Lin Yuan stirred his thoughts.
Two illusory figures abruptly formed before his eyes.
One on the left, one on the right.
The figure on the left suddenly strode forward, performing the Army-Breaking Saber Art with sweeping, powerful movements.
The figure on the right held its saber horizontally before itself, red mist rising from its entire body, poised to fight to the death.
Lin Yuan continued his deductions.
At one moment.
"Merge!"
The two illusory figures fused.
The merged figure trembled violently and barely raised its arm. Before its saber could fall-
Bang!
The illusory figure exploded on the spot.
A stabbing pain pierced Lin Yuan's brow. He snapped out of his epiphany, breathing hard.
The room was dim and silent.
Lin Yuan rubbed his brow.
The fusion had failed.
The instant the illusory figure exploded, the system had provided feedback.
He currently knew too few saber arts, and his foundation was too shallow to deduce a martial art yet.
Lin Yuan sighed inwardly and set the idea aside for now.
He closed his eyes again and circulated the Five Qi Converging to the Origin Art.
The night passed without incident.
The next day.
[Martial arts: Five Qi Converging to the Origin Art (Perfection 495/500)]
He was just a little short of breaking through to First Rank.
Lin Yuan had wanted to strike while the iron was hot, but Master Wu's words still echoed in his ears.
Once he entered First Rank, he would glimpse mysteries that external-refinement martial artists could never touch.
Lin Yuan decided to wait and stabilize his realm first.
He turned to look.
Lin Jiu was still unconscious, his body shriveled, his cheeks sunken, his complexion dreadful.
He could not delay any longer.
Lin Yuan greeted Master Wu, who had just woken up, then left the inn.
People streamed along the streets, and hawkers' cries rang out without end.
The bandits outside the city could attack at any moment. Who knew how many more days this bustle would last?
He shook his head with a sigh.
Fortunately, if the sky fell, the tall ones would hold it up. It was hardly his turn to worry.
Lin Yuan first visited a ready-made clothing shop and changed into a clean long robe.
He walked out of the shop.
A little beggar, about eleven or twelve, crouched below the steps.
Lin Yuan casually took out ten copper coins and tossed them over.
Overjoyed, the little beggar hurriedly kowtowed.
"Thank you for your generosity, young master! How generous of you!"
Reading his expression, the little beggar came two steps closer, nodding and bowing.
"I know Ping'an County like the back of my hand. Whatever you need, young master, just say the word!"
"Take me to the biggest medical hall in the city."
"Right away! Follow me, young master!"
The two wound through several streets and alleys before finally stopping before a three-story wooden building in the north of the city.
A plaque with gold lettering on a black background hung above the entrance: Spring Revival Hall.
Lin Yuan had heard of Spring Revival Hall. It supposedly had branches in many commandery cities.
He stepped inside.
The main hall was packed with people, and the fragrance of medicinal herbs filled his nose.
Several elderly physicians were taking patients' pulses.
Lin Yuan walked straight to the dispensing counter and rapped his knuckles against its surface.
The attendant behind the counter hurried over, his face wreathed in smiles.
"What do you need, young master?"
"Do you have any hundred-year-old ginseng?"
The attendant's eyes lit up. He climbed to the highest medicine cabinet and carefully brought down a long wooden case.
"You've certainly come to the right place, young master. This old wild ginseng only came in a few days ago. That will be five thousand taels."
Click.
The wooden case opened.
A rich ginseng fragrance wafted into his face.
Lin Yuan leaned closer to sniff it, then moved its rootlets aside.
There was no doubt that it was genuine hundred-year-old ginseng.
Five thousand taels of silver was a fair price, too.
Lin Yuan took out five banknotes and handed them over.
He had just closed the lid.
A sudden shout came from behind him.
"Wait!"
Lin Yuan frowned and turned around.
A young master dressed in brocade was descending from the second floor, waving a folding fan.
Behind him followed two burly guards and a gray-haired old man.
The sharp shout had come from that old man.
The old man rushed to the counter and pressed his hand firmly onto the wooden case.
"That young master wants this ginseng."
The attendant looked at the old man, then glanced at the brocade-clad young master behind him.
Sweat broke out on his forehead in his anxiety, and he raised the banknotes in his hand.
"Physician Sun, isn't this against the rules? This young master has already paid in full."
Lin Yuan studied the approaching young master in brocade. Something about his features seemed familiar.
Yet he could not recall who he was just then.
Whoever he was, Lin Yuan was determined to have this ginseng.
With a jolt of his arm, Lin Yuan pushed Physician Sun several steps back.
He gripped the wooden case.
Physician Sun's face instantly flushed red. Pointing at Lin Yuan, he unleashed a torrent of abuse.
