Unconquered Heir

Silent Shadows

Qin Cong, supporting himself with one hand and clutching his chest with the other, glared at Zhao Lingyin and demanded, "This is a matter between Lin Xiu and me. What business is it of yours?"

Zhao Lingyin, looking down on Qin Cong with an air of superiority, replied coolly, "His matters are my matters."

Qin Cong was stunned. Could it be that Lin Xiu and Zhao Lingyin had become close? No, that was impossible. Lin Xiu, aside from his handsome appearance, was utterly worthless. Qin Cong believed that the second miss of the Zhao family was not so shallow.

Regardless, with Zhao Lingyin's intervention, he could do nothing to Lin Xiu today.

A yellow glow flickered across Qin Cong's chest, and he felt the pain in his broken ribs lessen. Struggling to his feet, he cast a cold glance at Lin Xiu and said, "We will meet again..."

Limping away, Qin Cong paused as he passed Lin Xiu. A sardonic smile curled his lips as he whispered, "By the way, I forgot to tell you. That woman was indeed killed by my order. She was ungrateful, attempting to report me to the authorities. How infuriating, isn't it?"

Lin Xiu's expression froze, and his fists clenched until his knuckles turned white.

Qin Cong sneered at him before turning and leaving.

Zhao Lingyin looked back at Lin Xiu and asked, "How did you provoke him?"

Lin Xiu, avoiding an explanation, changed the subject. "What ability did he just use?"

Zhao Lingyin pursed her lips. "It was merely the Earth-tier Stone Ability. Once you awaken a second time, he will no longer be your match."

Qin Cong had ruined his mood, and Lin Xiu no longer felt like going to the Academy of Extraordinary Arts to read. He turned to Zhao Lingyin and asked, "Shall we train as we did last time?"

Zhao Lingyin shook her head. "Excess is as bad as deficiency. Let us wait a couple more days; otherwise, your body will not withstand it."

Lin Xiu insisted, "I can handle it."

Stung by Qin Cong's taunts, Lin Xiu was determined. Whether in strength or his ice ability, a second awakening would bring a qualitative leap in power compared to ordinary people.

Zhao Lingyin did not refuse his persistence. She was eager to help Lin Xiu improve, knowing that only by enhancing his abilities could he be worthy of her sister.

"Let us go to your home then," she said.

Upon returning to the Lin residence, they found that the imperial physician Lord Pingan had summoned was already there. Lin Xiu knew that his amnesia was due to the presence of another soul within him, a condition no physician, however skilled, could treat.

The physician informed Lord and Lady Pingan that amnesia was incurable, and whether Lin Xiu would regain his memory depended on fate. Feeling ineffective, the physician refunded half the consultation fee, which pained Lin Xiu. The fee was a hundred taels, equivalent to his annual earnings as a scribe at the Clear Officials Bureau. These physicians charged exorbitantly for their services.

Zhao Lingyin now understood that Lin Xiu had not pretended not to recognize her at the brothel; he truly had no memory. Yet, she was still irked that he had gone to such a place, even if he had forgotten. Her anger resurfaced, and she resolved to make him suffer during their training.

Closing the door behind them, Lin Xiu and Zhao Lingyin began their practice.

In another room, Lord Pingan sighed, "Lingyin is already a rare genius in Great Xia, and Lingjun is even more gifted, having studied under renowned masters since childhood. I hear her ability has awakened five times. Lin Xiu is simply unworthy of her..."

Lady Pingan glared at him. "How can you speak of our son in such a manner?"

Lord Pingan replied, "I am merely stating the truth. The Zhao family and ours are worlds apart. It would be better to dissolve this impossible engagement, allowing us to find a suitable wife for Xiu and continue the Lin lineage."

Lady Pingan, recognizing the wisdom in her husband's words, added, "You are right. We are not a match for them. This engagement benefits no one. I, too, wish to have grandchildren soon. Let us discuss this with Xiu and end the engagement."

While the couple deliberated, Lin Xiu, shivering with arms crossed, had frost forming on his eyebrows. Unable to bear it any longer, he stammered, "Lingyin, could you ease up? I can't take much more..."

