The Decaying World-Chapter 34 - 29: Unexpected 5

Silence.

Utter silence!

THUD.

Ouyang Zhong fell backward onto the ground. A thin line of blood slowly trickled from the tip of his nose.

He sat there, stunned, not daring to move, not even daring to breathe. He could only stare blankly at Lin Hui, watching as his opponent slowly withdrew his sword.

Finally, unable to hold it in any longer, Ouyang Zhong began to gasp for air.

"You let me win, Senior Brother," Lin Hui said, his voice weak as he took a deep breath of his own.

’Of course, the weakness was just an act. After using an ultimate move, you have to act the part. Not doing so would draw too much attention.’

"You let me win..." Ouyang Zhong was helped off the stage. Even as he was leaving, he didn’t forget to ask Lin Hui, "What was that move you just used?"

"Hidden Assault. It’s a finishing blow that I can only use once by erupting with all my strength," Lin Hui sighed.

’Even in his current "exhausted" state, he could still use Hidden Assault another dozen times or so, but this was what he had to say publicly.’

"Hidden Assault... What a move... Hidden Assault...!" Ouyang Zhong’s face was ashen. He gave Lin Hui a thumbs-up before being half-dragged, half-supported away.

In the stands, Daoist Baohe squinted, studying Lin Hui.

"That instantaneous burst... it looked a bit like the Blood-Breaking Secret Technique. An instant acceleration of his Sword Speed. Junior Brother Mingde, did you teach him that?"

Mingde shook his head.

"I’ve never taught him any Secret Techniques. His Body Tempering level is too low. Using a Secret Technique prematurely would only drain his potential, and the cost would outweigh the benefits. But that strike was truly formidable. Even if he can only use it once, it poses a threat to the others in the top ten."

"Hasn’t this Lin Hui only been promoted for half a year? This progress... Fourth Grade Body Tempering. That already makes him a young prodigy, second only to the likes of Huang Shan. Add that sword strike to the equation... We should confirm that he hasn’t damaged his foundational potential. If not, then he is indeed worth cultivating," Daoist Baohe nodded.

"Understood," Mingde replied swiftly. He turned to look at Lin Hui, who was now voluntarily forfeiting his next match to rest, a smile of appreciation on his face.

’Judging by his condition after using it, that move probably didn’t cause him much harm, just a drain on his stamina. I never thought the kid was hiding a trick like this. Excellent, excellent...’

It wasn’t just them. Among the top ten disciples of the outer courtyard, many were discerning enough to recognize the value of that explosive burst. Their expressions grew solemn as they began to wonder if they could block such a strike were they facing Lin Hui themselves.

Chen Chong hadn’t competed, citing physical weakness to withdraw from the grand competition. He didn’t care about the rewards, but he had seen Lin Hui’s instantaneous burst with perfect clarity.

If it were just a simple explosive technique, he had heard that some Martial Artists possessed similar Secret Techniques, so it wasn’t particularly rare. The key, however, was that when Lin Hui had injured him before, he had used this very same technique—and then lied, claiming Chen Chong’s vision was blurry because he was weak, that’s why he couldn’t see the Sword Speed.

Now, it all clicked for Chen Chong. His eyes hadn’t been playing tricks on him at all. It was Lin Hui, using a technique he’d mastered to deceive him!

CRACK.

Chen Chong’s fists clenched, and he gritted his teeth. As the realization dawned on him, his entire body trembled with rage.

"Lin Hui...!! How dare you deceive me like this!?"

He wanted to lash out, but the thought of Lin Hui having already broken into the top ten stopped him. Even if he were fully focused and on guard, that technique would be incredibly difficult to evade.

"Senior Brother Chen, why the long face?" Lin Hui’s voice suddenly came from behind him.

Chen Chong shuddered and turned slightly. He saw Lin Hui—who had seemed so weak just moments ago—standing behind him with a perfectly normal expression, as if he’d been there all along.

His gaze seemed to be on the new match starting on the stage, but his dark, deep eyes were also, perhaps, fixed on him.

