This martial saint is too cautious.

Chapter 71 Thunder Sound Technique (Please Subscribe)

The Lin residence, the council hall.

"Twenty-three years old, three rounds of skin smoothing, and you still have the nerve to come here?"

"What's so special about that? I'm thirty-two and have three more skin-repairing procedures to do. What am I doing here at that age? Are you starving and begging for food in the clan?"

"Be content, at least it's a three-times skin smoothing. I have even more outrageous ones here, like a twenty-three-year-old with only two skin smoothings. That's what you call just wasting your time."

"Alas, perhaps this branch has declined. The strongest in the clan is only at the second or third level of skin polishing. Even a skilled cook cannot make a meal without rice. It seems that they have sent the strongest young disciple of the clan."

"This is outrageous! Do these branches think this place is a charity? They're cramming all sorts of people here."

"I've said it before: picking talent from branches is like panning for gold in the sand. It's exhausting and time-consuming, and after all that searching, you're mostly empty-handed."

"Lin Mingtang, this is the rule set by the five elders. If you're not satisfied, go talk to the elders." The burly young man on the left mocked.

Lin Mingtang pursed his lips, but didn't continue complaining. If it got back to the elders, he would only be making things difficult for himself.

The clan elders set rules for recruiting outstanding young members of the branch. These outstanding young members had certain standards: they were not qualified if they hadn't undergone three skin-refining sessions, and they had to be under twenty-four years old.

The five of them were responsible for selecting the disciples from each branch, keeping those who met the requirements, and eliminating the unsuitable ones.

The first round of initial screening has ended.

"There are a total of 642 people. 264 of them meet the requirements. 14 people have their skin smoothed four times. The rest have their skin smoothed three times."

Lin Mingshen compiled the list of those who had passed the verification, and then looked at the four people: "If there are no objections, then let's register them separately."

During this selection process, the names of all branch members, including which branch they belonged to, were kept secret. This was to prevent the five members from lowering their standards if they saw members from their own branch.

Splash!

After spending the time it takes to drink a cup of tea to sort out the information of these 264 people, Lin Minghai's face immediately darkened.

"Oh, someone's having a hard time. Tsk tsk—out of two hundred and sixty people, less than twenty are in this room."

Seeing Lin Minghai's ugly expression, Lin Mingtang laughed heartily, "So, Lin Minghai, you've finally met your match!"

"So what if there are fewer people? I'll still beat you up. Lin Mingtang, if you're not satisfied, you can challenge me again anytime. But this time, it won't be as simple as lying in bed for three days."

"Hmph, I was careless last time. Do you think you can beat me again?"

"If I can beat you up once, I can beat you up a second time."

"Alright, you two, shut up and get this sorted out quickly. The elders are waiting for our report."

Lin Mingshen stood between the two men, blocking them, while the other two men watched the show with leisure.

It is common knowledge that the third and fourth wives do not get along.

Lin Minghai has a fiery temper, as does Lin Mingtang. If these two don't fight when they meet, it's considered a sign of restraint.

"I have two warriors who have undergone four skin-smoothing trials, and seventy-three warriors who have undergone three skin-smoothing trials. You should also state the number of warriors from each of your respective groups."

Lin Mingshen of the eldest branch wrote down the number of clansmen left behind by the eldest branch on a piece of paper, and then looked at another person.

"On our second branch, there are three warriors who have undergone four skin-sharpening trials, and sixty-two warriors who have undergone three skin-sharpening trials."

-

The man from the second branch also announced his number, and everyone's eyes fell on Lin Minghai. Lin Mingtang had a mocking look on his face. He had noticed that there weren't many slips of paper in front of Lin Minghai, and he was waiting to see him make a fool of himself.

Under the gaze of the other four, Lin Minghai's face turned as black as charcoal. He hadn't expected that so few members of the third branch of the clan would remain.

"On the third branch, there is one martial artist who has undergone four skin-sharpening techniques, and seventeen martial artists who have undergone three skin-sharpening techniques."

He said this almost through gritted teeth, and as he expected, Lin Mingtang burst out laughing as soon as he finished speaking.

This time, however, Lin Minghai ignored Lin Mingtang.

It wasn't that he didn't want to, but the sheer number of people involved—he didn't have the nerve to argue anymore; he just wanted the matter to be over quickly.

However, Lin Mingtang deliberately remained silent, clearly not wanting the matter to end so quickly.

