This martial saint is too cautious.

The Lin family courtyard.

Lin Yan and his aunt had just returned when Xiao Cui came to their door.

"Miss Xiao Cui, please come in."

Liu hurriedly welcomed them in, and Lin Yan served them tea and water. As for his younger brother, he had gone out to play early in the morning.

Children this age are so young that even sows wouldn't want them; they can't sit still at home.

After taking a sip of tea and expressing her gratitude, Xiao Cui said with a smile, "When Master learned that Young Master Lin had begun practicing martial arts, he asked me to deliver a gift of money as a way to bring good luck to the young master."

Seeing the silver envelope that Xiao Cui took out, Liu Shi quickly waved her hand, saying, "How can this be?"

"This is a token of the master and madam's affection. If Madam Lin and the young master don't accept it, I won't be able to explain myself when I get back."

Seeing Xiao Cui's resolute attitude, Liu Shi did not refuse again, but did not reach out to take it. Instead, she looked at Lin Yan and said, "Yan'er, you must remember the kindness of your fourth aunt."

"I will keep this in mind and will definitely study martial arts diligently to live up to my fourth aunt's expectations."

Lin Yan agreed earnestly, but was somewhat surprised. Given the closeness between his family and this cousin, it was already a great favor that she would help him find a martial arts technique, let alone give him twenty taels of silver.

This is a treatment reserved for true nephews and nieces.

Unable to understand the situation, Lin Yan stopped thinking about it. Regardless of his cousin's motives for giving him twenty taels of silver, it was indeed a great favor to him.

Lin Yan took the silver envelope from Xiao Cui and carefully put it into his pocket.

"Then I won't disturb you any longer. Madam, please wait for me to return and report."

After saying a few more flattering words, Xiao Cui left. Liu Shi saw her off at the courtyard gate and wanted to see her off again, but Xiao Cui stopped her and wouldn't let her.

"Madam Lin, I am just a servant. If you escort me to the alley entrance, you will punish me if you find out."

Hearing Xiao Cui's words, Liu Shi stopped. Lin Yan followed on the side, watching Xiao Cui leave. He couldn't help but admire his cousin's skill. She handled everything perfectly and even managed the maids so well.

"Yan'er, I'm going out for a bit to deliver the clothes to the master."

After seeing Xiao Cui off, Liu went back into her room to get the mended clothes and then went out as well.

With no one home, Lin Yan didn't sit idle; he started flipping through "Rock Stakes".

The Rock Stance is not complicated; there are four types of stances, and the book provides detailed illustrations for each posture.

In addition, there is a set of breathing and exhalation techniques.

According to the author in the book, breathing exercises are the essence of "The Rock Pile".

Practicing stance training without practicing breath control will ultimately be in vain.

After memorizing the standing posture, Lin Yan began to try it. The posture was not difficult, and he learned it after about ten repetitions.

However, when I started breathing according to the method described in the book, after only a few breaths, I felt a tightness in my chest and could not continue to breathe. At the same time, my body posture suddenly reached a critical point and I could no longer maintain the posture. I staggered back several steps.

However, Lin Yan was not discouraged. If learning martial arts were easy, there would be no martial artists in the world who could achieve leapfrog development.

He continued trying, once, twice, three times...

After dozens of attempts, he still couldn't breathe properly.

At this moment, his body was already sore and weak.

"Was my breathing technique wrong, or was I too confident? I should have been shameless enough to ask that guard Zhou for guidance on the spot, even if he mocked me."

Lin Yan smiled wryly and kept this lesson in mind.

I still need to improve my thick skin.

Take a short break, then continue your practice.

Half an hour, an hour.

As he finished another round of breathing exercises, Lin Yan suddenly shuddered. The next moment, he seemed to have discovered something and quickly sensed the strange tree in his mind.

A tiny, tender yellow bud is slowly emerging from the middle of a green branch on the left.

In his perception, the bud gradually unfurled, transforming into a half-rolled leaf petal, about the size of a fingernail—the nascent form of a tender leaf.

At the same time, more information about the Martial Arts Tree appeared in his mind.

Practice martial arts a hundred times, and its meaning will become clear!

Lin Yan's eyes lit up. He knew that he could master any martial arts technique by practicing it a hundred times and then using the tender buds that sprouted from the martial arts tree.

As soon as Lin Yan had a thought, the tender leaf trembled slightly, and an indescribable coolness seemed to flow down from the Niwan Palace between his eyebrows, instantly permeating his limbs and bones, and even reaching the depths of his consciousness.

He felt a sudden "brightness" before his eyes, not from real vision, but in his mind, he clearly "saw" his posture, breathing, and even the barely perceptible flow of qi and blood in his body when he was standing in the meditation posture.

