Autumn passed, and winter arrived, bringing the cold.
In the courtyard.
Lin Yan stood bare-chested, his spine arched like a great bow. Sweat rolled from his shoulder blades and slid down his ridged back muscles. His skin gleamed with a restrained, resilient sheen, like iron repeatedly hammered into shape.
Phew!
He exhaled in one breath. In the cold air, it quickly turned into a cloud of mist that shot a full foot before dissipating.
The Martial Dao Tree inside him had already reached one foot and seven inches, not far from the two-foot mark of a second Skin Polishing martial artist.
His cultivation speed was already far beyond that of most first-stage Skin Polishing martial artists.
He could maintain this pace for two reasons. First, his Mountain Splitting Fist was close to minor mastery. Most martial artists were doing well if they could cultivate their techniques to proficiency during the first stage of Skin Polishing.
The second reason was the boost to his qi and blood brought by his Stone Waist Savage Spine physique.
Without those two advantages, at the pace of the senior disciples at the martial arts hall, it would take nearly two years to reach the second Skin Polishing threshold.
If they failed to break through, they would lose another year or two.
Fortunately, he had no risk of failing a breakthrough. His current problem was that the silver others had given him had run out. He could still afford Muscle Strengthening Paste only thanks to the Tang Family's monthly stipend.
"Master Lin, let me wipe your face."
Axiu had already prepared a basin of water. She wrung out a face towel and handed it to him.
"Thanks."
Lin Yan took the towel and wiped the sweat from his face. He left the sweat on his body alone. Axiu had offered several times to wipe him down, but he had refused.
It wasn't that he was uncomfortable with a stranger wiping his body. He'd lived thirty-five years in his previous life and had enjoyed that kind of service before. The 698-yuan places were beyond his budget, but the 398-yuan ones offered better value.
It was just that he was in the midst of striving now, and couldn't afford to develop a taste for comfort.
After wiping himself down, Lin Yan said, "You don't need to come tomorrow or the day after."
Axiu froze. Lin Yan added, "I'm going back to the county town today. I'll be away for the next two days."
Over the past three months, Lin Yan had returned to the county town once each month. He'd set out in the evening, spent the night at home, then hurried back to the town early the next morning. Zheng Xun had told him that the employer wouldn't mind, but Lin Yan didn't want to give anyone a reason to talk. He was being paid, after all.
His position with the Tang Family was a good job. He didn't want to lose it.
Now that winter had set in, most of the medicinal fields had been harvested. The few that were still planted were nowhere near ready, so there was no need to keep watch every day.
"Lin Yan, let's go."
By the time Lin Yan had gathered his things and stepped out of the courtyard, Zheng Xun was already waiting for him.
Over these three months in Qingtian Town, Lin Yan and Zheng Xun had gotten along well. They were about the same age, while everyone else was a generation older. As Zheng Xun put it, he had nothing to talk about with those people.
As soon as they entered the city, Zheng Xun gave Lin Yan a suggestive look. "Lin Yan, you really won't come have some fun with me?"
"No."
On the way back, Zheng Xun had let himself go completely. He kept telling Lin Yan about the delights of the courtesans in the city, trying to tempt him, but Lin Yan remained unmoved.
Martial artists no longer had to be so wary of drink and women after Skin Polishing, but Zheng Xun was treating him today. Would Lin Yan have to return the favor another time?
Zheng Xun's situation was different from his. The Zheng Family couldn't compare with the city's top lineages, but Zheng Xun's grandfather had been a third-stage Skin Polishing martial artist. He'd left behind a substantial fortune, so Zheng Xun could afford to enjoy himself.
Lin Yan didn't even have enough money for his training. How could he spend it on something like that?
When you were at rock bottom, it was best to cut back on leisure and socializing. Even if someone treated you, spending their money meant you'd have to flatter them a little. Over time, you'd come to accept your inferior status and lose the will to strive.
