Xu Hong clicked his tongue and sighed. "That’s just brutal... Li Mengchao was a bit too vicious."

When Qi Yun heard this, she instinctively glanced at Xu Hong, her eyes holding an imperceptible trace of resignation.

She sighed inwardly. ’That’s the problem with Senior Brother. He speaks without thinking.’

She had a vague sense that the reason Li Mengchao had injured Lin Yue so severely wasn’t a simple personal grudge, but was tied to the internal conflicts among the Six Great Families.

’How could mere disciples of a Martial Arts Hall like them possibly get involved in a vortex of that level?’

Even their own families didn’t dare to get too involved in the conflicts among the Six Great Families.

’In Qi Yun’s view, the most important thing for Lin Yue right now is to quickly distance himself from the Six Great Families. Even if he resents Li Mengchao, the wisest course of action is to quietly suppress that anger and let it fade over time.’

’Senior Brother’s words were undoubtedly rubbing salt in Lin Yue’s wound, steering the conversation into dangerous territory.’

Qi Yun opened her mouth to say something, but swallowed the words before they could escape.

’They were all fellow disciples, and it wouldn’t do to contradict her Senior Brother in public. She could only hope Lin Yue wouldn’t take it to heart.’

At the side, Zhao Wenzheng raised an eyebrow. He glanced at Lin Yue, then nodded in agreement, his tone filled with righteous indignation. "Exactly! Li Mengchao has gone too far! Junior Brother Lin was just..."

"Senior Brother Zhao," Qi Yun couldn’t help but call out softly, a clear warning in her tone.

Zhao Wenzheng froze. Seeing the look in Qi Yun’s eyes, he sheepishly shut his mouth.

Only then did Qi Yun turn to Lin Yue. A gentle smile appeared on her face as she tried to console him. "Junior Brother Lin, try not to dwell on it. Injuries are inevitable in Martial Dao sparring. On the fighting stage, fists and feet have no eyes, as they say. There’s no one to blame."

She paused, seeing the somber look on his face, and continued, "The most important thing for you to do now is focus on your recovery. Don’t think about anything else. Just try to get well soon so you can come back to the Martial Arts Hall and continue your training. Once you’ve healed, we can all spar together again. Wouldn’t that be nice?"

As she spoke, she looked at Lin Yue, hoping he would take her advice to heart and stop dwelling on the incident with Li Mengchao.

Those were waters far too deep for them to tread.

Upon hearing Qi Yun’s words, Lin Yue’s face instantly fell. His brows furrowed, and his tone was filled with undisguised defiance. "Senior Sister Qi, you can’t put it that way."

He shifted, and a jolt of pain shot through his chest, but he ignored it. His eyes were brimming with malice. "Li Mengchao did this to me, left me lying here half-dead. I’ll remember this debt. Sooner or later, I’m going to pay him back with interest!"

He would never dare say such a thing in front of his master, Sun Yong. But here, before his fellow disciples Xu Hong, Zhao Wenzheng, and Qi Yun, his stubborn pride resurfaced.

He had always held a high opinion of himself, believing he was the most talented disciple in the Martial Arts Hall. In his mind, few in all of Yuhe County could compare to him. How could he possibly tolerate such a profound humiliation?

When Qi Yun heard this, the color drained from her face.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say more.

’Even if Lin Yue is a genius with an Upper-Grade Root Bone, the Li Family is one of the Six Great Families of Yuhe County. They have numerous masters in their clan, and their influence is vast and deeply rooted. How could a mere disciple from a Martial Arts Hall with no backing possibly hope to shake them?’

’Making an enemy of such a behemoth would be like an egg striking a stone; he would only meet an even more miserable end.’

She wanted to try reasoning with him again, but when she looked up and saw his dark, ugly expression, the stubbornness practically spilling from his eyes, she knew any further words would be a waste of breath.

’This junior brother of hers was already arrogant by nature, and now, after such a severe injury, his resentment has likely festered into an obsession. He couldn’t be swayed by a few simple words.’

Qi Yun suddenly recalled something her older brother, Qi Kang, had told her. He had said that Lin Yue’s pride was too great and he was blind to the larger situation. Sooner or later, it would be his downfall. He’d warned her not to get too close to him, or she might get dragged down with him one day. It was better to keep her distance.

At the time, she had thought her brother was worrying too much. Fellow disciples shouldn’t have to deliberately keep their distance, even if they didn’t always support one another. But looking at it now, her brother’s words held a certain logic.

