After leaving Lin Mansion, Lin Yan rented a horse from the stable by the city gate and rode toward Sanshan County.
He had ridden only a few miles beyond the city when he reined in and looked at the cart lying half on its side up ahead.
"Hey, young man, could you give me a hand lifting this?"
A middle-aged man was bracing the tilted side of the cart with his body to keep its cargo from spilling out. The moment he saw Lin Yan, he hurriedly called out for help.
"Sure."
Lin Yan nodded, dismounted, and walked toward the man.
One step, two steps, three steps.
When he was still five feet away, Lin Yan suddenly drew the long saber at his waist and slashed fiercely!
The blade flashed, cold and bright!
The middle-aged man's expression changed drastically. His body, which had supposedly been pinned beneath the cart, slipped free like a loach. At the same time, he reached beneath the cart with his right hand and pulled out a long spear.
The saber missed and struck the cart. With a crack, it split in two, and the cargo spilled across the ground.
"How did you see through me?"
Ma Xingjian's expression had changed completely. He stared at Lin Yan with a cold gaze.
Since he'd been found out, there was no point in pretending anymore.
But he was puzzled. The setup wasn't particularly clever, but it wasn't especially bad, either. More importantly, he knew Lin Yan's circumstances.
He came from an ordinary background and had trained in martial arts for barely a year. Forget having experience out in the world—he'd probably hardly ever fought anyone. How could a fledgling like him see through the ruse at a glance?
"What did I see through?"
Lin Yan stood with his saber in hand, his expression calm. "You were pinned beneath the cart. I was just helping you out."
Ma Xingjian's mouth twitched. Helping him out—was this how people helped?
That slash had clearly been aimed at his head. If he hadn't dodged, he'd be the one split in two instead of the cart.
Ma Xingjian didn't ask any further. The kid wouldn't tell him, no matter how much he pressed.
"Doesn't matter. You can be stubborn now. I'll get the answer from you before you die."
He'd had his eye on Lin Yan for days and had wanted to make his move in the city. But Lin Yan never took the back streets. Even when there were shortcuts with fewer people between the martial arts hall and his home, the kid would rather take the longer main road. Ma Xingjian had lain in wait in those alleys several times, only to come away empty-handed.
Then, early that morning, he'd seen Lin Yan carrying a bundle toward the city gate and realized he was leaving town. Ma Xingjian had gone ahead and set an ambush outside the city.
He hadn't had much time, so the trap wasn't perfect. If Lin Yan fell for it, all the better. If not, no matter; it would only cost him a little more time.
"I answered your question. Now answer one of mine. I've never had a grudge against you, so why are you waiting to ambush me here?"
Lin Yan looked at him. Apart from Cheng Zonghan, everyone he'd had a grudge against was already dead.
This man had to be a three-time Skin Polishing expert. Otherwise, he wouldn't dare ambush Lin Yan. Given Cheng Zonghan's status, he couldn't have hired three Skin Polishing experts to deal with him.
"Don't worry. I'll tell you before you die."
Ma Xingjian didn't plan to drag things out. This was a county road, and someone could appear at any moment. He gave the spear in his hand a shake, and it shot toward Lin Yan in a flurry of cold points!
Lin Yan drew his saber and swept it across. Saber and spear clashed.
Clang!
Amid the ringing clash of metal, Lin Yan glanced down and saw a chip the size of a grain of rice in his blade.
Seeing the damage, Ma Xingjian smiled and followed up with a second thrust.
This thrust was faster and fiercer. The spearpoint trembled, covering the vital spots all over Lin Yan's body.
Lin Yan swung his saber to block.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
After several exchanges—
Crack!
With a sharp snap, the long saber in Lin Yan's hand broke. Half the blade flew away and stuck in the ground.
Ma Xingjian stared at the broken blade in Lin Yan's hand, then burst into laughter, his eyes full of scorn. "Figures. A poor kid like you has managed to reach the third stage of Skin Polishing only because your ancestors blessed you. How could you have money to forge a good weapon? You probably just picked this piece of junk up at some blacksmith's shop, right?"
A weapon was half a martial artist's life. Any martial artist who'd spent years out in the world and fought to the death knew how important a weapon was. Only a fledgling from a poor background like Lin Yan would begrudge the cost of forging a good one.
The heavens really were unfair, letting someone like this reach the third stage of Skin Polishing.
Lin Yan looked down at the broken saber. His expression didn't change, though a look of sudden understanding crossed his face. "Your voice is thick with jealousy. I get it now. You're jealous of my martial talent, so you came after me."
"Jealous?"
Ma Xingjian scoffed. There was some truth to it—jealousy had played a part in choosing Lin Yan as his target—but he would never admit it.
"Jealous of you? That's the biggest joke I've ever heard."
Laughing to hide his true feelings, Ma Xingjian retorted, "Then I'll let you die knowing the truth. I'm killing you to frame the Four Seas Gang and drive your master and the Yang Family Martial Arts Hall into an alliance with the Patrol Bureau."
