After their exchange, Lin Yan soon clasped his hands sincerely and thanked Yao Lao.
As for Yao Lao, after hearing what Lin Yan had said, he couldn't help but pause in surprise.
Then he came back to himself and said to Lin Yan:
"Good! Good! Good!"
"Then I'll accept your thanks, young friend."
He clasped his hands toward Lin Yan as well. As he continued to look at him, the admiration in his eyes grew harder and harder to conceal!
In Yao Lao's eyes, Lin Yan was a remarkable young man.
Not only was he exceptionally talented,
he also knew how to conduct himself.
He was neither arrogant nor impatient!
When praised, he didn't let it go to his head. Instead, he subtly returned the compliment.
Such a temperament was truly rare!
Without even realizing it, Yao Lao's opinion of Lin Yan had risen considerably once more!
After that, Lin Yan soon began refining pills again.
Yao Lao continued to play the role of a teacher, offering him guidance from the sidelines.
Although Lin Yan hadn't formally become his disciple, Yao Lao held nothing back and taught him with great care.
It was entirely because Lin Yan had earned Yao Lao's approval. So even without all the formalities, Yao Lao chose to teach him everything he knew!
And so, half a month passed.
During those two weeks,
Lin Yan's cultivation hadn't improved much, because he had devoted all his energy to pill refining.
In just half a month, he had gone from a complete novice who had only just started learning pill refining to a First-Rank Alchemist.
A First-Rank Alchemist might have been at the bottom of the alchemist hierarchy,
but at least Lin Yan had made it through the door.
And he had to remember that Lin Yan had achieved all this in just half a month.
Even a rare alchemy genius like Yao Lao had taken several months to go from a novice to a beginner.
It was easy to imagine how full of praise Yao Lao was when he saw what Lin Yan had accomplished!
Today, however, Lin Yan wasn't planning to cultivate or refine pills.
"Young friend, what are you doing?"
Inside the house, Yao Lao looked at the fishing gear Lin Yan had prepared and wore a puzzled expression. He hadn't expected someone as cultivation-obsessed as Lin Yan to take an interest in fishing.
"Heh, there's something you don't know, Senior Yao Lao."
"Relaxing in moderation can actually help with cultivation."
"It's a necessary part of recuperation."
"After cultivating for a while, both body and mind grow exhausted. At times like that, it's best to stop for a while, look back on the past, reflect on life, and find a place to unwind. Then cultivation will be more efficient afterward."
Carrying his fishing rod, Lin Yan headed toward the river behind the Back Mountain, explaining as he walked.
"That makes sense."
"It seems you have some unique insights into cultivation, young friend."
Yao Lao agreed with Lin Yan and went with him to fish by the river.
They soon reached the river behind the Back Mountain and cast their lines into the water.
Lin Yan calmed himself and enjoyed his free time, using it to reflect on life as well.
After several months of hard work, he had finally established himself in the Lin Clan.
But Lin Yan, who knew the original story, knew that the Lin Clan would face several more calamities.
He would probably choose to step in when those calamities came.
People weren't plants or trees; how could they be without feelings?
When Lin Yan had first arrived in the Martial Movement World, he had only thought of himself. But after spending so much time with the Lin Clan, he had inevitably grown attached to them.
So he would help if he could.
Once all this was taken care of, Lin Yan wanted to go out and explore the wider world.
After all, Lin Yan had been a modern man, and he was genuinely eager to travel through a world of fantasy and magic.
Besides that, he still had to help Yao Lao forge a new body, didn't he?
Yao Lao had treated him with genuine kindness, and Lin Yan would repay him in kind.
Drip, drip.
As Lin Yan was lost in thought, the clear sky suddenly clouded over, and rain began to fall.
A few drops landed on Lin Yan's head, then the drizzle turned into a torrential downpour.
"Looks like I'll have to find somewhere to take shelter."
Lin Yan said regretfully. He picked up his fishing rod and left, soon finding an old, rundown pavilion where he could wait out the rain.
"Young friend, isn't that the little girl Qing Tan from last time?"
Before long, Yao Lao said this to Lin Yan.
Lin Yan then noticed Qing Tan, drenched like a drowned rat by the downpour, running over to take shelter too.
As usual, Qing Tan carried a bamboo basket on her back as she searched for medicinal herbs in the Back Mountain.
Ever since Lin Xiao had been crippled, he had stayed away from the Lin Clan and lived in the Back Mountain. They didn't have much income, so Qing Tan often had to search the mountain for herbs to help Lin Xiao.
She had just been unlucky today. The sky had looked clear, so she hadn't brought an umbrella, never expecting the rain to start so suddenly.
"Brother Lin Yan? What are you doing here too?"
When Qing Tan stepped into the pavilion and saw Lin Yan, she looked pleasantly surprised. She hadn't seen him since they last parted, and she was happy to run into him again.
"See? I came out to fish, but then it started raining."
Lin Yan pointed to the fishing rod on the ground as he spoke to Qing Tan.
Seeing her drenched from head to toe, Lin Yan quickly let her inside. Then he took off his own clothes, which hadn't gotten wet, and handed them to her. "If you don't mind, you can change into these."
"Yours are completely soaked, and you haven't cultivated, so you're frail. You could catch a chill."
Qing Tan couldn't help pausing in surprise. After all, when Lin Yan took off his clothes, he exposed his bare torso.
But because he had trained in Eight Extremities Collapse, Lin Yan's body was exceptionally strong and well-honed. His muscles stood out clearly, radiating raw masculinity, and Qing Tan couldn't help staring until her mouth went a little dry.
Still, she didn't lose her composure. After sneaking a few glances, Qing Tan forced down the rapid pounding of her heart and finally looked away.
She agreed, setting down her bamboo basket, but then said to Lin Yan a little awkwardly, "Brother Lin Yan, could you turn around for a bit?"
Lin Yan nodded. "Of course."
He turned around with perfect propriety. He wasn't the sort to take advantage of someone in need.
At first, Qing Tan kept a cautious eye on Lin Yan. But once she realized he truly had no such intentions, she felt much more at ease and quickly changed into his clothes.
"All done, Brother Lin Yan. Thank you."
Lin Yan smiled without saying much, then picked up some dry firewood in the pavilion and stacked it together.
With a flick of his finger, a strand of fire-element Yuan Power shot out and set it alight.
"Come over here. It's raining, and the weather's a little cold."
Lin Yan said to Qing Tan.
Qing Tan was astonished.
After all, Lin Yan had used a technique from the Dou Qi Continent. The warriors on this side couldn't control Yuan Power with such finesse, at least not in the early stages, so this was the first time Qing Tan had seen anything like it.
Eyes wide and little mouth agape, Qing Tan couldn't help exclaiming, "Brother Lin Yan, you're amazing! You can even control fire?"
Before you continue