met immediately stood aside, bowing and holding their breath, acting as if he might eat them.

Lin Hui remembered hearing Chen Sui say that in the taverns and teahouses of the outer towns, storytellers had already compiled his battle achievements into tales and were spreading them everywhere to make money.

The effects seemed immediate.

He arrived at the Council Hall and waited for about ten minutes.

A gentle knock sounded on the wooden door.

"Temple Master. Qiu Yiren and Huang Shan seek an audience."

"Come in," Lin Hui responded.

He opened his eyes, having rested, and looked at the newcomers.

Qiu Yiren dragged a reluctant Huang Shan into the hall. The two cupped their fists and bowed together.

"Temple Master, you summoned this disciple. May I ask your instructions?" Qiu Yiren asked cautiously.

She didn't want to speak so formally, but the feat of killing over a hundred people in one breath was too exaggerated. She had killed people, too, but only in the single digits. She knew very well what a hundred people—over a hundred decent Flying Stone Sect martial artists at that—represented.

To put it bluntly, if the current Lin Hui had an episode, he alone could slaughter the entire Clear Wind Temple clean within an hour.

These were Elder Xue Meng's private words. He had repeatedly exhorted them to watch the Temple Master's emotional state. Last time, he suspected the Temple Master was having an episode, which was why...

Additionally, she had dragged Huang Shan along—forcibly pulling her out of her bath—because she worried it would be improper to come alone.

There were rumors that the Temple Master was fond of women. Although she hadn't seen him show favor to anyone, all those aphrodisiacs weren't accepted for nothing. When the gifts were received, she had seen clearly that the Temple Master's expression was quite happy.

If the Temple Master has an episode and makes a move on me... at least I have a sister to help share the burden. Qiu Yiren's heart was all over the place.

To be honest, if she really got together with the Temple Master, she wouldn't be repulsed. It was just that going straight to the deed was a bit rough. If they could cultivate feelings first, let things brew a bit, that would be perfect...

"Yiren? Yiren?!"

Huang Shan's voice dragged her back from her fantasy.

"The Temple Master is asking you a question! Why is your face so red?"

Huang Shan's loud voice seemed exceptionally piercing in the quiet Council Hall.

Qiu Yiren's pretty face froze. Realizing Lin Hui was looking at her, she snapped out of it, realizing she had zoned out. Her face burned hotter, a crimson flush spreading across it.

Since childhood, she had yearned for the imposing, high-flying strongmen in books. That was why she focused on martial arts, attempting to become that kind of figure. Unfortunately, due to limited aptitude, she wasn't selected for the Call, nor by the Three Sects and Six Gangs. Finally, due to a series of changes, she chose the Clear Wind Temple.

She thought her future was fixed. Unexpectedly, the new Temple Master, Lin Hui, suddenly erupted with unprecedented brilliance, taking the Clear Wind Temple to heights no one dared imagine.

Now, with the three branches united and his sword dominating the area, the Clear Wind Temple had become a behemoth controlling over ten towns, its influence reaching hundreds of thousands.

And Lin Hui, who had built all of this in such a short time... though ordinary in appearance, he was dazzling in the current Qiu Yiren's eyes—beyond compare to any handsome man.

Thinking of this, Qiu Yiren unconsciously clamped her legs together and lowered her head, not daring to look at Lin Hui.

"Yiren, what's wrong with you? Even your neck is red!?" Huang Shan's loud voice rang out again, filling the Council Hall.

"You're still lowering your head? The Temple Master is asking you something! What are you lowering your head for?"