Rise from a Low-class Family to Martial Artist

The originally lively Imperial Garden suddenly fell silent, and even some palace maids quietly withdrew.

At the entrance, Su Qin stood alone.

”Senior Brother Lin, I didn’t expect your strength to have improved again.”

Murong Yan spoke softly, and the rapid improvement of Lin Chen’s strength greatly surprised her.

Originally, in her estimation, Lin Chen should have reached a level close to the Eighth Grade, but today, the strength that Senior Brother Lin displayed in defeating Su Zhe was no weaker than a typical Eighth-Grade Martial Artist.

To be precise, it far exceeded the average Eighth-Grade Martial Artist.

”I should have known better and not come.”

After saying this, Murong Yan added with some remorse, Lin Chen’s strength was not inferior to Eighth-Grade Martial Artists, yet the outside world was unaware. It was perfect to be used as Liang Kingdom’s secret weapon in the upcoming ranking competition, taking other martial academies by surprise before it officially began.

Now, however, because of her own reasons, Lin Chen had shown his true strength, and the other nations were now prepared, making it difficult to achieve anything extraordinary.

”Senior Brother Lin, you don’t think of me as a femme fatale, do you?”

Watching Murong Yan’s constantly changing expressions, Lin Chen’s mouth twitched slightly. It is said that women can change faces faster than flipping a book, and today he had witnessed it.

In a brief breath, Murong Yan displayed several completely different expressions in succession.

”No.”

Upon hearing Lin Chen’s answer, Murong Yan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

”Rest assured, I won’t pressure you into anything. I know about you and Senior Sister Jiang. It was because of Su Zhe’s nonsense that I showed up this time. If Senior Sister Jiang questions it, I can explain it to her.”

Lin Chen looked intently at Murong Yan, uncertain whether her words came from true sincerity or if they were like those from a manipulative woman of later generations...

Brother, I’m sorry, it’s all my fault... How was I to know that Sister would be this angry...

Was it true sincerity, or was it manipulative speech?

But on second thought, he believed that Murong Yan wasn’t speaking manipulatively, as publicly declaring her stance in front of martial artists from the Nine Kingdoms left her no way out.

A manipulative woman would always leave herself a way out.

”Let’s discuss this after the ranking competition. I want to know if Yan Kingdom has spies planted in all the other countries?”

Murong Yan’s beautiful eyes slightly rolled up: ”Ahem, indeed, spies are arranged in various countries, mainly to collect Martial Path resources and incidentally gather some information.”

As for Murong Yan’s explanation, Lin Chen only half believed it. The detailed descriptions of martial artists from various countries in that dossier were not something incidental investigations could achieve.

But these had nothing to do with him; he had other reasons for asking about this matter.

”I have something that requires your help.”

”What is it?”

Upon hearing that Lin Chen needed her help, Murong Yan regained her earnest demeanor.

”Spread widely the story of what happened in the Imperial Garden today, especially within Liang Kingdom, best if it spreads across the whole country.”

Murong Yan: ?

”Including my involvement? Or just the fight between you and Su Zhe?”

”Everything.”

A glint appeared in Lin Chen’s eyes; he wanted the Light of Liang to exert its maximum effect by having more martial artists in Liang admire him.

By defeating Su Zhe, he would prove his genius.

Then... having two princesses from Yan Kingdom show interest in him, when spread back to the country, would also make those martial artists admire him, especially the younger ones.

This was about boosting national pride by having the martial artists of his own country attract the attention of princesses from another country.

After hearing Lin Chen’s words, Murong Yan’s eyes widened; she hadn’t expected Lin Chen to even want to involve her fifth sister.

For the sake of gaining attention?

Murong Yan couldn’t help but reach out and pinch Lin Chen’s cheek, to which Lin Chen frowned.

”I just wanted to make sure you’re not someone disguised under a human-skin mask.”

Murong Yan explained her previous action, as Lin Chen’s request was so different from the Lin Chen she knew.

”I will give the orders. The news should spread across the Nine Kingdoms within a day.”

”There is no need for it to spread in other countries, mainly in Liang Kingdom.”

Lin Chen added, what he wanted was the admiration of Liang martial artists; it could be more low-key in the other countries.

”Do you think if it spreads through Liang, the other kingdoms wouldn’t know about it?”

Murong Yan spoke softly, as this behavior didn’t resemble low-key at all.

Lin Chen: Uh...

...

...

One two-hour period later, Lin Chen, escorted by Su Qin, left the Imperial Palace and returned to Yan Kingdom Martial Arts Academy.

