The Decaying World-Chapter 44 - 39: Measure 3

Leaving his house, Lin Hui already had a plan in mind.

Leaving Qingfeng Temple was not an option. Between his principles and the sunk costs, it would be too much trouble to leave now.

Besides, speed was what he pursued. Among all the martial arts schools in the Outer City District, Qingfeng Temple’s Body Technique was top-tier. It was hard to find any Outer Strength Martial Arts faster than it.

’So, streamlining and refining the current structure, optimizing the Qingfeng Temple’s Martial Arts... that might be the key to solving our competitiveness problem in the future.’

’But for now, I should test my current level.’

On his way back, Lin Hui wondered where he could go to test the new, fused Special Effects. After mulling it over, the only things that came to mind were the figures of the monsters in the Fog Area, flashing before his eyes.

’It’s a bit dangerous, but as long as I’m careful and don’t take any unnecessary risks, it should be fine.’

Having spent so much time in the Fog Area before, he had a rough idea of what kind of monsters inhabited the area behind Qingfeng Temple.

Faceless People, Unihorn Spiders, Thousand-legged Eye Balls, and Mist Barbarians.

These four types of monsters were common creatures in the Fog Area. Their minds were chaotic and they lacked any consciousness, possessing only the fierce aggression of wild beasts.

Having made his decision, Lin Hui no longer hesitated. He quickened his pace back toward Qingfeng Temple. He needed to prepare, and he also had to borrow some Ning Xiang and other supplies from his master.

He wasn’t worried about being refused. In fact, Mingde supported the idea of him going to the Fog Area to practice his Swordsmanship.

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「Lin Clan Territory.」

Lin Chaoyi bowed and scraped as he escorted a Steward from the Chen Family’s Outer City branch out the main gate. He and a group of clan members watched the man’s carriage depart, only letting out a long sigh of relief once it was out of sight.

"Still no news... That kid, Ah De. We need his help at this critical moment, but we just can’t get in touch with him..."

He gazed at the somewhat desolate fields outside the main courtyard and the two-story building across the road that had just recently been vacated, a hint of helplessness and frustration flashing in his eyes.

"The profits from all our shops are shrinking. And those storefronts we sorted out before? People are showing up to cause trouble and collect protection money again... Can’t Hongyu do something to help?" He looked toward Lin Hongyu’s father, Lin Shuntao.

"Father, Hongyu really can’t do anything right now... After the last incident, she went to the Zong Family’s Law Enforcement Hall immediately, but..." Lin Shuntao’s expression was grim.

"Sigh..." Lin Chaoyi knew it too. Lin Hongyu didn’t have the aptitude for Summoning. Even though she had married into the Chen Family, she was still just an ordinary member from an outside clan. Unable to use Summoning, she could only study the various Inner Power Martial Arts the Chen Family had collected.

Although Hongyu’s aptitude was excellent, Inner Strength was something that required time and accumulation; its effects couldn’t be seen overnight. Outer Strength, on the other hand, could be mastered much more quickly, just like Lin Hui...

The thought of Lin Hui made Lin Chaoyi ask as he turned and walked back into the courtyard.

"By the way, how is Old Si’s family doing?"

"Old Si’s son is finished." Lin Shunchong, from the second branch, said with a gloating expression. "He was kicked out of the enforcement squad by the Government Office, Qingfeng Temple’s reputation was smashed by the newly established Black Dragon Sect, and now it’s split into three. The Qingfeng Sword name has been reduced to a third-rate swordsmanship style. No matter how well Old Si’s family learns it, no one on the outside will recognize it anymore."

"A big name like the Qingfeng Sword... collapsed just like that?" Lin Chaoyi was stunned.

"Isn’t it? Things have changed so fast. Those Martial Artists from Xingdiao City seemed like losers who were driven out, but even these losers managed to quickly crush the martial arts schools in our Tuyue’s Outer City. Rumor has it that martial prowess is everything over there, and fights to the death are commonplace. It seems those rumors weren’t just talk after all," Lin Shunchong explained.

