Celestial Masters' Manor's Difficulties

Inside the Lin Family Fortress's council hall, the eight-immortal table was polished to a gleaming shine. Two mystic iron daggers were placed at the table's corners—samples of the fortress's weaponry, hinting at the heritage of a martial arts family.

Daoist Zhang, clad in a blue robe embroidered with "Mystic Heaven Martial Pattern," sat upright in the main seat's grand chair. His knuckles unconsciously rubbed the handle of his mystic iron horsetail whisk, exuding an imposing presence.

Beside him, Instructor Li stood with his hand on his sword. His gleaming chain mail reflected a cold, sharp glint in the morning light. The "Heart Protection Pattern" on the armor plates subtly pulsed with a white inner energy—clearly, he was maintaining a state of alert, lest this remote fortress hide any martial arts experts.

Lin Zhao sat opposite him on a wooden chair, with Zhao Tieying standing behind him, hands resting on the mystic iron sabers at his waist. Zhao Tieying was the Lin Family Fortress's martial arts instructor. Though he was at the peak Martial Master realm, his strength had declined. He was no match for Instructor Li's peak Martial Master state, but he could still put up a decent fight.

Lin Zhao deliberately lowered his gaze, a look of youthful awkwardness on his face. His fingertips lightly clutched his clothes, even revealing a hint of imperceptible panic—these subtle expressions were all noticed by Daoist Zhang.

As expected, a youth untouched by martial conflicts, the Daoist mused inwardly.

Before arriving, he had thoroughly investigated the surrounding fortresses, paying special attention to the Lin Family Fortress, which had produced a "Mystic Dragon Centurion."

There were already rumors that this hereditary centurion was young and lacked a solid foundation. Seeing him today, the rumors proved true.

Clearing his throat, Daoist Zhang put down his teacup, his expression solemn. "Centurion Lin, I have come today to discuss a matter—the Celestial Masters' Manor wishes to purchase your fortress's farmlands and the iron mine in the back mountain."

The words were direct, without any preamble. In the current world, the Celestial Masters' Manor was already the largest controller of martial arts resources in the northern region. Not only did they manage martial arts order, but they also monopolized over half of the mystic iron ore veins. Annexing farmlands under the guise of "border protection" was a common occurrence.

Martial arts branches across various regions, openly and secretly, held vast numbers of tenant farmers and mining sites. Acquiring properties from declining martial families had long been the norm.

Zhao Tieying's expression changed upon hearing this. He subconsciously looked at Lin Zhao—the iron mine in the back mountain was the foundation for forging martial weapons in the fortress. Without the mine, their future transactions with the "Iron Mask" Martial Master would be cut off.

Lin Zhao did not rush to refuse, merely lowering his gaze to the edge of the table. He wanted to see how much the Celestial Masters' Manor was willing to pay.

If they could truly buy the farmlands and the iron mine, and the price was sufficient for him to purchase all the Body Tempering Pills and find the Mystic Ice Breathing Technique, selling them might not be out of the question.

But then he thought again. The farmlands were the foundation of the tenant farmers, and the iron mine was the lifeblood of blacksmithing. Without these two, even with his Proficiency Panel, it would be difficult to rapidly improve his strength.

Seeing his silence, Daoist Zhang assumed he was hesitating and continued with a smile, "Five thousand taels of silver. This price is double that of the Frostwind Fortress and Panyan Fortress. Firstly, it's out of respect for your late father, the 'Mystic Dragon Centurion,' who contributed to border protection in the north. Secondly, we know your fortress's annual income is less than three hundred taels. This sum is enough for you to buy ten bottles of Pangolin Dragon Essence, forge twenty sets of mystic iron plate armor, and ensure your martial equipment cultivation for the rest of your life is worry-free."

