Chapter 71

The next morning, Lin Zheng got up early, finished washing up, and came to the courtyard. For a moment, he didn't know where to go. The vast courtyard felt a bit unfamiliar yet comfortable. Suddenly, Lin Zheng's ears perked up, and he ran towards the distant training ground, where he heard a cacophony of voices, cheers, and exclamations!

"Lord of the Family, good morning!" As Lin Zheng reached the entrance of the training ground, someone sharp-eyed recognized him and hurriedly bowed.

Lin Zheng waved his hand, maintaining a composed demeanor. Though a bit uncomfortable, he didn't lose his composure.

"Lord of the Family!"

"Lord of the Family, good morning!"

Everyone greeted Lin Zheng, who responded to each one, being friendly yet dignified.

In the training ground, Lin Dao was sparring with a guard. At a glance, it was clear that Lin Dao was far superior to his opponent. However, Lin Dao didn't simply overpower him; instead, he continuously defended, as if drawing something from his opponent. Amid the storm of attacks, Lin Dao stood his ground, using his scabbard to block with one hand. The opponent couldn't even make Lin Dao take a step back, let alone draw his sword. However, Lin Dao's eyes were clear, showing no hint of arrogance.

These guards included members of the original Shuangshi Mercenary Group and new recruits, all carefully selected and presumably reliable. Lin Dao seemed to be on the verge of a breakthrough. After another round of intense attacks, the guard opposite Lin Dao was clearly exhausted, gradually unable to keep up with the previous pace. Lin Dao was on the edge of enlightenment, just a hair's breadth away from breaking through.

Suddenly, Lin Zheng's figure flashed into the training ground, gently pushing the guard out and picking up the long sword that had been in the guard's hand. The storm of attacks now fell on Lin Dao.

The power, rhythm, and sword technique were identical to those of the guard, but in Lin Zheng's hands, the technique seemed to have a touch of refinement. Lin Dao, expressionless, continued to resist with his sword, while Lin Zheng relentlessly attacked, each strike precise to the millimeter.

Suddenly, Lin Dao's eyes flashed with a sharp light. He bent down, and his long sword slowly swept upward from below.

Slow! Very slow! But Lin Zheng's aura suddenly trembled, and the long sword in his hand shattered into pieces, falling to the ground. The onlookers didn't see the subtlety of the strike, but Lin Zheng's eyes were filled with surprise, and he gave Lin Dao a thumbs-up.

Lin Dao sheathed his sword, a satisfied smile on his face. He and Lin Zheng exchanged a smile, and their figures quickly flashed as they left the training ground.

As everyone was puzzled, the ground where Lin Zheng had stood radiated outward, and a large area of the training ground instantly turned to powder. Puff, puff, those standing in this area suddenly stepped on stone powder, raising a cloud of dust!

When they returned to the main hall, Luo Lingling had already prepared and served breakfast. Pizi Lang was also present. As everyone sat down, someone outside announced that the Wen and Tie families had come to visit, and Lin Zheng quickly invited them in.

"See, I told you, they must be having breakfast. You insisted on coming so early!" Wen Tianqing's voice came from a distance.

"So what? They're not outsiders. Lin Zheng, quickly add two more sets of chopsticks!" Then a large man appeared, none other than Tie Mu Zhan. Breakfast passed with laughter and conversation. After the meal, Lin Qin pulled Tie Mu Zhan out, along with Pizi Lang and Lin Qian.

The remaining Lin Zheng, Li Ruoshui, and Lin Wen sat in the hall drinking tea. Lin Dao had already gone to practice, as he felt he couldn't help much and it was better to use his time for training. Lin Zheng and the others didn't object. Luo Qingqing and the old Luo were discussing buying some household items and hiring some servants, carefully tallying up what they needed to buy.

Just as Luo Lingling and the old Luo were about to leave, someone outside announced that several wealthy merchants from Wushuang City had come to visit. The old Luo hurriedly went to welcome them. When the merchants entered the hall, Lin Zheng and the others stood up to greet them. Lin Zheng and his group were destined to rise, and these merchants were already prepared to support them. The rise of a new force naturally required the support of many other forces.

The old Luo calmed his nerves and handed a gift list to Lin Zheng, who glanced at it and passed it to Li Ruoshui, instructing the servants to bring tea and pastries. After a few pleasantries, the merchants left. The initial meeting didn't take long, as both sides were clear about the situation, making things easier. The wealthy merchants left satisfied after the pleasantries.

Luo Lingling's eyes sparkled as she organized the gifts. Before she could finish, more important guests arrived one after another. Those who were usually hard to see now appeared like commoners, constantly in front of everyone. Many of the guards and servants in the mansion widened their eyes, carefully handling everything, fearing any mistakes, and deeply admiring the young new lord of the family.

