Family is Worthless (Seeking Reads)

Qingtian Town.

Four months passed in the blink of an eye.

Outside the courtyard, heatwaves rolled in waves; the midsummer sun was so scorching it felt as if it would bake the earth until it cracked.

Inside the courtyard.

Lin Yan sat cross-legged under the blazing sun, his upper body bare.

Sweat rolled down his spine, evaporating the moment it left his skin.

Though his skin was scorched red, he remained oblivious, his eyes closed, his breathing long and steady.

Within his body, his blood and qi surged like boiling water.

The transition from the second stage of skin-tempering to the third is a critical step where blood and qi enter the tendons.

With the sponsorship of the Wang Mansion, silver flowed out like water; Muscle-Generating Pills, secret medicines, and rare meats—he had maxed out every resource.

Through day and night of grueling training, he had finally nurtured his blood and qi to their limit.

Now was the moment to break through the barrier.

Lin Yan took a deep breath, sinking his consciousness into his body.

In his mind, the trunk of the Martial Dao Tree had grown to two feet and nine inches, just a hair's breadth away from the three-foot mark.

With a thought, the blood and qi in his dantian surged violently, like a burst dam, rushing toward the tendons and vessels throughout his body!

Although he didn't have to worry about failure, the process required for breaking through could not be bypassed.

Pain!

The moment the first wave of blood and qi surged into his tendons, Lin Yan's brows furrowed.

This pain was not of the skin or flesh, but originated from deep within his meridians, as if countless fine needles were weaving and tearing through them.

But he did not stop.

Keep pushing!

Wave after wave of blood and qi washed over his meridians like the tide.

With every surge, a trace of impurity was flushed out; with every contraction, his meridians became wider and more resilient.

Time ticked away!

Lin Yan's expression gradually turned peaceful. The piercing pain, initially unbearable, became a habit, and eventually, he could clearly perceive the expansion of every meridian and the pulse of every surge of blood and qi.

He did not know how much time had passed!

Boom!

A muffled sound echoed in his mind as the trunk of the Martial Dao Tree shot upward, breaking through the three-foot threshold!

Third stage of skin-tempering, complete!

Lin Yan opened his eyes.

The scorching sun remained, and the cicadas continued their drone.

But everything was different.

He could clearly perceive the pulse of every meridian in his body; his blood and qi surged through them like a river, with incredible fluidity.

With every breath, wisps of heat flowed from his limbs and bones into his dantian, then circulated throughout his entire body along with his blood and qi.

He stood up and threw a casual punch.

The punch was silent.

But where his fist passed, the air compressed violently, then exploded into a visible shockwave that struck a stone pedestal a foot away, sending stone shards flying in all directions.

Third stage of skin-tempering, combined with fist momentum.

The power of this punch was several times stronger than before his breakthrough.

"At the third stage of skin-tempering, from this moment on, I can be considered a figure of some standing in the county town."

Feeling the surge in his blood, qi, and strength, Lin Yan couldn't help but feel a sense of pride, but after a few breaths, he calmed down once more.

The path of martial arts is long, and the third stage of skin-tempering is merely the beginning; he must never become arrogant or complacent.

Especially since the current Guangping County was clearly facing a major upheaval, he had to remain low-key and cautious.

Three days later.

Having perfectly mastered the surging blood and qi within him, Lin Yan left Qingtian Town for the county seat as night began to fall.

He was going to seek revenge!

When his strength was insufficient, he had to endure against his enemies.

Now that his strength was enough, if he couldn't settle his grudges with satisfaction, then his martial arts training would have been in vain.

East of the city, Wang Mansion.

Inside the main room of the Wang Mansion's inner courtyard, despite the late hour, the candles burned as bright as day, spilling out through the gaps in the door curtains and illuminating even the steps outside.

"Master, two of the gangs we secretly support were wiped out by the Four Seas Gang this month, and another was destroyed by the Patrol Bureau. Our income for this month is only thirty percent of what it used to be."

The middle-aged man on the left calculated the figures in his ledger. Wang Heng's expression turned grim at the news. In the past, thanks to the gangs they secretly backed, the Wang Family brought in several hundred taels of silver every month. Even their legitimate businesses had lower profit margins than that. Losing seventy percent in one fell swoop was equivalent to losing the majority of their income.

Crucially, the Wang Family had invested heavily in cultivating the leaders of these gangs. The expenses for their martial arts training were all provided by the Wang Family in secret. With them being wiped out so quickly, some hadn't even recouped their initial investment.

"The Four Seas Gang and the Patrol Bureau are pushing us too far!"