Lin Chaoyi fell silent, a thoughtful look on his face.

After a moment, he spoke slowly, "Those gifts and valuables we were planning to send to Old Si’s family, have they been sent yet?"

"Not yet," the old steward standing to the side replied in a low voice.

"Good. Hold off for now. With the way things are going for Qingfeng Temple, it’s unlikely to ever recover. Old Si’s family has limited prospects now. It would be a waste to throw more money at them..." Lin Chaoyi said gravely.

"But, didn’t you say those gifts were to smooth over relations...?" Lin Shunjiang, from the first branch and father of Lin Hongzhen, asked in surprise.

"That was before. The family’s situation has changed. There’s no need to send those valuables now," Lin Chaoyi frowned.

"But if we don’t repair the relationship now, what if Old Si’s family has a change of fortune later... Will sending gifts then still be effective?" Lin Shunjiang found it hard to understand.

"It’s fine. I know Old Si. We can just send them later. Last time we visited, he refused on the surface, but he actually wants to come back to the family. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have let us into his inner room," Lin Chaoyi said.

"Father is right. Old Si is known for having a sharp tongue but a soft heart. If his prospects turn sour, it won’t matter. If he does manage to develop further, Father can just pay him another visit, and it’ll be fine," said Lin Shunchong of the second branch with a smile. "With Old Si’s personality, if the family ever faces a life-or-death crisis, he’ll definitely help. So whether we give him these benefits or not, the outcome will be the same. We might as well use them to win over the wavering middle-grounders."

Hearing this, Lin Chaoyi couldn’t help but give his second son a longer look. That was indeed what he had been thinking.

"But it seems the overall situation in the martial arts school market is set. A situation like this can only be influenced by those Inner Power Realm Martial Artists," he said softly.

"Exactly. I even asked around. That kid Lin Hui absolutely refuses to leave Qingfeng Temple. The Black Dragon Sect even tried to recruit him, but he wouldn’t go. He’s stubbornly staying put. Now most of the people at Qingfeng Temple have fled, leaving only him and a few others barely holding on," Lin Shunchong said, shaking his head.

"’A tree dies if it’s moved, but a person thrives.’ He’s still young, after all. He doesn’t understand that." Lin Chaoyi sighed, knowing in his heart that Lin Hui’s prospects were likely gone for good. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Once a martial arts school loses students, the money dries up, and so do the resources. With fewer resources, progress in martial arts slows down. It seemed that in a few decades, Lin Hui would probably end up at the same level as his teacher, Mingde.

But looking at the current state of Qingfeng Temple, even Mingde himself could barely fend for himself.

"Mingde made a lot of enemies back in the day by lending his fist to others. Given the current situation, I’m afraid it won’t be long before..." he said softly.

"There’s no movement for now, but I suspect they’re just watching and waiting..." Lin Shunchong nodded.

Hearing this, Lin Chaoyi no longer held any hope for Old Si’s branch of the family.

"Sigh, forget it. Send that batch of valuables to Hongyu. As long as she can turn things around on her end, everything can be salvaged."

"Yes!"

*

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「Qingfeng Temple.」

As evening fell, the fog began to slowly rise and disperse.

Lin Hui and Mingde sat quietly at a table, eating their meal.

On the table were five dishes and a soup, all personally cooked by Weiwei. Stir-fried pork with garlic sprouts, stir-fried shredded pork with edamame, braised pork belly, garlic lettuce... Each dish was still steaming, clearly fresh from the wok.

"You just said... you’ve completely mastered the Nine-Section Swift Sword and want to learn the Qingfeng Sword?" Mingde popped a piece of braised pork belly into his mouth and squinted at Lin Hui.

"Yes. Master, I ask for your instruction," Lin Hui said solemnly.

"You don’t mind that the Qingfeng Sword is weak?" Mingde asked.

"This disciple has always believed that the Qingfeng Sword was never meant for head-on confrontations. Our school specializes in speed and Body Technique, so we should play to our strengths. If the Observatory Master hadn’t been forced into a corner back then, with his Body Technique, he could have dragged out the fight and might not have lost," Lin Hui said earnestly.

