Can a Young Lady Be Cashed Out? (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

Qingtian Town, Great Fog Mountain.

A figure wove through the mist, occasionally pausing to search the surroundings.

This figure was none other than Lin Yan. A bamboo basket strapped to his back was already filled with medicinal herbs—the fruits of his labor from this trip into the mountains.

"Three ten-year-old ginseng roots, four five-year-old Soul Returning Grasses. This haul alone is worth over twenty taels of silver."

As he tallied the contents of his basket, Lin Yan's eyes turned toward the dense fog ahead; he was now nearing the core region of Great Fog Mountain.

The deeper one ventured into Great Fog Mountain, the thicker the toxic miasma became, and the more potent its poison.

He dared not go any further.

"The Earth Vein True Interpretation is truly useful."

Lin Yan sighed inwardly. This was not his first time in the mountains; it was his third this month.

The fog on Great Fog Mountain was so thick that visibility was severely hampered. He relied entirely on the skills learned from the Earth Vein True Interpretation—observing the earth's energy, the terrain beneath his feet, and the growth patterns of the flora—to locate the herbs.

"With these herbs, I should be able to complete the second stage of skin-toughening within three days. After that, I can focus on my cultivation and push through the bottleneck to reach the second stage in one go."

Once he achieved the second stage of skin-toughening, he would venture deeper into Great Fog Mountain.

Returning to his courtyard after descending the mountain, Lin Yan set down the basket, cleaned the herbs, and brewed them into a decoction.

As the medicinal soup slid down his throat, Lin Yan did not delay, standing in the courtyard to begin his training.

In his mind, the Martial Dao Tree had reached a height of over one foot and nine inches.

It was almost at two feet!

Lin Yan took a deep breath, assumed his stance, and began the day's practice.

Two days later.

Night.

Faint moonlight spilled into the courtyard.

Lin Yan stood in the center of the yard, his upper body bare.

The amount of Muscle Strengthening Paste he had applied today was three times his usual dose.

The blood and qi within his body surged like boiling water, and the flesh beneath his skin throbbed, as if countless ants were crawling through it.

Lin Yan raised his hand and unleashed the Mountain Splitting Fist.

Once, twice, three times...

The Martial Dao Tree in his mind slowly grew taller, and the moment it reached two feet, it shuddered and swayed violently!

At the same time, the surging blood and qi within Lin Yan's body seemed to find an outlet, rushing fiercely into his flesh and blood.

In just a few breaths, Lin Yan's body expanded rapidly, as if he were an inflating balloon.

He did not know how much time had passed...

BOOM!

A muffled thunderclap seemed to echo in Lin Yan's ears.

Then, everything returned to silence.

Lin Yan opened his eyes.

The moonlight was the same, and the courtyard was the same, but everything appeared different in his eyes.

He could clearly see the slight swaying of the weeds at the base of the wall three zhang away, and he could feel the direction of every air current as the night breeze brushed against his skin.

Lin Yan looked down at his hands. His skin was tighter than before, yet it wasn't covered in rough, thick calluses; instead, it felt like a layer of supple, tough leather. A light press of his fingertips revealed the surging power hidden beneath the surface.

SNAP!

He threw a punch, and the air exploded with a sound like a bullwhip cracking.

Where the fist wind passed, several fallen leaves on the ground were blown rolling more than a zhang away.

This was the strength of the second stage of skin-toughening.

If the first stage of skin-toughening was about making the skin tougher and more resilient, then the second stage was about channeling that power from the skin into the muscles.

His current punching power was two to three times greater than before.

More importantly, his senses had become much sharper, meaning that when fighting others, he could capture their movements faster and react with precision.

The gap between the first and second stages of skin-toughening was comprehensive: strength, speed, reaction, and perception...

"Stone Waist Savage Spine!"

Lin Yan whispered inwardly. His waist and spine arched instantly, his muscles bulged, and his entire frame expanded by thirty percent.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

He threw several punches in succession. The fist wind whistled like a gale, even more terrifying than before.

"This Stone Waist Savage Spine physique is truly formidable; it has actually boosted my strength by another thirty percent."

Lin Yan did not intend to expose the truth about his Stone Waist Savage Spine; it was his trump card.

However, he did not plan to hide his breakthrough to the second stage of skin refinement.

The faster he broke through, the higher his potential was perceived to be. Perhaps his captain would be pleased and grant him a reward. Furthermore, the Tang Family provided a difference in the monthly stipend for martial artists registered at the first stage versus the second stage of skin refinement.

He had learned from Zheng Xun that for martial artists registered at the second stage of skin refinement, the Tang Family provided an additional bottle of Muscle-Generating Pill every month, which had a market value of thirty taels.

As for the actual cost, only the Tang Family knew that.

The next day.

Lin Yan arrived at Ji Ming's residence, where Ji Ming was leisurely drinking tea with Zheng Xun and another martial artist.

"Lin Yan, did the sun rise in the west today?"

Seeing Lin Yan arrive, Zheng Xun was the first to speak.

In the few months since Lin Yan had arrived, he had spent every day outside of patrol practicing martial arts in his courtyard. He rarely even stepped out of his own gate, let alone visited others.

"Eh!"

Ji Ming studied Lin Yan for a long moment before suddenly standing up. "Lin Yan, have you broken through to the second stage of skin refinement?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the tea Zheng Xun was drinking sprayed out of his mouth. He didn't even bother to wipe it, staring fixedly at Lin Yan. "Lin Yan, you succeeded in the second stage of skin refinement?"

