Qin Yin and Tang Tang Raise the Stakes

Tang Mansion.

Lin Yan sat in the main hall, sipping tea served by a Tang Mansion servant.

As a second-stage skin-tempering martial artist registered with the Tang Family, Lin Yan was naturally qualified to enter the main hall.

Hearing footsteps on the steps outside, Lin Yan set down his teacup, rose to face the graceful figure entering, and cupped his hands. "Greetings, Miss Tang."

"The steward said you wanted to see me. Is something the matter?"

Tang Tang, dressed in a white training outfit, went straight to the point.

"I have come to express my gratitude, Miss Tang."

"Gratitude?"

"The medicinal pills you gifted me some time ago allowed me to break through to the third stage of skin-tempering. Without that assistance, I fear that milestone would have remained a distant dream."

Before Tang Tang could respond, the steward standing behind her parted his lips, his face filled with disbelief.

If he recalled correctly, when this Young Master Lin first registered with the Tang Mansion before the new year, he had only just reached the first stage of skin-tempering. How could he have reached the third stage in such a short time?

Could it be true?

A flicker of brilliance crossed Tang Tang's beautiful eyes. "You are too modest, Young Master Lin. Your breakthrough is a result of your own potential; my few bottles of pills were merely the icing on the cake."

If one could reach the third stage of skin-tempering just by relying on a few bottles of pills, their Tang Family could mass-produce such martial artists.

She understood this clearly, so while Lin Yan's gratitude was likely genuine, he surely had another motive for coming so promptly.

After a moment of thought, she realized he was here to negotiate his compensation.

The difference in treatment between a second-stage and third-stage skin-tempering martial artist was significant.

She smiled. "Since you are now a third-stage skin-tempering martial artist, your compensation will naturally increase. According to our family's policy, you will receive a monthly stipend of one hundred taels of silver starting this month. Furthermore, you will continue to enjoy a thirty percent discount on herbs purchased at our pharmacy, though this excludes Bone-Tempering Pills."

"Are Bone-Tempering Pills not eligible for the discount?"

Lin Yan frowned. He had hoped to save on his Bone-Tempering Pill expenses by leveraging his status at the Tang Mansion.

"My apologies. Bone-Tempering Pills are not produced by our family; they are shipped from the provincial capital. Even we have limited stock. The pharmacy sells them at a very thin margin, primarily using them as a draw to sell other martial arts pills. If an ordinary third-stage martial artist wishes to purchase them, they must book in advance."

Tang Tang explained the reasoning. There were only so many third-stage martial artists in the county, and many had long since lost the drive to progress, so they wouldn't buy such pills. Consequently, the Tang Family didn't stock many.

Bundling sales with high-value items—isn't this just a luxury goods tactic?

Lin Yan mused silently. He understood her point: the pills weren't very profitable, and the Tang Family didn't keep much stock. To obtain them, one had to either have a good relationship with the Tang Family or be a regular customer, and he fell into the former category.

Seeing Lin Yan deep in thought, Tang Tang smiled brightly. "If you wish to receive a discount on Bone-Tempering Pills, you could choose to become a retainer of the Tang Family."

"A retainer?"

Lin Yan was surprised. He had never heard of the Tang Family recruiting retainers.

"Martial artists registered with us who meet certain criteria and are willing can become retainers. Once you become a retainer, you enjoy a thirty percent discount on all herbs and gain access to our Tang Family's superior-grade martial arts."

Hiss!

Lin Yan's pupils constricted. If he remembered correctly, his master had said that only the Tang Mansion possessed superior-grade martial arts in the entire county.

Mid-grade leads to Momentum; superior-grade leads to Intent.

His Mountain Splitting Fist had reached its limit, and the Martial Fruits he had accumulated were currently useless. If he could learn a superior-grade technique, he could finally put those fruits to work.

However, benefits and obligations were always balanced. If the Tang Family dared to offer such terms, their requirements for a retainer must be extremely high.

"May I ask, Miss Tang, how one becomes a retainer, and what is required of them?"

"I am only telling you this because your strength has reached the threshold. As long as you do not have close ties to families in conflict with us, you can become a retainer."

