"Young Master Lin, something's wrong!"
Xia Mingtang pushed the door open and entered again. Hearing his footsteps, Lin Yan had already sheathed his sword, a helpless look on his face.
Why was Old Xia just like Second Senior Brother? One always said, "Young Master Lin, something's wrong!" and the other, "First Senior Brother, something's wrong!"
"Old Xia, what is it this time?"
"I've just heard the news, Young Master Lin. The Wei Family has threatened the traveling merchants again. This time, they went straight to the merchants and warned them that no matter how much we offered, if they dared sell us medicinal herbs, their entire families would be doomed. The merchants are all scared and won't sell us herbs anymore."
Hearing Xia Mingtang's words, Lin Yan furrowed his brow. All he wanted was to practice martial arts in peace and explore the mountains. He had no interest in getting caught up in conflict.
Why was the Wei Family pushing them so hard?
"Isn't the Sanshan County Patrol Bureau going to do anything?"
"The Patrol Bureau never gets involved in business disputes or struggles over territory. That's true not only in Sanshan County, but also in Guangping County and the other counties."
Only then did Lin Yan remember that, in the end, this world was ruled by the law of the jungle.
Although the Patrol Bureau's authority was similar to that of the police in his previous life, the two had been established for entirely different reasons. The Patrol Bureau existed to bring in tax revenue and a little extra on the side; maintaining public order was only meant to keep tax collection running smoothly.
If a family lacked the strength, it couldn't hold territory or protect its businesses. The Patrol Bureau wouldn't lift a finger. It made no difference to them who paid the taxes.
That was why Madam Lin had chosen to sponsor him after her husband's death.
"When will the traveling merchants bring in their next shipment of herbs?" Lin Yan asked.
"They usually visit the villages once a month to gather herbs. It'll be another half a month or so before the next batch comes in."
"I understand. What's the Wei Family's reputation like?"
Xia Mingtang was taken aback by Lin Yan's question, but answered, "The Wei Family has a terrible reputation among the people of Sanshan County. They treat martial artists and ordinary folk differently. The pills they sell to martial artists cost about the same as ours, but the herbs they sell to ordinary people are fifty percent more expensive. They also often take advantage of families with seriously ill members, offering them credit at high interest. When those families can't repay the principal and interest, they force them to sell their children."
Lin Yan nodded and said nothing more. Xia Mingtang had expected this reaction. In his mind, Lin Yan had no desire to provoke the Wei Family. Fortunately, he had already sent word to the boss, who would likely send someone to deal with it.
Even if they called Magistrate Zhang back, the Wei Family wouldn't dare act so brazenly.
Guangping County, Tang Mansion.
As Tang Tang listened to the steward's report, weariness crossed her pretty face.
"Miss, should we send word to Lin Yan and have him negotiate with the Wei Family?"
"Lin Yan has been at the third stage of Skin Polishing for barely a month. The head of the Wei Family has been at that stage for eight years, and his son reached it last year. Lin Yan wouldn't fare well if he went to the Wei Family to negotiate."
Tang Tang waved a hand. The Wei Family's decision to target the Tang Family now wasn't just because Zhang Xin had left.
The Wei Family had probably already gotten wind of what was happening in Guangping County.
Otherwise, they would have to tread carefully even if Xia Mingtang went to negotiate—not to mention Lin Yan. Xia Mingtang stood behind the Tang Family and represented them.
The only way to make the Wei Family yield was to beat them into submission with superior strength. The Tang Family had the power to do so, but there was no need for it now.
"Set aside the matter in Sanshan County for now. If we lose those herbs, so be it. Tell Lin Yan and the others to keep watch over those mountains."
She no longer had the time to worry about Sanshan County.
Through the Tang Family's connections in Prefecture City, she had learned a little about the reason behind the upheaval in Guangping County.
As the leading family in Guangping County, the Tang Family faced the risk of annihilation if they made even one careless move.
Compared with the family's very survival, losses to their interests in Sanshan County no longer mattered to Tang Tang.
Half a month later, the Martial Dao Tree had grown to three feet two inches tall. Lin Yan emerged from his fascination with Sword Intent.
More than ten days of study had allowed him to fully master Silk-Entwining Sword Intent. Any further progress, however, would take time.
That night.
Lin Yan changed into dark clothes, climbed over the wall, and vanished into the depths of the moonlit night.
The urban district of Sanshan County was only half the size of Guangping County, since mountains surrounded it on three sides. The divide between rich and poor was stark.
The river marked the boundary. To its west stood rows of low, flat houses; to the east were orderly courtyards with blue bricks and dark roof tiles.
Lin Yan had already found out where the Wei Family lived a few days earlier. As a martial artist at the third stage of Skin Polishing, he was someone of some standing. All he wanted now was to practice martial arts in peace and maintain the dignity befitting a martial artist.
Unfortunately, the Wei Family wouldn't let him keep his dignity.
Fortunately, according to Xia Mingtang, the Wei Family weren't decent people. They could be stripped of their membership in the human race.
Late that night.
The Wei Family's central courtyard, the training ground.
After finishing a set of spear forms, Wei Shaoyou lowered his spear. A beautiful maid hurried over with water and wiped the sweat from his body.
"Lao Dao, how's it going?"
Wei Shaoyou slid his hand into the maid's bodice and groped her shamelessly. She shuddered but didn't dare stop him.