After parting ways with Zheng Xun, Lin Yan first went to the martial arts hall to buy a jar of Muscle Strengthening Paste, then headed home. Compared with three months earlier, the atmosphere in the northern part of the city had changed noticeably. There were fewer people on the streets, and even the children who used to gather in groups had disappeared.
"Auntie, I'm home."
Lin Yan pushed open the door. His little brother was in the courtyard, idly teasing the ants on the ground. Hearing his voice, he ran over excitedly. "Big Brother, you're back!"
"Mm. Where's Auntie?"
Lin Yan handed over the meat he'd bought at the butcher's and asked curiously.
He knew that because he was training in martial arts, Auntie wouldn't want to spend money, no matter how many times he told her otherwise. So every time he came back, he bought some meat.
His little brother was at an age when he was growing fast. He needed proper nourishment.
"Mother went to deliver some clothes."
Lin Mo tugged at Lin Yan's sleeve. "Big Brother, take me out to play. I'm going to suffocate if I have to stay at home all day."
"How's your calligraphy practice going?"
Lin Yan ignored the plea. Even when his little brother looked utterly pitiful, he remained unmoved.
Auntie wouldn't let him play outside because things were different now. Though the Clear Water Gang had been wiped out, the Three Heroes Gang had moved in soon afterward.
These gang members spent all day roaming their territory. If they took a dislike to someone, they could pick any excuse to beat them up. Auntie was afraid her son would be bullied by them.
Unlike the Clear Water Gang, which had only one Skin Polishing martial artist, the Three Heroes Gang had three first-stage Skin Polishing martial artists. Its leader had attempted the second stage of Skin Polishing a year earlier but failed. He was still recognized as one of the top first-stage Skin Polishing martial artists.
The Three Heroes Gang charged ten percent more protection money than the Clear Water Gang. At first, the people of Yuliu Alley had wanted Lin Yan to step in, but he was in Qingtian Town. Before leaving, he'd specifically told Auntie not to get involved.
If the gang wanted protection money, they could collect it. The Lin Family didn't have to pay.
That was the rule in Guangping County: no gang, no matter who they were, was allowed to collect protection money from a martial artist's family.
"The stroke at the end needs more force. Write it a hundred more times."
After Lin Yan finished teaching his little brother a page of calligraphy, Auntie returned.
"Mother, why were you gone so long today? Did something happen?"
When Lin Mo saw his mother come in, his eyes shifted. He set down his brush and made a show of concern as he started to run over.
"Keep writing. If you don't finish today, you don't eat."
Smack!
Lin Yan knew exactly what the boy was up to. The ruler landed squarely on Lin Mo's right leg as he stepped forward.
"Mother!"
Lin Mo grimaced in pain and looked pleadingly at her, but Liu paid him no mind. She simply set down the basket in her hands. "I went to see Mr. Sun today. He's having a hard time now, too, so I brought him some grain."
At the mention of Mr. Sun, Lin Yan's eyes narrowed. Mr. Sun was the teacher who had taught him calligraphy back then.
"What happened to him?"
"Mr. Sun's daughter-in-law is pregnant, and the family has expenses coming up. Now the Three Heroes Gang has raised the stall fees by another twenty percent. The Sun Family is struggling, too."
Lin Yan fell silent.
Mr. Sun made his living setting up a stall on the street to write letters for people. He also took jobs naming children and reading the terrain. He wasn't wealthy, but he'd always managed.
Lin Yan had studied reading and writing under him for two years. In a way, they were teacher and student.
"I'll visit him later."
After dinner, Lin Yan left the house with a gift box to pay his teacher a visit.
As he approached the Sun Family's courtyard wall, he heard a woman's voice inside. He listened for a moment, frowned, then stepped forward and knocked. "Is Mr. Sun home?"
The woman's voice fell silent. A few breaths later, a middle-aged man opened the door. He seemed surprised to see Lin Yan standing outside. "Lin Yan? Come in, quickly. Your aunt just told me you're learning martial arts at the Yang Family Martial Arts Hall now. You've made something of yourself."
