Chapter 27: Cheap Gifts

Both the Pill Hall and the Martial Hall extended their invitations at the same time, each making such promises—an event unprecedented in Iron Ox Town. This alone was enough to show just how highly the Third Hall Master and the Martial Hall Master valued Qin Feiyang.

Once again, the patriarch of the Lin family was filled with regret. He never imagined things would come to this. Now, as long as Qin Feiyang nodded, he could become a disciple of the Pill Hall or the Martial Hall, and his status would soar instantly! With his talent, it was only a matter of time before he entered the Pill King Hall or the Martial King Hall—a future as bright as the dawn.

He could not help but lament in his heart, “Heavens! Why must you play such a cruel joke on me!” The Lin family patriarch was inwardly wailing, all tears dried up.

At that moment, Qin Feiyang once again became the focus of all eyes. Everyone waited with bated breath—how would he choose? Would he enter the Pill Hall, or the Martial Hall? If it were their choice, none would hesitate to pick the Pill Hall, for in this world, nothing was more valuable than elixirs.

Yet Qin Feiyang, the man at the center of it all, acted as though he hadn’t heard, quickly descending the stone steps with Uncle Yuan. The crowd parted of its own accord, opening a path to the main street.

As they watched Qin Feiyang and Uncle Yuan vanish into the throng, both the Martial Hall Master and the Third Hall Master showed a trace of disappointment. This youth was a true talent—how unfortunate they had failed to secure him.

Lin Baili’s eyes flashed. Turning to Qin Feiyang, he smiled and said, “Qin Feiyang, today is Yiyi’s fifteenth birthday. We are holding a grand banquet and have invited all the notable figures of Iron Ox Town. Would you honor us by coming to the Lin residence as my guest?”

“Yiyi’s birthday?” Qin Feiyang was taken aback. So much had happened these past days that he had nearly forgotten Lin Yiyi shared his exact birth date—year, month, and day. The only difference: he was born in the morning, Lin Yiyi in the evening, which is why she called him elder brother. That was also the main reason for their close bond.

If it had been before, he would have readily accepted the invitation. But now, he no longer wished to set foot in the Lin household, unwilling to look upon those false faces. He was about to refuse when Uncle Yuan spoke first: “I’ll answer for Feiyang—he will arrive on time this evening to offer his congratulations.”

“Then it’s settled. I’ll personally greet you at the door,” Lin Baili replied with a smile.

Uncle Yuan glanced at Lin Baili with a meaningful look, then quickly departed with Qin Feiyang.

“Baili, why invite them?” the Lin family patriarch asked in confusion.

“Uncle Lin, don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. I have some matters to attend to—excuse me,” Lin Baili replied, nodding to the Martial Hall Master and the others before departing in haste.

“Matters?” The Lin family patriarch frowned but thought no more of it. Instead, he extended his invitation warmly to the Martial Hall Master, the Third Hall Master, and the Zhao family patriarch, who all accepted, promising to attend. After all, the Lin family was powerful in Iron Ox Town, and one must keep up appearances. More importantly, they were curious about Lin Baili’s true identity.

…

On the street, Qin Feiyang walked side by side with Uncle Yuan, while Lin Baili followed at a distance, his eyes gleaming with calculation. The townsfolk, no longer cold as before, greeted Qin Feiyang and Uncle Yuan with enthusiasm.

“These people are truly fickle,” Qin Feiyang remarked with distaste.

Uncle Yuan threw a sidelong glance at Lin Baili trailing behind and replied with a subtle smile, “Not just them—everyone in the world has a pragmatic side.”

Qin Feiyang nodded. He had long since become acquainted with the warmth and coldness of human nature.

Suddenly, he noticed Lin Baili following and frowned. “Uncle Yuan, why did you agree for me to go to the Lin household? This Lin Baili clearly harbors ill intentions.”

Uncle Yuan teased, “What? Are you afraid of a mere Lin Baili?”