"Ahem, Mingtang, it's your fourth branch's turn now."

Lin Mingshen couldn't stand it anymore, mainly because he was afraid that Minghai would lose his temper and they would actually start fighting here.

"Our fourth branch is no better. The number of people is also so-so. We only have two skin-grinding warriors after four rounds, and fifty-eight after three rounds. We can't compare to you."

Seemingly humble, but actually sarcastic, with Lin Minghai as the target.

"Lin Mingtang, you're asking for it!"

At this moment, Lin Minghai could no longer hold back. Before he finished speaking, he suddenly sprang up, stomped his left foot on the ground, and shot towards Lin Mingtang like a cannonball.

His right fist was clenched tightly, and a faint thunderous sound could be heard from the tip of his fist.

Thunderclap Fist!

Lin Mingtang was prepared from the moment he opened his mouth to mock him. Facing Lin Minghai's punch, he didn't dodge but instead struck out with his own palm.

boom!

As their fists and palms collided, Lin Minghai remained motionless, while Lin Mingtang's arm went numb, and he was forced back three steps.

"That's it? I haven't seen you improve at all this year!"

Lin Minghai's eyes were filled with disdain, while Lin Mingtang's expression was furious: "It's nothing but a sneak attack, come on—"

"That's enough!"

Lin Mingshen flashed and reappeared between the two, his face icy: "You two should stop now. The elders are waiting for the results. If you delay important matters, you will be punished and sent to Nihu Lake for a month."

Upon hearing the words "Reverse Lake," Lin Minghai and Lin Mingtang fell silent. Finally, they glared at each other and retreated.

"Mingliang, what's the situation with your fifth branch?"

Ignoring the two of them, Lin Mingshen looked directly at the fifth branch of the family.

"Our fifth branch has eight warriors who have undergone four levels of skin polishing, but the number of warriors who have undergone three levels of skin polishing is less, only forty people."

Upon hearing Lin Mingliang's words, Lin Minghai spat out a mouthful of saliva, and the others had the same expression.

What good are three skin-smoothing techniques for a martial artist?!

Lin Mingshen glanced at Lin Mingliang with a hint of helplessness. These guys were all incredibly annoying.

Well, I'll just hand the list over to the elders; that way, I'll have completed my task.

"Now that you've registered, let's report it. Also—would you like to go and check on your respective clansmen?"

"What are you watching? Let's wait until they can establish themselves in the Lin family."

Lin Minghai cursed and walked straight out of the hall.

What are we going to see?

He could almost imagine that as soon as he went to the disciples' quarters, Lin Mingtang would have to follow him.

After he gathers all the branch clansmen from the third branch, Lin Mingtang will have to call the branch clansmen from the fourth branch aside.

She was just hot-tempered, not stupid; how could she possibly offer her face to Lin Mingtang to slap her?

The next morning, Lin Yan was practicing his boxing in the courtyard when he suddenly heard a commotion outside.

"Everyone, come out immediately!"

The next moment, a loud voice came, and Lin Yan put on the shirt hanging on the tree, tying the collar as he walked towards the door.

The open space in front of the disciples' quarters was densely packed with people, and more and more people were constantly coming out of their own courtyards.

Lin Yan saw Lin Rong and Lin Wang in the crowd, but instead of walking over, he casually found a place to stand.

"After screening by the clan, the list of those who can stay at the manor has been released. Those whose names are called can stay, and those whose names are not called should pack their bags and leave before dark today."

When most of the people had arrived, the young man spoke loudly, and the expressions of the people present varied.

Those standing at the very front had confident expressions on their faces, certain that they would be able to stay. Most people looked expectant yet apprehensive, while another group simply seemed indifferent.

These people came with some hope, but after seeing the other branches of the clan, they completely gave up. They knew they could not stay with the main family, and they came only to see the splendor of the main family and Qingzhou Prefecture.

"Lin Ming!"

"I can stay."

In the crowd, a man exclaimed in surprise, his face showing great excitement.

It's no wonder he was so excited. Although he was a level 3 Skin-Refining Warrior and considered a genius in the county, he originally thought that he would definitely be cultivated after coming to the main family. However, during the few days he stayed in the disciples' quarters, he found that the other branch clansmen who came around him were also level 3 Skin-Refining Warriors. His confidence was instantly crushed.

"Lin Zihan, the second wife!"

"Fifth wife, Lin Jiaqi!"

