It's Reasonable to Draw a Sword from its Sheath, Right?

Zhou Family.

Zhou Shu hung her head, at a loss for words.

She admitted she regretted it.

If Lin Yan had only reached the second stage of skin tempering, she would still be concerned about her reputation in front of her close friends.

But Lin Yan had reached the third stage; going back on her word was no longer a matter of consequence.

Likewise, her friends would not mock her; they would only envy or even be jealous of her.

The rest of the Zhou Family were equally silent, their hearts filled more with worry than regret.

The county was only so large; Lin Yan's breakthrough to the third stage of skin tempering would draw the attention of every major family, and Master Yang's attempt to act as a matchmaker could no longer be kept secret. It would spread throughout the city sooner or later.

When that time came, the Zhou Family would not only face ridicule, but more importantly, their family business might be affected.

Who could guarantee that Lin Yan held no grudge against the Zhou Family for looking down on him back then?

Many families who did business with them would have to take this into account.

It might not matter in the short term, but as Lin Yan's strength improved, the impact would only grow.

However, the only comfort for the Zhou Family was that they were not the only ones who had rejected Lin Yan.

Being mocked alongside four other families was better than being mocked alone.

Snap!

The jade hairpin in Li Yu's hand broke into two pieces. She had lost interest in Lin Yan after he failed to attend her Flower Appreciation Banquet, and she did not believe she had done anything wrong.

A martial artist from an ordinary background who could not even manage basic forbearance and possessed such fragile self-esteem would certainly never achieve greatness in the martial path.

Yet, how had he succeeded in the third stage of skin tempering?

Li Yu could imagine that as Lin Yan reached the third stage, the image of generosity and straightforwardness she had cultivated in front of others would inevitably crumble.

She had built this image to be popular among the young martial artists in the county, and it was the reason her family allowed her to choose her own husband. Now that this image was gone, she feared her family would intervene in her marriage.

The next day.

As Lin Yan stepped out of his house, he could clearly feel the gazes of his neighbors changing, filled with awe.

Most of those who could afford to buy a house in the east of the city were reasonably well-off. Even if they had no martial artists in their own homes, they had relatives who were, so they were well-informed.

Not to mention that the guests coming in and out of the Lin Family residence yesterday had been endless; a little inquiry was all it took to know what had happened.

Third stage of skin tempering—a true big shot.

Lin Yan's attitude remained unchanged. He nodded with a smile to those he met, just as he always did, and once he left the alley, he headed toward his destination.

For martial artists in the county, breaking through to the third stage of skin tempering was a joyous occasion worth celebrating with a feast, but Lin Yan did not consider hosting one.

Hosting a feast cost money.

Wouldn't that money be better spent on Leopard Bone Tempering Pills?

He had no deep connection with the various major families and merchants who had sent gifts yesterday, so why host a banquet just for the sake of appearances?

As for his martial arts brothers, Lin Yan had not accepted their gifts. Since Junior Brother Zhao hadn't accepted any either, he couldn't bring himself to take them. The only exception was the two hundred taels of silver notes his master had sent via a steward yesterday; he was heading to the martial arts hall today to thank his master in person.

It went without saying that his master must have arranged for the news of his third-stage breakthrough to be spread.

With the fourteen hundred taels of gift money, plus the two hundred taels sponsored by the Wang Family, the two hundred taels added by the Lin Family, and the two hundred taels sent by his uncle, he now had nearly three thousand taels on him.

This sum seemed like a massive fortune, enough to buy a three-courtyard estate in the county, dozens of acres of fertile land, and a dozen servants to live the comfortable life of a landlord.

But when it came to the martial path, it was only enough to cover a few months of expenses.

He certainly couldn't afford the Tiger Bone Tempering Pills that Junior Brother Zhao took daily, so he chose one Leopard Bone Tempering Pill a day.

Adding in the consumption of rare meats and the application of secret medicines, it all cost money.

Only after leaving the martial arts hall did Lin Yan understand why the various families in the county had sent him gifts; this tradition had persisted in Guangping County for hundreds of years.

The tradition had emerged because a genius martial artist had once appeared in Guangping County, also reaching the third stage of skin tempering early on.

That genius predecessor had a poor background and, lacking the funds to continue training after reaching the third stage, chose to leave Guangping County. Unexpectedly, he became a figure who shook the entire Shandong Circuit a dozen years later.

After making inquiries, the martial artists of Guangping County regretted it so much their guts turned green.