Tang Tang's lips curled upward. "As for the duties, they are largely the same as a registered martial artist. The difference is that a registered martial artist can leave at any time, whereas a retainer is contracted by the year, with the stipend paid in advance. During that year, you may not leave without authorization, regardless of what the Tang Mansion faces."

This woman is up to no good.

She's tempting me in broad daylight.

The allure of a superior-grade technique went without saying, and the advance payment of an annual salary struck right at his desperate need for money.

The more attractive it seemed, the more cautious he had to be.

"Please rest assured, Young Master Lin. While a retainer cannot leave easily, if our mansion were to provoke an enemy so powerful that we were doomed, we would not stop you from leaving."

Tang Tang seemed to guess his hesitation and offered him a reassurance.

Is it really that good?

Is she a 2.0 version of that Madame Qin?

If that were the case, he truly had no reason to refuse.

After a few moments of deliberation, Lin Yan spoke. "I have received support from the Lin Family Iron Works in the city."

"The Lin Family Iron Works?"

"Yes."

Tang Tang smiled slightly. "That is of no consequence. Our businesses are different, and there is no enmity between us."

"In that case, I am honored by your trust, Miss Tang. I am willing to serve as a retainer for the Tang Mansion."

With things laid out this clearly, Lin Yan felt he had no reason to refuse; whether it was the silver or the high-grade cultivation technique, both were things he needed.

"Very well. Then Consultant Lin, please return first. As for the Tang Family's high-grade cultivation technique, I will have someone deliver it to your doorstep in due time."

The steward who saw Lin Yan out returned to the main hall, a look of confusion on his face. He couldn't help but ask, "Eldest Miss, since when did our estate have a consultant?"

There had never been such a position in the household; it was clearly a spur-of-the-moment decision by the Eldest Miss.

Could it be that the Eldest Miss had taken a fancy to Young Master Lin?

In terms of age, the Eldest Miss was half a year younger than Young Master Lin, and in terms of cultivation, she was also at the third stage of skin-toughening. Aside from their family backgrounds, they were actually quite a match.

"Isn't there one now?"

Tang Tang spoke indifferently, "What do you make of Lin Yan breaking through to the third stage of skin-toughening?"

"I can't fathom it." The steward shook his head. "For a martial artist of Lin Yan's background to reach the third stage of skin-toughening—it has happened in the county's martial arts circles before, but only once every twenty or thirty years, and even then, they were all over thirty when they broke through."

Tang Tang picked up her teacup and took a light sip. "That is why Lin Yan is special."

She raised her eyes to look out the door, her gaze distant. "Someone who only appears once every few decades is worth a gamble for our Tang Family. If we lose, our family loses nothing, but if we win, and Lin Yan continues to be this special, then our Tang Family will have struck gold."

There was one more thing she didn't say aloud.

Lin Yan definitely had secrets, but she wouldn't pry. As long as Lin Yan could continue to advance by leaps and bounds in his martial arts, that was enough.

Leaving the Tang residence, Lin Yan headed toward his next destination.

Stopping in front of the Lin Family Iron Works, Lin Yan paused. The entire shop occupied a vast space, and the stalls at the entrance were filled with various farming tools commonly used by the common folk.

Inside the shop, the display racks no longer held farming tools, but rows of weapons.

Sabers, swords, spears, maces, axes... every type of weapon imaginable was there.

"Is the guest looking to buy a weapon?"

Seeing Lin Yan enter the shop, a middle-aged man walked up to greet him.

"I am Lin Yan, here to see Madam Lin."

"You are Young Master Lin?"

The middle-aged man clearly recognized the name, and he hurriedly led the way. "Young Master Lin, please follow me."

In the main hall of the Lin Mansion, Qin Yin sat in a chair, flipping through the month's accounts. A simple white deep-robe outlined her exquisite figure; her waist was slender yet not fragile. A single white flower was pinned in her dark hair, making her face appear all the more ethereal.

Hearing the shopkeeper's announcement, she set down the accounts, stood up, and looked toward the door. "Young Master Lin... you are a rare guest. Please, sit."