Wang Heng slammed his hand onto the armrest, shattering it into powder, but he had no follow-up action.

Neither the Four Seas Gang nor the Patrol Bureau was an entity his Wang Family could afford to offend.

"Master, there are undercurrents moving through the city right now. Many gang leaders have been assassinated for no reason. Perhaps we should temporarily abandon our interests in the gangs."

Wang Heng's expression flickered between light and shadow. He didn't make a decision immediately, instead looking at the young man to his left: "Hao, are you confident in breaking through to the second stage of skin-toughening?"

"Uncle, give me another month, and I will definitely break through to the second stage."

Wang Hao's face was filled with confidence. Half a year ago, he had failed his attempt to break through, but with the nourishment of numerous precious medicinal pills, not only had his internal injuries healed, but his blood and energy were even more vigorous than before.

"Very good. Once you break through to the second stage, our Wang Family will move out of Guangping County. This county is clearly about to descend into chaos; staying here risks getting us dragged into the mess."

"Moving?"

Wang Hao was puzzled. Surely Guangping County hadn't reached that level of chaos yet?

"Hao, you don't understand. For so many years, the Patrol Bureau never set foot in the North City, and the gangs in the West City never extended their reach there either. The North City was a buffer zone. But now, both the Four Seas Gang and the Patrol Bureau have reached into the North City. There must be a reason for it."

Wang Heng had developed the Wang Family from a merchant household into the martial arts family it was today not just because of his strength at the peak of the second stage of skin-toughening, but because he was calculating and shrewd.

He sensed that something was wrong with the county.

"With the three gangs we supported now destroyed, the Four Seas Gang and the Patrol Bureau have likely realized that the Wang Family is behind them. Staying in Guangping County is a curse, not a blessing."

"Uncle, we control the families of those guys. For the sake of their loved ones' lives, they shouldn't betray the Wang Family."

"Foolish."

Wang Heng scolded, "When faced with their own death, what do families matter?"

"This nephew has been taught."

Seeing his nephew lower his head in admission of his error, Wang Heng nodded in satisfaction. He didn't continue the topic, instead shifting the conversation: "Any leads on the murderer of Steward Li?"

"Not yet. The only one with even a slight suspicion is Lin Yan, but you felt that was impossible, Uncle."

"It is indeed impossible for Lin Yan to have killed Steward Li, but he comes from a common background. To have reached the second stage of skin-toughening so quickly, he might be hiding a secret. Since we are leaving anyway, we could strike in secret and torture the secret out of him."

A flash of murderous intent crossed Wang Heng's eyes. If the Wang Family were staying in Guangping County, he wouldn't be so reckless, as he would have to fear the Yang Family Martial Arts Hall behind Lin Yan. But since he had already decided to move the entire family, there was nothing left to fear.

Hearing his uncle's words, Wang Hao's face lit up with joy. For some reason, he was filled with suspicion toward Lin Yan. It wasn't just about Steward Li; there was also the Clear Water Gang incident. Both times, Lin Yan had been in the vicinity—it was simply too coincidental.

Now that his uncle had decided to move against Lin Yan, he could be the one to interrogate him. If it really was Lin Yan, he wouldn't be able to hold out under his brutal torture.

"Uncle, this Lin Yan is currently..."

"Who is outside!"

Wang Heng abruptly cut his nephew off, his gaze snapping toward the door. Under the flickering candlelight, a masked figure in black appeared.

Behind the black mask, Lin Yan's eyes widened in surprise. He had intended to hide in the shadows and launch a sneak attack, but he hadn't expected the Wang Family head's hearing to be so sharp that he would detect his presence.

He truly was the man known as the strongest second-stage skin-toughening expert in Guangping County; he certainly had his skills.

However, since he had been spotted, Lin Yan didn't intend to hide. As long as they hadn't broken through to the third stage, he wasn't afraid; he just had to be cautious. These old veterans of the underworld always had a few underhanded tricks up their sleeves.

Lin Yan's appearance left Wang Hao and the middle-aged man stunned. To dare break into the Wang Mansion in the dead of night—was this not suicide?

Wang Heng sat in the main seat, his eyes locked onto the black shadow at the door.

Something was wrong.

His strength at the peak of the second stage of skin-toughening was known to everyone in the county's martial arts circle. Since this person dared to come and reveal himself, he must have been prepared. He couldn't possibly be here just to throw his life away.

"Hao, take him down."

"Yes!"

Wang Hao moved at the command. With a stomp of his feet, he lunged at Lin Yan like a tiger descending a mountain. Although he hadn't broken through to the second stage yet, he had spent years immersed in the first stage and believed few in the county could best him at his level.

