Tang Mansion.
Lin Yan sat in the main hall, drinking the tea a servant of the Tang Mansion had brought him.
As a martial artist who had polished his skin twice and held an honorary position with the Tang Family, Lin Yan naturally had the right to enter the main hall.
When he heard footsteps on the steps outside, Lin Yan set down his teacup and stood, looking toward the graceful figure walking in. He clasped his fists. "Greetings, Miss Tang."
"The steward said you wanted to see me. Is there something you need?"
Tang Tang wore a white martial outfit and got straight to the point as soon as she entered.
"I came to thank you, Miss Tang."
"Thank me?"
"Some time ago, you gave me pills that helped me break through to my third round of skin polishing. Without those pills, I'm afraid I'd have been a long way from reaching the third round."
Before Tang Tang could reply, the steward standing behind her parted his lips, his face full of disbelief.
If he remembered correctly, when Young Master Lin had first taken up an honorary position at the Tang Mansion before the New Year, he had only just completed his first round of skin polishing. How had he reached the third round in such a short time?
Could it be true?
A glimmer of surprise flashed through Tang Tang's lovely eyes. "You're too kind, Young Master Lin. Your breakthrough to the third round was your own achievement. Those few bottles of pills merely added flowers to brocade."
If a few bottles of pills were enough to bring someone to the third round, the Tang Family could mass-produce martial artists at that level.
She knew this very well. So while Lin Yan had come to express his gratitude, and he was certainly grateful, he must have had another purpose as well.
After a moment's thought, she understood. He had come to ask for better terms.
The benefits for a martial artist who had polished his skin twice and one who had done so three times were worlds apart.
She smiled and said, "Since you're now a martial artist who has polished your skin three times, your honorary position's benefits should naturally improve as well. Under the terms we offer martial artists holding honorary positions, starting this month, you can collect a monthly allowance of one hundred taels of silver from the Tang Family. You'll also continue to receive a thirty-percent discount when buying medicinal ingredients at our pharmacy, except for Bone-Tempering Pills."
"Bone-Tempering Pills aren't discounted?"
Lin Yan frowned. He had originally hoped to save some money on Bone-Tempering Pills by taking advantage of the benefits that came with his position at the Tang Family.
"I'm sorry. The Tang Family can't make Bone-Tempering Pills; they're shipped in from Prefecture City. Even our family doesn't have many in stock, and the pharmacy makes little profit from selling them at the listed price. We mainly use them to attract customers and sell other martial arts pills. Ordinary martial artists who have polished their skin three times need to reserve Bone-Tempering Pills in advance."
Tang Tang explained. There were only so many martial artists in the county who had polished their skin three times. Many of them had long since given up on advancing in martial arts, so they had no reason to buy Bone-Tempering Pills. The Tang Family didn't stock many as a result.
"Using Bone-Tempering Pills' high value to tie them to other purchases—isn't that just a luxury-brand sales tactic?"
Lin Yan murmured to himself. He understood what the eldest young miss of the Tang Family meant. The Tang Family didn't earn much from Bone-Tempering Pills and didn't stock many. A martial artist who had polished his skin three times would need either a good relationship with the Tang Family or a history of doing business with them to buy one. Lin Yan fell into the former category.
Seeing Lin Yan lost in thought, Tang Tang smiled brightly. "If you'd like to get a discount on Bone-Tempering Pills too, you could become an Attendant of the Tang Family."
"An Attendant?"
Lin Yan was surprised. He had never heard of the Tang Family recruiting Attendants.
"Martial artists holding honorary positions with the Tang Family may become our Attendants if they meet the requirements and are willing. Once you become an Attendant, you'll receive a thirty-percent discount on all medicinal ingredients, and you'll also be allowed to learn one of the Tang Family's superior martial arts."
Hiss!
Lin Yan's pupils contracted. If he remembered correctly, his master had said that the Tang Mansion was the only place in the entire county with superior martial arts.
Middle-grade martial arts led to Force; superior martial arts led to Intent.
Mountain Splitting Fist had reached its limit, and the Martial Fruits he had accumulated were now useless. If he could learn a superior technique from the Tang Family, he could put them to use again.
