The Storm Approaches

Early the next morning, before dawn had broken, Lin Yin set off for the town with Old Mother.

Along the way, they saw other people carrying bundles on their backs.

Most of them hurried along, their faces shrouded in lingering gloom and sorrow. Clearly, theirs had not been the only household visited by a "knock on the door" last night.

Lin Yin's heart sank slightly, and he grew even more wary of that mysterious burly man.

The man acted without the slightest restraint, making such a grand spectacle of it. He practically treated Langshi Town's Yamen as if it were nothing—he was even more unruly and violent than Lin Yin had imagined!

At the thought, Lin Yin felt a trace of lingering fear.

Last night, he had gambled that the Black Scorpion Gang would not kill people recklessly, still clinging to the mindset of his previous life, where order held sway.

After all, this was still within Tiancong Kingdom's borders. There were government offices and constables; no matter how rampant the Black Scorpion Gang was, they should not have dared to go too far in the open.

Yet judging from today's display, he had clearly underestimated the strength of this world's local powers... No, perhaps he had overestimated the authority of its local yamen.

"One cannot rely on others in all things. Only by becoming strong oneself can one fear nothing."

Lin Yin's heart tightened slightly.

His desire to grow stronger had now become ever more obsessive, even reaching the point of fixation.

Determined to gain an early foothold in the Vajra Stake Technique, Lin Yin racked his brains for every possible way to make himself grow stronger quickly.

While he was lost in thought, Madam Wang had already found them a place to settle down.

A small tavern in Langshi Town.

The cold wind cut like a knife. Smoke curled from the tavern, which had only three or four private booths, and a few people were already inside drinking tea and eating porridge.

Lin Yin and Old Mother found an inconspicuous seat near the corner and sat down.

Madam Wang ordered several breakfast items. After hurriedly eating a steamed bun and a bowl of thin porridge, she gave Lin Yin a few instructions and headed alone toward the town's market.

Lin Yin knew that she was looking into housing.

After all, every extra day they stayed there meant another measure of danger. Their move had been sudden, and everything was rushed.

Lin Yin sipped the steaming porridge in small mouthfuls, but the quiet conversations around him caught his attention.

"Have you heard? The Black Scorpion Gang is going to war with the Hungry Wolf Gang."

"What? Who did you hear that from?"

"Who did I hear it from? Heh, don't you know that one of the Hungry Wolf Gang's hideouts was slaughtered last night... Who else was making such a grand spectacle last night? Is there even any need to guess?"

"Hiss... If the two gangs go to all-out war, innocent fish in the pond may suffer."

"Heh, I'm not afraid. My home is less than a hundred meters from Pine Wind Martial Arts School. No matter how vicious those two gangs are, they wouldn't dare act too outrageously in front of the school."

"A martial arts school... Right, we need to hurry and find a house near one. In a few days, I'm afraid there won't even be houses left to rent!"

A martial arts school...

Lin Yin was slightly taken aback.

Thinking of his plans ahead, he frowned as his mind raced.

The Vajra Stake Technique alone had already offered a glimpse of just how transcendent martial artists were in this world, but he had never expected them to be this formidable.

A martial arts school could even make a local power wary!

No wonder Old Master Lin and the others had been so protective of that boy Lin Lin after he joined the school, even sparing no expense to help him establish himself.

Old Master Lin's favoritism was certainly part of it, but the greater reason was the martial arts school's transcendent status.

It seemed... he needed to speed things up.

As Lin Yin pondered this, just after he had eaten and drunk his fill, Mother Lin happened to return from outside the tavern.

There was a hint of lightness on her face, as though she was in a good mood, and a middle-aged man followed behind her.

As he drew nearer, Lin Yin recognized the newcomer and was immediately surprised.

"Third Uncle?"

"Lin Yin..."

Third Uncle Lin De discreetly surveyed the small tavern, then gestured for Lin Yin and Madam Wang to hurry and follow him.

Watching the middle-aged man ahead, who only focused on walking and said nothing, Lin Yin was puzzled.

"Yin'er, the moment your Third Uncle heard that something had happened to us last night, he found a house for us in advance."

There was a trace of lightness on Madam Wang's face. Clearly, this was an Unexpected Joy for her as well.

Today, she had gone to the shops that handled rentals, only to find them already packed to the brim. Just when she had been frantic with worry, Lin De had appeared.

After hearing the reason, Lin Yin looked at this Third Uncle of his with some surprise.

That day at the Lin Family, it was not as though he had failed to notice Old Master Lin's attitude. The old man had made it clear that he did not wish to have anything more to do with the mother and son.

He had never expected this Third Uncle, who had also seemed somewhat indifferent, to step forward at such a crucial moment.

"Ah, Sister-in-law, I've wronged you and the child. When my elder brother was alive, he looked after me greatly. Now that he is gone, how could I bear to watch you two drift about outside?"

Lin De sighed softly, a trace of sorrow in his eyes. Thinking back to those days, the three brothers had been close and harmonious—how had things come to this?

At the end of the day, every twist and turn had stemmed from Eldest Brother's accident.

He was not an ungrateful or heartless man. Though he had sided with the second branch, he had always felt guilty toward Lin Yin and his mother.

"Third Uncle was the one who sent the money before as well..."

Lin Yin's mother mentioned it.

Back when Lin Yin had been bedridden and unable to rise, it had been Third Uncle Lin De who used Money and Silver and connections to help treat him.

"Thank you, Third Uncle!"

Lin Yin thanked him solemnly.

No matter what, Third Uncle Lin De had not done anything terribly wrong to them. The fact that he had gone to such lengths to think things through for them was already no easy thing.

In times like these, most people could barely look after themselves. Where would they find the energy to care about others?

What was more, there was still the Old Master who wanted to cut ties with them. The cautious way Third Uncle acted made it clear that he had come out behind the Old Master's back.

To go this far showed where his heart lay.

"Ah, no need to say more. No matter what, you are still my nephew and sister-in-law..."

Lin De sighed.

Before long, the three of them passed through a narrow alley and arrived before a house wedged between two courtyards.

This...

Lin Yin merely gave the somewhat dilapidated wooden house before him a cursory glance, then his gaze instinctively shifted to the Young men nearby, standing in twos and threes in Coarse Cloth and Linen Clothes, brimming with vitality.

With just one look, he sensed that there was something unusual about them.

"This house is close to Fist Manor. Most of the tenants around here are Martial Artists. I'll feel more at ease with you and your mother living here."

Fist Manor? Martial Artists!

Lin Yin's eyes flickered.

At his side, Madam Wang's face revealed a trace of delight. She solemnly thanked him, "Thank you!"

"This Fist Manor is rather special. Strictly speaking, it can be considered within the sphere of influence of Lingyun Martial Arts School. You can live here without worry."

As he spoke, Lin De undid the lock fastening the door, then handed the key directly to Madam Wang before pushing the door open.

The room that came into view was only a little over forty square meters. Though small, it offered Lin Yin and his mother a greater sense of security than the straw hut they had lived in before.

Watching the Young men pass by outside the window from time to time, Lin Yin finally felt somewhat reassured.

"A De, the rent for this house..."

As Madam Wang spoke, she took out the silver she had prepared earlier from her cloth pouch. Yet Lin De pushed her hand away and refused it.

"Sister-in-law, keep this money. The Cloth Shop needs capital to stay in business. As for this month's rent, I'll cover it first. You can pay it yourselves next month."

"This..."

Unable to prevail against him, Madam Wang put the money away with a complicated expression.