Watching Lin Yan follow the shopkeeper in, Qin Yin smiled lightly. Her unadorned, pretty face possessed an unconscious allure.

"Madam Lin, calling me a 'rare guest' makes me feel ashamed."

Lin Yan smiled slightly. "Having received your family's silver, I cannot simply do nothing. I came today to ask you if you have encountered any trouble during this time."

His original agreement with the Lin family was that until he reached the third stage of skin-toughening, the Lin family would not come to him regardless of what trouble they faced.

He figured that by saying this, Madam Lin would understand the subtext.

Qin Yin did indeed understand the hidden meaning behind Lin Yan's words. Because she understood, her apricot-shaped eyes narrowed slightly. Her gaze rippled as if she had a thousand words to say, carrying a hint of undisguised surprise.

This Madam Lin had eyes that could speak.

"Young Master Lin, have you already reached the third stage of skin-toughening?"

Because of her disbelief, her voice trembled slightly. When she saw Lin Yan nod, those apricot eyes instantly lit up, rippling with layers of emotion, revealing a youthful, vibrant brilliance.

"The annual sponsorship my Lin family provides to Young Master Lin will be increased to six hundred taels."

Qin Yin's pretty face flushed, and she couldn't help but raise her voice. However, just as she finished speaking, a voice came from the doorway: "Sister-in-law, this is inappropriate!"

A burly man with a tiger's back and a bear's waist strode in. His eyes held a hint of greed as he looked at Qin Yin, but when his gaze fell upon Lin Yan, it was filled with obvious jealousy. "Six hundred taels a year? Big Brother's body is not yet cold, and for you to do this, Sister-in-law, isn't it a bit too obvious?"

Looking at Zhang Xiong as he entered, Qin Yin frowned slightly, her tone light yet distant. "Although the younger brother is my husband's sworn brother, he is not a member of the Lin family. This matter has nothing to do with you."

Zhang Xiong's expression darkened upon hearing this. He and Lin Xiao had been sworn brothers; while Lin Xiao was alive, he had no other thoughts, but ever since Lin Xiao died, the image of his sister-in-law, Qin Yin, and the wealth of the Lin family often appeared in his mind.

After all, when a brother dies, the younger brother takes over.

Although he was only a sworn brother, who told the Big Brother to only have a daughter, and one who was only four years old at that?

"Even if you were to hire a third-stage skin-toughening martial artist to hold a position, the cost would only be this much. He takes six hundred taels a year for doing nothing; if word gets out, it will only invite gossip. People might think you have other intentions, and I fear Big Brother would not rest easy in the afterlife. As a brother, I naturally must stop this for the sake of your and Big Brother's reputation."

Zhang Xiong's words were dripping with sarcasm. Qin Yin's expression turned cold instantly. After her husband passed away, she hadn't considered sponsoring Zhang Xiong, but after several encounters, her intuition told her that Zhang Xiong was a man of ill intent and that bringing him in would be like inviting a wolf into the house.

When her husband was alive, Zhang Xiong was respectful to her, but now that he was gone, this man's speech had become flippant.

"The family affairs of the Lin family are not for an outsider to interfere with."

"Sister-in-law, Big Brother and I were sworn brothers who burned incense together; that doesn't make me an outsider."

In the main hall, the atmosphere suddenly became heavy.

"What should I call this senior?"

Lin Yan, who had remained silent until now, spoke up. With a smile on his face, he reached out a hand toward Zhang Xiong.

Zhang Xiong reached out instinctively, but the moment his palm touched Lin Yan's, he pulled it back and let out a cold snort. "Zhang Xiong!"

Lin Yan introspected on the height of the gray Martial Dao Tree in his mind. The smile on his face vanished; the height of Zhang Xiong's Martial Dao Tree was still some distance away from the three-foot mark—he wasn't even at the third stage of skin-tempering. In that case, there was no need for him to be polite.

"Madam Lin, since I have accepted the support of the Lin Mansion, I have a responsibility to help resolve any trouble the mansion faces. I just wonder, does this count as trouble?"

