In Martial Universe, Signed in at the Start with Yao Lao's Ring

"By the way, Dong'er, do you know who this Lin Yan is? I clearly remember that there's no such person among our Lin family's younger generation. But for some reason, his name sounds somewhat familiar."

Compared to Lin Dong and Qing Tan, Lin Xiao had not seen Lin Yan recently, nor did he recognize him among his peers. Thus, after listening to Qing Tan's explanation, although he was shocked by Lin Yan's strength, he still could not recall exactly who he was.

"Father, Brother Lin Yan isn't from your generation. He's from ours."

"Speaking of which, you actually know his father—Uncle Lin Quan."

Lin Dong explained to Lin Xiao with a smile.

"Oh! So it's Lin Quan!"

"I never expected his child to be so accomplished. It seems that even in the afterlife, he would feel at peace knowing this."

As soon as Lin Dong mentioned it, Lin Xiao immediately understood. He did not recognize Lin Yan, but he did know his father. In their youth, they had been close friends. However, after Lin Quan's untimely passing and Lin Xiao's own cultivation being crippled, he had completely fallen into despair.

Thinking about it now, Lin Xiao couldn't help but feel a little guilty. Over the years, he had been caught up in his own troubles and had hardly paid attention to his late friend's son. Given the close bond between their families, he should not have neglected him like that.

Sighing, Lin Xiao looked at the two of them and said, "When we get the chance, invite this child over for a meal. He has lived alone for so many years, with no family to rely on—it hasn't been easy for him."

Hearing this, both Lin Dong and Qing Tan nodded in agreement. Seizing the moment, Qing Tan took out the bottle of pills Lin Yan had given her and handed it to Lin Xiao.

"Father, Brother Lin Yan said this pill should be able to heal your injuries. If you're willing to try it..."

Lin Xiao raised an eyebrow.

If it had been from anyone else, he would have refused without hesitation.

But this was the son of his old friend, someone he held in high regard. And more importantly, Lin Yan had already proven his capabilities by helping Qing Tan suppress her cold Qi.

"Dong'er, Qing Tan, what do you think of Lin Yan's character?"

Instead of making a decision right away, Lin Xiao turned to his children for their opinions.

Even though he had been close friends with Lin Quan, that didn't necessarily mean his son was trustworthy.

Thus, before accepting anything, Lin Xiao wanted to gauge Lin Yan's character through Lin Dong and Qing Tan, who had spent time with him.

"Father, to be honest, I'm not very familiar with Brother Lin Yan either."

"But this isn't the first time he's helped us. Last time, when Qing Tan had a conflict with Lin Hong and Lin Shan, he stepped in to help her as well."

"From my interactions with him, I feel like he's quite reliable and also a genuinely kind person."

Lin Dong thought for a moment before sharing his thoughts.

Lin Xiao took note of Lin Dong's assessment, then turned to Qing Tan.

At the mere mention of Lin Yan, Qing Tan's cheeks turned red. She hesitated for a moment before stammering, "Father, I also think Brother Lin Yan is trustworthy. He's a very gentle person. If it's him, I'm sure there's no problem."

Lin Dong couldn't help but widen his eyes. "Qing Tan, don't tell me you and Brother Lin Yan…?"

Qing Tan's face flushed even more, but she quickly refuted, "No way! We're just friends."

Lin Xiao gave Qing Tan a meaningful look before chuckling. "It seems Lin Yan's personality is quite similar to his father's."

"In that case, he should be trustworthy."

With that, Lin Xiao accepted the pill from Qing Tan. The moment he opened the bottle, a strong medicinal fragrance filled the air. Both Lin Dong and Lin Xiao were slightly astonished—this was their first time encountering a pill refined using the alchemy methods of the Dou Qi Continent.

Lin Xiao retrieved the pill and swallowed it in one gulp. Instantly, he felt a surge of powerful medicinal energy rushing through his body.

His eyes lit up in surprise.

He could tell immediately—the potency of this pill far surpassed the medicinal decoctions he had been using before!

Not daring to waste any time, Lin Xiao sat down cross-legged and began circulating his energy to heal his injuries, ensuring his body could fully absorb the pill's effects.

Lin Dong and Qing Tan watched nervously from the side, more anxious than Lin Xiao himself.

It wasn't that they didn't trust Lin Yan, but Lin Xiao had attempted to heal his injuries multiple times in the past, only to fail every time. If this attempt failed again, it could deal a serious blow to him.

Pfft!

Lin Xiao continued regulating his energy when he suddenly felt a surge of blood rushing up. Unable to suppress it, he spat out a mouthful of dark blood.

Lin Dong and Qing Tan were startled and immediately rushed forward to support him.

But as they got closer, they realized that despite coughing up blood, Lin Xiao's complexion was not pale at all—on the contrary, his face looked noticeably flushed.

A hint of astonishment and joy flashed through Lin Xiao's eyes as he muttered, "My injury… is healed?"

At first, he had only taken the pill with the mindset of trying a desperate remedy for a hopeless situation. Never had he expected it to actually work. This unexpected success filled him with immense joy.

He quickly channeled his energy, and soon, a surge of powerful Yuan Power emerged from his body. Though it was still not as strong as in his prime, that was mainly due to years of neglecting his cultivation. Now, even when exerting his full strength, he no longer felt any of the usual discomfort.

"Hahaha! My injury is healed!"

Lin Xiao's laughter grew louder and louder. Even though he had never openly spoken about it, being crippled had been the greatest humiliation of his life. Now that his internal injuries were finally cured, this was undoubtedly the happiest moment he had experienced in years.

Qing Tan was even happier than Lin Xiao. As a daughter, she had always wished for her father's well-being. Seeing him suffer from his internal injuries had been painful for her, and now that this torment had finally ended, she couldn't contain her joy.

"It's all thanks to Brother Lin Yan. I really don't know how we can ever repay this kindness…" Qing Tan said to Lin Dong.

Lin Dong nodded seriously, fully understanding the weight of this debt. He valued family and friends above all else, and he silently made a vow in his heart:

"From this day on, Brother Lin Yan's concerns will be my concerns. If he ever finds himself in trouble, even if I have to walk through fire and blades, I, Lin Dong, will not hesitate."

"What's going on? Why is everyone so happy?"

Not long after, Lin Dong's mother, Liu Yan, returned home from an errand. Seeing the joyful expressions on everyone's faces, she couldn't help but smile as well.

"Mother, Father's injuries are healed!"

"It's all thanks to Brother Lin Yan!"

Qing Tan quickly ran up to Liu Yan to share the good news.

Liu Yan's eyes filled with emotion. After hearing the full story from Qing Tan, her expression became solemn as she looked at Lin Dong and Qing Tan.

"Dong'er, Qing Tan, Lin Yan's kindness to our family is immeasurable. You must never forget this debt. If there ever comes a time when we can repay it, we must do so without hesitation."

"Wait here. I'll prepare some gifts. Then, our entire family will visit him to express our gratitude properly."

Meanwhile, after giving away the pill, Lin Yan had returned home.

He wasn't worried that the pill would bring him any trouble. First, he fully trusted the character of Lin Dong and Lin Xiao. Second, with Yao Lao by his side, he had no real threats to fear—at least, not within the Great Yan Empire.

So after arriving home, Lin Yan simply closed his eyes and rested.

"Little friend, it looks like the pill worked. That little girl's entire family is coming over to thank you."

It was unclear how much time had passed when Yao Lao's voice suddenly echoed in Lin Yan's ear.

Hearing this, Lin Yan opened his eyes. Stepping outside, he saw Lin Dong and the others already approaching his home.