He paused, his tone adding a hint of "concern for your well-being." "Centurion Lin, you must know that the Lin Family Fortress is located in a remote area, and the mystic iron ore vein is not a rich one. It is inherently weak and unlikely to achieve much in this lifetime. Rather than guarding this impoverished fortress and exhausting yourself, why not sell it to the Celestial Masters' Manor? You can take the silver to the Northern Garrison City and forge a martial future for yourself. Wouldn't that be better than toiling here?"

After speaking, Daoist Zhang picked up his teacup and took a sip, his eyes confident. With such generous terms, he didn't believe this "cowardly" young centurion would refuse.

But how could he know that the current Lin Zhao was no longer the same person he once was?

Five thousand taels of silver seemed like a lot, but with his "guaranteed top-tier" blacksmithing skills, he could earn over a thousand taels every three months. It wouldn't take five years to earn it back.

Moreover, the farmlands supported the tenant farmers, and the tenant farmers' children could practice the Basic Slash and Stab Technique, forming the foundation of the fortress's future martial equipment. Although the back mountain iron mine was not rich, it was enough for him to forge weapons and armor. It absolutely could not be lost.

Furthermore, the Lin family had been rooted here for two hundred years. The ancestral tablets of past generations were enshrined in the fortress's ancestral hall, and the fortress households recognized the "Lin Family" brand. If he sold the farmlands and the iron mine, he would be betraying his ancestors and breaking his promise, becoming a sinner. Who would follow him in the future?

"Thank you for your kind intentions, Daoist Master, but I must respectfully decline," Lin Zhao said, shaking his head. His voice was earnest. "My Lin family has been rooted here for two hundred years. Every brick and tile in this fortress is soaked with the blood and sweat of our ancestors. The iron mine in the back mountain is the foundation for forging martial equipment. Without the mine, the fortress guards won't even have decent swords. How can they defend against ferocious beasts? The tenant farmers here all regard me as family. If I sell the farmlands, they will have no land to farm, and will they not starve?"

Zhao Tieying breathed a sigh of relief beside him. This is the backbone a Lin family descendant should have!

The loss of the Furong Manor and Iron Felt Mountain properties back then was because those areas were coveted by a prince's martial masters, and the Lin family's strength at the time was insufficient to protect them. But the Lin Family Fortress was their last bastion; it absolutely could not be lost.

"Oh? Centurion Lin, you won't reconsider?" Daoist Zhang still had a smile on his face, but his tone had gained a hint of unyielding firmness. The tassels of the mystic iron horsetail whisk in his fingers had straightened. He hadn't expected a young centurion to dare refuse him, and he was already displeased. However, years of martial cultivation had given him the composure to hide his emotions.

"There's no need," Lin Zhao lowered his eyes. He appeared nervous, but his voice was steady. "If you came to purchase the farmlands and iron mine, I'm afraid you will be disappointed. Even if I agreed, the tenant farmers and guards of the fortress would certainly not consent. They would rather die than leave the land their ancestors lived on."

Although he was weak now, when it came to the foundation of his existence, he absolutely could not retreat.

Previously, when the Wild Jackal Gang had abducted Zhang Laochui, they lost a blacksmith, and the fortress's affairs could still operate. If they lost the farmlands and the iron mine, it would be severing their roots. Even with the Proficiency Panel, it would be difficult to establish himself in this high-level martial world.

Seeing his firm attitude, Daoist Zhang stopped beating around the bush and changed the subject. "Since that's the case, the matter of purchasing property will be postponed. I await Centurion Lin's visit to the Northern Garrison City to discuss it at any time. Now, for the second matter—the issue of your fortress's overdue 'Martial Equipment Offerings.'"

He put down his teacup, his gaze sharp as a knife. "Centurion Lin, you should know that the three plots of farmlands and the iron mine under your name are all required to pay Martial Equipment Offerings to the Celestial Masters' Manor—either in mystic iron, weapons, or equivalent silver. After your father passed away, the Furong Manor and Iron Felt Mountain were occupied by others, and the Celestial Masters' Manor showed much leniency, not pursuing the arrears from you. As for the Lin Family Fortress and the back mountain iron mine, due to their remote location, the Celestial Masters' Manor also turned a blind eye and did not aggressively pursue payment."

