Chapter 38: Secret Meetings in the Dark Night, the Storm Approaches

After Liu Yanran's figure disappeared into the depths of the bamboo forest, the Guest Elder Courtyard fell into silence once more.

Lin Xuan remained seated by the stone table, fiddling with the Xuanji Pavilion Guest Elder medallion in his hand. The medallion was as warm and smooth as jade, emitting a faint luster under the moonlight. The carvings of the nine-story pavilion on it were so exquisite they looked as if they might emerge from the medallion at any moment.

Wang Mang and Li Dali poked their heads out from the wing rooms. Seeing that Liu Yanran had left, they walked into the courtyard with light steps.

"Brother Lin, did that woman leave?" Wang Mang scratched his head, his face full of vigilance. "She didn't make things difficult for you, did she?"

Lin Xuan shook his head and tucked the medallion into his robes.

Li Dali's eyes flickered as he whispered, "Brother Lin, is what that woman said... reliable? I've heard of Xuanji Pavilion's reputation, and it's indeed quite significant, but they deal in intelligence and have always worked for whoever pays. Cooperating with people like that, could it..."

"It could." Lin Xuan interrupted him, his gaze calm. "There are risks in cooperating with anyone. But in the current situation, we need more than just fists."

Li Dali was taken aback, then nodded thoughtfully.

Wang Mang scratched his head, looking completely bewildered. "What does that mean? I don't understand. Brother Lin, just tell us directly, what should we do next?"

Lin Xuan didn't answer immediately. He looked up at the darkening northern sky, his gaze deep.

Su Qingyue was under house arrest, people from the Main Yunni Sect would arrive within half a month, Zhao Yuanqing was contacting three Sects to apply pressure, and the aftermath of the Black Wind Ridge ruins was spreading... Each of these matters was like an invisible net closing in on him.

And all he could do now was wait.

Wait for the intelligence from Xuanji Pavilion, wait for Bailian Villa's attitude, and wait for those enemies hidden in the shadows to surface one by one.

"Next..." Lin Xuan spoke slowly, his voice low, "we wait."

"Wait?" Wang Mang's eyes widened. "Wait for what?"

"Wait for someone to come." Lin Xuan stood up and patted his robes. "Tonight, there might be a guest."

Wang Mang and Li Dali exchanged a glance, both stunned.

A guest? Who would come this late at night?

Lin Xuan didn't explain and turned to walk back inside.

...

At the Third quarter of the Zi hour, the moon was hidden and stars were sparse.

Outside the Guest Elder Courtyard, deep within the bamboo forest, the sound of extremely light footsteps could be heard.

The footsteps were faint and indistinct; if one didn't listen carefully, they would almost be mistaken for the rustling of bamboo leaves in the wind. But as Lin Xuan sat inside, his eyes slightly closed, a faint curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.

They're here.

He opened his eyes, stood up, and pushed the door open to step out.

In the courtyard, the moonlight was like frost. A figure stood silently in the center.

It was an old man with white hair and beard, a lean face, and wearing a gray robe. His aura was so restrained it was almost imperceptible. However, the occasional glint in his cloudy old eyes made one not dare to underestimate him.

Lin Xuan looked at the visitor and cupped his hands slightly. "Grand Elder, visiting deep in the night, please excuse me for not welcoming you sooner."

The visitor was indeed the Grand Elder of Bailian Villa—Grand Elder Ouyang Zhen.

Grand Elder Ouyang Zhen looked at Lin Xuan, a trace of surprise flashing in his cloudy eyes. "You recognize me?"

Lin Xuan said indifferently, "I guessed."

"Guessed?" Grand Elder Ouyang Zhen arched an eyebrow. "How did you guess?"

Lin Xuan said calmly, "To be able to pass through the bamboo forest in Bailian Villa silently, avoid the patrolling Disciples, and not alert anyone, one must be at least at the Golden Core Stage or above. And among the Elders at or above the Golden Core Stage who would come to find me at this hour, there are only two types of people—those who want to kill me, and... those who want to discuss cooperation."