Upon stepping into the courtyard and seeing the two figures standing there, Lin Chen raised an eyebrow and quickly walked in.

”Dean Hou, Dean Chen.”

The two people in the courtyard were Hou Zhantian and Vice Dean Chen Shan from Canglan Martial Arts Academy.

”I heard that tonight you stormed the palace in anger for a beauty?”

Hou Zhantian looked at Lin Chen with a smile. Lin Chen scratched his head; regarding the Light of Liang matter, he couldn’t explain it clearly, so he just admitted it.

”The disciple acted impulsively.”

”If young people aren’t hot-blooded, can they still be considered young? You did nothing wrong in this matter, and I’m not here to blame you.”

Hou Zhantian waved his hand, gazing at Lin Chen under the moonlight. When he heard in the Yan Kingdom’s Imperial Palace Hall that Lin Chen had defeated Su Zhe, and completely overwhelmed him from beginning to end, he too was somewhat shocked.

Before embarking on the journey to Yan Kingdom, Hua Qianwu had informed him that Lin Chen’s strength was comparable to that of an Eighth-Grade Martial Artist, but he had thought Lin Chen could just barely contend with an Eighth-Grade Martial Artist; he didn’t expect to have underestimated Lin Chen’s strength.

”Su Zhe had recently reached the Eighth Grade, and being from the Sun Family, his strength was upper-tier even among Eighth-Grade Martial Artists. If you could easily defeat Su Zhe, that places your strength at the top within that level. Among the disciples of the Nine Countries Martial Arts Academy, you would be in the top thirty.”

With sixty martial academies, being in the top thirty meant Lin Chen’s strength even surpassed that of some leading disciples of other academies.

However, Lin Chen’s face showed no delight because Liang’s only opponent was Han Kingdom.

According to Murong Yan’s dossier, Han Kingdom’s strongest Celestial Palace Martial Arts Academy had three martial artists on the Celestial List, and the remaining seven were all at the Eighth-Grade.

The other three academies from Han Kingdom were slightly weaker, but most of their disciples had also reached the Eighth Grade.

In comparison, at Canglan Martial Arts Academy, only Senior Brother Li and Senior Brother Zheng had reached the Eighth Grade, and with his own strength at the Eighth Grade, they were just three.

The three academies Qingyun, Capital City, and Lingxiao were roughly similar, falling short compared to Han Kingdom.

”Today, Lu Qiguang from Han Kingdom wanted to settle the border conflict between Liang and Han through the martial academy ranking competition, proposing that as long as one of Liang’s four academies ranked above Han’s, Han would withdraw its troops from the north, allowing Liang to annihilate the Northern Border Demon Race.”

Lin Chen’s eyes narrowed; as long as one academy ranked above any of the four from Han Kingdom, Han would step aside from the conflict between Liang and the Northern Border Demon Race. Han Kingdom was truly arrogant.

”Did you agree, Dean?”

”No, I refused.”

That Dean Hou refused didn’t come as a surprise to Lin Chen. If Han Kingdom dared propose such an arrogant deal, they must be confident and possibly have concealed tricks.

”Today, after the announcement of the fight in the Imperial Garden by the Emperor of Yan, Lu Qiguang brought this matter up again, but I still refused. Do you know why?”

”Is it because, Dean, you’re worried Han Kingdom has secretly arranged hidden tactics?”

”No.”

Hou Zhantian’s sword-like brows slightly furrowed, and his robe sleeves moved without wind: ”Our Liang has fought the Northern Border Demon Race for three hundred years, and so many predecessors have stained the battlefield with blood, their bones buried in the icy plains. Deciding such a matter through martial academy rankings would be disrespectful to the countless heroic souls wandering the frozen northern border.”

”I am telling you this because I fear Han Kingdom might sabotage the situation by leaking this information, forcing you to take risks. Winning the ranking competition is certainly good, but if circumstances do not favor us, do not force it. No matter what, no one can stop this war between our Liang and the Northern Border Demon Race!”

Lin Chen felt an immense sense of solemnity and for the first time understood the unity that spanned from high to low in Liang.

”The sky won’t fall, and things will never be worse than when the Grand Ancestor Emperor founded the nation. At that time, Liang was in ruins, with internal demon chaos and external Han military pressure, yet our Liang persisted and prevailed, let alone now.”

”In this competition, do not be burdened. If Han Kingdom truly wants a fight, then let us accompany them in battle!”