Chapter 8: Xu Jiujiu
One year later, at the family succession ceremony—
Today, Lin Tian was handing over the position of patriarch to Lin Wu, making him the new head of the Lin family.
Many distinguished guests attended the banquet, including envoys from the Xingluo Empire's royal family.
Although the Lin family was considered a major clan, they weren't significant enough for the Xingluo royal family to personally court. In fact, this was the first time the royal family had ever visited the Lin family, and their intentions were clear.
At such an important occasion, Lin Qinghan was naturally present.
However, he didn't seem to care much about the event. He simply sat alone in a corner, quietly watching unfamiliar people toasting and chatting at the banquet.
"Qinghan, are you unhappy? After today, you'll officially become the young master of the Lin family," Jiang Wan teased, sitting beside him and noticing his lack of enthusiasm.
"I'm not interested in any of this. I'd rather be thinking of how to make tomorrow's training plan a bit easier," Lin Qinghan said, sipping a drink listlessly.
Over the past year, Lin Qinghan had been training nonstop. Every day started with cultivation. Though the tasks weren't difficult for him, the sheer repetitiveness wore him down. He hadn't gone out for an entire year.
"And he barely speaks to me anymore—always busy with this or that," he added.
His complaints stemmed more from fatigue than from emotional neediness. Despite his young appearance, his mental age was far more mature, and he didn't act out just because of a lack of parental attention.
Jiang Wan was speechless. She and Lin Tian had indeed neglected him in recent years, and she didn't know how to respond.
Pulling Lin Qinghan into her arms, she gently said, "Qinghan, it can't be helped. These two years are crucial for your development. It'll be better in time."
After that, she fell silent. Watching her young son endure such a grueling training regimen pained her, but for his future and the family's, she had to harden her heart.
While the mother and son remained quiet, the Xingluo Empire's prince approached them.
"You must be Lin Qinghan. I'm Prince Xu Ge of the Xingluo Empire. I've long heard of the Lin family's peerless prodigy. Seeing you today, I must say, the rumors were true."
"Hello, Your Highness," Lin Qinghan replied politely. Despite the interruption, he still had to maintain courtesy.
Jiang Wan let go of Lin Qinghan as the prince spoke to him. After their brief exchange, both the prince and Jiang Wan returned to the main seat with Lin Tian.
The banquet continued and gradually reached its end. Guests began mingling, but Lin Qinghan wasn't interested in political games and power plays. Since he was no longer needed, he quietly left the event.
Family Training Grounds
It was late at night, and the training grounds should've been empty. But as Lin Qinghan arrived, he saw a beautiful purple-haired girl taking in the cool air.
"Hi, you must be Lin Qinghan. I'm Xu Jiujiu. Nice to meet you."
Before Lin Qinghan could say anything, the girl spoke first.
So this is Xu Jiujiu?
"You came with that prince, right? Why didn't I see you at the banquet?"
"I came early. I don't drink, and there were too many people. Since this place was empty, I decided to hang out here," she explained with no royal arrogance, speaking openly to Lin Qinghan.
"Do you come here often?"
"Not really. I have my own training grounds. I just come here occasionally."
"Oh? Sounds like you're pretty diligent then?"
Lin Qinghan curled his lip, puzzled by her questions. "Can't afford not to be. It's what the family expects."
"I heard you're very talented. Want to have a friendly match?" Xu Jiujiu quickly changed the subject when she sensed his annoyance.
"No thanks. You're not my match. If you got hurt, that'd be bad," Lin Qinghan declined directly.
"How do you know if we don't try?"
Before he could finish speaking, Xu Jiujiu had already summoned her martial spirit and spirit rings.
"Fine. If you insist, let's spar."
Five minutes later…
Xu Jiujiu was completely immobilized.
She was entangled from head to toe by invisible vines, unable to move a single joint. To make things worse, the vines emitted weak electric pulses, giving her a strange, ticklish sensation that turned her face bright red.
"I get it, I'm not your match. Let me go," she said, trying to wriggle free but failing.
Lin Qinghan didn't keep her bound for long and quickly released her.
Once free, Xu Jiujiu shot him a glare and stormed off without a word.
"So weird…" Lin Qinghan muttered. "She sought me out, then left without saying anything?"
The next morning…
Lin Qinghan heard a shocking piece of news.
"What?! I'm engaged?" Lin Qinghan was in disbelief. He was still so young, and his marriage was being arranged without his consent.
"Couldn't be helped," Lin Tian said with a sigh. "The prince and princess personally came to visit. It's hard to turn them down."
"Your fiancée is the most talented princess in the Xingluo royal family—Xu Jiujiu. It's not a bad match."
"I don't agree! It's not about who she is—it's about me being too young! Isn't this a bit early?" Lin Qinghan protested. As a modern-day teen from the 21st century, he had zero tolerance for arranged marriages.
"It's not a big deal—just a verbal agreement. The prince even said if the two of you don't like each other by the time you reach marriageable age, the engagement can be canceled," Lin Tian explained.
"Whew, that's a relief. But next time, please talk to me first. This is my life we're discussing!" Lin Qinghan relaxed after hearing it was non-binding.
"Haha! You're already complaining? Maybe she won't even like you," Lin Tian teased.
"Hmph. We'll see who ends up not liking who." Lin Qinghan smirked, showing a rare childish side.
"Haha, we'll see." Lin Tian left the room, his goal achieved.
"Ugh, I was tricked, wasn't I?" Lin Qinghan frowned, seeing the smirk on his father's face as he left.
Well, the older the ginger, the spicier it gets. Even with two lifetimes, Lin Qinghan still couldn't outsmart Lin Tian.
"Whatever. In the end, strength speaks for everything here."
Frustrated, Lin Qinghan stopped thinking about it. In this world of survival of the fittest, the one with the strongest fists always has the final say. Once he's strong enough, any agreement will mean nothing if he doesn't want it.
(End of Chapter)
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