Chapter 236: Chapter 113: Lin Yue’s Decision
When the time came, he would make everyone who had ever looked down on him pay the price!
In the room, the scent of medicine mingled with his fiery rage, casting a hideous light upon Lin Yue’s face, which was twisted with jealousy and bitterness.
...
「The Inner City.」
The watchman’s clapper had just sounded for 7 p.m. when Yang Jing stepped out from the main gate of the County Government.
The evening wind rushed to meet him, carrying the chill of recent snow. He smelled faintly of wine but was only slightly tipsy. During the banquet, the County Magistrate and the patriarchs of several Inner City families had toasted him in succession. Unable to refuse, he had only taken a few small sips from each cup.
He circulated his Inner Strength through his meridians for a moment, and the slight feeling of intoxication vanished without a trace.
He had never been much of a drinker, and tonight he was even more mindful, as he planned to practice his martial arts when he returned home. He had exercised restraint from beginning to end, never once overindulging.
The banquet at the County Government had indeed been lavish. Beneath crystal chandeliers, a dazzling array of dishes was laid out. The platters of Exotic Beast Meat were particularly noteworthy; the meat was delicate and seemed to shimmer with a faint spiritual light, clearly a treasure of the highest quality.
Yang Jing had no patience for empty pleasantries and focused most of his energy on eating. As large pieces of Exotic Beast Meat filled his stomach, warmth spread from it to his very bones. On such a cold day, he had eaten until he was sweating, and even his Inner Strength seemed to have grown a little more active.
Walking through the Inner City, he found the streets clean and tidy. Soldiers wielding halberds patrolled at regular intervals, the glint of their armor flickering in the lantern light.
The moment he stepped out of the Inner City gates, however, the scene changed dramatically.
On the snow-covered roadside, he could occasionally see refugees huddled in the cold. Some were already frozen stiff. Others, wrapped in tattered straw mats, shivered in the corners of walls, their breathing weak.
Yang Jing slowed his pace, his gaze sweeping over the old and the young among the refugees. With a subtle flick of his fingertips, several heavy coins landed silently in their laps.
It wasn’t much, but it would be enough for them to buy a hot steamed bun and make it through the cold night.
It was all he could do.
...
Meanwhile, a single oil lamp still burned in the front hall of Jishi Medical Hall.
Lin Yue, wrapped in a thick cotton robe, said to Hall Master Zhang, "I’m going out for a walk to get some fresh air."
Zhang Dong, who was organizing his medicine chest, looked up. He noted that while Lin Yue’s face was still pale with illness, his spirits seemed to have improved somewhat. "It’s cold outside," he cautioned. "Be sure to come back early and rest. Don’t catch a chill."
"I will," Lin Yue replied before turning and pushing the door open.
A bitter wind shot down his collar the moment he stepped out of the medical hall, but he paid it no mind, his steps quickening as he headed toward the Inner City.
After Zhao Wenzheng left in the evening, he had hesitated for a long time. Eventually, he’d made a special trip to the nearby Sun’s Medical Hall. There, he’d sought out some servant disciples who were sweeping the streets to ask them about the situation at the Martial Arts Hall. It was just as Zhao Wenzheng had said: Yang Jing’s prestige was unmatched, and their master favored him more and more.
At that moment, the last trace of hesitation in his heart vanished.
’I have to secure the patronage of the Xiao Family as soon as possible. It’s the only way to take back what is rightfully mine!’
Lin Yue clenched his fists so tightly his fingertips turned white.
’With the Xiao Family’s full support, my injuries are sure to heal quickly. Breaking through to the Transformation Realm will be just around the corner!’
’And when that happens...’ A vicious glint flashed in his eyes, and his steps grew even more hurried.
No one noticed that shortly after Lin Yue left Jishi Medical Hall, a small, thin figure emerged from the shadows of a street corner, tailing him like a phantom.
The figure wore a dingy, gray-padded jacket. It scooped up a handful of sludge from the ground and smeared it on its body. With a face also caked in mud, it blended in perfectly among the refugees, utterly inconspicuous. Only its eyes stood out, locked onto Lin Yue’s back.
Lin Yue hurried on his way, passing through Chengping Square and soon entering the Inner City. He finally came to a stop before an imposing estate.
A plaque bearing the name "Xiao Mansion" hung on the great vermilion-lacquered gates. Lantern light glinted coldly on the bronze beast-head knockers.
He took a deep breath, stepped forward, and said a few words to the gatekeeper. After going inside to announce the visitor, the gatekeeper returned a moment later and led him through the gates.
Back in the shadows of the street corner, the small figure slowly squatted down. Sheltered by the base of the wall, it watched the great gates of the Xiao Mansion close. A sharp glint flashed in its eyes. Then, the figure turned and disappeared silently into the night.
