Chapter. 2 Zhu Yan
This fat youngster was carrying a long sword at his waist. Seeing Lin Ming and Lin Xiang, he grinned and said, "My dear brothers, today is the registration day for the entrance assessment of the Seven Profound Martial House. Could it be that you two have forgotten about it? Why are you still practicing here?"
This youngster's name is Lin Xiaodong, he is slightly younger than Lin Ming and Lin Xiang. Growing up together, the two brothers had a very strong bond of brotherhood with him.
Lin Xiaodong is a direct descendant of the Lin Family. However, even for direct descendants, there exists a form of ranking. As it happens, Lin Xiaodong is part of the lowest ranked ones. As for Lin Xiaodong's parents, they too were engaged in business and have a close relationship with Lin Ming's parents.
After seeing Lin Xiaodong, Lin Xiang stopped his movements for a moment and then flourished his spear, before placing it vertically at the ground. He faintly smiled and said, "The beginning part of the registration will have too many people. The queue would take at least two to four hours. Going there early would be a waste of time."
Lin Ming faintly nodded in agreement; Lin Xiang had taken words out of his mouth.
"Damn it, you brothers won't even let go of this small amount of time. Do you really have to go that far?" Lin Xiaodong spoke out loud in an exaggerated manner and walked up to the tree trunk. Observing the indentations caused by the iron knuckles, he turned to see Lin Ming's bandaged fists. He said, "Brother Ming, you really are crazy, to be able to damage Iron Wood to such an extent. At this moment you shouldn't be far from reaching the Flesh Training Stage."
Lin Ming did not say anything. The truth is that he was quite far from the Flesh Training Stage and the damage on the Iron Tree was only so severe because the iron knuckles concentrated the force of his punches. With the current rate of progress, it was uncertain if he could advance to the Second Stage within three months, which was the absolute minimum requirement for him to pass the entrance exam of the Seven Profound Martial House.
Lin Xiaodong gave a sigh and pulled out a bundle from his bosom. He unfurled the bundle layer by layer and said, "Two brothers, take this."
Lin Ming turned around and was shocked to find a bloody crimson coloured ginseng lying upon the cloth bundle. Judging from its appearance, this strain of blood ginseng is at least a hundred years old. It is a high-grade medicine used for mending wounds and nourishing blood. A thin slice is enough for each use. In addition, the powerful healing properties of this blood ginseng are very gentle.
This blood ginseng should be worth at least 150 gold taels, the equivalent of Lin Ming's family's annual income.
Lin Xiang was expressionless, whereas Lin Ming shook his head: "We cannot accept it."
Even though they are close brothers, this Blood Ginseng is simply too expensive. Lin Xiaodong's position within the Lin Family is very low. Even though his family situation is much better when compared to Lin Ming's and Lin Xiang's it would still be far from comfortable if their income were used to supplement Lin Xiaodong's martial training.
Lin Xiaodong forcibly pushed the Blood Ginseng onto Lin Ming and said, "I bought this Blood Ginseng for you two. You guys know how I train, I fish every three days and dry the fishing nets every two days*. My body's injuries are no more than a fart's worth. Using this would be a waste. If you refuse, then I would have bought this for nothing. I do not have much ambition in life. I only want to continue holding on to my position as a direct descendant of the Lin Family. As long as I do not end up losing this position and my next generation could also successfully maintain their place in the Lin Family, that is enough for me."
Lin Ming stayed silent for a moment before he looked at Lin Xiang and saw him nod at him. He kept the Blood Ginseng and spoke out: "Alright, we will accept this Blood Ginseng. For the sake of this ginseng, we must break through to the Pulse Condensation Stage!"
"Haha, now that is more like it. Not only should you break through into the Pulse Condensation Stage, you must also turn that son of a bitch, Zhu Yan upside down. That bastard has been an eyesore for a long time!"
Zhu Yan huh… Lin Ming sighed lightly.
Zhu Yan had already been admitted into the Seven Profound Martial House. In addition, Zhu Yan is currently one of the high ranked disciples within the inner Heavenly Abode, his strength having reached the pinnacle of the 3rd Stage of Physical Training.
Even so, Lin Ming had set defeating Zhu Yan as his objective. This decision was not due to Lan Yunyue but rather due to his pursuit of the martial path. This path required him breaking through one threshold after another; conquering one mountain after another. As for Zhu Yan, he has the honorable spot of being the number one to be conquered.
Lin Xiang was silent at the side. He knew that whether Lin Ming would ever succeed in surpassing Zhu Yan or not depends on the fact if he manages to find and merge with the Magic Cube.
…
At the foot of the Great Mountain Zhou lies a stretch of buildings extending up to 10 km in length. This is the area of operations for the Seven Profound Martial House and the Sky Fortune Martial House, and today is the day of registration for those who wish to take the Seven Profound Martial House's entrance assessment.
A crowd was gathered on the field before the Seven Profound Martial House.
Even though Lin Xiang, Lin Ming and Lin Xiaodong had deliberately chosen to arrive late, they came to realize that they had underestimated the number of applicants.
