C4 The Poor Young Man Was Helpless

Early in the morning, after a long spell of warmth, a steady rain began to fall, infusing the humid air with a subtle scent of earth.

A group of sturdy horses charged down the mountain road outside the town, galloping into the streets at full speed. The early-rising townsfolk stepped aside, watching them pass with a calm, detached gaze.

Leading the pack was a young woman with a round face, dressed in a goose-yellow martial robe. She was in the prime of her youth, around seventeen or eighteen, but her eyes betrayed a cold indifference and an unmistakable pride that made her seem unapproachable.

In Mouth Connecting Town, no one could truly get close to her. She was Lin Xi, the sole daughter of Lin Zheng, the respected Mayor of Azure Sun County.

The townspeople were not surprised by Lin Xi's presence; they all knew she only visited to see Sunn Cheng. As Miss Lin and her entourage entered the residence of the town manager, Lin Fu, the corpulent manager himself hastily boarded a sedan chair and made his way to the western part of the town.

Soon after, Sunn Cheng, who was clearly just roused from sleep, was brought back to Lin Fu's residence by the manager himself.

Inside the hall, Lin Xi watched Sunn Cheng with a furrowed brow as he lounged in a chair. Clad only in a wrinkled, sleeveless hemp shirt that left much of his chest exposed, he made no effort to conceal his nonchalant demeanor.

Lin Xi had anticipated that Blackbeard alone would not suffice to persuade this man, and thus she had come in person.

Sunn Cheng sipped his tea, appreciating its superior flavor compared to the bamboo-leaf tea he made at home. Without any pretense of politeness, he had Lin Fu, now acting as his attendant, continuously refill his cup.

"You're well aware of my purpose here," Lin Xi began, her voice tinged with coolness and a trace of impatience, as if anxious about his potential refusal. "A distinguished guest from Ping Mountain City intends to venture into the Myriad Beast Mountain Range via Azure Sun County. They require certain insights, and knowing your familiarity with the range, I've recommended you. Sunn Cheng, opportunities like this are rare. I suggest you consider it carefully."

Lin Xi's eyes narrowed as she regarded Sunn Cheng, her tone conveying her impatience yet also revealing an underlying urgency, seemingly fearful that he might decline the offer.

Sunn Cheng smacked his lips and set down his teacup, looking over at Lin Xi with an amused smile. He had picked up on a subtle detail: Lin Xi seemed to radiate a touch of pride when mentioning the visitor from Ping Mountain City, as if having connections with this distinguished guest was a matter of great pride.

Lin Xi's barely concealed impatience piqued Sunn Cheng's curiosity even further. What kind of guest could it be that not only required Lin Xi to make a personal visit but also carried an air of relentless determination?

"Um, Miss Lin..." Sunn Cheng touched his nose and cautiously ventured, "It's quite unfortunate, but my shop sold out of meat yesterday, and I was planning to head into the mountains today. So, to avoid any delay in your important matters, perhaps you should find someone else. After all, Mouth Connecting Town is hardly short on hunters..."

Sunn Cheng's seemingly considerate demeanor only served to infuriate Lin Xi. She slammed her palm down on the table with such force that a crisp crack echoed through the room. Lin Fu's chubby face quivered, mourning the loss of the pearwood table he had recently purchased for more than ten taels of silver.

"Sunn Cheng!" Lin Xi's eyebrows shot up as she scolded him, "Don't bite the hand that feeds you! Remember, you've been banned by the garrison from setting foot in the county. Do you really want to be unwelcome in Mouth Connecting Town as well? If it weren't for the fact that our esteemed guest had specifically learned that you're the only person in all of Azure Sun who has been to Soul Breaking Cliff and insisted on meeting you, do you think I would bother coming to this godforsaken place to find you?"

The mention of Soul Breaking Cliff brought on a severe headache for Sunn Cheng.

It had been over four years since he had inadvertently ventured beyond the outskirts of the Myriad Beast Mountain Range and into its heartland, the very Soul Breaking Cliff Lin Xi referred to.

Soul Breaking Cliff marked a boundary within the Myriad Beast Mountain Range. Beyond it lay the human race's forbidden lands, rumored to be the domain of powerful Demonic Beasts.

