One Punch, One Kid

Yang Qingfeng stood to the side with a smile. Among this batch of disciples, there were three he held in the highest regard.

Zhao Linyuan, Lin Yan, and Zhuang Zheng.

Zhao Linyuan's martial talent went without saying; he possessed a proud spirit but was not arrogant.

Lin Yan had immense talent in the Mountain Splitting Fist and was a sincere person.

Zhuang Zheng was introverted and slightly timid, but he was the most diligent in his martial practice. The fact that he had broken through to the second stage of skin-toughening was proof enough that his talent was not lacking.

Among this group, excluding Zhao Linyuan, the ones most likely to step into the third stage of skin-toughening within three years were undoubtedly Lin Yan and Zhuang Zheng.

On the martial arts arena, Lin Yan and Zhao Linyuan stood facing each other.

"Senior Brother Lin, be careful."

Zhao Linyuan instinctively went to cup his fists, but remembering they had just shaken hands, he simply let his arms drop.

He pushed off with his feet, covering the ten-foot distance in an instant, his right fist driving toward Lin Yan's face with the force of a collapsing mountain!

The wind of his punch whistled, sharp and overbearing.

Lin Yan did not dodge or evade, meeting the strike with a punch of his own.

Bang!

The two fists collided, a dull thud exploding outward.

Lin Yan's arm went slightly numb; he had lost out in terms of raw power. Zhao Linyuan used the recoil to retract his right fist, immediately sweeping in with a left hook.

Facing Senior Brother Lin, Zhao Linyuan dared not be careless. Since his master had said Lin Yan's mastery of the Mountain Splitting Fist surpassed his own, he would give it his all.

Lin Yan sidestepped and drove his right fist toward Zhao Linyuan's ribs.

The angle of this strike was tricky—a variation of the "Split" technique in the Mountain Splitting Fist, specifically targeting the opponent's weak points.

A flash of surprise crossed Zhao Linyuan's eyes. He hadn't expected Lin Yan to react so quickly and find the flaw in his offense, leaving him no choice but to retract his fist and retreat.

The two traded blows, their fist shadows intertwining.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The dull thuds sounded like beating drums, exploding across the arena one after another.

Yang Qingfeng stood under the veranda, his gaze shifting between the two as he nodded slightly.

Zhao Linyuan grew more ferocious the longer they fought, his style rigid and domineering. Every punch carried an unstoppable momentum, as if he intended to crush his opponent into the ground.

Lin Yan appeared to be purely on the defensive, but in reality, the angle, force, and timing of every one of his strikes were perfectly calculated. Zhao Linyuan's fierce onslaught was dismantled piece by piece; he was like a rock in a torrent, unmoved by the crashing waves.

This was the benefit of having mastered the Mountain Splitting Fist to such a high degree—Lin Yan could predict every one of Zhao Linyuan's moves in advance.

If nothing changed, Zhao Linyuan would inevitably be the one to lose.

Fifty moves.

Seventy moves.

Ninety moves.

Their movements grew faster and faster, the shadows of their fists nearly shrouding the entire arena.

Suddenly!

Zhao Linyuan let out a roar. His punches, which had begun to slow, suddenly turned sharp and fierce as he launched a heavy blow.

Hearing the roar, Lin Yan understood that his Junior Brother was looking to decide the outcome with a single strike. He instinctively wanted to unleash his own fist intent, but ultimately forced himself to hold back.

Bang!

The two fists collided.

Zhao Linyuan stood like a statue, while Lin Yan took two steps back.

"Junior Brother Zhao's blood and qi are formidable. I have lost."

Lin Yan stopped, but Zhao Linyuan shook his head. "Senior Brother Lin's fist technique is exquisite. If this were a true life-or-death struggle, I fear I would have been defeated long ago."

By the latter half of the fight, Zhao Linyuan had realized something was wrong; every time he threw a punch, Lin Yan had already predicted it, causing many of his strikes to hit empty air.

Had Lin Yan chosen to dodge that final blow, he would have been the one to lose.

"You two each have your own strengths. Linyuan excels in the vigor of his blood and qi, while Lin Yan's technique is refined, allowing him to strike only after the opponent has moved. I had you spar so you could learn from one another and advance further on your martial paths."

Yang Qingfeng spoke with a smile. His words were primarily for Zhao Linyuan; martial arts were not just about the gap in cultivation levels, but also the gap in the mastery of one's techniques.

He was very satisfied with Lin Yan's performance. Compared to last time, Lin Yan's comprehension of the Mountain Splitting Fist had clearly improved once again.

"We will take your teachings to heart, Master," Lin Yan and Zhao Linyuan replied in unison.

"Master, what level would Junior Brother Zhao and I be considered among those in the second stage of skin-toughening?" Lin Yan asked curiously.

"Upper-middle tier."

Hearing his master's words, Lin Yan was stunned.

Just now, he had made a mental assessment: without utilizing his fist momentum, he could defeat Junior Brother Zhao in thirty moves if he fought seriously. If he used his fist momentum, he would surely defeat him within ten moves. If he added the Stone Waist Savage Spine, three punches should suffice.

Does this not mean that he could take down an ordinary second-stage skin-tempering martial artist with a single punch?

Have second-stage skin-tempering martial artists become like little children before him?

Am I really this strong?

"What is Senior Brother Lin thinking about?" Zhao Linyuan asked, noticing Lin Yan's silence.

"I was wondering just how strong those top-tier second-stage skin-tempering experts must be."

