C91 The Girl's Heart Was Troubled

Chu Yan extended his hand to accept the item, offering thanks before lowering his gaze to examine it. In his grasp was a small jade pendant, emitting a faint green luminescence. Clearly, this was no ordinary trinket, but Chu Yan refrained from questioning, respecting Lin Xiao's silence on the matter. He promptly draped the pendant around his neck and reiterated his gratitude to Lin Xiao.

"Chu Yuze, your grandfather, has been a dear friend of mine for many years," Lin Xiao said, dismissing formalities with a wave of his hand. "As his grandson, you're my junior, and besides, we might even become family in the future. Let's dispense with the formalities."

Lin Xiao's words sent a blush creeping across Lin Miaoran's cheeks. She stole a quick glance at Chu Yan, then swiftly averted her eyes. Despite her outward composure, she was a whirlwind of embarrassment and irritation. She had pieced together that Chu Yan was the same person she had been sparring with daily at Langya Pavilion, yet he remained oblivious to her true identity. Her feelings were a tangled mess—eager for him to realize who she was, yet not wanting him to solve the puzzle too soon.

"Dad, Grandfather, I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now," Lin Miaoran announced, having resolved Chu Yan's issue and choosing not to unveil her identity just yet. "Big dummy, you'll come looking for me once you figure it out on your own," she mused silently.

Within the family, Lin Miaoran was known for her independent spirit, so neither Lin Chongtian nor Lin Xiao attempted to detain her, watching as she took her leave.

But Lin Miaoran's departure wasn't solely because of Chu Yan. Witnessing his valiant stand against Lin Shan and others had sent her emotions soaring, igniting her spirit and advancing her cultivation realm. Now, with her Pulse Condensation Stage unsteady, she needed to find a quiet place to solidify her newfound level.

As Lin Miaoran gracefully exited, Chu Yan shook his head with a faint smile, pondering the complexities of the young woman's actions.

He couldn't fathom what the Lin Family's young miss had in mind when she stepped in to take a hit for him and declared her dominance, only to leave without another word.

Throughout the entire encounter, she never exchanged a single word with Chu Yan.

Pondering for a moment, Chu Yan called out to Lin Miaoran's retreating figure, "Hey, Lin Miaoran."

At the sound of her name, Lin Miaoran felt a jolt in her heart and involuntarily paused, though she didn't turn around.

"Thank you. I'll find a way to repay you in the future," Chu Yan said, his voice carrying a grateful smile.

A fresh wave of warmth flooded Lin Miaoran's cheeks.

"It's me who should be saying thanks, you big dummy," Lin Miaoran chided herself silently, but outwardly, she only managed a soft hum and a nod before continuing on her way.

It wasn't until she had left the training grounds and reached the solitude of a bamboo grove that she allowed herself a deep breath and felt her legs weaken—a sensation she hadn't experienced even when facing the murderous Lin Kongtong.

The gentle summer breeze lifted strands of Lin Miaoran's hair, casting a dreamy veil over her eyes. Bathed in the dappled sunlight filtering through the bamboo, a subtle sweetness stirred within her.

With Lin Miaoran's departure, the crowd's attention swiftly shifted to Chu Yan and Lin Xiao.

One was the top contender of the family selection, a talent who had effortlessly outclassed even the clan's recognized prodigy, Lin Ao. The other was the clan's pillar, freshly returned from achieving the pinnacle of the Second Level of Pulse Condensation Stage, indisputably the foremost figure of the Lin Family.

Admiration and respect filled the onlookers' gazes as they watched Chu Yan and Lin Xiao.

The moment of award presentation that followed was even more covetable.

However, since the Earth Ranked Martial Technique and superior weapons required Chu Yan to make a selection from the Lin Family's Martial Arts Pavilion, all he could receive at that moment were two vials of spirit pulp, meticulously prepared by the Lin Family.

Contained within the small bottles was a pale green liquid that exuded an air of mystery at a mere glance.

Amidst the envious stares of the Lin clan members, Chu Yan accepted the two vials of spirit pulp from Lin Chongtian's hands.

Lin Chongtian, representing the Lin Family, offered a few words of encouragement to Chu Yan. The gist was a promise of full support from the Lin Family and their hopes for him to secure an even better outcome in the upcoming family competition in Evergreen Town, a month and a half away.

However, Chu Yan found little value in these encouragements. His determination to secure a spot in the Profound Moon Sect was unwavering, regardless of Lin Chongtian's support.

What truly mattered to Chu Yan were tangible rewards, and Lin Chongtian, fully aware of the excessive actions of Lin Chongzhi, Lin Kongtong, and others during the selection, acknowledged this. Following Lin Xiao's efforts to console Chu Yan, Lin Chongtian, as the Patriarch, stepped in to offer his own form of consolation on behalf of the Lin Family— a straightforward and hefty reward of Spirit Money, amounting to twenty thousand.

To Chu Yan, the sum was astonishingly generous. Yet, he quickly realized that this Spirit Money was essentially a reallocation of the salaries that would have gone to Lin Chongzhi, Lin Kongtong, Lin Shan, and the others. From an accounting perspective, the Lin Family incurred no loss.

With Lin Chongzhi's concluding speech, the Lin Family's Qualification Competition officially came to an end.

That evening, Chu Yan secluded himself for rigorous training. He was acutely aware that gaining entry into the Lin Family and earning the right to compete was merely the initial step in his plan. Standing out in the Lin Family's competition was the second. The true test would be to advance to the third step—winning the family competition in Evergreen Town and securing the sole entry into the Profound Moon Sect, thus beginning his journey to the Immortal's Gate. Until then, he could afford no complacency.

As he trained relentlessly within the confines of the time-space cage, he left the two bottles of spirit pulp untouched on a nearby stone table.

Come morning, Chu Yan set out for the Lin Family Stronghold beyond the town, ready to claim his rewards for the selection round: an Earth Ranked Martial Technique and a Superior Grade Weapon.

He had been with the Lin family for just about a month, yet this was already his third visit to the Martial Skill Pavilion to collect a martial skill and weapon.

Such privileges and honors could easily raise suspicions of favoritism; had Chu Yan's identity not been common knowledge, whispers might have circulated that he was Lin Chongtian's secret son.

The elder on duty at the Martial Skill Pavilion today greeted Chu Yan with unprecedented warmth. It was as if she had anticipated his arrival, having stationed herself at the entrance of Lin Jia Stronghold since early morning to welcome him from afar.

Though the elder hadn't attended yesterday's selection match, she was well-informed about Chu Yan's impressive display. His choice of the Seven Stars Windstorm Steps had shone brilliantly in the competition, even allowing him to evade a strike from Lin Kongtong, a practitioner at the Second Level of the Pulse Condensation Stage.

Seeing Chu Yan now, the elder lavished him with praise, her words flowing like an unending river, leaving Chu Yan blushing at the effusive compliments: "Is this even humanly possible?"

Their conversation continued as they reached the Martial Skill Pavilion.

Today, however, Chu Yan was set to ascend to the previously unexplored third floor of the pavilion.