Mencius Said: "Not Human"

BANG!

Lin Yan hoisted a stone stool from the courtyard and smashed it hard against Zhou Wu's head, sending blood spraying everywhere.

Only after confirming that Zhou Wu was thoroughly dead did he begin to loot the corpse.

"A dignified hall master of the Black Tiger Gang, and you're this poor?"

After searching for a long time, he found only a silver medallion engraved with the characters "Black Tiger." Lin Yan couldn't help but curse.

The medallion weighed about five or six taels, but it was too impure, and he couldn't possibly take it to a pawnshop to exchange for money.

Ignoring Zhou Wu's corpse, Lin Yan entered the house. The room was paved with floor tiles and sparsely furnished, containing only a set of table and stools and a bed.

His gaze swept over every inch of the room, finally landing beneath the bed.

He pried up the bed frame, but the floor was spotlessly clean.

Lin Yan smiled.

A man like Zhou Wu would never clean under his own bed; such unnatural cleanliness was a sure sign of something fishy.

After some fumbling, he discovered that one of the floor tiles was hollow.

He inserted his fingers into the gap and gave a violent heave, flipping the tile over to reveal a wooden box beneath.

He opened the box, and a brilliant, snowy silver light reflected onto his face.

"So much silver... Could this be a secret stash for the Black Tiger Gang? Or is it Zhou Wu's private hoard?"

Lin Yan's eyes gleamed. Regardless of whose it was, it belonged to him now.

He picked up a few ingots to examine them and was even more satisfied; these were ordinary silver ingots in general circulation, bearing no Black Tiger Gang markings, meaning he could spend them without any risk.

"Fire!"

Late at night, flames soared into the sky from the courtyard.

By the time the fire was extinguished, several figures stood before the ruins with grim expressions.

"Gang Leader, Hall Master Zhou was killed by a punch. It's a pity the body was burned; it's impossible to tell which school of martial arts it was."

The Black Tiger Gang leader's face was ashen.

This courtyard was a secret stronghold of the gang, known only to him; even the other hall masters were unaware of its existence.

Zhou Wu had been injured in an ambush and had many enemies, so he had arranged for Zhou Wu to stay here. The low-level gang members who delivered food to him were supposed to be inconspicuous.

"What other school could it be? Our Black Tiger Gang only has three major enemies; it must have been one of them."

Another hall master said coldly, "In my opinion, someone must have been watching the food-delivery lackey and followed him here. That fellow named Zheng Bo is dead, which proves the point—the enemy tracked him to find the door."

"Zheng Bo? Does he have an elderly mother and a younger brother at home?"

"He does."

The Black Tiger Gang leader said indifferently, "The brothels are short on 'rabbits' lately; send his brother there."

Lin Yan took advantage of his aunt being out to hide the silver, then changed out of his clothes and took them outside to burn.

"I don't have many clothes to begin with; if I keep doing this, I'll have nothing left to wear. I need to go to the tailor and get a few more sets."

One kill, one set of clothes burned.

If it weren't for the fact that he gained something every time, he wouldn't even be able to afford the cost of killing.

Just like last time, Lin Yan began to review his actions.

First, a reflection: he had underestimated the power of a First-Layer Skin-Refining expert.

Zhou Wu had been injured, his right hand crippled, and his eyes blinded, yet he had still struggled to secure the victory. If he had faced a First-Layer Skin-Refining martial artist in their prime, he would have lost without a doubt.

When a martial artist is injured, it affects more than just a limb; the circulation of qi and blood throughout the body is disrupted, causing their overall strength to plummet.

In the future, he must never fight a stronger opponent head-on; he could only rely on overwhelming, asymmetric strikes.

Secondly, methods like pepper powder and lime powder were only effective because Zhou Wu had been caught off guard; against a prepared martial artist, their utility would likely be limited. They could only serve as minor tricks, not as his trump card.

As for the Black Tiger Gang, there was no need to worry too much.

Zheng Bo had not disclosed his contact with Ge Hui to anyone, and Zhou Wu, the only other person who knew, was already dead.

As long as Ge Hui wasn't a fool, he wouldn't dare hand over evidence of his betrayal of his own sect to the Black Tiger Gang.

Ge Hui!

A flash of murderous intent crossed Lin Yan's eyes.

He was not a bloodthirsty man. He killed Zhang Dahai and his companion because they had set a trap for the original owner of this body and cost him his life—a debt that had to be repaid. He killed Zhou Wu and Zheng Bo because if he hadn't acted, Zhou Wu would have come for him—he had to strike first to gain the advantage.

And Ge Hui, as the mastermind behind it all, had to die as well.

As Mencius said: those who harm their own kin are not human.

