This martial saint is too cautious.

next day!

Lin Yan originally intended to return to Qingtian Town, but was persuaded to stay by Zhang Liang, who came to her home.

"Junior Brother Lin, don't rush to leave. Junior Brother Zhao has attempted to break through the barrier three times today. If he succeeds, our martial arts school will definitely have to celebrate. If you go back to Qingtian Town now, you'll have to come back anyway, so you might as well stay another day."

"Is Junior Brother Zhao attempting his breakthrough today?"

Lin Yan wasn't surprised that Zhao Linyuan was going to try to improve his skin three times, but he didn't expect it to happen today.

"With Master personally protecting him, all the senior brothers from our martial arts school who have undergone three skin-refining treatments have returned to witness Junior Brother Lin's breakthrough."

Hearing Zhang Liang's words, Lin Yan also made a judgment in his mind. Junior Brother Zhao had a high chance of succeeding in breaking through the barrier by polishing his skin three times, otherwise he wouldn't have made such a big fuss.

Of course, uncertainty still exists until the very last moment.

Unless Junior Brother Zhao possesses a heaven-defying treasure like the Martial Dao Tree, just like himself.

When Lin Yan and Zhang Liang arrived at the martial arts school, many of the senior students who had undergone two rounds of skin resurfacing were already waiting outside the courtyard, while Senior Student Hao, who had undergone three rounds of skin resurfacing, was chatting with two other men.

"Junior Brother Lin is here. Let me introduce you. This is Senior Brother Chen, who came all the way from Wunu County. This is Junior Brother Zuo, who usually stays in Qiankou County."

"Greetings, Senior Brother Chen; greetings, Senior Brother Zuo."

Judging from the appearance of his two senior brothers, Lin Yan should be in their early thirties. Like Senior Brother Hao, they were among the earliest disciples accepted by their master.

"I just heard from Junior Brother Hao that our martial arts school has produced several geniuses this year. Hmm, Junior Brother Lin's temperament is truly extraordinary."

Chen Shan spoke with a smile. He rarely comes to the martial arts school these days. He had just talked with Junior Brother Hao and they specifically discussed the current batch of disciples at the school. He had also heard about Lin Yan's situation from Junior Brother Hao.

Lin Yan responded modestly for a few minutes, and Hao Jingnian pulled Lin Yan to the side.

"Junior Brother Lin, I have some leads on your uncle's whereabouts. According to the records of the Patrol Office, your uncle was initially sent to Fushan County to perform corvée labor, but after two years there, he was sent to Qingzhou Prefecture, and there has been no further news since then."

Hao Jingnian was only the deputy inspector of Guangping County. It was already quite an effort that he was able to find out that Uncle Lin Yan had been transferred from Fushan County to Qingzhou Prefecture.

"Senior Brother Hao, logically speaking, my uncle should have returned home after serving two years of corvée labor in Fushan County. Why was he sent to Qingzhou Prefecture instead?"

Lin Yan frowned. Ordinary people serve two years of corvée labor, and it was clearly illogical for people from Dengzhou Prefecture to be sent to Qingzhou Prefecture.

"I had someone inquire about this matter. Back then, Qingzhou Prefecture suffered a flood, and the canal embankment was destroyed and needed to be rebuilt. There weren't enough local laborers, so they conscripted laborers from other prefectures. It cost ten taels of silver per person, and the Fushan County Patrol Office sent a group of people over there."

Hearing Hao's explanation, Lin Yan understood. Someone from the Fushan County Patrol Office had sold off his uncle and the other laborers for this money.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Hao. At least it seems that Uncle still has a chance to live."

Lin Yan expressed his gratitude, saying that if his uncle had been in Dengzhou, there was a high probability that he had passed away after seven years without any news. However, since he had been sent to Qingzhou, given the distance between the two prefectures, ordinary people might not have been able to return.

"Just keep this in mind. Fushan County experienced an internal turmoil, and the entire Patrol and Inspection Division, from the director to the deputy director, was replaced. Many of the booklets have gone missing."

Hao Jingnian patted Lin Yan on the shoulder, and just then, a sound came from the courtyard.

"Come in, everyone. Don't wait outside."

Upon hearing their master's voice, everyone filed in. The moment they stepped into the backyard, everyone's gaze involuntarily fell on the figure in the center of the training ground.

Zhao Linyuan stood there quietly.

The morning sunlight streamed into the courtyard, gilding him as if with a faint golden edge.

