Chapter 12: Red Lotus Fire Energy, The Name of Good Warfare

Lin Residence.

In the back yard, the winding corridors led to a pond, where clear waves rippled under the moonlight's halo, and a subtle fragrance hung in the air.

Inside the main house's Embroidery Pavilion, the red candles burned brightly.

A woman, exquisitely graceful, embodying both delicacy and strength, frowned slightly as she flipped through scrolls on the desk.

From time to time, she picked up the Vermilion Pen on the desk to sign and mark or jot down her queries.

The candlelight cast a soft golden-red glow on her profile, revealing a hint of exhaustion on her porcelain-like cheeks.

"Eh, there's trouble at Black Mountain..."

Her brows furrowed deeper as if troubled by the complexity of the situation, she couldn't help but cover her mouth and cough lightly several times.

"Miss, why don't you rest earlier, your injury still hasn't fully healed."

A green-clad swordmaid, about fifteen or sixteen years old, stood beside her, visibly anxious, and couldn't help but whisper a suggestion.

From dawn, Third Miss Lin had been busy handling the Lin Family's medicinal fields, herb shops, and the meticulous tasks of pill refining and selling, not to mention the affairs that required careful attention everywhere, and the need to deal with her relatives back in Guangning Prefecture.

The multitude of matters weighed solely on her, so much so that the internal injury she suffered in battle a few days earlier had not been properly tended to.

"Cui'er, it's fine, just a minor injury, it's nothing to me."

The woman, engrossed in handling affairs, paused slightly with her pen and turned to offer a gentle smile:

"Right now is the perfect opportunity to fully unfold our strategy. To solidify the newly added thirty percent share, we will inevitably engage in some obvious and clandestine struggles.

Baicao Hall has been established in Qingyang City for a long time, and snatching their business is akin to taking food from a tiger's mouth.

We must be prepared for them to take desperate actions, and dealing with some of their lowly tactics will not be easy."

Putting down her pen, Third Miss Lin, Lin Huaiyu, pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed, then continued, "Cui'er, I'm afraid I have to trouble you with another trip to Black Mountain.

I'm not too worried about the other locations; even if something goes wrong, we can remedy it...

But the Herb Gathering Team that we've worked so hard to assemble must not suffer any losses."

Cui'er and Xiao Xue, the two maids, had grown up with her. They were not only deeply bonded, as if they were her own sisters.

What's more important, these two girls, having followed her for many years, had also trained in the Lin Family's secret Submerged Wave Jin and Wave Subduing Blade. On the battlefield, they could take on hundreds of opponents.

Even casual martial masters adept in Energy Training from the Jianghu were no match for them.

Lin Huaiyu thus had complete confidence in sending them on tasks.

"But before his death, that strike from the Fiery Flame Messenger with his Red Lotus Fire Energy..."

Xiao Cui was still a bit worried.

She knew too well that her mistress had swiftly decided the battle that day with a lightning-fast blade, claiming the life of the Red Lotus Divine Envoy.

Yet in doing so, she took the brunt of a blow containing his life's cultivation.

Although that Divine Envoy wasn't very renowned, with a single move, he had consecutively defeated both the Spirit Snake Master and the leader of the Black Wolf Gang, who were powerful martial masters in the marrow-refining stage. Without a doubt, he had reached the realm of a Blood Change Transcendent Grand Martial Master.

Such individuals possessed incredibly strong life force and had various unique secret techniques at their disposal.

Killing him without sustaining any damage was easier said than done.

It could only be said that, to gain a firm foothold in Qingyang City and secure the support of the City Guards, the lady had taken considerable risks.

The Red Lotus Sect has always been one of the three paths of the Demonic Sect throughout the dynasties, perpetually revolting...

Like wild grass that rises as quickly as it is cut, they were impossible to eradicate completely, impossible to kill off.

In some respects, the Sect's top-tier heritages were far superior to the Lin Family's secrets.

That technique of Red Lotus Fire Energy, once it invaded Third Miss Lin's blood, muscles, and bones, would turn into a wildfire, relentlessly burning her flesh and inner organs.