He paused here, then said word by word, "However, the martial sect rules state: any property within the protection scope of the Celestial Masters' Manor, regardless of whether it was previously taxed, has the right to claim past dues. In other words, from the time your father inherited the position of centurion, the Celestial Masters' Manor can demand the Martial Equipment Offerings owed for the past hundred years. The fact that they weren't demanded before was out of the Celestial Masters' Manor's leniency; demanding them now is also in accordance with sect rules. Centurion Lin, how do you intend to handle these hundred years of overdue offerings?"

His tone was calm, yet it carried the pressure of an Innate Martial Master, causing the air in the hall to seem to congeal.

Lin Zhao sneered inwardly but showed no outward emotion. "The Martial Equipment Offerings that should be paid will be paid." He had never enjoyed any of that so-called "leniency and reduction." The income from Furong Manor and Iron Felt Mountain had long gone into the prince's coffers. Now, the Celestial Masters' Manor was using this as an excuse to force him to pay the old debts of the Lin Family Fortress. This was clearly bullying him because he was young and alone.

Ultimately, with his father, a peak Martial Master, gone, the Lin family had no one capable of handling affairs, and all sorts of opportunistic individuals wanted a piece of the pie.

The Celestial Masters' Manor was still "polite"; at least they offered to "purchase." When Furong Manor was seized, the prince's martial masters had directly threatened them. If Zhao Tieying hadn't resisted desperately, even he would have been captured.

The feeling of weakness is truly stifling! Lin Zhao cursed inwardly, maintaining a submissive expression.

He knew that the matter of Martial Equipment Offerings was difficult for even the nobility to refuse. The Celestial Masters' Manor controlled the martial arts resources of the northern region. If he dared to refuse payment, he would be branded as "resisting the border protection order." At that time, they would send their Guardian Martial Master Corps to "quell" him, and his small Lin Family Fortress would be unable to resist.

He wasn't afraid of Daoist Zhang, a mere "martial dao Daoist," but of the vast net behind the Celestial Masters' Manor—the martial arts branches spread throughout the northern region, hundreds of Innate Martial Masters, and the Guardian Martial Master Corps composed of seven Innate Grandmaster Warriors. That was a blade sharp enough to crush all resistance.

With the Proficiency Panel, Lin Zhao was certain to cultivate to the Innate Grandmaster Warrior realm, or even the Legendary Master Warrior realm, as long as he stayed alive.

Therefore, he understood that some things required patience. Daoist Zhang's shift from discussing property purchase to demanding offerings was already giving him a way out. He hadn't directly seized the property, which could be considered "merciful."

"Very well, I will trouble Centurion Lin for his cooperation," Daoist Zhang nodded with satisfaction. He took a document from his sleeve and handed it over. "This is the calculated total amount of overdue offerings—ten thousand taels of silver. Considering your father's meritorious service in border protection, we will waive the 'late fees' (according to sect rules, overdue offerings incur a ten percent monthly late fee), and only collect the principal. Please settle it as soon as possible."

Clearly, he had come prepared. First, discuss the purchase; if it worked, great. If not, then demand the old debts. Either way, they intended to extract some profit from the Lin Family Fortress.

Lin Zhao took the document. As his gaze swept over the words "ten thousand taels of silver," his knuckles suddenly clenched, turning pale. He cursed inwardly—this old Daoist was truly black-hearted, tracing the accounts back to the year his father first inherited the position of centurion!

A hundred years of offerings, even if he paid fifty taels annually, it would only be five thousand taels. This ten thousand taels was clearly more than double the amount!

A storm of anger surged within him, almost uncontrollable.

When his father was alive, the Celestial Masters' Manor had never mentioned demanding payment. Less than five years after his father's death, they came knocking with a hundred-year-old debt, and under the guise of "waiving late fees," it was clearly bullying him too much!

