Before the Year, After the Year

New Year's Eve.

This was the first New Year Lin Yan had spent since crossing over into this world.

"Yan'er, take your brother to pay respects to the ancestors."

Aunt Liu had long since arranged the sacrificial meats, melons, and fruits on the altar in the family shrine.

Lin Yan lit the incense and handed three sticks to his younger brother. The two brothers bowed respectfully to the Lin family ancestors while Liu stood to the side, her expression filled with gratification.

Every New Year, she would have the two brothers pay respects to their forebears, but in the past, they only had simple offerings. This year, they had a full spread of meats and fruits; these changes were all brought about by Yan'er.

Big Brother, Sister-in-law, Yan'er has grown up and taken on the responsibilities of this household. Your spirits in heaven can finally rest in peace.

Liu whispered in her heart. After the brothers finished bowing and inserted their incense, she stepped forward to straighten the burner that Mo had tilted while placing his sticks, before finally exiting the room.

"Aunt, I have some good news to tell you."

Once they were out of the shrine, Lin Yan said with a smile, "I've bought a house in the East City. We can move in once the New Year celebrations are over."

"You bought a house in the East City?"

Liu was stunned. Although she was just a housewife, she knew how expensive property was in the East City; a single room there could cost as much as an entire house in this district.

"Yan'er, houses in the East City are so expensive. You should be spending your money on martial arts training right now. Buying a single room would have been enough."

"It's fine, Aunt. I'm currently holding a position at the Tang Family, and the stipend is quite high. After buying the house, I still have plenty left for my training expenses," Lin Yan explained, then added with a roguish tone, "Besides, the house is already bought; it can't be returned."

Presenting a fait accompli was the best way to deal with elders accustomed to frugality.

"You child..."

"Aunt, isn't the whole reason I practice martial arts to let our family live better? If I've made progress in my training but our family is living even more frugally, wouldn't all this effort be in vain? Most importantly, things are getting more chaotic here. With you and my little brother living in this area, I can't stay in Qingtian Town with peace of mind. My master warned me that the greatest fear in martial arts is a restless mind."

Lin Yan chuckled. He was certain that with these two reasons, his aunt would never refuse again.

Just as Lin Yan had expected, while Liu hesitated at first, that hesitation vanished upon hearing his final point.

In Liu's heart, only one thing was more important than her nephew's martial arts: his marriage prospects.

"Big Brother, did you really buy a house in the East City?"

No one in the family was more excited than Lin Mo. At his age, he was always running about, and he had often visited the East City with his playmates. He had seen its prosperity and knew full well that their family couldn't afford to live there.

"I'm going to tell Er Gou and the others that we're moving to the East City!"

Smack!

Lin Mo rubbed the back of his head, looking at his mother with a grievance-filled expression.

"Keep quiet about your brother buying a house. Don't go around telling people."

"I know, Mother."

Lin Mo looked aggrieved, not understanding why his mother wouldn't let him talk about it, but Lin Yan understood her deep-seated caution.

Because he practiced martial arts, the local gangs had waived their protection fees. While the neighbors didn't say anything to their faces, there was plenty of gossip behind their backs. His aunt didn't want to invite any more jealousy.

Although with his current strength, these neighbors meant nothing, his aunt's caution was not misplaced.

While his aunt was busy preparing the New Year's Eve dinner, Lin Yan headed out to the Xu household.

The Xu home today lacked any festive New Year atmosphere; the moment he stepped through the door, Lin Yan was hit by the heavy scent of medicinal herbs.

"Lin Yan is here?"

Seeing Lin Yan at the door, Xu Dahai hurried over to greet him.

For the past few months, Lin Yan had been asking his aunt to send some money to the Xu family.

"Uncle Xu, is Brother Ping feeling any better?"

"He's a bit better than before. He can get out of bed and walk around for a while each day."

Lin Yan asked a few more questions about Xu Ping's condition, then left a gift and a red envelope before departing. He didn't go inside to visit, fearing it might cause Xu Ping too much emotional agitation.

That night.

The sound of firecrackers shook the heavens.

Even in this impoverished district in the North City, the sound of firecrackers was incessant. Even the Xu family had hung a string of firecrackers at their door—ten coins a string, just for a simple, earnest hope: to drive away bad luck and ensure the coming year would be better.

On the first day of the New Year, Lin Yan finished breakfast and headed to the martial arts hall, carrying the rice wine his aunt had brewed and some cured meat.

Before the New Year, his master had given instructions that disciples were not allowed to give gifts, but that referred to expensive items. Two strips of cured meat and a jug of rice wine were nothing to a martial artist, let alone one of his master's standing.

When Lin Yan arrived at the hall, he realized he wasn't the earliest; many people had already gathered in the front courtyard, exchanging festive greetings.

"Senior Brother Li."

Lin Yan spotted Li An. Seeing him standing still, he stepped forward to greet him.

"Junior Brother Lin, congratulations on your successful second skin-toughening."

The moment Lin Yan walked over to greet him, Li An felt a complex mix of emotions. Back when he had failed his own attempt to break through to the second stage of skin-toughening and chose to leave the martial arts hall to take up a post elsewhere, he never expected news to arrive shortly after that Junior Brother Lin had succeeded.

"I must thank Senior Brother Li for your guidance; it saved me from taking quite a few detours."

Hearing Lin Yan's words, Li An smiled. He knew his junior brother was being humble; Lin Yan's successful breakthrough had absolutely nothing to do with him.

