Black Scorpion

"Mother, I want to practice martial arts!"

"Practice martial arts..."

Madam Wang stared blankly at Lin Yin, who was shirtless. His steaming body was beginning to show the outline of muscles, and under the dim candlelight, it seemed to radiate a strange, heart-palpitating aura.

This feeling... it was just like how Brother Lin looked when he practiced martial arts.

Over these past few days, Madam Wang had observed the subtle changes in Lin Yin. From his initial unsteady gait to his normal walking, it was precisely because of these miraculous changes that she hadn't asked too many questions.

Having discovered the missing Vajra Stance manual in the drawer, she already had her suspicions. Now that she truly knew Lin Yin had actually practiced the stance and even achieved some small success, she felt both shocked and overjoyed.

Practicing martial arts... the expenses for practicing martial arts...

She looked at her son, whose eyes were filled with determination and expectation.

Perhaps my son has a unique talent for martial arts.

Madam Wang gritted her teeth, as if having made a certain decision. She pursed her lips and looked at Li Yin.

"Yin'er, since that is the case, then you should focus on practicing martial arts. As for the money, don't worry about it; Mother will take care of it..."

"Mother..."

Lin Yin's eyes flickered. He knew his mother had made her decision.

The next morning.

Clutching the two hundred wen his mother had handed him, Lin Yin hurried toward the market.

Since he was going to practice martial arts, he couldn't go without meat. Perhaps he couldn't eat as much as he wanted, but he needed at least a little bit of protein every day.

His mother wove cloth at home, a livelihood she obtained from the textile shop. She worked from dawn until dusk every day, earning about twenty wen. This was only because of her exceptional craftsmanship; for a normal household, it would likely only be ten or so wen.

Looking back at Madam Wang, who was buried in her work inside the house, not daring to stop for even a moment, Lin Yin's gaze turned firm.

In the short time they had spent together, Lin Yin had felt a mother's love like never before. This feeling made the sense of alienation he felt toward this world vanish without a trace.

His mother only thought he had a talent for martial arts, not knowing that he had already mastered the basics of the stance. No matter what... in this life, he would make something of himself!

Before heading to the market, Lin Yin searched the mountain for a while. He ended up with a few bundles of wild vegetables in his hands—a type of greens that looked like cabbage but were called Pig Ferns.

Although the name didn't sound very pleasant, the taste was excellent. It was a wild vegetable that Father Lin used to love picking whenever he went up the mountain while he was still alive.

After all, money was limited. Lin Yin had to be frugal; he would pick whatever wild vegetables he could.

When he arrived at the market, Lin Yin caught the sound of vendors hawking their wares, which brought a touch of vitality to the seemingly dilapidated Langshi Town.

Upon learning that grain prices were rising again, Lin Yin, who had originally wanted to buy more meat, had to settle for buying some rice. Adding in the bulk of the cost—pork, oil, salt, sauce, and vinegar—the full two hundred wen was spent in the blink of an eye...

Carrying a sack in his hand, Lin Yin listened to the chatter of passersby. The talk of various exorbitant taxes and levies caused his expression to darken.

"I heard Mist Mountain nearby hasn't been peaceful lately. People go there and never return; it's suspected that an Evil Spirit is at work..."

"An Evil Spirit? That's just a legend. With the Lin Kingdom pressing at our borders, I heard some runaway government officers have turned into bandits, committing all sorts of atrocities."

"The Lin Kingdom is pressing at our borders? No wonder they said taxes are going up... Good heavens, with the poor harvests year after year, and now another tax hike... How... how are we supposed to survive?"

"Price hikes, price hikes, everything is going up again..."

Lin Yin wandered until noon, his mind heavy with chaotic thoughts.

Everything he had seen and heard along the way confirmed his predecessor's understanding of this world. It was a time of chaos, and the common people were destitute. He couldn't imagine how many would fail to survive the coming bitter winter.

Some people hurried along clutching rotting pheasants as if they had found a treasure, others knelt and begged for a single copper coin's discount, and women and children sat along the street begging for food.

Lin Yin tightened his grip on the woven bamboo sack and quickened his pace.

Those two hundred copper coins had likely emptied his Mother, Madam Wang's, savings. Now, with a clearer understanding of the state of the world, he felt the grain in the sack was exceptionally heavy.

On the way home, Lin Yin was famished. He just wanted to get back, light a fire to cook, and then practice his Stance Training. In this world, having a bit more strength meant having a bit more hope.

However, just as Lin Yin was less than a hundred meters from his home.

"Yo... isn't this the great scholar Lin?"

Someone called out from behind. Lin Yin turned around instinctively and saw a burly man wearing beast hide standing behind him. As memories surged in his mind, Lin Yin's pupils constricted.

Li Sihhu!

A minor leader of the Black Scorpion Gang in Langshi Town. He had seven or eight men under him and made a living by bullying neighbors and collecting protection fees, driving many families to ruin!

His predecessor seemed to have had a grudge against him as well.

"Huh, I haven't seen the great scholar Lin for a few days, but you seem to have grown taller."

Li Sihhu stared at Lin Yin with a playful expression, though a hint of surprise flickered deep in his eyes.

Lin Yin used to be pale and even a bit effeminate. Compared to before, his slightly thin frame now appeared more upright, shedding that touch of softness and gaining the heroic spirit of a young man.

This subtle change, combined with his knowledge of the other's situation, felt a bit off.

He kept his expression calm, his smile remaining the same: "How have you considered the matter I spoke to you about last time?"

Last time...

Lin Yin's expression remained normal, but his heart skipped a beat as he thought of something unpleasant.

On the day his father passed away, this Li Sihhu had come to their door, saying he could help him continue his studies at the school, but there was one condition: he had to become a book boy for Master Wang in town.

Master Wang was different from ordinary men; he seemed to have a preference for handsome youths. Naturally, Lin Yin, with his "excellent" appearance and temperament, had caught his eye.

Though the position was called a book boy, once one stepped into that courtyard, it didn't take much imagination to know what would happen.

Realizing the reason behind this, the smile on Lin Yin's face nearly crumbled. He forcibly suppressed the anger rising in his heart and cupped his hands in a salute.

"Many thanks for your concern, Brother Sihu, but for the time being, I am not..."

"You had better think this through. If you keep counting on that biased Old Master of yours, you'll likely never set foot in that academy in this lifetime.

But if you become a book boy for Steward Wang, it will be a different story. You'll eat well, live well, attend the academy, and perhaps even pass the imperial examinations!"

Li Sihu's smile was radiant as he spoke with persuasive, honeyed words.

If he could pull off this "deal," he wouldn't have to worry about money for quite some time!

"My apologies, Brother Sihu, but in truth, I have decided to stop studying..."

Seeing that the man was becoming increasingly persistent, Lin Yin decided to simply refuse outright, even claiming he would no longer pursue his studies.

"Hm? You don't intend to study?"

Li Sihu was slightly taken aback. Seeing that Lin Yin appeared to be serious, he narrowed his eyes. His expression darkened instantly, and a cold glint flashed deep within his gaze.

He assumed Lin Yin was intentionally undermining him and refusing to give him face.

"Are you sure you've thought it through?"

"I am!"

Lin Yin clutched the straw-woven bag in his arms, his expression exceptionally earnest. Seeing that the burly man before him remained silent and simply stared at him, he feigned panic, cupped his hands in a hurried salute, and then scrambled toward the direction of his home.

Even after walking a long distance, Lin Yin could still feel the gaze behind him, heavy as if it were physical.

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