It's Hard Not to Be Jealous of Junior Brother Zhao

The next day!

Lin Yan had originally intended to return to Qingtian Town, but was persuaded otherwise by Zhang Liang, who had come to his home.

"Junior Brother Lin, no need to rush off. Junior Brother Zhao is attempting his third skin-refining breakthrough today. If he succeeds, our martial arts hall will surely celebrate, and you'd only have to turn right back around if you went to Qingtian Town now. You might as well stay another day."

"Junior Brother Zhao is attempting the breakthrough today?"

Lin Yan wasn't surprised that Zhao Linyuan was attempting the third skin-refining breakthrough; he was only surprised that it happened to be today.

"Master is personally guarding him, and all the senior brothers who have already achieved third skin-refining have returned. They've come specifically to witness Junior Brother Lin's breakthrough."

Hearing Zhang Liang's words, Lin Yan formed his own judgment: the chances of Junior Brother Zhao succeeding in his third skin-refining breakthrough must be high, otherwise, they wouldn't be making such a grand display of it.

Of course, until the final moment, uncertainty remained.

Unless Junior Brother Zhao possessed a heaven-defying treasure like the Martial Dao Tree, as he did.

By the time Lin Yan and Zhang Liang arrived at the martial arts hall, many senior brothers who had achieved second skin-refining were already waiting outside the courtyard, while Senior Brother Hao, who had achieved third skin-refining, was chatting with two other men.

"Junior Brother Lin is here. Let me introduce you: this is Senior Brother Chen, who traveled specially from Wunu County, and this is Junior Brother Zuo, who usually stays in Qiankou County."

"Greetings, Senior Brother Chen. Greetings, Senior Brother Zuo."

Lin Yan observed the two senior brothers; they appeared to be in their early thirties and, like Senior Brother Hao, were among the first batch of disciples Master had taken in.

"I just heard from Junior Brother Hao that our martial arts hall has produced several geniuses this generation. Indeed, Junior Brother Lin's bearing is quite extraordinary."

Chen Shan spoke with a smile. He rarely visited the hall these days, but having chatted with Junior Brother Hao earlier about the current generation of disciples, he had specifically heard about Lin Yan's situation.

Lin Yan responded with a few modest remarks before Hao Jingnian pulled him to one side.

"Junior Brother Lin, regarding your request for me to look into your uncle's whereabouts, I've found some leads. The Patrol Bureau's records show your uncle was originally sent to Fushan County for corvée labor. However, after serving two years there, he was sent to Qingzhou Prefecture, and there is no further information after that."

Hao Jingnian was only a deputy official in the Guangping County Patrol Bureau; being able to trace that Lin Yan's uncle had been sent from Fushan County to Qingzhou Prefecture was already a significant effort.

"Senior Brother Hao, logically speaking, my uncle should have returned home after two years of corvée labor in Fushan County. Why would he be sent to Qingzhou Prefecture?"

Lin Yan frowned. Ordinary commoners served two years of corvée labor, and for a commoner from Dengzhou Prefecture to be sent to Qingzhou Prefecture was clearly against the norm.

"I had someone look into it. Back then, Qingzhou Prefecture suffered from floods, and the canal embankments were destroyed and needed rebuilding. The local labor force wasn't enough, so they requested corvée laborers from other prefectures. At ten taels of silver per head, the Fushan County Patrol Bureau sent a batch of people over."

Hearing Senior Brother Hao's explanation, Lin Yan understood. Someone in the Fushan County Patrol Bureau had sold his uncle and the other laborers for the sake of that money.

"Many thanks, Senior Brother Hao. At the very least, it seems there is still hope that my uncle is alive."

Lin Yan expressed his gratitude. If his uncle had remained within the borders of Dengzhou and there had been no news for seven years, the likelihood of him having passed away would be extremely high. But having been sent to Qingzhou—given the distance between the two prefectures—it was entirely possible that an ordinary commoner would be unable to return.

"Just keep this in mind. Fushan County went through a period of internal strife, and the Patrol Bureau saw a complete turnover from the chief down to the deputies. Many records went missing."

Hao Jingnian patted Lin Yan on the shoulder, and just then, a voice rang out from the courtyard.

"Everyone come in. No need to wait outside."

Hearing their master's voice, the group filed inside. The moment they stepped into the backyard, everyone's gaze was drawn involuntarily to the figure in the center of the training grounds.