The young man calling out the names paid no attention to the cheers and excitement of the branch clansmen, and just numbly continued calling them out.

"Lin Yu, the second wife!"

The young man paused slightly when he read the name, looking to his left and forward at the boy who had taken a half-step forward.

-

Lin Yu is the most talented among this branch of the clan.

At eighteen, he's already had his skin smoothed four times; he deserves some attention.

"Lin Guiya".

"Lin Cheng, the second wife."

Lin Jianchen

"Fourth son, Lin Wang".

Upon hearing Lin Wang's name, Lin Yan turned his gaze to the two brothers, Lin Rong and Lin Wang. Lin Wang pursed his lips, trying to appear indifferent, but the ever-upturning corners of his mouth betrayed him, while Lin Rong excitedly patted his younger brother's shoulder.

"Lin Qi, the third son!"

Upon hearing the words "Third House," Lin Yan scanned the crowd again. He had already read out more than a hundred names, but the number of people referred to as "Third House" was significantly less than the other houses.

Could it be that the names of the third branch of the family are not the same as those of the others, and those whose names are not specified as belonging to the third branch are all left behind by the third branch?

"Lin Yan from the Third Branch!"

After 150th place, Lin Yan finally heard his name called. He breathed a sigh of relief, but his lips twitched slightly.

Is there someone else with the same name as me?

"Those whose names are called, do not go out this afternoon, as an artist will come to paint your portraits."

After reading out the names on the list, the host left after saying those words. Those whose names were called beamed with joy, while those whose names were not called were inevitably disappointed.

Watching those whose names were called and comforting those who couldn't stay, Lin Yan suddenly realized she had nothing to do.

He hasn't socialized at all these past few days and doesn't need to comfort anyone.

Just as Lin Yan was about to return to his courtyard, Lin Rong walked out from the crowd: "Brother Lin, congratulations!"

"Brother Lin Rong, although you weren't—"

"Brother Lin, there's no need to comfort me. I expected this before I came. I mainly came to accompany my second brother."

Lin Rong smiled and waved his hand. He was indeed a little disappointed that he wasn't kept by the master, but it wasn't something he couldn't accept.

In contrast, he is now more worried about his second younger brother.

At home, my second brother would listen to me, but his attitude changed after he came to the Lin residence.

Her words were always about the fourth wife, which meant she had completely identified herself as one of the fourth wives.

If that were all, it wouldn't be so bad. But on the previous occasions, when they happened to encounter some members of the third branch of the family, the second brother made no attempt to hide his hostility.

He was afraid that his second brother would cause trouble if he didn't keep an eye on him, and then things would get out of control.

"Your younger brother is indeed highly talented in martial arts. With the support of the main family, his future in martial arts is limitless."

"I don't expect my second brother to go far in martial arts. I just hope that he can stay safe and sound during his time with the main family and not cause any trouble."

Lin Rong smiled wryly, then his expression turned solemn: "Brother Lin, I have a favor to ask. If my second brother gets into any trouble in the future, I hope you can lend a hand."

"Brother Lin Rong thinks too highly of me. With my abilities, I'm afraid I can't be of much help."

"Brother Lin, I didn't make myself clear just now. It's not that I need your help with anything else, but if my second brother ever offends anyone in the future, I hope you will be lenient."

Lin Yan is from the third branch of the family, so he asked Lin Yan for forgiveness in advance.

Lin Yan remained silent for a moment. From the look of disgust in Lin Wang's eyes when he learned that he was from the third branch of the family, he understood the meaning behind Lin Rong's words.

"Don't worry, Brother Lin Rong. For your sake, I won't take this small matter to heart."

On the way here, Lin Rong told me a lot about the Lin family, and I owe him a favor. But this favor is only enough for small things. If Lin Wang does something that crosses my bottom line, I will not show any mercy.

"Thank you, Brother Lin."

Lin Rong was not dissatisfied with Lin Yan's answer; if he were Lin Yan, he would have given the same answer.

After Lin Rong left, Lin Yan glanced at the other people gathered in twos and threes, then turned and went back to his own courtyard.

Now is not the time for social interaction.

The next morning.

Seeing that his martial arts tree had finally reached eight inches, Lin Yan smiled.

His hard work day and night has paid off; at this rate, he'll be able to get four skin retouching sessions in another three months.

On this trip, his master gave him two thousand taels, the Lin family gave him one thousand taels, his fourth aunt and uncle gave him five hundred taels, and with the sponsorship from the Chen family and the Qian family, he took a total of seven thousand taels with him.