He paused and looked at Grand Elder Ouyang Zhen. "If the Grand Elder wanted to kill me, he wouldn't come alone. Therefore, it can only be the latter."

Grand Elder Ouyang Zhen was stunned for a moment, then burst into loud laughter. His laughter was aged yet hearty. "Good! A fine 'guessed'! The Old Ancestor was right, you kid are indeed not simple!"

He restrained his smile and looked at Lin Xuan with burning eyes. "Since you've already guessed, I won't beat around the bush. I've come tonight to ask you one thing—what exactly is your attitude toward the Yunni Sect?"

Lin Xuan's gaze narrowed slightly. "Grand Elder, what do you mean by that?"

Grand Elder Ouyang Zhen sighed and slowly walked over to sit at the stone table, gesturing for Lin Xuan to sit as well.

"You know about the Yunni Sect messenger coming today," he said deeply. "Zhao Yuanqing has united three Sects to apply pressure, demanding we hand you over. There's a lot of pressure on the Villa Master's side."

Lin Xuan nodded. "I know."

"You know?" Grand Elder Ouyang Zhen looked at him. "Then do you know which three Sects those are?"

Lin Xuan shook his head.

Grand Elder Ouyang Zhen held up one finger. "The first is Xuanbing Valley. A prestigious school in the Northern Region, they have had intergenerational marriages with the Yunni Sect and have a very deep relationship. The person they sent is the Valley Master's nephew, a Late Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator."

Second finger: "The second is the Liehuo Sect. They specialize in fire-attribute Cultivation Techniques and have some old grudges with our Bailian Villa. The person they sent is the Sect Leader's third Disciple, at Foundation Establishment Perfection."

Third finger: "The third is the Sky Wolf Gang. The largest Loose Cultivator force in the Northern Region, they take money to do jobs and don't care about personal favors. The one they sent is a Protector of the gang, at Early Stage Golden Core."

He pulled back his hand and looked at Lin Xuan. "Three Sects joining forces, plus the Yunni Sect—four forces applying pressure simultaneously. Although our Bailian Villa isn't afraid, we are also unwilling to offend so many powerful enemies for no reason. The Villa Master's intention is..."

Lin Xuan took over the words. "Hand me over to settle the matter?"

Grand Elder Ouyang Zhen was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded. "The Villa Master indeed has that thought. After all, you are just an outsider; it's not worth taking such a big risk for you."

Lin Xuan's expression remained unchanged, as if he had expected it. "Then why did the Grand Elder come tonight?"

Grand Elder Ouyang Zhen looked at him, a trace of complex light flashing in his cloudy eyes. "Because the Old Ancestor didn't agree."

Lin Xuan's gaze shifted slightly.

"The Old Ancestor said that you are the person he brought back, and no one can touch you." Grand Elder Ouyang Zhen sighed. "The Villa Master and the Old Ancestor argued for an entire afternoon, finally parting on bad terms. I'm caught in the middle, in a difficult position."

He looked at Lin Xuan and suddenly asked, "Kid, do you know why the Old Ancestor is protecting you so much?"

Lin Xuan was silent for a moment, then said slowly, "Because I am the inheritor of an ancient martial Dao Legacy?"

Grand Elder Ouyang Zhen shook his head. "That's only part of it. The more important reason is... when the Old Ancestor was young, he also had a Disciple with extremely high martial Dao talent. That Disciple was the apple of his eye, the repository of his life's blood. But later, that Disciple was killed by several major Sects joining forces. The Old Ancestor has always brooded over it and still cannot let it go."

He paused, looking at Lin Xuan with deep eyes. "On you, there is the shadow of that Disciple."

Lin Xuan's heart jolted.

So that was it.

Ouyang Ye protected him not just because of the Legacy, but also because of... an old sentiment he couldn't let go of.

"So, the Old Ancestor is determined to protect you this time." Grand Elder Ouyang Zhen continued, "He even put out the word that whoever wants to touch you must first step over his corpse."