Zhao Linyuan stood there quietly.

The morning sun spilled into the courtyard, casting a faint golden rim around him.

The most significant change in him was his skin.

First skin-refining is Rough Skin, second is Muscle Forging, and third is Tendon Washing. Once blood and qi enter the tendons, the meridians expand and circulation becomes smoother, giving the person a sense of "translucence" from the inside out.

At this moment, Zhao Linyuan's skin tone was deeper than before, possessing a texture as warm and lustrous as jade.

A martial artist, upon reaching this level, has shed all coarseness.

"Junior Brother Zhao was already handsome to begin with. Now that he's achieved third skin-refining, I fear the young ladies of noble families in the city won't be able to keep their mouths shut or their legs closed when they see him." Zhang Liang clicked his tongue in envy, his eyes filled with longing.

Lin Yan's mouth twitched. When he first met the many senior brothers at the hall, they all seemed upright, but now that he knew them better, he realized they were all repressed in their own ways.

Zhao Linyuan took a deep breath, looked at the many senior brothers who had entered, and bowed deeply to Yang Qingfeng. "Thank you, Master, for guarding me."

Yang Qingfeng stood on the steps, his face full of gratified smiles. He nodded approvingly, then turned his gaze to the others present, lingering for a long moment on Lin Yan and Zhuang Zheng. "Linyuan's breakthrough today is due to his solid foundation. The rest of you must also practice diligently; do not let your training go to waste."

"In the path of martial arts, the greatest taboo is to practice for one day and abandon it for ten. If you work hard today and slack off tomorrow, even if you have talent, it will be like morning dew meeting the sun—vanishing in an instant. Many martial artists remain trapped at the skin-refining stage precisely for this reason."

All the disciples responded in unison.

"You brothers should enjoy your time together."

Yang Qingfeng looked at the many disciples in the courtyard. With Linyuan having successfully broken through, these disciples would surely want to celebrate, and his presence would only make them feel constrained.

As Yang Qingfeng departed, most of the people on the scene crowded around, beginning a chorus of praise.

Lin Yan stood to the side, watching Zhao Linyuan surrounded by the crowd, feeling no jealousy.

Junior Brother Zhao was truly a genius!

He himself was still only at about seventy percent progress toward the third skin-refining stage, while Junior Brother Zhao had not only caught up but had far surpassed him.

He just wondered, if he were to use his Stone Waist Savage Spine and fist intent right now, would he still be a match for Junior Brother Zhao?

He probably wouldn't be able to beat him. With every breakthrough past the fourth skin-refining stage, one's strength underwent a qualitative leap.

"Junior Brother Lin." Zhang Liang walked back over after finishing his praises. "What are you thinking about? You look so lost in thought."

"It's nothing." Lin Yan smiled. "I was just thinking that with Junior Brother Zhao's breakthrough, our martial hall's strength has grown a bit more."

"That's true." Zhang Liang sighed. "Our Yang Family Martial Arts Hall originally only had three senior brothers who had completed the third skin-toughening stage. Now, with Junior Brother Zhao, that makes four. Looking across the six martial halls, only Lingyun Martial Hall and Juying Martial Hall can hold a candle to us."

In the county's martial arts circle, the disciples of Lingyun Martial Hall and Juying Martial Hall were recognized as the strongest. Both houses boasted seven or eight disciples at the third skin-toughening stage, and their masters were top-tier experts at the fourth stage. While the Yang Family Martial Arts Hall couldn't compare to those two, it firmly held the lead in the second tier.

"Let's just grab a bite at the hall for lunch. Tonight, Junior Brother Zhao is hosting a celebration banquet at his home, so we can have a real feast then." Zhang Liang patted Lin Yan on the shoulder. "We might as well soak up some of his good fortune."

Evening.

East City, Zhao Mansion.

Looking at the grand and imposing estate, Lin Yan's expression remained unchanged, though he sighed inwardly: Junior Brother Zhao truly has the destiny of a protagonist.

He came from a good background and possessed high martial talent; he was practically a template for the web novel protagonists of his past life.

"The largest silver shop in the city, Zhao Family Silver Shop, belongs to Junior Brother Zhao's family. They also manage rouge and powder shops; you could say the ladies and misses of this city can't live without the Zhao family."

