Lin Huan hurried back to his small courtyard, his mind racing with a flurry of thoughts.
Putting aside his testing of Yin Luoling regarding the tower for now, there was a more pressing matter at hand—increasing the strength of the Ling Residence to deal with their major threat, the Black Wind Hall.
He pushed open the door and walked straight to an inconspicuous low cabinet by the head of his bed, pulling out a storage bag. This was the secondary bag he had prepared long ago, containing resources that were vital to his plan.
Without a moment’s delay, Lin Huan gripped the storage bag and immediately turned around. He walked with a clear purpose toward the area where the Ling Residence guard team conducted their daily drills and stood watch. He needed to find the leader of the guards, the venerable and respected old man, Jiang En.
Grandpa Jiang was not hard to find. He was nearly 60, with frost-dusted temples, but his back remained as straight as a pine tree. At that moment, he stood with his hands behind his back, his sharp, hawk-like gaze scanning the guards practicing on the Martial Arts Field. From time to time, he barked out short, stern commands. His authority was etched into his very bones; when the guards saw him, they subconsciously straightened their backs and performed their movements with even more meticulous precision.
“Grandpa Jiang!” Lin Huan’s voice broke the silence at the edge of the field.
Jiang En looked over at the sound. Seeing his young master, the stern lines on his face did not soften much. He simply gave a slight nod. “Young Master? What business do you have with me? If it is nothing important, do not disturb their practice.”
“It is something important—very important! I would like to ask you to come to my courtyard, Grandpa Jiang. I need your guidance.” Lin Huan’s expression appeared quite serious, even slightly pleading.
Jiang En frowned slightly. This young master usually loved to play around. Why did he suddenly want guidance today? He was a mere martial artist who was illiterate; if he were to provide guidance, it could only be in terms of physical combat.
‘Does the Young Master want to practice martial arts?’
After a brief hesitation, he gave a few instructions to a deputy and followed Lin Huan away from the Martial Arts Field.
Jiang En stepped into Lin Huan’s small courtyard and came to a halt outside the door, his voice raised respectfully. “Young Master, I have come as ordered. What are your instructions?”
Lin Huan did not come out. Instead, he opened the door and reached out, signaling for Jiang En to come inside.
Although Jiang En was puzzled, he entered the room. “Young Master, what is it? Why the need for such secrecy?”
Lin Huan did not answer. Instead, he solemnly pulled a thin booklet from his robe. The paper looked somewhat ancient, and the cover had no fancy decorations, only three neat ink characters—Qi Refining.
He held it out with both hands, presenting it to Jiang En. “Old man, take a look at this.”
Jiang En took the booklet suspiciously and flipped it open. At first, he only scanned it casually, but after just a few lines, his cloudy old eyes snapped wide. The fingers stroking his beard suddenly stopped, and his breathing grew ragged!
The more he read, the more alarmed he became. The wrinkles on his face bunched together in shock.
“This! This… is… a Cultivation Technique?” Jiang En looked up sharply, a brilliant light exploding in his eyes as he stared intently at Lin Huan. His tone was filled with disbelief and caution. “Young Master! Where did you get this? Put this away immediately! Do not let a word of this leak out! This is no small matter! Did you get this from an outsider?”
Jiang En’s first thought was that his young master had been cheated and had accepted a hot potato!
A Chengji Gongfa was not rare, but most were passed down by famous orthodox sects. If an outsider practiced them and those sects found out, it would surely bring disaster! It might even… draw fire to them! It could trigger a struggle! ‘Is someone intentionally trying to harm the Ling Clan?!’
Seeing the old man so nervous, Lin Huan actually felt a bit more at ease. This proved the old man knew his stuff and was cautious. He quickly waved his hands, his expression saying, “You’ve misunderstood,” as he explained, “Don’t worry! I definitely didn’t cause any trouble! This technique… was given to me by the teacher.”
“The teacher?” Jiang En was stunned for a moment before reacting immediately. “You mean… Teacher Jiang?”
“Yes, Teacher Jiang Yue.” Lin Huan nodded vigorously, his tone firm.
Upon hearing the name “Jiang Yue,” the tension in Jiang En’s expression softened at a visible rate. The wariness in his eyes was quickly replaced by a sense of relief and understanding.
