Chapter Twenty: Just Enough

“Lin Shan, have you had breakfast... yet?”

Early morning.

A graceful figure slipped through the west wing corridor, quietly entering one of the rooms in the west wing. She stopped inside, her face brimming with expectation as she looked at the person before her.

He was clad in a light blue robe, delicate white lace tracing the edges, the finely tailored garment fitting tightly across his chest, giving him a proud and upright appearance. His previously disheveled hair was now neatly arranged, no longer in wild disarray.

Lin Ruoxi’s eyes were filled with surprise; she stared at Lin Shan without blinking. It had only been four days since she’d last seen him, yet he was already dressed in such splendid attire. Truly, clothes make the man, she thought. Upon entering, for a moment she’d thought someone else was sitting there.

“I’ve already eaten,” Lin Shan replied, not turning his head at the first sound of her voice. Instead, he glanced at the remnants of food beside him, paused for a moment, and then turned to face the girl.

She had eyes like gemstones, large and lively, as if ripples danced in her brows. Her small lips were pursed in mild displeasure. She wore a loose white garment that set off her translucent, dewy skin, hands clasped behind her back, mouth slightly open as she said,

“Since you’ve eaten, let’s go to the martial arena and watch my sparring match!”

Lin Ruoxi pouted at Lin Shan’s indifferent response, a bit annoyed, but it didn’t deter her from her purpose. Today’s match would determine whether she could leave home freely in the future. Over the past four days, she wasn’t sure if it was because her father Lin Feng had discovered her sneaking out early to train Lin Shan in martial arts, but from then on, her father had subjected her to a grueling regimen. She barely had time to eat; from dawn till dusk it was all training, and she hadn’t left her small courtyard.

Of course, her progress was remarkable. If her current self faced the self from five days ago, she could defeat her former self in just three or five moves. She was full of confidence in her victory—otherwise, she wouldn’t have come to fetch Lin Shan.

“No. Your father, Lin Feng, has something for me today,” Lin Shan replied dryly, shaking his head under her hopeful gaze.

“Hmph! Fine, don’t come then. I’m leaving!” Lin Ruoxi huffed in a spoiled tone, expressing her displeasure as she turned and stomped toward the door, her little legs moving sullenly.

“Aren’t you even going to see me out?” After a few steps, she turned back, feigning anger.

“I’m coming,” Lin Shan said, a helpless smile tugging at his lips as he picked up the sword before him, clearly amused by Ruoxi’s silly antics, and made to get up and escort her.

“No need. Just take a good look at yourself in the mirror, you... narcissist!”

She pronounced each syllable loudly, one by one. Seeing Lin Shan’s startled realization, she smiled, her goal achieved, and cheerfully ran out of the room.

No wonder she’d called him that—since she’d come in, he’d been staring at his reflection in the mirror, barely looking away except to exchange a few words with her.

“Young master, it’s time to go!” After a while, two people emerged from behind the curtains, seemingly unable to wait any longer, reminding Lin Shan it was time to set off.

The Lin Shan in the mirror nodded, his dark, mysterious pupils slightly unnatural. He picked up the sword by his side, turned, and left without hesitation.

Where did Lin Shan get that sword and those clothes? Was it my father who gave them to him? Has my father’s opinion of Lin Shan changed so much in just three days? Was it because of me? Hehe!

Ruoxi chuckled to herself, a hint of suspicion flashing in her eyes, but it vanished in an instant.

“Still, there’s something odd about Lin Shan today...” she murmured as she trotted along.

The martial arena was at the very center of Xiaolin Town. Legend had it that a thousand years ago, the Lin family led the settlement, hence the name Xiaolin Town. Over time, the first character of the name had faded, but one could still make out the character for “small.”

Because the Lin residence was so close to the arena, it was only a short walk. The noise grew louder and the crowd thicker.

“Xiao Xi, do you have confidence today? Your opponent is Mo Qian from the Mo family,” came a voice from ahead. It was Aunt Xiumei, whom Ruoxi had met upon entering the town, now asking her with concern.

“I... think so?” Ruoxi answered as she walked deeper into the arena. She hadn’t expected the entire field to be packed with people—the grand scale of it all made her confidence waver.

“What was Father thinking, making it such a big event? If I lose, how embarrassing will that be?”

Ruoxi frowned. Before her was a sea of heads. She knew well that despite her recent efforts, she had often been lazy in the past, slacking despite her father’s supervision. How could she compare to those who had trained diligently since childhood?

She studied the arena closely. It was about the size of a soccer field, both sides filled with a noisy crowd. Normally, there weren’t many people around, but now, as far as the eye could see, it was all heads—men, women, young and old. Ruoxi figured the entire town had come to watch, since the streets had been empty on her way here.

At the center stood a circular stone platform, taking up two-thirds of the space. Surrounding it were four massive stone swords, one at each side, their engraved patterns blurred by the passage of time.

Soon, she would be standing there, competing before the entire crowd.

“Old Madman, do you really think your Ruoxi can defeat Mo Qian from the Mo family?” On the left of the arena, the common folk stood watching, while the right was reserved for those with high martial skill or status. Lin Feng sat at the head of the table, with others arranged in turn. The speaker, a middle-aged man about Lin Feng’s age, called him by his nickname.

“How could the martial skills of a Lin family girl be anything but excellent?” Lin Feng replied with a strange laugh, looking at Lin Ruoxi as she entered the arena.

The man beside him wore a complicated expression, following Lin Feng’s gaze to Ruoxi. He had watched her grow up; though she had never displayed her skills, everyone knew the Lin family produced formidable martial artists, generation after generation.

All those present were masters above the innate level; some had come from other places upon hearing rumors. If Ruoxi couldn’t best Mo Qian, Lin Feng would be mortified, his pride wounded. No one knew why he’d chosen to hold such a public contest—was it to secretly test her, or to inspire her potential?

The entire arena...