One can imagine how difficult it must have been for the lady to endure such immense pain while diligently attending to a multitude of affairs in Qingyang City day and night.

"Water and fire oppose each other, the Red Lotus Fire Energy of the Fiery Flame Messenger, after all, is a fire without roots. It should be completely extinguished within a day or two.

As long as I don't use the Submerged Wave Jin to fight, this bit of fire poison isn't really much trouble."

Lin Huaiyu shook her head: "You, you're always worried about me. I know you're concerned that I can't fully exert myself right now and might face danger, but isn't Xiao Xue right here with me?

Besides, at Ziqi's front, the City Guards' operation to sweep the mountain bandits and ant thieves should also be wrapping up soon.

"These days, he didn't need to be dispatched at all times; the residence was very safe."

"Then I'm off."

Xiao Cui took one reluctant look at her young mistress before decisively choosing not to use the door. She went to the north window and lightly leaped out.

Her figure flickered, passing through the flowering trees and over the walls, and swiftly she was gone.

Lin Huaiyu sat in a daze, closing her eyes, pondering for quite a while before hearing familiar footsteps again.

Without turning her head, she asked, "Xue'er, has Xiao Jiu gone to sleep?"

Xiao Jiu was her little sister, still young. In an ordinary family, a child of her age would typically be mischievous and playful.

However, the little girl was very sensible, seemingly aware that her older sister had a difficult time; she wasn't a troublemaker on ordinary days.

Quiet and peaceful, just like a little lady...

It's just that, being so young, she had to follow her sister, leaving their home to engage in battles at the foot of Black Mountain without a playmate her age, which was heart-wrenching.

"She's asleep. Tonight, she didn't even pester me for a story; she fell into a deep sleep."

The young girl in moon-white clothing entered quietly, her voice tinted with hesitation.

After a moment, Xiao Xue, stifling the slight ache in her heart, still spoke the truth.

"Miss Ninth has made a very good friend these past few days."

"A friend? That's good. I've been concerned that Xiao Jiu's temperament is too quiet and solitary, and she's too critical, to the point I'm afraid she won't even find someone to talk to in the future.

It's a good thing she's making friends. Is it a little boy, or a little girl, from another family?"

"That person, miss, you know him too." Xiao Xue's expression became even more peculiar.

"He's our Lin Residence's newly promoted First-Rank Guardian, the one called 'Inverted Kick Purple Gold Crown.'"

"Oh, him."

Thinking back to the day of the selection, the youth she had seen left an impression on her.

Lin Huaiyu had to admit, even she was dazzled at that moment.

Winning against the strong had to make sense, and yet it was very peculiar.

The opponent, who appeared to struggle even to lift a hundred-pound stone lock, had managed to triumph over Wei Dazui, whose muscles and bones were near great achievement.

From strategy to tactics, and on-the-spot adaptability, even the fame of being "skilled in combat" was not enough to describe it.

In the battlefield and the Jianghu, there had been many defeated and fallen experts who often uttered "I was careless" or "It was an accident," claiming they would not lose if given another chance.

But in reality, the strong are always strong, and this so-called carelessness isn't what it seems.

A victory is a victory, and a defeat is a defeat; there's a profound reason behind it all.

It was because of this opinion

that Lin Huaiyu, against numerous objections, decided with a single word to appoint that person as First-Rank Guardian.

She saw the potential in him.

The Lin Family didn't just recruit any Protectors.

At least, Lin Huaiyu's standards were very high.

She had a grand vision.

"If it's him, it's not surprising. I remember he had a friendly face and a sunny smile; indeed, someone kids would like."

"Besides, don't judge Xiao Jiu by her young age; she has a gift, often directly sensing whether someone is harboring ill intentions or getting close with an ulterior motive."

Xiao Xue still looked uncomfortable: "The problem is, that man taught her some flashy blade moves, which made Ninth Miss happy, and then he passed the Tidal Breathing Technique to her."

"What?"

Lin Huaiyu was finally moved.