Qingtian Town.
As all things revived, Qingtian Town grew busy as well.
The former captain of the guard team, Ji Ming, had left, and several of the original members had been replaced. They were all young, unfamiliar faces.
As the head of the medicinal-field guard team, Lin Yan no longer had to personally oversee any particular fields. Instead, he was the one with the most free time.
However, Lin Yan didn't let himself grow idle. Apart from practicing martial arts, he spent all his other time in Great Fog Mountain.
With the help of the Earth Vein True Interpretation, he had searched Great Fog Mountain for two months and found precious medicinal herbs worth two hundred taels.
His martial strength had been steadily growing, and Lin Yan was quite satisfied with this life.
"Captain Lin!"
One day, while Lin Yan was practicing his fists in the courtyard, footsteps sounded outside. A member of the guard team hurried in.
"I just spotted a few figures heading toward Great Fog Mountain. Judging by how fast they were walking, they should be martial artists."
At the young man's words, Li Guiyi's face surfaced in Lin Yan's mind.
Before the new year, Li Guiyi and the others had gone into Great Fog Mountain once, apparently to hunt. But after Lin Yan ruined their plan, they shouldn't have succeeded.
Now that the new year had passed, Li Guiyi might well be entering Great Fog Mountain again.
Lin Yan recalled shaking hands with Li Guiyi back then. The gray Martial Dao Tree in his mind had shown the height of Li Guiyi's Martial Dao Tree: two feet and eight inches, considerably taller than his own. But if Lin Yan added Stone Waist Savage Spine and his fist intent, he still had a chance to fight.
Most importantly, he didn't necessarily need to face Li Guiyi head-on. He only needed to ruin the man's plan.
Having made up his mind, Lin Yan said mildly, "Our duty is to guard the medicinal fields. As long as they aren't targeting the fields, it has nothing to do with us."
"Heh, I was just letting you know, Captain Lin."
Zhang Feng wasn't surprised by Lin Yan's reaction. He had done his part by giving notice. If those mysterious martial artists were targeting the medicinal fields, he wouldn't be held responsible.
The medicinal fields around Qingtian Town weren't all harvested every year. Some herbs matured only after several years. Others might not have grown long enough, but a large enough quantity could make up for the difference.
There were very few martial artists who set their sights on the fields, but it had happened before.
There were always some who, short on money because of their cultivation, risked offending the Tang Family and took a chance.
After Zhang Feng left, Lin Yan went back inside to grab a bundle, then slipped out through the back gate and hurried toward Great Fog Mountain.
Once he entered the mountain, Lin Yan opened the bundle, took off his clothes, and changed into the ones inside. He put his old clothes back in the bundle, tied it up, and hid it in the brush.
A green headscarf, a green face covering, a green shirt, and green trousers.
He was green from head to toe. This was his custom-made camouflage outfit for moving through the mountains and woods.
Lin Yan proceeded carefully, without rushing. If this really was Li Guiyi and his group, then going by their previous pattern, they would have to wait a while after laying out the bait. That would give him enough time to find them.
Half an hour later, Lin Yan hadn't found Li Guiyi and the others, but he caught a familiar, rancid smell.
He softened his steps and didn't rush toward the source. Instead, he circled around the outskirts. Only after confirming that Li Guiyi and the others weren't nearby did he head toward the smell.
Parting the last patch of brush, he looked into the grass ahead and saw a small beast lying there.
It was only a little bigger than a rabbit, with gray-brown fur and a striking pair of purple ears, soft and fluffy. At that moment, they drooped limply.
The little beast didn't move, but its belly rose and fell faintly. It was clearly still alive, just unconscious.
"Purple Fur Beast."
Lin Yan's eyes narrowed.
After acquiring the Earth Vein True Interpretation, Lin Yan had gone to the Tang Mansion and found a medicinal compendium and a book about martial treasures, to make up for his lack of knowledge about martial resources and avoid overlooking any treasures he might encounter in the future.
The Purple Fur Beast was one of the treasures recorded in the book.
Its pair of purple ears was known as a treasure medicine. If a second-stage Skin Polishing martial artist took it before attempting to break through to the third stage, it could increase their odds of success by thirty percent.
Even if it wasn't used for a breakthrough, taking it would greatly boost one's qi and blood.
A treasure medicine like this was a rare find.
Lin Yan understood. Li Guiyi's target was the Purple Fur Beast.
