Courtyard Houses: From Bronze Compasses to Global Reach

Chapter 183 The Flowing Light and Shadows on the Intermediate Path

As Li Wenbin and his companions struggled to their feet again in the snow, the harsh mockery of the young white men continued unabated, and Lin Yan's eyes turned completely cold. He didn't care about being ridiculed, but his men would never be allowed to be bullied.

He didn't turn around, but clearly transmitted the instructions to Lin Yi and Lin Gang's minds through his divine sense:

"Lin Yi, Lin Gang, keep an eye on Wenbin, Jiaming, and Miss Yang. I don't want them to get hurt by any 'accident,' especially not by human intervention."

His command carried an unquestionable authority. Lin Yi and Lin Gang nodded slightly, indicating they understood. The two quietly adjusted their positions, their divine senses spreading out like an invisible spiderweb, closely monitoring the area where Li Wenbin and the others were located. Any malicious approach or potential danger would be detected and silently neutralized immediately.

After making the arrangements, Lin Yan stopped paying attention to the farce over there. He turned to Jack, the coach in charge of looking after him, and asked calmly, "Coach Jack, where is the advanced ski slope here? I'd like to try it."

Upon hearing this, Coach Jack's expression immediately changed, and he waved his hands repeatedly: "Mr. Lin, this is absolutely not allowed! The advanced slopes are steep, the snow conditions are complex, and there are many uncultivated off-piste areas, which are extremely dangerous! Although you are a genius, this is your first time skiing, and your basics are not yet solid. You haven't even mastered the parallel skiing yet. Going there is too risky!" The other coaches also cast disapproving glances at him.

Lin Yan had anticipated this outcome. He didn't argue, but instead pointed to a clearly steeper ski slope that wound its way into the forest and was marked with blue circles (representing intermediate slopes), and offered a suggestion that Jack hadn't expected:

"Coach Jack, I understand your concerns. How about this, we have a race. We'll ski on this intermediate slope. If I can keep up with your pace without falling, or if you feel my control, reaction time, and courage are sufficient for more complex snow conditions, then you can't stop me from trying the advanced slope. Otherwise, if I perform poorly, or if you think I'm really not up to the task, I'll give up immediately and go back to the beginner's area to practice. How about that?"

This suggestion demonstrates confidence and gives the coach the power to make judgments, making it seem reasonable.

Coach Jack looked into Lin Yan's calm yet profound eyes, then glanced at the challenging intermediate path, weighing his options. He admitted that this young man was the most quick learner he had ever seen, possessing an almost uncanny ability to control his body. But the intermediate path was no joke.

"Mr. Lin, even intermediate-level paths have risks..." Jack wanted to persuade him further.

"It's just a competition. You can control the speed. I just need to prove my ability, not pursue the limit," Lin Yan interrupted him, his tone carrying an undeniable certainty.

Coach Jack looked at Lin Yan, and finally gritted his teeth: "Alright! We'll do it your way! But I must emphasize, safety first! If I sense any danger, I will immediately stop the match!"

"Deal." Lin Yan nodded.

After reaching an agreement, Lin Yan waved to Li Wenbin and the others who were watching him expectantly, signaling them to continue practicing. Then, he and Coach Jack, using their ski poles, skied towards the chairlift station leading to the intermediate slope area.

Watching Lin Yan's departing figure, Li Wenbin forgot he was still sitting in the snow and muttered, "Yan... is he going to the intermediate track? And competing against the coach?"

Zheng Jiaming adjusted his glasses, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes, but more so a strange confidence in Lin Yan: "Since he dares to go, he must be confident."

Tang Liuqian frowned slightly, feeling that Lin Yan was taking a risk, but thinking of all the incredible things he had done before, he felt that perhaps he couldn't be judged by common sense.

The five white youths naturally noticed Lin Yan and the coach's movements. When they saw them heading towards the intermediate course cable car, their faces showed even more disdain and anticipation for a good show.

"Hey! That kid's pretty arrogant, daring to go to the intermediate level?"

