After his master left, Lin Yan toured most of the martial arts hall under the guidance of the senior brother who had shown him around earlier.
The front courtyard, the middle courtyard, and the rear courtyard.
The front courtyard was where the Foundation Cultivation disciples stayed, the middle courtyard was for disciples who hadn't yet undergone Skin Polishing, and the rear courtyard was for those who had undergone Skin Polishing at least once.
There was everything one could need: a bathhouse, a kitchen, a Medicine Hall, and disciples' quarters.
"Junior Brother Lin, that's the general layout of our martial arts hall. In a little while, you can head to the General Affairs Room to collect your training clothes and disciple identity token."
"Thank you, Senior Brother Li."
"Since we're fellow disciples, there's no need to be so polite. Master often says that we should support one another. A single tree can't make a forest."
Senior Brother Li was very warmhearted. It was just that his full, bushy beard made Lin Yan shift his feet almost imperceptibly.
He didn't mind being looked after.
But with Senior Brother Li's looks, they could skip the supporting-each-other part.
After collecting his training clothes from the General Affairs Room, Lin Yan said goodbye to Senior Brother Li and headed to his dormitory. He changed into his training clothes, but didn't rush to the practice yard. Instead, he left the martial arts hall.
He planned to go home and tell his aunt the good news that he had successfully taken a master.
On the way home, Lin Yan bought some malt candy. It wasn't expensive, but children loved it.
The malt candy wasn't for his little brother. It was for the children of the other families in the neighborhood.
By handing out candy, he could let the neighbors know he had begun training at the martial arts hall.
His aunt had fallen out with her maiden family, and now that he was training at the martial arts hall, only his aunt and little brother remained at home. He was afraid someone might get ideas.
Letting the neighbors know he had gone to train at the martial arts hall would make them think twice, no matter what.
There weren't many fools in this world. Even the most ignorant commoners knew not to bully a youth just because he was poor, let alone one who was learning martial arts.
Anyone thinking of bullying his aunt and little brother would have to think twice, too.
"Hey, snot-nose, come get some candy."
"Coal-face, where are you running off to? Here, have some malt candy."
Lin Yan handed out candy to every child he saw on the street, quickly attracting the neighbors' attention.
"Xiao Yan, where'd you get those clothes? They look so impressive."
"Xiao Yan, don't tell me your aunt found you a matchmaker to introduce you to a wife. Is that why you're so happy?"
"Auntie, I went to the martial arts hall and took a master today. These are the disciple clothes the hall gave me."
Just as Lin Yan had expected, once he said he had joined the martial arts hall, the women's expressions changed. Some even froze with smiles still on their faces.
"You joined the martial arts hall? How impressive. Xiao Yan's going to be a big shot someday."
"I heard the fee to become a disciple at the martial arts hall is dozens of taels. Your family must be rich, Xiao Yan."
A few loafers were even more regretful after Lin Yan left, slapping their thighs in frustration.
If they'd known Widow Liu had so much money, they would've found a way to get some of it back then.
"The eldest son of Old Xu's family on this street went to the martial arts hall, too. Now Xiao Yan's joined him, so there are two people from our street training there. When they make something of themselves, they'll have to look after us neighbors."
Hearing the neighbors' astonished and flattering remarks, Lin Yan smiled and played along all the way. Whatever they thought, he had achieved his goal.
His aunt, Liu, had also heard the commotion outside. By the time Lin Yan entered the courtyard, she had put down her work and come out of the house.
"Auntie, I successfully became a disciple."
"That's wonderful." Liu was delighted, but then asked with some concern, "And is the hall master a good man?"
"Master's very responsible. But I'll be staying at the martial arts hall this month. The first month's meals there are free."
"Staying at the martial arts hall is good. Don't worry about home. Just focus on your training."
Liu called Lin Yan inside and took out several pairs of thick-soled cloth shoes. "I heard people who practice martial arts wear out their shoes quickly. I've been sewing these for you lately. See if they fit."
They were all new, with white uppers and black soles.
Seeing the shoes filled Lin Yan with gratitude. He often saw his aunt sewing by lamplight lately and had assumed her employers had given her more work. He hadn't realized she was making shoes for him.
His aunt wasn't his mother, but she treated him like one.
"How are they?"
"Auntie, they fit perfectly. They're so warm. I wouldn't trade these shoes for a thousand gold pieces."
"What nonsense."
Liu laughed and scolded him. "I'm glad they fit. I was worried you'd outgrow them soon, so I didn't make too many. Try on the other two pairs as well. I'll go pack your clothes."
