Chapter 21 A Fun Place

The group entered the courtyard where Lin Feng and the other three lived, but it was quiet and still, with no sign of movement. Lin Xing sensed that the four of them were still sleeping like pigs, dead to the world.

Lin Xing glanced at the still-dim sky, thinking that if Shi Ya hadn’t woken him up so early, he’d probably still be having sweet dreams. He looked at Shi Ya, feeling utterly exasperated.

Lin Xing glanced at Lin Da, signaling him to go knock on the door and wake up the four who were still sound asleep.

Lin Da acknowledged the order, stepping forward and slamming his hand against the door while shouting in his booming voice, "Wake up! Rise and shine!"

Lin Feng and the others, still deep in sleep, were abruptly startled awake by the loud voice. Annoyed, they rolled over, muttering, "Which bastard is making such a racket so early in the morning?!"

Suddenly, Lin Feng realized the voice sounded familiar—it seemed to be Lin Da, the one who always followed the young master. If he was knocking on the door, did that mean the young master was here too? Though he didn’t know what was going on, if the young master had come to see them this early, there must be something important.

At this thought, Lin Feng jolted awake with a start. Although his relationship with Lin Xing had grown closer, Lin Xing was still their savior and the one who had taught them martial arts. They would never forget this immense debt of gratitude, and they remained deeply grateful to Lin Xing, never daring to show any neglect.

He shot a glance at his still-sleeping brothers, then raised his voice and shouted, "Daylight's here! Up you get!"

"What’s going on, boss? Shouting so early in the morning—do you want us to live or not?" Lin Yun grumbled unhappily.

"Second brother, the young master is here," Lin Feng had to explain.

"What does the young master being here have to do with us?" Lin Yun rolled over, closed his eyes, and prepared to go back to sleep.

Suddenly, Lin Yun sprang up. "Boss, what did you say? The young master is here? Why didn’t you say so earlier?" he complained. At the same time, he went over to shake Lin Lei and Lin Dian, shouting into their ears, "You two, get up quickly! The young master is here!"

From inside, there was a clamor of bangs and clatters. After a moment, the door opened, revealing the bleary-eyed Lin Feng and the other three.

Seeing the group outside, with Lin Xing indeed present, Lin Feng and the others hurriedly stepped forward to greet him. "Young master, is there something you need from us so early in the morning?"

Lin Xing nodded. Seeing them still bleary-eyed and half-asleep, he said, "Go wash up and tidy yourselves first. I have something to discuss with you."

"Yes, young master. Please wait a moment."

A short while later, Lin Feng and the others finished washing up and came out in record time.

Seeing how quickly they had managed, Lin Xing nodded in satisfaction. Getting things done quickly was important; dithering was annoying.

However, Lin Xing adopted a stern expression and said to the four of them, "Do you know what mistake you’ve made?"

Lin Feng and the others looked bewildered and anxious, unsure of what mistake they had committed. Seeing Lin Xing’s stern face, they hurriedly replied, "Young master, we don’t know what mistake we’ve made. Please instruct us!"

Seeing that they were at least willing to admit their faults, Lin Xing said, "You’ve made a basic mistake that any martial artist should know about. Do you know what it is?"

Lin Feng and the others shook their heads, indicating they didn’t know. Of course, they were just beginners and knew nothing yet.

Seeing their ignorance, Lin Xing was happy to play the role of a teacher, satisfying his desire to lecture.

He continued, "As martial artists, the first thing we must do is maintain constant vigilance, understand? Stay alert anytime, anywhere. Don’t let your guard down. This can prevent many dangers and even keep you safe. It also ensures you’re prepared for unexpected events without having to rush. You need to understand this clearly. And when I say ‘stay vigilant anytime, anywhere,’ that includes when you’re sleeping or at home. Even at home, trouble can come out of nowhere. When sleeping, don’t sleep too deeply—aim for a state where even the slightest disturbance will wake you. Otherwise, you’ll be caught off guard in emergencies. Remember this well!"

Lin Feng and the others could only nod repeatedly, thinking to themselves, "So this is how it should be done."

But just then, Lin Xing heard a dissenting voice chime in: "Brother Lin Xing, what you’re saying is completely wrong."

"What’s wrong with it?" Looking at Shi Ya’s mischievous grin, Lin Xing instinctively felt trouble brewing.

"You said we should stay vigilant even at home and while sleeping, right?" Lin Xing nodded and replied, "Yes!"

"Then why is it that every time I pull your blanket off, you only wake up then? I make so much noise when I come in—don’t you notice at all?" Shi Ya stared at Lin Xing with a sly smile.

Lin Xing felt embarrassed. Glancing at Lin Feng and the others, he thought, "I finally got to play the teacher—I can’t lose face in front of my students." So he said, "I always know it’s you coming. Otherwise, with my skills, how could I not notice you sneaking in?"

"Then why did you get startled that one time? Don’t tell me you were pretending to be scared on purpose?"

"Heh..." Lin Xing gave an awkward laugh. "That time, I was careless, so you managed to startle me. Otherwise, with my skills, how could I possibly be scared? Right?" He directed the last question at Lin Feng and the others.

"Yes, yes. The young master is so skilled—how could he be scared? He must have been pretending to be startled by Miss Shi Ya." Lin Feng and the others struggled to hold back their laughter. Seeing Lin Xing turn the question on them, Lin Feng had no choice but to go along with it.

"They all know how skilled I am. Shi Ya, don’t you know your Brother Lin Xing is also very capable? Heh..."

"Flatterers," Shi Ya said disapprovingly, shooting a glance at Lin Feng.

Lin Feng scratched the back of his head and gave Shi Ya an awkward smile.

Seeing this, Lin Xing hurriedly stepped in to defuse the situation. "Shi Ya, you might not know them yet. Let me introduce you. This is Lin Feng," he said, pointing at Lin Feng.

"Lin Yun, Lin Lei, Lin Dian. And this is Miss Shi Ya. Lin Feng, you already know her, right?"

"Hmph..." Shi Ya didn’t say anything, just snorted.

"By the way, Lin Feng, I came to see you today for a reason. From now on, you’ll stay by my side. Except when we’re in the Prime Minister’s residence, you can move around freely. When I go out, you’ll accompany me."

"Yes, young master," Lin Feng and the other three replied happily.

"Alright, let’s go have breakfast first. Later, I’ll take you to a fun place. Lin Feng, you all can join me for breakfast too!" Lin Xing said, without a second thought for their status.

Lin Feng and the others looked both honored and anxious but still replied, "Yes, young master."