"Alright, everyone disperse. There's nothing interesting to see here."
Eldest Brother Su spoke coolly. The crowd that had gathered around immediately broke up, though quite a few people still snuck glances in this direction.
Eldest Brother Su looked at Evan Lin, squinting slightly. Compared to before, his expression was a bit more relaxed: "You—have you trained in martial arts?"
Evan Lin glanced at him. "Taking you down would only take one punch."
Grizzly, standing nearby, broke out in a cold sweat at Evan's words. Selina Shi just felt a pounding headache—she truly had no idea what to do with Evan Lin.
"Kid, being a little arrogant isn't a bad thing. But if you get too cocky, sooner or later you'll pay for it." Eldest Brother Su, unusually, didn't get angry. Instead, he spoke with rare sincerity.
"Since you're the so-called master invited by Second Brother—and considering you just helped me vent some anger—just stay here for now. Eat and drink whatever you want, help yourself."
Eldest Brother Su nodded to Evan Lin, then turned and walked away.
Even though that kid had just put on a pretty impressive display, so what?
All he did was beat the Flying Eagle Company's number two, Ray "Thunderhawk" Lei, in the blink of an eye. There are plenty of people in the world who could pull off something like that.
Just that alone wasn’t nearly enough to make Eldest Brother Su see him in a new light. At most, he thought this kid had some ability. He’d asked earlier mainly to decide whether to give Evan Lin a chance to join the army—but Evan’s arrogant answer instantly killed that idea.
No matter how gifted you are, if you don’t reach a truly heaven-defying level, you’ll end up ruined by your own pride. What a shame.
Eldest Brother Su shook his head inwardly and couldn’t be bothered to spare Evan Lin another glance.
"Master..."
Grizzly came over, hesitating as he looked at Evan Lin, wanting to speak but holding back.
"It’s fine. Tell Second Brother Sam that I’ll show up when I’m needed." Evan Lin said calmly.
Grizzly bowed to Evan Lin, then hurried off to deliver the message to Second Brother Sam.
Evan Lin sat back down on the sofa. The manager nearby no longer dared to chase him off, ducked his head, and slunk away.
"Are you not afraid of dying?"
Selina Shi frowned, lowering her head and looking at Evan Lin. "Do you realize you just took a walk through the gates of hell?"
"Whether it's Eldest Brother Su or that Sean Chen, both of them have been tough-as-nails officers in the Capitalview Military District for years. Their tempers are legendary, and you just pissed off Sean Chen and managed to offend Eldest Brother Su too. Now you’ve made enemies on both sides—what were you thinking?"
Selina Shi huffed, but her face stayed calm. She looked at Evan Lin with genuine concern.
"I did it for the comfort in my heart." Evan Lin picked up a pastry, munching as he spoke.
"Sure, you’re feeling good now—but what about after tonight? Are you really planning to leave Capitalview, maybe even all of Jinnan? If my brother were here, he’d probably cheer for what you did, but right after that, he’d tell you to get out of here fast. You believe me?"
"Even Allen Ju wouldn’t dare try this!"
Selina Shi was so frustrated she could grind her teeth. There’d been a chance to turn things around earlier, but Evan Lin blew it. Even when Eldest Brother Su offered him an olive branch, if he’d just said something softer, things wouldn’t be this bad.
"Allen Ju, Warren Wu—they’re just not as strong as me, so of course they wouldn’t dare." Evan Lin said it with total seriousness.
Selina Shi saw that Evan Lin was immune to advice. Her pretty face shifted again, teeth grinding, then she just gave up: "Fine, fine, you’re strong, you’re strong!"
"You stay here and eat. I’m heading out. You’d better watch your back the next few days."
After finishing her words to Evan Lin, Selina Shi couldn’t be bothered to hang around. She left the main hall straight away and headed outside.
Honestly, Selina Shi hadn’t planned to get involved with Evan Lin’s mess at all. But seeing him act so wild and fearless, eyes full of pride, she couldn’t help but feel a little genuine admiration.
After leaving the main hall, Selina Shi made a quick phone call, said a few words, then headed for her pink Beetle.
Her car was just a mid-range model, but she never cared much about that kind of thing anyway.
She started the car and drove out of Jinnan Manor. As she reached the main road by the gate, she spotted an extended Lincoln rolling up in the distance.
The Lincoln was worth several million, moving at a leisurely pace. Motorcycles flanked it front and back—clearly, whoever was inside traveled with serious style.
"The Jinnan Lin family..."
Seeing those cars, Selina Shi muttered, a spark of excitement in her eyes. But she quickly sighed: "What a shame. I was hoping to watch the show tonight."
"No show for me now—I have to hurry back and get in touch with Allen Ju. Otherwise, that dumb kid is probably going to get himself killed in Capitalview. Seriously, if you’re going to hit the dog, you should at least check who owns it! Idiot!"
Shaking her head, Selina Shi thought of Evan Lin’s cocky face. For all his arrogance, the more she saw him, the more she found the kid kind of… good-looking?
"What am I even thinking?"
Selina Shi shook her head, tossed those thoughts aside, and hit the gas—her Beetle brushing past the extended Lincoln coming the other way.
Inside the Lincoln, four people sat together.
One was a white-haired elder about the same age as Victor Su, eyes closed in quiet meditation, posture slightly stooped, face showing his years.
This was Leonard Lin, the old patriarch of the Lin family.
Beside him, Henry Lin smiled, looking at the youth in the corner of the car with open admiration.
"Nathan, you bonded with the Southriver Sword a few days ago—how does it feel?"
The young man, handsome and cold-eyed, answered calmly: "I bonded with the sword in the Ten Thousand Swords Mound. The moment I took the Southriver Sword, it felt strangely fated—almost like it was waiting for me. My strength jumped another level; I’ve already reached pseudo-Diamond rank. Anyone beneath peak inner strength, I can finish with a single palm."
Nathan Lin wore a bronze-colored longsword at his waist, the scabbard covered in intricate patterns. As he spoke, he lightly stroked the scabbard, his eyes growing sharper.
"Nathan’s talent is extraordinary. This Southriver Sword truly was waiting for you."
Leonard Lin, eyes still closed, spoke up. Then he opened his eyes, his face full of satisfaction.