Generations of hunters from Azure Sun County had deemed Soul Breaking Cliff the hunter's taboo—a lethal territory spoken of only by their forebears. No hunter had ever ventured there until Sunn Cheng broke that age-old tradition.

When Sunn Cheng successfully discovered the route to Soul Breaking Cliff and returned unscathed, the news sent shockwaves throughout Azure Sun County. At only twelve years old, Sunn Cheng earned himself a new title: the Guide of Soul Breaking Cliff.

The Azure Sun Garrison House took notice, prompting Lin Zheng's first visit to Mouth Connecting Town, a place nearly forgotten on the fringes of civilization. Her mission was to recruit Sunn Cheng on behalf of the garrison.

At that time, Sunn Cheng's cultivation level was at the third stage of Body Tempering, perfectly fitting the criteria Miss Lin sought in new talent. She verbally promised that should Sunn Cheng further his cultivation, he might one day become the captain of the garrison house guards.

It's worth noting that the positions of garrison house guard and personal guard for the prestigious Wang family represented the two most coveted careers for all cultivators in Azure Sun, given the garrison's authority and the Wang family's wealth.

Yet, in a turn of events that left onlookers astonished, Sunn Cheng politely declined Lin Zheng's olive branch in front of the town's elders and fellow villagers.

A polite refusal was still a refusal. Though incredulous and somewhat surprised, Lin Zheng didn't dwell on it. It was understandable that a twelve-year-old boy from humble beginnings, who had achieved the third level of Body Tempering on his own, might be a bit proud and naive.

Lin Zheng wasn't in a rush. After all, Sunn Cheng was still only twelve, and there would be time to observe him further to assess his true potential for cultivation.

Two years later, Lin Zheng returned, this time accompanied by Blackbeard, the newly appointed captain of the garrison house guards.

However, upon reuniting after two years, Lin Zheng was dismayed to find that Sunn Cheng's cultivation appeared to have made no progress.

Indeed, without the guidance of family elders, the medicinal pills from Hundred Herb Garden to cleanse and fortify the body, high-level cultivation techniques, or divine weapons from the Artifact Refining Hall, how could one expect a boy of modest means to achieve an unprecedented cultivation miracle?

This was no fabled tale from a bookshop's 'Legends of the Cultivator'; this was the harsh reality of the Middle Essence Continent.

Lin Xi couldn't help but find her own idea of scouting talent for the garrison amusing. Yet, when she instructed Blackbeard to test Sunn Cheng's cultivation level with little hope of success, she was taken aback by the young man's prowess once more. The formidable captain of the garrison guards, the once-infamous bandit Blackbeard from Azure Sun County, was swiftly defeated in just a few exchanges!

Everyone present at the time, both the townsfolk and the garrison's personnel, witnessed Blackbeard fighting with genuine ferocity, sparing no effort and risking his life in the battle against Sunn Cheng, only to be bested nonetheless. Lin Xi, aware of how fearsome Blackbeard could be when enraged, doubted her own ability to defeat him, even with her cultivation at the first stage of Qi Drawing.

Yet Sunn Cheng, who was merely at the third stage of Body Tempering, managed to defeat Blackbeard with ease! In that moment, Lin Xi resolved to formally extend an offer to Sunn Cheng on behalf of the garrison, promising him their full support and training.

However, Sunn Cheng declined once more, maintaining a seemingly modest demeanor as he made it clear he would not join the garrison or serve the Lin Family. Miss Lin, facing rejection by the same person twice, was utterly infuriated—a first for her in Azure Sun.

Lin Xi concluded that Sunn Cheng's arrogance was excessive, to the point where he didn't even consider the garrison worth his attention. What gave him the audacity to repeatedly refuse an offer from a county garrison? Was it because he had achieved the third level of Body Tempering at a young age, defeating the formidable Blackbeard? Or because he stumbled upon the path to Soul Breaking Cliff, becoming the subject of admiration among the coarse and impoverished as a young hero?

It was a situation both tragic and absurd. True heroes of youth are forever immortalized on the Human Hero Ranking of Great Qin. If a mere butcher's apprentice could be hailed as a heroic youth, would that not imply that the glory of Great Qin's thirteen counties was on the brink of collapse?

