This martial saint is too cautious.

Autumn has passed and winter is here, bringing with it the cold.

yard.

Lin Yan was shirtless, his spine resembling a large bow. Sweat rolled down his shoulder blades and slid down his undulating back muscles. His skin, like an iron blank that had been repeatedly forged, gleamed with an understated resilience.

Whoa!

He exhaled a breath, which quickly turned into cold mist under the cold air, shooting out a full foot before dissipating.

The martial arts tree within his body had reached 1.7 feet, almost reaching the 2-foot height of a second-stage skin-sharpening martial artist.

This cultivation speed far surpasses that of most martial artists who have only undergone one level of skin refining.

The reason they can maintain this speed is twofold. Firstly, the Mountain Splitting Fist is already close to mastery. Most martial artists are already quite good if they can master the technique during a single skin-grinding period.

Secondly, the enhancement of qi and blood production brought about by the stone waist and spine bones.

Without these two things, at the normal training speed of the martial arts school's senior brothers, it would take them about two years to reach the second skin-smoothing stage.

If they fail to pass the test, it will take another year and a half.

Fortunately, there is no risk of failing to pass the test. The current problem is that the money sponsored by others has run out. The only way to maintain the muscle-building ointment is to rely on the Tang family's allowance.

"Master Lin, let me wipe your face."

Ah Xiu, who was standing nearby, had already prepared a basin of water and wrung out a towel before handing it over.

Thank you.

Lin Yan took the towel and wiped the sweat off his face, but he didn't care about the sweat on his body. At first, Ah Xiu offered to wipe it off for him several times, but he refused.

It's not that I'm uncomfortable with strangers wiping my body; I lived to be thirty-five in my past life and it's not like I've never enjoyed a body-wiping service before. I can't afford the 698 option, so the 398 option is more cost-effective.

But now is the time for me to strive and I cannot afford to develop a habit of indulging in pleasures.

After wiping himself clean, Lin Yan said, "You don't need to come for the next two days."

Ah Xiu was taken aback as she took the towel. Lin Yan added, "I have to go back to the county town today, and I won't be here for the next two days."

For the past three months, Lin Yan returned to the city once a month, setting off in the evening, staying overnight at home, and rushing back to the town early the next morning. Although Zheng Xun had said that the master wouldn't care about these things, Lin Yan didn't want to give others cause for criticism since he was being paid.

The temporary posting to the Tang family was a good job, and he didn't want to give it up.

Now that winter is approaching, most of the medicinal herb fields have already been harvested, and the few that are still planted are far from being harvested, so there's no need to keep an eye on them every day.

"Lin Yan, let's go."

When Lin Yan finished getting ready and walked out of the courtyard, Zheng Xun was already waiting for her.

During their three months in Qingtian Town, Lin Yan and Zheng Xun got along well. The two were about the same age, while everyone else was a generation older than them. In Zheng Xun's words, he couldn't connect with these people.

Once the two entered the city, Zheng Xun winked at Lin Yan and said, "Lin Yan, aren't you going to have some fun with me?"

"No."

On the way back to the city, Zheng Xun completely let loose, telling Lin Yan about the wonderful pleasures of the brothels in the city and constantly tempting Lin Yan, but Lin Yan remained unmoved.

Although martial artists, after undergoing skin resurrection, no longer need to be too averse to wine and women, Zheng Xun invited him today. Should he reciprocate in the future?

Zheng Xun's situation is different from his own. Although the Zheng family cannot compare with the top families in the city, Zheng Xun's grandfather was a three-time skin-refining martial artist and had accumulated a considerable fortune. He has the means to live a carefree life.

I don't even have enough money to practice martial arts, how could I possibly spend it on this?

When people are at a low point, they should try to reduce social activities and entertainment. Even if someone treats them to a meal and they are spending someone else's money, they will still have to flatter and fawn over them. Over time, they will accept that they are inferior to others and lose their will to strive.

After parting ways with Zheng Xun, Lin Yan first went to the martial arts school to buy a jar of muscle-strengthening ointment, and then headed home. Compared to three months ago, the atmosphere in the northern part of the city was obviously different. There were fewer people walking on the streets, and even the groups of children that used to roam around had disappeared.

"Auntie, I'm back."