The applicants were all lined up in three lines, with each line extending up to several meters in length. Judging by the current queue, a whole one hour would be needed before registration could be completed.
"We'll have to wait," Lin Xiang said expressionlessly as he stood in line with an ordinary iron spear flung over his left shoulder.
"En," Lin Ming nodded his head.
Lin Xiaodong sighed helplessly. He then pointed toward a small gate nearby. "Hey, there are very few people there."
The gate that Lin Xiaodong pointed out had few people and the ground was also paved with a red carpet.
"That place is reserved for nobles…" Lin Ming noticed the writings on the sign.
Since the Seven Profound Martial House was built upon the grounds, buildings and resources of Sky Fortune Kingdom, it was only natural for them to give some face to the elite classes of the kingdom. In fact, many of the martial house's affairs would be handed over to the elites to manage. One such example would be today's registration for entrance assessment.
"Damn it," Lin Xiaodong muttered in discontent. Nobility was something that only the Imperial Family could grant and could be inherited. Even though the Lin Family is a wealthy family, it is not a noble family.
Lin Xiaodong was cursing off at the nobles while consoling himself when the doors of the gate opened.
Two young males strode out from the gate; one of them was wearing blue clothes with a long sword attached to his waist. His hair was tied up into a gold coloured headgear and had a handsome appearance.
Seeing the appearance of this man caused Lin Ming to frown. This was none other than Zhu Yan.
The Zhu Family's daughter had married into the Imperial Family and had become the Eldest Prince's favored concubine. With the Eldest Prince's position in the royal family, the Zhu Family soared to become the number one family within Green Mulberry City. Moreover, they were also granted the rank of nobility, thus allowing Zhu Yan to ensure Lan Yunyue's admittance into the Seven Profound Martial House.
"Damn, we end up meeting a detestable person," Lin Xiaodong muttered unhappily.
Zhu Yan was walking side by side with the other young man. A few other nobles waiting outside then chose to follow the two of them. It would appear that Zhu Yan was bringing the other young man to register.
They continued walking forward. At this rate, it was inevitable that Zhu Yan would bump into Lin Ming's group.
With Lin Ming's current position and strength, it was possible that he would end up suffering badly if they were to bump into one another, but he still chose not to run and instead looked forward in a calm manner as Zhu Yan approached.
Zhu Yan's pace was disrupted after catching sight of Lin Ming and Lin Xiang. His first reaction was that of shock. After that, he frowned. Seeing their faces made him feel uncomfortable. Although he had snatched away Lan Yunyue, she had refused to engage in any acts of intimacy before their wedding. Clearly, Lin Ming still exists within her heart, not to mention her feelings of guilt. The only reason she had chosen Zhu Yan was due to the Seven Profound Martial House.
As a man, Zhu Yan was unable to tolerate the fact that his future wife's heart remained within the palms of another man. He turned to the Lin brother without a spear. "You are Lin Ming, am I right? How unexpected, you would actually follow us all the way here. You, with a mere cultivation level of First Stage in Physical Training, want to take the test to enter the Seven Profound Martial House?"
The meaning behind Zhu Yan's words was obvious. He didn't want Lin Ming to enter the Seven Profound Martial House. Even though Lin Ming's strength was of no threat to him, Lin Ming's existence within the Seven Profound Martial House would make it impossible for Lan Yunyue to forget him.
"Whether or not I manage to pass the assessment is my own problem. I am not here as a result of following anyone. I am here due to my pursuit of the Martial Path," Lin Ming replied.
"The Martial Path? A mere above average talent like you dared to utter the words of pursuing the Martial Path? Insolence!" Having said that, Zhu Yan's finger released a light sound; after that, his long sword shot out from its sheath!
He grasped onto the sword and slashed the air, releasing an intense sword qi, which created an air splitting sound.
A barely visible wave flew outwards, directly cutting down half the canopy of a nearby tree. The sounds of "pususu" could be heard as a large number of branches and leaves fell to the ground.
The people around all stared with bulging eyes. Most of them were of roughly the same age as Zhu Yan and were not that much younger. However, Zhu Yan's accomplishment in the Martial Path had already left them far behind.
The reason Zhu Yan unleashed this sword slash was to give Lin Ming a mental blow and show him the gap between the two of them. "I am a Superior Fourth Grade Martial Talent. I began training in martial arts since I was twelve, consuming countless medicinal pills in the process and have now entered the Heavenly Abode's Sword Sect within the Seven Profound Martial House. I am currently at the pinnacle of the Third Stage of Physical Training. Even so, I am barely at the beginning stage of the Martial Path. And yet, someone like you with a mere First Stage in Physical Training dared to talk about the Martial Path?"
Zhu Yan's manner of speech was so arrogant, it caused Lin Xiang to secretly sneer.
Meanwhile Lin Xiaodong became enraged. "Surnamed Zhu! You are simply someone born earlier than us! What are you boasting about? This brother here has been training in martial arts since he was four years old! When you were still learning how to count to ten, he was already doing complex math! What are you so proud of that you ate more medicinal pills growing up? If our ages were reversed, it's unknown just who would be stronger!"
