In the courtyard.
Yu Ying, the Palace Master, Su Yan, Jiang Jingwen, Zhao Ling, and Qin Shi were all there.
“Lin Yun!”
Seeing Lin Yun emerge, they hurriedly approached him.
They had been waiting outside these past few days, deeply worried about his condition.
“Why… why are you all here?” Lin Yun looked at them in surprise.
He had arranged resources for their cultivation some time ago.
“Of course we’re worried about you. You always insist on bearing your struggles alone,” Qin Shi said, her face full of concern.
“I’m really fine. I have the pills, so it’s not as serious as you think. I’ve just been in my room enhancing my physical body these past few days,” Lin Yun said with a smile.
“By the way, since you’re all here, where’s Kexin?” Lin Yun looked around.
He didn’t want his daughter to see him in pain.
“Don’t worry, Brother Yun. Kexin went out to play, and I sent guards to watch over her,” Yu Ying said.
Just then, Lin Kexin ran in from outside.
“Kexin!”
Seeing her, Lin Yun’s eyes lit up, and a smile spread across his face.
“Daddy…” Lin Kexin’s voice carried a hint of tears, her body slightly dirty.
“What happened? Kexin, did you get into a fight? Didn’t I tell you not to fight with other kids? Who started it?” Lin Yun frowned, his tone turning stern.
He didn’t want his daughter to become an arrogant, spoiled young lady, so he had repeatedly told her not to fight with others outside.
As the daughter of the prefecture lord, no one in the city would dare initiate a fight or bully her.
If there was a fight, it was almost certainly Kexin who started it, as no other child would dare strike her first. That’s why Lin Yun forbade her from fighting.
Of course, if anyone dared to bully or attack his daughter, they would face severe consequences!
“It… it was Kexin who started it,” Lin Kexin said, lowering her head.
Hearing this, Lin Yun’s face darkened, a surge of anger rising within him.
“Why did you start a fight? What did I tell you before?” Lin Yun said, clearly furious.
It was the first time he had spoken so sternly to his daughter.
“Daddy said if I hit someone, I’d be locked in the dark room for ten days the first time, and a month the second time. But… but I didn’t want to hit anyone. They said Daddy is a cripple, and I couldn’t stand it, so… so I hit them. Please don’t be mad, Daddy,” Lin Kexin said, crying.
Hearing this, Lin Yun, who had been angry, felt as if his heart had been pierced by a needle.
He hadn’t expected his daughter to fight for such a reason!
“You guards, is what she said true?” Lin Yun turned to the guards standing behind Kexin.
“Yes… yes, my lord. It was a few kids, speaking carelessly. But don’t worry, the young miss didn’t come off worse. We were watching,” the guards said.
Hearing this, Lin Yun walked over to Lin Kexin and picked her up.
“Kexin, are you hurt?” Lin Yun asked, wiping the tears from her eyes.
“Of course not. I said I’d protect Daddy. Anyone who says bad things about Daddy, I’ll hit them!” Lin Kexin’s young face was filled with determination.
Lin Yun felt a pang of unease.
With tears in her eyes, Lin Kexin continued, “Daddy, they also said you won’t be the prefecture lord much longer. Is that true?”
“Not the prefecture lord?” Lin Yun was taken aback.
“Kexin, don’t talk nonsense,” Yu Ying quickly stepped forward to stop her.
“Ying’er, what’s going on? You’ve never lied to me,” Lin Yun said, looking at Yu Ying seriously.
“Well… Brother Yun, it’s just… just some rumours going around. We didn’t tell you so you wouldn’t worry,” Yu Ying said, lowering her head, her slender hands tugging at her clothes like a child who’d done something wrong.
“Rumours?” Lin Yun murmured.
“Yes, I don’t know who spread it, but the entire Huoyun Empire is talking about it. They say you’re a cripple now, unfit to remain prefecture lord and will be replaced,” Yu Ying said.
“I see. With my current condition, I’m indeed unfit to be prefecture lord,” Lin Yun said with a self-deprecating smile.
“Lin Yun, they’re just rumours. Don’t pay them any mind. We just need to focus on ourselves,” Palace Master Yun Shang said, stepping forward.
“I understand. The weather’s nice today. I’ll go practice my sword. Kexin, want to practice with Daddy?” Lin Yun smiled at Kexin.
“Yes, yes! Daddy’s been in his chamber cultivating these past few days, and I’ve missed you so much,” Lin Kexin said, waving her hands excitedly.
“Let’s go!”
Lin Yun picked up Lin Kexin and headed to the backyard.
…
In the divine capital, at the Dongguo Prefecture’s courtyard.
Dozens of courtiers from the Dongguo faction were gathered, enjoying a lively and festive atmosphere, clinking glasses and toasting.
Dongguo Lie was, of course, among them.
“Everyone, you must have heard that Lin Yun stays in his residence all day, rarely going out. Do you know what he does at home?” Dongguo Lie said with a mysterious smile.
“Oh? Do you know, Young Master?” The crowd paused, setting down their glasses and looking at Dongguo Lie with curiosity.
“I’ve made inquiries. Besides spending time with his family and friends, he spends most of his time practicing his sword. Isn’t that laughable?” Dongguo Lie sneered.
“What? Practicing his sword?”
“Haha, he’s a cripple now, with not long to live, and he’s still practicing his sword? Has he gone mad?”
The crowd burst into laughter.
A person who can’t cultivate anymore—what’s the point of practicing the sword? Instead of enjoying his time, he’s diligently practicing. Isn’t that a huge joke?
…
Ten days later.
At Dongyuan Prefecture, in the lord’s palace.
Under a peach tree in the backyard.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!
The sword danced, its movements unpredictable, leaving afterimages in the air, creating a striking sight.
Before Lin Yun became a cripple, his understanding of the Shadow Sword Technique had hit a bottleneck, unable to progress further. He had tried many methods to break through, but nothing worked, and he couldn’t pinpoint what was lacking.
Long ago, Little Green Dragon had also mentioned that something seemed to be missing from Lin Yun’s swordsmanship, though it couldn’t identify what.
