Could it be that the corpse is rising again?

The sixteenth day of the first lunar month.

The Lantern Festival had passed, and work began anew.

Lin Yan headed toward the Tang Mansion; his New Year's break had concluded, and he was to resume his registered position at the estate.

"Lin Yan, you're here!"

In the Tang Mansion courtyard, Zheng Xun waved at him. "I have good news for you: your stipend is going up."

"A raise?"

Lin Yan was somewhat surprised. The stipend provided by the Tang Family, combined with the discounts on medicinal herbs, was already the highest in the entire city. To think they would increase it further.

Could it be that the Tang Family truly had so much money they didn't know where to spend it, and were simply buying a reputation?

"The eldest young lady is in charge of the Tang Mansion now. She has dismissed many of the registered martial artists over these past few days..."

Zheng Xun lowered his voice to explain the situation, and flashes of light flickered in Lin Yan's eyes.

The Tang Family's eldest young lady had a management style completely different from the family head.

The family head, once he hired a registered martial artist, would never dismiss them unless they committed a transgression; they could work until their vitality faded. It was essentially an iron rice bowl.

But after the eldest young lady took power, she changed the rules. Registered martial artists were no longer guaranteed an iron rice bowl.

A first-stage skin-tempering martial artist who failed to break through within three years would be dismissed.

A second-stage skin-tempering martial artist who failed to break through within eight years would be dismissed.

As for third-stage skin-tempering martial artists... there was no time limit; they could remain registered as long as they were willing to stay.

From Zheng Xun's account, Lin Yan quickly analyzed the intent behind the new rules.

By dismissing those who had no room for further progress in their martial path, the remaining martial artists were those still striving, those with the potential to reach the next realm.

It seemed the Tang Family wanted martial artists with potential, not those who had given up on advancing.

"According to the new rules set by the eldest young lady, your stipend, Lin Yan, will rise from thirty taels to fifty. After two years, it will drop to forty, and after four years, it will return to the current thirty."

Hearing this, the corners of Lin Yan's mouth twitched. The eldest young lady was forcing the registered martial artists to risk their lives in cultivation to secure a breakthrough.

He even maliciously speculated: could it be that the Tang Family's medicinal herbs were stagnant in sales, and the eldest young lady was using this method to drive the registered martial artists to purchase more martial supplements?

To maintain a high stipend, one had to break through; to accelerate that breakthrough, one had to spend more money on blood-nourishing herbs and pills.

Regardless, the Tang Family increasing the stipend is a good thing for me.

Lin Yan had already made his judgment. The Tang Family's stipend was paid in real silver, and the discounts on herbs were genuine. If he wanted to achieve something on the martial path, these expenses were unavoidable.

After the two chatted for a while, the steward from before emerged from the house and approached Lin Yan.

"Young Master Lin, I trust you are aware of the new rules regarding registered martial artists."

"Brother Zheng has informed me."

"Since you have broken through to the second stage of skin-tempering, if you choose to join our Tang Family caravan as a guard, your monthly silver can increase by another twenty taels."

"That won't be necessary. I will continue to guard the herb fields."

Lin Yan refused directly. While being a guard paid more, it came with risks. With the Martial Dao Tree, he only wanted to cultivate in peace.

The steward looked stunned. In his view, Lin Yan would certainly choose to join the guard unit.

Having gone from the first to the second stage of skin-tempering in such a short time, and given Lin Yan's background, the steward assumed his savings must have been exhausted. Furthermore, at such a young age, Lin Yan surely had aspirations on the martial path and wouldn't pass up this chance to earn more.

"Since you have made your decision, Young Master Lin, the herb fields will be under your charge from now on."

After a few moments of silence, the steward spoke, then left without further discussion.

Once the steward was gone, Zheng Xun looked at him in disbelief. "Lin Yan, are you stupid? What's so good about staying in Qingtian Town? Joining the guard unit not only pays more, but with the Tang Family name, no one blind enough to rob you would dare show their face. You'd only have to spend a few days a month accompanying the caravan."

He had been winking at Lin Yan the whole time, but Lin Yan had acted as if he hadn't seen a thing.

"If I really run into blind bandits, they'll just serve as practice. A martial artist who hasn't experienced real combat is incomplete. You don't practice martial arts just for health, do you?"

Lin Yan shook his head. "My situation is different from yours. My background is ordinary. I practice martial arts to provide a good life for my family, not to engage in endless fighting. I just want to cultivate steadily."

"Steadily?" Zheng Xun curled his lip. "Many martial artists seek out life-and-death battles just to find a breakthrough opportunity. You've lost your drive."

Lin Yan remained silent. Zheng Xun snorted. "What, speechless?"

"It's not that I'm speechless. I just find it hard to believe that the word 'drive' is coming from your mouth."

Zheng Xun: ...

In the main hall of the Tang Mansion.

Tang Tang listened to the steward's report, her beautiful brows knitting together. "I thought that since Lin Yan could reach the second stage of skin-tempering in such a short time, he must be someone with a heart for martial advancement. I didn't expect him to lose his original intent after reaching the second stage. I fear this man will struggle to step into the third stage."

"Eldest Young Lady, Lin Yan comes from an ordinary background. Reaching the second stage is already a life-changing feat for him. It is understandable that he seeks stability. Not every martial artist pursues the third stage or higher."

On his way back, the steward had come to this realization.

For a martial artist of Lin Yan's standing, reaching the second stage was already an achievement that surpassed many. That he hadn't lost himself to debauchery was already commendable.

Cultivating steadily—even if he couldn't break through himself, he could still raise the next generation.

