Chapter Seven: Elder Lin's Story (Part Two)

“How did you know about my dantian…” Before I could finish speaking, the old Taoist flickered and vanished without a trace. Only then did I realize I had encountered a true master.

I pondered the old Taoist’s words repeatedly. I suspected that the broken mirror referred to my dantian, and the place of rupture must be where I was injured. To await a destined person meant I should wait for someone, and their arrival would signify the moment. The day the circular mirror shattered must mark the time when that person or event appeared, which would be the day my dantian broke.

So, I returned to my hometown, Little River Village. Every year, at that time, I went to the place where I was wounded to wait for the destined one.

Ten years passed, then twenty, but I never gave up. I couldn’t believe that the miraculous old Taoist would have the leisure to toy with me, so I kept waiting year after year. Today marks thirty years, and in all that time, you are the only one who has appeared.”

“Grandpa Lin, do you mean that I am the person you’ve waited thirty years for?” Lin Yanghao asked uncertainly. Though he was a traveler from another world, he didn’t possess the ability to repair a dantian, nor did he even know where his dantian was located.

“Heh, I’m not sure myself, but you’re the only one I’ve found after thirty years. I don’t expect you to repair it right now. I’ve waited thirty years, so I don’t mind waiting a few more. What I want from you now is a promise. Of course, I won’t ask for your promise for nothing. I’ll give you a letter of recommendation for White Tiger Sect. With it, you can join the sect. Little Hao, what do you think?” Old Lin said with a cheerful smile.

“All right, I agree.”

Upon hearing Old Lin’s words, Lin Yanghao immediately responded with enthusiasm. His dream upon arriving here was to learn martial arts and cultivate immortality. Even if he couldn’t cultivate immortality, being a martial artist was far better than drifting through life aimlessly. Such a good opportunity was before him—how could he let it slip away? He accepted at once.

“Grandpa Lin, how did you know it was me who killed Tian Ergou?” Lin Yanghao finally found an opportunity to voice the question that had been troubling him.

“Ah, as I hurried to the scene, I happened to pass overhead, so I witnessed you killing Tian Ergou,” Old Lin explained.

“Now I understand.”

After listening, Lin Yanghao finally grasped the sequence of events, and a subtle smile played at his lips.

Old Lin rummaged by the bedside for something, and soon produced a pen. He began writing on a piece of paper, its content unknown.

“Here, this is your letter of recommendation. The current leader of White Tiger Sect is Bai Chen, whom I mentioned earlier. Present this to him, and he’ll know what to do. You’ll be able to join the sect. Rest assured, for my sake he’ll treat you kindly. There’s nothing more for me to say. It’s getting late; rest here tonight and head to White Tiger Sect in the morning. I’ll take my leave.” With that, Old Lin handed me the freshly written recommendation and departed the cave alone.

“Grandpa Lin, I’ll remember my promise to you. Just wait—one day I’ll heal your dantian and help you ascend to Martial Emperor. Don’t worry.” Lin Yanghao stowed the letter, gazing earnestly at Old Lin. Joy welled up in his heart—he finally had the chance to learn martial arts. Though it wasn’t the cultivation he most desired, he was satisfied. He could now make his mark in this world, no longer living in muddled obscurity, but with brilliance.

Meanwhile, at the Tian household:

“Report, Master! Our men have sent word—the culprit is almost certainly identified!” The Tian family steward stood outside the room of Tian Ergou’s father.

“Who is it? Speak!” With a crash, the door swung open, and a haggard, white-haired middle-aged man emerged.

This was Tian Ergou’s father. In the days since learning of his son’s death, he had been unable to sleep or eat, becoming gaunt and weary—his once plump frame now noticeably thinner.

“Master, according to our investigation, the young master only had a conflict recently with someone named Lin Yanghao. We focused our inquiry on him and discovered he left home on the day the young master was murdered. We checked his whereabouts and found he bought a knife at the marketplace that day, then disappeared. We launched a thorough search throughout the Chaoyang Mountains. When we had nearly scoured every possible spot, we finally found the knife by a roadside near the mountains, its blade stained with blood. Thus, we are certain Lin Yanghao is the killer.”

“And where is he now? Why are you still standing here? Go find him! He must still be in the Chaoyang Mountains. Block the mountains, search every inch—hunt him to the ends of the earth if need be. I want him torn to pieces to appease my grief!” The Tian household echoed once more with the furious, anguished roar of Tian Ergou’s father.

The next morning, Lin Yanghao emerged from the cave and set out for White Tiger Sect.

Before leaving, Old Lin drew a map to prevent Lin Yanghao from losing his way in the Chaoyang Mountains. The map marked the exact location of White Tiger Sect, as well as several dangerous areas and territories occupied by powerful beasts.

One area, labeled “The Land of Death,” caught Lin Yanghao’s attention. Unlike the other landmarks drawn in black ink, this region was marked in red, occupying a tenth of the entire mountain range—an immense area spanning a million miles.

“Why did Old Lin single out this place in red? Why is it called the Land of Death?” Lin Yanghao wondered.

Within the Chaoyang Mountains, there were many beasts. What were these beasts? As the name implied, they were creatures that had cultivated to become monsters. However, their intelligence was generally lacking. Like martial artists, beasts were divided into nine ranks.

When humans faced beasts of the same level, it was usually humans who lost—beasts possessed formidable defense and attack power, making them superior in equal contests.

Among beasts, as with human martial artists, after the ninth rank comes the Beast Emperor realm. Upon breaking through to Beast Emperor, they could take human form and their intelligence equaled that of humans, roaming freely between heaven and earth.