C30 I Won't Waste Time on Trash!

"Right, I get it." Chu Yan chuckled. "At the moment, I haven't even secured my position as the Lin family's son-in-law. Even if I wanted to pursue this path, I lack the resources. So rest easy, Big Brother Feng, I'm merely inquiring out of curiosity. We've selected our weapon; let's head downstairs, pick out a martial skill, and then head back."

"Okay." Feng Ru was reassured, seeing that Chu Yan had no ambition to become an Inscription Master.

As they descended the stairs, Chu Yan casually broached the subject, "About Inscription Masters, given the hefty initial investment, I'd imagine the returns upon success must be quite astonishing, right?"

Feng Ru, confident that Chu Yan wouldn't pursue the Inscription Master path, simply nodded in agreement. "Absolutely. The more renowned the Inscription Master, the more substantial the profits from a single inscription—it's a gold mine. But first, one must become an Inscription Master, or at the very least, an apprentice will do.

Moreover, the status of an Inscription Master is highly esteemed. Consider our Patriarch at the Pulse Condensation Stage; even he must treat an Inscription Apprentice from the Wan Hai Chamber of Commerce with the utmost respect.

There's a saying, 'To provoke an Inscription Apprentice is to provoke a hundred warriors.' If that's the case for an apprentice, imagine the clout of an Inscription Master.

From what I know, besides Inscription Apprentices, the Wan Hai Chamber of Commerce also has Inscription Masters in residence. They seldom make public appearances, to the point where even our Clan Chief may not have met them."

Chu Yan took note of Feng Ru's repeated mentions of the Wan Hai Chamber of Commerce in Evergreen Town.

He decided to carve out some time in the coming days to explore the place.

Evergreen Town might just be a small border town in the Yunao Kingdom, but Chu Yan sensed that the experiences it offered were far broader than any world he'd known before.

Armed with his formidable silver scale spear, it was only natural that the martial skill Chu Yan chose would be in spear techniques.

The Lin Clan's martial arts repertoire included only two types of spear techniques: one involving the use of a long spear, and the other, a pair of short spears.

Chu Yan thus opted for the long spear technique known as the Blood Yang Spear Art.

After selecting his martial skill, Chu Yan also chose a selection of books from the library that Feng Ru considered to be of miscellaneous interest.

"Brother Chu, I'm aware of your determination to secure a spot in the Mystic Moon Sect. With that in mind, shouldn't you be focusing on practicing your newly acquired martial skill instead of perusing these miscellaneous books? Isn't that a waste of time?" Feng Ru cautioned.

"Just a quick glance at a couple of pages during my downtime. This way, if I encounter any issues when you and Brother Zhao are away, I won't be completely in the dark," Chu Yan replied with a chuckle.

Although time was of the essence, Chu Yan had access to the Time Space Prison, where three days inside equated to just one day outside. So, in reality, reading wouldn't take up much of his time.

Moreover, while previously in the Southern Yuan Kingdom, he hadn't felt such a need, but now, in this new environment, Chu Yan realized how little he knew about the world. Things that seemed normal to others were foreign to him, which was a dangerous position for someone who had just arrived in unfamiliar territory.

As he exited the library with the books in hand, the stern elder merely glanced at Chu Yan, reminding him to return the books on time, and said no more.

After all, the Patriarch's directive was that Chu Yan could only choose one martial skill; it didn't prohibit him from borrowing other books.

Carrying the books, Chu Yan and Feng Ru left the Martial Skill Pavilion. They hadn't gone far when a young man, about Chu Yan's age, stepped onto the path and blocked their way.

The youth was engrossed in a scroll and, without lifting his gaze, asked, "Are you Chu Yan?"

Chu Yan paused and looked quizzically at Feng Ru.

Feng Ru's face was tinged with discomfort as he bowed slightly to the youth, "Young Master Lin Ao."

Lin Ao grunted in acknowledgment but still didn't look up. "As a son-in-law taken into the family, you should act accordingly. I'm aware of yesterday's incident and would prefer such situations not be repeated."

Chu Yan's brow furrowed slightly, but after a moment, he relaxed and let out a hearty laugh. "And who might you be?"

"I don't waste time on trash. Today's already an exception," Lin Ao said without looking up, striding past Chu Yan. "Besides, there's no chance for you and Lin Miaoran. Trash will always be trash. Stay out of my sight from now on."

With those words, Lin Ao continued on his way to the Martial Skill Pavilion, passing by the two men without a second glance.

Chu Yan turned to see the elders at the entrance of the Pavilion standing to greet Lin Ao with respect.

Watching Lin Ao's figure vanish inside the Pavilion, Chu Yan turned to Feng Ru and inquired, "Who is that guy?"

Feng Ru's face was even more troubled than before. He took a deep breath before speaking with difficulty, "He was carrying an Earth Ranked Martial Technique."

"Really?"

"Yes, he must be returning the scroll for the Earth Ranked Martial Technique, which means he's already mastered it," Feng Ru explained. "Our Lin Family has only two Earth Level Martial Skills, and Lin Ao, at just sixteen, has already mastered one of them."

Feng Ru then looked at Chu Yan with a sympathetic gaze. "Brother Chu, it seems you're really in for some trouble this time."

"I've already got my fair share of troubles," Chu Yan said with a smile. "Let's walk and talk. Tell me more about this Lin Ao."

As they made their way back, Feng Ru filled Chu Yan in on Lin Ao's background.

Lin Ao was the sole child of Deputy Chief Lin Chongzhi.

With a nudge from Feng Ru, Chu Yan recalled that Lin Chongzhi was the energetic man with the goatee they had seen the day before.

The Deputy Chief himself had limited talent, but his son was a different story—blessed with exceptional gifts. In his early years, Lin Ao was even a bit stronger than Lin Miaoran and was seen as the beacon of hope for the Lin Family's ascent.

However, once Lin Miaoran's Pure Jade Body was discovered and her strength began to skyrocket, Lin Ao's brilliance was somewhat eclipsed.

Nevertheless, no one in the Lin Family, nor the entirety of Evergreen Town, dared to underestimate Lin Ao's potential.

Rumors had even begun to circulate that Lin Ao would claim the remaining spot awarded by the Profound Moon Sect, ensuring both of the Sect's disciple positions would be held by members of the Lin Family.

"He's now proficient in an Earth-level martial skill, which significantly boosts his odds of securing a spot," Feng Ru remarked. "Ye Chen from the Ye Family just doesn't stack up against Lin Ao."

"And what's this about Lin Miaoran and me not standing a chance together?" Chu Yan inquired with curiosity. "The Old Master arranged the match, and since Lin Miaoran is the clan leader's daughter—Lin Ao's cousin by relation—it really shouldn't concern him. Besides, I haven't even met Lin Miaoran yet."

Feng Ru shook his head. "I'm not sure about that. Come on, we need to make it back to Evergreen Town before midday."

Watching Feng Ru's hastening figure, Chu Yan blinked, sensing that there were words left unspoken. However, he chose not to press the matter further at this moment.

"Lin Ao, a genius who never squanders time on the unworthy?" Chu Yan mused, turning to gaze in the direction of the Martial Skill Pavilion, a subtle smile playing at the corners of his mouth.