This martial saint is too cautious.

An hour later, Lin Yan waited at home for the people from the Tang residence to arrive.

As agreed with Lin Yan and Tang Tang, the Tang family's butler personally delivered the gift box to their door.

After seeing off the Tang family steward, Lin Yan opened the gift box.

On the top layer of the gift box were two jade bottles, with small characters affixed to the bottles: Leopard Bone Tempering Pill.

Two bottles, twenty-four pills.

"These two bottles are my allowance for the whole year."

Lin Yan couldn't help but sigh. This was something he had agreed upon with the eldest daughter of the Tang family: all the offerings would be replaced with leopard bone tempering pills.

The Tang family started out in the medicinal herb industry, and their understanding of the effects of Bone Tempering Pills far surpasses that of other martial artists. In terms of medicinal power alone, two leopard bone Bone Tempering Pills are more effective than one tiger bone Bone Tempering Pill.

Ignoring the success rate of four skin resurfacing sessions, the Leopard Bone Tempering Pill offers better value for money.

For Lin Yan, with the Martial Arts Tree, he doesn't need to worry about failing to break through, so naturally he should choose the option with the highest cost-effectiveness.

Two bottles of Leopard Bone Tempering Pills, worth 1,200 taels on the market, would still cost over 800 taels even with a 30% discount for a Tang family retainer, far exceeding the salary of a typical martial artist who has undergone three skin-refining rituals.

In fact, in Guangping County, very few people hold official positions after reaching the level of a three-stage skin-grinding martial artist.

Firstly, few families could afford to hire a martial artist who could polish skin three times to hold a nominal position. Instead, most families, like the Lin family, would simply hold the position and receive a fee of one or two hundred taels of silver per year.

Secondly, those who can cultivate to the third level of skin-sharpening generally have their own families behind them and would not be able to take up a position in other forces.

Someone like Lin Yan, whose strength has reached the third level of skin polishing but whose family background is average, is quite unique in Guangping County.

Lin Yan took out the top layer of the gift box, and found a book on the bottom layer. Before even opening the book, he smelled the fragrance of ink.

"It seems this was hastily copied by the Tang family."

Lin Yan could understand that the Tang family would not allow the original to be leaked, so they could only make a new copy. As long as the content was correct, it was fine for him.

Opening the booklet, four characters on the title page caught my eye: "The Amazing Sword Technique".

A hint of surprise flashed in Lin Yan's eyes, followed by a somewhat subtle expression.

To be honest, he himself didn't really want to learn swordsmanship.

In his mind, sword cultivators could be summed up in one word: poor.

Thin blood, short life; poor but proud.

But then again...

He looked down at the sword manual in his hand, then at himself.

The sword, the gentleman among all weapons, resonates somewhat with me in this respect.

"It's always better to have something to learn than nothing to learn. I have no right to be picky."

Lin Yan opened the sword manual, browsed through it page by page, and silently memorized the information.

He closed the sword manual, got up and walked into the courtyard, where he drew a long sword from the weapon rack in the corner.

The weapon rack was recently sent by Cai's uncle. In his words, as a second-level skin-refining martial artist, how could he not have a weapon rack at home?

Begin with the first move.

The longsword thrust out, crooked and erratic.

Lin Yan's lips twitched; this was because he hadn't controlled the strength and accuracy well.

Come again.

The second attempt was still clumsy.

The third time, it went a little smoother, but it was still far from being a true "swordsmanship" performance.

This training session lasted for an hour.

After practicing a hundred times, a clear stream flowed into his mind, just like before, guiding him on how to channel his energy and unleash his sword.

I've mastered the basics of the Amazing Swan Sword Technique!

Lin Yan looked at the martial arts tree in his mind, where a new cluster of tender buds had sprouted.

Looking at the martial arts fruits on the martial arts tree, all of them added up to a total of thirty-eight years.

Thirty-eight years, if all of it were poured into the Astounding Swan Sword Technique...

A resolute glint flashed in Lin Yan's eyes.

Strike while the iron is hot!

The Martial Arts Fruit melted away.

Thirty-eight years of arduous cultivation flooded into my mind like a burst dam.