Every subtle mistake, every mismatch in breathing and posture, every stiffness or looseness in muscles and bones, is clearly revealed by this cool breath, like a stone sinking to the bottom of the water.

Almost subconsciously, he resumed the starting stance of the rock pile.

This time, the angle at which his waist and hips sank was more natural than before, his back was relaxed but not slumped, and there was a more harmonious feel in the opening and closing of his shoulders and elbows.

The most crucial breathing technique, guided by this cool breath, allows a complete cycle of breathing to be completed smoothly without you even realizing it!

Lin Yan's heart trembled, but he dared not have the slightest distracting thought, for fear of interrupting this profound state. He followed the cool guidance and practiced again and again.

Before you know it, dozens of cycles have passed.

The hunger and fatigue that overwhelmed Lin Yan slowly pulled him out of this state of complete absorption. When he stood up, he felt warm all over, and a faint warmth settled in his dantian.

You've mastered the basics of the Rock Stake technique!

My body was also starving.

Despite his hunger, Lin Yan walked toward the stove inside the house, his eyes shining.

My martial arts tree is truly amazing; it can even guide me to the basics of cultivation techniques.

This cheat code is pretty much working.

After finishing a bowl of rice mixed with lard, my stomach was half full when I heard my aunt's voice from outside the door:

"Yan'er, come and help me."

Lin Yan quickly put down the bowl and walked to the courtyard gate, where a cart was parked with two burlap sacks on it.

The cart driver was a clerk at a grain shop in the city. His aunt was settling the money with him when Lin Yan stepped forward to help carry the sack into the house.

"I've heard that you have to eat well if you practice martial arts, otherwise your blood and energy will not keep up and you will become depleted. These two bags are fine rice, and that's what martial arts practitioners eat at home."

Aunt Liu was carrying a bag of pig offal. Given the Lin family's financial situation, they couldn't afford to eat meat every meal, but they could still afford to buy some cheap pig offal.

In the evening, Liu cooked dinner, and Lin Mo happened to return home.

"It smells so good! Did Mom buy meat today?"

Smelling the aroma of meat, Lin Mo reached out to grab some from the plate.

Snapped!

Liu slammed her chopsticks down, and Lin Mo winced in pain, pulling his hand back. He looked at his mother with a wronged expression.

"This is for your older brother to eat while practicing martial arts."

"Auntie, it's okay if my little brother wants to eat it, I can't finish it anyway." Lin Yan said with a smile as she watched her little brother staring longingly at the pig offal on the table.

"no."

Liu's attitude was very firm: "Yan'er, our family can only afford to support you to learn martial arts. If we divide the food between two people, you won't have enough to replenish your qi and blood. Mo'er is just satisfying her cravings. If you care about Mo'er, then work hard to make a name for yourself in martial arts and take care of Mo'er in the future."

Liu didn't understand any grand principles, but she was very decisive in her actions.

Ordinary women would never be willing to close their shops, let alone move, but she did it, simply because she was certain it was better for her two children's upbringing.

The same applies to Yan'er learning martial arts now. The family only has so much money, so every penny must be spent on martial arts training.

"Big brother, Mother is right. If you want to practice martial arts, you need to eat more. Once you've made a name for yourself, you can help me beat up Wang Dachui."

Lin Yan looked at his aunt's resolute expression, then glanced at his younger brother, and finally reached out to pat his brother's head: "Auntie, I'll remember."

"That's right." Liu's face broke into a smile again, while she instructed Lin Mo, "Mo'er, don't tell anyone outside about your brother practicing martial arts."

After the meal.

Lin Yan recovered and continued practicing standing meditation in the courtyard.

Lin Mo curiously followed suit, and Lin Yan didn't stop him.

Without proper breathing and breathing techniques, simply knowing how to stand in a stance is useless.

With the instructions of that Guard Zhou, he dared not teach his younger brother the breathing techniques, but he had made up his mind that he would find another martial art for his younger brother once he had mastered it.

For the next few days, Lin Yan stayed at home and focused on his cultivation.

Although his body and strength hadn't changed much, Lin Yan wasn't discouraged at all, because the sprout in his mind was steadily growing.

Although the growth is slow, it is indeed growing.

According to the information about the Martial Arts Tree in my mind at the time, this sprout corresponds to the Rock Stance I was practicing. When the sprout grows into leaves, that will be the time when the Rock Stance is completed.

Besides practicing martial arts, he has also been thinking about many things these past few days.

One of the most important things was recalling the martial arts novels he had read in his previous life.

Regardless of how different these novels are from his world, some principles are universal and have reference value.

Limestone Martial Saint, Gou Martial Saint, Dihua Martial Saint...

After a few days, he took into account the situation in this world and set several sets of behavioral guidelines for himself.