"Senior Brother Liu from the martial arts hall failed his attempt to reach the third stage of skin-tempering, yet he remains a top-tier expert among those at the second stage. I've sparred with him, and I was defeated in ten moves."

Lin Yan: ???

Leaving the martial arts hall, Lin Yan finally confirmed a fact: among second-stage skin-tempering martial artists, he should be considered top-tier.

Next, he followed the secret medicinal formula he had memorized and went to several of the Tang Family's pharmacies in the city to purchase the ingredients separately. In addition to the herbs required for the formula, he bought some tonics—partly to nourish his aunt, and partly to prevent the Tang Family from deducing the formula based on the ingredients he purchased.

Although he might be judging a gentleman by the yardstick of a villain, and the Tang Family might not necessarily do such a thing, it was always better to be cautious.

His master had given him the formula out of trust, and he could not betray that trust.

Returning home, Lin Yan lit the stove and began brewing the medicinal paste. While the paste was still setting, he began guiding his younger brother in his calligraphy practice.

From the study, the pained cries of Lin Mo could be heard from time to time. Liu sat in the room mending clothes, a smile on her face as she listened to the sounds of the two brothers.

The Tang Family.

"Eldest Miss, this is the list of all the medicinal ingredients purchased by Lin Yan, totaling two hundred and sixty taels."

Tang Tang took the list from the butler and scanned it quickly. The Tang Family would not usually pay special attention to someone registered at the martial arts hall buying herbs, but this time, the shopkeeper had reported it because Lin Yan's one-time expenditure was quite high.

Any martial artist registered with the Tang Family could purchase herbs and pills from their pharmacies at seventy percent of the original price.

However, this privilege was not unlimited. Otherwise, some registered martial artists might use their status to help others buy herbs, earning a profit from the price difference. While the Tang Family wouldn't necessarily lose money, they would certainly earn much less.

For a second-stage skin-tempering martial artist, the monthly limit was one hundred taels—a baseline the Tang Family had set based on the typical expenses of such martial artists.

"Eldest Miss, should we send someone to remind Lin Yan?"

"No need!"

Tang Tang put down the list. "Five bottles of Muscle-Generating Pill is indeed something a second-stage skin-tempering martial artist can use. As for the other herbs... they must be for refining some kind of secret medicine. This alone isn't enough to prove Lin Yan is buying pills and herbs for others. If there is a next time, we will investigate."

She had dismissed many unmotivated martial artists from the household and recruited young ones precisely because she wanted to cultivate or build connections with those who had ambition.

If Lin Yan was truly spending this money on his own martial arts training, the Tang Family would not stop him, no matter how many herbs he took from the pharmacy.

But if he were using his registered status to act as a middleman, buying low and selling high, he would be dismissed the moment it was discovered.

After preparing the secret medicine, Lin Yan bid his aunt farewell and, under the expectant gaze of his younger brother, walked out the gate toward a Rare Meat Pavilion in the city.

The Rare Meat Pavilion sold various rare birds and beasts that nourished blood and qi, catering specifically to martial artists.

The waiter enthusiastically led Lin Yan into the shop. Not far away, a young man looked over, and upon seeing Lin Yan, he walked over quickly. "Junior Brother Lin?"

"Senior Brother Zhang?"

Seeing Zhang Liang, Lin Yan initially thought he was there to buy rare meat, but when the waiter called him "Young Master," he realized this Rare Meat Pavilion was actually owned by Senior Brother Zhang's family.

"Junior Brother Lin, you're here to buy venison, right? This is my junior brother. From now on, whenever you come to the shop to buy meat, you will receive a thirty percent discount."

Zhang Liang instructed the waiter. He knew Lin Yan had reached the second stage of skin-tempering; at this level, snake meat and venison had little effect on increasing blood and qi, and only venison could provide significant benefits.

"Junior Brother Lin, don't think your senior brother is being stingy by not giving you a bigger discount. Although my family runs this Rare Meat Pavilion, these rare meats—especially the venison—are all transported from other counties. We have to pay bribes all along the way, so we're really just earning a meager living."

"Those clad in silk are not the ones who raise silkworms," Lin Yan replied.

"Those clad in silk are not the ones who raise silkworms... Junior Brother Lin, that is a wonderful way to put it. That is exactly what I mean. Even though I am the young master, I can only afford to eat venison a few times a month. Plus, we aren't the only ones selling rare meat in the city; the competition is fierce."

Although Lin Yan felt Zhang Liang's words were a bit exaggerated, he figured it wasn't a windfall profit either. He asked curiously, "Senior Brother Zhang, has the city never considered domesticating and breeding the deer themselves?"

"They can't be domesticated. The Plum Deer eat Half-Moon Grass, which is only found in Sanshan County. That area has many mountains and forests, and not only are there Plum Deer, but also other rare birds and beasts, including precious medicinal herbs. However, all of that is controlled by the major families of Sanshan County. In the entire Guangping County, only the Tang Family has a foothold there."

Zhang Liang shook his head with a bitter smile. The speaker had no intention, but the listener did; Lin Yan's eyes lit up.

Ever since he began studying the Earth Vein True Interpretation, he had searched all the mountains and forests around Guangping County, but the harvest had been meager.

It wasn't that the Earth Vein True Interpretation was useless, but a clever woman cannot cook without rice. Guangping County had no high mountains; even the Great Fog Mountain was nothing more than a series of hills.

The mountains were not high, and the forests were not deep, so there couldn't be many wild beasts, nor could there be many precious medicinal herbs.

If he had the chance in the future, he might just have to go to Sanshan County and take a look.