Lin Xuan was silent for a long time, then said slowly, "Please thank the Old Ancestor for me."

"Thank him?" Grand Elder Ouyang Zhen smiled bitterly. "Don't be so quick to thank him. Although the Old Ancestor is firm, the Villa Master's side isn't without action. I've come tonight just to ask you one thing—if the Villa Master really ignores the Old Ancestor's opposition and forcibly hands you over, what will you do?"

Lin Xuan looked up at him, his gaze as calm as water. "What does the Grand Elder hope I will do?"

Grand Elder Ouyang Zhen looked at him and said word by word, "I hope you can prove that you are worth the Old Ancestor's protection."

A faint curve appeared at the corner of Lin Xuan's mouth. "How should I prove it?"

Grand Elder Ouyang Zhen stood up, took a Jade Slip from his sleeve, and placed it on the stone table.

"Tomorrow at noon, at the villa's Martial Arts Arena, there will be a Sparring Convention for the younger generation," he said deeply. "People from those three Sects will all come to observe. It's called sparring, but in reality, they want to see your true strength. If you can show enough strength during the sparring to make those three Sects back off, the Villa Master will then have the confidence to refuse them."

He looked at Lin Xuan with burning eyes. "Do you dare?"

Lin Xuan picked up the Jade Slip and sent his Divine Sense inside; it contained the specific arrangements and the list of participants for tomorrow's sparring.

He glanced over it, and the smile on his lips deepened.

On the list, there was not only the younger generation of Bailian Villa but also the 'observation representatives' sent by those three Sects—in reality, they were here to test him.

The Late Stage Foundation Establishment from Xuanbing Valley, the Foundation Establishment Perfection from the Liehuo Sect, the Early Stage Golden Core from the Sky Wolf Gang...

And people from the Yunni Sect—Han Feiyu's name was prominently on the list.

Lin Xuan put away the Jade Slip and looked at Grand Elder Ouyang Zhen, saying indifferently, "Grand Elder, what are the rules of the sparring?"

Grand Elder Ouyang Zhen's eyes flashed with a hint of joy as he said deeply, "Stop when the point is made; you must not take lives. But... as long as you don't kill them, I can turn a blind eye to anything else."

Lin Xuan nodded. "Fine. Tomorrow at noon, I will be there."

Grand Elder Ouyang Zhen gave him a deep look and turned to leave. When he reached the courtyard gate, he suddenly stopped and looked back:

"Kid, I'll ask you one last thing—are you confident?"

Lin Xuan looked up at the darkening northern sky, his gaze seemingly piercing through the endless distance to see that cold figure under house arrest in the Yunni Sect.

"Confident?" he whispered to himself, then a sharp curve appeared at the corner of his mouth. "Grand Elder, you only need to prepare... the stretchers to carry away those people's corpses tomorrow."

Grand Elder Ouyang Zhen was stunned for a moment, then burst into loud laughter that echoed in the night sky for a long time.

Amidst the laughter, his figure disappeared into the depths of the bamboo forest.

The courtyard returned to silence.

Lin Xuan stood alone in the moonlight, his aura as heavy and solid as a mountain.

Tomorrow at noon, the Martial Arts Arena.

That would be the greatest test since he arrived at Bailian Villa.

It was also the moment for him to prove himself to everyone.

(End of Volume 2, Chapter 38)

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[Next Chapter Preview]: Secret meetings in the dark night, the storm approaches! Grand Elder Ouyang Zhen visits late at night, revealing the internal disagreements within the Villa and the truth about tomorrow's martial arts demonstration. Representatives from the three Sects gather at Bailian Villa, ostensibly to observe but actually to test him. Han Feiyu's name appears on the list, signifying that tomorrow's Martial Arts Arena will surely host a fierce struggle between dragons and tigers. Lin Xuan accepts the challenge, and a "battle to establish prestige" in the true sense is about to begin! Next Chapter: Heroes Gather, Competing in the Martial Arts Arena!