Lin Yan pushed open his door. His younger brother was idly playing with ants in the yard. Hearing the sound, he ran over happily: "Big brother, you're back!"

"Hmm, where's Auntie?"

After handing the meat he bought from the butcher to his younger brother, Lin Yan asked a question out of curiosity.

He knew that because he practiced martial arts, his aunt would definitely be reluctant to spend money, and no matter how many times he said it, it would be useless. Therefore, he would buy some meat for her every time he came back.

My younger brother is at the age where he's growing, so he needs to get enough nutrition.

"Mother went to deliver clothes to someone."

Lin Mo tugged at Lin Yan's sleeve: "Big brother, take me out to have some fun, I'm getting so bored staying at home all day."

"How's your calligraphy practice going?"

Lin Yan didn't respond to this, remaining unmoved even though his younger brother looked pitiful.

My aunt doesn't let my little brother play outside because the situation is different now. Although the Qingshui Gang was wiped out, the Sanxiong Gang came in not long after.

These gangsters roam around the area all day, and if they don't like someone, they'll find any excuse to beat them up. My aunt was worried that her younger brother would be bullied by these gangsters.

Unlike the Clear Water Gang, which only has one Skin-Refining Warrior, the Three Heroes Gang has three Skin-Refining Warriors. The leader of the Three Heroes Gang had attempted to refine the skin twice a year ago, but failed. He is recognized as one of the top Skin-Refining Warriors.

The peace money collected by the Sanxiong Gang was 10% higher than that collected by the Qingshui Gang. At first, the people in Yuliu Lane wanted to ask Lin Yan to intervene, but Lin Yan was in Qingtian Town, and before he left, he specifically told his aunt not to worry about these things.

If the gang wants to collect "peace money," let them collect it. The Lin family doesn't need to pay any peace money.

This is the rule in Guangping County: no matter what gang it is, they are not allowed to collect "peace money" from the homes of martial artists.

"When you finish this stroke, you need to put in a lot of force. Write it a hundred more times."

Lin Yan finished teaching her younger brother to practice calligraphy on a copybook when her aunt returned.

"Mother, why did you take so long today? Did you run into trouble?"

When Lin Mo saw his mother return, his eyes darted around, and he pretended to be concerned, putting down his brush and running over to her.

"Keep writing. If you don't finish today, you won't get to eat."

Snapped!

Lin Yan knew exactly what this kid was up to, and he struck Lin Mo's right leg with the ruler as he stepped out.

"daughter."

Lin Mo winced in pain, looking pitifully at his mother, but Liu ignored him completely, simply putting down the basket in her hand: "I went to Mr. Sun's house today. Mr. Sun is not having an easy time either, so I sent him some grain."

Upon hearing his aunt mention Mr. Sun, Lin Yan's eyes narrowed. Mr. Sun was the teacher who had taught him calligraphy.

"What's wrong, sir?"

"Mr. Sun's daughter-in-law is six months pregnant, which is a time when the family needs money. Now, the Sanxiong Gang has raised the stall fees by 20%, which is making things difficult for Mr. Sun's family."

Lin Yan fell silent.

The man made a living by writing letters for people at a street stall, and also did things like naming children and geomancy. Although he wasn't rich, he managed to get by.

He studied reading and writing with his teacher for two years, so in a way, he could be considered both teacher and student.

"I'll go see the gentleman later."

After having dinner at home, Lin Yan left home, carrying a gift box, to visit her teacher.

As he approached the Sun family's courtyard wall, he heard a woman's voice inside. After listening carefully for a moment, he frowned slightly, stepped forward, knocked on the door, and called out, "Is the gentleman home?"

The woman's voice inside stopped abruptly. A few moments later, a middle-aged man opened the door and, seeing Lin Yan standing at the gate, seemed somewhat surprised: "Lin Yan? Come in quickly. Your aunt just told me that you're now learning martial arts at the Yang Family Martial Arts School. You're doing quite well."

Four years have passed since Lin Yan started studying with him, and Sun Huai Ren could not reconcile the tall young man in front of him with the thin boy in his memory.

Upon entering the house, Lin Yan met his teacher's wife and greeted her.

"Lin Yan, come... have some tea."

"Sir, please call me Xiao Yan."