The other martial artist also set down his teacup, a look of shock appearing in his eyes.

"The Captain has a sharp eye." Lin Yan admitted with a smile, then asked curiously, "How did you tell?"

Ji Ming smiled slightly and pointed to Lin Yan's exposed neck and wrists. "A fresh breakthrough to the second stage of skin refinement causes blood and qi to surge into the flesh, making the veins bulge and the body appear slightly more bloated than usual. After three to five days of settling, it won't be visible anymore."

Zheng Xun leaned in to look closely at Lin Yan's face, muttering, "How come I can't see anything..."

Ji Ming glanced at him. "You're only at the first stage of skin refinement; what could you possibly see?"

He turned back to Lin Yan, a smile on his face. "Going from the first stage to the second in less than five months—this speed is considered top-tier even among the disciples of the martial arts halls."

Lin Yan smiled. "Just good luck, and thanks to the Captain's care."

"None of that." Ji Ming waved his hand. "What care did I provide? I treat you all the same. Being able to reach the second stage so quickly is entirely due to your own efforts."

The four of them sat down again.

Zheng Xun was still staring at Lin Yan as if looking at a monster. "Lin Yan, be honest, did you secretly take some precious medicine? I've been at the first stage for nearly a year and haven't even touched the edge of the second."

"I ate a few extra ginseng roots," Lin Yan said casually.

Zheng Xun rolled his eyes. He had eaten his fair share of ginseng, but compared to Lin Yan, he had been stuck at the first stage for ten months and was still some distance away from breaking through.

"If you practiced as hard as Lin Yan every day, you would have reached the edge of the second stage by now."

Ji Ming interjected, specifically to stop Zheng Xun from prying further. Every martial artist had their own opportunities and private matters; even brothers might not share such things, and digging for answers was a taboo.

Pouring a cup of tea for Lin Yan, Ji Ming's tone became a bit more intimate than before. "The Tang Family's stipend for second-stage registered martial artists will increase, but with the end of the year approaching, there's no need to make a formal change now. I'll write a note to the master, inform them of your situation, and you can start receiving the second-stage benefits first. We can deal with the rest after the New Year."

"Many thanks, Captain."

Lin Yan raised his teacup to toast Ji Ming; this was the very reason he had come.

"Don't thank me. The master is generous. Another employer might have made you wait until next month to change the benefits. Let's all toast the master together."

On the way back to the city from Qingtian Town, Lin Yan traveled with Zheng Xun again.

"Lin Yan, no matter what you say, you have to come out and have some fun with me this time."

"No money."

Lin Yan spread his hands. "All my money went into buying medicine for training."

"Fine, then I'll treat. Consider it a celebration for your breakthrough to the second stage of skin refinement."

Zheng Xun felt a bit helpless. For a martial artist, each of the last three stages of skin refinement was a hurdle. Once they broke through, they were usually overflowing with excitement, calling friends to celebrate grandly. Yet, with Lin Yan, this breakthrough seemed as simple as drinking water, without a hint of excitement.

Listen-to-Spring Pavilion.

Zheng Xun looked at Lin Yan with a helpless expression. "How am I supposed to drink like this? If you don't like this, should I find you a virgin?"

"If possible, just give me the cash equivalent. I'll accept that favor."

Lin Yan helped himself to a piece of snake meat. After it hit his stomach, he felt a faint warmth in his abdomen; it was clear the meat had nourishing properties for his blood and qi.

"Forget it, let's just drink."

Zheng Xun rolled his eyes at Lin Yan. The woman accompanying them didn't change her expression, smiling gently as she poured another cup of wine for Zheng Xun. "Perhaps Young Master Lin doesn't have a taste for our kind."

"Lin Yan, you don't have a penchant for men, do you?"

Zheng Xun's expression shifted, as if he had realized something, and he quietly moved his chair back a bit.

"If I had a penchant for men, with Young Master Zheng being so delicate and handsome, do you think you'd still be sitting here drinking in peace?"

Lin Yan paused with his chopsticks and retorted irritably. Zheng Xun thought for a moment and let out a sigh of relief, "That's true. You really gave me a scare, Xiao Ru."

"Young Master Zheng, I never said Young Master Lin had a penchant for men. You can't pin that on me."

The woman feigned annoyance with a coquettish tone. Zheng Xun asked in confusion, "Then what else could it be?"

"Men, you know, they have all sorts of wild tastes. Some like them young, some like them older, and others even like them pregnant. A few days ago, we had a guest here—the vice leader of the Three Heroes Gang—who specifically demanded pregnant girls."

"There's such a bizarre habit?"

Zheng Xun's mouth hung slightly open. Although he was a regular at brothels, he always played by the rules.

"Indeed. I heard the madam say that this guest's martial arts cultivation had hit a bottleneck, and he wanted to find pregnant girls to change his luck. He asked for ten right off the bat. Oh my... why am I bringing up such filthy matters in front of you two? Young Master Zheng, Young Master Lin, please forgive me."

Lin Yan's expression remained unchanged as he continued to pick up snake meat, asking indifferently, "Do you have any pregnant girls here, then?"

"Lin Yan, you aren't into that too, are you?" Zheng Xun stared at Lin Yan in disbelief.

"No, I was just asking out of curiosity."

"Young Master Lin, how could we have pregnant girls here? They are all innocent maidens—at least, they are today..."

The woman shot him a flirtatious wink, but Lin Yan remained unmoved. He didn't pursue the topic further, though a thoughtful look lingered in the depths of his eyes.