That genius predecessor had arrived in Jinchuan County after leaving Guangping, where an old martial arts master recognized his potential and called upon the various families of Jinchuan to help him out. They eventually raised thousands of taels, and the genius did not disappoint, not only stepping into the Blood Exchange Realm within two years but later becoming one of the top experts in the Shandong Circuit.

To repay the kindness of the Jinchuan families, that genius predecessor exempted Jinchuan County from taxes for thirty years and personally mentored any rising talents from the area.

Beyond these visible benefits, there were many hidden ones.

For those decades, Jinchuan County's merchant caravans traveled the entire Shandong Circuit unimpeded, with no bandits or river pirates daring to target them. Jinchuan County also secured a share of the martial resource trade that was previously only accessible to those with influence in the provincial capital.

When the news reached Guangping County, the major martial families fell into a collective silence.

It was that very year that the various families established an agreement: any martial artist who reached the third stage of skin tempering before the age of twenty would receive a gift of money from each family.

At the beginning, the set amount was one hundred taels per family, and each family paid it willingly.

It is a pity that these martial artists, who were under twenty years old and had completed three skin-tempering stages, ultimately all stalled at the fourth stage. As time passed, the enthusiasm of the families faded, yet this tradition remained.

The agreed-upon sum simply dropped from one hundred taels to fifty, and now to twenty or thirty.

After hearing his master's account, Lin Yan could only exclaim, "Good grief, isn't this just a remake of the 76 eggs story?"

Lin Yan did not ask Junior Brother Zhao how much gift money he had received, as he would only be inviting humiliation; it was certainly much higher than his own.

With Junior Brother Zhao's success setting the bar, these families favored him more, giving him higher gifts and leaving less for Lin Yan's side.

Three days later.

Lin Yan bid farewell to his aunt, tucked the banknotes and the Bone-Tempering Pill into his robes, and rode out of the city.

After reaching the third skin-tempering stage, he had volunteered to the Lin Family to head to Sanshan County to oversee the Tang Family's territory there, and the Tang Family had agreed.

The reason for choosing Sanshan County was simple: the mountain ranges there were vast, providing a place for the Earth Vein True Interpretation to be put to use.

Furthermore, the Patrol Bureau and the Four Seas Gang were currently locked in a fierce struggle, with every major power in the city choosing a side. As a third-stage skin-tempering martial artist, he would inevitably be targeted by both factions; heading to Sanshan County was a way to avoid the current turmoil.

However, before leaving the city, he had to make a trip to the Lin Mansion.

Lin Yan arrived at the Lin Family Iron Shop and was invited into the front hall by the steward, where Qin Yin was already waiting.

"Young Master Lin, this is the weapon you requested."

A scabbard lay before Qin Yin with a hilt protruding from it. Lin Yan gripped the hilt and drew the long blade, while simultaneously gripping the mouth of the scabbard with his right hand, causing a long sword to spring out from within.

"Exquisite craftsmanship."

Feeling the smoothness of the sword's release and the concealment of the blade within the scabbard, Lin Yan was very satisfied.

This was the request he had made to Qin Yin yesterday: to forge a scabbard with a hidden mechanism inside, capable of housing both a blade and a sword.

He did this for no other reason than to hide his true strength.

Anyone unfamiliar with him would see him carrying the scabbard and assume he was a swordsman; when he drew the sword, it would come as a surprise.

Moreover, he had specifically asked the Lin Family to make the blade brittle. That way, it would easily snap during combat. When an opponent saw his blade break, they would inevitably grow arrogant or lower their guard, at which point he could draw his sword and catch them off guard.

Drawing a sword from a scabbard—it was perfectly reasonable.

"This was forged by our Lin Family's best master according to your requirements, Young Master Lin."

Qin Yin watched Lin Yan examine the blade and sword, her eyes crinkling into a faint smile. She recalled the master's grumbling face three days ago when she relayed the request; he had said he had never seen anyone forge such a scabbard.

She did not know why Young Master Lin wanted such a strange scabbard, but since it was his request, she would certainly fulfill it with all her might.

The master at the mansion might have grumbled, but he had still managed to forge it within three days.

"Madam Lin, how much for the blade, the sword, and the scabbard?"

Lin Yan sheathed the weapons and asked. Qin Yin smiled brightly, "Given the relationship between you and our Lin Family, talking about money would be cold."

"In that case, many thanks."

Since she would not accept payment, Lin Yan did not bother with false modesty. Ever since he reached the third skin-tempering stage, the Lin Mansion had been publicizing their connection to him; in the future, if the Lin Family encountered any trouble, he would be responsible for resolving it.