But he took a deep breath, still suppressing his anger.

In this high-level martial world, rules were made by the strong. Where was fairness? Weakness was the original sin.

"Ten thousand taels of silver is no small sum. I can only pay in installments," Lin Zhao tried to keep his tone steady, though his fingertips still trembled slightly.

"Installments are acceptable, but with interest," Daoist Zhang said, sipping his tea as if discussing trivial matters. "According to the Celestial Masters' Manor's rules, the monthly interest is one percent. Additionally, you must pay the martial equipment contributions that the Lin Family Fortress should have made over the past ten years. Starting this year, you will pay fifteen hundred taels annually for ten years. After the ten-year settlement, you will resume the regular payment of two hundred taels per year."

This wasn't collecting contributions; it was clearly usury disguised as martial path loans! Lin Zhao knew that the Celestial Masters' Manor's main sources of income were these "contribution interests" and their monopoly on iron ore. How could they support hundreds of Martial Masters solely on the grain paid by tenants?

"Fine," Lin Zhao gritted his teeth and agreed.

It wasn't time to break ties with the Celestial Masters' Manor yet. Even if it meant paying fifteen thousand taels over ten years, he had to accept it for now.

This old Daoist was a shrewd planner, clearly intending to bleed him dry with interest. But who knew if he would break through to the Innate Grandmaster Warrior realm within ten years?

By then, he wouldn't just be able to earn back fifteen thousand taels, but even a hundred thousand!

After signing the contract, Daoist Zhang, accompanied by Instructor Li, left grandly.

As Instructor Li departed, he deliberately released a trace of his peak Martial Master pressure, causing the leaves of the old locust tree by the fortress gate to rustle down. It was a blatant display of deterrence.

Lin Zhao stood at the fortress gate, squinting at their receding figures. A flash of killing intent flickered in his eyes before being forcibly suppressed by reason.

Zhao Tieying sighed softly beside him and suddenly lowered his voice, "Young Master, why don't we find an opportunity on their return mountain path to make a move? If you and I join forces, and we have the Mystic Arm Snow Ape launch a surprise attack, dealing with Instructor Li won't be difficult. That Daoist Zhang is just a martial path Daoist; his internal energy is mainly for offense and nurturing, he doesn't have much combat power."

"It's useless," Lin Zhao shook his head, his voice filled with helplessness. "If we kill Daoist Zhang and Instructor Li, the Celestial Masters' Manor will send ten, a hundred more. They have the entire Celestial Masters' Manor behind them. Unless we can annihilate the entire guardian Martial Master corps in the northern region, it will only bring more trouble."

He paused, clenching his fist until his knuckles turned white. "The matter of money isn't urgent. Fifteen hundred taels a year, I'll pay it. But this debt, I will settle it sooner or later, with both principal and interest. When I cultivate to the Innate Grandmaster Warrior realm, I will make the Celestial Masters' Manor realize that the Lin Family Fortress is not to be trifled with!"

With that, he turned back into the fortress and headed straight for the blacksmith's shed. Anger wouldn't solve their predicament; only becoming stronger was fundamental.

He was too weak now. Apart from uttering a few harsh words, he had no other recourse.

Whether it was the Celestial Masters' Manor or the Wild Jackal Gang, they dared to bully him, simply because Zhao Tieying was nearing fifty and his internal energy was gradually declining, and he himself had not yet broken through to the Innate Martial Master realm.

All he could do was endure and cultivate diligently.

No matter how angry an ordinary person was, they couldn't fight a tiger. How could he, who wasn't even an Innate Martial Master, contend with a behemoth like the Celestial Masters' Manor?

"I have a Proficiency Panel. I will definitely become stronger in the future. I cannot risk my life on a moment of impulse," he encouraged himself inwardly. "The top priority now is to cultivate the Mystic Dragon Breathing Technique to perfection and break through to the Innate Martial Master realm!"

