The crowd in the courtyard was stunned. Everyone had heard of the trope of falling off a cliff and finding treasure, but that was the stuff of jokes and storytelling; it was almost unheard of in reality.
But looking at the aura and charm Lin Fan now exuded, it seemed subtly different from usual.
"I apprenticed myself before the Senior's remains, inheriting his mantle, and swore to Cultivate diligently and carry forward the Legacy of the Innate Overlord Saber."
In the courtyard, Lin Fan was still talking volubly.
But most people were skeptical. After all, this matter was too fantastical, and it was just the boy's side of the story. Could he be trying to fool them?
Executive Lin, in particular, didn't believe it one bit from the bottom of his heart. He had lived for half a century and had never heard of anyone obtaining a miraculous encounter. Such fantastical stories were purely nonsensical!
After much thought, he felt that this matter was definitely connected to Lin Fan. Recalling the deadline the Family's upper echelon had given him to solve the case, and to solve it quickly, while also casting a subtle glance at the box of silver from the corner of his eye, he turned and instructed his subordinates.
"First, impound these stolen goods, and also lock up Lin Fan. We'll investigate thoroughly later."
Lin Fan instantly refused. "Executive Lin, I respect you as a Senior, but you cannot slander me. If this is taken away by you, even if it's returned to me after the investigation, I'm afraid it will be short on weight."
"Good boy, how arrogant!" Executive Lin took a step forward.
"The Patriarch ordered me to investigate the thief, and everyone must cooperate. If you refuse to cooperate, it means you have something to hide; if you have something to hide, it means you are the most suspicious; if you are the most suspicious, the thief is very likely you. Come with this old man to the Hall of Punishment!"
At first listen, these words seemed upright and well-reasoned!
As soon as he finished speaking, Executive Lin's calloused old hands reached out to grab Lin Fan. The clansmen quickly dodged to the sides.
But tonight was destined for many twists and turns. Lin Fan, standing in the center, did not dodge or evade, but met Executive Lin's palms head-on.
"Bang!"
Only a muffled sound was heard, and the two retreated separately. The bluestone slabs beneath Lin Fan's feet cracked inch by inch, yet he himself was calm and unharmed.
"Impossible!" Executive Lin's old face showed disbelief. "Forging the Organs and Entering the Viscera, Qi Contained Within the Five Organs! You've already reached the Peak of Organ Forging and are about to reach the Realm of Transformation?"
Hearing this, the clansmen in the courtyard burst into an uproar.
Lin Shan in the crowd also felt a stir in his heart. In this world, as far as he knew, Martial Artists were divided into Innate and Acquired.
Innate Experts were naturally rare; it was said that within the entire Lin Family, only the Grand Elder was Innate. Because of this, the Lin Family was a top-tier aristocratic Family in Clear River County.
Below that, Acquired Martial Artists were divided into three stages: Qi Exchange, Organ Forging, and Transformation, which were also known as third-rate, second-rate, and first-rate experts among the common folk.
As the saying goes, 'poor scholars, rich Martial Artists'. Practicing martial arts consumed a great deal of nutrition and money; only wealthy families could afford to practice.
Practicing without supplementing would only overdraw the body, leading to premature death due to depletion.
Even for wealthy families, starting martial arts at eight years old and following a systematic approach with medicinal meals and elixirs, gradually cultivating to the Qi Exchange Realm, which is the first stage of Acquired, would take at least ten years.
Unless they were core Disciples of royalty or nobility, living in luxury, a second-rate expert like Lin Fan who reached the Organ Forging Realm at 16 was simply a rarity!
At least in Clear River County, it was unheard of!
Now, many clansmen in the courtyard began to believe that Lin Fan might have truly obtained the inheritance of a peerless expert.
"Could it be that the protagonist who pretends to be a pig to eat the tiger is right beside me?" Lin Shan wondered. Could everyone whose name contained 'Fan' have the protagonist's Luck?
Not just Lin Shan, everyone present looked at the young man who had just clashed head-on with Executive Lin with awe.
Executive Lin was merely a second-rate expert. The younger generation present, such as Lin Shan and Lin Shu, had not even reached the Qi Exchange Realm; they weren't even Martial Artists. Strictly speaking, they were unranked.
Meanwhile, a second-rate Martial Artist like Lin Fan could already make a name for himself in the outside martial world!
"Enough!"
At this moment, a middle-aged man with a majestic face walked out from the inner courtyard. This was the current Patriarch of the Lin Family, Lin Zhenyue, a renowned first-rate expert in Clear River County.
Even the County Magistrate would sit as equals and treat him with respect.
He glanced at the silver notes placed on the ground, then looked at Lin Fan.
"A Family Disciple's personal Opportunity is his own; the Family will not covet it. However, regarding the theft of the spring river duck play picture, you do indeed have some suspicion."
After speaking, he pointed at Executive Lin and several Stewards. "Tomorrow, you will go to the major pawnshops, auction houses, and even the black market in the city to investigate if there are any traces of the spring river duck play picture."
Then he flicked his sleeve and turned to leave, leaving a final instruction before departing: "Lin Fan, come with me. Others, disperse."
Although Executive Lin's old face felt disgraced and he was unwilling, he could only obey the order.
Late at night, the crowd dispersed sparsely, whispering and discussing the events of the night, mostly about Lin Fan reaching the Organ Forging Realm.
Lin Shan returned alone to his small room, carrying his pile of small broken items. Half of his worry had been relieved, thanks to Lin Fan, this cheat, who stirred up trouble tonight and was forced to take the blame, attracting most of the attention of the Family's upper echelon and clansmen.
Otherwise, if they had investigated further, who knows what might have happened.
Sitting on the bed, he recalled that Lin Fan, his peer, had already entered the Organ Forging stage and become a second-rate expert, while he hadn't even entered the first threshold of Acquired, the Qi Exchange Realm.
Could it be that Lin Fan was the true transmigrator? Lin Shan was startled by his own thought.
Despite the sourness in his heart, his daily cultivation practice could not be neglected.
Lin Shan took out the elixir he had received from the Family today, the "Qi Gathering Pill". As the name suggested, it was a standard elixir that helped unranked Martial Artists gather Qi.
Outer courtyard Disciples of the Lin Family could receive one bottle a month, with ten pills per bottle. The effect was decent.
Just as he picked up the elixir, preparing to swallow it for cultivation, the transparent interface that had appeared in the study during the day appeared before Lin Shan's eyes once again:
[Qi Gathering Pill]
Quality: Unranked
Description: Slightly increases Qi Gathering cultivation speed, slightly reduces damage to Meridians, has a slight effect of promoting blood circulation and removing stasis, and has a certain nourishing effect on Qi and blood.
Enhancement required: 2 points