Lin Yan crouched down and rolled the Purple Fur Beast over. Blood stained the fur around its mouth. It had clearly eaten the scraps of meat and been drugged.
Looking at the unconscious Purple Fur Beast, Lin Yan did as he had before: he destroyed the bait on the ground, picked up the beast, and quickly left.
After the time it took to brew a cup of tea, Lin Yan stopped at the bottom of a secluded ravine. He drew the dagger from his waist and gave the Purple Fur Beast a quick death. Then he cut off its ears, scraped away their fur with the dagger, and put them straight into his mouth to chew.
They were crisp, but had a rank taste.
Before long, a frenzied wave of heat rose from his abdomen and began spreading through his limbs and bones.
Lin Yan didn't dare delay. He quickly swallowed both ears. In just a few breaths, the warmth grew stronger, turning scorching. It was as if a fire were burning in his belly. His whole body grew hot, and his skin began to redden.
Huff!
He exhaled a mouthful of hot air, then raised his hands and launched into the Mountain Splitting Fist.
His first punch struck, and the wind of his fist burst with a crack. A faint white trail hung in the air.
His second punch followed, faster than the first, with even greater force.
The third punch, the fourth...
He moved faster and faster, and his fist intent grew more and more powerful.
With his fist intent driving him, the medicinal power contained in the Purple Fur Beast's ears was absorbed at astonishing speed. At the same time, the qi and blood inside Lin Yan surged wildly.
Every punch was like adding firewood to that blaze, making it burn hotter and fiercer.
Qi and blood surged out of his dantian, rushing into his muscles and meridians.
Under the wash of his qi and blood, his meridians expanded again and again, then contracted. Each contraction sent more qi and blood through his entire body.
After the time it took to burn a stick of incense, the churning qi and blood in his body finally settled, and Lin Yan stopped.
He drew his fists back and stood still.
Steam billowed from Lin Yan's body, as if he'd just stepped out of a steamer.
He lowered his head and looked at his hands. The blood vessels beneath his skin had settled, but he could clearly feel that he was different.
His strength, speed, and qi and blood had all risen to a new level.
He turned his attention inward. The Martial Dao Tree in his mind had actually grown to two feet and six inches. Before this, he had been at the second stage of Skin Polishing for two months, and his Martial Dao Tree had grown only two inches.
No wonder treasure medicines drove martial artists mad. Their effects were simply too obvious.
Last time, I destroyed the bait Li Guiyi left behind. But this time, since the Purple Fur Beast had eaten a lot of the scraps, there would be less meat left. Li Guiyi would certainly suspect someone had gotten there first, and the most likely suspects would be martial artists like us, who hold posts in Qingtian Town.
Then, as a second-stage Skin Polishing martial artist, I'll be Li Guiyi's prime suspect. Faced with a treasure medicine like the Purple Fur Beast, I doubt he'll hesitate just because I'm a student of a martial arts school.
"With my strength now, I can give Li Guiyi a fight."
If he could fight back, there was no reason to let a venomous snake stalk him from the shadows.
A resolute look flashed in Lin Yan's eyes as he headed back the way he'd come.
When he reached the area where the bait had been laid, he confirmed that Li Guiyi and the others hadn't arrived yet. His gaze settled on an old locust tree nearby. Its thick foliage looked like a good place to hide.
He pushed off the ground, climbed the trunk without a sound, and disappeared into the canopy.
Time passed, second by second.
After the time it took to brew a cup of tea, footsteps sounded in the woods.
Four figures emerged from the trees. Li Guiyi led the way.
Three men followed behind him. They were all first-stage Skin Polishing martial artists, with sabers at their waists and wary eyes sweeping the surroundings.
"Steward Li, that clearing is just ahead," one of them said in a low voice.
Li Guiyi nodded and quickened his pace.
As they drew nearer to the brush, Li Guiyi grew more and more nervous, his eyes full of anticipation.
Through a gap in the brush, he caught sight of a patch of fluffy brown fur. He was instantly overjoyed.
"It really is a Purple Fur Beast. The family head has a chance to reach the third stage of Skin Polishing!"
Li Guiyi's voice went hoarse with excitement. He was about to part the brush and grab the beast when a gust of force suddenly swept down from overhead.
As a second-stage Skin Polishing martial artist, Li Guiyi sensed danger at once. He jerked his head up, and a cloud of white powder came down over him!
"Lime!"