“Him?” Qin Feiyang sneered. Lin Baili was indeed gifted, but only by the standards of this place. In the imperial capital, he would be nothing.

Uncle Yuan chuckled, “Lin Baili’s status is not as high as yours, but he is still the son of a powerful family. You will cross paths again. It doesn’t hurt to learn about your future rivals—know your enemy, and you’ll never lose.”

“I doubt it. What ties could I possibly have with him?” Qin Feiyang said, unconcerned.

Uncle Yuan just smiled mysteriously and said nothing.

Once outside the town, Uncle Yuan waved his hand and led Qin Feiyang into a dense forest.

Qin Feiyang surveyed the surroundings, puzzled. “Where are we going?”

“Right here,” Uncle Yuan replied, stopping beneath a large tree. Turning to Qin Feiyang, he smiled, “Are you satisfied with your birthday gift?”

“Very satisfied,” Qin Feiyang grinned. After five years of humiliation, he had finally held his head high today.

Uncle Yuan smiled, opened his palm, and as wisps of black light surged, a small ancient castle appeared out of thin air.

Qin Feiyang’s eyes filled with curiosity. The castle was only the size of a palm, pitch-black and shrouded in mystery, but oddly, it had no doors or windows—perfectly seamless.

“Uncle Yuan, what is this?” The more Qin Feiyang looked, the more baffled he became. How could such a strange and tiny castle exist in this world?

Uncle Yuan replied, “I don’t know its origins, its name, nor the materials it’s made from. But I do know it’s incredibly hard—even I can’t break it—and a person can hide inside.”

“That durable?” Qin Feiyang said in surprise.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. “Could it be…”

Before he could finish, Uncle Yuan nodded with a smile. “That’s right. The secret chamber where you took the pill to break through the Martial Practitioner’s limit—that was the inner space of this castle.”

“How wondrous!” Qin Feiyang’s eyes sparkled with amazement. Something so small could contain a human inside? Had he not experienced it himself, he would never have believed it.

“Feiyang, I now formally hand this castle over to you,” Uncle Yuan said, holding out the miniature fortress.

“For me?” Qin Feiyang was stunned.

Uncle Yuan nodded. “Why?” Qin Feiyang asked, puzzled.

“There’s no particular reason,” Uncle Yuan replied with a shake of his head.

For a moment, Qin Feiyang was at a loss.

Uncle Yuan simply pressed the castle into his hand and explained, “This castle requires a drop of your blood to recognize you as its master. After that, a single thought will let you enter its inner space.”

He continued, “Oh, and do you remember the iron box inside the castle?”

“I remember,” Qin Feiyang replied. The pill that helped him break through had been inside that box—how could he forget?

“There’s an iron-bound book inside. Read it when you have time—it may be useful to you,” Uncle Yuan said.

Qin Feiyang nodded. “Should I make the blood bond now?”

“No rush,” Uncle Yuan replied with a laugh. “Do it after you return from the Lin family. For now, put it away. Let’s practice your martial skills together.”

“All right,” Qin Feiyang said, still curious about the castle as he tucked it into his universe pouch. Looking up at Uncle Yuan, he grinned, “You’d better go easy on me, old man!”

Uncle Yuan rolled his eyes and solemnly barked, “Enough chatter. Come at me!”

“Thunderclap Fist!” Qin Feiyang wasted no more words and lunged forward like a human dragon, launching into a fierce bout with Uncle Yuan.

“Where did they go?” Out on the path beyond the forest, Lin Baili scanned the area suspiciously. Hearing faint commotion from within the woods, his eyes lit up and he crept inside.

“What are they doing?” Soon, Lin Baili crouched behind a large boulder, watching Qin Feiyang and Uncle Yuan spar with confusion in his eyes.

The sun set and dusk descended.

At last, Qin Feiyang stopped, collapsing onto the ground, gasping for breath. Though Uncle Yuan was only helping him practice, he hadn’t held back: Qin Feiyang’s face was bruised and swollen, his body covered in cuts and scrapes.