With his reflection complete, Lin Yan turned his attention to the strange tree within his mind.

On the gray branches, two gray fruits hung silently.

[Martial Fruit: Three years, five months, and seven days]

[Martial Fruit: Five months and four days]

"As expected of a First-Stage Skin Tempering expert, he contributed three years and five months."

Lin Yan's eyes flickered. Although Mountain Splitting Fist was a pugilistic technique, it could also nourish qi and blood, so it should be compatible with the Martial Fruit.

"Consume."

With a thought, the Martial Fruit from Zhao Chuan vanished instantly.

In a flash, a massive surge of information flooded his mind—images of himself practicing Mountain Splitting Fist for months on end.

It was more than just memory; it was like a brand, deeply etched into his very body.

Five months of grueling practice, realized in a single moment of enlightenment.

Lin Yan closed his eyes. If he were to fight Zhou Wu again, it would never take that long.

His understanding of Mountain Splitting Fist and the angles of his strikes had undergone a qualitative leap.

What delighted him even more was that when he practiced the Mountain Splitting Fist in the courtyard again, the Martial Dao Tree in his mind had actually grown in height.

Although the growth was slight, it would usually take ten times the effort to achieve such an effect.

The more proficient he became in Mountain Splitting Fist, the faster his qi and blood were generated.

A sharp glint flashed in Lin Yan's eyes, and without hesitation, he consumed the second Martial Fruit.

Boom!

A torrent of information, several times larger than the previous one, surged in. Spring passed, autumn came, winters and summers cycled, day and night of bitter training.

Striking, shifting, exerting force...

When Lin Yan regained his senses, he was drenched in sweat and utterly exhausted.

But his eyes were bright and piercing.

Three years passed in an instant, like a dream.

He raised his hand, twisted his waist, and threw a punch—his body moved with perfect fluidity, without a single wasted motion or ounce of misspent force.

After finishing the set, Lin Yan looked inward at his mind.

The Martial Dao Tree was still growing slowly, but what excited him more was that the leaf representing Mountain Splitting Fist had fully formed, shifting from emerald green to silver.

At the same time, new information emerged.

A moment later, Lin Yan whispered in realization: "The color of the Martial Dao leaves corresponds to the proficiency of the technique."

A tender bud corresponds to Entry-level.

A green leaf corresponds to Proficient.

Silver corresponds to Minor Accomplishment.

Gold corresponds to Major Accomplishment.

Now that his Mountain Splitting Fist had reached Minor Accomplishment, his attainment was comparable to a senior disciple who had been practicing for years.

He still needed to keep working hard!

After calming his mind, Lin Yan continued his training.

He soon discovered that at the Minor Accomplishment stage, the Mountain Splitting Fist accelerated the generation of qi and blood significantly. At this rate, the time required to reach the first stage of Skin Tempering would be shortened once again.

However, after half an hour, he stopped.

It was a happy problem.

The essence of Mountain Splitting Fist was to use internal breath and the circulation of qi and blood during strikes to convert the body's nutrients into qi and blood. While a small portion of these nutrients came from the body's own cycle, the majority had to come from the food he consumed.

Previously, he would only feel hungry after two hours of practice, but now, after just half an hour, his stomach was empty.

"Qi and blood aren't generated out of thin air. Now that Mountain Splitting Fist is at Minor Accomplishment, if I want to maintain this progress, my food intake must keep up, which means I'll have to spend more money."

Three days later, Lin Yan received some good news.

The Black Tiger Gang had been wiped out by other gangs.

"The Black Tiger Gang was wiped out?"

Hearing this news from Zhang Wei, Lin Yan was somewhat stunned.

He had only killed one hall master of the Black Tiger Gang.

"Just last night, the Black Tiger Gang was destroyed by the Four Seas Gang. From the gang leader down to the hall masters, not a single one escaped. The rank-and-file members were either killed or wounded, and some even defected directly to the Four Seas Gang."

Zhang Wei spoke with vivid detail, as if he had been there himself, though in reality, he had heard it all from other guards at the escort agency.

"You know Zheng Bo from our street? Word is he's dead too. It's a good thing he had a younger brother, otherwise, his family line would have ended."

Lin Yan had no interest in gang warfare. However, the destruction of the Black Tiger Gang was a good thing for him; he could finally use those silver ingots without fear of being targeted by them.

"Is that the only reason you came to my place?"

"Of course not. I'm off today, and I've arranged to meet Monkey at the Wu Family Opera Troupe to catch a show."

Seeing Zhang Wei's enthusiastic expression, the refusal on the tip of Lin Yan's tongue was swallowed back down. He had been pouring his heart and soul into martial arts training lately, leaving his mind tightly wound; a bit of relaxation might do him some good.

The Wu Family Opera Stage.

