The Wisdom of the Esteemed Readers

After staying at the Yang Family Martial Arts Hall for a full month, Lin Yan chose not to continue living and eating there.

The fees at the martial arts hall were not exorbitant, but he calculated that if he ate at home, he could save about two taels of silver per month.

He only had twenty taels of silver left to his name, so every penny had to be spent frugally.

The height of his Martial Dao Tree had already reached eight inches; at this rate, even without using the Skin Refining Paste, he would be able to step into the first stage of skin refining in another four months.

Additionally, the green leaf belonging to the Mountain Splitting Fist had also unfurled more than halfway; it would only take another month for it to fully grow out.

"Senior Brother Ge, Lin Yan has left the martial arts hall."

"A pauper actually has the nerve to come to the martial arts hall to practice martial arts."

In the disciples' quarters, Ge Hui listened to the report brought by a junior brother, a look of disdain on his face. While Lin Yan remained in the martial arts hall, he truly couldn't do anything to him.

Now that Lin Yan had left the hall, there were plenty of ways to deal with him.

Having practiced martial arts for several years and being a martial artist who had completed one stage of skin refining, he had quite a few connections in the city.

Half a month later.

Someone came to Lin Yan's home—a neighbor named Zheng Bo from the same street but a different alley, who was currently mixed up with the Black Tiger Gang.

"Lin Yan, you've made something of yourself, actually able to practice at the martial arts hall."

Zheng Bo was very familiar; he reached out to pat Lin Yan on the shoulder as soon as he arrived. Faced with such a pushy person, Lin Yan would have dodged in the past, but thinking of his Martial Dao Tree's ability, he did not move this time.

However, upon seeing the tattered, withered leaf revealed on the Martial Dao Tree, Lin Yan felt a bit of disdain.

Zheng Bo was two years older than him and had been in the Black Tiger Gang for three years, yet his Martial Dao Tree hadn't even reached five inches.

After mastering the Stance Technique and nourishing enough blood and qi, the Martial Dao Tree should reach a height of five inches.

Was this gang member starving three days out of nine?

The rumors among the neighbors that Zheng Bo was "somebody" in the Black Tiger Gang were truly literal.

"What brings you to me, Brother Zheng?"

"A good thing."

Zheng Bo chuckled. "Our Black Tiger Gang is currently recruiting talent. Lin Yan, since you've practiced martial arts, as long as you join us, you'll get five taels of silver."

He wanted him to join a gang?

Lin Yan shook his head. "Brother Zheng, I joined the Yang Family Martial Arts Hall. The hall has rules; we aren't allowed to join gangs. If discovered, we'll be expelled."

"If the hall doesn't allow it, then just don't let them know."

Zheng Bo didn't care at all. "Lin Yan, for the sake of us being from the same street, I specifically went to see the gang leader. As long as you join our Black Tiger Gang, the gang will cover your expenses at the martial arts hall from now on, and you only need to focus on your training; you won't have to participate in gang affairs."

"That good? Wouldn't the Black Tiger Gang be at a loss?"

"What loss? In our leader's words, this is called investing in you. Once you've achieved success at the martial arts hall and finished your apprenticeship, it won't matter if you're expelled or not. By then, you'll be a major combat asset for our Black Tiger Gang."

The reasoning was sound; this was essentially angel investing.

If he weren't certain that Zheng Bo hadn't even succeeded in Foundation Cultivation, Lin Yan might have actually believed him.

Although the Black Tiger Gang wasn't a large organization, it still had over a hundred members. How could someone like Zheng Bo, who hadn't even completed Foundation Cultivation, possibly get an audience with the gang leader?

"Lin Yan, as long as you sign this, I'll show it to the leader, and he'll issue the silver to you. Five taels for joining, and twenty taels every month thereafter."

Zheng Bo pulled out a document. Lin Yan glanced at it; it was a certificate of joining the Black Tiger Gang, missing only a signature.

An other-worldly version of a gang's paper trail!

"Brother Zheng, let me consider it."

Lin Yan's face showed both interest and hesitation.

Zheng Bo patted Lin Yan's shoulder again. "Make your decision quickly. There aren't many spots for such a good deal. Once they're full, you won't get such favorable treatment. I only came to you first because we're neighbors and I didn't want to let a good opportunity go to outsiders."

