C10 He Became the Center of Attention

Ling Xiao sized up the situation and swiftly kicked Lee Guangyin, his voice resolute. "Get lost! If I catch you bullying anyone again, you won't get off so lightly."

"Yes," Lee Guangyin stumbled to his feet, stammering a few words before hastily fleeing without calling for his servants.

Ling Xiao dismissed Lee Guangyin and his lackeys from his mind and turned to see the girl still standing there, clearly rattled by what had transpired.

He walked over to her and offered a gold coin, saying, "Take this. It should cover a decent burial for your mother, and there's enough left to start a small business for yourself."

Ling Xiao, who had a soft spot for women, had taken in the girl's beauty and was struck by it. A little grooming, and she'd eclipse any celebrity from his past life—she had the potential to be even more breathtaking. Her misfortune, however, stirred his compassion, and he felt no ulterior motives, just a pure wish to help her.

With a trembling hand, the girl accepted the gold coin and then knelt deeply, her voice filled with gratitude, "Thank you, Young Master... thank you..."

By the time she raised her head, Ling Xiao was already distant.

"I will find you, my benefactor. I am yours now," she murmured to herself.

The tale of Ling Xiao's showdown on the southern streets of Meteor City spread like a plague.

Once a prodigy seen only once in a hundred years in Meteor City, his fame had risen like the dawn.

Then, like a shooting star, his talents were squandered, and he fell from grace overnight.

Regardless of whether he was once known for his glory or now forgotten in disgrace, Ling Xiao had become the center of attention in Meteor City once again.

In the Lee family's northern estate, Lee Guangyin knelt before his father, too humiliated to lift his head.

The formidable man before him was his father, Lee Yuanhua, a Middle Level Profound Master with an authoritative air, the second son of the Lee family patriarch. Seated to his right was a young man who resembled Lee Guangyin—his half-brother, Lee Guanghan, a High Level Profound Warrior with extraordinary talent. He was on the cusp of a breakthrough to the Profound Master level, his profound strength nearly ready to be unleashed.

Lee Yuanhua asked with a hint of indifference, "Are you certain it was Ling Xiao from the Ling family who hit you today? The very same Ling Xiao who, along with his father, is ridiculed as 'the good-for-nothing duo'?"

Lee Guangyin nodded vigorously. "Dad, I swear it's the truth. It was definitely Ling Xiao. Gui and the others can vouch for me."

Turning to his eldest son, Lee Yuanhua inquired, "Guang Han, what do you make of this?"

"I believe the second brother's story is credible," Lee Guanghan replied.

Lee Yuanhua speculated, "Could it be that the Ling family has been deliberately spreading rumors that Ling Xiao can no longer train in martial arts, to throw everyone off guard? Are they trying to make us underestimate him so that he can cultivate in peace?"

Lee Guanghan pondered for a moment before responding, "I doubt that's the strategy. Sure, it might make everyone dismiss Ling Xiao, but it would tarnish the Ling family's reputation. The trade-off doesn't seem worth it."

Lee Yuanhua waved away the concern. "Being too conspicuous can be a curse. If the Ling family can allow Ling Xiao, a once-in-a-century talent, to cultivate undisturbed, then a small hit to their prestige is trivial. If Ling Xiao reaches the Spirit Master Rank, there'll be hardly anyone in Meteor City who could defeat him. That would be an immense advantage for the Ling family."

"Why don't I test him myself?" Lee Guanghan offered.

"We'll discuss it with your grandfather before we decide," Lee Yuanhua said thoughtfully. Then, scolding Lee Guangyin, he added, "You've tarnished the Lee family's name. Go to the back mountain to reflect for a month. You are not to step off it."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Lee Guangyin hung his head and replied meekly, "Yes, Father."

Meanwhile, at Ling Rui's residence, Freckle, his nose wrapped in white cloth, was vividly describing the day's events to Ling Rui.

After listening, Ling Rui's brow creased in thought. A short while later, he motioned for Freckle to leave and walked out of his room.

He knocked on the door of the eastern chamber.

"Come in..." a faint voice called from inside.

A middle-aged man in a green robe sat within, his brow slightly protruding and his cheeks hollow. His hawk-like eyes were intimidating, and he casually held a scroll in his hand.

"Father," Ling Rui greeted, bowing respectfully.

The man was Ling Chong, Ling Rui's father, a Middle Level Profound Master on the cusp of greatness. With just one more year of cultivation, he was poised to break through to the status of a High Level Profound Warrior.

"Rui, what's on your mind?" Ling Chong asked, not lifting his gaze from the book.

"Father, I have news to report," Ling Rui said.

"Speak," Ling Chong commanded, placing the book aside to focus on his son.

Ling Rui then relayed the recent troubles caused by Ling Xiao, including the skirmish with Freckle and Dog Nose, and today's clash with Lee Guangyin and his companions in the market, reporting each detail to his father.

Ling Chong's expression tightened as he listened, then with a dismissive gesture, he said, "Enough, I've got the picture. You may go. Steer clear of Ling Xiao until the family test is over."

With a dutiful nod, Ling Rui exited the room.

Not long after, Ling Chong emerged from his quarters and swiftly headed towards the Ling family's Inner Court.

Ling Xiao, unaware of the stir he'd caused, had already returned home, greeted his parents, and retreated to his room. He immersed himself in studying the "Record of Spirit Herbs," aware that mastering its contents and acquiring Spirit Herbs could not only bolster his physique and power but also amass a fortune. His future was looking bright indeed.

For three consecutive days, Ling Xiao spent two hours reading and the rest cultivating his profound strength, determined to unblock the twelve main meridians as soon as possible.

Over the past three days, Ling Xiao had once again broken through a meridian, successfully clearing seven of the twelve main meridians. At this rate, it was certain that within half a month, he would fully unblock all twelve, reclaiming his status as a martial artist. Only then could he gather profound strength in his Dantian and begin cultivating the first level of the Three Divisions Essence Returning Energy. Given his current talent, ascending to the seventh level, once dominated by Xiong Ba, would pose no challenge, and the eighth and ninth levels should be within reach as well.

The mere thought sent a surge of exhilaration through Ling Xiao. In a world where martial prowess reigned supreme, he envisioned a life of boundless freedom, traversing the vast lands from the northern to the southern ends of the Great River. He would stand unchallenged among the martial elite, living life by his own rules, free from the shackles of his previous life's societal norms. He indulged in the ultimate masculine fantasy: to possess great power and to claim a beauty as his own. Here, in this world, he was certain his dreams would become reality.