Chapter Thirteen: Fundamental Rules

Dragged by Ruoxi to the small mountain, Xiaoshan was utterly bewildered by the situation. He had no idea why Lin Feng had suddenly invited him to dinner, nor did he know if Lin Feng intended to use him as a sparring partner once again.

Ruoxi led Xiaoshan across the courtyard. As they approached the main hall, Xiaoshan’s mood gradually settled. Since he was here, he might as well accept it. He had already chosen this “job” and had no way to retreat now.

The main hall was only a few steps from the courtyard, and soon Xiaoshan and Ruoxi arrived at the dining room.

“The master is waiting for you inside!” Aunt Mei gestured politely at the door.

“Ruoxi’s here! Come, have a seat!” Lin Feng greeted them with a smile.

Ruoxi glanced at Lin Feng, then at Xiaoshan, offering him a gentle smile before sitting to Lin Feng’s left.

Xiaoshan hesitated, looking at Lin Feng’s right, where a seat was empty.

There were only five chairs in the room. To Xiaoshan’s mind, only five people could sit here: Lin Feng, the young lady, Ruoxi, and Ruoxi’s mother—Lin Feng’s wife.

There shouldn’t be a place for him. His gaze paused at Lin Feng’s right, directly opposite Ruoxi.

Seeing the empty seats, Xiaoshan didn’t dwell on it. He simply chose a normal position—across from Ruoxi, to Lin Feng’s right—and sat down as a matter of course.

With Lin Feng’s impassive expression, Xiaoshan pulled out the chair and sat, while Ruoxi smiled at him, as if she wanted to say something, but held back. Lin Feng watched Xiaoshan’s movements without reacting, letting him sit.

After Xiaoshan and Ruoxi had taken their seats, Lin Feng reached for a vegetable leaf from the plate and said, “If you’re here as my sparring partner, you must train in basic martial arts. At the very least, you must be stronger than an ordinary person.

I don’t need you to bring glory to our country, but you mustn’t be useless. If you are, you’ll have to leave this place!” Lin Feng declared, resolute.

“I practice martial arts to protect myself. Even if I’m just someone else’s sparring partner, when danger comes, I want the ability to defend myself!” Xiaoshan replied, unwavering.

“Protect others? You can’t even protect yourself—how could you protect anyone else!” Lin Feng sneered, his gaze mocking.

“I couldn’t protect myself before, but now that may have changed!” Xiaoshan was confident in his body. After a series of transformations, he felt a distinct improvement.

He might not be able to protect others, but to protect himself, he was almost there.

Ruoxi’s smile grew more pronounced as she looked at Xiaoshan, sensing a profound change in him—not just in his attitude, but from within, a transformation that radiated outward.

“Good!” Lin Feng slapped the table hard, causing the plates to rattle. Among the eight delicacies, the suckling pig stood out, its creamy yellow skin stretching from snout to tail, golden juices pooling at its base and splashing droplets.

The water’s gentle sound fell softly, not leaving a trace, as other dishes followed.

Ruoxi’s mouth fell open, her eyes distant as if she was recalling memories from long ago.

For a moment, Xiaoshan felt Lin Feng towering, as if the breeze had stilled, the leaves had ceased to rustle, and even the sky itself had fallen silent.

In the hush, Lin Feng smiled and said, “In this world, there’s no such thing as someone being able to protect themselves—except for that person.”

“Who is that person?” Xiaoshan asked without a shred of hesitation.

“You have no right to know who he is yet. All you need to know is that he is the one who will save the world!” Lin Feng looked up at the sky and smiled.

Xiaoshan was left speechless, feeling he had lost all his temper, whether Lin Feng was angry with him or had simply spoken offhand.