Fierce Beasts Always Walk Alone

Cultivation knows no time; half a month slipped away like flowing water.

For these two weeks, Lin Yan had stayed at the martial arts hall to practice his fist techniques.

There were not many people on the training grounds.

"I knew you'd be here, Junior Brother Lin. Come, give me a hand."

Li An was carrying a large pot. Seeing this, Lin Yan stepped forward quickly to help him set it down in the center of the training grounds, where a temporary stove had been erected.

Lin Yan looked at the black, ointment-like substance in the pot, curiosity in his eyes: "Senior Brother Li, what is this?"

"Skin Refining Paste. Our master concocted it himself, specifically for disciples like you who haven't undergone the first skin refining yet. You don't have to pay for it until you've been here for a month; otherwise, you'd have to pay to use it."

So this was the secret skin-refining medicine?

Having been at the martial arts hall for half a month, Lin Yan had gained some understanding of the Martial Dao.

For a martial artist, skin refining was thirty percent practice and seventy percent medicine.

Without secret medicine, relying solely on hard work, a year of training wouldn't be as effective as a month of training while applying the secret medicine.

"The rule set by the master is that the secret medicine can be applied freely before the Hour of the Rooster."

Li An lowered his voice: "I won't apply it too thickly the first time. After applying it, endure the pain and go practice your fist techniques. By the Hour of the Monkey, it should be mostly absorbed. Since it won't be the Hour of the Rooster yet, you can apply it again. Apply a thicker layer the second time; it should last you until the Hour of the Pig."

Lin Yan's eyes lit up: "Many thanks, Senior Brother."

"It's because you're diligent, Junior Brother Lin. Someone else might not be able to endure it." Li An smiled and instructed: "Take off your outer coat and trousers."

Lin Yan didn't dawdle. He stripped down to his undergarments and let Li An scoop up the paste from the pot and smear it onto his body. As soon as the paste touched his skin, a fiery sensation seeped into his body within a few breaths, eventually turning into a burning, searing pain.

Slap! Slap!

After finishing, Li An patted Lin Yan on both thighs: "Alright, go practice your fist techniques."

Lin Yan put his clothes back on and, enduring the burning sensation in his body, began to perform the Mountain Splitting Fist.

The burning sensation from the paste was like a wildfire at first, causing Lin Yan's skin to prickle with pain.

When he assumed his stance and began to circulate his blood and qi, this burning pain became even more intense.

Lin Yan gritted his teeth, forcibly enduring the agony, and moved through one technique after another.

One round of Mountain Splitting Fist, two rounds of Mountain Splitting Fist.

As he practiced each punch and kick with focus, Lin Yan discovered that the fiery heat on his skin was being guided and broken down by his internal energy, seeping into his flesh and muscles in thin, steady streams.

It truly lives up to the name of secret medicine!

Lin Yan's eyes grew brighter. Free secret medicine—opportunities like this were rare.

The next moment, a thought crossed his mind, and he activated his Stone Waist Savage Spine bone structure. The Stone Waist Savage Spine could enhance the growth effects of blood and qi, which in turn accelerated the absorption of the Skin Refining Paste.

Li An, not far away, glanced over occasionally. Seeing Lin Yan's steady stance and rhythmic breathing, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes: "To adapt so quickly on the first use? It seems this second application will be a breeze for Junior Brother Lin."

Two hours later, Lin Yan looked at the smooth skin on his arms and walked back toward the large pot.

This time, Li An applied a thick layer for Lin Yan, blinking a few times: "Junior Brother Lin, hold on."

Everything was understood without words.

With a layer of paste twice as thick as before, Lin Yan felt the burning pain return even before he began to move, more intense than before.

Even lifting his arms slightly felt as painful as being scorched by flames.

No wonder the master doesn't care how much Skin Refining Paste the disciples use. If you want to apply more, your body has to be able to take it.

He had reached the limit of what his body could endure.

Enduring the pain and the sweat pouring down his face, Lin Yan steadied his mind and began to practice his fist techniques on the training grounds.

Although every circulation of blood and qi brought intense pain, seeing the Martial Dao Tree in his mind slowly growing made all the suffering worthwhile.

Hardship and pain that lead to visible progress are called striving.

Late at night, Lin Yan dragged his exhausted body away from the training grounds, his face filled with satisfaction.

For seven consecutive days, Lin Yan lived in a state of pain and joy.

The pain came from the scorching heat of the Skin Refining Paste, and the joy came from the gradual growth of the Mountain Splitting Fist sprout in his mind, while the height of the Martial Dao Tree had reached seven inches.

He was only three inches away from the one-foot height required for the first skin refining.

At his current pace, he would reach one foot in another two months and step into the first stage of skin refining.

Lin Yan was very satisfied with his progress in the Martial Dao, but to maintain this pace, he needed to apply the Skin Refining Paste twice a day.

However, the master only provided free use for the disciples for half a month. Once a month had passed, he would have to pay if he wanted to continue using it.

One tael of silver a day—just thinking about it made his heart ache.

And this was only for the first skin refining; there were still the second, third, and fourth stages to follow.

Lin Yan didn't dare to think about the future costs of his martial arts training.

There will be a way when the cart reaches the mountain. Take it one step at a time. With the Martial Dao Tree, my starting point is already higher than many others. I must not be overly ambitious.

The next day.

Lin Yan arrived at the martial arts hall as usual, but this time he did not see Senior Brother Li An; instead, another senior brother had appeared on the training grounds.