Lin Yan took the tea. This tea was much worse than the one he had drunk in Qingtian Town, with a bitter taste, but Lin Yan did not mind at all and still drank it in big gulps.

Sun Huai-ren's eyes showed a hint of satisfaction as he said, "I heard from your aunt that you are now a martial artist. I don't understand martial arts, but I know that practicing martial arts, like studying, depends on diligence..."

Teachers love to preach.

Lin Yan listened quietly. Although Mr. Sun did not understand martial arts, many of the principles of being a person and doing things were the same.

After finishing a pot of tea, Lin Yan stood up and said, "It's getting late, so I won't disturb you any longer. I've been greatly inspired by your teachings today, and I will keep your advice in mind."

Sun Huai-ren escorted Lin Yan to the door, and Lin Yan smiled and said, "Please don't bother seeing me off any further, sir. There's no need to see me off any further."

Standing at the entrance of the house, Sun Huai-ren watched Lin Yan's figure walk out of the alley. As soon as he turned around, he was startled by his wife standing behind him.

"Old Sun, Lin Yan is a martial artist now, and you're still lecturing him with these useless platitudes, without even considering whether he likes to listen."

"What do you, a woman, know? Even if I don't know martial arts, I've lived most of my life and I know some principles of life. What Xiao Yan lacks most is experience."

"You're right, you're right. My daughter-in-law is pregnant now, and we can't even afford to buy a chicken if we want to eat it."

Madam Sun spoke loudly, both to complain about her husband and to address her daughter-in-law, fearing that if her daughter-in-law harbored resentment, she, as the mother-in-law, would scold her first.

"If you ask me, Lin Yan is a martial artist now. It's not easy for him to come all this way. His family is in such a difficult situation right now. You should talk to Xiao Yan about it."

"What did you say? You want me to ask Xiao Yan for money?" Sun Huai Ren glared at his wife. "Don't you know what Xiao Yan's family situation is like? Xiao Yan's expenses for martial arts training are even greater now, and he doesn't even have enough money for himself."

"If you won't lend us money, we can at least mention the peace money to Xiaoyan and see if she can waive it for our family."

"Xiao Yan has only just started practicing martial arts. Wouldn't mentioning the peace money cause him trouble?"

"But Xiao Yan is already the most promising of all the children you taught. Given our family's current situation, we still have to pay a monthly allowance for safety, and we can't make ends meet."

The master's wife looked worried, but her hands didn't stop moving. She opened the gift box that Lin Yan had sent, and when she saw what was inside, she fell silent for a moment.

"Old Sun, this...this has two taels of silver."

Upon hearing this, Sun Huai-ren walked over and looked into the gift box.

The top layer inside the box contained some pastries, which his wife had moved aside, while the bottom layer contained a few pieces of silver, estimated to be about two ounces.

"This child is very thoughtful."

Sun Huai Ren sighed softly. He taught Lin Yan to recognize and practice writing, which was nothing special. At that time, there were many children on the street who followed suit, and he had also received money from Liu Shi.

It was a favor that Lin Yan came to visit, but it would be perfectly normal if he didn't, let alone send money.

"Yes, Xiao Yan is a kind and loyal child. If you ask me, why don't you teach Xiao Yan your geomancy skills?"

Sun Huai-ren fell silent. The Sun family's geomancy skills were passed down from their ancestors, but unfortunately, he himself was not proficient in the art, and his son was even less so.

"The world is getting more and more chaotic. When your grandson is born, he will need someone to help him. If Xiao Yan becomes successful in martial arts, and you want him to help you in the future, the favor you showed by teaching him calligraphy is not enough."

Seeing that her husband was still silent, the woman stopped talking, turned around, picked up the rice bag, and walked towards the door: "With Xiaoyan's two taels of silver, I can buy some rice and meat for my daughter-in-law. I'm going to the rice shop."

Aunt Liu brought coarse grains, which are the normal staple food for ordinary people. However, since Sun's daughter-in-law was pregnant, she naturally needed to eat better. Before Lin Yan entered the house, the couple was still arguing about whether to exchange the coarse grains for rice.

Fifty catties of coarse grains can only be exchanged for ten catties of rice. Even if you are frugal, it is only enough for a family to eat for a few days. But if it is coarse grains, it can last for almost a month if you are careful.