Li Guiyi reacted with lightning speed. He immediately shut his eyes, held his breath, and pushed off the ground to retreat.
But at that instant, the bones at Lin Yan's waist shook. His back arched like a drawn bow, and he unleashed Stone Waist Savage Spine with all his might!
He shot down like an arrow loosed from a bow, covering two zhang in an instant.
His first punch struck.
His fist intent surged like a tide, and the wind of his fist roared like thunder.
Li Guiyi raised his arm to block on instinct. The moment fist and arm collided, his expression changed sharply.
What a fierce punch!
It wasn't just powerful. It carried a special force that made his qi and blood surge.
Bang!
Li Guiyi's arm shuddered violently, and the impact drove him back three steps.
Before he could steady himself, the second punch was already there.
This one was faster and heavier, its fist intent three times stronger than before, as if an entire mountain were pressing down on him.
Li Guiyi's heart and guts turned cold. He couldn't make out the path of the punch, but its overwhelming force left his body stiff and his breath caught in his throat.
Bang!
The second punch smashed into his hastily raised forearm. His bones cracked.
The third punch came right on its heels.
This time, Li Guiyi could no longer block it.
The fist broke through his crumbling defense and struck him squarely in the chest.
Pfft!
Li Guiyi spat blood. His body flew backward like a torn sack, slammed into a tree, then slid to the ground, his gaze unfocused.
Even as he died, he couldn't understand why someone this powerful would resort to such a despicable trick as lime.
The dull thud of Li Guiyi hitting the ground still echoed through the woods. The three first-stage Skin Polishing martial artists froze, their scalps going numb.
What had they just seen?
Steward Li, one of the strongest among the second-stage Skin Polishing martial artists, had been beaten to death by the man before them in just... just a few punches?
From the first strike to the end, it had taken no more than two breaths. It had happened so fast they hadn't even had time to help.
Their legs went weak.
They wanted to run, but their legs wouldn't move.
They wanted to shout, but it felt as if someone had clamped a hand around their throats.
They watched as the green-clad man turned and swept his gaze over them. His expression was as calm as if he'd just swatted a fly.
"Run!"
At last, one of them rasped out the word and turned to flee.
But he'd barely taken a step before the wind of a fist was upon them.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Three dull thumps rang out in quick succession. Three bodies flew backward and crashed into the brush, never to stir again.
After taking care of the three men, Lin Yan went through the bodies while reviewing the fight.
"Killing Li Guiyi this time gave me a better sense of my own strength. It also proved that lime isn't very effective against a second-stage Skin Polishing martial artist. I don't need to carry it around anymore."
"Besides, even though I killed Li Guiyi in a few punches, that was partly because of my own strength and mostly because he was unprepared. Under my relentless attacks, he could only block passively. If I let Li Guiyi strike first, it wouldn't have been so easy."
After finishing his review, Lin Yan finished searching the bodies. He had found only a little over fifty taels of silver.
A look of regret crossed his face. Li Guiyi and the others had certainly had more money than this; they just hadn't carried most of it on them.
That was normal. Apart from gang members who carried their money with them, most martial artists with property kept their money at home and carried only a little.
Fifty taels of silver, plus fifteen years' worth of Martial Fruit cultivation time.
The haul was barely acceptable.
Lin Yan glanced around. Because of the miasma, Great Fog Mountain had very few wild animals. He couldn't count on animals eating the bodies anytime soon, so he had no choice but to bury them.
It took him half an hour to bury Li Guiyi and the other three. Then Lin Yan returned to where he'd hidden his clothes, took off the green outfit, and burned it clean before changing back into his original clothes and leaving Great Fog Mountain.
Back at the courtyard, Lin Yan skinned and cleaned the Purple Fur Beast, chopped it into pieces, tossed them into a pot, added water, and lit the fire.
The Purple Fur Beast's greatest value lay in its ears, but that didn't mean the rest of its meat was useless. Eating it could also nourish his qi and blood.
Half an hour later, the aroma of meat filled the air.
Lin Yan lifted the lid. The broth had turned milky white, and the meat had stewed until tender. A layer of pale golden oil floated on the surface.
He picked up a piece with his chopsticks, blew on it, and put it in his mouth. He chewed a few times, then swallowed.
Before long, a warm current rose from his belly, spreading through his limbs and bones like a gentle stream.
Lin Yan's eyes lit up, and he began eating in big mouthfuls.
One piece, two pieces, three pieces.
After eating, he practiced his fists...