Still, benefits and obligations were always balanced. If the Tang Family was offering such generous terms, it must also have very strict requirements for its Attendants.
"May I ask, Miss Tang, how one becomes an Attendant of the Tang Family, and what one must do after joining?"
"I'm telling you because you already meet the requirements, Young Master Lin. As long as you don't have close ties with any Lineage that has a conflict with the Tang Family, you can become one of our Attendants."
Tang Tang's lips curled up. "As for your duties, they're more or less the same as those of someone holding an honorary position. The difference is that a martial artist holding an honorary position can leave at any time, whereas an Attendant signs on by the year. Your allowance is also paid in advance for the whole year, and you may not leave of your own accord during that time, no matter what happens to the Tang Mansion."
This woman was up to something.
She was tempting him without even trying to hide it.
The allure of a superior technique spoke for itself. And paying a year's salary in advance had hit him right where he was most vulnerable: his empty pockets.
The more tempting the offer, the more cautious he needed to be.
"Please rest assured, Young Master Lin. Although an Attendant can't leave lightly, if our Tang Mansion were ever to provoke an enemy too powerful to overcome, my family wouldn't stop you from leaving."
Tang Tang seemed to have guessed what was making Lin Yan hesitate, so she offered another reassurance.
That generous?
A 2.0 version of Madam Qin?
If that was the case, he really had no reason to refuse.
After thinking for a few seconds, Lin Yan spoke. "I've received support from Lin Family Iron Works in the city."
"Lin Family Iron Works?"
"Yes."
Tang Tang smiled slightly. "That won't be a problem. The Tang Family and the Lin Family work in different trades, and there's no enmity between us."
"In that case, I'm grateful for your confidence in me, Miss Tang. I'm willing to become an Attendant of the Tang Mansion."
With the offer laid out so clearly, Lin Yan felt he had no reason to refuse. He needed both the money and the superior martial art.
"Good. Attendant Lin, you may return for now. I'll have someone deliver our family's superior martial art to you later."
After seeing Lin Yan out, the steward returned to the main hall, a puzzled look on his face. He couldn't help asking, "Miss, since when has the mansion had an Attendant?"
The mansion had never had such a position. It was obvious that the eldest young miss had come up with it on the spot.
Could it be that she had taken a fancy to Young Master Lin?
In terms of age, the eldest young miss was only half a year younger than Young Master Lin. And they were both at the third round of skin polishing. Setting their families aside, they were actually quite a good match.
"Now it does."
Tang Tang replied calmly, "What do you think of Lin Yan breaking through to the third round of skin polishing?"
"I can't make sense of it." The steward shook his head. "There have been martial artists from backgrounds like Lin Yan's who reached the third round, but only one every twenty or thirty years. And they were all over thirty when they broke through."
Tang Tang lifted her teacup and took a small sip. "Which is why Lin Yan is special."
She looked out the door, her gaze distant. "If someone like that appears only once every few decades, he's worth a gamble for the Tang Family. Even if we lose, we won't have much to show for it. But if we win, and Lin Yan keeps being this special, the Tang Family will come out ahead."
There was one more thing she didn't say aloud.
Lin Yan undoubtedly had a secret, but she wouldn't pry into it. As long as he continued to make rapid progress in martial arts, that was enough.
After leaving the Tang Family, Lin Yan headed to his next destination.
Lin Yan stopped in front of Lin Family Iron Works. The shop covered a vast area, and the stalls outside displayed all kinds of farm tools commonly used by the people.
The items on the racks inside were no longer farm tools, but rows of weapons.
Sabers, swords, spears, maces, axes... Every kind of weapon was available.
"Are you here to buy a weapon?"
When Lin Yan entered the shop, a middle-aged man came over to greet him.
"My name is Lin Yan. I'm here to see Madam Lin."
"Are you Young Master Lin?"
The middle-aged man had clearly heard of Lin Yan. He hurried to lead the way. "Please come with me, Young Master Lin."
Lin Mansion's main hall.