Bang bang bang!

"Is Brother Lin there?"

Hearing the familiar voice outside the door, Lin Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, his face showing coldness, but by the time he opened the door, his expression had returned to normal.

"Brother Zhang, what brings you here?"

Seeing Zhang Dahai appear at the door carrying a food box, Lin Yan was surprised, but her heart remained unmoved.

Zhang Dahai must have known where I lived before setting this trap for him. He probably waited outside for a long time to make sure my aunt was delivering clothes to her employer before knocking on the door.

"Brother Lin, you haven't come to get your medicine for two days. I was worried something had happened to you, so I asked around and finally found your place."

"I see. I'm sorry to have worried you, Brother Zhang."

Lin Yan suddenly realized, and then a look of indignation appeared on his face: "Brother Zhang, a few days ago I told my aunt that I wanted to practice martial arts, so I quit my job as a shop assistant. As a result, my aunt got angry and locked me at home, not letting me go out, and cut off my money."

"You didn't tell your aunt about the medicinal soup I gave you, did you?"

Zhang Dahai's heart skipped a beat. The widow of the Lin family was shrewd. If Lin Yan were to tell anyone, the widow would probably find out that her nephew had been framed.

"Brother Zhang, don't worry. I, Lin Yan, am a man of my word. If I promised not to tell anyone, then I definitely won't."

Lin Yan thumped his chest loudly, but then his face fell: "Brother Zhang, could you please invite that martial arts master to my house? If that martial arts master comes, my aunt will definitely not stop me from learning martial arts."

"Go to hell."

Zhang Dahai cursed inwardly. The martial artist in the teahouse that day was from his gang. His gang consisted of only two people and they specifically targeted fat sheep like Lin Yan. This time, two fat sheep fell for their trap.

"Brother Lin, what is that person's identity? How could he possibly come to our door?" Zhang Dahai shook his head. "I'll take you to find that martial arts master once you've recovered."

"All right."

Lin Yan looked dejected, but Zhang Dahai didn't care. He opened the food box, which contained a bowl of prepared medicinal soup.

"Brother Lin, I specially prepared this medicinal soup for you and brought it here. You can't stop taking this medicine, or it will lose its effect. After you sign and put your fingerprint on it, drink it while it's hot."

Seeing Zhang Dahai take out the account book, Lin Yan didn't hesitate and signed and pressed his fingerprint on it, but he held the medicine soup in his hand without drinking it.

"Brother Lin, why aren't you drinking?"

"Brother Zhang, I... could I ask you for a favor?"

"What kind of help?"

Lin Yan looked a little embarrassed: "Brother Zhang, since you're willing to let me buy the medicinal soup on credit, could you lend me some money? I'll pay you back when I become a disciple of the martial arts master."

Want to eat and take some too?

Zhang Dahai really wanted to refuse outright, but he was afraid that if he did, Lin Yan, this fat sheep, would get away. He forced a smile and asked, "What do you need the money for?"

"Brother Zhang, it's my aunt's birthday soon, and I was thinking of buying her some jewelry to appease her so I can leave." Lin Yan explained, then patted his chest loudly again, "Don't worry, Brother Zhang, it's the same as always. Once I've mastered it, I'll repay you many times over."

Are you buying jewelry?

Zhang Dahai thought about it for a moment. He realized that even if he bought the jewelry, it would still end up in the hands of the widow Lin and eventually return to him.

"How much do you need to borrow?"

"Ten taels."

Zhang Dahai's eyes widened.

"Eight taels... or seven taels will do."

"I only have three taels. If you want to borrow it, you have to write down that you will return double the amount later."

Zhang Dahai interrupted Lin Yan directly. The reason why the medicine soup was not written as a multiple return was because it was a blood-activating soup that only cost a few coins to make, but the money that was lent out was his own hard-earned money.

"Alright, three taels it is."

Lin Yan looked somewhat dissatisfied, but in the end, he readily signed and affixed his fingerprint to the paper.

After confirming that Lin Yan had written "double return," Zhang Dahai took out a money pouch from his pocket. He counted the loose silver for a long time but couldn't even get three taels. Finally, he took out half a string of copper coins from his waist to make up the difference.

After smilingly seeing Zhang Dahai off and closing the door, Lin Yan pondered deeply.

He worked as a shop assistant at the pharmacy, receiving lunch as a bonus and a monthly salary of three hundred copper coins. Zhang Dahai would need to pay three taels of silver with copper coins to make up the difference. Even if he didn't carry all his money with him, his entire fortune should not have exceeded ten taels.

It seems that Zhang Dahai's gang is not very powerful, at most they are just street thugs.

He asked Zhang Dahai for money because he was genuinely short of cash, and also as a test of the strength of Zhang Dahai's gang.