Ma Xingjian hadn't planned to reveal the truth. He wasn't the sort to let secrets slip. But seeing Lin Yan's self-satisfied expression, so certain that jealousy was the reason, made him unable to resist arguing back. He wanted Lin Yan to know that he wasn't being killed for his talent. It was simply because he was a disciple of the Yang Family Martial Arts Hall.
"Frame the Four Seas Gang?"
Lin Yan frowned. He thought of what had been happening in the city lately. He'd heard that the Four Seas Gang and the Patrol Bureau had completely fallen out.
The two sides had clashed many times. Their four-time Skin Polishing experts hadn't entered the fray yet, but their three-time Skin Polishing fighters had fought plenty of battles, with both sides claiming victories.
"You're with the Patrol Bureau? That can't be right. I've met the Bureau's deputy directors, and you weren't one of them."
Three-time Skin Polishing experts either didn't join the Patrol Bureau or, if they did, had to serve as deputy directors. It was a matter of face.
"I'm not from the Guangping County Patrol Bureau. Lord Shi invited me here specifically to hunt down young martial artists from the major powers who haven't chosen a side yet. You're not the first, and you won't be the last."
As Lin Yan listened, he considered the man's words. They made sense, but the risk was considerable. If the frame-up failed or was exposed, the power in question would be pushed straight into the Four Seas Gang's camp.
There was only one reason the Patrol Bureau would take such a gamble: it was currently losing its clashes with the Four Seas Gang.
"Did Lord Shi of the Patrol Bureau specifically tell you to kill me?"
"Lord Shi didn't name anyone. He just gave me a list of major families and powers that haven't chosen a side yet." Ma Xingjian answered truthfully without thinking.
"I see. The Patrol Bureau didn't tell you to target me, so when all's said and done, you came after me because you were jealous."
Lin Yan's final words left Ma Xingjian speechless. His expression instantly turned furious. "Kid, you talk too much. I've told you the truth. Now you can die with your eyes closed—"
With his true feelings exposed, Ma Xingjian thrust his spear. Lin Yan didn't even have a saber anymore. At full strength, this thrust was enough to kill the kid.
But at the very instant he drove the spear forward with all his might, Lin Yan's left hand closed around the scabbard and gave it a gentle push.
Clang!
A streak of cold light sprang from the scabbard!
It was a long sword, its blade thin as a cicada's wing, gleaming with a chilling light.
Ma Xingjian's vision blurred. Swordlight filled his eyes. His spear's momentum had yet to run its course, leaving him no time to retreat or dodge. Gritting his teeth, he could only keep thrusting, betting that his spear was faster than Lin Yan's sword.
Pfft!
The long sword pierced his throat.
Ma Xingjian's eyes widened. A gurgling sound came from his mouth as blood welled up.
His spearpoint was still a foot away from Lin Yan's throat.
So slow?
No, how could Lin Yan's sword be so fast?
Doesn't the Yang Family Martial Arts Hall teach boxing? How could he know such a terrifying sword technique?
The most incomprehensible thing was that he had such a terrifying sword technique, yet he'd hidden the sword in a scabbard.
Why draw the saber at all?
How could anyone be so despicable?
Beast!
Even after he'd breathed his last and fallen to the ground, Ma Xingjian's face was still filled with resentment.
Lin Yan stepped forward and, without a word, stabbed Ma Xingjian in the chest several more times. Only after confirming that he was well and truly dead did he begin searching the body.
"So poor?"
After searching him, Lin Yan was speechless. The man had only a few taels of silver on him and nothing else.
"To prevent anything going wrong, he carried no money and left nothing that could identify him. Then how was he going to frame the Four Seas Gang?"
If he could have, Lin Yan would have kept him alive for questioning. But once he made a move, he never held back, especially when he didn't know what tricks his opponent might still have up his sleeve.
According to the man, Lord Shi of the Patrol Bureau had brought him in, but killing Lin Yan hadn't been Lord Shi's decision. The man had acted on his own. In other words, even Director Shi didn't know Lin Yan had killed him.
Lin Yan's eyes flickered. He lifted the man's corpse and hurried into the woods beside the county road.
A quarter of an hour later, Lin Yan stared down at the stripped corpse on the ground, deep in thought.
He searched it again from head to toe, inside and out, but found no other useful clues or belongings. That meant that if the man really planned to frame the Four Seas Gang, he would probably move Lin Yan's corpse somewhere else and set things up there.
Judging by the man's tone and expression, he'd probably been telling the truth. In his eyes, Lin Yan was already a dead man; there'd been no need to lie to him.
But Lin Yan couldn't be absolutely certain. What if the man was simply meticulous by nature and had deliberately lied in case something went wrong?
It seemed unlikely, but it wasn't impossible.
Lin Yan dismissed the thought of confronting the Patrol Bureau without even considering it for long.
Without evidence, Director Shi would never admit to anything.
What he was thinking about now was whether to tell his master and let him decide what to do.
