Decaying World-Chapter 16

Lin Shunhe nodded repeatedly.
After seeing off Xu Dao and his two companions, he closed the door, locked it securely, and turned around. Only then did he notice his wife standing in the doorway of the inner room, a coat draped over her shoulders, watching him.
"A-He..." Yao Shan called out, worry etched in her voice.
"It's nothing. I'm here. Go back to sleep," Lin Shunhe waved his hand, his voice calm and steady.
Thanks to his previous connections, Xu Dao's attitude had been reasonably mild, and everything was handled according to the rules. This was good. He didn't fear an abundance of rules; he feared a lack of them.
As for the profits—having managed an oil workshop for so many years, cooking the books was trivial for him, something he could do with his eyes closed.
The real issue wasn't the accounting, but the support needed once the shop was up and running.
Connections were a resource that depleted with use. For now, things were manageable—but as time passed and sentiment faded, what would remain?
When that time came... what could he use to guarantee their current livelihood?
Thinking of this, Lin Shunhe's mind spun rapidly, contemplating future methods to break through the impasse.
He had barely taken a step forward when his wife, Yao Shan, couldn't help but whisper.
"A-He, the Muhua Gang came by earlier today. Why did the Fu'an Gang come again?"
"Hm? The Muhua Gang came too?" Lin Shunhe keenly sensed something was wrong. Such a situation typically only appeared when two gangs began fighting for territory. Yet Xinyu Town had always been Fu'an Gang turf.
"We'll stay home these next few days. Don't go anywhere. Let's wait until the two gangs sort things out," he instructed.
"I'm just worried the Fu'an Gang won't be able to hold them off. The Muhua Gang is so overbearing—they demanded five thousand coins right off the bat," Yao Shan said anxiously.
"Don't worry. Actually, that suggests the Muhua Gang doesn't plan to stay here long. They're probably just trying to make a quick hit and will move on soon," Lin Shunhe analyzed, trying to reassure her.
Although he said this, he sighed inwardly. This was the reality of losing a Noble Patron's protection—a life without guarantees. In the past, leaders like Xu Dao would have come to his door politely to join him for a drink.
Now... Lin Shunhe had to be thankful that during his days of prosperity, he'd been smooth and tactful in his dealings. Otherwise, had he offended too many people, losing power now would have surely invited a swarm eager to kick him while he was down.
The current situation was roughly the same as that of ordinary commoners, which was already a fortune amidst misfortune.
….
December.
The weather grew increasingly frigid.
The surroundings of Clear Wind Temple were already buried in fallen yellow leaves, drifting in the wind.
Under the howling cold wind, disciples venturing out formed small squads, moving like centipedes as they slowly patrolled the perimeter of the Daoist temple, driving away wild beasts.
Lin Hui stood silently in a somewhat empty corner of the drill grounds, gripping his sword. Leaning against the wooden weapon rack, he slowly immersed himself in the sensation of the final move of the Seven-Section Swift Sword.
Just moments ago, the final move of the Seven-Section Swift Sword had finally evolved successfully.
Replacing the uncertainty was a massive influx of memories—insights into the Swift Sword—flooding frantically into his mind.
The wooden sword in his hand felt increasingly familiar, as if it were an extension of his very flesh and blood. At this moment, Lin Hui's eyes grew cloudy, his pupils contracting and dilating rapidly as if electrified.
About half a minute later, he let out a long, heavy breath.
He raised the sword again, pondering for a moment.
Chi.
Abruptly, he slashed diagonally forward, initiating the Seven-Section Swift Sword with practiced ease.
One move followed another. Every stroke of the sword technique seemed to sprout a certain vitality in his hands at this moment—agile, ethereal, and drifting.
He seemed to transform into a blur of brown shadows, a phantom wrapped in the afterimages of the brown wooden sword.
A total of seven moves, involving over fifty Force Nodes. In his hands, they flowed without the slightest hindrance. In just half a minute, he executed the complete set.
Shua.
Lin Hui withdrew his stance and stood still. The sword was held vertically, aligned with the central axis of his body. He closed his eyes, unmoving.