Qin Yin sat in a chair in the hall, looking over this month's accounts. Her plain white gown outlined her graceful figure; her waist was slender but not frail. A single white flower adorned her dark hair, making her face seem all the more otherworldly.
When she heard the shopkeeper's announcement, she set down the accounts and rose to look toward the door. "Young Master Lin... You're a rare guest. Please, have a seat."
Seeing Lin Yan enter with the shopkeeper, Qin Yin smiled. Her lovely face, untouched by cosmetics, carried an unconscious hint of allure.
"Madam Lin, you make me blush by calling me a rare guest."
Lin Yan smiled faintly. "I accepted your family's silver, so I can't just sit back and do nothing. I came today to ask whether you've run into any trouble lately."
Their original agreement had been that the Lin Family wouldn't come to him with any trouble until he had polished his skin three times.
He figured that when he said this, Madam Lin would understand the unspoken meaning.
Qin Yin had indeed understood Lin Yan's implied meaning. And precisely because she understood, her almond-shaped eyes first narrowed slightly, then filled with a thousand unspoken words as they shimmered. A trace of uncontainable delight showed through.
This Madam Lin had eyes that could speak.
"Young Master Lin, have you polished your skin three times already?"
Her voice trembled with disbelief. When Lin Yan nodded, her almond-shaped eyes lit up at once, ripples of delight spreading through them. For a moment, she looked as bright as a young girl.
"My Lin Family will increase your annual allowance to six hundred taels."
Qin Yin's lovely face flushed, and her voice rose with excitement. But as soon as she finished speaking, a voice came from the doorway. "Sister-in-law, that's not appropriate!"
A broad-backed, burly man strode inside. His gaze toward Qin Yin held a trace of greed, but when it fell on Lin Yan, it was unmistakably jealous. "Six hundred taels a year? My elder brother's bones haven't even grown cold, and you're already doing this, sister-in-law. Isn't that a little too obvious?"
Qin Yin's brows knitted when she saw Zhang Xiong enter. Her voice was cool and distant. "Although my husband and my brother-in-law were sworn brothers, you're not part of the Lin Family. This has nothing to do with you."
Zhang Xiong's expression darkened. He and Lin Xiao had been sworn brothers. While Lin Xiao was alive, Zhang Xiong had never entertained any other thoughts. But after Lin Xiao died, Qin Yin's image, along with the Lin Family's wealth, began appearing in his thoughts all the time.
When an elder brother died, his younger brother took his place.
Zhang Xiong was only a sworn brother, but his elder brother had only one daughter, and she was just four years old.
"Sister-in-law, even if you hired a martial artist who had polished his skin three times, you'd pay him this much for a whole year. He wants six hundred taels for doing nothing at all. If word gets out, people will gossip. They'll think you've got some other motive, and my elder brother won't rest easy in the afterlife. As his brother, I have to stop this for your sake, and for my elder brother's reputation."
Zhang Xiong spoke with biting sarcasm. Qin Yin's expression instantly turned cold. After her husband's death, she had considered supporting Zhang Xiong, but after meeting him a few times, her instincts told her that he was crooked at heart and that helping him would be like letting a wolf through the door.
When her husband was still alive, Zhang Xiong had treated her with the utmost respect. Now that her husband was gone, he had started speaking to her with improper familiarity.
"My Lin Family's affairs aren't for outsiders to interfere in."
"Sister-in-law, my elder brother and I burned incense and swore brotherhood. That makes me family, not an outsider."
The atmosphere in the main hall grew heavy at once.
"How should I address you, senior?"
Lin Yan, who had remained silent until now, spoke up with a smile and extended his hand toward Zhang Xiong.
Zhang Xiong instinctively reached out, but the instant their palms touched, he pulled his hand back and snorted. "Zhang Xiong!"
Lin Yan looked inward at the height of the gray Martial Dao Tree in his mind. The smile vanished from his face. Zhang Xiong's Martial Dao Tree was still some way short of three feet. He hadn't even polished his skin three times, so there was no need for Lin Yan to be polite.
"Madam Lin, since I accepted your family's support, I have a duty to help resolve any trouble your family encounters. I wonder if this counts as trouble?"