Seeing Lin Yan stop at the main gate of the Zhao Mansion, Zhang Liang realized Lin Yan likely didn't know the situation of Junior Brother Zhao's family, so he began to explain: "In this generation, Junior Brother Zhao has four older sisters above him and is the only son. The entire financial power of the Zhao family is poured into him alone. Most people really can't compare to that."

"Senior Brother Zhang, you're very well-informed?"

When Lin Yan asked this, Zhang Liang's expression turned slightly awkward. Although he wasn't one to put on airs, his merchant background did make him a bit worldly; he made a point to learn the family backgrounds of his fellow disciples to cultivate ties with those from wealthy families.

Seeing the awkward look on Zhang Liang's face, Lin Yan realized that this senior brother hadn't been particularly close to him at first. It was only after Lin Yan broke through to the second skin-toughening stage that Zhang Liang had actively sought to befriend him. Given Zhang Liang's pragmatic nature, he had surely looked into the backgrounds of all the disciples beforehand.

However, Lin Yan didn't resent him for it. Climbing the social ladder was human nature, and there was nothing inherently wrong with how Zhang Liang operated.

Once inside the Zhao Mansion, the servants led the group to the back garden. It was already crowded with young men and women. Lin Yan spotted a familiar figure: Li Yu.

"The disciples from Yang Family Martial Arts Hall have arrived."

Li Yu was chatting with several women. Hearing the commotion, she turned her head along with the others. When she saw Lin Yan in the crowd, her expression turned cold, and she quickly looked away.

Lin Yan didn't notice Li Yu at all, as Zhang Liang was currently introducing him to others.

"Junior Brother Lin, let me introduce you to some people."

Zhang Liang was highly sociable and knew many of the people present.

"This is the young master of the He Family from the East City."

"This is the eldest son of the Liuwei Workshop from the South City."

"I've long admired your name!"

"Likewise!"

The people Zhang Liang introduced to Lin Yan were all young and of similar age. Not only were they all at the second skin-toughening stage, but they also came from excellent backgrounds.

This was the Brahmin class of a small county; truly, there were no commoners among them.

Lin Yan didn't put on a cold or aloof front. He understood that Senior Brother Zhang was acting out of kindness, trying to help him expand his connections.

After the introductions, Zhang Liang began chatting with others. Lin Yan scanned the area and saw Zhuang Zheng standing alone. After a moment of thought, he walked over.

"Junior Brother Zhuang, you don't like socializing?"

"I'm not good with words, so I prefer to keep to myself."

Zhuang Zheng smiled shyly. Lin Yan understood; Junior Brother Zhuang was the type of action-oriented person who suffered from a bit of social anxiety.

As night fell, the number of guests in the courtyard grew. The guests gathered in groups to chat, leaving only Lin Yan and Zhuang Zheng standing together, looking somewhat out of place.

"Are you Young Master Lin Yan of the Yang Family Martial Arts Hall?"

A soft voice came from behind. Lin Yan turned to see a woman in white walking slowly toward him. She moved with a graceful, willow-like gait, her simple clothes unable to hide her exquisite curves. Her skin was like snow, her features were like a painting, and her cold, aloof expression carried an indelible sorrow that did not diminish her dignified charm.

"That is I." Lin Yan nodded slightly.

He had already sensed someone watching him; as a second-stage skin-toughener, he possessed at least that much keenness.

Qin Yin bowed gracefully. "This Concubine is Qin Yin, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Lin Family in the South City. Please forgive my intrusion, Young Master Lin."

Lin Yan was stunned. The South City Lin Family—the one that dealt in ironware?

The Lin Family Iron Shop held a monopoly on most of the iron tool needs for the county's residents. Back when he first reached the first skin-toughening stage, his senior brothers had even mistakenly thought he was from that very family.

"You are too polite, Madam." Lin Yan returned the bow, though he felt a bit puzzled. What business did the eldest daughter-in-law of the Lin family have with him?

Qin Yin scanned her surroundings and whispered, "Young Master Lin, could we step aside to speak?"

Lin Yan pondered for a moment and nodded.

The two moved into a small path within the garden, where it was quiet and deserted.

Seeing Lin Yan and Qin Yin head toward the flower beds behind the path, Zhuang Zheng deliberately stood at the entrance of the path. This way, if anyone approached, he could block them, ensuring the conversation between Senior Brother Lin and this Madam Lin remained undisturbed. At the same time, if anything untoward happened, he could serve as a witness for his senior brother.

"Madam, if you have something to say, please speak freely."