It was an open-air venue with a dozen or so tables. The show was free, and a pot of tea with a plate of melon seeds cost only ten wen—a pastime affordable for the common folk in the city.

When Lin Yan and Zhang Wei arrived, a thin, frail-looking youth stood up and waved. "Stone, Wei-zi, over here!"

"Monkey, how come you're here so early?"

"My uncle went out today."

The thin youth was named Wang Tao. He had been sickly since childhood, earning him the nickname "Monkey." The three of them came from similar backgrounds, but Wang Tao had an uncle who was a manager at a pharmacy, and he worked there as an assistant, earning five hundred wen a month—the highest income among the three.

"Stone, Zhang Wei said you joined a martial arts school? What's it like inside?"

"What could it be like? Just a bunch of people training."

Lin Yan sat down at the tea table. The performance on stage was merely a civil play, hardly spectacular. People came to watch simply for the lively atmosphere and a bit of leisure.

"Stone, our pharmacy has Qi-Nurturing Soup formulated for martial artists. I picked these out from the leftover herbs at the shop; the quality isn't top-tier, but they should be useful to you."

Wang Tao handed over a bundle from his chair, and fearing Lin Yan would decline, he added, "Don't be shy about it. I heard from Wei-zi that even the escorts at the security firm praised your talent for martial arts. Once you make a name for yourself, you'll have to look out for me."

"Fine. Once I make a name for myself, I'll have everyone call you 'Lord Monkey'." Lin Yan looked at the bundle on the table and accepted it directly.

"Lord Monkey? That name sounds pretty good. What about me?" Zhang Wei interjected.

"You... how about 'Brother Wei'?"

"Brother Wei... not as imposing as Lord Monkey, but it's alright, I suppose."

Lin Yan smiled faintly. "Brother Wei" was more than just "alright"—it was a man's treasure.

Zhang Wei had interjected suddenly because he was afraid Lin Yan would feel embarrassed about accepting Monkey's gift. As for Monkey's claim that these herbs were "leftovers," it was merely a pretext to put his mind at ease—Lin Yan had bought Qi-Nurturing Soup before and knew that even the worst herbs in a pharmacy wouldn't be thrown away; they would either be passed off as better quality or sold at a discount.

Lin Yan understood in his heart that rather than Zhang Wei inviting everyone out for a show, it was more likely the two brothers had conspired to find a way to sponsor him. These ten packs of Qi-Nurturing Soup were likely bought with their combined savings.

There was no need to get to the bottom of it. He would simply keep this kindness in mind.

Halfway through the performance, the crowd suddenly grew restless.

Several burly men in green shirts appeared at the scene, drawing many eyes.

"Aren't those people from the Green Snake Gang? What are they doing here?"

"Who knows? Be careful, those gang members are vicious."

The troupe leader heard the commotion and hurried out from backstage.

"Are you gentlemen here to watch the show? Please, take a seat."

"No need."

The leading man in green scanned the crowd. "From today on, thirty percent of the revenue from every show goes to us. If you try to play any tricks, just wait for your Wu Family Opera Stage to be torn down."

The troupe leader's face turned pale. "Sir, isn't thirty percent a bit too much?"

"Too much?" The man sneered. "Since you don't want to pay thirty percent, make it forty."

"Thirty... oh, no, forty percent it is! The Wu Family Opera Stage guarantees the full amount will be handed over."

The troupe leader dared not talk back again.

Watching the arrogant display of the men in green, Zhang Wei snorted softly. "Bullies who pick on the weak. I heard from the escorts at the firm that a new gang called the Four Seas Gang has popped up in the city, seizing territory from many of the old gangs. The Green Snake Gang doesn't dare challenge the Four Seas Gang, so they only dare to bully the common folk."

"Keep your voice down." Monkey interrupted him in a low tone. "We can't afford to provoke these people; don't go looking for trouble."

With the Green Snake Gang causing such a scene, the audience began to leave one by one. No one wanted to invite trouble. Only the troupe leader sat blankly on his stool, his face full of despair.

"Let's go too."

The three of them stood up and left. As for the troupe leader's plight, they could only keep their sympathy to themselves.

After parting ways with Zhang Wei and Monkey on the road, Lin Yan's brows were tightly locked.

With the Green Snake Gang's territory being seized, they had begun squeezing the common people to maintain their income. What about his own neighborhood? Just because there hadn't been a gang there before didn't mean there wouldn't be one in the future.

It seemed the original plan to save money and slowly grind toward the first stage of skin-toughening was no longer viable; he had to speed things up.

Fortunately, Zhou Wu had provided timely help by sponsoring over a hundred taels of silver, which he could use to buy skin-toughening secret medicine at the martial arts school.