"You’re right," Mingde sighed. He quickly chewed and swallowed the meat, then stood up and walked to the window, gazing at the hazy gray fog outside.

"Normally, according to the rules, if you wanted to learn the Qingfeng Sword, you would have to pass certain trials like everyone else. But in this situation, there’s no need to cling stubbornly to the rules."

Although he was a heavy drinker, he still saw everything that was going on around him. For an Inner Power Realm Martial Artist, no amount of ordinary wine could truly make him drunk.

It was simply that his heart wished to be drunk; the wine was merely a catalyst.

’So many times, I find myself thinking that this is all just a dream. If only I could wake up and everything would be back to the way it was...’ Unfortunately, his senior brother’s condition was now beyond recovery, and the Daoist Temple had been reduced to this sorry state... Scenes from his past flashed through Mingde’s mind. Back then, his senior brother had been well, Qingfeng Temple was thriving with a promising future, and its top ten elites were fierce as wolves, their reputation resounding throughout the surrounding towns.

Snapping back to the present, he looked around... Sigh...

He sighed deeply.

"Alright. I’ll teach you the Qingfeng Sword first. In a little while, I’m going to have Weiwei run an errand for me, to deliver something to an old friend. It’s a long journey, and I’m worried she won’t be able to take care of herself. When the time comes, I may need you to travel with her."

"Yes," Lin Hui replied.

Mingde concealed the strange look in his eyes. This boy, Lin Hui, was without a doubt the most moving disciple he had ever taken on.

True character is revealed in times of hardship. With the martial arts school on the verge of collapse and disbandment, Lin Hui’s unwavering loyalty, his heart, his character—all of it gave Mingde a final shred of comfort.

It let him know that his many years of upholding his principles had not been in vain.

In this world, there were always some people who could not be moved by money or swayed by fame and fortune. They still held to a code of conduct that others might see as foolish.

He was one of them, and so was Lin Hui.

But unfortunately...

He had met Lin Hui too late.

If it had been ten years earlier, perhaps the Lin Hui of today would have already...

The image of the Black Dragon Sect’s Song Zhanlong flashed through Mingde’s mind, cutting off his train of thought.

’Never mind. Even if it had been ten years earlier, if we had run into Song Zhanlong, the result would have been the same... ’

He recalled the message a friend had secretly sent him yesterday. Soon, Liu Sitao of the Mountain-Breaking Fist school—an enemy he’d made long ago by intervening in a fight—was gathering a group of old rivals and enemies and heading this way for revenge.

Qingfeng Temple had lost its power, Baohe had fallen, and he was left with only a handful of disciples. If he really had to face Liu Sitao and his gang...

Mingde knew the outcome was more likely to be grim than good.

That was why he had arranged for his daughter and Lin Hui to leave ahead of time. Wang Yun was safe with her prominent family, so there was no need to worry about her. The other remaining students would be dismissed, lest they get caught in the crossfire.

He would then remain at the temple alone to wait for them and settle the old grudges once and for all.

He had arranged everything.

Pushing aside his thoughts, Mingde turned around and began to carefully explain the essentials of the Qingfeng Sword.

"The Qingfeng Sword is actually very different from other forms of swordsmanship."

He extended his hand, holding his index finger out like a sword, and thrust forward.

"In essence, the Qingfeng Sword is a fusion and enhancement of the Seven-Section Quick Sword and the Nine-Section Swift Sword. It integrates the momentum-gathering training method of the Seven-Section Quick Sword into the overall form and incorporates the explosive assassination strikes of the Nine-Section Swift Sword into its offensive moves. Then, using a special Heart Method, it perfectly merges the two, ultimately creating a swordsmanship style as deadly as the wind."

"Qingfeng, the ’Clear Wind.’ What does it mean? To be as clear and formless as the wind, intangible and unstoppable. Only then can it be called the Qingfeng Sword!" Mingde said, stepping sideways into a wide, open space.