"Enough. If the world continues to be this chaotic, it's hard to say whether my Sun family can even continue its lineage. There's no point in sticking to the ancestral rules anymore."

After a long while, Sun Huai-ren made a decision. He walked to the bookshelf in the room and took out an object wrapped in oil paper from among the yellowed books.

……

late at night.

Boom boom boom!

"Xiao Yan, it's me."

"What brings you here, sir? Please come in."

Lin Yan opened the door and invited the gentleman into the house, but there was a look of surprise in his eyes.

He had just visited his husband, and his husband came to his house right afterward.

Liu quickly brewed some hot tea to warm Sun Huai-ren from the chill.

After finishing a cup of hot tea, Sun Huai-ren didn't hesitate and asked, "Xiao Yan, does martial arts cultivation require many precious medicines?"

"Hmm." Lin Yan nodded, then smiled wryly, "However, precious medicines often cost hundreds of taels of silver, which is beyond the reach of someone from a family like mine."

"Xiao Yan, take a look at this first."

Sun Huai-ren took out an item wrapped in oil paper from his pocket, carefully unwrapped it, and revealed a blue-covered book.

"The True Understanding of Earth's Veins?"

Lin Yan glanced at the book title but didn't rush to open it. Instead, he looked at the teacher.

"Xiao Yan, you should also know that besides setting up a street stall to write letters for others, I also take on some geomancy jobs."

Sun Huai Ren smiled and said, "This is not a mere charade. My Sun family ancestors had a set of geomantic skills that allowed them to find places in mountains and rivers where the earth's energy is abundant. And places where the earth's energy is abundant often contain precious medicinal herbs. It's just a pity that by my generation, I had only learned a little bit, and my son is even more useless... Now that you are learning martial arts, you need precious medicinal herbs, so I will pass this book on to you."

Lin Yan paused for a moment, then took the book with both hands. The paper of this book, "True Explanation of Earth Veins," was thick and coarse, with yellowed edges, indicating that it was quite old, but it was still relatively well preserved.

The four characters "True Explanation of Earth Veins" on the cover are handwritten in ink, with steady strokes that exude an old-fashioned solemnity.

He turned to the first page.

The first thing you see is a line of neat small regular script: "The earth has veins, just as the human body has meridians. Plants and trees grow on the earth, and they also receive the earth's energy. Those who are good at observing the earth's veins can know its hidden essence by observing its energy, and find its true nature by following the veins."

After quickly flipping through it, Lin Yan's eyes shone brightly; this book was extremely important to him.

The book details the distinctions between mountains, rivers, and earth veins, and how to identify the conditions for certain terrains to produce precious medicinal herbs. This includes observing the growth and color of plants, as well as the rising mist at dawn and dusk to determine the direction of the earth's energy.

Where the earth's energy gathers, there are bound to be precious medicines.

In addition, the book also records the growth habits of some precious medicinal herbs. One passage mentions ginseng and lingzhi, which prefer shady and moist environments. In the morning, a thin mist will always shroud the place, which will dissipate by midday.

Lin Yan closed the book and took a deep breath.

This book is not a martial arts manual, but its value is far greater than that of any manual.

Of course, much of the text in the book is obscure and difficult to understand, and the content is profound. To truly learn the entire book, one must master the relevant knowledge; otherwise, one will fall into the trap of generalizing from limited information.

Lin Yan also knows the gentleman's son. Brother Sun is an impatient person, and I'm afraid he has no intention of calming down to read this book.

"gentlemen……"

"No need to say more." Sun Huai-ren waved his hand and stood up. "The book is yours. How much you learn depends on your own fate. I'm old, and my son is useless. This thing will only be good for propping up the corner of the table if it stays in the Sun family."

"It's getting late, I should head back now, Aunt Xiaoyan, sorry to bother you."

"Sir, let me see you off."

Lin Yan didn't stand on ceremony; the book was indeed what he needed.

Sun Huai-ren stopped at the door, glanced at Lin Yan behind him, and cautioned, "The places where precious medicines are located are often guarded by ferocious beasts and poisonous insects, so you must not be careless."

"Rest assured, sir, I will not take any risks lightly."