"Senior Brother Yang, I'm curious. How do rogue cultivators get cultivation techniques?" Lin Fan probed indirectly again.
"There are plenty of ways. Auction houses, black markets, cave abodes left behind by powerful cultivators-all are ways rogue cultivators obtain techniques," Yang Kuan replied.
Lin Fan tapped his fingers on the table. As far as he knew, Qingshan County had no auction house. Only the commandery seat had one.
The commandery seat was a long way from Qingshan County, so going to an auction house was impractical. Cave abodes could only be stumbled upon, not sought out, making them just as impractical. Only one path lay before him: the black market.
"Does our Qingshan County have a black market?" Lin Fan asked again.
Yang Kuan nodded. "Of course. I heard it's in the southern outskirts, near the south gate."
Seeing how interested Lin Fan seemed, Yang Kuan hurriedly warned him, "The black market is a place where fish and dragons mingle. Murder and robbery happen every night. Junior Brother Lin, you absolutely mustn't go."
"Don't worry, Senior Brother Yang. I don't lack techniques at the martial hall. Why would I go there?" Lin Fan promptly assured him, but inwardly, he was already planning to try his luck at the black market that very night. Finding a bone forging technique could not wait another moment.
After eating, Lin Fan headed out of the martial hall. He wanted to go back to the rear courtyard for a look.
Now that he had the esteemed status of the head steward's disciple, he would naturally repay grudges and settle scores. That instructor had rubbed him the wrong way for a long time. This time, he would go back and deal with him, while also visiting Wang Wu, Meng Lin, and the others.
His four roommates had chosen to stand beside him against Li Feng from the very beginning. Naturally, he would not forget that friendship.
Yang Kuan went with him. Having learned from Lin Fan earlier how the instructor lorded it over everyone in the rear courtyard, he was furious and declared that he would help Lin Fan vent his anger.
In the rear courtyard's dining hall, the atmosphere was utterly oppressive.
Wang Wu, Meng Lin, and their two other roommates looked grimly at the mere half bowl of medicinal food in front of each of them.
Bang! Wang Wu slammed the table in fury. "Fuck his mother! That damned instructor is going further and further! We're down to half a bowl of medicinal food. It's nowhere near enough to support our normal training!"
Meng Lin clenched his fists so hard his knuckles turned white. "We're getting only a quarter of the medicinal food, but the training has doubled. At this rate, forget minor accomplishment-we'll be in a miserable state even if we don't die!"
"Fuck! Now that Li Feng has become the deputy hall master's disciple, the instructor has nothing to fear. He's clearly trying to kill us!" Another roommate was just as indignant.
Yet beyond their anger, all that remained was helplessness. They were only human stake candidates, the very bottom of the martial hall. To them, Li Feng was now a towering figure who could crush them with a single finger.
They had considered fleeing, too, but while they were in the martial hall, the instructor still had some reservations. If they fled, they would probably be even more certain to die without a burial place.
"Ah..." Wang Wu sighed. "We're already this miserable. Brother Lin probably has it even worse in the outer courtyard."
"Yes, Li Feng hates Brother Lin the most. I'm afraid to hear any news about Brother Lin now, in case it's bad news." Meng Lin lowered his head and sighed as well.
"Heh... do you have so little faith in me?"
Just then, a soft chuckle interrupted their sorrow. Hearing the familiar voice, they looked incredulously toward its source and saw Lin Hao watching them with a smile.
Seeing that Lin Fan was unharmed and even dressed in the robes of a martial hall disciple, their eyes nearly popped out of their heads.
"Holy shit! Brother Lin, it's so good to see you're all right!" Wang Wu cried out and hurried over to Lin Fan.
Meng Lin and the others gathered around as well. Although they had known one another only briefly, their shared hardships had forged a strong bond, and heartfelt smiles appeared on all their faces.
"Lin Fan, thank goodness you're all right. You have no idea how worried we were."
"Li Feng actually became the deputy hall master's disciple. Heaven must be blind."
They spoke over one another, their words full of concern for Lin Fan.
Lin Fan was touched. In this life, he had rarely experienced what it felt like to have someone care about him. His family had treated him purely as a tool.
"Sit down. Let's take our time talking." Lin Fan beckoned them over and sat down first.
Lin Fan glanced at the injuries on Wang Wu and the others, his brow furrowing slightly.
"Wang Wu, what's going on? Why are your injuries worse than after our training on the first day we arrived?" he asked.
"Uh..." Wang Wu opened his mouth, wanting to explain, but felt that telling him would only put unnecessary pressure on Lin Fan. He changed the subject instead. "Brother Lin, tell us how you became an inner courtyard disciple in just a few days."
How could Lin Fan fail to understand? The instructor had to be behind this. Wang Wu would not tell him because he felt Lin Fan could do nothing even if he knew: the instructor had latched onto Li Feng, and Li Feng was now the deputy hall master's disciple.
Lin Fan patted Wang Wu on the shoulder. "Brother Wang, I have some good news for you. Not only have I become an inner courtyard disciple, but my master is Head Steward Yue Shan."
The news left Wang Wu and the others thoroughly stunned. Their mouths fell wide enough to fit a goose egg, and it took them a good while to recover.
"Brother Lin, is that really true?" Wang Wu cried out again, his voice brimming with shock, delight, and disbelief.
"Holy shit! Brother Lin, you're fucking incredible! Congratulations!" Even the usually refined Meng Lin swore outright.
"Brother Lin, I knew you could do it!"
"Brother Lin, you're fucking amazing!"
Sun Ming and Fang Xiang spoke up in turn, their words full of excitement and joy.
"Here's another piece of good news. Yesterday, I also beat Li Feng up in front of all the outer courtyard disciples and made him lose all face." Lin Fan would not rest until his words shocked them, leaving Wang Wu and the others trembling inwardly.
The deputy hall master's disciple, who stood high above them in their eyes and could easily decide whether they lived or died, had actually been thrashed by Lin Fan in public, yet Lin Fan had suffered no consequences at all. They gained a clearer understanding of his current standing.
Then they poured out their grievances, telling Lin Fan how the instructor skimmed their medicinal food and tormented them. It was not training at all-he was after their lives.
After hearing this, Lin Fan bristled with killing intent. This damned instructor had already courted his own death.
"That bastard knew full well that I'd become the head steward's disciple, yet he still dared treat you like this!" he said through gritted teeth.
"Well... perhaps he really doesn't know," Wang Wu said thoughtfully. "He said he'd found some top-quality goods at the Pleasant Spring Pavilion. He's probably been spending his nights there these past few days. He might not have returned to the inner courtyard at all."
Hearing this made Lin Fan even angrier. The instructor's whoring money came from the funds for Wang Wu and the others' medicinal food. Sacrificing their futures in martial arts to visit prostitutes was simply outrageous.
He called loudly toward the door, "Senior Brother Yang, you heard all that."
Yang Kuan had not followed him inside earlier, saying he did not want to spoil Lin Fan's reunion with his friends. He had been waiting by the door the entire time.
Yang Kuan strode in furiously. "How dare this Hu Gao be so brazen! Human stake candidates are the foundation of the martial hall. How dare he do this? Who gave him the nerve?" The more he spoke, the angrier he became.
As a member of the Law Enforcement Court, he could least tolerate such blatant violations of the martial hall's rules.
"Senior Brother Yang, since we already have evidence against Hu Gao, let's arrest him directly in a moment and hand him over to the Law Enforcement Court," Lin Fan suggested.
"That's exactly what we should do," Yang Kuan said gravely.