East City, the Wang Family.
The Wang family head sat at the head of the room, his face livid. A figure sat on either side of him, while several men stood below.
"Family Head, we've searched all of Great Fog Mountain three times. There's still no trace of Steward Li or the other three."
A man stood in the center with his head lowered, not daring to meet his family head's eyes.
Steward Li had followed the family head since he first began practicing martial arts and had earned his deep trust.
Otherwise, when they discovered the Purple Fur Beast, the family head would never have put Steward Li in charge of capturing it. Who wouldn't covet a medicinal treasure like that?
"Useless fools! Steward Li and the other three must have been killed in Great Fog Mountain, yet you can't even find their bodies!"
The Wang family head slammed his right hand down, shattering the armrest beside him. He was furious over Steward Li's death, but even more furious that his chance at a third Skin Polishing was gone.
A year ago, he had attempted his third Skin Polishing and failed.
He had thought he would have to wait at least several more years before trying again. Then came news of the Purple Fur Beast. At that moment, he had felt even the heavens wanted him to achieve his third Skin Polishing.
But now it was all gone.
"Please calm yourself, Family Head. Great Fog Mountain is filled with poisonous miasma. We can't send hunting dogs in, and searching with manpower alone is difficult."
The man on the left tried to persuade him. "Whoever attacked Steward Li must have planned it carefully. They would have made every preparation to destroy the bodies and erase the evidence."
"You're saying word of the Purple Fur Beast leaked? Couldn't other martial artists have stumbled upon them by chance?"
"That's unlikely."
The man on the left shook his head slightly. "Because of the miasma, even wild beasts are rare in Great Fog Mountain. No martial artist would go hunting there without a reason."
Some of the anger faded from the Wang family head's face. His gaze swept across the room. "Only those present know the secret of the Purple Fur Beast. If it wasn't a chance encounter, are you saying someone here leaked it?"
At those words, the men standing in the room began to tremble.
"Family Head, a leak is highly unlikely. It's more likely that someone had been watching Steward Li's movements all along."
The man on the left offered his guess. "Family Head, the more carefully Steward Li took his men out of the city, the more suspicion he would attract—especially from the families that have grudges against the Wang Family."
The Wang family head's eyes narrowed. He looked at the man on his right. "Hao, investigate the Zhou Family and the Qian Family in secret. Find out which of them did it."
The man on the right rose. "Yes."
Three days later.
Lin Yan left Qingtian Town and entered the city. He had used up his topical secret medicine and needed to buy more from the martial arts school.
The secret medicine prepared by his school had a limited shelf life. After a month, its potency would drop sharply, and his master adjusted each batch to suit the individual disciple.
Back in the south of the city, Lin Yan frowned at the locked gate of his home.
Since moving here, his aunt had rarely gone out. Why had she suddenly locked the gate today?
"Lin Yan, your aunt probably went back to her parents' home. A group came to your house early this morning. They were relatives from her side of the family," Old Man Zhang, the neighbor across the way, told him.
"Thank you for letting me know, Old Man Zhang."
Lin Yan cupped his fists in thanks and headed for the Liu Family home.
After his parents died, the Liu Family had set their sights on his house, but his aunt had refused them. Still, Lin Yan understood that as long as her parents were alive, she could not truly sever ties with the Liu Family.
For his aunt's sake, he could let their attempt to take his house go. But if they wanted to use his name or force his aunt to do something, they had made a grave mistake.
Fifteen minutes later.
Lin Yan arrived at the Liu Family home in the north of the city.
It was an old row of single-story houses. Quite a few people stood or squatted in the open space out front, all members or relatives of the Liu Family.
"Little brother."
Lin Yan immediately spotted Lin Mo standing off to one side, alone, his head lowered as he counted ants on the ground. He called out to him.
"Big brother!"
Lin Mo looked up. When he saw Lin Yan, a smile spread across his face, and he hurried over.