A stream of clear, cold air rose rapidly from the soles of his feet as he stood motionless. It traced up his calves, thighs, waist, and abdomen, shooting straight to the crown of his head.
For a moment, Lin Hui felt as if he were soaked in a spring of clear, cold water, yet he felt no chill.
Only an inexplicable sense of relaxation and comfort welled up in his heart.
It's done!
He opened his eyes, a heavy stone in his heart finally crashing to the ground.
More than a year of bitter practice had finally yielded its reward today.
The cold current of Body Tempering was so distinct that he had almost misidentified it.
After all, he had previously asked Chen Zhishen by letter. Normally, the cold current appearing during Body Tempering should be a very faint trace, requiring careful, quiet focus to detect.
But that surge just now was frankly a bit exaggerated. That cold current, occupying the blood vessels and muscles of his entire lower leg—how was that just a trace? It was likely more than ten times that amount.
Lin Hui sensed the condition of his body for a moment, then lowered his sword to begin a new round of Body Tempering.
There was no limit to the number of times one could perform the Seven-Section Swift Sword for tempering each day. However, it consumed the body's reserve energy. Therefore, at most, a person could temper their body ten times a day.
Of course, under normal circumstances, even geniuses like Huang Shan could not achieve ten temperings.
Because with over fifty Force Nodes, a single mistake required starting over. And in the later stages of training, maintaining total concentration became impossible, making errors even more likely.
According to what Chen Zhishen had gathered, a strong disciple could temper six or seven times a day.
Ordinary ones managed four or five. The poor ones, one or two.
This was the stratification among the formal disciples of Clear Wind Temple.
This Body Tempering was a basic exercise that had to be done every day. If one fell short by a few times daily, over a long period, that gap... truly accumulated day by day and month by month, eventually becoming an unbridgeable chasm...
Lin Hui realized in this moment the massive disparity created by talent. It was a terrifying gap that ordinary people were powerless to close.
After completing the tempering, he practiced the Seven-Section Swift Sword continuously, completing the full ten repetitions before slowly stopping.
It wasn't that he didn't want to continue, but his heart was sending a subtle stinging pain, clearly indicating the load was too great.
After stopping, the students who had been out patrolling happened to be filing back into the Daoist temple.
Lin Hui immediately took his wooden sword, found the direction of the main hall, and walked briskly toward it.
Having achieved Body Tempering, it was time to register and change his status. Being a formal disciple came with considerable benefits. Aside from improved living conditions, the tuition fees would drop significantly each month. Furthermore, his name would be recorded in the annual list of recommended disciples from Clear Wind Temple, becoming part of the catalog from which various factions selected hires.
Tuyue City's martial halls and sects played this game quite proficiently.
Passing through the main hall, Lin Hui soon saw the rotating manager, old Daoist Mingchen, supervising disciples practicing swords in the front courtyard.
He had met this man once at the foggy intersection behind the temple and later seen him a few times while he served in teaching roles.
Lin Hui recognized his identity at a glance.
At this moment, Mingchen was stroking his goat-beard, his eyes sweeping back and forth over the disciples below.
Those who didn't pay attention might be awed by his transcendent, sagely demeanor, inspiring reverence.
But disciples like Lin Hui, who had stayed in the temple for over a year, knew clearly that the old man's gaze was undoubtedly fixed on the female disciples with a hot figure.
"Disciple Lin Hui greets Perfected Mingchen." Lin Hui didn't waste words, stepping forward to bow.
"Mn? Something the matter?" Mingchen had clearly long forgotten the kid he'd met once in isolation. He recovered slightly, glancing at him.
"This disciple formally completed the initial Body Tempering today and has come to change the status registry," Lin Hui stated directly.
"Tempered? Not bad." Mingchen nodded absently. "How long did it take?"
"Just over a year."
"Acceptable. Hui Neng, take him to change the registry." Mingchen pointed to a half-grown young Daoist attendant beside him and gave the order.
"Yes."