Apart from Lin Yan, the martial arts hall also had Junior Brother Zhao.
If Lord Shi wasn't deterred, might he target Junior Brother Zhao next?
His master had treated him well. There was no need to hide this.
Once he'd made up his mind, Lin Yan carried the corpse to another hilltop, found a ravine, and threw it in. Then he turned around and headed back toward the county seat.
Yang Family Martial Arts Hall.
Lin Yan waited quietly in the rear courtyard. After he returned to the martial arts hall and told his master about the ambush on the road, his master had told him to wait there.
He waited for half an hour.
The courtyard gate opened, and his master walked in with Senior Brother Hao.
"Jingnian knew nothing about this."
Yang Qingfeng got straight to the point. As soon as Lin Yan had come to the martial arts hall and told him about the ambush, he'd sent Jingnian back.
From the initial verbal probing to Jingnian's later oath, he was certain Jingnian hadn't lied.
"Junior Brother Lin, I truly knew nothing about this... If you don't believe me, I can swear an oath."
"Senior Brother Hao, there's no need. I believe you." Lin Yan hurried to reassure him.
As he saw it, if it was confirmed that Director Shi of the Patrol Bureau had arranged this, then the man who ambushed him hadn't lied. Senior Brother Hao would have no reason to be suspected.
If the attacker had lied and the Four Seas Gang was really behind it, then Senior Brother Hao was even less likely to know anything.
"We'll discuss the rest in a moment. Lin Yan, take me to where you hid the body."
"Yes, Master."
Two quarters of an hour later.
Lin Yan pulled the corpse out of the ravine. Hao Jingnian stepped forward and examined it carefully for a while. Then he looked up. "Master, this man definitely wasn't with the Patrol Bureau or the Four Seas Gang."
The Patrol Bureau had been fighting the Four Seas Gang for some time. Hao Jingnian had met the Gang's three-time Skin Polishing experts himself.
Yang Qingfeng stroked his beard and pondered for a long moment before slowly saying, "It seems that what he told Lin Yan before he died was the truth."
"Master, I'll go confront Shi Guanyun."
Hao Jingnian spoke up at once. But as soon as he said it, Yang Qingfeng and Lin Yan spoke almost simultaneously:
"Not a good idea!"
"Senior Brother, that wouldn't be wise!"
"Lin Yan, tell me why you think it's unwise." Yang Qingfeng looked at him, wanting to see whether his disciple had reached the same conclusion.
"Master, the man's already dead, and we have no evidence. Lord Shi will never admit to anything. There's no point in Senior Brother Hao confronting him. It would only make him more cautious in the future."
After saying that, Lin Yan smiled somewhat awkwardly. "There's a second reason, too. Lord Shi probably doesn't know that the man he hired came after me today. I don't want to expose myself."
Lin Yan didn't want to put himself in the spotlight.
"Are we just going to let this go?" Hao Jingnian frowned. "Junior Brother Lin, don't worry. Now that Master knows about this, Shi Guanyun definitely won't dare come after you again. The Four Seas Gang is already enough to keep him on his toes. He wouldn't dare make an enemy of our Yang Family Martial Arts Hall as well."
Lin Yan explained, "Senior Brother Hao, once we make our position clear, Shi Guanyun will see it as a falling-out with our martial arts hall. Even if he fears Master and stops targeting me, what if word gets out and the Four Seas Gang decides to take advantage of the situation and find an opportunity to attack me in secret? The Patrol Bureau would be the perfect scapegoat."
Hao Jingnian fell silent. He'd become a three-time Skin Polishing expert and a deputy director of the Patrol Bureau, so he was no fool. He soon understood what Lin Yan meant.
Yang Qingfeng looked pleased. Lin Yan really did think things through carefully, taking every possibility into account.
"Lin Yan is right. I'm not afraid to go demand an explanation from Shi Guanyun, but we have no evidence. And with the Four Seas Gang and the Patrol Bureau at each other's throats, who can say this wasn't a trap set by the Four Seas Gang? Perhaps the man never intended to kill Lin Yan in the first place. Maybe he deliberately pretended to be provoked and revealed the truth in front of Lin Yan, then planned for some unforeseen turn of events to let Lin Yan survive. Anything is possible."
Yang Qingfeng continued slowly, "For now, let's act as though this never happened. Jingnian, since you're at the Patrol Bureau, keep an eye on Shi Guanyun's movements in private, but don't take any unnecessary risks. Shi Guanyun is a veteran four-time Skin Polishing expert. Even I can't be sure I'd beat him."
"Lin Yan..." Yang Qingfeng turned his gaze to him. "Since you've decided to go to Sanshan County, go ahead. Shi Guanyun's reach won't extend that far. And if you go to Sanshan County, Shi Guanyun won't suspect that you killed his man. As for your family, I'll keep an eye on them for you."
"Thank you, Master."
Lin Yan nodded. He'd been thinking the same thing, but the only people he'd been worried about were his aunt and younger brother.
Now that his master had said this, he could go to Sanshan County with peace of mind.