The Liu Family members at the door heard him and turned to look. At the sight of Lin Yan, several tensed at first, then promptly plastered smiles on their faces.
"Lin Yan, you're here!"
"Lin Yan, it's been ages since you visited your uncle."
Liu's second-eldest brother stepped forward, his face brimming with warmth. Lin Yan paid no attention to what he said and merely asked, "Where's my aunt?"
"Our third sister is inside talking with Mother. Lin Yan—"
Lin Yan walked straight past him. Only when he reached the doorway did he call, "Aunt!"
The second Liu brother, ignored outright, looked sheepish. All he could do was stand aside with an ingratiating smile.
Lin Yan was a martial artist now, an important figure. He could not afford to offend him.
After a moment, the door opened and Liu came out. She was delighted to see Lin Yan. "Yan, what brings you here?"
"I just got back. When I heard you were here, I came over. Are you all right, Aunt?"
Liu shook her head. An old woman emerged from the house and reached to take Lin Yan's hand, but he turned aside and avoided her.
The old woman showed no embarrassment at grasping empty air. She immediately wiped at her tears. "Yan, you have no idea how badly we've been bullied! Look at your eldest uncle. Those gang men beat him terribly."
"Mother, please stop crying."
Seeing her mother cry, Liu cut her off and led Lin Yan aside. "Yan, I'll be home soon. Take your little brother back first."
"There's no hurry. Tell me what happened first, Aunt."
Lin Yan was not about to leave his aunt here alone without finding out what was going on.
Seeing the resolve in her nephew's eyes, Liu hesitated before saying, "It's nothing serious. The gang came to collect protection money, and the family couldn't come up with it just then. I paid it for them. It's all settled."
Lin Yan believed only half of what his aunt said.
She had certainly paid on the Liu Family's behalf. Whether they truly could not afford it was another matter.
Knowing the Liu Family, he was sure they wanted a share of the benefits now that he had become a martial artist. Most likely, they had tried to use his name to avoid paying the gang and wanted his aunt to ask him to step in. Clearly, she had refused.
When Liu saw Lin Yan press his lips together, she sighed inwardly. She knew he had not believed everything. Yan was growing sharper and sharper; a glimpse of one spot was enough for him to see the whole leopard.
Early that morning, her eldest brother had rushed to her home and said their mother was ill. She had hurried back with Mo'er.
But her mother was perfectly well. They had tricked her into coming because today was the day the Flat Mountain Gang collected its protection money. In front of her, her eldest and second brothers had deliberately put on a show of defiance and refused to pay. They had even let themselves be beaten, all to force her to ask Yan to intervene.
She had not wavered. She knew her eldest and second brothers, and her nephews, far too well. If she yielded today, they might demand something even more outrageous next time. If she refused then, her brothers might push their mother to hang herself outside her door.
As a daughter of the Liu Family, she could give them the money she earned sewing and washing clothes. She could count that as honoring her mother. But she absolutely could not drag Yan into it.
"Well, look at that. The Liu Family is still wailing to the heavens."
A mocking voice came from nearby. Several burly men approached. When the leader drew close and saw Lin Yan, his expression changed slightly, and his tone grew more formal. "I am Liu Fei, a hall master of the Flat Mountain Gang. How should I address you?"
Liu Fei had seen that Lin Yan carried himself like no ordinary man. Only then did he realize the Liu Family had not been boasting: they really did have a martial artist for a relative.
But he was not afraid. He was collecting protection money for the gang, and the entire Flat Mountain Gang stood behind him.
Under the rules of Guangping County, a martial artist could exempt only his own household from protection money. Liu Fei had broken no rules.
Besides, a relative of the Liu Family could hardly be rich or powerful. Achieving even one Skin Polishing would be a blessing earned by his ancestors; there was no chance he had completed a second.
A few common-born martial artists who had completed one Skin Polishing appeared in the county each year, but that was as far as they went.