He stroked his beard and nodded slowly. “I see… if it was a gift from Teacher Jiang… then it is no wonder.”
Jiang En had encountered Jiang Yue several times. Whether it was the vast knowledge she displayed while teaching at the Ling Residence, the extraordinary aura in her every gesture, or the profound insights she occasionally revealed, this old guard, who had seen much of the world, knew that the masked lady was no ordinary person.
More importantly, once when Jiang Yue was watching from the sidelines of the Martial Arts Field, she had casually pointed out a small flaw in the way Jiang En exerted his strength—a problem that had troubled him for years. It had made him see the light, and he had benefited greatly from it. That debt of guidance and the vision she had shown had long ago made Jiang En fully respect her.
Since it was a gift from the mysterious Teacher Jiang, then this Chengji Gongfa was definitely not a fake, and there was no need to worry about its origins. Her loyalty to the Ling Clan was something he had seen with his own eyes. It could be said that if a spy were found in the Ling Residence and everyone else was dead except for her and himself, Jiang En would first suspect that he had been placed under some kind of illusion and had become a spy unintentionally.
The doubts in Jiang En’s heart vanished in an instant, replaced by immense joy and excitement.
A Chengji Gongfa! If the Young Master had this technique, wouldn’t his future path of cultivation soar to the heavens?
“Good! Good! With this technique, Young Master, you will surely—” Jiang En lamented, about to express his gratitude.
However, Lin Huan interrupted him, lowering his voice as his expression turned serious. “Old man, this isn’t for me. I have an even better one. This one—is for all of you.”
“…For us? You mean… the entire guard of the Ling Residence?”
“It’s true,” Lin Huan nodded. “But this matter must be kept strictly confidential. I asked you here because I want you to personally select a group of people. They must be core guards who are absolutely trustworthy, tight-lipped, and loyal to the Ling Residence. Have them practice this Qi Refining in secret. Remember, it must be done ‘surreptitiously.’ Start with a small group first. The less noise, the better. Not a single word of this must leak out!”
Hearing this, the excitement on Jiang En’s face froze, turning into gravity and confusion. He knit his brows tightly. “Young Master, why? With such a good technique, why can’t we let all the guards practice it openly? Hiding it will only invite suspicion. And…”
He paused, a look of worry appearing on his face. “Even with this Chengji Gongfa, it takes time to switch techniques. More importantly, the Spiritual Qi of this world is currently pitifully thin. The speed of cultivation… I’m afraid it will be desperately slow.”
The lack of Spiritual Qi was the greatest bottleneck for all cultivators; it was a very real problem.
Lin Huan looked at the old man’s worried face, but the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, revealing a confident smile. He did not answer immediately. Instead, he lightly patted the dark storage bag he had been holding. Then, under Jiang En’s confused gaze, Lin Huan walked to his bed, which wasn’t particularly large, and flicked his wrist.
Clatter—!
In an instant, a dazzling light almost illuminated the entire room! Countless crystal-clear Spirit Stones containing pure Spiritual Qi poured out from the storage bag like a flood of gems, cascading onto the bed!
Spirit Stones! Nothing but Spirit Stones!
The Spirit Stones flickered with a warm white light, while mid-grade Spirit Stones flowed with a lush green glow. There were even a few high-grade Spirit Stones of even better quality that emitted a denser, deeper radiance! They piled up layer upon layer, instantly covering the entire bed and stacking into a small hill. A rich fluctuation of Spiritual Qi filled the small space; just taking a breath made one feel refreshed.
Grandpa Jiang was completely dumbfounded!
He had lived for so many years and had experienced many storms and seen many scenes, but when had he ever seen so many high-quality Spirit Stones piled together? This visual impact was 100 times stronger than when he had seen the Cultivation Technique just moments ago!
His previously worried expression was instantly replaced by extreme shock and disbelief. His eyes bulged, and his mouth hung slightly open. One could even clearly see his Adam’s apple moving as if he were choking on the breath taken from this sudden “treasure mountain of light.”
Lin Huan stood by the pile of Spirit Stones, turning his head with a relaxed smile. Looking at the frozen old man, he asked softly:
“Grandpa Jiang, tell me… is this enough?”