There's only one bottle of Tiger Bone Tempering Pill left.

This money is enough to support him up to four rounds of skin retouching.

Boom boom boom!

There was a knocking sound at the door.

Lin Yan stepped forward to open the door; it was a servant from the Lin family.

"Young master, here are three sets of clothes prepared for you by the master, your identity token, a map of the Lin family estate, and a manual."

Thank you.

Lin Yan took the items, placed the clothes and token on the table, and immediately began to read the manual.

The manual's contents are similar to a newcomer's introduction, outlining the Lin family's situation and what these branch members can and cannot do.

The first page contained the clan rules, twelve in total. Lin Yan read them word by word, and summarized them in one sentence:

Respect the elderly and cherish the young; brothers and sisters must not harm each other; and one must not betray one's clan.

After reading the clan rules, the next part is an introduction to the Lin family.

After spending the time it takes to drink a cup of tea reading through everything, Lin Yan began to ponder.

The Lin family gave each of these outside disciples one hundred contribution points, and according to the booklet, one hundred contribution points could be exchanged for martial arts resources worth a thousand taels in the Lin family's armory.

In addition, you can go to the Lin family's library with your identity card and choose a cultivation technique for free. If you want to choose a cultivation technique in the future, you can only use contribution points to exchange for it.

Contribution points are earned by accepting tasks assigned by the clan, and the contribution points vary depending on the difficulty of the task.

"Isn't this just the sect model?"

Lin Yan clicked his tongue a few times, but he wasn't surprised. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Although they had shared the same ancestor for hundreds of years, so much time had passed that their blood ties had become extremely thin. The Lin family couldn't possibly provide them with martial arts resources and cultivate them unconditionally.

As for this identity plaque, Lin Yan couldn't tell what kind of wood it was, but it felt very hard to the touch. His name was engraved on the front of the plaque, while his portrait was carved on the back, and his height was also marked.

"No wonder an artist came to draw a portrait yesterday afternoon; it was for identity verification to prevent anyone from impersonating a member of the Lin family."

Fifteen minutes later, after changing his clothes and putting the token in his pocket, Lin Yan turned and left the courtyard, heading towards the library.

Along the way, they encountered several members of the branch clan. These people had also changed into the clothes provided by the Lin family. As they passed by, Lin Yan's attention fell on their belts.

My belt is white, while the belts of these other people are yellow.

"It seems that the five sons of the Lin family wear the same clothes, but their belts are different colors."

One of these people was very excited when his name was called yesterday. Lin Yan remembered that he had said he was from the second wife's family.

Therefore, the second wife's belt is yellow, while the third wife's belt is white.

Lin Yan seemed to be deep in thought. He didn't care about the other branches of the family; his main concern was the fourth branch.

Half an hour later, Lin Yan finally arrived at his destination: the Lin Family's Archives.

The three-story stone building is constructed entirely of massive, bluish-gray stones. The main entrance consists of two iron and wooden doors studded with copper nails. Above the door hangs a plaque inscribed with the three characters "藏功阁" (Cang Gong Ge, meaning "Hidden Merit Pavilion"), written with powerful strokes, suggesting it was written by a strong person.

Lin Yan showed his ID card to the guard at the gate, who glanced at it and let him through.

After entering the gate and crossing a corridor, a middle-aged man sat at a long table. He glanced at Lin Yan as he listened to the footsteps and said, "You are not allowed to enter the second floor. After you have chosen your cultivation method, come here to register."

"I understand."

Lin Yan agreed and went inside the building.

The space on the first floor was more spacious than he had imagined. Light streamed in from the high windows on both sides, falling on the blue brick floor and creating bright patches of light.

Lin Yan glanced around and saw about twenty or thirty people standing in twos and threes in front of the bookshelves. Some were looking down at the bamboo slips, some were frowning in thought, and some had already chosen their cultivation methods and were walking out.

He had seen most of these people yesterday; they were all from a branch of the clan.

Indeed, for these branch clansmen, their primary purpose in coming to the Lin family was to obtain cultivation techniques, so they would naturally head straight for the library.

Turning his gaze back, Lin Yan walked to the nearest bookshelf and casually picked up a scroll of bamboo slips, unfolding it.

The bamboo slips were very short, only about the width of a palm, and when unfolded, they were no more than a foot long, with only a few lines of text on them.