The young Daoist attendant appeared to be only thirteen or fourteen and stood a full head shorter than Lin Hui. However, since these attendants were the ones closest to the Perfected Ones, Lin Hui did not dare to show any disrespect. He immediately greeted him with proper decorum.
The boy smiled and led Lin Hui to a small room on one side of the main hall's interior. He flipped open the registry and carefully inscribed Lin Hui's name.
"Senior Brother has a contract with the temple, so there's no need to add you to the recommendation list. Saves some trouble," the boy laughed.
"Indeed." Lin Hui nodded, smiling along.
"Next, Senior Brother can go to the front courtyard for daily exercise. The front courtyard is the area for the formal disciples to practice, focusing mostly on the Nine-Section Swift Sword and the Clear Wind Sword. So, the area allocated per person is larger, and space is limited—you'll have to wait for others to finish before you can take a spot. Of course, you can also go out and find a practice spot nearby. After entering the front courtyard, many Senior Brothers and Sisters choose to leave the temple and practice at home, only returning on teaching days to seek guidance."
The young Daoist attendant explained a few points.
"In short, entering the front courtyard now offers much more freedom than before. Some formidable Senior Brothers and Sisters are even able to take up positions in small gangs, earning gold and living very comfortable lives. So if you run into members of a small gang in the city, be sure to ask about their background before making any moves. Of course, usually the other party will be the first to ask. Once they learn about our background, those with some connections will often show respect and keep their distance."
"Many thanks for the guidance, Junior Brother." Lin Hui clasped his fists thoughtfully.
"Not at all. I just hear everyone chatting and know a little more," the young attendant laughed.
After changing his name, Lin Hui received a hard, black wooden waist token. Simple characters for 'Clear Wind' were carved on it, representing his new status as a formal disciple of the front courtyard.
"Next, you have a three-day holiday. How you arrange it is entirely up to you," the boy added.
"I'll go home for a visit. It's been a long time since I went back," Lin Hui replied.
Formalities complete, he turned and walked toward the rear courtyard. Walking out of the main hall and passing the cafeteria entrance, he encountered a crowd of disciples gathering to eat.
Among them, a group of girls happened to see him walking out of the side room used for registry changes.
Among the girls, one with a long braid standing on the left was Xie Li, who had previously been in the same circle as Lin Hui and Chen Zhishen.
She looked at Lin Hui, whose posture and movement were noticeably more upright, and guessed that he must have tempered his body as well.
"He broke through, too. I guess he'll be sent out soon, just like Chen Zhishen, right?"
She herself had tempered her body last month and knew the situation in the front courtyard. The front courtyard, maintaining a count of twenty-something disciples, wasn't without reason.
On one hand, many disciples had Body Tempering as their goal—once achieved, they left immediately to earn money.
On the other hand, there was a competitive mechanism in the front courtyard. Only the top-ranked had the qualifications to enjoy feedback benefits. The ones behind still had to spend massive amounts of money to buy resources for cultivation. With income falling short of expenditure, few could sustain it.
"That's Lin Hui, right? Finally tempered. Actually, he's reasonably fast." A friend beside her smiled and remarked casually. "How about it, Xie Li? Do you have even a little regret? Who knows, maybe he's a little genius too?"
"Nothing special. Cultivation after Body Tempering is harder and longer. That is the true reality one must face. With his aptitude and talent, he won't stir up any waves," Xie Li said calmly. "I follow Eldest Senior Sister now. Though we are both at the Body Tempering stage, enjoying top-tier benefits in the Mu family means my tempering speed far exceeds that of ordinary front courtyard disciples. If I were still the same as before... that would be the true cause for regret."
"True enough. The Eldest Senior Sister has a good heart and is a good person. You certainly have good luck," the friend teased with a laugh.
"Let's go. It won't be long before he realizes just how important resources are for those of us who aren't geniuses," Xie Li said, offering no further comment. Compared to the fallen Lin Hui, the current Xie Li was already on a different level of existence.
Within a year at most, the gap between them would widen to a point that would leave him in utter despair.