"Many thanks for looking out for me, Brother Zheng. I will make a decision as soon as possible."

After seeing Zheng Bo off, Lin Yan closed the courtyard gate. The smile on his face faded as he pondered: there were only two possibilities for Zheng Bo approaching him.

First: The Black Tiger Gang was indeed short on people, and Zheng Bo was trying to trick him into joining.

Second: Zheng Bo was acting under someone's orders to get him to join the gang, so that once the news reached the martial arts hall, he would be expelled.

Five taels upon joining, and twenty taels every month thereafter.

This kind of treatment was definitely not something the Black Tiger Gang could afford. As for Zheng Bo lying about the benefits to trick him, if he joined and found the pay was different, he wouldn't be loyal to the gang; the gang leader wouldn't be stupid enough to arrange it that way.

Discarding the first possibility, it could only be that Zheng Bo was acting under orders to deal with him.

Since transmigrating to this world, he had only offended one person.

Ge Hui!

Lin Yan's mind conjured the image of Ge Hui. Ge Hui didn't dare to touch him inside the martial arts hall, so he had specifically found Zheng Bo to set a trap for him once he left.

He feared that if he signed the document, Zheng Bo would immediately hand it over to Ge Hui, who would then report the matter to their master, resulting in his expulsion from the Yang Family Martial Arts Hall.

To verify his suspicions, Lin Yan stepped out shortly after, spotting Zheng Bo on the street before long.

Zheng Bo bought some cooked food at a butcher shop, then carried the bag into a side alley.

He took several turns before stopping in front of a courtyard gate. Just as he pulled out a key to open it, his gaze sharpened. He glanced around to ensure no one was following him, then turned and walked to the house directly opposite, knocking lightly on the door.

The door opened a crack, he slipped inside, and the gate closed silently behind him.

Every move Zheng Bo made was clearly observed by Lin Yan, who was hiding in the shadows.

Even a small fry has some cunning; this is clearly an anti-surveillance tactic.

Lin Yan sighed inwardly. Zheng Bo's strength was negligible, but this maneuver was like that of a seasoned veteran of the gangs.

If Zheng Bo had spotted someone in the alley while looking back, he likely would have pretended to be oblivious, used his key to enter the courtyard, and the person tailing him would never have guessed that his true destination was the house across the street.

Such caution piqued Lin Yan's curiosity. He circled the courtyard, chose a corner, and vaulted over the wall.

Inside the courtyard.

"Why did it take so long?"

"Hall Master, I had a job to attend to, which delayed me a bit."

A burly man emerged from the main hall, his right hand wrapped in bandages, clearly recovering from an injury.

"Hall Master, let me open this for you."

Zheng Bo deftly opened the food package and poured wine for him.

"Staying in this courtyard, my mouth is going bland from the lack of flavor."

The man downed a cup in one gulp. "A job? What kind of job?"

"There's a guy named Lin Yan in the Yang Family Martial Arts Hall on my street. Someone approached me and asked me to trick him into joining our gang and signing an enlistment contract. If I pull it off, I get two taels of silver."

"Two taels to ruin a man? The person who approached you is quite stingy."

"Ruin a man? Hall Master, I don't quite follow."

"The master of the Yang Family Martial Arts Hall forbids his disciples from joining gangs. Once discovered, they are crippled and expelled. The person who approached you is likely a fellow disciple; this is just infighting among the Yang Family students."

"So that's it! I was wondering why he wore a mask to find me. You're brilliant, Hall Master, seeing through the trickery at a glance." Zheng Bo flattered him, pouring another cup of wine.

The burly man drained the cup and smacked his lips. "Go tell that person to cough up five taels, and I'll handle Lin Yan myself."

"Hall Master, this Lin Yan is a martial arts student. Won't killing him bring the Hall's investigators down on us?"

Zheng Bo looked worried, but the man didn't care in the least. "By your account, this Lin Yan has only been in the Hall for a month and hasn't even completed his first skin-toughening. He's no core disciple. Besides, people from the martial arts halls don't know how to dispose of a body, but for me, it's second nature. The Hall won't find a thing."