He struck out with a claw, the wind whistling as he aimed directly for Lin Yan's face.

Lin Yan didn't retreat but advanced, sidestepping the blow. His right arm swept out like a whip; without even throwing a punch, he slapped directly at him.

Wang Hao was startled, quickly sinking his shoulders and tucking his neck while his left hand lashed out from his waist, claws raking toward Lin Yan's ribs.

This strike was fast and vicious—a killing move he had practiced for years.

Unfortunately, the killing move he took such pride in was full of openings in Lin Yan's eyes. Lin Yan didn't dodge or block; he twisted his waist and spun like a top, not only avoiding the claw but using the momentum of his rotation to slam an elbow hard into Wang Hao's back!

Thud!

The muffled sound was like a beating drum.

Wang Hao spat out a mouthful of blood, lunged forward, and crashed heavily to the ground. He twitched twice and went still.

From the start of their exchange to Wang Hao's death, it had been no more than three breaths.

The middle-aged man in the main hall felt his pupils constrict, staring at Lin Yan in sheer terror, failing to notice that his own family head had already vanished.

It turned out that the moment Wang Hao lunged forward, Wang Heng had already made his move.

He didn't charge at Lin Yan, but instead bolted for the side door behind the screen, not even sparing a glance for his own nephew.

Hao, don't blame your uncle for being heartless.

After rushing through the side door, Wang Heng whispered to himself. The reason he had survived this long, beyond his ruthless nature, was primarily his ability to see the situation clearly.

To break in and kill in the dead of night—unless the intruder was an idiot, they were certainly confident in their ability to defeat him.

Not running at this moment would be waiting for death. The reason he had let Hao make the move instead of another subordinate was a gamble that the intruder would not let the Wang Family off the hook.

If he had sent a subordinate and fled, the intruder might have ignored the subordinate to chase him directly. But Hao was different; he was his own nephew. Whether out of hatred for the Wang Family or to prevent future retaliation, the intruder would have to cut the weeds and pull up the roots, making it impossible to spare Hao.

In this way, he had bought himself time to escape.

Lin Yan caught the retreating figure in his peripheral vision and frowned. This old bastard was truly decisive; without even testing his strength, he had chosen to let his nephew die while he seized the chance to flee.

What a beast!

He hesitated no longer, stepping forward to vault over the fallen Wang Hao and chase toward the back door.

The middle-aged man stood frozen, still unable to process what had happened, as the dark figure swept past him. Before he could even feel relieved, a sharp pain erupted in his chest, and he instantly lost consciousness.

Chasing out of the side door, Lin Yan scanned the area and saw Wang Heng already at the courtyard wall, preparing to vault over it.

"Trying to run?"

Lin Yan pushed off the ground, his body shooting forward like an arrow. He covered the twenty-foot distance in an instant, his right fist coiled and ready, striking out without any fancy tricks.

The force of the punch erupted, the wind howling like thunder.

Wang Heng's expression shifted violently. Abandoning the wall, he spun around and thrust both palms out to block.

Fist met palms.

"Bang!"

A dull thud echoed like a heavy hammer striking the earth. Wang Heng felt a mountain-toppling force surge from his palms; his arms cracked as if the bones were being pulverized. He was sent flying backward, slamming hard into the courtyard wall, shattering the bricks and sending dust cascading down.

"Pfft!"

Wang Heng spat out a mouthful of blood, his face deathly pale. He looked down at his hands; his arms hung limp, unable to be lifted.

"Fist... Fist Intent?"

His voice was hoarse, his eyes filled with terror and despair, but even more so with confusion.

In Guangping County, there were only two such experts who possessed both the third-stage skin-tempering realm and Fist Intent, but the height didn't match. Most importantly, it was impossible for him to have offended such a powerhouse.

"Could you at least let me die knowing why?"

Lin Yan didn't speak, stepping forward and raising his right fist once more.

The fist fell!

The sound of shattering sternum exploded in the night. Wang Heng's body remained embedded in the broken wall, his eyes unfocused as he slowly slid to the ground, lifeless.

Lin Yan walked up to Wang Heng's corpse, looking down at the pale white powder on the thumb of Wang Heng's right hand with a mocking curl of his lips.

Just as he had expected, an old fox like Wang Heng would inevitably have some underhanded tricks.

Wang Heng had thought he was being subtle, hoping to stall for time with his words, unaware that after Lin Yan's third skin-tempering, his perception had been vastly enhanced, allowing him to see every minute movement with absolute clarity.