Chapter 56: The Second Standard Meridian
"Magistrate Wang of Yu City seeks an audience."
"Magistrate Huang of Wan City seeks an audience."
"Qiu family of Wan City seeks an audience."
"Hero Wu Dayou of Wu City seeks an audience."
"……"
Outside the lin residence, a gate attendant would announce a name in a loud voice from time to time. Every time a name was announced, a wave of heated discussion would arise.
"Magistrate Wang of our Yu City has also entered!"
"Heh heh, Magistrate Huang from the neighboring city also entered."
"The top family in Wan City, Qiu family, has sent someone here. To think that they would be here as well."
"Ha ha, Hero Wu Dayou is here too. This Wu Dayou is considered an important figure in this area, being a third-rate expert himself. To think that he also came."
"My god, these are all important people who rarely make an appearance and they are all here now. Looks like the Lin family is really soaring to the heavens."
"That's for sure. Young Master Yi is a Huashan upper courtyard disciple and I'm sure you have seen his strength for yourself when he slaughtered the bandits with ease as if they were mere chickens. Someone like him will surely soar to the heavens in the future. As they say, when one man reaches the top, his chickens and dogs follow as well. Lin family is going to benefit for sure. Anyone who chooses to serve the Lin family now will surely enjoy great success in the future, who would be able to resist the temptation to do so? I would have done so myself if I wasn't merely a lowly farmer who knows nothing."
"You are right. Young Master Yi is a Huashan upper courtyard disciple with the backing of Huashan. Who would dare to belittle him? The entire Shanzhong is Huashan's territory. An upper courtyard disciple who is also a genius with boundless prospects, that's the best target to serve! Once you miss the opportunity now, if you want to serve them in the future, the Lin family might not even accept it!"
Whether it be the farmers of Lin Village or people gathered from outside, at the sight of so many important figures, they all started chattering away in great excitement.
For the farmers of Lin Village, even a festival wasn't as lively as today!
Every well-known figure within a radius of hundred li was gathered here.
This was a grand occasion which happened once in a hundred years!
At this moment.
Outside the village, a youth in white appeared. His hand held a sheathed sword and a violet bow hung on his back.
Covered in dust, his white garb even had many traces of eye-catching red patches.
Those were bloodstains!
This youth apparently just experienced a great battle.
Also, seeing that there were no injuries on his body, the bloodstains on his clothes all came from other people.
Everyone was dumbfounded.
How many people had this youth killed?
"Ah, it's Young Master Yi, Young Master Yi is back!"
One of the farmers recognized the identity of the youth.
It was precisely Lin Yi of Lin family.
Roar!
A great commotion was caused in an instant.
Everyone rushed towards Lin Yi.
Lin Yi was slightly dazed and surprised by the scene in front of his eyes.
The entire Lin Village was densely packed with people!
When did Lin Village become so densely populated?
"Quickly give way, quickly give way, open a path for our Young Master!"
At this moment, the Lin family servants realized what happened and started shouting loudly.
Each of them held their heads high and puffed out their chests, their faces glowing with pride.
Their eyes looked high up, and they even disregarded the people of Jianghu who were carrying swords and sabers.
Whenever they saw anyone not giving way, they would quickly proceed to berate that person.
The usually arrogant people of Jianghu were actually nodding their heads obediently and one by one they started to clear a path.
So quickly that Lin Yi's surprised expression had not even disappeared completely and a path had already appeared in front of him.
"Young Hero Lin!" "Young Master Lin!" "Mister Lin!"
The people on both sides called out his name loudly.
Their frenzied looks nearly made Lin Yi felt as though he was walking on a red carpet and that he was a famous superstar who was being cheered on by his crazy fans.
People near him kept trying to speak into his ears and converse with him.
Lin Yi had completely no idea what they were saying and he couldn't hear what they were saying clearly either.
He only saw them shouting loudly with frenzied expressions.
He couldn't even remember how he got to the Lin residence, only feeling that this was the longest and most agonizing path he had ever walked in his life.
In his previous life, he was a God-ranked player. Naturally, he also encountered the situation of being surrounded by the other players whenever he went.
But he completely disliked this kind of crowded and lively environment, so he always slipped away in a flash using his superior lightness art before the players could react to his arrival.
Never had he needed to stop in the crowd before, not to mention walking such a strange path.
Even when he was extremely famous in Huashan lower courtyard due to defeating the top 100, the Huashan disciples were never this crazy.
If the lower courtyard disciples were said to have been looking at him with worship and respect, then these people in Lin Village would be looking at him like they were looking at a mountain of gold.
He was not used to these hot and fiery gazes, and they made him feel uncomfortable.
"Yi-er, you are back!"
At this moment, Lin Zhihu spotted Lin Yi and he hurriedly parted with the people beside him before walking towards Lin Yi.
"Uncle Hu, this is?" Lin Yi raised his brows and pointed at the great number of people talking enthusiastically in the courtyard.