"Lin Hui, were you lying to me last time?!" Chen Chong couldn’t hold back and blurted out the question.

"Senior Brother, what are you talking about?" Lin Hui frowned. "What would I gain from deceiving you? There’s no deep-seated hatred between us. Why would I go out of my way to fight you for no reason? You really were weak back then. Didn’t you get it checked out afterward?"

"..." Chen Chong immediately began to doubt his own suspicions again.

He had, in fact, seen a Pharmacist, who had confirmed that his body was indeed very weak.

"Senior Brother, didn’t you see how weak and powerless I was after using Hidden Assault just now? I could barely stand. Besides, I was only at Second Grade Body Tempering back then. How could I possibly have had the ability to move so fast that a Fourth Grade like you couldn’t see clearly? If I were truly that strong, why would I have only made it to the top ten today?" Lin Hui continued.

His words immediately lessened Chen Chong’s suspicions. He started to think he might have really misunderstood Lin Hui.

But regardless, the fact remained that Lin Hui had injured his back.

"But you injured me before... I won’t let this go!" Chen Chong’s voice turned cold.

"Senior Brother... I don’t think you can beat me now, can you?" Lin Hui suddenly said with a smile.

"..." Chen Chong’s face froze. He was speechless.

’It’s true. Am I even a match for Lin Hui anymore? And how much time has passed?’

A chill inexplicably rose in Chen Chong’s heart at this thought.

He remembered... hadn’t it been less than half a year since Lin Hui was promoted? And he’s already Fourth Grade? He even broke into the top ten?

That rate of progress was already comparable to Huang Shan and Qiu Yiren.

’Should I... ask my sister to step in?’

His sister was a Summoner and was always swamped with missions; she had no time to deal with his problems. Chen Chong knew that if he went to her over such a trivial matter, he would definitely get a beating first.

"Senior Brother, we’re all fellow disciples. We see each other all the time, so why make things so ugly?"

Lin Hui stepped forward, patted him on the shoulder, and said no more. He just brushed past him and walked toward Huang Shan and the others, who were waving at him from up ahead.

’Chen Chong’s background with a Summoner for a sister was intimidating, but as long as I don’t do anything too drastic and provoke her into appearing, it shouldn’t be a big problem.’

"Amazing! You were hiding a move like that?!" Huang Shan patted Lin Hui’s arm in surprise.

"It was truly impressive. If I weren’t careful, I wouldn’t be able to dodge that move either," Qiu Yiren added with a serious expression.

She had a straightforward personality, always calling things as she saw them.

"It’s alright, it’s alright. It’s a move I can only use when I’m pushed to my absolute limit. It severely drains my vitality, and I’ll need a long time to recover," Lin Hui sighed.

"That’s still very strong," Eldest Senior Brother Chen Sui said in a deep voice from the side. "You’ve only been promoted for half a year and you’re already Fourth Grade. In another six months, you’ll probably have a stable position in the top ten. Your Swordsmanship may be weak, but your Body Tempering progress is incredibly fast." 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"Eldest Senior Brother, you praise me too much. It was just luck," Lin Hui said with a modest smile.

After he displayed his strength, the attitudes of those around him changed. He listened as Huang Shan and Qiu Yiren discussed and chatted.

He saw Second Senior Brother Zhao Jiang’an give him a friendly nod and a thumbs-up from not too far away.

Lin Hui suddenly understood with profound clarity the kind of life Huang Shan and Qiu Yiren had always lived.

While juggling the conversations around him, his thoughts drifted to the treatment he would receive now that he had ranked in the top ten.

In the distance, Eldest Senior Sister Mu Qiaozhi and Xie Li silently watched Lin Hui.

Mu Qiaozhi said nothing. To her, Lin Hui’s progress had indeed made her misjudge him, but she was unwilling to admit she had been wrong.

So, for now, she could only remain silent.

As for Xie Li, watching Lin Hui earn his place in Huang Shan’s circle through his own strength left a strange taste in her mouth.

Hadn’t she exhausted herself trying to curry favor and run errands, all just to squeeze into the elite circle of the outer courtyard’s top ten?