Zhao Lingyin glanced at him indifferently. "Have you forgotten what happened earlier?"

Recalling the incident at the academy, where he would have been seriously injured without her intervention, Lin Xiu gritted his teeth. "Come on, I can handle it!"

At lunch, Lin Xiu was wrapped in a quilt. Though the training was arduous, it significantly enhanced his internal energy. With Zhao Lingyin's daily assistance, he was confident of a second awakening within six months.

After the meal, Lin Xiu returned to the Academy of Extraordinary Arts. Seated in a corner of the library, he slowly perused a book. Qin Cong's ability, the Stone Ability, allowed partial or complete petrification of the body. Historically, it had been awakened up to six times, classifying it as a high Earth-tier ability.

Understanding this, Lin Xiu realized why Zhao Lingyin had dismissed Qin Cong's power. Upon his second awakening, his internal energy would enable him to form a thick layer of ice around his body, similar yet more versatile than Qin Cong's ability.

That, however, was for the future. To avoid being unprepared, Lin Xiu spent the entire day in the library, skipping dinner, until it closed.

The imperial city gates closed at the hour of Hai, around 9 PM. All officials, including students and instructors from the Academy of Extraordinary Arts and the Martial Arts Academy, had to leave the palace before then.

Lin Xiu exited the city just before the gates closed. Sun Dalì, dozing against the wall, woke up after Lin Xiu called him several times.

Rubbing his eyes, Sun Dalì asked, "Young Master, why are you out so late today?"

Lin Xiu, engrossed in his studies and avoiding awkward interactions with Lord and Lady Pingan, simply said, "Let's go home."

The Lin residence was some distance from the imperial city, and the journey from the eastern to the western part of the city took about half an hour. The capital enforced a curfew, and after the hour of Zi, movement in the city was restricted. With an hour to go, the streets were nearly empty.

As they walked, Lin Xiu and Sun Dalì chatted. The grand mansions gradually gave way to humble dwellings, and fewer people were seen. The western part of the city, where commoners lived, was unsafe at night, and most people avoided venturing out unless necessary.

Approaching their home, a stray dog barked at them from an alley. Sun Dalì shivered and cursed, "D*mn dog, scared me half to death."

He was about to continue when Lin Xiu suddenly stopped. Sun Dalì, puzzled, asked, "Young Master, why have you stopped?"

Lin Xiu's hair stood on end. To Sun Dalì, it was just a dog barking, but Lin Xiu heard, "That person has been hiding in the alley for so long. What does he want...?"

As they neared the alley, a flash of cold light emerged from the darkness.

"Watch out, Young Master!"

Sun Dalì reacted swiftly, throwing himself at Lin Xiu. A flying dagger struck his shoulder, aimed at Lin Xiu's forehead.

Someone wanted to kill him!

"Run, Young Master!"

Sun Dalì, ignoring the dagger, shouted at Lin Xiu and lunged at the figure emerging from the alley. The assassin, small and cloaked in black, was taken aback. His target had sensed his presence, contrary to the intelligence that Lin Xiu was an ordinary, unawakened individual.

Had Lin Xiu not stopped, the assassin would have struck him dead. The young man's sudden halt, seemingly sensing the danger, forced the assassin to act, but his attack was thwarted by Sun Dalì.

Assassins excelled in stealth and quick kills, not martial prowess. Exposed, the best course was to flee, but the generous reward made him reluctant to abandon the mission.

As Sun Dalì charged, the assassin launched five daggers at his vital points. Sun Dalì, undeterred, rammed into the assassin. The assassin's fist, powerful enough to create a sonic boom, struck Sun Dalì's chest, but the force was redirected back, breaking the assassin's arm.

With a loud crash, Sun Dalì's shoulder slammed into the assassin's chest, causing it to cave in. Blood spurted from the assassin's mouth, and his life rapidly faded.

Sun Dalì, with daggers still embedded in his body, scoffed at the dying assassin. "Is that all?"

Suddenly, he felt dizzy. "Strange, why do I feel so lightheaded?"

Then, he collapsed, unconscious.