The Entry-plundering Demon Hunter

Chapter 182: Chapter 182: Old Lin Has Grown Old, His Hair Has Turned White

In a small park not far from school.

As far as Lin Yi could remember, this was the first time he’d been alone with Lin Dazhi since his mother had passed away.

The two of them sat on a bench, momentarily at a loss for words.

The atmosphere was rather awkward.

After a long moment, Lin Dazhi was the first to break the silence.

”Congratulations on becoming the top scorer. You’ve really brought honor to the Lin Family!”

As soon as he spoke, Lin Yi turned to look at him.

He realized that in just three short months,

Lin Dazhi seemed to have grown older and more haggard.

There were many more white hairs, and the wrinkles on his face had deepened.

At that moment, his hatred for Lin Dazhi was surprisingly fading.

’Perhaps my mindset has changed over the past three months.’

’Or perhaps it’s because the martial arts exam is over, and I’m about to enter the New District.’

’From now on, our paths will rarely cross again.’

Lin Yi smiled. ”You’ve aged quite a bit, Old Lin. What’s wrong, have a lot on your mind lately?”

”It’s alright, I guess. Nothing much to worry about... Lin Yu hasn’t been home for over a month.

Your Aunt Liu cries her eyes out every day, and the house has felt so empty!”

”The only good news is that you placed first in the martial arts exam—first in the entire district. That’s the only thing that’s brought me any comfort these past three months!”

Lin Dazhi smiled, but his smile seemed lonely and forlorn.

Lin Yi didn’t know what his father was feeling right now.

’Is it regret? Sadness? Or something else entirely?’

”Lin Yu came to see me before he left!”

”He told me a lot. Everyone has their own fate, and every path is one’s own choice. Even if you regret it, it’s too late!”

”At least he seems to have come to his senses. He told me to tell you not to look for him!”

”Maybe he’ll come back in the future... or maybe he won’t!”

Lin Yi felt he had to make this clear to Lin Dazhi.

It was his way of passing on Lin Yu’s message.

However, after hearing this, Lin Dazhi just nodded.

He offered no comment.

After a while, Lin Dazhi looked at Lin Yi with a smile. ”By the way, have you chosen a university yet?”

”I’ve been looking up a lot of information about Martial Arts Universities lately!”

”Take Dragon Tiger University, for example. It’s all about studying the Dao there, and the school has a history of several hundred years. But I don’t think it’s a good fit for you. Studying the Dao is incredibly dull, and you’ve never had much patience. You’ve been restless since you were a child, completely unable to sit still...”

”Lanshan University, on the other hand, is pretty good. Its departments lean toward life skills, like Spirit Chef, Pharmacist, Physician, and... what’s it called... Sculptor. I think those are all great options!”

”At least after graduation, you could get a stable job and wouldn’t have to face any danger!”

”There’s also Xingwu and Martial Alliance University...”

Lin Dazhi spoke at length, having clearly researched every single university.

He had even analyzed and noted down the pros and cons of each school in detail.

What surprised Lin Yi was that besides these four well-known, prestigious universities,

he had also looked into several of the more ordinary Martial Arts Universities in the New District.

Each university had its own specialized departments.

Even the ordinary universities had areas of expertise that the four famous ones couldn’t match.

According to Lin Dazhi,

he hoped Lin Yi would choose a relatively safe and stable major.

Lin Yi laughed. ”Old Lin, you still haven’t changed. Always trying to control my life!”

”Huh? No, that’s not it. I just want you to...”

Old Lin froze, rushing to explain.

But just then, Lin Yi took the bank card Principal Qu had given him out of his pocket.

”Here, this is for you!”

”What’s this?”

Lin Dazhi gave Lin Yi a quizzical look.

”It’s cultivation funding the school gave me. There’s a million in it!”

”Take this money. You and Aunt Liu can live well from now on, improve your living conditions.

In the future, when you’re older, you can use it for your retirement!”

”After all, neither Lin Yu nor I can stay by your side anymore!”

The moment he said it, Old Lin stared at Lin Yi in astonishment.

His body began to tremble, and he didn’t reach for the bank card.

His eyes gradually started to turn red as tears blurred his vision.

He laughed, and tears streamed from the corners of his eyes.

After a long time, Lin Dazhi sighed deeply. ”Ever since you moved out of the house, I’ve been reflecting on my actions over the years...”

”Thinking about all the things I’ve done to you since your mother passed away!”

”How could I have the face to take your money? I don’t deserve to be a father!”