After this incident, Lin Zhao's cultivation became even more arduous.

In both his past and present lives, he had never worked so hard. During the day, he practiced the Mystic Dragon Breathing Technique and studied the Mystic Wolf Breathing Technique. When his internal energy was depleted, he would consume Mystic Dragon Secret Medicine. At night, he would spend time in the blacksmith's shed forging weapons. After forging, he would practice the "Three Talents Slash" until his wrists were too sore to hold a sword. In his spare time, he still had to manage the fortress affairs, inventory the iron ore, and arrange for the tenants to cultivate. With so many burdens, he had almost no breathing room.

The year 23 of Jiajing, midsummer.

This was the most pleasant season for the Lin Family Fortress. It was neither too hot nor too cold, and the mountain breeze carried the scent of the wild fruits that the Mystic Arm Snow Ape loved.

Two months had passed since Lin Zhao began cultivating the Mystic Wolf Breathing Technique.

Just as he was about to give up and consider switching to the Black Bear Breathing Technique, one morning, after practicing the "Silver Wolf Stance" from the scroll for the last time, he suddenly felt his body lighten. A faint but clear silver-white internal energy slowly rose from his dantian, circulating through his meridians, just like when he first started practicing the Mystic Dragon Breathing Technique!

Lin Zhao's heart bloomed with joy, and he immediately opened the Proficiency Panel in his mind:

- Mystic Dragon Breathing Technique: Third Level (6769/10000), Internal Energy Condensation: 52% - Mystic Wolf Breathing Technique: First Level (1/1000), Internal Energy Attribute: Silver Frost (Adept at speed, stealth) - "Three Talents Slash": Third Level (7568/10000), Special Effect: Advanced Shocking Force (When infusing internal energy, can shatter lamellar armor below the Innate Martial Master realm) - Beast Taming: Third Level (Mastered), Special Effect: Heart of Beast Taming (Can command the Mystic Arm Snow Ape to transport iron ore and alert to enemy presence) - Martial Path Blacksmithing: Third Level (5563/10000), Special Effect: Guaranteed Top Quality (Forged weapons and armor have a 30% increase in Heart Protection Pattern compatibility)

"It's finally entered!" He was so excited he almost jumped. The fact that the Mystic Wolf Breathing Technique could be recorded by the Proficiency Panel meant that he had truly broken through the "bloodline binding" restriction. Even without the bloodline of the Mystic Wolf Fortress, he could still cultivate this breathing technique!

Now that he had entered, things would be easier. Even if the progress was slow, as long as he practiced daily and supplemented it with wolf meat (Silver Frost internal energy requires beast meat for nourishment), he would eventually cultivate it to perfection!

He hadn't been this excited in a long time. This was not just a breakthrough in a breathing technique; it also meant that he could collect martial arts techniques from all over the world in the future, cultivate various schools, and compensate for his own shortcomings.

In an instant, the gloom of being extorted by the Celestial Masters' Manor vanished. He even began to envision the future: once the Mystic Wolf Breathing Technique was cultivated to perfection, he would seek out the Black Bear Breathing Technique. The Silver Frost internal energy would supplement speed, the Black Bear internal energy would supplement strength, and combined with the Yin and cold defense of the Mystic Dragon internal energy, even an Innate Peak Martial Master would be a worthy opponent!

"Daoist Zhang, just you wait!" Lin Zhao gritted his teeth and turned back to resume his practice of the Mystic Wolf Breathing Technique. The silver-white internal energy flowed through his meridians, making even his footsteps seem lighter.

Time flew by, and it was the end of the Fiery Month.

Lin Zhao personally carried ten sets of "Mystic Iron Plate Armor with Heart Protection Patterns" and nearly a hundred "Hundred Refinements Mystic Iron Sabers" that he had forged during this period to the Xuanyao Tavern in Northern Garrison City. He was going to trade with the "Iron Mask" Martial Master, still using the alias "Rakshasa Shen Luo."

