Dispute

The sprawling courtyard was, at a single glance, fully half again as large as Lin Yin's previous home.

Madam Wang was happily inspecting the household furnishings, now running over to peer down the well, now dashing off to the side room.

Lin Yin, meanwhile, silently made his way to the enormous stone stake placed in a corner of the courtyard.

The original wooden stake had been broken in two by him, and could no longer withstand his current Qi, so it was naturally unusable. This stone stake, however, was one Lin Yin had dragged Xu Chang along to help move.

During that process, he had "expended" quite a bit of effort.

The Martial Arts Realm Lin Yin currently displayed was limited to the not-yet-entry-level Cloud Stance and Cloud Palm, and even these two he had not fully revealed.

His progress showed a middling, neither-here-nor-there level.

His strength was not yet formed, so moving this stone stake was naturally especially "laborious." Fortunately, with Senior Disciple Brother Xu Chang lending a hand, they managed to carry in this stone stake that was even taller than Lin Yin himself.

Reaching out to stroke the grain of the stone stake, a hint of satisfaction gleamed in Lin Yin's eyes.

With the Golden Bell Shield at Minor Accomplishment, to temper his own Flesh and Blood and train it to Great Accomplishment, he naturally needed more powerful external impacts. This stone stake was the perfect finishing touch.

And so, mother and son each found their own satisfaction. Soon, after spending nearly half a day, the household goods were mostly moved into the new courtyard.

In a gap between going out, Lin Yin spotted Xu Chang, who was also moving. Compared to the widow and her orphan, Xu Chang had a family of six people in total.

Lin Yin also prepared some small gifts and paid a special visit, and the two families became acquainted.

By the time everything was settled, three days had passed in a blur.

Because of the proximity to the Martial Arts School, aside from a very few newly enrolled disciples who had not yet entered the gate, most disciples chose to stay Inside the School. Lin Yin was no exception.

During this time, he even saw Wan Li, whom he had met a few times before. Aside from that, however, he had not seen Senior Disciple Brother or Second Senior Disciple Brother again.

In the meantime, Lin Yin had asked Xu Chang out of curiosity.

"They went to Tiger Head Mountain..."

Xu Chang looked somewhat mysterious. He glanced at Lin Yin and lowered his voice.

"This matter is mysterious to say. Even Martial Uncle and Master have been showing up frequently lately. As for the details, all I know is that things are unsettled on Tiger Head Mountain."

"Tiger Head Mountain?"

Lin Yin's expression shifted slightly. During the day, Tiger Head Mountain was manageable enough; he had gone there often, but only to hunt on the outskirts. Once night fell, however, the atmosphere there turned eerie, and there were even vicious men from the Hungry Wolf Gang. He would never go.

His previous experience going up the mountain had left a deep impression. Now, seeing Xu Chang's cautious demeanor, he felt that the secrets of that mountain might be even greater than he had imagined.

"In any case, try to avoid Tiger Head Mountain as much as you can."

Xu Chang paused, then added a sentence.

If asked to explain the reason, he wasn't entirely clear himself. In his own words, with his current level, he wasn't qualified enough to understand the secrets behind it.

Lin Yin nodded inwardly, his outward expression also especially solemn.

"I understand, Senior Disciple Brother."

The days that followed were remarkably uneventful. The dead Li Qianjiang and Shi Ba gradually faded from memory as the initial uproar passed.

During this time, a Bailiff did come to question Lin Yin, but it was just like with the other disciples—a simple inquiry.

With his Stance Skill not yet at Minor Accomplishment, Lin Yin was naturally no suspect. After a couple of brief questions, he was dismissed and forgotten.

Lin Yin enjoyed a rare few days of peace and comfort.

Lin Family Old House.

Inside the seemingly spacious courtyard, the atmosphere was now oppressive.

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Old Master Lin sat rigidly on a wooden chair, his figure swaying slightly, his eyes like torches fixed intently on the tightly shut Main Door.

He seemed to have maintained this posture for some time, as if waiting for something.

Second Aunt, who was washing clothes off to the side, looked apprehensive, her gaze also frequently drifting toward the direction of the Main Door. Even Second Uncle, who was usually doted upon, now appeared cautious, as if afraid of provoking the Old Master.

"Creak—"

At that moment, the Main Door was suddenly pushed open, instantly drawing the attention of everyone in the courtyard.

Lin Lin, wearing a cloth shirt soaked through with sweat, carefully stepped over the threshold.

"You still have the face to come back!"

The abrupt roar exploded in the courtyard, and Lin Lin's seemingly upright figure trembled involuntarily.

"Grandpa..."

His fair and handsome face carried an expression of embarrassment.

Looking at his young grandson, covered in sweat and with a pallid complexion, the Old Master's face, originally full of anger, couldn't help but flash a trace of heartache.

"You were the one who instigated the idea of converting all the shops into butcher shops, weren't you?"

"Grandpa, this was a connection introduced by my Senior Disciple Brother Inside the School. Our family has made a lot of money because of it."

Lin Lin tried to explain, but Old Master Lin let out an angry snort.

"Money? A lot of money? Then where is the money?"

A butcher shop? What a ridiculous idea. Never mind the profits—what about the original stock from the store? What about the capital tied up in the furniture and lumber from before?"

As he spoke, Old Master Lin's face flushed crimson at a visible rate, and he couldn't help but cough lightly twice as he talked, clearly furious.

If Lin De hadn't come to him because things were truly unmanageable on his end, he wouldn't have even known that their family's shop had been converted into a butcher shop.

All the furniture that had once been displayed, the fine lumber—everything had been sold off at a loss, and the shop had been completely turned into a butcher's stall.

Upon hearing this news, Old Master Lin nearly fainted from anger.

"Grandpa, the butcher shop business is booming, but as for the money, I'm sure Third Uncle has already told you...

Your grandson is on the verge of a breakthrough soon, and all the medicine Eldest Uncle left behind has been used up. Right now, I'm counting on that money." Lin Lin's face alternated between red and pale as he hurriedly explained.

Beside him, Second Aunt could no longer sit still and quickly chimed in to support him.

"Father, Lin'er is learning martial arts for the sake of this family. If that money can help Little Lin break through his realm, what does it matter?"

"That money? Spendthrift—that's at least eighty taels of silver!"

At this, Old Master Lin's voice rose several notches, his face turning bright red.

Converting a shop and selling it off could, with the slightest misstep, lead to total ruin and irreversible disaster! And on top of that, there was that dubious hunter—this act of selling off the family's assets was like pulling the firewood from under the pot. How could he not be furious?

"Grandpa, my Stance Skill is nearly complete now. One month! No, less than a month! Trust your grandson—with this money to buy Senior Brother's medicine, my breakthrough to Bright Strength is just around the corner.

Once I break through to Bright Strength, all those wealthy merchants and Escort Agencies will come knocking on our door. I'll earn back every bit of that money for you!"

Lin Lin thumped his chest with a resounding bang, his expression utterly earnest.

Looking at his youngest grandson, who kept making promises, Old Master Lin gritted his teeth but ultimately said nothing more.

"Sigh..."

A long, drawn-out sigh echoed through the courtyard.

The hard-earned family business was teetering on the brink of collapse. Old Master Lin's seemingly spirited face revealed helplessness and desolation.

Off to the side, the silent Lin De's expression shifted between light and dark, his face heavy with deep worry.

He had originally intended for the old man to dissuade Lin Lin, but judging by how things were now, it seemed this path was going to be followed all the way to the dark end.

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