Can Save, Can Kill (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

Guangping County, Patrol Bureau.

"Chief, there has been no word from Master Ma for two days. I fear something has happened."

Shi Guanyun, the Chief of the Guangping County Patrol Bureau sitting at the head of the table, crushed the iron ball in his hand into fine powder. "Where has Ma Xingjian been these past few days?"

"Chief, Ma Xingjian has been following the list you provided, secretly ambushing young martial artists from neutral factions to frame the Four Seas Gang. However, he never disclosed exactly who he was targeting."

The subordinate kept his head bowed, his expression strained.

Shi Guanyun's face darkened. Ma Xingjian was arrogant and difficult to manage, but he currently had no better candidate for the task.

The idea of assassinating young martial artists from neutral factions to frame the Four Seas Gang had occurred to him after the fall of the Wang Family.

A few days prior, the Wang Family uncle and nephew had been killed, and the investigation revealed that the perpetrator was a martial artist who had completed the third stage of skin tempering.

Under normal circumstances, he would have had his men investigate thoroughly to identify this martial artist. But with the Four Seas Gang acting so aggressively, the Patrol Bureau had no energy to spare for private feuds between martial artists.

Searching for the killer would be tantamount to pushing this third-stage skin-tempering expert toward the Four Seas Gang.

For this reason, he had instructed his subordinates to stage the scene and pin the blame on the Four Seas Gang.

The pretext was that the Wang Family had refused to join the Four Seas Gang, leading the gang to wipe them out in retaliation.

At the very least, this would compel those who were still wavering, those who had no intention of picking a side, or those who wished to remain neutral to join the Patrol Bureau for the sake of their own families' safety.

The results of this maneuver were better than he had imagined; once news spread that the Wang Family had been destroyed by the Four Seas Gang, several families that had previously intended to remain neutral chose to join the Patrol Bureau.

Having tasted success, Shi Guanyun wanted to replicate the method.

Since the original third-stage skin-tempering martial artist would not strike again, he arranged for his own man to do it.

However, this matter had to be kept secret; if it were leaked, the repercussions for the Patrol Bureau would be endless.

To this end, he had personally recruited Ma Xingjian from another county. Aside from himself, only a few trusted subordinates knew of Ma Xingjian's true identity.

Ma Xingjian was supposed to contact his handler every three days to report his progress.

Yet, it was already the fourth day, and Ma Xingjian had not appeared. Furthermore, no young martial artists had been assassinated in the last three days. It seemed highly likely that Ma Xingjian had met with misfortune.

"Keep a close watch on Ma Xingjian's family."

Shi Guanyun ordered coldly. He had anticipated that Ma Xingjian might fail, which was why he had specifically kept the man's family under control. As long as he held them, even if Ma Xingjian fell into the hands of others, he would never dare to reveal the truth.

Taking it a step further, even if Ma Xingjian did confess, he could simply bite back and claim that Ma Xingjian was a member of the Four Seas Gang who had intentionally tried to frame the Patrol Bureau.

Sanshan County.

Located in a basin where three mountains converged, Lin Yan noticed the difference between the people here and those in Guangping County the moment he stepped into Sanshan County.

Even the common folk were tall and robust, and hunters with quivers slung across their backs were a common sight.

The Tang Family also owned a medicine shop in Sanshan County, but Lin Yan was headed for the mountainous region where the Tang Family cultivated their medicinal herbs.

Upon reaching the mountains, he found a row of wooden huts at the base, with several courtyards tucked deeper behind them.

The third-stage skin-tempering martial artist responsible for the Tang Family's operations here was a middle-aged man. He was delighted by Lin Yan's arrival: "I've been guarding Sanshan County for ten years. I've repeatedly asked the master to transfer me back, but he never agreed. Now that Young Master Lin has arrived, I can finally go back and get some proper rest."

Lin Yan merely smiled; he could not tell if the man was being sincere or not.