Lin Yan saw himself, gripping the sword day after day.

At first, the sword was heavy and difficult to control.

Later, the sword gradually became lighter, not really lighter, but rather the arm learned how to become one with the sword.

He saw the subtle changes in the airflow as the sword's blade sliced ​​through it, cutting and then closing.

The moment you see the sunlight fall on the sword and the reflection is dazzling is the perfect time to draw your sword.

The sword was already thrust out the moment the opponent's pupils contracted sharply.

One year, two years, five years, ten years...

The sword is no longer an external object.

It became an extension of the arm, a part of breathing.

When drawing the sword, there's no need to think; the wrist naturally knows where to go, and the sword tip naturally knows where to land.

I don't know how much time passed.

Lin Yan opened her eyes.

He looked down at the longsword in his hand and gripped it gently.

He raised his hand and waved it casually.

There was no particular technique, not even any specific purpose; he simply wanted to swing his sword.

But with that single swing, an incomparably sharp aura burst forth from the sword's edge.

Sword stance.

That was the result of thirty-eight years of honing his skills day and night, internalizing the sword into his very bones.

There's no need to deliberately wield it; the momentum arises naturally as soon as the sword is in hand.

Lin Yan looked into his mind and saw that the tender sprout that had just grown had now turned into a golden leaf, and the gold was even more intense than the leaf of the Mountain Splitting Fist.

"Is the sword stance brighter than the fist stance because the sword stance is more powerful, or because I cultivate a superior-grade martial art?"

Lin Yan had a thoughtful look on his face, but then he looked at the empty martial arts tree and couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.

Thirty-eight years of sword practice has only just allowed me to develop a sword stance. If I were to practice fist techniques, I could have developed two fist stances by now.

Is it because the sword technique is more difficult, or because the Jinghong Sword Technique is a superior skill?

At this rate, it would take at least another ten years to develop sword intent.

He estimated it to be ten years because, compared to the Mountain-Splitting Fist, the golden color of the leaf in the Amazing Swan Sword Technique was more intense. It might be far from the sword intent, but it might also be just one step away, so he roughly took a middle value.

Ten years is enough time to kill a few people.

Unfortunately, the Lin family did not encounter any trouble, and he could not just attack martial artists indiscriminately for the sake of martial arts fruits.

If he really did that, what difference would there be between him and those he expelled from humanity?

Those gang fighters who committed numerous evil deeds were acceptable, but according to his understanding, the west and north of the city had already been occupied by the Sihai Gang. Those gang fighters either had to join the Sihai Gang or leave Guangping County.

Even a behemoth like the Four Seas Gang couldn't withstand his three rounds of skin-sharpening.

……

Pulling his thoughts back, Lin Yan was about to continue practicing his sword when he heard footsteps coming from the courtyard gate and looked over.

The courtyard gate was pushed open, and Aunt Liu and Li Min walked in.

"Yan'er is back."

Upon seeing Lin Yan standing in the courtyard, Li Min greeted him with a smile.

Ever since Lin Yan helped the Cai family solve their problem, Li Min has become very close to Liu Shi and often invites her to the Cai family. Lin Yan is well aware of his fourth aunt's feelings, but he does not object to his fourth aunt being close to his aunt.

The Cai family had shown him kindness by gifting him martial arts skills. Secondly, his aunt had little contact with her maternal family due to her own reasons, and having his fourth aunt around could help his aunt make up for the lack of kinship with her maternal family.

"Fourth Aunt is here."

After exchanging greetings, Lin Yan didn't see her younger brother and asked curiously, "Auntie, where's my little brother?"

"Jun'er has reached the age to learn to read, so the master has hired a tutor for him. Mo'er is also learning to read, so I'll let Mo'er and Jun'er study together at the mansion. When the lessons are over, the servants will send Mo'er back."

Li Min explained with a smile, and Lin Yan nodded: "My little brother is naughty, I'm sorry to trouble you, Fourth Aunt."

"It's no trouble at all. We're all family. Saying it's troublesome is just being too polite. Jun'er and Mo'er get along really well, like brothers."