But the rewards were great. After a day of hard-fought training, all the martial techniques he had previously learned were now perfected, no longer awkward or only half-effective as when he’d fought Ma Hongmei.

Uncle Yuan looked down at him. “Do you know why I was so hard on you?”

Qin Feiyang shook his head.

“I wanted to teach you that, in the future, when facing any opponent—strong or weak—you must always give your all. Otherwise, you’ll suffer for it,” Uncle Yuan said.

“I’ll remember,” Qin Feiyang replied with a resolute nod.

Uncle Yuan glanced at the sky. “It’s getting late. Go to the Lin house—and remember to bring a proper gift.”

Qin Feiyang staggered to his feet, grimacing with pain, and asked, “Aren’t you coming, Uncle Yuan?”

Uncle Yuan chuckled, “I’m too old to join the festivities. Go on, I’ll wait here for you.”

“Understood!” Qin Feiyang found a pond to quickly wash up, changed into clean clothes, and ran toward Iron Ox Town.

He failed to notice the look in Uncle Yuan’s eyes—one of melancholy and deep reluctance.

“Feiyang, there are no feasts that last forever. Forgive Uncle Yuan for leaving without saying goodbye.”

Whoosh!

As soon as Qin Feiyang disappeared into town, Uncle Yuan sighed long and hard, transformed into a streak of light, and vanished into the sky.

“Qin Yuan is gone?” Lin Baili stepped out from behind the rock, gazing in awe at the direction Uncle Yuan had disappeared. A wicked smile crept onto his face. “With Qin Yuan gone, Qin Feiyang, I’d like to see how long your arrogance lasts!”

With a cold laugh, he dashed back toward Iron Ox Town.

Just as Lin Baili entered the town, Uncle Yuan reappeared, staring at the town with a frosty glint in his old eyes. It quickly faded, replaced by a gentle smile.

“No need to worry. With Feiyang’s current abilities, he can handle the crisis at hand. And with the castle to protect him, his life is in no danger.”

“Child, your true journey begins now. You must walk it bravely.”

“Lin Baili, Lin family of Swallow City—you will be the first stepping stone on Feiyang’s path to greatness!”

Muttering to himself, Uncle Yuan turned again into a flash of light and disappeared.

…

Because of the heat, Iron Ox Town was liveliest in the evening. The main street bustled with people jostling and brushing past each other.

Qin Feiyang moved silently through the throng, his brows furrowed. He was already reluctant to go to the Lin house, and now Uncle Yuan had insisted he prepare a gift—how troublesome.

“Big sale! All sorts of jewelry! Only one silver coin each—take your pick, look all you want!”

A shrill call caught Qin Feiyang’s attention. He strode over to see a street vendor hawking his wares with great energy.

There was indeed a dazzling array of trinkets on display, but none of them were valuable—all cheap goods.

Qin Feiyang glanced over them and grabbed a jade bracelet. “I’ll take this one.”

“Brother Qin! I never expected you’d patronize my stall! If you like this bracelet, consider it a gift from me,” the vendor said heartily.

“Thank you,” Qin Feiyang replied, slipping the bracelet into his pocket without formality.

“Wait, Brother Qin!” As Qin Feiyang was about to leave, the vendor hurried after him. “Brother Qin, are you heading to the Lin family banquet?”

Qin Feiyang nodded.

The vendor’s expression turned odd. “You’re not planning to give this bracelet to Lin Yiyi as a birthday gift, are you?”

“Why not?” Qin Feiyang replied.

“Of course not! The Lin family is wealthy and powerful—how could you give them something from my stall? I don’t want to get you in trouble. Give it back to me,” the vendor said, reaching out.

“Thank you for your concern, but I know what I’m doing,” Qin Feiyang replied with a smile, striding off.

“That Qin Feiyang is truly one of a kind. But tonight, the Lin family is sure to put on quite a show,” the vendor muttered, watching Qin Feiyang’s departing figure before resuming his boisterous hawking.