Chapter 293: Guidance

Lin Xiao shook his head, pushing aside unnecessary thoughts. Now that he had a lead, he was confident the path would reveal itself in time. One day, he would avenge Yuan Yong.

In the afternoon, Lin Xiao drove to Chen’s Martial Arts Hall.

He hadn’t forgotten his agreement to face the Golden Claw Sect in three days, nor his promise to guide his nominal disciple, Chen Lingxin. With no pressing matters at hand, it was the perfect opportunity to visit the martial arts hall and train her.

The entrance of the school had been repaired, but the gates were tightly shut, with no one in sight.

Lin Xiao parked his car nearby and pulled out his phone to call Chen Lingxin.

In the past, she would answer immediately whenever her phone rang, but this time, it took a while before the call was connected.

On the other end came Chen Lingxin’s panting voice, “M-Master, why are you suddenly calling me?”

“I’m outside the hall,” Lin Xiao said.

“Really?” Chen Lingxin’s tone was tinged with excitement. “I’ll open the door right away!”

A minute later, the school’s main gate creaked open, revealing her snow-white, flushed face.

“Master, come in quickly,” Chen Lingxin beckoned him inside.

Her face was covered in sweat. It was clear she had been training hard.

Following her inside, Lin Xiao noticed how quiet the place was—eerily so compared to its usual liveliness. Not a single person was present.

“Where are the students?” Lin Xiao asked.

Chen Lingxin suddenly stopped walking. Her shoulders trembled slightly, and when Lin Xiao turned her to face him, he saw her cheeks streaked with tears.

“They were all driven away by my dad and grandpa.”

Wiping at her eyes, she continued, but her tears only fell faster, like a fountain that wouldn’t stop. “Grandpa said the school will be temporarily closed until my dad has fully recovered, and then we’ll decide what to do next.”

Lin Xiao gently patted her shoulder, unsure of what to say.

Chen Tianxing and Old Master Chen’s decision wasn’t wrong. With Chen Tianxing severely injured and neither Chen Lingxin nor Chen Hong capable of taking over, the school would be vulnerable if someone challenged them during this period.

Rather than risk tarnishing the school’s reputation, it made sense to shut it down voluntarily.

Chen Lingxin clearly understood this, too. Her tears were not out of anger but from a deep sense of regret and self-reproach for her perceived inadequacy.

“It’s alright. The students will return eventually,” Lin Xiao said in comfort.

Ironically, his reassurance only made Chen Lingxin cry harder. She flung herself into his arms, wrapping her hands tightly around his waist. Her tears soaked through his shirt.

Though usually resilient, the girl had faced one upheaval after another in recent times. With no one to confide in, seeing Lin Xiao felt like finding an anchor. All her sorrow, grievances, and frustration burst forth uncontrollably.

Lin Xiao gently held her and patted her back, letting her cry it out.

It took a long while for Chen Lingxin to stop crying. She raised her head, her eyes swollen like peaches.

Noticing how wet she had made Lin Xiao’s chest, her cheeks turned crimson.

She quickly wiped her face and said, “I’m fine now, Master.”

After crying her heart out, she seemed to regain her usual strength and determination.

“You’re here alone?” Lin Xiao asked.

“Yeah. Since we decided to close the school, there’s no need for anyone to stay here. Grandpa’s gone home, so I locked the place up.”

She suddenly grabbed Lin Xiao’s arm and pulled him toward the practice hall.

“Master, spar with me! I’ve been waiting for this.”

“Alright.” Lin Xiao nodded. That was precisely why he had come.

***

Half an hour later, Chen Lingxin was sent flying, landing hard on the ground. She sat there for a long time, unable to get up.

Her entire body was drenched in sweat, her hair disheveled, her face flushed, and her training clothes a mess. To anyone unaware of the situation, it might look like something unspeakable had happened.

Lin Xiao slowly withdrew his hand, his expression indifferent.

“Again,” he said.

During combat training, Lin Xiao was a completely different person—cold and utterly merciless.

Gritting her teeth, Chen Lingxin used her hands for support to push herself up. She wavered slightly before managing to steady herself.

Though Lin Xiao was being harsh, she had no complaints. This was exactly what she had asked for.

Standing two meters away from Lin Xiao, Chen Lingxin kept her eyes fixed on his hands, adjusting her breathing and drawing on the last reserves of her strength. Only by doing so could she remain standing.

Since the Golden Claw Sect’s near-destruction of the martial arts hall, Chen Lingxin had been deeply affected despite her composed demeanor. Determined to improve, she had thrown herself into rigorous training and gained a deeper understanding of combat.

Two days of relentless practice had significantly enhanced her skills, though the time was too short for any breakthroughs. Lin Xiao, therefore, had no intention of taking her to Jiangdong Province.

“Master, are you really not going to let me come to Jiangdong with you?” Chen Lingxin asked pleadingly.

“Though you’ve made great progress, you’re still too weak,” Lin Xiao said, shaking his head.

While he was confident he could protect her, he couldn’t rule out unforeseen dangers. With her current level of strength as a Bright Force practitioner, she would be far too vulnerable in the Golden Claw Sect’s territory, where experts abounded.

Chen Lingxin’s face showed disappointment. Although she wanted to accompany Lin Xiao to face the Golden Claw Sect, she refrained from protesting. She knew her limits—following him would only become a burden.

Lin Xiao felt a momentary pang of guilt but quickly pushed the thought aside. This trip wasn’t a casual visit. It was a dangerous challenge.

To shift the conversation, Lin Xiao asked, “Chen Lingxin, let me ask you something. Aside from personal determination and willpower, what do you think is the most important factor in combat?”

Without hesitation, Chen Lingxin replied, “Speed.”

“Correct. Of all martial arts, speed is invincible. That is a universal truth.” Lin Xiao nodded, his expression still calm. “Now, how do you think one can improve their speed?”

This question stumped Chen Lingxin.

It was something she had been pondering for some time.

Her inability to counter Lin Xiao during their bouts wasn’t due to his superior strength but because his speed was far beyond hers. Before she could even see his movements, she would already be struck down.

Though Lin Xiao’s moves were simple, their speed turned even an ordinary punch into something with devastating power.

Chen Lingxin, known for her agility, usually relied on her speed to dominate opponents. But compared to Lin Xiao, she was as slow as a snail.

“Have you ever observed the operation of machinery?” Lin Xiao asked, offering a seemingly unrelated question when she couldn’t answer.