Zhou Wu was confident; disposing of bodies was an essential skill for a gang member.

As a Hall Master of the Black Tiger Gang and a first-stage skin-toughening martial artist, five taels wasn't much to him. He was mostly just frustrated from his recent injury and wanted to kill someone to vent.

Lin Yan was a commoner, yet a disciple of the Yang Family Martial Arts Hall; this incongruous identity made him the perfect target to vent his anger on.

"If you handle it yourself, Hall Master, that person is getting a bargain. I'll go contact him right now."

Zheng Bo agreed immediately. Zhou Wu chuckled. "You're a cold-hearted one, aren't you? No regard for neighborhood ties?"

"You joke, Hall Master. Neighborhood ties are nothing. In my heart, there is only the brotherhood of the gang."

"Very good. Once I've recovered from my injury, you'll stay by my side."

"Thank you, Hall Master! I will follow your lead in all things."

Zheng Bo was overjoyed. He had been in the Black Tiger Gang for three years and was still a bottom-tier member. Becoming a confidant to a Hall Master would change his life overnight.

A quarter of an hour later.

Zhou Wu finished the food and the pot of wine. After Zheng Bo cleaned up, he said respectfully, "Hall Master, shall I go contact that person now?"

"Go."

Zhou Wu waved his hand. It was strong liquor, and even with his first-stage skin-toughening, he felt a bit tipsy.

Still, a martial artist had to drink strong spirits; ordinary wine was no different from water and lacked any kick.

Zheng Bo left the courtyard, muttering to himself: The Hall Master wants five taels, so there's definitely no share for me. No... I have to hike the price. I'll tell him it's seven. A martial arts disciple won't be short on a few taels.

As for Lin Yan, he only had his own stupidity to blame.

Without a background, he dared to study martial arts and offend the wealthy disciples of the Hall? Wasn't that just asking for death?

Thinking about the extra silver, Zheng Bo felt a surge of excitement.

Xiao Hong at the Cuihong Pavilion had said last time that if he could visit three days in a row, she would show him some "impressive moves."

Thud!

With a soft sound, Zheng Bo collapsed to the ground.

A quarter of an hour later.

Knock, knock, knock!

"Hall Master, Hall Master..."

Zhou Wu lay on his bed inside the room, listening to the knocking. A look of impatience crossed his face, and he rose to head toward the courtyard gate, still reeling from the lingering effects of alcohol.

In his mind, it was Zheng Bo returning after finalizing the deal with that person.

Enemies, rivals... he hadn't even considered such a possibility.

If it were truly a grudge-holder of his own or the Black Tiger Gang daring to seek him out, they would at least be a martial artist who had undergone one round of skin-tempering. Wouldn't it be far better to sneak into the courtyard and strike from the shadows?

"Negotiations..."

The moment the courtyard gate creaked open a few inches, Zhou Wu's words died in his throat as a cloud of red mist surged toward his face.

Zhou Wu's reaction was not slow. He clamped his mouth shut instantly. A martial artist's instinct told him not to close the gate, but to push off the ground and lunge backward with all his might!

At the same time, he raised his left hand to shield his face, attempting to swat away the mysterious powder.

However, the distance was too close, the powder too fine, and it had been cast directly into the wind.

A massive amount of the red mist had already drilled into his eyes.

"Ah!"

A burning, stinging sensation exploded instantly from his eyes!

Zhou Wu felt only a searing, bloody darkness before him. Tears gushed out uncontrollably, and his vision blurred completely.

And in that split second—while he was lunging back, shielding his face, and reeling from the sensory assault—Lin Yan moved!

Like a leopard that had been stalking its prey for a long time, he seized the perfect opening created by the chili powder and lunged forward with his entire body!

His right fist, clenched tight, carried no flashy movements. It bore the force condensed from a month of bitter training in the Mountain Splitting Fist, tearing through the air to strike directly at Zhou Wu's chest, which was left wide open by his coughing fit!

This punch was fast, accurate, and ruthless, aimed at inflicting a crippling blow in a single strike!

"You're courting death!"

Though Zhou Wu could not see and was coughing incessantly, the perception and intuition for danger of a martial artist who had tempered his skin once remained.

Hearing the wind of the punch reaching him, he was shocked and furious, realizing he had been ambushed.