"You're asking for it! Just wait and see him being carried off on a stretcher!"

"Come on, let's go over there and 'have some fun.' Maybe we'll witness a tragedy firsthand!"

The group exchanged glances and followed with smiles, clearly intending to "watch" Lin Yan make a fool of himself.

Lin Yan and Jack boarded the cable car leading to higher ground. The snowscape below grew increasingly magnificent, yet also increasingly treacherous. A competition concerning "qualification" was about to unfold on the unnoticed intermediate slope.

The cable car took Lin Yan and Coach Jack to a higher altitude. As soon as they stepped out of the cable car station, a biting mountain wind hit them. The slope beneath their feet was significantly steeper than the beginner's area, with an incline of approximately 30 to 35 degrees. The slope was also narrower, with compacted snow on one side and untreated powder snow on the other, interspersed with small snow mounds and ice formations formed by wind erosion. This intermediate slope, named "Mountain Eagle Twist," was well-known for its series of sharp turns and undulating terrain.

The group of white youths also took the next cable car and gathered not far from the start of the ski slope, arms crossed, with undisguised schadenfreude on their faces, clearly intending to see how Lin Yan would fall flat on his face here.

Coach Jack took a deep breath and looked at Lin Yan seriously again: "Mr. Lin, I'm confirming one more time, are you really going to..."

"Let's begin, Coach Jack," Lin Yan calmly interrupted him, adjusting his helmet. His gaze was already fixed on the winding downhill slope, his eyes focused and sharp. "Please ski at your normal cruising speed; there's no need to wait for me."

Seeing this, Coach Jack knew that further words would be useless, so he nodded: "Okay! Stay close to me and pay attention to my route selection! Safety first!" After saying that, he tapped his ski poles, leaned forward, and glided into the ski slope with a smooth parallel turn.

Lin Yan moved almost simultaneously. His start wasn't as precise and smooth as Jack's; it even carried a hint of the awkwardness that's unavoidable for beginners. He relied entirely on his powerful core and leg strength to forcefully control the snowboard. But his eyes, like the most precise instruments, were locked onto every subtle movement of Coach Jack—the shift in weight, the bending and straightening of the knees, the angle of the ankles controlling the snowboard's edge, the direction of the turn guided by the shoulders and gaze…

His divine sense expanded in full, not only covering Coach Jack's movements ahead, but also clearly reflecting every undulation of the ski slope and the changes in the softness and hardness of the snow into his mind.

Lin Yan seemed to struggle a bit on the first few turns. He tried to imitate Jack's carbine turning technique, attempting to carve the snowboard edges into the snow, but the edge angle was not high enough and his control was insufficient. The snowboard was a bit floaty, and his speed control was not perfect. Twice, he even had to use snowplow braking to slow down due to insufficient anticipation of the turns, making his posture slightly awkward.

"Ha! I knew it!" one of the white youths watching from a distance sneered. "He can't even do a basic parallel stance properly, yet he dares to show off in the intermediate level!"

However, before their laughter had even subsided, the situation on the field began to change.

Lin Yan's learning ability and physical coordination are terrifying. After initially "learning" and adapting on the first few turns, he quickly adjusted. Coach Jack, in a perfect small turn, rhythmically shifted his weight from side to side like a pendulum, his skis tracing two beautiful arcs across the snow. A glint flashed in Lin Yan's eyes, and he immediately imitated him!

His next turn, while not quite as naturally rhythmic as Jack's, saw a decisive and precise shift in his center of gravity, with his knees and ankles working together to increase the angle of his snowboard's edge!

"laugh--!"

This time, the snowboard edges clearly etched into the compacted snow, producing a pleasant scraping sound and kicking up a beautiful cloud of snow. His skiing trajectory instantly became stable and efficient, and his speed increased dramatically, closing the gap with Coach Jack significantly!

"What?!" The white youth who had just been mocking him widened his eyes.