Four years had passed since Lin Yan had studied under him. Sun Huairen could hardly reconcile the tall, broad-shouldered young man before him with the frail boy he remembered.
Inside, Lin Yan met his teacher's wife and greeted her.
"Lin Yan, come... have some tea."
"Teacher, you should still call me Little Yan."
Lin Yan took the tea. It was far worse than what he drank in Qingtian Town, with a bitter taste, but he didn't mind at all. He drank it down in one go.
Sun Huairen looked pleased. "Your aunt told me you're a martial artist now. I don't understand martial arts, but I know that training is like studying: it all comes down to diligence..."
A teacher's greatest pleasure was lecturing.
Lin Yan listened quietly. Though Mr. Sun didn't understand martial arts, many principles of conduct and learning were the same.
After finishing the pot of tea, Lin Yan stood up. "It's getting late. I won't keep you from resting, Teacher. Your guidance today has enlightened me greatly. I'll keep your advice close to heart."
Sun Huairen walked him to the door. Lin Yan smiled. "Please, Teacher, stay here. There's no need to see me off."
Standing at the doorway, Sun Huairen watched Lin Yan disappear at the end of the alley. When he turned around, he nearly jumped at the sight of his wife standing behind him.
"Old Sun, Lin Yan's a martial artist now. You're still lecturing him with all that useless advice, without even considering whether he wants to hear it."
"What would you know? I may not understand martial arts, but I've lived most of my life, and I know a thing or two about how to conduct myself. What Little Yan lacks most at his age is experience."
"You've got a point, all right. And your pregnant daughter-in-law can't even afford a chicken."
Madam Sun's voice was loud. She was both complaining about her husband and making sure her daughter-in-law heard her. She didn't want the younger woman to feel resentful, so she was scolding her own husband first.
"I say, Lin Yan's a martial artist now. He finally came by, and we're in such a difficult spot. You should've talked to Little Yan."
"Talked to him about what? You want me to ask Little Yan for money?" Sun Huairen glared at his wife. "Don't you know what his family's situation is? Lin Yan's martial arts training costs even more now. He barely has enough for himself."
"If you're not asking for money, you can at least bring up the protection money and see if Little Yan can get our family exempted."
"Little Yan's only just started training. Bringing up protection money would be asking for trouble."
"But he's the most promising of all the children you taught. Things are so hard for us now, and we still have to pay protection money every month. We can't go on like this."
Madam Sun wore a worried expression, but her hands never stopped moving. She opened the gift box Lin Yan had brought and fell silent for a moment when she saw what was inside.
"Old Sun, this... this is two taels of silver."
At her words, Sun Huairen walked over and looked inside the box.
The top layer held some pastries, which his wife had set aside. Beneath them lay several pieces of silver, amounting to about two taels.
"That boy has a good heart."
Sun Huairen sighed softly. Teaching Lin Yan to read and write hadn't been much. There had been plenty of children studying with him at the time, and he'd also been paid by Liu.
Lin Yan had visited him out of affection. It would have been perfectly normal if he hadn't come, let alone brought money.
"Exactly. Little Yan's a loyal one. I think you should teach him the family's art of reading the terrain."
Sun Huairen fell silent. The Sun Family's geomantic skill had been passed down from their ancestors, but he'd never mastered it, and his son was even less capable.
"The world's getting more chaotic by the day. When our grandson is born, we'll need someone to lend us a hand. Little Yan's made something of himself through martial arts. If we want him to help us in the future, the bond you formed by teaching him calligraphy won't be enough."
When she saw that her husband was still silent, she said no more. Turning, she picked up the sack of rice and headed for the door. "With these two taels from Little Yan, I can buy some rice and meat for our daughter-in-law. I'm going to the rice shop."
Auntie Liu had brought coarse grain, the ordinary staple of common folk. But with the Sun Family's daughter-in-law pregnant, she naturally needed better food. Before Lin Yan arrived, the couple had been arguing about whether to trade the coarse grain for rice.