Subconsciously, he tried to raise his dominant right hand to block or counterattack; it was muscle memory born of panic.

However, his right hand was wrapped in cloth, still healing from a previous injury. With the tendons and bones not yet mended, his movement was hindered, and his reaction was a half-beat slow.

Lin Yan had been fully focused, staring intently at every one of Zhou Wu's reactions. When he saw the movement, his fist, originally aimed at the chest, suddenly shifted trajectory mid-air!

The momentum of the punch sank, transforming from a direct strike into a diagonal smash. He no longer sought a one-hit kill, but instead poured his entire forward momentum and fist-force into a vicious strike against the outer side of Zhou Wu's elbow joint, which had only just been raised halfway!

Crack!

A dull, teeth-grinding sound of bone fracturing echoed out.

"Ah!"

Zhou Wu let out a scream far more wretched than before. The piercing, bone-deep agony from his right arm caused him to lose his balance and stumble backward.

Between the old injury and the new, that arm was effectively crippled for the time being!

Lin Yan did not let up. He stepped forward, his left fist following closely behind, and delivered a heavy hook that smashed into Zhou Wu's left ribs!

Though Zhou Wu could not open his eyes, his left arm muscles bulged at that moment, precisely blocking Lin Yan's determined strike!

Bang!

The dull thud of flesh and bone colliding exploded in the courtyard.

Lin Yan felt as if his fist had slammed into a spring; his arm went numb, and his momentum stalled.

"Mountain Splitting Fist? You are from the Yang Family Martial Arts Hall. I am Zhou Wu, Hall Master of the Black Tiger Hall. Surely there is some misunderstanding, Your Excellency? My Black Tiger Gang and the Yang Family Martial Arts Hall have always minded our own business."

Zhou Wu's left arm was intact, but he did not pursue; instead, he used the momentum to create a bit more distance.

What tough tendons and bones. He truly lives up to the name of a first-stage skin-tempering expert.

Lin Yan felt a chill in his heart, but he had no intention of retreating. He had exposed the Mountain Splitting Fist, and the opponent would surely guess his identity. If this man did not die, his entire family would suffer.

"I underestimated you." Lin Yan deliberately deepened his voice, his Stone Waist Savage Spine frame coiled tight. "But with one arm crippled and your eyes blinded, how many more moves can you last?"

"Double Fists Probing the Path!"

With a violent shout, Lin Yan swept out his right leg.

Startled by the roar, Zhou Wu subconsciously raised his left hand, but upon sensing the wind of the leg strike, his expression changed drastically. He retreated, cursing, "Despicable!"

"Force Splitting the Mountain!"

Lin Yan shouted again, but this time he thrust both fists forward directly.

Zhou Wu was able to recognize the Mountain Splitting Fist so quickly because he was clearly very familiar with it. When a person is blinded, their hearing is heightened, and they will have a subconscious reaction to the names of the techniques called out.

Feint east, strike west.

This was a practical combat tactic he had created by combining the experiences of his predecessors.

The technique he shouted was completely different from the one he actually executed, specifically targeting enemies familiar with his style.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Zhou Wu took several hits in a row, his breathing already ragged. Having been injured beforehand, he could only muster sixty or seventy percent of his strength, and under this underhanded style of fighting, he was already stretched to his limit.

The more chaotic his breathing became, the duller his senses grew.

"Brother, spare me! All my savings will be yours, and I can swear an oath—I will never seek revenge."

"My wealth is hidden in a secret location, over a thousand taels of silver."

However, Lin Yan remained unmoved, throwing punch after punch. Bolstered by the explosive power of the Stone Waist Savage Spine, each blow followed the last.

Bang!

The final punch landed squarely on Zhou Wu's right temple!

Thud!

A muffled sound echoed.

Zhou Wu's defensive posture froze, his body shuddered, and then he collapsed, lifeless.

Lin Yan stepped back, gasping for air as he looked at Zhou Wu's corpse. Fighting above his rank, this victory had been perilous indeed.

His fighting style was entirely inspired by the novels he had read in his past life, along with the comments from many readers; he could be said to be standing on the shoulders of those who came before him.

In a martial artist's battle, strength is important, but technique cannot be ignored.