Back when he guarded Qingtian Town, there had been a tacit understanding between the guard team and the herb farmers. Since the herbs grown in Sanshan County were even more precious, he did not believe for a second that there were no kickbacks to be had.

"The master mentioned that Brother Zhang has served in Sanshan County for ten years and has truly rendered great service. I am a newcomer, so I will follow your original arrangements in everything."

As soon as Lin Yan said this, the smile on Zhang Xin's face grew even wider.

He had been guarding Sanshan County for a long time, and the illicit profits were naturally substantial. His greatest fear had been that the master did not trust him and had sent someone to audit the past accounts.

Furthermore, most of the other martial artists guarding this place were his own men. If Lin Yan had any ulterior motives, their lives would likely become very difficult.

Now that Lin Yan had made his stance clear, he felt relieved.

"Young Master Lin must be exhausted from the journey. Go and bathe first; I will host a welcome banquet for you tonight and introduce you to the other martial artists guarding this area."

Lin Yan agreed, but the moment he walked away, several figures slipped in through the back door.

"Master Zhang, how did it go?"

"He doesn't seem to be someone sent by the master to audit the accounts."

Zhang Xin sipped his hot tea, and the men who had entered let out a sigh of relief.

"However, don't think that just because he is young, he is easy to bully. Anyone who can reach the third stage of skin tempering at such an age is certainly no fool. We must not skimp on the proper tributes."

"Master is right; we would never dare to be negligent."

The men exchanged glances. They had discussed it privately: as long as the newcomer wasn't here to audit the books, they would not only give him the same share they gave Master Zhang, but they would also add another ten percent on top.

There was no other reason—this Master Lin was simply too young.

To have reached the third stage of skin tempering before the age of twenty meant he was surely intent on pushing for the fourth stage, and he would certainly welcome all the silver he could get.

That night, the welcome banquet was a joyous affair for both host and guest.

Lin Yan could sense their intentions, but water that is too clear has no fish. Besides, he wasn't here to audit the accounts; as long as the Tang Family had no complaints, he would keep things as they were.

Half a month later.

Lin Yan was intimately familiar with the surrounding terrain and prepared to set his plan into motion.

Into the mountains, to seek medicine!

He had proactively requested to be sent to Sanshan County, firstly to avoid the undercurrents surging through Guangping County, and secondly because the Earth Vein True Interpretation could only truly manifest its utility here.

After packing his dry rations, Lin Yan left his courtyard and headed toward the White Cloud Mountain Range.

The White Cloud Mountains were free of toxic miasma. Along the way, Lin Yan encountered many hunters heading into the mountains, among them quite a few skin-tempering martial artists. Lin Yan did not linger on the outskirts but instead headed straight into the depths of the White Cloud Mountains.

"The earth generates vitality; the dragon travels, the snake slithers."

After crossing several mountain peaks, Lin Yan applied the knowledge from the Earth Vein True Interpretation, constantly adjusting his orientation until he finally stopped at an inconspicuous mountain ridge.

He pushed aside the waist-high weeds, revealing a patch of semicircular herbs beneath.

"Musk Ear Herb!"

Lin Yan's eyes lit up. Musk Ear Herb was a primary ingredient for refining the Muscle-Generating Pill and was of considerable value.

However, Lin Yan did not rush to harvest them. Instead, he silently noted the location and covered the herbs back up with the weeds; he would collect them on his way back.

Continuing his search through the forest, Lin Yan suddenly stopped. His long sword left its scabbard, a cold glint piercing toward a dark shadow that had darted out from the bushes on his left.

The shadow fell to the ground—it was a black snake, now severed in two.

"Five feet long; enough for my lunch."

Lin Yan thrust the tip of his sword into the snake's head and gave his wrist a flick; the head instantly burst.

Anyone who frequently killed snakes knew that even if the body was severed, the snake's head could still potentially bite due to localized nerves.

Sheathing his sword, Lin Yan pulled out a dagger to skin the snake and remove its innards. He cleaned it simply with water from his canteen, then leaped a few times to stand atop a giant boulder, preparing to eat his lunch right there.