’If Lin Yue continued to be so reckless, insisting on fighting the Li Family to the bitter end, and truly brought some great disaster upon himself, it was likely that even his close fellow disciples like them would be implicated.’

At this thought, a sense of distance began to grow in Qi Yun’s heart, and the look she gave Lin Yue became much more complex.

Seeing that Lin Yue’s mind was made up, Qi Yun stopped trying to persuade him. She just sat quietly to one side, listening as he spoke with Xu Hong and Zhao Wenzheng.

She picked up her teacup and took a small sip, her gaze drifting to the plane tree leaves outside the window. She seemed distracted, but in truth, she was listening to every word of their conversation.

Xu Hong wasn’t one to dwell on things. Seeing that Qi Yun had dropped the subject of Li Mengchao, he realized his earlier comment had been inappropriate. He seized the chance to change the topic. "Junior Brother Lin, don’t overthink it. The most important thing now is to rest up. Getting your body strong again is what really matters. Once you’re better, our Martial Arts Hall will be that much stronger."

Zhao Wenzheng nodded and chimed in, "That’s right, Junior Brother Lin. You’re one of the few in our Martial Arts Hall with an Upper-Grade Root Bone. Your talent is plain to see. Even if you’re set back half a year, once you’ve recovered and put in a little extra effort, I guarantee you’ll catch up quickly. Surpassing Junior Brother Yang Jing will be no problem at all."

The mention of Yang Jing made Lin Yue’s brow furrow. His already unpleasant expression darkened further, and his voice held a subtle note of wariness. "Yang Jing? Is he really that strong now?"

Seeing Lin Yue’s interest, Zhao Wenzheng immediately perked up. "Of course he is," he said with a click of his tongue. "During a recent sparring session at the hall, Junior Brother Yang Jing defeated Senior Brother with ease. It was such a clean win. Even the Hall Master praised him for his lightning-fast progress."

As he spoke, he deliberately emphasized the words "with ease," glancing at Xu Hong from the corner of his eye.

Xu Hong gave a wry smile but didn’t argue. He had indeed lost that sparring match cleanly. There was no defending it.

Hearing this, Lin Yue’s pupils contracted slightly, a flash of surprise crossing his face.

He knew the extent of his Senior Brother Xu Hong’s strength. While not top-tier, he was still a master at the Peak of Dark Energy.

Before his injury, defeating Xu Hong hadn’t been difficult for him, but he could never have done it *easily*. It usually took him thirty to forty moves to gain the upper hand.

’Yang Jing could actually defeat Xu Hong that easily?’

Lin Yue’s hand, resting on the blanket, clenched unconsciously. His stomach tightened.

’I’ve always believed that even after recuperating for six months, the advantage of my Upper-Grade Root Bone would keep me firmly ahead of the other disciples in the hall. But hearing Zhao Wenzheng talk... has Yang Jing really progressed that quickly?’

An invisible pressure welled up from deep within him, even more intense than the suffocating frustration he’d felt moments ago when thinking of the Li Family.

It was the urgent feeling of being chased, of potentially being surpassed. It pricked at his heart like a fine needle, deeply unsettling him.

Zhao Wenzheng continued, "The Hall Master thinks very highly of him now. The time he spends personally instructing him each day is even longer than when he was instructing you, Junior Brother Lin. Sometimes, after they’ve trained until evening, the Hall Master even keeps him in the backyard to talk privately for a long time."

Listening from the side, Qi Yun’s brow furrowed in disapproval.

She could faintly detect the instigation in Zhao Wenzheng’s words; he was clearly trying to stir up Lin Yue’s dissatisfaction with Yang Jing.

’Yang Jing has a steady temperament and has always been on good terms with everyone. It’s completely out of line for Zhao Wenzheng to be stirring up trouble like this.’

Sure enough, Lin Yue’s face fell instantly, his expression turning rigid.

He prided himself on being the most talented disciple in the Martial Arts Hall and had always believed he was the one their master valued most. But Zhao Wenzheng’s words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing his pride.

’Why? Yang Jing just has a Lower-Grade Root Bone. On what grounds does he get more of Master’s personal instruction than I do?’

A powerful wave of jealousy surged up from the depths of his heart. He suddenly remembered the Exotic Beast Pavilion Token his master had taken from him. An uncontrollable thought surfaced: ’Master took the Token... Could he have given it to Yang Jing?’