But forcing her way in like that naturally didn’t earn her equal respect. Whether it was the Eldest Senior Sister or Huang Shan and Qiu Yiren, they all really just saw her as a little sister and an errand girl, with very little actual respect.

And now, Lin Hui, relying on no one but himself, had successfully broken into the outer courtyard’s top ten in just over half a year.

This left Xie Li, who had previously abandoned Chen Zhishen and Lin Hui’s circle, with somewhat mixed feelings.

’But, it doesn’t matter. No matter what, following the Eldest Senior Sister is definitely better than being in that small three-person circle from before. If things were still the same, how could I possibly be receiving the favorable treatment I’m getting from the Mu Family now...?’ After this internal comparison, Xie Li felt the gloom in her heart lift considerably.

At this moment, another match on the stage concluded. The battles among the top ten were far more intense than the previous ones.

It was almost Huang Shan’s turn to go on stage. Lin Hui was still with Qiu Yiren, cheering for her from below, when he heard Huishen’s voice pop up from behind.

"Junior Brother Lin, Master Mingde wants to see you."

Huishen’s tone had returned to its previous enthusiasm, as if his earlier shift in attitude had never happened.

"Mm, got it." Lin Hui nodded and followed Huishen through the crowd, heading toward the stands where the Ming Generation masters were seated.

Before he was even halfway there, he saw Huang Shan knock her opponent off the stage with a single sword strike, winning with ease.

Cheers from female fans erupted all around. Many prominent families were already whispering among themselves, clearly intending to propose marriage.

Female disciples like Huang Shan and Qiu Yiren, who had both talent and looks, were a hot commodity in any martial arts hall.

At the same time, they were also the top candidates for wives and concubines for those prominent families.

If male disciples who reached the top ten still needed time and hard work to change their lives and climb the social ladder, female disciples could leap over the dragon gate in a single bound, marrying directly into a prominent family and instantly ascending to a new social class.

This was one of the reasons why there was an endless stream of female disciples at all the major martial arts halls.

Amidst the cheers, Lin Hui walked up to Daoist Mingde. He first bowed to Daoist Baohe, then bowed again to the three masters of the Ming Generation.

"Lin Hui, now that you’re in the outer courtyard, are you still responsible for some of the accounting office’s affairs?" Daoist Baohe asked amicably.

"Yes," Lin Hui nodded.

"Good child. With your current achievements, you are qualified to formally study under my tutelage. Are you willing!?" Master Mingde, who was standing to the side, asked with a solemn expression.

According to the rules of Qingfeng Temple, those who entered the top ten were qualified to choose a master whom they could seek out for guidance in their cultivation at any time.

This was a major rule established by the temple, intended to help the most promising disciples grow as quickly as possible.

According to the previous arrangement, Huang Shan, Qiu Yiren, and Lin Hui would each be taken by one of them.

"I am willing! It was Master Mingde who brought this disciple into the temple, and you have protected me many times since. I have always kept this in my heart," Lin Hui said earnestly.

Hearing this, Mingde broke into a smile.

"Excellent, excellent. I already have two disciples under my name. With you, that makes three. We’ll get together later to get to know one another."

He was in a good mood. After all, his other two disciples didn’t have nearly as much potential as Lin Hui.

Huang Shan and Qiu Yiren had been taken by Mingxiu and Mingchen previously, so now it was finally his turn.

The other two masters were slightly envious. After all, although Huang Shan and Qiu Yiren were also geniuses, they were women. Women, in the end, couldn’t be cultivated for the long term. It wouldn’t be long before they were married off into prominent, powerful families—if they were lucky, maybe even a family from the Inner City. They could never support a master’s lineage for as long as a male disciple could.

"Yes!" Lin Hui bowed respectfully.

"From now on, you may call me Teacher," Mingde reminded him with a smile.

"Yes, Teacher!" Lin Hui’s heart settled.

This change in address wasn’t just a title; it also carried a hint of Mingde’s expectations for him.

The word "Teacher" wasn’t one to be used lightly. It signified that Mingde had some intention of passing on his own resources and connections to Lin Hui.