”I don’t know what got into me all these years. It was like I was possessed, single-mindedly doting on Lin Yu, trying to please your Aunt Liu and make her happy!”

”But I ignored your feelings. I never even tried to truly understand you!”

”If I hadn’t gone to the school that one time and heard about you from your head teacher...”

”I would have still thought your Martial Arts talent was... AIH, what a failure!”

”As a father, I am a failure!”

”When that day comes, how will I ever have the face to see your mother?”

Old Lin’s self-realization surprised Lin Yi as well.

He then took an envelope from his pocket.

The envelope was a bit wrinkled. He handed it to Lin Yi.

”This is my savings from over the years. It’s not much, only fifty thousand!”

”There’s also something about your mother... Actually, being able to marry her was the greatest luck of my life!”

”She was from the New District, a heaven-blessed prodigy with considerable Martial Arts talent!”

”And I was just an ordinary person, with no distinguished family or background!”

”But for some reason, she chose me. Against her family’s wishes, she secretly ran away to the Old District to live with me. Later, she got pregnant unexpectedly, so we had no choice but to get married!”

”Her death was due to a relapse of an old illness. If we had been in the New District, she might have been saved. But the medical care here in the Old District... it was just too difficult!”

”I couldn’t save her. I just had to watch as she left the two of us!”

”During that time, I felt like my world was collapsing. I drowned my sorrows in alcohol every day... until I met your Aunt Liu. She comforted me, stayed by my side, and slowly, I fell for her.”

”And eventually we ended up together. I’m not telling you all this to get you to understand me. I don’t deserve to be forgiven...”

”When you get to the New District, if you’re willing, try to contact your maternal grandfather!”

”The Yi Family is a Martial Arts Family in the New District. I hear they’re quite powerful, with high status!”

”If you can connect with them, it will be a great help to your future!”

With that, Old Lin wiped the tears from his face and stood up from the bench.

He looked down and said with a smile, ”When you get to the New District, give me a call when you have time!”

”Oh, right. After you left, I kept calling you, but the calls never went through. Did you block my number?”

”Huh?”

Lin Yi froze. He hadn’t expected Old Lin to say something like that.

He said, somewhat surprised, ”Really? I don’t remember!”

”Alright, I’ve said everything I needed to. I have to get back home and take care of your Aunt Liu!”

With that, Lin Dazhi turned and walked away.

Lin Yi watched his retreating figure.

’At that moment, I realized Lin Dazhi’s posture wasn’t as upright as it used to be.’

’His tall frame, instead, seemed somewhat stooped.’

’He’d gotten old. Lin Dazhi had truly gotten old.’

’Three short months had felt as long as three centuries.’

”Dad...”

Suddenly, Lin Yi called out to him.

Lin Dazhi turned back to look at Lin Yi. ”Hmm? What is it?”

”Take care of yourself!”

”Don’t worry. Remember to call and let me know you’ve arrived safely. I won’t see you off on the day you leave...”

”Okay!”

Lin Yi nodded lightly.

Lin Dazhi, however, just smiled and waved. ”I’m off...”

He watched Lin Dazhi’s figure recede into the distance.

At that moment, the hatred in Lin Yi’s heart seemed to fade away.

”So? What did your dad say to you?”

Just then, Wei Nan quietly walked up from behind.

He slung an arm around Lin Yi’s shoulders as he spoke.

Hearing his voice, Lin Yi quickly turned his head away and wiped the corner of his eye.

”What’s this? You’re crying? Holy cow, this is the first time I’ve ever seen you cry!”

”Crying? Bullshit. The wind was just strong!”

”Right, ’strong wind.’ Hasn’t that excuse been used for a thousand years? Can’t we come up with a new one?”

”Piss off. I’m outta here!”

”Hey, where are you going?”

”To the hospital, to see Brother Chu and the others!”

”I’ll go with you! We might be colleagues in the future. Better take the chance to get on their good side now, suck up to a few big shots!”

Lin Yi: ”...”

”Hey, wait for me! You still haven’t told me what your dad said to you. How did he make you cry?” Wei Nan caught up again, chattering relentlessly.

”He didn’t say much. Just that... Old Lin has changed. He’s gotten old. More wrinkles on his face, more white hair!”

”And I have a maternal grandfather in the New District. A relative on my mom’s side. I hear they’re a Martial Arts Family...”

”Holy shit, for real? You have relatives in the New District?”

”Yeah...”

”So are you going to connect with them or not? You’ve gotta have my back! Relatives from a Martial Arts Family... just thinking about it is badass!”

”We’ll see. Some things are complicated.”

Wei Nan: ”...”