Having run out of patience, Lin Xi decided to take action on behalf of the garrison. Until further notice, Sunn Cheng would be banned from setting foot within the county for life.

Lin Xi intended to wield the garrison house's absolute authority to punish the naive country boy, aiming to sever all his potential avenues for advancement.

In Lin Xi's view, for a rural lad to make something of himself, braving the challenges of the county town seemed to be the only option.

Sunn Cheng wasn't overly concerned about the repercussions of offending Miss Lin and the garrison house. The anticipated scene of a desperate, impoverished boy groveling at the feet of the garrison commander's daughter failed to materialize, leaving Lin Xi with no choice but to depart in a huff. If not for the unique status of the visiting dignitary, she might never have ventured into this wild place again in her life.

As Sunn Cheng remained indifferent to her warnings, the brooding expression on Lin Xi's face deepened. Recalling the esteemed guest's promise to aid her in advancing to the third stage of Qi Gathering if she found a suitable guide, a hint of viciousness flickered in her eyes while her left hand gently stroked a green longsword at her side.

Yet, Lin Xi soon abandoned the thought of resorting to force to compel Sunn Cheng's compliance. Each time she touched the longsword, she could sense an alarming ferocity emanating from Sunn Cheng's gaze.

Despite her superior cultivation level, Lin Xi lacked the resolve to confront him directly. She was loath to admit it, but she knew victory was far from certain.

It was an amusing predicament: Miss Lin, at the second stage of Qi Gathering, lacked the confidence to defeat a poor youth at the third stage of Body Tempering.

The room fell into a tense silence, with neither Sunn Cheng nor Lin Xi willing to yield. Lin Fu's eyes darted about anxiously as he surreptitiously dabbed at the sweat on his brow.

After a moment, Lin Xi, as if struck by a sudden thought, let out a light chuckle and turned to Sunn Cheng.

"I have some information that you might find interesting..."

Lin Xi met Sunn Cheng's gaze with a knowing look and confidently shared, "Wang Yue, the second son of the Wang family, returned from Ping Mountain City a few days ago. His cultivation has seen significant improvement, reaching the third stage of Qi Gathering, the 'Accumulation' phase! You must have heard of Second Young Master Wang's reputation. Over the years, he has taken all the attractive young women without strong backing in Azure Sun County to be his concubines!"

Unaware of Sunn Cheng's increasingly displeased expression, Lin Xi continued, "I've met your sister. As a fellow woman, I must admit she is truly beautiful, not at all like someone from a remote mountain village. Though she's young, if Wang Yue were to find out... well, I'm afraid congratulations would be in order for your impending alliance with the Wang family..."

Lin Xi paused when she noticed Sunn Cheng's expression settle into a deceptive calm, which only served to unsettle her further.

"I'm aware of the tricks you have up your sleeve. You probably think little of Blackbeard, and even less of me! But remember, the head of the Wang family is a master at the Soul Union Stage, second only to my father in all of Azure Sun! Do you really believe you can stand against such a formidable expert? You're a smart man; you should know the right course of action."

With that, Lin Xi fell silent and took a sip of her tea, waiting for Sunn Cheng's response.

After a moment of contemplative silence, Sunn Cheng offered a self-deprecating smile and addressed Lin Xi, "Alright, Miss Lin, you've won this round. I agree to accompany you. However, you must assure me that what you've just mentioned will never come to pass."

Lin Xi's brow furrowed at Sunn Cheng's tone, her displeasure evident. "Are you threatening me? Do you really think my Garrison House is less formidable than the Wang family?"

Sunn Cheng narrowed his eyes, smiling. "I merely wish to remind Miss Lin of a simple truth: even the weakest Barbarian Beast can be deadly in its final throes. One moment of inattention, and it can take a chunk out of you."

Lin Xi's expression grew stern as she locked eyes with Sunn Cheng. After a brief pause, she nodded slowly and assured him, "I guarantee that Wang Yue will not learn anything about your sister from the garrison."

Having reached an agreement, they wasted no time and rode off directly toward Azure Sun County.