C4 Chapter 4: the Summoning of the House Lord

Everyone was rooted to the spot, unable to believe their eyes.

Only one disciple, with a broad forehead and wide nose, inexplicably shrank his neck and slipped away unnoticed.

"Phantom Step, Light Fixing Sword Technique."

Chiang Jin skimmed the skill description and realized, "This has elevated both of my skills to their highest level!"

He marveled at the wonder of the talent point, a flicker of joy crossing his face before it quickly turned to concern.

"Talent points are useful, but after spending them on Innate Ability yesterday and skills today, I'm back to zero. How do I get more? Can they be bought?"

While Chiang Jin pondered, his ears picked up the sound of approaching footsteps.

Looking up, he saw Qin Baizhi gracefully moving toward him, her footwork ethereal as if she were a celestial being. She paused upon seeing him, surprise etching her features.

"Are you okay?" Qin Baizhi asked, noting his unscathed appearance. "Did Lin Fengyu let you go?"

"Uh... no," Chiang Jin replied, shaking his head. "We had a sword duel, and he lost to me."

"He lost to you?" Qin Baizhi's shock quickly turned to anger and scorn. "If you were beaten, admit it. If you ran away, so be it! What's the point of such an easily debunked lie?"

"You were useless in training, and now you're throwing away your integrity? Chiang Jin, I suggest you leave the Wave Submitting Sword House before I lose my patience and throw you out myself. Don't expect any sympathy from me then!"

Chiang Jin opened his mouth to protest, but Qin Baizhi cut him off with a cold remark and stormed away.

"I wasn't lying..." Chiang Jin muttered, managing only a wry smile.

...

"What? Lin Fengyu was defeated by that good-for-nothing Chiang Jin?"

"It's the absolute truth! Loads of our brothers witnessed it. Don't believe me? Go ask around!"

The news of Chiang Jin's victory over Lin Fengyu spread like wildfire through the Wave Submitting Sword House, causing a stir among the disciples.

Meanwhile, Chiang Jin was busy cleaning the latrine, his mind on the system.

"I used up my last two talent points to handle Lin Fengyu. What now? The system didn't even explain how to get more."

The benefits of the system were undeniable, and having had a taste of its power, Chiang Jin was eager for more.

In this world, where peak martial artists could split mountains and reverse rivers, Chiang Jin had once thought such heights were out of reach. But the system had given him a sliver of hope.

As he pushed the dung cart out, the disciples he encountered looked at him with newfound respect and rushed over.

Chiang Jin's brow furrowed. These same people used to avoid him with disdain, but now they approached eagerly.

"Is Lin Fengyu sending them to hassle me?" he wondered, on alert.

But their usual scorn was absent, replaced by sycophantic smiles. "Senior Brother Chiang, why are you still here? The House Lord is asking for you!"

"The House Lord? Did Lin Fengyu tattle to him?" Chiang Jin blurted out.

The disciple hesitated, then quickly reassured him with a smile, "Not at all! The House Lord heard about your victory and wants to meet you!"

"The House Lord wants to see me?"

"Yes! I've been searching for you. Let's not keep him waiting!"

"Uh, but I haven't finished cleaning the toilets..." Chiang Jin hesitated.

Chiang Jin had been taken in by Uncle Jiang, who had been in charge of the menial tasks at the Sword Pavilion. With Uncle Jiang's passing, those duties had fallen to him.

"Senior Brother Chiang, you shouldn't be doing this kind of work anymore," a nearby disciple said, taking the cart from him. "Let me handle this. You go meet the House Lord. Just remember me in the future, okay?"

With that, the disciple whisked the cart away.

Soon, Chiang Jin was being escorted to the Sword Pavilion's training hall, receiving bows and respectful greetings from every disciple along the way. After years of living here and enduring their contempt, he had never before felt such universal admiration.

He observed the disciples showering him with flattery, yet he felt no pride. Instead, he experienced a profound realization about the ways of the world.

"Strength commands respect, indeed. Their attitudes have shifted solely because I defeated Lin Fengyu. Had I remained the failure I once was, would they have shown me an ounce of this deference?"

"I must grow stronger, ever stronger! Given this chance by the system, I cannot afford to slack off."

With his resolve set, Chiang Jin walked purposefully into the Martial Arts Hall.

The hall buzzed with the presence of many disciples, among them a towering figure wielding a sword, his gaze fixed on Chiang Jin.

Chiang Jin recognized him at once as Qin Qinggang, the esteemed figure from the Wave Submitting Sword House.

Qin Qinggang was a renowned powerhouse in Liucheng, his inner strength rumored to be at its peak, just shy of crossing into the Innate Realm. Even the City Lord of Liucheng treated him with due respect.

Next to Qin Qinggang stood a striking presence, Qin Baizhi, who watched Chiang Jin with eyes filled with complex emotions.

"Greetings, House Lord!" Chiang Jin approached and bowed respectfully.

Qin Qinggang, upon seeing Chiang Jin's arrival, skipped pleasantries and, with a gesture, summoned a practice wooden sword, commanding, "Take my sword!"

Aware of Qin Qinggang's formidable power and the dense inner strength that far surpassed Lin Fengyu's, Chiang Jin knew better than to clash directly. Even a wooden sword, imbued with such inner strength, was nearly as potent as the finest steel.

Without hesitation, Chiang Jin drew his sword to meet the challenge, his wrist flicking to weave around the incoming strikes, employing the Finger Twist from the Light Fixing Sword Technique to evade a direct confrontation.

Qin Qinggang seemed intent on gauging Chiang Jin's mettle, refraining from using his full inner strength, instead relying on his swordsmanship to press the attack.

Despite this, Chiang Jin soon felt as though a tumultuous sea roared in his ears, the oppressive force making it exceedingly difficult to breathe, forcing him to retreat again and again.

But the relentless waves grew, one cresting over the next, and Chiang Jin found himself with no room left to flee, the immense pressure becoming unbearable until he finally erupted with a furious cry.

"Open!"

His shout unleashed a surge of Qi and blood that shattered the constraints, merging with something within him, coursing through his body, and miraculously restoring his greatly depleted strength.

Instinctively, Chiang Jin channeled this newfound energy into his iron sword. The blade cleaved through the air, slicing the waves and shattering the pressure around him, leaving him feeling astonishingly unburdened.

"What's this?"

Before Chiang Jin could grasp what had happened, Qin Qinggang's laughter rang out, "Indeed, you are a promising talent. A bit of tempering and you've already forged your inner strength!"