Coach Jack also sensed the approaching presence behind him. He turned around in surprise and saw Lin Yan smoothly cornering with a slightly stiff but well-defined core movement. The edge control and balance he displayed at that moment were unlike those of a beginner!

"This...how is this possible?!" Jack was shocked.

The subsequent skiing became a stage for Lin Yan's astonishing learning ability. He absorbed every technical detail that Coach Jack demonstrated like a sponge. How to pull himself up in advance when cornering, how to use ski poles to lightly tap for balance and to initiate a turn, how to fine-tune his center of gravity according to the snow conditions to deal with those annoying little snowballs...

His movements became visibly skillful and fluid. From clumsy imitation at the beginning, he gradually incorporated his own understanding. His posture became more centered and stable, his gaze was always on the exit of the next bend, and his arms no longer swung stiffly, but naturally coordinated with the shift of his center of gravity.

At a series of consecutive S-shaped bends, Coach Jack demonstrated a beautiful dynamic parallel turn, quickly connecting the turn using the body's rebound and the elasticity of the skis. Lin Yan followed closely behind, and although he lacked Jack's effortless ease, he managed to imitate it with greater strength and reaction time, precisely mimicking the move. His skis drew two clean, crisp arcs on the slope, almost parallel to Jack's!

"Damn it!" a young white man couldn't help but mutter, his face already filled with disbelief replacing his usual sarcasm.

"He... he really is skating for the first time?!" another murmured.

The final section was a long, slightly curved sprint slope. Coach Jack exerted all his strength, lowering his body to reduce wind resistance, his skis whistling as they sped along. Lin Yan's gaze sharpened; he no longer tried to imitate him, but instead completely trusted his own body and instinctive judgment. He lowered his center of gravity further, tightened his core, and his legs felt welded to the skis, allowing him to maintain pure control and stay close behind Jack. The two crossed the finish line almost side-by-side and came to a steady stop.

Snow dust flew everywhere.

Coach Jack, panting heavily, took off his goggles and stared at Lin Yan beside him as if he were a monster. Lin Yan's breathing was even, though his cheeks were slightly flushed. He had already used nearly 80% of his strength, especially in the final stage, yet he still couldn't shake off this "beginner"!

"Mr...Mr. Lin..." Jack's voice was a little hoarse, "You...you really leave me speechless. Your learning ability and body control are the most...most incredible I've ever seen in my career. I admit, given the potential and adaptability you've shown so far, I have no reason to stop you from experiencing the advanced path. But please, please be careful! The advanced path is completely different!"

Lin Yan exhaled a soft puff of white breath and nodded, "Thank you, Coach Jack. Your guidance was very helpful." He meant it sincerely; his recent "learning by observation" had given him a deeper understanding of skiing.

His gaze shifted to the five white youths not far away, their expressions shifting between shock and resentment, a cold smile curving his lips. He had achieved his goal of drawing them here.

Without saying another word, Lin Yan, leaning on his ski poles, turned and skied toward the chairlift signs marked with black diamonds (advanced slopes) and double black diamonds (expert off-piste areas).

Watching his resolute departure, and recalling his astonishingly rapid progress, the five white youths exchanged glances, each seeing in the other's eyes a provoked anger and a hint of... unspeakable jealousy.

"Damn it! We can't let this yellow-skinned brat be so arrogant!" the tall young man in the lead said viciously.

"He went to the advanced slopes. The 'Devil's Back' slope just opened today, and the snow conditions are very complicated..."

"Follow him! Find an opportunity... to let him know that there are some places he shouldn't be!"

A hint of malice began to grow in their hearts. They considered themselves expert skiers, how could they tolerate an Asian who had just been in the beginner's area and whom they had ridiculed so ruthlessly, suddenly displaying such talent in their area of ​​expertise, and even daring to challenge the advanced slopes that they themselves dared not attempt?

The five exchanged a sinister glance and quietly followed Lin Yan, boarding the cable car that led to higher and more treacherous ski slopes. The danger on the ice and snow subtly escalated as Lin Yan stepped into the advanced slope area.