In the blink of an eye, another month had passed.
With the Lin family elders present, Chu He swallowed tablets and focused on refining their medicinal powers in the day, and only started his actual practicing at night. His body became more and more polished. If he directed all his attention toward his Golden Nine Turns, his body would be as delicate and smooth as white jade, a golden glow bouncing off it as powerful strength surged through it.
He had managed to successfully breakthrough his Golden Nine Turns into the Ninth Level of the Second Turn.
"Lil Chu, would you like to practice martial arts? The old master has given you an opportunity."
The elder master of the Lin family was lounging on his recliner when he took a good look at Chu He and suddenly felt that the odd-job man who had accompanied him for a while had an extraordinary presence. It was not something that an odd-job man should have.
He had been so preoccupied before that he had not noticed.
Now that he had taken a closer look, the odd-job man had an extraordinarily elegant bone structure, perhaps even better than his when he was younger. He felt a sudden urge to nurture a new expert for the Lin family.
After all, he had the spare time for it anyway.
"Your kindness is appreciated, but I'm afraid I won't have the privilege. I don't want to leave this place to undergo training. I merely wish to stay and read quietly in this book depository."
Chu He cupped one fist in the other hand in a gesture of respect as he shook his head and spoke.
The boy had declined?
The elder's name—Lin Zhennan—had been known across the four seas for a hundred and eighty years. Was there anyone who had not heard of Prince Zhennan before?
He might be injured now, but if word got out that he was looking to personally train someone in martial arts...
Perhaps all the prodigies in the world would be in Lin City by tomorrow, and the number of people who wanted to have him as their mentor could form three huge circles surrounding Lin City.
And yet...
He had been turned down by an odd-job man?
"Could it be that this odd-job man does not know who I am?"
Lin Zhennan toyed with that possibility.
"Lil Chu! Are you worried that I'll do a bad job in guiding you? Let me tell you, my disciples are the strongest amongst the Lin family and can even hold their ground at the pinnacle even when compared with all the masters in the Xia Kingdom."
Lin Zhennan chuckled as he said with some derision, "Now, are you still going to reject me?"
He had a proud expression on his face as he stroked his beard.
"I don't plan to practice martial arts with anyone. Your identity will not change anything."
Chu He retained the impassive expression on his face.
That was not quite the scene Lin Zhennan had imagined—he was sure the boy would get down on his knees in worship as his entire body trembled in surprise and excitement.
The expression on Lin Zhennan's face stiffened, and the hand on his beard paused mid-stroke.
He felt incredulous.
An odd-job man would reject guidance from the top master of the Xia clan?
If word got out, it would shock the entire Xia clan to its core.
This was a great opportunity that many did not even dare to dream about.
And yet...
An odd-job man had given him an outright rejection.
"I am Lin Zhennan, otherwise known as Prince Zhennan, and I am a highly-skilled demi-king. Not only do I have the power to decide whether a person lives or not with one word, but I can also determine the world's fate with a wave of my palm. Are you still going to reject me?"
Prince Zhennan, who had been alive for nearly two hundred years, suddenly sounded childish as he spoke.
However.
Chu He did not even say a word this time. He merely shook his head, and the implication was self-explanatory.
He had been rejected again!
On top of that, this time he had been rejected after he revealed his identity.
It was a solid, unquestionable rejection.
So there really did exist people who did not want to practice martial arts and grow stronger!
Lin Zhennan had finally met one of them today.
That was not only including members of the Lin family but the entire Xia clan.
Was there anyone who did not want to train?
How could they attain a higher social status if they did not?
Was there anyone willing to spend their lives at the very bottom of the social ladder?
There might be people who claimed that when asked, but that was because they knew they did not have any opportunities. Whether they wanted it or not would not change anything. However, if those people were ever presented the chance to ascend the social ladder, they would seize it in the blink of an eye.
However, when he revealed his true identity to the kid before him and offered him the chance to change his life, not only had he turned down the chance to receive his mentorship, but he had not even shown a single reaction. Even his expression had not changed the slightest bit.
The boy was just as aloof and indifferent as he was in the beginning, without a change of heart.
Perhaps he truly meant what he had said. He liked living a quiet, ordinary life.
If such a powerful state of mind could be set on the right journey to cultivating, the future of such an individual would be promising. At least he would face no obstacles at the start of his journey.
By relying on this kind of sincerity, he would be naturally invincible. Perhaps it was even possible that he could become a demi-king.
"You're overthinking!"
Lin Zhennan sighed to himself as the outlandish thought occurred to him.
He knew he was heavily injured and did not have much time left. The future of the Lin family was bleak, and it seemed that anyone he so much looked at had the makings of a martial king now. It was becoming ridiculous.
A demi-king was not a genuine king, but it was already one of the best ranks in the Xia clan and was not something that could be easily achieved. One could not attain that just through their eagerness or qualifications!
Nevertheless, he did have good feelings about the teenager before him.
Yet, he must be overthinking things if he said the boy could become a demi-king.
However, the teenager was still talented even if he could not become a demi-king. His talents should not go to waste.
"Lil Chu! How old are you now, and how long have you been in the Lin family?" Lin Zhennan asked.
"I've been in the Lin family for five years. I'm nineteen years old now." Chu He answered.
Che He suddenly felt a little emotional. Without even realizing it, he had been checking-in at the book depository for nearly five whole years.
"Is that so! No wonder. You must never have seen or experienced the excitement of the outside world if you've always been here."
Lin Zhennan sounded as if he were deep in thought.
"Lil Chu, would you like to follow me to the outside world and take a look around before you make your decision?" Lin Zhennan said.
"No, thanks."
Chu He still shook his head.
"I've already experienced the outside world. Through this book depository, I've experienced prosperity, darkness, a life of flourish, as well as the struggles of surviving. Life's sorrows and happiness are abundant here. Countless lives take place here."
Lin Zhennan was startled. The sentences were simple, but they held great meaning to them.
To think he had just assumed that the teenager was poorly informed.
If the teenager was able to speak like that, it was no wonder that he had not been frightened or humiliated by Lin Zhennan's power, and that he had managed to hold his ground when confronted with a public figure like him.
"So be it."
Lin Zhennan sighed resignedly and no longer pressured him.