Chapter 271: Departure

After helping Master Chen to his room to rest, Lin Xiao instructed the uninjured students to tidy up the training hall. Though he wasn’t great with these kinds of chores, the students treated Lin Xiao like a hero. Anything he said was carried out with 120% effort.

In no time, the training hall—previously left in shambles by the Golden Claw Sect—was back in order.

With nothing else to do, Lin Xiao sat in a chair in the main hall, resting with his eyes closed. Suddenly, a faint, familiar fragrance drifted to his nose, accompanied by the soft sound of approaching footsteps.

Without opening his eyes, Lin Xiao spoke casually, “You’re back?”

“Mm-hmm. My brother stayed at the hospital to take care of my father, so I came back first,” Chen Lingxin said.

“How’s your father’s condition?” Lin Xiao asked.

“The other injuries are manageable, but his arm…” Chen Lingxin hesitated, her voice heavy with sadness. “Even if the bones are reset, he probably won’t be able to use that arm properly again.”

After a moment of silence, she suddenly lifted her head, her gaze firm.

“Master, teach me martial arts now. I want to get stronger. If I become strong enough, no one will dare to bully Chen’s Martial Arts Hall Training Hall.”

“It’s good that you have this determination,” Lin Xiao said calmly. “But after everything that happened today, your emotions are all over the place. You’re not in the right state to train. For now, take some time to rest.”

“Alright, Master. I understand.” Chen Lingxin’s voice softened as her determined expression faded.

Seeing her disappointment, Lin Xiao offered some encouragement. “Don’t be discouraged. The martial path is a long one. Rushing won’t help. By the way, did you manage to master what I taught you last time?”

“Yes, Master!” Chen Lingxin perked up slightly, nodding with a touch of pride.

“Oh? Let’s see it then,” Lin Xiao said with a small smile, motioning for her to start.

“Alright! Be careful, Master, I’m coming.”

Chen Lingxin began sparring with Lin Xiao in the hall. As they exchanged moves, Lin Xiao noticed that her talent was indeed impressive. Although her cultivation was still at the mid-stage of the Clear Energy stage, her techniques and combat ability had improved significantly.

“How was that, Master?” she asked, looking at him expectantly.

“Not bad,” Lin Xiao said with a small nod.

Chen Lingxin beamed. But then, as if suddenly remembering something, she quickly asked, “Master, when you told Duan Changhan that you’d challenge the Golden Claw Sect in Jiangdong Province in three days, were you serious?”

“I never joke,” Lin Xiao said flatly.

“That’s awesome! Let me come with you.”

Her eyes lit up, and she spoke with excitement.

“We’ll see when the time comes,” Lin Xiao said.

In truth, this was his way of politely turning her down. From his perspective, Chen Lingxin’s current strength was far too low. If she joined him in a fight against the Golden Claw Sect, she wouldn’t be able to ease his burden—instead, she might become one.

Chen Lingxin seemed to realize this and looked a little downcast. But she quickly perked up again.

“Don’t worry, Master. I’ll train like crazy over the next three days. I promise you’ll be impressed.”

Lin Xiao smiled faintly. “If you can make progress in just three days, I might consider taking you along.”

He didn’t expect her to improve much in such a short time, but the encouragement might motivate her. And if she really did show some progress, even if it wasn’t dramatic, he wouldn’t mind bringing her along. With his level of strength, protecting her wouldn’t be a problem.

“Great! It’s a deal!” Chen Lingxin eagerly held out her hand, and they high-fived. “Master, you can’t go back on your word. A promise is a promise.”

“Don’t worry, I always keep my word.”

After that, Lin Xiao said his goodbyes to the old master and prepared to leave the training hall.

As he walked out, some of the injured students who had returned from the hospital saw him. They immediately straightened up, puffed out their chests, and greeted him loudly.

Lin Xiao smiled warmly, giving them a slight nod before stepping through the hall’s broken door—one he had personally kicked down earlier.

A sleek silver-and-black Porsche Cayenne was parked near the gate. The ground beside it had two long black skid marks. It was proof of how fast Lin Xiao had driven and how hard he had braked.

Lin Xiao opened the door and slid into the driver’s seat. He grabbed a shirt from the back and put it on before starting the car and driving off into the distance.

As he drove, his mind wasn’t idle. He replayed the battles from earlier in his head.

Crushing Jiang Linfeng’s neck didn’t leave him with any particular feelings. He’d dealt with too many villains and scum over the years. Some were far more powerful and influential than Jiang Linfeng. Compared to them, Jiang Linfeng was insignificant.

What Lin Xiao focused on was his fight with Duan Changhan—or more specifically, the techniques Duan used during their battle.

Thanks to Duan Changhan’s “generous” contributions, Lin Xiao could confidently say he had mastered the essence of the Eagle Claw Technique. While he still fell slightly short of Duan’s proficiency, it was clear that with practice, surpassing Duan was just a matter of time.

Once he fully absorbed the technique and integrated it into his Thunderbolt Fist, his combat power would take an even more frightening leap forward. The weaknesses in his current style would also see massive improvement.

At that point, he might not yet be on par with other Flowing Force masters, but his techniques would undoubtedly rival those of any Dark Force fighter.

Of course, comparing the two felt a bit unfair—like punching down—but Lin Xiao was nothing if not self-aware.

Before coming to Jinghai City and stepping into the ancient martial world, his skills—though powerful—had been limited. Back then, all he knew were military-style close combat moves and the basics of the Thunderbolt Fist.

Military boxing wasn’t bad, but it was just a standard combat style, widely taught and used. As for the Thunderbolt Fist, while it was more advanced, it was still just one technique. That made Lin Xiao’s fighting style easy to predict and counter.

But things had changed. He’d learned the Chen Family Technique and mastered the Eagle Claw Technique. These weren’t your run-of-the-mill skills—they were high-caliber techniques, well-regarded even in the ancient martial arts world.

As Lin Xiao mulled over this, his phone suddenly buzzed.

He glanced at the screen. It was a call from Wan Caixuan. With a quick tap, he answered.

“Lin Xiao, what are you up to?”

Wan Caixuan’s voice was as serene as ever—calm, melodic, and elegant, like pearls falling onto jade. Just hearing it brought her stunning image to Lin Xiao’s mind.

But he didn’t have the luxury of enjoying her voice right now.

That’s because her call reminded him of something important. He had completely forgotten to go to work.

In his rush to help the Chen family after Lingxin’s call, he hadn’t even thought to inform Wan Caixuan.

“I’m driving. Did something happen?” Lin Xiao said, gripping the steering wheel with one hand and rubbing his temple with the other, bracing himself for the worst.