Upon hearing Lin Yan's words, Qin Yin was stunned for a moment before she realized what he meant: Young Master Lin intended to make a move against Zhang Xiong.

Since Young Master Lin had broken through to the third stage of skin-tempering, Zhang Xiong was certainly no match for him.

Although Zhang Xiong's intentions were impure, Qin Yin thought of the sworn brotherhood he once shared with her late husband and offered one final warning: "Zhang Xiong, this is the last time I will say it. This is a matter for the Lin Family and has nothing to do with you. It is not too late for you to leave now."

Watching Qin Yin in her white dress with a stern expression, Zhang Xiong felt an even greater itch in his heart.

A woman looks most alluring in mourning clothes.

Not to mention, there was the added thrill of her status as his sister-in-law.

Qin Yin was already his prey; he would never allow anyone else to lay a finger on her.

"My sworn brother's bones are not yet cold; how could I sit by and watch?"

As he finished speaking, Zhang Xiong turned his gaze to Lin Yan. "It seems that defeating Cheng Zonghan has made you arrogant. You want to make a move on me? Then come."

He had heard of Lin Yan's name.

But defeating Cheng Zonghan was nothing. Among the second-stage skin-tempering martial artists in Guangping County, he ranked in the top three, and the head of the Wang Family, whom he had killed, could comfortably suppress him.

A fierce light flared in Zhang Xiong's eyes. His aura surged violently, and with a sudden stomp of his feet, he lunged at Lin Yan like a tiger descending from the mountains!

"You've studied martial arts for a few years and now you're so arrogant you don't know death is coming!"

He threw a punch, the wind whistling as it aimed straight for Lin Yan's face.

This punch was heavy and powerful, far superior to the palm strike Cheng Zonghan had used.

"What a foul mouth."

Lin Yan's expression remained unchanged. Facing Zhang Xiong's ferocious punch, he did not retreat but stepped forward, meeting it with a punch of his own.

Bang!

As their fists collided, a dull, explosive sound echoed through the hall.

Lin Yan stood motionless, but Zhang Xiong retreated three steps, a look of shock flashing across his face.

"Is that it?"

Lin Yan spoke lightly, his tone as calm as if he were stating a fact.

Zhang Xiong's face flushed red. With a roar, he lunged again.

This time, his attack was even more savage, a flurry of fist shadows enveloping Lin Yan's vital points.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three more strikes were exchanged.

Zhang Xiong retreated once more, his right arm trembling slightly, his knuckles already red and swollen.

He looked at Lin Yan in disbelief. This man... 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 wanted to retreat, only to find that Lin Yan had closed the distance like a ghost.

One punch.

A simple, straightforward punch, devoid of any flair.

But the moment it was thrown, Zhang Xiong's pupils contracted sharply. He saw a sky full of fist shadows and felt a crushing, overwhelming force bearing down on him!

"Fist..."

Before the word could leave his lips, the punch arrived.

Bang!

The sound of shattering breastbone exploded in the hall.

Zhang Xiong flew backward, slamming heavily into a pillar before sliding to the floor. He twitched twice and went still.

Blood began to flow slowly from beneath him.

The hall fell into a deathly silence.

Qin Yin stood frozen, her lips slightly parted, her face full of disbelief.

Zhang Xiong was just... dead?

She looked at Lin Yan. The young figure stood quietly, his expression as calm as if he had merely swatted a fly.

"Young... Young Master Lin..."

Her voice trembled; for a moment, she didn't know what to say.

Although Zhang Xiong hadn't broken through to the third stage of skin-tempering, he was among the best of the second-stage practitioners.

Lin Yan turned and gave her a slight nod. "Madam, can this trouble be considered resolved?"

If he hadn't wanted to avoid exposing too much of his strength in front of outsiders, a single punch would have been enough to deal with trash like Zhang Xiong.

Qin Yin took a deep breath, steadying her heaving chest. "Rest assured, Young Master Lin. Zhang Xiong was not from Guangping County; he was someone my husband met while traveling. After they became sworn brothers, he followed us back to Guangping County. My Lin Family will handle the aftermath; it will not bring any trouble to you, Young Master Lin."