The biggest change in her was her skin.

One round of skin resurfacing roughens the skin, a second round resurfacing strengthens the muscles, and a third round resurfacing cleanses the tendons. After the blood and qi enter the tendons, the meridians expand, the blood and qi circulate more smoothly, and the whole person will present a sense of "transparency" from the inside out.

At this moment, Zhao Linyuan's skin tone was a bit darker than before, with a gentle and jade-like texture.

A martial artist who reaches this level has shed their roughness.

"Junior Brother Zhao was already handsome, and now after three rounds of skin smoothing, I'm afraid all the young ladies in the city will be speechless with envy when they see him," Zhang Liang clicked his tongue in admiration, his eyes filled with envy.

Lin Yan's lips twitched. At first glance, all the senior brothers in the martial arts school seemed very upright, but now that they were more familiar with each other, he realized that they were all secretly lecherous.

Zhao Linyuan took a deep breath, looked at the many senior brothers who had entered, and bowed deeply to Yang Qingfeng: "Thank you for protecting me, Master."

Yang Qingfeng stood on the steps, his face full of a gratified smile. He nodded with a smile, then turned his gaze to the others present, his gaze lingering on Lin Yan and Zhuang Zheng for a long while: "Lin Yuan's breakthrough today is also due to his solid foundation. The others must also cultivate diligently and must not neglect their studies."

"In the path of martial arts, the worst thing is to work hard one day and then slack off the next. If you work hard today and then slack off tomorrow, even if you have talent, it will be like morning dew meeting the sun, which will dissipate in an instant. Many martial artists are stuck at the skin-grinding stage for this very reason."

Upon hearing this, all the disciples responded in unison.

"You fellow disciples should have a good get-together."

Yang Qingfeng looked at the many disciples in the courtyard. Lin Yuan had successfully broken through, and these disciples would definitely want to celebrate. With him here, the disciples would inevitably feel a little uneasy.

As Yang Qingfeng left, most of the people present surrounded him and began praising him.

Lin Yan stood aside, watching Zhao Linyuan surrounded by the crowd, without feeling any jealousy.

Junior Brother Zhao is indeed a genius!

I'm only a little over 70% away from the third round of skin smoothing, while Junior Brother Zhao has not only caught up but also far surpassed me.

I wonder if I could still be a match for Junior Brother Zhao if I used my Stone Waist and Spine and my fist techniques right now?

He should be no match for Junior Brother Zhao. After four rounds of skin polishing, each breakthrough brought a qualitative improvement in his strength.

"Junior Brother Lin," Zhang Liang praised, then walked back, "What are you thinking about? You seem so lost in thought."

"It's nothing," Lin Yan smiled. "I was just thinking that Junior Brother Zhao has broken through, which means our martial arts school is even stronger now."

"That's true," Zhang Liang exclaimed. "Our Yang Family Martial Arts School originally only had three senior brothers who had undergone three rounds of skin polishing. Now, with Junior Brother Zhao, we have four. Among the six martial arts schools, only Lingyun Martial Arts School and Juying Martial Arts School can surpass us."

In the county's martial arts circle, the disciples of Lingyun Martial Arts School and Juying Martial Arts School are recognized as the strongest. Each school has seven or eight disciples who have achieved three levels of skin polishing, and the school masters are all top experts who have achieved four levels of skin polishing. Although Yang Family Martial Arts School cannot compare with these two schools, it still firmly occupies the top position in the second tier.

"We'll just grab something at the martial arts gym for lunch today. Junior Brother Zhao is having a celebratory banquet at his house tonight, so we'll go have a big meal there." Zhang Liang patted Lin Yan on the shoulder. "Let's share in the joy."

……

evening.

East of the city, the Zhao residence.

Looking at this magnificent mansion, Lin Yan's expression remained unchanged, but he sighed inwardly: Junior Brother Zhao is truly destined to be a protagonist.

He came from a good family and had high talent in martial arts; he was practically the template protagonist of an early online novel in my previous life.

"The largest Zhao family silver shop in the city is owned by Junior Brother Zhao's family. In addition, the Zhao family also runs a cosmetics shop. It can be said that the ladies and young women in the city cannot do without the Zhao family."

Seeing Lin Yan stop in front of the Zhao family gate, Zhang Liang knew that Lin Yan probably didn't know about Junior Brother Zhao's family situation, so he introduced, "Junior Brother Zhao has four older sisters, and he is the only male heir. The entire Zhao family's wealth is devoted to Junior Brother Zhao alone. No one can compare to him."