I failed myself, what kind of advice could I possibly give? Should I have taught him how to fail?

Sensing that his junior brother hadn't distanced himself after his success, Li An's heart stirred, and a thought sprouted. Just as he was about to speak, the disciples chatting in the courtyard fell silent, their gazes turning toward the steps of the main hall.

Yang Qingfeng walked out of the hall, looked at the disciples in the courtyard, and smiled: "Why have you all come so early today? I'm not providing breakfast here."

"Master, that's a disaster. I didn't eat this morning, thinking I'd come here to mooch a meal off you. I didn't expect to go hungry."

A disciple joked, and Yang Qingfeng feigned anger: "You talk too much. As if I'd let you go hungry—follow me."

In the kitchen, breakfast had long been prepared, and even those like Lin Chen who had already eaten still managed to finish a bowl of noodles.

After the New Year greetings were finished, the disciples at the first stage of skin-toughening left first, while Lin Yan and the other disciples at the second stage were asked to stay behind.

"The Lantern Snatching Festival this year is the same as in previous years. Every martial arts hall will send one disciple to participate. Do you have any thoughts on this?"

Yang Qingfeng asked with a smile, but the moment he spoke, everyone's eyes fell on Zhao Linyuan, Lin Yan included.

In the original owner's memories, he had seen the martial artists' Lantern Snatching performance; it was a traditional event for the Lantern Festival in Guangping County.

On the night of the Lantern Festival, the county government would hang colorful lanterns in front of the City God Temple. Each martial arts hall would send disciples to snatch them. For the common folk watching, it was a lively spectacle, but for the martial arts halls, it was a chance to advertise.

Therefore, every hall would arrange for young disciples to appear, and for the disciples themselves, representing the hall meant they had gained their master's recognition and esteem.

In the hearts of the Yang Family Martial Arts Hall disciples, the one who could represent them was naturally Junior Brother Zhao Linyuan.

Although Zhao was the latest to reach the second stage of skin-toughening, he had taken the shortest amount of time to get there since he began training. His talent was truly astonishing.

"Master, this disciple is willing to represent the hall in the lantern snatching." Zhao Linyuan didn't feign modesty and stepped forward directly.

Yang Qingfeng smiled; Zhao Linyuan was his own preferred candidate as well.

"Does anyone else have any objections?"

"Master, Junior Brother Zhao is the most suitable to represent our hall."

"Other than Junior Brother Zhao, none of us are fit for it."

The other second-stage disciples expressed their agreement, and Yang Qingfeng nodded: "Since that is the case, the Lantern Snatching will be left to you, Linyuan."

"This disciple will certainly give his all and not bring shame to the hall."

Watching Zhao Linyuan, who had the support of everyone, Lin Yan felt no jealousy. He didn't care for such limelight, and he had to admit that, as things stood, his junior brother was indeed superior to him.

The Martial Dao Tree was his greatest secret; outsiders didn't know that he couldn't fail his breakthroughs. Comparing the two, he still had a gap to close before he could match Zhao.

The next day.

Lin Yan carried a gift box and headed toward the South City with his aunt.

The Lin family didn't have many relatives, and this time the two of them were heading to the Cai Mansion to pay their New Year respects.

To avoid any incidents of being looked down upon, Lin Yan wore his martial arts hall disciple uniform. The Cai Mansion was a wealthy household; the gatekeeper should understand what this attire represented.

In Lin Yan's heart, this cousin-aunt at the Cai Mansion had been a benefactor to him. Without the cultivation technique she had provided, his path in the martial arts would not have been so smooth. This debt of gratitude was not light.

Now, in the first lunar month of the New Year, there were certainly many relatives visiting the Cai Mansion. If he acted as he usually did, the gatekeeper might treat him and his aunt like poor relations and give them the cold shoulder.

Being slighted or even suffering mockery leading to a conflict—such entirely avoidable situations occurring just for the sake of "playing the pig to eat the tiger" wasn't being low-key; it was stupidity.

Arriving at the gates of the Cai Mansion, just as Lin Yan had expected, the gatekeeper saw the uniform he was wearing and hurried down the steps.

A second-stage skin-toughening martial artist was a big shot to the Cai Mansion.

"May I ask what brings this lord to the mansion?"

"My aunt and I have come to pay our respects to the Fourth Mistress."

Lin Yan stated his purpose, and the gatekeeper hurriedly led them into the mansion, though he was inwardly puzzled: The Fourth Mistress has a nephew who is a second-stage martial artist?

The gatekeeper had seen Lin Yan and Liu once before, but over half a year had passed, and after practicing martial arts, Lin Yan's physique had grown significantly, changing his appearance entirely. It was normal for the gatekeeper not to remember.

Liu looked at the path they were taking into the mansion with confusion; she had never walked this way when visiting the Cai Mansion in the past.

"Young man, where are we going?"

"Since the lord and mistress have arrived, we are naturally going to the main hall."

The gatekeeper answered politely. This wasn't his first time welcoming relatives of the various mistresses today; he had already received several batches, but he had arranged for those relatives to go to the courtyards where each mistress lived.

According to the rules of previous years, the three mistresses would each receive their own relatives, and the master would find time to visit each courtyard to see them once, fulfilling the etiquette.

But a second-stage martial artist was different; he could not be neglected.

He had been a gatekeeper at the Cai Mansion for over a dozen years precisely because he understood the master's way of treating guests.