In the mountain forest, there was no shortage of firewood. He skewered the snake meat on wooden sticks, roasted it over the fire, and sprinkled on some seasonings. Before long, the aroma of the meat wafted through the air.

Before coming to Sanshan County, he had specifically gone to a spice shop to buy cumin, Sichuan peppercorns, and chili peppers, which he had blended himself according to a specific ratio.

In his past life, after quitting his job and before cycling around the world, he had specifically learned how to barbecue and blend seasonings from a grill master. He hadn't expected to use this skill in his past life, but it had come in handy here.

ROAR!

Just as Lin Yan finished the snake meat, a beast's roar suddenly echoed from the forest ahead, and a flock of birds flew out from the trees in a panic.

"This sound... could it be a bear?"

Among the five categories of game birds and beasts, bear meat was second only to tiger meat, and its price was extremely high.

Since arriving in Sanshan County, Lin Yan had been eating venison, which cost ten taels per catty, causing the silver in his hands to vanish like flowing water.

If venison was this expensive, bear and tiger meat went without saying.

At first, Lin Yan thought tiger and bear meat were so expensive because of the massive demand from martial artists, and that tigers and bears had been hunted to near extinction. Later, however, he learned that this was not the case.

The beasts of this world possessed strength far exceeding those of his past life. Adult tigers and wild bears were so formidable that even second-stage skin-tempering martial artists dared not approach them; it would take several such martial artists to even have a chance at hunting one.

Storing his seasonings and canteen, Lin Yan followed the sound and soon discovered the commotion in a clearing in the woods.

Five young figures were surrounding a massive black bear.

The bear's fur was stained with blood, and its left forelimb was clamped tight in a bear trap, the wound deep enough to see bone. Yet, it remained exceptionally ferocious, letting out a roar as it lunged at a youth in gray, its massive paw swiping through the air with a whistle.

The youth in gray retreated in a hurry, but his chest was still grazed by the bear's paw. His clothes shredded, three bloody gashes appeared, deep enough to see bone, and he stumbled backward.

The black bear roared again and gave chase, its massive frame slamming into the youth in gray like a small mountain.

"Third Junior Brother, run!"

To the side, a man in blue, his left arm hanging limp and clearly dislocated, shouted in alarm, his face as pale as paper.

"You beast, stop right there!"

Seeing his companion in danger, another youth let out a loud shout and slashed his long saber fiercely into the black bear's back. The blade sank three inches into the flesh, but the bear, stung by the pain, turned and swiped him away with a single paw. He slammed heavily into a tree, spraying blood from his mouth.

The bear, enraged by the pain, roared and lunged toward the youth lying on the ground.

"Eldest Senior Brother!"

In the forest, Lin Yan's gaze flickered. He pushed off the ground, his figure darting out like an arrow, and snatched the youth from the ground just before the bear could pounce, retreating rapidly.

"Many thanks for the rescue, brother. I am Bai Qingrang, a disciple of the Green Pine Martial Hall."

Having been saved, Bai Qingrang immediately identified himself. The five of them were all second-stage skin-tempering martial artists. They had originally thought that by using the bear trap to injure the beast, the five of them could kill it, but they hadn't expected the bear's strength to be so terrifying once it went berserk.

With its target gone, the black bear did not continue the attack. A pair of bear eyes glared at Lin Yan, and the next moment, it turned and ran toward the deep mountains.

"Eldest Senior Brother, the beast is running into the mountains!"

Bai Qingrang's junior brothers and sisters hurried over, their gazes filled with curiosity as they sized Lin Yan up.

"Brother, if you can help us kill this beast, half of its meat shall be yours."

Bai Qingrang looked anxious. To hunt this black bear, his fellow disciples had all been injured; if the bear escaped, their losses would be immense.

"Agreed."