Tang Tang did not pursue the topic further. Among the martial artists affiliated with the Tang Family, there were two or three who, like Lin Yan, had broken through to the second stage of skin toughening in a short time, not to mention the outstanding talents within the Tang clan itself. Among these people, Lin Yan was not particularly remarkable.

Leaving the Tang residence, Lin Yan headed toward the martial arts hall. Since he was to set off for Qingtian Town tomorrow, he needed to go to the hall to purchase more muscle-strengthening secret medicine.

A street away from the hall, Lin Yan slowed his pace, his gaze fixed ahead.

Not far in front, a Patrol Bureau inspector accompanied by two patrolmen was blocking someone. He recognized the person being intercepted: Junior Brother Zhuang from the martial arts hall.

Seeing this, Lin Yan quickened his pace.

"Junior Brother Zhuang, what is going on?"

Seeing Lin Yan, Zhuang Zheng's eyes lit up. "Senior Brother Lin, you've come at just the right time. These people from the Patrol Bureau are accusing me of murder without a shred of evidence and are trying to drag me off to the bureau."

The inspector from the Patrol Bureau frowned upon seeing Lin Yan and explained, "Several months ago, a citizen reported a homicide. According to our investigation, the deceased, Zhao Chuan, had a debt dispute with Zhuang Zheng before he died. We are merely taking him to the bureau for questioning; if he is proven innocent, he will be released."

Zhao Chuan?

Lin Yan was stunned. Wasn't that the first guy he had ever killed?

Lin Yan still had a deep impression of Zhao Chuan; that man had been his very first "martial arts angel investor."

So, the ledger he had found on Zhao Chuan and Zhang Dahai, the one mentioning a fifty-tael loan to a certain Zhuang Zheng—that really was Junior Brother Zhuang.

Good grief. He had lamented back then that killing Zhao Chuan and Zhang Dahai had been a windfall for that Zhuang Zheng, only to realize it had been his own junior brother all along.

Well, at least the wealth stayed within the family.

"Senior Brother Lin, I had no dispute with Zhao Chuan. I did borrow money from him initially, but I paid it back after selling my house. I never saw him again after that, and I have no reason to kill him."

Seeing Lin Yan fall silent, Zhuang Zheng hurriedly defended himself, his expression full of grievance.

"When exactly did you pay him back?" the inspector pressed.

"The ninth of the fifth month. I had already sold my house and had the money in hand."

"Is there a witness?"

"Zhao Chuan came to collect the money after learning I had sold the house. There were no witnesses."

Zhuang Zheng answered quickly, but the inspector's brow remained tightly furrowed. Without a witness, there was no way to verify the truth.

Lin Yan's eyes narrowed slightly. Junior Brother Zhuang was lying; Zhao Chuan had already been buried by his own hands by the ninth of the fifth month. Unless the dead had risen to collect debts, that story didn't hold water.

"Senior Brother Lin, Junior Brother Zhuang, what are you doing here?"

A voice came from nearby, and Zhao Linyuan appeared, walking toward them.

The inspector's expression shifted when he saw Zhao Linyuan. He had seen him with his own eyes yesterday during the Lantern Festival, representing the Yang Family Martial Arts Hall in the lantern-snatching competition. This man was a genius disciple of the Yang Family Martial Arts Hall.

"Junior Brother Zhao, the Patrol Bureau suspects Junior Brother Zhuang is involved in a homicide case. I just happened to run into them."

"Oh? Does the Patrol Bureau have any evidence?"

Zhao Linyuan didn't even glance at the inspector. When he saw Lin Yan shake his head, his expression turned cold. "Since when can the Patrol Bureau arrest disciples of our Yang Family Martial Arts Hall without evidence? I might just have to go ask Senior Brother Hao about this."

"Master Zhao, please calm down. We aren't arresting him, just asking Zhuang Zheng to come to the bureau to assist with the investigation."

"If you have questions, ask them now. If you want to take him to the bureau, bring out your evidence." Zhao Linyuan showed the inspector no courtesy, even though the man was also a second-stage skin-toughening martial artist.

Liang Kang's face turned ugly, but he lacked the confidence to stand his ground against Zhao Linyuan. Even though they were both at the second stage of skin toughening, Zhao Linyuan had only been training for a short time; he was destined to reach the third stage within three years.

Offending a future third-stage martial artist was not a wise choice.

Most importantly, Zhuang Zheng was only a suspect, not necessarily the killer.

Although Zhao Chuan hadn't reached the first stage of skin toughening, he had practiced the Stance Technique for some time. When he went missing, Zhuang Zheng hadn't even joined the martial arts hall yet; he shouldn't have been a match for Zhao Chuan.

The reason Liang Kang was pursuing this case was that Zhao Chuan was his man, secretly collecting high-interest loans for him. Zhao Chuan's disappearance had cost him dozens of taels, and he wanted that money back. His investigation had led him to the debt Zhuang Zheng owed.

He didn't truly suspect Zhuang Zheng of murder, but he hoped to drag him to the bureau and scare him into admitting he hadn't paid the debt.

Alas, with Zhao Linyuan stepping in, that opportunity was gone.

"I shall take my leave."

Liang Kang departed with his two subordinates. Lin Yan's eyes narrowed again; it was clear this inspector had an unusual relationship with Zhao Chuan. If the opportunity arose...

On the other side, Zhuang Zheng watched Liang Kang's retreating back, lost in thought.

"Senior Brother Lin, Junior Brother Zhuang, if you are heading to the hall, let's go together."

Zhao Linyuan didn't take the matter to heart. His master was cultivating him with full effort, so he naturally had to uphold the dignity of the martial arts hall.

Never mind that the Patrol Bureau had no evidence; even if they did, they would have to come to the hall and get the master's approval before they could touch anyone.