"Senior Brother Zhang knows so much about this?"

Lin Yan's question made Zhang Liang's expression a little awkward. Although he was not arrogant, he was still somewhat worldly because of his merchant background. He would make a point of knowing the family background of his fellow martial arts students and associate with those from wealthier families.

Seeing Zhang Liang's embarrassed expression, Lin Yan realized that this senior brother Zhang hadn't been very friendly to him at first. It wasn't until he broke through to the second level of skin refining that Zhang Liang took the initiative to become close to him. Given Zhang Liang's pragmatic nature, he must have inquired about the family circumstances of the martial arts school's fellow disciples beforehand.

However, he wouldn't resent Senior Brother Zhang because of this. It's human nature to befriend someone above you, and Senior Brother Zhang hasn't done anything wrong.

Upon entering the Zhao residence, the servants led the martial arts group to the back garden. The back garden was already quite crowded, filled with young men and women. Lin Yan spotted a familiar figure, Li Yu.

"It's the disciples of the Yang Family Martial Arts School who have arrived."

Li Yu was talking with several women when he heard the commotion. He turned his head to look with the women, but when he saw Lin Yan in the crowd, his expression turned cold and he quickly turned his face away.

Lin Yan didn't notice Li Yu at all, because Zhang Liang was introducing him to other people.

"Junior Brother Lin, let me introduce you to some people."

Zhang Liang is very sociable and knows many people present.

"This is the young master of the He family in the east of the city."

"This is the eldest son of Liuweifang in the south of the city."

……

"I've long admired your name!"

"I've heard so much about you!"

……

Zhang Liang introduced Lin Yan to a group of young people, all of similar age. These people not only had their skin retouched twice, but also came from very good backgrounds.

This is the Brahman town of a small county; truly, no uncultured people come and go.

Lin Yan didn't put on a cold attitude; he understood that Senior Brother Zhang Liang meant well and wanted to expand his network.

After the introductions, Zhang Liang started chatting with the others. Lin Yan glanced around the room and saw Zhuang Zheng standing alone. After thinking for a moment, he walked over.

"Junior Brother Zhuang doesn't like socializing?"

"I'm not good with words, so I'd better avoid interacting with people."

Zhuang Zheng smiled shyly, and Lin Yan expressed his understanding, as Junior Brother Zhuang was the kind of person who was a bit socially awkward but also an action-oriented person.

As night fell, more and more guests arrived in the courtyard. Those who knew each other gathered together and chatted, leaving only Lin Yan and Zhuang Zheng alone, making the place seem rather deserted.

"Could it be Lin Yan, the young master of the Yang Family Martial Arts School?"

A soft voice came from behind. Lin Yan turned around and saw a woman in white slowly approaching. The woman had a graceful figure, and her white clothes could not hide her exquisite curves. Her skin was as white as snow, and her eyebrows and eyes were as beautiful as paintings. Her cold expression carried a trace of unyielding sorrow, but it did not diminish her dignified demeanor.

"That's me." Lin Yan nodded slightly.

He had already noticed that someone was watching him; as a second-level skin-smoothing martial artist, he was quite perceptive.

Qin Yin curtsied and said, "I am Qin Yin, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Lin family in Nancheng. I apologize for disturbing you, Young Master Lin."

Lin Yan was taken aback. The Lin family of Nancheng, the one that deals in ironware.

Lin's Iron Shop monopolized most of the ironware needs of the county's residents. Once, when he was polishing skin, his martial arts school senior even mistook him for someone from the Lin family of Nancheng.

"You're too kind, Madam." Lin Yan returned the greeting, but she was a little puzzled. What did this eldest daughter-in-law of the Lin family want with her?

Qin Yin glanced around and said in a low voice, "Young Master Lin, may I have a word with you in private?"

Lin Yan pondered for a moment, then nodded.

The two moved into the inner part of the garden path, where it was quiet and there was no one around.

Zhuang Zheng saw Lin Yan and Qin Yin go to the flower garden behind the path, so he deliberately stood at the entrance of the path. In this way, if anyone came, he could stop them and prevent Lin Yan and Qin Yin's conversation from being disturbed. At the same time, if anything bad happened, he could also testify on behalf of Lin Yan.

"Madam, you can speak frankly now."

"The Lin family wishes to sponsor Young Master Lin's martial arts training. They are willing to sponsor three hundred taels of silver this year, and the same will be done next year."