Given the Lin family's circumstances, there was no way they could afford to throw away a pair of shoes after a few months. Even when his aunt doted on him, she used to make his shoes a little big and simply add thicker insoles if they didn't fit.
"Brother, you're back."
His little brother came running in through the courtyard gate, panting hard. The moment he entered, he stared at the malt candy on the table. Clearly, he'd heard about it from his playmates on the way home.
"Little brother, I'm going to the martial arts hall to learn martial arts, and I'll be staying there. Don't make Auntie angry while you're at home. If anything happens, come find me at the Yang Family Martial Arts Hall. It's over in the eastern part of the city. If you can't find it, ask someone for directions."
Lin Yan stared seriously at his little brother. He wouldn't be home, and if the family got bullied or mistreated, his aunt's preference to avoid trouble might keep her from telling him.
"Brother, don't worry. I'll definitely take care of my mother."
Lin Mo thumped his chest, though his gaze never left the table.
At a house not far from the Lin family's.
"Did you hear? Lin Yan's gone to train at the martial arts hall. Does the Lin family really have that much money?"
A woman mended clothes as she chatted with the man beside her, who was smoking a long-stemmed pipe.
"If you ask me, Liu must've sold the Lin family's last house. Otherwise, she couldn't have scraped together the fee."
"Sold the house? Then our Da Ya—"
"What are you still thinking about? Give up on that idea. Go ask Granny Chen if she knows of anyone suitable, and arrange a marriage for Da Ya."
"Honestly, what a mess. I thought Lin Yan was literate and could work as a shop assistant. That would've been a stable life. If Da Ya married him, there'd be no parents-in-law to deal with, and she could take charge as soon as she moved in... Why'd he have to go and learn martial arts?"
There was disappointment in the woman's voice, along with a trace of resentment. She'd been quite fond of Lin Yan. He had no parents, but he did have a house, and Liu wasn't the sort to favor one child over another. She'd surely prepared a proper betrothal gift, and Da Ya wouldn't have suffered after marrying into the family.
"Dear, since Lin Yan's going to learn martial arts, could he and Da Ya—"
"Don't even think about it."
The man banged his pipe hard against the ground. "Do you think learning martial arts is easy? My employer's son is training at a martial arts hall, too. Do you know how much silver they've spent in just two years? His wife used to have several new sets of clothes made every month. Now she only gets new clothes for the festivals. They've even dismissed several of their hired hands. If my employer's family has it that bad, just imagine the Lin family."
"Ah, why would he make such a foolish choice and go learn martial arts?" The woman sighed, her voice full of regret.
"Keep moving. Don't get mixed up with those people."
"Get out of the way, get out of the way."
On his way back to the martial arts hall, Lin Yan saw pedestrians up ahead hurrying to either side of the street. He followed suit and moved to the roadside.
A group of men in black came striding toward them, each looking fierce and menacing. Several handcarts rolled at the front, each covered with a white cloth.
Corpses.
Everywhere the men went, pedestrians fell silent, afraid that even a sound might draw trouble. Only after the men in black had gone far away did the crowd finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Those are men from the Black Tiger Gang, aren't they?"
"The major gangs in the city have been fighting fiercely lately. I heard the mass grave outside the city is already piled high with corpses."
"Good riddance. The more of those beasts who die, the better."
Listening to the pedestrians whisper, Lin Yan's eyes turned thoughtful.
He'd previously been glad he hadn't transmigrated into a chaotic world where order had collapsed and his family couldn't even afford enough to eat.
From the original owner's memories, gangs had always existed in Guangping County. The gangs collected protection money, but only from merchants at the docks, fish markets, butcher stalls, and market streets. They hadn't yet reached out to ordinary townsfolk.
The gangs fought over territory, but not so often that people were killed like this.
Most people who entered the underworld were after money. If too many died, it was hard to recruit new members. More importantly, the gang leaders had to pay a hefty sum to provide for the families of those killed in gang conflicts. Otherwise, their men would lose heart.
But with the gangs fighting so fiercely lately, the balance of power in the city had probably shifted. He didn't know whether the turmoil would spread to ordinary people like them.
Thinking about it won't help. Right now, the most important thing is to train hard and make a breakthrough. Even if the county falls into chaos later, I'll have the strength to protect Auntie and my little brother.
When Lin Yan returned to the martial arts hall, he began practicing Mountain Splitting Fist in the practice yard.
Practice a hundred times, and its meaning will reveal itself.
Seeing another tender leaf appear on the strange tree in his mind, Lin Yan smiled with satisfaction.
The tender leaves trembled, and the cool sensation appeared again. Lin Yan followed that sensation and practiced his punches once more.
Guided by that sensation, his Mountain Splitting Fist had officially reached the entry level.