Entering the School

The eastern outskirts of Langshi Town.

This place was no less lively for being far from Tiger Head Mountain. Unlike the west, the streets here were lined with even more ragged beggars and children.

Whenever they saw someone passing by, they would stretch out their hands—some withered, some smeared with filth—and bow low in supplication.

Anxiety and stench hung in the air. Their actions rarely won them sympathy; more often, they drew fists and kicks.

For a while, cries of misery rang out without end.

Following behind his senior brother Xu Chang, Lin Yin furrowed his brow. Nearby, disciples were driving away the beggars blocking the path.

"Senior Brother, over here..."

Sensing the stench in the air, Lin Yin showed no disgust. Instead, he seemed somewhat gloomy.

He thought back to his own circumstances when he had first come to this world. Perhaps a few small changes would have kept him and his mother from falling into such dire straits, but their lives would hardly have been much better.

In the eyes of those pampered disciples, these people were a nuisance. But to Lin Yin, they... were once himself.

There was a mother who knelt and begged, enduring fists and kicks, yet still remembered to shield the child behind her.

There was an old man carefully passing a dirty steamed bun, picked up from who knew where, to someone in his arms. Every so often, he cast a pleading, frightened glance at their group...

The world was tangled and complicated; the myriad faces of humanity held joys and sorrows too bitter and sweet to put into words.

"Ah, some of the people here are refugees from elsewhere. Of course, some simply can't pay their taxes."

Xu Chang showed little sympathy. His expression was one of conflicted emotion and rueful resignation.

He had seen this scene too many times. He had long since grown numb to it.

"Taxes..."

Lin Yin thought of those two taels of silver.

That was right. Even the cloth shop his mother had only just opened had to pay two taels in taxes. If not for the money and silver Li Sihhu had left behind, how could a cloth shop his mother had run for less than a month have come up with two taels?

The same went for the steep business taxes; there was no need to even think about the land tax.

Thinking of Langshi Town's repeated poor harvests in recent years, Lin Yin's expression grew even more somber.

He seemed to understand all at once.

This world left people no way to live!

Exorbitant levies and taxes only piled more hardship onto the already impoverished people.

As he passed the ragged crowd by the roadside, Lin Yin knew how many of them would fail to survive the winter.

When green shoots rose and spring arrived in all its abundance, this street would once again be "cleaned up" until it looked brand-new.

"..."

Leaving the seemingly "bustling, chaotic" alley behind, Lin Yin and the other disciples finally reached the destination of their journey.

Lingyun Martial Arts School...

The plaque above the tall redwood gate bore characters written in wild, flowing strokes. Stone lions sat on either side of the entrance, their imposing presence seeming impossible to defy.

Two disciples wearing blue short fighting outfits waited on either side. Xu Chang stepped forward, and they greeted him with cupped hands.

"All right, have a look around the courtyard. Remember, don't disturb the senior brothers and sisters who are practicing."

Xu Chang gave a few last-minute instructions to Shi Zhong and the others, who were full of curiosity and anticipation. His main purpose in coming here was to bring Lin Yin and the disciples who had just entered the school for an assessment.

After all, the Fist Manor only polished the basics. Much of the practice involved in martial arts, and even certain aspects of qi and blood circulation, still needed to be taught by a master in person.

That was the purpose of this monthly assessment. Of course, Lingyun Martial Arts School seemed to be the only one that made things so troublesome. At other schools, where the Fist Manor and martial arts school were combined, it was much more convenient.

Lin Yin looked around curiously at the martial arts school, which did not cover a particularly large area. Beyond the spacious courtyard lay the inner court, where a man sitting high on a platform came into view at once.

The martial master of Lingyun Martial Arts School... Yun Tian Qing!

He wore a green long robe, casually draped over his clothes. His beard had been shaved completely clean, and his rather mild face bore a pair of eyes that seemed to gleam with brilliant light.

One look was enough to make a person shrink back in awe.

Was this the renowned great martial master said to have reached Transforming Strength, able to release and restrain his qi at will and wield it as freely as his own arm?

At just one glance, Lin Yin hurriedly looked away.

Facing such a famous expert, Lin Yin naturally understood the art of keeping a low profile.

All along, it had been difficult to avoid notice while practicing at the Fist Manor, so he had devised a way to conceal his true level.

Under normal circumstances, he would circulate the Cloud Settling Stake Technique at full strength, then quietly circulate the Vajra Stake Technique as well, guiding their opposing flows of qi and blood to ebb and rise against each other. This made his aura seem a notch weaker than that of others at the same level.

Yun Tian Qing sat calmly on the platform, watching the disciples lined up neatly below.

His gaze lingered mostly on Xu Chang and the other senior brothers, then swept briefly over the rest of the group.

"Practice on your own. I'll offer pointers as needed."

Lin Yin's heart stirred. Blending in among the disciples, he began practicing the Cloud Palm with a convincing air.

Unlike when he practiced on ordinary days, his movements were fluid, but he kept his breathing and rhythm slightly strained.

After they had practiced for a while, the figure's shadow caught the corner of his eye as it moved among the disciples, offering a few words of guidance here and there. Lin Yin's heart tightened, and he looked away.

Only when the green long robe stopped in front of him—

"Mm... huh?"

The man's casual acknowledgment suddenly turned to confusion, and Lin Yin's heart gave a start.

"Your qi and blood seem to be circulating somewhat unevenly?"

As soon as the words fell, the man lightly patted Lin Yin on the chest. Lin Yin nearly jumped out of his skin, but the slap caused no harm. It only steadied the surging qi and blood inside him a little.

He feigned calm and continued practicing his punches in a stiff, methodical manner, still circulating both techniques at once!

Looking at the youthful boy before him, Wan Tian Qing slowly furrowed his brow. At his current level, he could probe another person's Qi Mechanism through a few simple external signs.

By rights, Lin Yin's movements were practiced, and his stance work showed no obvious flaws. He had clearly trained well. But the faint flow of his aura felt somehow off.

Every so often, he lightly tapped one of Lin Yin's joints. The boy's aura rose and fell before his eyes, making Wan Tian Qing's brow furrow deeper and deeper.

"Did you enter the school through the Fist Manor?"

Wan Tian Qing withdrew his hand and quietly calmed the blood qi stirred by the man before him. Lin Yin nodded in confirmation, his face pale.

"There's a problem with your breathing and circulation. When you have time, ask your senior brother to give you some more guidance."

"Yes, Master!"

"..."

Wan Tian Qing did not respond. He merely waved a hand, then continued toward the next person.

Before long, he stopped beside Zhang Da Niu, whose build towered over the others.

Unlike when he had faced Lin Yin, brow furrowed and expression stern, the man beside Zhang Da Niu wore a smile, his face full of delight.

"Good! Very good! Very, very good! Such powerful qi and blood!"

Wan Tian Qing praised him to the skies.

Zhang Da Niu stood with his fists raised in salute and called out, "Master!" His honest face flushed a little; he was clearly excited too.

Hearing Zhang Da Niu call him Master, Yun Tian Qing accepted the greeting with pleasure and stepped forward to pat him on the shoulder.

Feeling the surging power of his qi and blood, he nodded with satisfaction.

"Your Brute Ox Strength is about to reach Minor Accomplishment, isn't it?"

"Yes, Master!"

"Good. Lingyun Martial Arts School is about to produce another talent." Wan Tian Qing beamed.

"Brute Ox Strength?"

Lin Yin, who appeared to be practicing his stance and circulating his power, raised an eyebrow.

Was that the stance skill Zhang Da Niu was practicing?

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