By noon, the flow of visitors began to slow down. Most of these people had greeted Lin Zheng and the others at last night's banquet and now came with gifts to chat. In the afternoon, just as the mansion was about to quiet down, it was bustling again with many small forces coming to visit. The events of last night had spread throughout Wushuang City in the morning, and many of the visitors were those who had already come before, as well as many new faces. Lin Zheng eventually handed all the matters to Lin Wen, Luo Lingling, and the old Luo, while he, Li Ruoshui, and Wen Tianqing went to the back garden.

"Wow, Lin brother, you're really making a name for yourself. This is no less than what the so-called noble families can do!" Wen Tianqing sighed.

"Brother Wen, we all know the situation, so let's not talk about it," Lin Zheng said with a bitter smile.

"Ha! Others are waiting for gifts to be delivered, but you're different!"

Li Ruoshui personally prepared some pastries and tea and brought them in. Before they could chat, a servant rushed in, his face shocked, and stammered, "L-Lord! K-Kang Hou is here!"

"Hmm?" Wen Tianqing's eyes narrowed. He had heard that this mansion originally belonged to Kang Hou, but when did Lin Zheng and Kang Zhi'an get together?

"Brother Wen, shall we go together?" Lin Zheng stood up, calm and composed.

"Sure!"

The three of them walked towards the main gate. Before they reached it, a loud voice came from afar, "Ha! Lin brother, it's been a day, and your fame has only grown. I, Kang brother, have come to see the new hero of Wushuang City!" As he spoke, Kang Zhi'an walked up to Lin Zheng and the others, wearing a well-fitted martial uniform, not the usual silk and brocade. His old butler was running behind him.

"Kang brother, what are you talking about? Come, let's talk inside," Lin Zheng said as they returned to a small reception room in the back garden.

"This is Wen Tianqing of the Wen family! And this is Kang Hou! I don't think I need to introduce you, right?" Lin Zheng said with a smile.

"Met, met!" Kang Zhi'an raised his hand in a salute to Wen Tianqing, who quickly stood up to return the gesture. After some pleasantries, they began to talk more freely.

"Kang brother, you must have come for something today, right?" Lin Zheng asked with a smile.

"Cut the act, you know what I'm here for! Tell me, how do I treat my illness, and what do I need to do? I can't wait any longer!" Kang Zhi'an said straightforwardly.

Wen Tianqing was taken aback. Healing an injury? He had heard that Kang Zhi'an had an old injury that was a key obstacle to his reaching the Saint realm, but it was said that no solution had been found for years. Could Lin Zheng...? His thoughts raced, and his eyes fixed on Lin Zheng.

"Let me examine your current condition first. I don't have a hundred percent confidence, so I need to be thorough. We need to find the root cause to treat it effectively," Lin Zheng said, standing up and flipping his right hand to reveal a box of silver needles.

"Go ahead!" Kang Zhi'an then exposed his upper body and stood in the center of the room. His muscular body showed no visible scars, but a faint red glow could be seen beneath the skin.

Li Ruoshui had already gone to help Luo Lingling in the front, leaving only Lin Zheng, Kang Zhi'an, Wen Tianqing, and Kang Zhi'an's old butler in the room. Lin Zheng didn't hesitate, running his hands over Kang Zhi'an's upper body and inserting countless silver needles in a disorderly manner.

In the next moment, Lin Zheng's right hand, like white jade, touched various acupoints on Kang Zhi'an's body, drawing white arcs that made a clanging sound. When Lin Zheng stopped, Kang Zhi'an's face was covered in sweat, as if he was enduring pain.

"Kang brother, hold on, it's almost over!" Lin Zheng shouted, then his hands continuously moved over the silver needles, causing them to hum. The spiritual energy in the air formed small vortices and rapidly disappeared into Kang Zhi'an's skin. Each small vortex entered through a silver needle, causing the needle to fall. Soon, the floor was covered with fine silver needles, with only a dozen or so remaining on Kang Zhi'an's body.

One by one, the silver needles fell, leaving three on Kang Zhi'an's chest, abdomen, and spine. Lin Zheng's hand flicked, and a crystal appeared. He then crushed it, and the spiritual energy divided into three parts, rushing to the positions of the three silver needles.

"Snap, snap, snap!" The three silver needles exploded, and Kang Zhi'an spat out a mouthful of blood, creating a deep hole in the stone floor.

"How do you feel?" Kang Zhi'an, panting, put on his clothes and asked calmly, though his trembling eyes betrayed his excitement.

PS: First update of the day. Life is about movement, and I'm going out to exercise. Well, I admit there are many girls while running! Cough, cough. It's the last day of May, so I'm asking for your enthusiastic collections and red votes!