"You insolent brat! How dare you lay hands on someone in Spring Revival Hall!"
The commotion drew everyone's attention, and they gathered around.
The brocade-clad young master snapped his folding fan shut, his expression darkening.
"Brat, I'll give you an extra hundred taels. Leave the goods and get lost."
He had been stuck at Body Tempering Perfection for over half a year, unable to find the threshold of the Qi and Blood Realm.
Only after seeking Physician Sun's diagnosis today had he learned that his foundation had been damaged by his lack of restraint in earlier years.
Since Physician Sun said this would help him, he had to get it.
This concerned his future in martial arts!
Holding the wooden case, Lin Yuan coldly uttered two words.
"Not selling."
The brocade-clad young master's face darkened, and he pressed a step closer.
"Do you know who I am?"
"Here in Ping'an County, I have a hundred ways to make you..."
"You'd best not bring ruin on yourself!"
One of the guards behind him stepped forward, gripping his saber at his waist and glaring viciously.
"You little brat, put it down if you know what's good for you, or you'll live to take it but not to use it!"
Faced with this naked threat from the locals, Lin Yuan remained unmoved.
"So you're planning to rob me outright?"
A wave of murmuring immediately rose from the onlookers.
"Who is this man? So arrogant!"
"I know. He's Lin Shan, the young owner of the Lin Clan Cloth Shop!"
"Is he famous?"
"He has something of a name in the south of the city."
"Just a merchant."
"What you don't know, brother, is that his uncle is our Ping'an County commandant!"
"Hiss! No wonder he's so overbearing..."
"All of you, shut up!"
Lin Shan roared impatiently.
The two guards glared fiercely around them.
The onlookers shrank back.
The main hall fell silent at once.
Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow.
Lin Shan?
No wonder he looked so familiar!
Wasn't this the bastard Zhao Yan had given birth to, his elder brother in name?
Enemies really did meet on narrow roads.
Fortunately, eight years had passed, and Lin Yuan's appearance had changed greatly. Lin Shan had not recognized him at all.
"I can't be bothered wasting words with you."
Unwilling to get entangled, Lin Yuan turned to leave with the wooden case in his arms.
Seeing him actually dare to ignore him outright, Lin Shan felt fury surge straight to his head.
"Trying to leave? Cripple him!"
The guard on the left gave a savage grin.
Pushing off the floor, he drove his fist toward the center of Lin Yuan's back, stirring gusts of fierce wind.
Lin Yuan stopped, a vicious fire churning in his chest.
Did they really think he was made of clay?
He spun around, whipping his right leg out with the motion.
It struck first despite moving second.
The whipping kick landed squarely against the guard's waist.
Bang!
The guard's smile froze. His entire body curled like a shrimp as he flew two zhang sideways.
Clatter!
He smashed through a row of wooden chairs and lay on the floor, unable to get up for a long while.
The crowd cried out in alarm and backed away.
"How dare you!"
The guard on the right's expression changed. He stepped forward and drove a heavy punch straight at Lin Yuan's face.
Rather than retreat, Lin Yuan advanced, throwing a punch of his own.
Bang!
An invisible shock wave spread outward, stirring a little dust.
Lin Yuan swayed but did not move an inch.
The guard, however, paled and staggered five steps back.
The arrogance on Lin Shan's face froze instantly, and he instinctively retreated half a step.
The second man to attack was the Lin household's guard captain, a genuine martial artist at Body Tempering Perfection!
This fellow had actually gained the upper hand in a head-on clash?
Where on earth had this monster come from?
The guard captain forcibly suppressed his surging Qi and blood and quickly retreated to Lin Shan's side.
"Young master, this brat has a profound foundation. We cannot overpower him!"
Lin Shan's face was livid, his back teeth grinding audibly.
Though he too had reached Body Tempering Perfection, his foundation was flawed.
If it really came to blows, he feared he would not last a single move.
Circumstances were stronger than he was.
But if he simply let this go, how would he, the eldest young master Lin, ever show his face in Ping'an County again?
Lin Shan drew a deep breath and, swallowing his pent-up humiliation, spoke through gritted teeth.
"Brat, this young master will add another thousand taels. Don't refuse face when it's offered!"
Lin Yuan rolled his eyes, turned, and left.
It was not that he did not want to kill Lin Shan, but the presence concealed on the third floor felt like a thorn in his back.
If someone really died, that person would certainly not stand idly by.
Lin Shan glared viciously at Lin Yuan's retreating back, his breathing rapid.
No one dared deny him face!
This brat had already chosen the path to his own death!
He growled at the guard commander.
"Quick, return to the estate and gather men."
He was determined to obtain this hundred-year-old ginseng.