As Lin Xiaodong said this, he patted Lin Xiang's shoulder, trying to use Lin Xiang's 'fame' to regain some face for them.
Zhu Yan turned to coldly look at Lin Xiang. Noticing the spear in his hands, his eyes flashed as if he recognized him.
At that moment Lin Xiang was dumbfounded. He didn't expect the fatty friend to throw him under the bus like this!
Zhu Yan took a step toward Lin Xiang, the true essence within his body exploded outwards as he sneered. "Right. You must be Lin Xiang, 'the genius of the Lin family'. If a medium 3rd grade Martial Talent is really a genius, then the word genius is simply way too cheap!"
After hearing Zhu Yan's words, many people in the queue laughed out loud. Although they didn't know the details in regards to Lin Xiang, in the Seven Profound Martial House a medium 3rd grade Martial Talents are rarely accepted; they are the very definition of: 'average'. Calling a medium 3rd Grade Martial Talent a genius is simply laughable.
Lin Xiang remained expressionless and unmoved in front of the ridicule and laughter. He was well aware that his Martial Talent was average, but it was still countless times better than those mortals who had no Martial Talent whatsoever.
Even if he would fail to acquire the Magic Cube tonight, he still decided to stake his life on it, travel around the world and take risks, all for the tiniest hope that he could reverse his fate and attain Immortality!
He was not a child, such insults had no effect on him. If others want to spend their time laughing at him, then let them laugh. His goal was immortality!
However, Lin Ming squeezed his fists in anger. He could not stay quiet when Zhu Yan was arrogantly ridiculing his brother's path of martial arts and his efforts.
Upon seeing Lin Ming's agitated expression, Zhu Yan sneered. He continued, "What matters most in this world is strength! So what if this boy had some little intellect growing up? Those from the Lin Family that have the qualifications to talk with me can be counted on one hand. People like you have no qualifications to speak with me. That includes you too, Lin Ming! If not for Lan Yunyue, you have no qualifications to talk to me at all! I will give you this advice, a man must know his own limits. Lan Yunyue is not someone you can match up to."
A female with a Superior 3rd Grade Martial Talent, good looks and bearing is rare within Green Mulberry City. Most of them would only appear in great families.
However, considering the conflicts of interest between the great families, they would never allow their talented females to be married off into other families, leading to the strengthening of their rivals' bloodline. Thus, most great families would request that the male side marry into their family. This is the reason why Zhu Yan had said that.
"Two thousand gold taels! From today onwards, I do not want to see the faces of you two brothers in the Seven Profound Martial House ever again!" Zhu Yan said as he pulled out a stack of gold bills from his bosom. Lin Xiang and Lin Ming had the exact same facial appearance and would undoubtedly remind Lan Yunyue about Lin Ming, so Zhu Yan did not want him to join the Seven Profound Martial House either.
The people around were rendered speechless. Two thousand gold taels is a very high sum of money, enough for a martial artist in the Physical Training Stage to buy up necessary high-grade herbs for training usage for up to six years.
"Two thousand gold taels? Do you take us for beggars?" Lin Xiaodong pushed back the stack of gold bills. Truth be told, he was simply putting on a brave façade. Even for him, two thousand gold taels was simply a fortune.
Zhu Yan flicked his hands and a powerful repelling force knocked Lin Xiaodong away. Zhu Yan coldly stared at Lin Ming and Lin Xiang beside him, awaiting their answer.
Lin Xiang slightly squinted his eyes without a single change in his expression. He wouldn't mind scamming Zhu Yan out of some money to help with his cultivation journey and then still apply for the Seven Profound Martial House, but he knew that unfortunately Lin Ming wouldn't go along with it and Lin Ming was the main player in this negotiation.
Lin Ming took a deep breath before speaking out in a slow yet powerful tone: "Zhu Yan, whether it's me or my brother, we might not be your match in terms of talent, and even less so in terms of family support. However, the cultivation of martial arts does not depend only on talent and financial support; there is an even more important factor… the heart of a martial artist!"
"Your cultivation of martial arts is done for the sake of wealth, status and vanity. However, my cultivation of martial arts is done for the sake of pursuing the Martial Path. The Martial Path does not exist for those with talent, it does not exist for those with authority and it does not exist for those with money. It exists for those whose heart beats for the sake of martial arts! There will come a day when I will surpass you!" As he reached the end of his sentence, Lin Ming spoke out each word with emphasis and in a clear voice.
Everyone who was standing nearby could clearly make out what he had said.
A Grade 3 Talent wanted to chase after a Superior 4th Grade Talent. In addition, there was an enormous gap in terms of background between them both. This brat has gone mad!
Hearing Lin Ming's words, Zhu Yan became momentarily stunned before laughing out. "Haha, good! Very good indeed! I will be waiting for you!"
After saying that, Zhu Yan kept the stack of gold bills. With a "weng" sound, the long sword returned to its sheath. He then gave Lin Ming a long look before turning away.
Lin Xiang sent Lin Ming a faint look, before silently placing his free right hand on his shoulder. A strong heart of martial arts was all cool, but what was most important in the path of martial arts was plot armor and luck!