Fifty jin of coarse grain could only be exchanged for ten jin of rice. Even if they rationed it carefully, it would only last the family a few days. The coarse grain, on the other hand, could last nearly a month if they were sparing.
"Enough. If the world stays this chaotic, who knows if the Sun Family can even keep its bloodline going? There's no point clinging to our ancestors' rules."
After a long while, Sun Huairen made up his mind. He went to the bookshelf and pulled a book wrapped in oiled paper from among the yellowed volumes.
Late at night.
Knock, knock, knock!
"Little Yan, it's me."
"Teacher, what brings you here? Please come in."
Lin Yan opened the door and ushered his teacher inside, surprise in his eyes.
He had only just gone to visit his teacher, and now the man had come to his house.
Liu hurriedly brewed some hot tea for Sun Huairen to warm him up.
After finishing a cup, Sun Huairen didn't beat around the bush. "Little Yan, does martial arts training require a lot of precious medicines?"
"Yes." Lin Yan nodded, then gave a wry smile. "But precious medicines can cost hundreds of taels. Someone from a family like mine can't hope to afford them."
"Little Yan, take a look at this first."
Sun Huairen took an object wrapped in oiled paper from inside his robes. He carefully unwrapped it, revealing a book with a blue cover.
"Earth Vein True Interpretation?"
Lin Yan glanced at the title but didn't open the book right away. Instead, he looked at his teacher.
"Little Yan, you should know that besides setting up a stall to write letters, I also take jobs reading the terrain."
Sun Huairen smiled. "It's not just a bunch of nonsense. My ancestors had a way of reading the earth's qi. They could find places where the qi was dense among the mountains and rivers. Such places often held precious medicines. It's a pity that by my generation, I only learned the basics, and my son is even less capable... You're training in martial arts now, and you need precious medicines. I'll pass this book on to you."
Lin Yan froze for a moment, then accepted it with both hands. The paper of the Earth Vein True Interpretation was thick and rough, its edges yellowed. It was clearly old, but had been well preserved.
The four characters "Earth Vein True Interpretation" were handwritten on the cover in ink. The strokes were steady, carrying an old-fashioned solemnity.
He opened to the first page.
There, in neat regular script, was a line: "The earth has veins, just as the human body has meridians. Plants and trees grow from the earth and are nourished by its qi. Those skilled at observing the earth's veins can read the qi to know what lies hidden and follow the veins to find what is true."
After skimming through it, Lin Yan's eyes shone. This book was incredibly important to him.
It detailed the earth veins of mountains and rivers, and how to identify terrain with the right conditions for producing precious medicines. It covered observing the growth and color of plants, as well as the mist that rose from the ground at dawn and dusk to determine the flow of the earth's qi.
Where the earth's qi gathered, precious medicines were sure to be found.
The book also described the growing habits of certain precious medicines. One passage mentioned ginseng and lingzhi mushrooms, which favored cool, moist places where a thin mist was sure to cover the ground at dawn and disperse at noon.
Lin Yan closed the book and took a deep breath.
It wasn't a martial arts manual, but its value far exceeded that of any technique.
Of course, many passages were obscure and difficult to understand. The book's contents were profound, and to truly master them, he would need the relevant knowledge. Otherwise, he risked drawing narrow conclusions from incomplete information.
Lin Yan knew Mr. Sun's son, too. Brother Sun was an impatient man. He likely had no interest in quietly studying this book.
"Teacher..."
"Don't say more." Sun Huairen waved him off and stood up. "The book is yours. How much you learn from it is up to your own fortune. I'm old, and my son is no good. If this stays with the Sun Family, it'll only end up propping up a table leg."
"It's late. I should be going, too. Sorry for the trouble, Little Yan's aunt."
"Teacher, I'll see you out."
Lin Yan didn't offer any empty courtesies. This was indeed a book he needed.
Sun Huairen reached the door, then stopped and looked back at Lin Yan. He warned, "The places where precious medicines grow are often guarded by fierce beasts and poisonous insects. Don't let your guard down."
"Don't worry, Teacher. I won't put myself in danger lightly."