Lin Yan accepted readily. Had he been cold-blooded, he could have stood by and watched, waiting for the bear to wipe out the five of them, or for one or two to die and the rest to abandon the hunt and flee, at which point the bear would have been his.

However, as a fellow human, he ultimately couldn't bring himself to be that cold-blooded.

"Brother, watch out!" Bai Qingrang shouted from behind, "This beast is incredibly cunning!"

Lin Yan didn't respond. Instead, he pushed his speed to the limit, his figure moving like lightning as he pursued the direction of the black bear's flight. Bloodstains and broken shrubs marked the path, while the sound of snapping trees echoed from the forest ahead, signaling that the bear was fleeing in a frenzy, smashing through trees as thick as a bowl.

After chasing over a mountain ridge, Lin Yan finally caught sight of the massive figure.

The black bear's left hind leg was severely injured by the trap, causing it to limp, yet its speed remained relentless. Seemingly sensing the pursuit, it glanced back, let out a low growl, and ran even faster.

Lin Yan trailed behind, unhurried.

He was in no rush to strike.

Beasts like this were only more ferocious when cornered.

Letting it run until it was exhausted was the best strategy.

After another incense stick's worth of time, the bear's speed slowed significantly. It finally stopped beside a giant boulder, panting heavily, its wounds still oozing blood that stained the fallen leaves beneath its feet.

Lin Yan stopped, watching it from three zhang away.

The bear turned, locking its gaze onto Lin Yan with eyes full of malice and caution. Realizing it could no longer escape, it stopped running, pawing at the ground while emitting a low, threatening growl.

Lin Yan slowly drew his long sword.

The moment the blade left its scabbard, an invisible pressure surged from his body.

The black bear seemed to sense something; its growl cut off abruptly, and its massive frame actually retreated half a step. Its primal instincts were screaming a warning: the man before it was dangerous.

Lin Yan moved.

With a single step, his sword light flashed like a startled bird, shrouding the bear in a sky full of shadows.

Puff!

The sound of the blade piercing flesh was almost inaudible.

The long sword entered under the bear's jaw and drove straight through its skull.

The bear's massive body swayed, the ferocity in its eyes fading instantly before it crashed to the ground.

Did I miscalculate again? Seeing how fierce this bear was earlier, and how those people couldn't even cut through its hide, I assumed I wouldn't be able to break its defense either. Still, being cautious is never a mistake; it doesn't matter if it cost a little more time.

Realizing he had overestimated the bear's strength, Lin Yan shook his head helplessly. He sheathed his sword, pulled out the broad knife he had prepared specifically for the mountain trip, and began to butcher the carcass.

Just as Lin Yan finished, rapid footsteps approached from behind.

"Brother!"

Bai Qingrang and the other four caught up, freezing the moment they saw the butchered carcass on the ground.

"As agreed, I take half, and the rest belongs to you."

Lin Yan glanced back at Bai Qingrang, shouldered the bulk of the bear meat, and prepared to leave.

"Wait!"

The only woman in the group frowned and called out to him, "We were the ones who lured this bear with bait. Isn't it a bit excessive for you to just walk away with half?"

Lin Yan ignored the woman and fixed his gaze on Bai Qingrang.

"Brother, please don't take offense!"

Bai Qingrang apologized quickly, then looked at the woman, "Junior Sister, I already promised this brother he could take half the meat. We cannot go back on our word."

Scolded by Bai Qingrang, the woman did not give up, "Senior Brother, this bear was already severely injured. Even without him, it would have only taken us a little more time."

In her eyes, the man had simply picked up a bargain.

If he truly had any skill, why would he have let the bear run so far, only striking once it had lost its ferocity from blood loss?

"Junior Sister is right. In return for you saving our Senior Brother just now, we'll let you take ten pounds of the meat... fine, twenty pounds," another man chimed in.

Watching their condescending tone, Lin Yan couldn't help but smile.

He wasn't angry; he genuinely found it amusing.

He looked at Bai Qingrang, his expression calm, "So, what is your stance?"