He even saw Lin Zhilong smiling radiantly under the company of seven or eight people.
He stared at the scene, not recalling ever seeing Lin Zhilong with that kind of expression.
"Yi-er, this…" Lin Zhihu smiled awkwardly and scratched his head. Then he said in an embarrassed tone: "Every well-known and important figure within a radius of hundred li has heard of your great name and learned that you became an upper courtyard disciple in just half a year of entering Huashan. That is why all these people came here. Some are here to get to know us and some are here to get on good terms with us. There are also many people of Jianghu who wish to serve our Lin family and are willing to follow our orders as long as we support them."
"So, Yi-er, later…"
When he reached this part, Lin Zhihu's face reddened and he looked at Lin Yi uneasily.
Lin Yi understood instantly.
It was not the fame from killing the bandits. The vast majority of people came here because he was a true genius who became an upper courtyard disciple in half a year.
They were here for the sake of future interests and profits.
Those with capital and power sought cooperation.
Those without capital or power, but had the ability, came to pledge their loyalty.
Lin Zhihu obviously discussed things with Lin Zhilong and reached a simple consensus.
That was to use this opportunity to expand and strengthen Lin family!
Lin Yi was silent.
By expanding their influence and officially becoming a clan of Jianghu, they could recruit more people and attract countless people of Jianghu to serve them.
This was naturally good for the Lin family.
Besides, Lin Yi could not possibly keep staying in the Lin family.
If they were able to attract the service of people of Jianghu and build up their strength, they would possess the ability to defend themselves when the era of chaos arrived.
That would eliminate Lin Yi's worries regarding his family.
Therefore, even though Lin Yi could not wait to go into seclusion right away to clear the second standard meridian, for the sake of Lin family and for him to be more assured about the future, he forced himself to smile and nodded at Lin Zhihu: "I understand."
Then he began to entertain each guest.
Towards ordinary people such as government officials, he only entertained them briefly.
Towards people of Jianghu who came to serve the Lin family, Lin Yi patiently provided them with guidance in their martial arts.
Among these people, more than a hundred of them were not even experts.
Only three of them had internal arts and were third-rate experts.
Towards the three of them, Lin Yi guided them even more attentively.
Whether it was his current identity of a Huashan upper courtyard disciple or his former identity as a peak expert in his previous life, he was more than qualified to give guidance to the three of them.
Soon, all the people of Jianghu were convinced to serve the Lin family with utmost loyalty.
Initially, they only wanted to serve a major power for the sake of their own interests.
Now that Lin Yi was willing to provide them with guidance, they made up their minds to follow Lin family to the end.
After all, other major powers only thought of how to make use of them.
Those willing to provide guidance in martial arts were extremely rare.
Lin Yi was one of them.
All the people of Jianghu who were present expressed their intentions to always stay with the Lin Family.
Once these matters were taken care of, Lin Yi finally exhaled a breath of relief and wiped his sweat.
This was due to fatigue.
Entertaining so many guests was even more exhausting than fighting with eight third-rate experts.
After greeting Lin Zhihu and Lin Zhilong, Lin Yi fled to the rear courtyard, found a study, then locked the doors.
He had a bountiful harvest from the trip to Crouching Tiger Hill.
A total of 131,000 battle experience!
Coupled with the experience he had saved up in Huashan previously, he now had close to two hundred thousand battle experience.
After a moment of consideration, he felt that he should increase the level of his internal art first, then slowly fill in the experience required for Deadly Chain of Three Celestial Swords.
Having made up his mind, he opened the system panel.
System notification:
Huashan Sutra (Silver): Level 1, First standard meridian Hand's Major Yin Lung Meridian has been cleared (+20 internal strength), 100,000/200,000 experience points required to clear second standard meridian Hand's Faint Yin Heart Protector Meridian.
Only 100,000 experience points were required to clear the second standard meridian.
Without any hesitation, Lin Yi proceeded to consume 100,000 battle experience points to clear the second standard meridian: Hand's Faint Yin Heart Protector Meridian.
Soon, a bright light flashed.
100,000 battle experience vanished.
Transforming into a warm current flowing into his dantian, followed by even stronger warm currents flowing into his limbs and body.
This was internal strength.
The internal strength circulated one cycle in the body before heading towards Hand's Faint Yin Heart Protector Meridian.
Bo!
A light sound was heard inside the body as if something had been broken.
Hand's Faint Yin Heart Protector Meridian was cleared.
The internal strength flowed into Hand's Faint Yin Heart Protector Meridian before exiting from it stronger than before and returned to the dantian.
Lin Yi then regained control of his body.
The first thing he did was to open the system panel.
System notification:
Successfully cleared Hand's Faint Yin Heart Protector Meridian!
Huashan Sutra (Silver): Level 2, Second standard meridian Hand's Faint Yin Heart Protector Meridian has been cleared (+40 internal strength), 300,000 experience points required to clear third standard meridian Hand's Minor Yin Heart Meridian.