"The Lin family wishes to sponsor your martial arts cultivation, Young Master Lin. We are willing to provide three hundred taels of silver this year, and the same for next year."

Sponsoring him?

Lin Yan truly hadn't expected Madam Lin to be seeking him out to offer sponsorship. He was only at the second stage of skin tempering; given the scale of the Lin Family Ironworks, they shouldn't have held a martial artist of his level in such high regard.

When things are abnormal, there must be a catch. He didn't believe that a pie falling from the sky would land on his head, so he shook his head and said, "I appreciate the kindness, Madam, but I cannot accept. As the saying goes, one should not accept a reward without merit..."

"Young Master Lin, please don't be in such a rush to decline." Qin Yin interrupted him, her gaze clear and sincere. "To be honest, my husband passed away from a sudden illness two months ago. With no powerful martial artist left to support the household, the family business is struggling to continue. We need a martial artist to hold the fort."

Widowed?

Looking at Madam Lin in her white mourning clothes and the sorrow in her eyes, Lin Yan couldn't help but mutter to himself, though he knew it was somewhat immoral.

Nothing beats a beauty in mourning.

But as he had thought before, his current strength was not enough to protect a business as large as the Lin family's.

"I'm afraid you've found the wrong person, Madam. My strength doesn't even rank in Guangping County."

"I chose you, Young Master Lin, for two reasons. First, you are already an outstanding talent at the second stage of skin tempering with immense martial potential. Second, your background is clean, and you have no deep ties to the major factions in the city. On these two points alone, there are few in the city more suitable than you."

A faint smile tugged at the corners of Qin Yin's mouth. "But most importantly, Young Master Lin, you possess a heart of gratitude."

Choosing Lin Yan was a last-minute decision Qin Yin had made only today, yet she believed it was the most appropriate one.

Since her husband passed away, her mother-in-law, having suffered the tragedy of burying her own child, had fallen ill overnight, leaving her to manage the vast Lin household alone.

Over this period, she had consulted with the family stewards several times. To maintain the business, the safest route would naturally be to invite a third-stage skin-tempering martial artist. However, all such martial artists in the city were backed by families of their own, and she feared inviting a wolf into the house.

The situation was much the same for the outstanding disciples of the various martial arts halls.

It wasn't until today that she heard a guard mention that Lin Yan, a disciple of the Zhou Family Martial Arts Hall, was of humble origins but had reached the second stage of skin tempering in less than a year of training. Furthermore, he was exceptionally grateful; he had personally visited and delivered a generous gift just to thank a first-stage martial artist for a few words of guidance regarding his choice of hall.

Of course, a grateful heart and second-stage skin tempering weren't enough; he also needed strength.

Lin Yan's defeat of Cheng Zonghan with two punches a few days ago proved that his strength was not to be underestimated among those at the second stage.

With a clean background, potential, and a sense of gratitude, sponsoring him now meant that by the time he reached the third stage in a year or two, he would be able to protect the Lin family's ironworks.

Although her husband was gone, the Lin family's past connections could still hold things together for a year or two.

Seeing that Lin Yan still hadn't replied, Qin Yin parted her red lips again. "Before you step into the third stage of skin tempering, Young Master Lin, you need not concern yourself with any trouble the Lin family might encounter."

Lin Yan looked at Qin Yin. With the other party offering terms to this extent, he had no reason to refuse.

"I am honored by the Lin family's regard. I accept."

Hearing Lin Yan's agreement, Qin Yin's brows relaxed slightly, and a smile of relief graced her pretty face.

Once the two had reached an agreement, Qin Yin departed first. Lin Yan returned to Zhuang Zheng's side. Zhuang Zheng seemed entirely uninterested in what they had discussed, and once the Zhao Mansion servants announced the start of the banquet, the two followed the other martial arts hall seniors into the hall to take their seats.

That evening, the banquet was filled with the clinking of glasses, and Zhao Linyuan became the focal point of the entire event.

Everyone present at the banquet was at least a second-grade martial artist, and there were enough third-grade martial artists to fill two full tables.

Watching the young men and women at the banquet look at Zhao Linyuan with envy and fervor, Lin Yan couldn't help but sigh, "At nineteen, I sit here like a nobody."

Perhaps only Junior Brother Zhuang Zheng had a truly pure mind, as he kept his head down, devouring the rare meats and medicinal wines on the table, truly just there for a free meal.