The gratitude on Bai Qingrang's face had faded, replaced by a subtle sense of awkwardness.

He looked at the bear at Lin Yan's feet, then at his junior sister, his lips moving, but no words came out.

"The stance is that we lured this bear and we wounded it. You just landed the final blow, so what right do you have to take half?" The fourth junior brother stepped forward, "Twenty pounds of bear meat is worth over three hundred taels. You've already profited; one should know when to be content."

"And if I am not content?"

Lin Yan looked down at the sword in his hand. It really doesn't pay to be a good person.

Bai Qingrang's face flushed red, his throat bobbing as he finally spoke, "Brother, how about this: you take thirty pounds, and our Green Pine Martial Hall will owe you a favor. If you ever need anything in the future, you can come find me at the hall."

He's trying to pressure me with his background!

How could Lin Yan not understand? By mentioning the favor and the Green Pine Martial Hall, Bai Qingrang was reminding him that they were disciples of the hall, and their master was a fourth-stage skin-tempering expert.

"Senior Brother, stop wasting breath on him. Tell him to drop the meat and let him go. If he doesn't know what's good for him..."

She didn't finish, but the implication was clear.

Bai Qingrang didn't respond, nor did he stop her.

Lin Yan understood. He raised his right hand, and a flash of sword light appeared.

There was no sound of breaking air, no fierce gale from the blade.

The sword light was as thin as a wisp of smoke, drifting out from the scabbard, tracing an incredibly fine arc through the air as it pierced toward the woman.

This woman had the foulest mouth.

Mencius once said: ...Not of human stock, they deserve to die!

Pfft.

The Junior Martial Sister's movements froze.

The smugness on her face hadn't even had time to fade before the light in her eyes vanished.

A bloodstain as thin as a silken thread slowly seeped from her throat.

"Junior Martial Sister!"

The Fourth Senior Brother's pupils constricted sharply. With a roar, he drew his blade and lunged forward.

Before his blade was even half-drawn, the sword light was already upon him.

He instinctively raised his blade to parry, but the sword light moved like a living snake, winding around the blade and brushing lightly across his neck.

Pfft.

The Fourth Senior Brother stiffened in place. The blade in his hand clattered to the ground, his body swayed, and he collapsed with a heavy thud.

The remaining two junior brothers saw this scene and were scared out of their wits. They turned and ran, but the sword light was faster than them.

Bang, bang!

The two of them fell to the ground before they had even run ten paces.

"You... who exactly are you?"

In three breaths, only one person remained at the scene.

Bai Qingrang was trembling all over, his face filled with profound terror.

Lin Yan looked down at him from above, his sword tip hanging toward the ground, beads of blood sliding slowly down the blade.

"I'll ask you a question. From the very beginning, you never intended to let me take half of the bear meat, did you?"

"No... no, I intended to let you take half the bear meat, brother, it's just that my junior brothers and sisters didn't agree." Bai Qingrang shook his head frantically, trying to defend himself.

"So you were afraid of offending your junior brothers and sisters? You would rather wrong the person who saved your life than offend your fellow disciples."

"My Junior Martial Sister is deeply favored by our master. If I were to displease her, my master would surely punish me. Brother, I was wrong, please spare my life."

Bai Qingrang's lips trembled as he kowtowed frantically on the ground.

"I'm done asking."

Lin Yan sheathed his sword and turned away.

Bai Qingrang froze for a moment, then, as if granted a reprieve, scrambled to his feet and prepared to run.

After taking two steps, he suddenly remembered something and whipped his head around.

The sword light had already flared.

Pfft.

Bai Qingrang's body swayed and he collapsed to the ground.

Lin Yan looked at the frozen expression of confusion on Bai Qingrang's face and whispered, "Biting the hand that feeds you—you deserve to die even more than your junior brothers and sisters."

Today's events left Lin Yan feeling somewhat cold.

However, if he encountered such a situation again, he would still reach out to help, provided he had the strength to both save and kill.