This transaction went smoothly. The "Iron Mask" saw that the Heart Protection Pattern compatibility of the armor he forged was extremely high and even gave him an extra fifty taels of silver, selling for a total of eleven hundred and fifty taels of silver.

Unfortunately, he didn't encounter the Martial Master who sold the Pangolin Dragon Essence last time. After inquiring at Ruibao斋, he learned that the Pangolin Dragon Essence was still monopolized by "White Horse General" Zhu Chenhao. He could only return to the fortress with the silver.

With eleven hundred and fifty taels of silver in the account, the fortress's financial predicament was temporarily eased. At least the first "contribution" for this year had a source.

However, a new problem arose: the Mystic Iron ore in the mountain behind the fortress had been depleted. Without raw materials, he couldn't forge weapons and armor anymore.

Helpless, Lin Zhao, relying on fragmented "geological memories" from his past life, led the Mystic Arm Snow Ape to search along the sides of Qixia Mountain. The Mystic Arm Snow Ape was strong and could sense underground metal.

After half a month, they finally found a small open-pit Mystic Iron mine dozens of miles upstream on Qixia Mountain. Although the ore vein was not rich, it was enough for the fortress's blacksmithing needs, thus resolving the crisis of ore supply.

To ensure the iron ore supply, Lin Zhao reorganized the fortress's manpower. Apart from an hour of Basic Slash and Stab Technique training daily, the Zhuangzhuang were assigned to mine, chop wood, and make charcoal. The blacksmith apprentices were expanded to ten, led by Zhang Tiechui, responsible for forging ordinary weapons. The crucial armor and "weapons with Heart Protection Patterns" were still personally forged by him for now.

He planned to make the martial path blacksmithing industry the pillar industry of the fortress, while ensuring agricultural production. Once Zhang Tiechui broke through to "Formal Martial Path Blacksmith," and he found a way to reclaim Zhang Laochui from the Wild Jackal Gang, he could devote more energy to cultivation.

Thus, from mining, charcoal making, smelting to forging, the division of labor was clear, and efficiency greatly increased.

In just one month of furnace operation, the fortress produced fourteen sets of Mystic Iron plate armor and one hundred and fifty Mystic Iron sabers, enough for the next trade with "Iron Mask."

Time flew by, and it was the wheat harvest month again. The winter wheat of the Lin Family Fortress welcomed a bumper harvest.

After the tenants harvested this year's wheat, Lin Zhao calculated the yield and was pleasantly surprised. Because he had introduced the "Northern Cold-Resistant Wheat Seed" and had Zhao Tieying use his faint internal energy to improve soil fertility, the wheat yield had actually increased by 5% compared to last year!

This is practically a miracle in the frigid northern regions.

He knew that in this high-martial world, the best way to mobilize manpower was to ensure laborers were well-fed and saw tangible benefits—only when tenant farmers had enough grain would they allow their children to participate in martial training; only when estate guards were paid sufficiently would they risk their lives mining and blacksmithing.

Besides farming and blacksmithing, Lin Zhao's cultivation also saw double blessings.

The Mystic Wolf Breathing Technique progressed at lightning speed—its "body tempering auxiliary ingredients" were much simpler than those for the Mystic Dragon Breathing Technique, with the main ingredient being the meat of the Mystic Mane Fierce Wolf, supplemented by a small amount of Ice Spring Stone powder.

He ate wolf meat daily and circulated the breathing technique, advancing from the First Level to the Heavy Level (899/1000) in just four months. His Silver Frost inner energy could already increase his speed by twenty percent, and even the draw of his "Three Talents Slash" had become a bit quicker.

What delighted him even more was that the Mystic Dragon Breathing Technique also achieved a substantial breakthrough—with the boost from the mystic dragon and his day-and-night diligent practice, its proficiency had reached 9876/10000, and the condensation of his inner energy had broken through to 80%, leaving him just one step away from "Triple Level Completion and breaking through to enter the realm of a Martial Master!"