Lin Yan smiled wryly. He was certain that his uncle and fourth aunt had spoken to their son, and that if one side was willing to flatter the other, how could the relationship not be good?

"May I ask if this is the residence of Young Master Lin Yan?"

Suddenly, a voice came from the doorway. A middle-aged man dressed in brocade stood at the door, with two brokers standing behind him.

Before Lin Yan could speak, the middle-aged man's eyes lit up when he saw Lin Yan. He stepped forward and said, "Young Master Lin, I am the manager of the brokerage firm. Our boss learned that Young Master Lin has broken through to the third level of skin polishing, so he specially sent me to congratulate you. This is the property deed that Young Master Lin left behind."

Manager of a dental clinic?

Lin Yan was surprised and said in a deep voice, "I shouldn't know your boss. That's probably not appropriate."

He had taken out a loan to buy the house, and owed 100 taels of silver. He planned to pay it back when it was almost a year later, but the brokerage firm has now waived it.

"Young Master Lin, your breakthrough to the third level of skin polishing is a joyous occasion for our entire county. Every family will express their heartfelt wishes. This is a tradition that has been passed down in Guangping County for many years. Please accept this gift, Young Master Lin, so that I can go back and explain to my employer."

"In that case, please thank your employer for me."

Hearing this, Lin Yan did not refuse any longer and accepted the documents and contracts handed to him.

"I won't bother Young Master Lin any longer."

The middle-aged man left with the broker, while Li Min's beautiful eyes shone brightly in the courtyard, and her delicate body trembled uncontrollably.

If she heard correctly, Lin Yan had broken through to the third level of skin smoothing.

After three rounds of skin smoothing, that's when you become a real big shot in the city.

The Lin family prospered, and my family benefited from it as well.

"Yan'er, you've broken through to the third level of skin smoothing?"

Although Liu had some understanding of martial arts because her nephew practiced martial arts, and knew that two or three skin retouching sessions were considered very powerful, she didn't really understand what they specifically meant.

"Yes, I just broke through yesterday. I didn't expect these families in the county to be so well-informed."

"How could it not be clever? This is three rounds of skin resurfacing. There are only a few dozen in our county. Yan'er is still so young, her future is limitless."

Li Min controlled her emotions and immediately stepped forward to take Liu's hand: "Sister-in-law, you'll be enjoying a life of luxury from now on."

The broker's owner sent congratulatory gifts, which was like a bugle call before a charge. In the next hour, people from various families in the county came to the door one after another. Some sent their stewards, while others came in person.

Liu was having trouble entertaining everyone, but fortunately, Li Min, who came from the Cai family, was experienced in these social interactions and took charge of entertaining the guests and registering the gifts brought by each guest.

The Lin family didn't quiet down until night fell.

Li Min was shocked as she looked at the list of gifts. Although each family gave only twenty or thirty taels of silver, and occasionally one or two families gave fifty taels, the sheer number of people meant that the total amount was more than a thousand taels.

What excited Li Min even more was that many of the people who came were managers of large families. In the past, in order to sell cloth to noblemen, the master would often host banquets at home to entertain these managers. However, these managers were all very arrogant and haughty. But today, after these people learned that she was Aunt Lin Yan, they were not so obsequious as to be extremely warm and friendly. Several of them even hinted that they wanted to visit her home.

Li Min glanced at Lin Yan, who stood calmly to the side. She knew very well that all of this was because of her nephew.

When one person attains the Tao, the chicken and the dog ascend to heaven.

No, I have to go back and have a serious talk with the master. This time, the family must send a generous gift.

Liu, who was standing to the side, was in a state of extreme shock and had not yet come to her senses.

"Auntie, are you alright?"

Lin Yan looked at his aunt sitting on the stone bench for a long time without saying a word, and asked with some concern.

"I...I'm fine."

Liu picked up the teapot on the table, poured herself a cup, and soothed her dry throat: "Yan'er, go...go and pay respects to your parents and ancestors, and thank them for their blessings."

At this moment, the simple-minded Liu had no other thoughts in her mind but to thank the Lin family ancestors for their blessings.