Lin Yan did not acknowledge Liu Fei at all. Being ignored brought a flash of resentment to Liu Fei's eyes, but he did not dare provoke a martial artist who had completed one Skin Polishing. With a quiet snort, he led his companions away.
"Aunt, since it's settled, let's go home together."
At her nephew's words, Liu glanced at her mother. In the end, she nodded. "All right."
Once his aunt agreed, Lin Yan called to his little brother, and the three of them left. The Liu Family wanted to stop them, but a sweep of Lin Yan's gaze sent a chill through their bodies. The old woman was just about to start crying aloud when his eyes fell on her, and she swallowed the sound.
"Senior Brother Lin?"
Lin Yan had taken only a few steps when a voice called from behind.
He stopped. Zhuang Zheng, dressed in a Patrol Bureau uniform, hurried over. "It really is you, Senior Brother Lin. I thought I'd mistaken you for someone else."
Lin Yan was surprised to run into Zhuang Zheng here. He was even more surprised to see him wearing a patrol officer's uniform.
The head of the Guangping County Patrol Bureau was a powerhouse who had completed four Skin Polishings. Deputy heads such as his own Senior Brother Hao had completed three. To become a patrol officer, a martial artist had to have completed two.
"Congratulations on your second Skin Polishing, Junior Brother Zhuang."
"I was lucky enough to complete it last month. I'm nowhere near you, Senior Brother Lin."
Zhuang Zheng scratched his head and smiled a little shyly. Lin Yan calculated that only nine months had passed between Zhuang Zheng entering the martial arts school and last month. Completing his second Skin Polishing in nine months was remarkably fast.
More striking still, Zhuang Zheng had become a patrol officer.
A second Skin Polishing was the minimum requirement, but that did not mean every martial artist who met it could become a patrol officer.
The Patrol Bureau was a plum posting. There were too many monks and too little porridge; without the right connections, one would never get a place.
Junior Brother Zhuang is no simple man.
"What brings you to the north of the city, Senior Brother Lin?"
Zhuang Zheng glanced at the Liu Family not far away. At the sight of his patrol officer's uniform, they dared not come any closer.
To them, martial artists were important figures, while patrol officers were government officials. Neither was someone they could afford to offend.
"I accompanied my aunt to her parents' home. We're heading back now."
At Lin Yan's introduction, Zhuang Zheng greeted Liu. "A pleasure to meet you, Aunt."
"Aunt, this is my junior brother from the martial arts school."
"You fellow disciples must have plenty to talk about. I'll take Mo'er home first."
"Junior Brother Zhuang is on duty, so he probably can't talk now. I'll go back with you and Mo'er, Aunt."
Lin Yan stopped his aunt, and Zhuang Zheng nodded with a smile. "Senior Brother Lin is right. I'm on duty and can't chat for long. We'll catch up when I return to the martial arts school."
"All right."
Lin Yan left with his aunt and little brother. Zhuang Zheng watched the three disappear down the street, then slowed his steps and instructed the patrol constable beside him, "Go ask what happened. I want the full account, every detail."
The constable understood. He went to question the Liu Family, then asked several nearby households. A short while later, he caught up.
"Sir, I've found out what happened. The Flat Mountain Gang came to collect the Liu Family's protection money today. The Lius wanted to use your senior brother's name to avoid paying, but he didn't intervene. From what I can tell, he isn't on good terms with them."
Zhuang Zheng nodded. If the Liu Family had been close to Senior Brother Lin, he would have asked Zhuang Zheng to look after them.
"One more thing. Before your senior brother arrived, the Flat Mountain Gang's men said some disrespectful things to his aunt."
Zhuang Zheng's expression did not change. "Let's go."
At home, while his aunt prepared lunch, Lin Yan called his little brother over.
"Little brother, tell me what happened today. Don't leave out a single detail."
Lin Mo nodded. As his little brother recounted the events, Lin Yan heard how the Flat Mountain Gang members had spoken disrespectfully to his aunt. A cold glint flashed through his eyes.