At his side, the waiting old man hurried forward when he heard the question. "Young Master, she's already been taken to the room. I guarantee you'll have a wonderful time."
"If she's too meek, I'm not interested. This young master likes the stubborn ones."
Wei Shaoyou laughed wantonly. A few days ago, he'd taken a fancy to a rather attractive woman in town. He'd ordered the steward, Lao Dao, to have someone poison her husband. The family had borrowed fifty taels from the medicine shop to pay for his treatment.
If they couldn't pay, she'd have to settle the debt with her body.
In the central courtyard's main house, Wei Shaoyou heard sobbing from inside and grinned with excitement. But just as he was about to push open the door, a sudden cry came from the rear courtyard.
"Thief—"
The cry cut off at once. Wei Shaoyou halted. "Bring me my spear."
"Bring me my spear, quickly!"
The steward didn't react at first. It wasn't until he heard the second barked order that he hurriedly handed over the spear he had been holding in both hands.
Wei Shaoyou gripped the shaft, its tip aimed at the courtyard entrance. His aura surged.
In the darkness, a black-clad, masked figure appeared at the entrance, holding a severed head.
When Wei Shaoyou recognized the face, his pupils contracted. "You killed my father?"
Lin Yan didn't answer. He simply walked toward him.
Killing the head of the Wei Family hadn't taken much time. Lin Yan had lain in wait in the shadows, striking the instant the man sensed danger. Though the head of the Wei Family had sensed him, he still hadn't been fast enough to outpace Lin Yan's sword.
Lin Yan's steps were unhurried, yet each one seemed to land on Wei Shaoyou's heart. His calm, composed bearing made Wei Shaoyou tighten his grip on the spear.
"You killed my father? You're dead!"
Wei Shaoyou roared and shook his spear—but instead of thrusting at Lin Yan, he swept it at the steward. The steward's body was flung toward Lin Yan, while Wei Shaoyou used the recoil to dart toward the rear courtyard wall.
The moment he saw his father's head, Wei Shaoyou had known he was no match for the black-clad figure.
His father had been at the third stage of Skin Polishing for eight years, yet had been killed without making a sound. This masked man was likely among the strongest at that stage.
If he didn't run, he would die.
"What a piece of work. Another one using his family as bait."
Watching Wei Shaoyou use the steward's corpse to block him before turning to flee, Lin Yan was left speechless for a moment.
What kind of people had he been running into?
Wang Heng of the Wang Family had been the same, and now Wei Shaoyou too. Their first thought wasn't to avenge their fathers, but to run.
As Mencius said: "Those without a father, those who are unfilial—they do not belong to the human race and may be killed!"
Lin Yan sidestepped the steward's body, and the long sword in his hand shot forward with a flash like a streak of lightning.
Wei Shaoyou didn't look back, but as a martial artist at the third stage of Skin Polishing, his keen senses caught the deadly danger behind him. He glanced at the courtyard wall, still two zhang ahead, and finally gritted his teeth and turned around.
"I refuse to believe it!"
Wei Shaoyou tightened his grip on the spear, unleashing all the power of his qi and blood. The moment he turned, he swung the spear with all his might, thrusting toward the sword's brilliant streak beneath the moonlight.
Clang!
The spear tip trembled. Wei Shaoyou felt a surge of hope, but in the next instant, his entire body froze, still holding the spear in position. Three breaths later, a jet of blood burst from his throat, and the spear fell from his hand.
How could he be so fast?
Was he at the fourth stage of Skin Polishing?
Was he one of Father's old enemies, someone who had broken through to the fourth stage and come for revenge?
Father had ruined me!
Lin Yan walked over to Wei Shaoyou's corpse and instinctively struck him with a few more sword thrusts. He had no idea what Wei Shaoyou had been thinking; he had only seen the complicated look on his face.
He couldn't make sense of it.
After searching Wei Shaoyou's corpse for a moment, Lin Yan picked up a money pouch and headed for the central courtyard's main house.
He pushed the door open. Inside, a woman dressed only in a thin veil clutched it tightly to her chest, staring at him in panic.
Lin Yan froze for three breaths when he saw her, apparently not expecting anyone to be in the room. Then he flashed behind her and struck the back of her neck with the edge of his palm.
As the woman's veil slid to the ground and she collapsed unconscious, Lin Yan's eyes turned shadowy. He then began searching the room, and a few dozen breaths later, he emerged, satisfied.
Back at his courtyard.
Lin Yan wiped the blood from his sword and returned it to the weapons rack, then burned his dark clothes.
In the rooms of the Wei father and son, he had found three thousand taels in banknotes, as well as one and a half bottles of Tiger Bone Tempering Pills, fifteen pills in all.
It seemed the head of the Wei Family had given up on breaking through to the fourth stage of Skin Polishing and spent all his money on his son instead. In the end, it had all fallen into Lin Yan's hands.
"They shouldn't suspect me."
Before acting, Lin Yan had already thought things through. Now he reviewed everything once more.
In outsiders' eyes, he had only just reached the third stage of Skin Polishing. He couldn't possibly have defeated the father and son of the Wei Family.
And even if they really did suspect him, he had prepared a safeguard: the woman he'd left behind could clear his name.
With Stone Waist Savage Spine, he could stretch his height by half a foot, making it impossible to match his current appearance to his normal height.
So far, he hadn't heard of any martial arts technique that could alter a person's bones and build.
Perhaps one existed, but it certainly wasn't something a Skin Polishing martial artist could do.