Hearing Lin Yan, Qin Yin was stunned for a moment. Then she understood what he meant. Young Master Lin intended to make a move against Zhang Xiong.
Young Master Lin had broken through to the third round of skin polishing. Zhang Xiong couldn't possibly be his match.
Although Zhang Xiong was crooked at heart, Qin Yin thought of the brotherhood he had once shared with her husband and gave him one last warning. "Zhang Xiong, I'll say this one last time. This is my Lin Family's business, and it has nothing to do with you. Leave now while you still can."
Seeing Qin Yin standing there in her white dress, her face stern, made Zhang Xiong's heart itch even more.
A woman in mourning was a beautiful sight.
All the more so when she was his sister-in-law.
Qin Yin was already his to possess. He absolutely would not allow anyone else to lay a finger on her.
"My elder brother's bones haven't even grown cold. How could I stand by and do nothing?"
As he spoke, Zhang Xiong turned his gaze to Lin Yan. "Looks like beating Cheng Zonghan made you think you can take on the whole world. You want to fight me too? Come on, then."
He had heard of Lin Yan.
But beating Cheng Zonghan meant nothing. Among the martial artists in Guangping County who had polished their skin twice, Zhang Xiong ranked in the top three. The Wang Family head, who had been killed, could have held him down for good.
A fierce glint filled Zhang Xiong's eyes. His aura surged, and he stamped down hard, pouncing toward Lin Yan like a tiger descending a mountain!
"You've practiced martial arts for a few years and already think you're invincible. You really don't know when to quit!"
His fist shot out with a howl of wind, aimed straight at Lin Yan's face.
The blow was powerful and heavy, far stronger than the palm Cheng Zonghan had thrown.
"What a filthy mouth."
Lin Yan's expression didn't change. Instead of retreating from Zhang Xiong's fierce punch, he stepped forward and met it with a punch of his own.
Bang!
Their fists collided with a dull, explosive crack that echoed through the hall.
Lin Yan didn't budge. Zhang Xiong, however, staggered back three steps, a flash of shock crossing his face.
"That's it?"
Lin Yan spoke lightly, his tone as calm as if he were stating a fact.
Zhang Xiong's face flushed red. He roared and charged again.
This time, he attacked even more fiercely, a storm of fists enveloping the vital points around Lin Yan's body.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Their fists clashed three times.
Zhang Xiong was forced back again. His right arm trembled, and his knuckles were already red and swollen.
He stared at Lin Yan in disbelief. How... how could this man be so strong?
"Now it's my turn!"
Lin Yan took a step forward.
Zhang Xiong's heart tightened. He instinctively tried to retreat, only to find that Lin Yan had closed in on him like a phantom.
One punch.
It was a simple punch, nothing flashy.
But the instant it came at him, Zhang Xiong's pupils contracted. He saw fists filling the sky, and a torrent of force bearing down on him like an avalanche!
"Fist..."
Before he could finish the word, the punch was already there.
Bang!
The sound of his chest bones breaking exploded through the hall.
Zhang Xiong's whole body flew backward and slammed into a pillar. He slid to the floor, convulsed twice, then lay still.
Blood slowly spread out from beneath him.
The hall fell utterly silent.
Qin Yin stood frozen, her lips parted, her face full of disbelief.
Was Zhang Xiong really dead?
She looked at Lin Yan. The young man stood there quietly, his expression so calm it was as if he had merely swatted a fly.
"Young... Young Master Lin..."
Her voice trembled, and for a moment she didn't know what to say.
Although Zhang Xiong hadn't broken through to the third round of skin polishing, he had been one of the strongest among those who had polished their skin twice.
Lin Yan turned and gave her a slight nod. "Madam, would you say this trouble has been taken care of?"
If he hadn't wanted to reveal too much of his strength in front of outsiders, one punch would have been enough to deal with a nobody like Zhang Xiong.
Qin Yin took a deep breath, steadying her heaving chest. "Rest assured, Young Master Lin. Zhang Xiong isn't from Guangping County. My husband met him while traveling, and after they became sworn brothers, he followed him here. My Lin Mansion will take care of what comes next. It won't cause you any trouble."