There were many disciples at the Yang Family Martial Arts Hall, and Yang Qingfeng, as the master, did not come to the training grounds every day. The fact that Lin Yan had encountered him that first day was only because a new batch of disciples had just been admitted.

The master only appeared in the middle courtyard when teaching techniques to new disciples; most of his time was spent in the backyard, where the disciples who had already undergone skin refining practiced their martial arts.

As for those like them who had yet to undergo their first skin refining, they were all guided by other senior brothers.

"This Senior Brother Ge is really strict. A moment ago, a senior brother wanted to apply a bit more, but he wouldn't allow it."

"Forget about applying more; Senior Brother Ge doesn't even crack a smile. By comparison, Senior Brother Li is much better."

Listening to the whispers of the fellow disciples around him, Lin Yan frowned slightly, stepped forward to apply the Skin Refining Paste, and began to practice his fist techniques.

Two hours later, the medicinal paste on his body had been completely absorbed, and Lin Yan walked toward the large cauldron once again.

"What are you doing? Everyone is limited to once a day; don't you understand the rules?"

Ge Hui barked a reprimand, but Lin Yan did not retreat. "Senior Brother Ge, Senior Brother Li once said that as long as we can absorb it, the master allows us to apply the Skin Refining Paste multiple times."

"You haven't even been here for a month. It is already the master's grace that you get to use it for free once. Get back!"

Ge Hui was impatient. As a disciple who had completed one skin refining, he received a stipend from the hall for guiding new juniors, but that small amount was not enough, so he had set his sights on these newcomers.

If they wanted to apply the paste again, they had to pay.

The hall sold it for one tael of silver, and he would skim two hundred wen off the top.

Just as Lin Yan was being blocked, another disciple walked over to the cauldron to apply it for a second time.

"Since Senior Brother Ge said everyone is limited to once, why is that senior brother allowed to do it twice?"

"The master has tasked me with guiding you, so the rules are whatever I say they are."

Ge Hui stepped forward, exuding the aura of someone who had completed one skin refining. He had seen plenty of stubborn fools like this, but under the pressure of his blood and qi, they always ended up backing down.

Lin Yan felt the pressure Ge Hui was exerting, but since his martial future was at stake, he did not intend to shrink away.

"If that is what Senior Brother Ge says, I will have to go find the master and get a definitive answer."

"Find the master?"

Ge Hui sneered repeatedly. "Who do you think you are? You want to see the master? The master hates being disturbed. If you anger him, you can just wait to be kicked out of the hall."

Listening to Ge Hui's words, Lin Yan's expression remained unchanged. If he were just an ordinary youth, he might have been intimidated by such talk.

Unfortunately, he was not.

Although he had only interacted with the master once, Lin Yan had a sense for his character. The master was indifferent by nature, but judging by his attitude during that first day of instruction, he was certainly not an irresponsible man.

Lin Yan ignored Ge Hui, turned around, and walked directly toward the backyard.

Seeing that Lin Yan was actually heading for the courtyard gate, the sneer on Ge Hui's face faltered. He shouted, "Stop."

"I told you to stop!"

Seeing that Lin Yan did not stop, Ge Hui took a few strides and blocked his path.

Looking at Ge Hui with calm eyes, Lin Yan said indifferently, "Senior Brother Ge, are you intending to lay a hand on me? I recall that the hall has a rule: disciples are not to fight without cause."

"Lin Yan, is it? Very well. Go ahead and apply your paste."

Ge Hui gritted his teeth, his face so dark it looked as if it were dripping ink.

"Many thanks, Senior Brother."

Lin Yan did not care about Ge Hui's attitude. As long as the other party did not stop him from applying the paste, he did not want to escalate the matter to the master.

After applying the Skin Refining Paste, Lin Yan returned to his previous spot to practice his fist techniques.

"Junior Brother Lin, that was very unwise of you."

"Indeed. Senior Brother Ge is a martial artist who has completed one skin refining; offending him will likely lead to him making things difficult for you."

"Senior Brother Ge just wants a bit of money. Just give him the two hundred wen."

The two disciples nearby whispered, but Lin Yan shook his head. If he paid two hundred wen today and two hundred tomorrow, he would be short on money for his own training—how could he possibly give it to someone else?

Two hundred wen was enough to keep his aunt sewing and mending clothes for half a month.

Disciples of the hall were not allowed to fight without cause, so he was not afraid of this Senior Brother Ge.

At worst, the man would stop guiding him, but with the help of the Martial Dao Tree, his Mountain Splitting Fist had already reached the entry level; he needed no guidance.

"Two hundred wen is enough to cover my family's expenses for a month."

Lin Yan's words left the two men stunned. Their family backgrounds were slightly better than his, but only just; coming to the martial arts hall had nearly emptied their families' savings.

Yet, precisely because of this, they were even more afraid to cause trouble or offend the senior brothers.

"In any case, Junior Brother Lin, be careful in the future."

The next day.

When Lin Yan arrived at the training grounds, he noticed that the senior brothers who had previously been near him had all kept their distance.

Seeing Ge Hui standing with his arms crossed and a smug look in his eyes, he understood: Ge Hui had convinced the other disciples to isolate him.

Seeing the apologetic looks from the two senior brothers who had warned him yesterday, Lin Yan's expression remained unchanged; he could understand them.

Predators always walk alone; only cattle and sheep travel in herds.

He would simply treat this as an early experience of the taste of solitude.