To fund oneself?

Lin Yan really didn't expect that this Madam Lin was looking for him to sponsor him. He was only a second-level skin refiner. Given the scale of the Lin family's iron shop, they shouldn't take a second-level skin refiner too seriously.

Something unusual must be going on. He didn't believe that such a good thing would fall into his lap, so he shook his head and said, "Madam's kindness is kind, but I am unworthy of it. As the saying goes, one should not accept a reward without merit..."

"Young Master Lin, please don't be in such a hurry to refuse." Qin Yin interrupted Lin Yan, her eyes clear and honest: "To be honest, my husband passed away suddenly from a serious illness two months ago. Without a powerful martial artist to support us, our family business is struggling to continue. We need a martial artist to take charge."

widowed?

Looking at Madam Lin in her white dress and the sorrow in her eyes, Lin Yan couldn't help but mutter a curse in his heart, even though it was somewhat immoral.

If you want to be pretty, be filial.

But as I said before, with my current strength, I am not qualified to protect such a large business as the Lin family.

"Madam, you've come to the wrong person. My abilities are not even ranked in Guangping County."

"The reasons for choosing Young Master Lin are twofold: firstly, he has already reached the second level of skill and possesses immense potential in martial arts; secondly, he has a clean background and does not have much connection with the major forces in the city. Based on these two points alone, there are few people in the city more suitable than Young Master Lin."

Qin Yin smiled faintly: "But most importantly, Young Master Lin has a grateful heart."

Choosing Lin Yan was a last-minute decision for Qin Yin, but it was also the most appropriate one in her opinion.

Since her husband passed away, her mother-in-law, who had lost her son, also fell ill overnight, leaving her to manage the large Lin family household.

During this period of time, she had discussed with the steward of the house several times. In order to maintain the family business, the safest option would naturally be to invite a three-times-skin-sharpening martial artist. However, all three-times-skin-sharpening martial artists in the city have families behind them, and she was afraid of inviting a wolf into the house.

The situation is similar for the outstanding disciples of each martial arts school.

Until today, she heard from a guard in the manor that Lin Yan, a disciple of the Zhou family martial arts school, although of ordinary background, had already achieved the second level of skin smoothing in less than a year of martial arts training. Moreover, he was extremely grateful. Just because he received a few words of guidance from a skin smoothing martial artist when choosing a martial arts school, he personally went to the door to deliver a generous gift to express his gratitude.

Of course, having a grateful heart and doing a second round of skin smoothing isn't enough; you also need real skill.

Lin Yan defeated Cheng Zonghan with two punches a few days ago, which shows that Lin Yan's strength is not weak in the second skin-sharpening process.

With a clean background, potential, and a sense of gratitude, providing assistance now will allow Lin Yan to achieve three rounds of skin polishing within two years, thus protecting the Lin family's iron shop business.

Although her husband has passed away, the Lin family can still hold on for a year or two thanks to their existing connections.

Seeing that Lin Yan still did not answer, Qin Yin opened her red lips again: "Before Young Master Lin has gone through the third skin-smoothing process, no matter what trouble our Lin family encounters, Young Master Lin does not need to pay attention to it."

Lin Yan looked at Qin Yin. Since the other party had offered such terms, he had no reason not to agree.

"I am honored by the Lin family's high regard, and I accept their offer."

Hearing Lin Yan agree, Qin Yin's eyebrows relaxed slightly, and her pretty face showed a relieved smile.

After the two reached an agreement, Qin Yin left first, and Lin Yan returned to Zhuang Zheng's side. Zhuang Zheng seemed not to be curious at all about what Lin Yan and Qin Yin had talked about. When the servants of the Zhao family announced the start of the banquet, the two followed the other senior brothers of the martial arts school into the hall and took their seats.

That evening, amidst the clinking of glasses at the banquet, Zhao Linyuan became the focus of the entire event.

At the entire banquet, the lowest-ranking martial artists were all second-grade martial artists, and third-grade martial artists occupied two whole tables.

Seeing the envious and ardent looks in the eyes of the young men and women at the banquet as they looked at Zhao Linyuan, Lin Yan couldn't help but sigh softly, "Back then, at nineteen, he sat there like a lackey."

Perhaps only Junior Brother Zhuang Zheng had the purest intentions, as he kept his head down eating the rare meat and medicinal wine on the table, truly just there to freeload off the feast.