Iron Palm

[Rank: Mid-grade]

[Contribution points required for redemption: 20.]

A mid-grade cultivation technique costs 20 contribution points, which is equivalent to 200 taels of silver. This price would cause a frenzy if it were sold elsewhere; it's truly a bargain.

I read several volumes in a row, and it was the same every time.

There are only four pieces of information: the name of the technique, its rank, a brief description, and contribution points. Nothing else is provided.

Lin Yan understood that the bamboo slips in the Scripture Pavilion were just introductions; if he wanted to learn a particular technique, he had to register with the middle-aged man at the entrance.

The purpose of the Lin family doing this is quite simple: to prevent someone from taking a cultivation technique and then not being able to find it before it is returned.

As for preventing someone from secretly taking the cultivation technique out, no one would dare to do that.

Seeing people carrying bamboo slips toward the door, Lin Yan didn't rush to choose any. He planned to wait until these people returned the bamboo slips and read them all before making a decision.

However, after looking around, Lin Yan couldn't help but frown.

There are many martial arts techniques on the first floor, more than sixty in total, covering various techniques such as fist, palm, claw, knife, spear, sword, and staff, but all of them are mid-grade techniques.

For someone who already possesses the Amazing Swan Sword Technique, the Smoke-Stepping Technique, and the Mountain-Splitting Fist, learning another mid-grade martial art wouldn't make much sense.

A family as large as the Lin family couldn't possibly be without top-grade cultivation techniques.

Lin Yan looked toward the second-floor stairwell and decided to ask the middle-aged man if there was any way to obtain a high-grade cultivation technique.

Just as Lin Yan turned around, a sound came from across a bookshelf.

"Brother Yao, why did you choose the Thunder Sound Technique? Isn't it a pure internal energy cultivation method?"

"This is the main cultivation method that the main family members have been practicing since they started with standing meditation. I plan to abandon my original method and start cultivating this one."

.

"Brother Yao, why is this?"

"The main cultivation method I originally learned to increase my qi and blood was a mid-grade method. If I encounter someone who cultivates a high-grade main cultivation method, my qi and blood will be slightly worse than theirs at the same cultivation level. I want to make up for this gap."

"But wouldn't that waste a lot of time?"

"Lin Zhou, Yao-ge is different from us. He pursues the ultimate in martial arts, and with Yao-ge's talent, he will master it in no time."

"The Thunder Sound Technique is not so easy to master. Even members of the main family rarely choose this technique. Even those who do often need several months to learn it. However, I am willing to spend that time. Once I master it, my cultivation speed will be faster than that of a mid-grade technique."

Lin Yan listened quietly. The other person's words seemed humble, but his tone betrayed him, clearly showing that he had full confidence.

Thunder Sound Technique?

After the other party took the bamboo slip and returned it after a short while, Lin Yan walked over and picked it up.

[Thunder Sound Technique]

[Grade: top grade]

[This internal energy and blood circulation cultivation method is extremely difficult to practice; choose carefully.]

[Contribution points required for redemption: 30]

After reading the introduction to this technique, Lin Yan pondered that when he practiced the Rock Stake, he developed a strong, muscular back and spine, but this was lost when he practiced the Mountain Splitting Fist.

I'm now switching to the Thunder Sound Technique, a superior cultivation method. I don't know if that's okay.

Even if that's not possible, following the other party's advice, practicing the Thunder Sound Technique can still increase one's Qi and blood.

Of course, more importantly, there were no cultivation techniques he wanted on this floor.

Holding the bamboo slips, Lin Yan walked up to the middle-aged man at the door.

"Senior, I would like to ask if our branch clan members can reserve a spot for selecting a cultivation technique for the second floor?"

Hearing Lin Yan's words, Lin Qinghe looked up and said, "The second floor is full of top-grade cultivation techniques. Only those who have undergone four skin-refining processes are qualified to enter. If there are still spots available, you can use half of your contribution points plus this spot to go up to the second floor and choose a technique. However, I must remind you that the mid-grade cultivation techniques on the first floor were also selected by the clan from among many mid-grade techniques. They are far superior to the mid-grade techniques in the county town."

"Thank you for your guidance, senior. I will use my contribution points to exchange for this cultivation technique."

Lin Yan handed over the bamboo slip containing the Thunder Sound Technique. This time, Lin Qinghe scrutinized Lin Yan for a while longer: "This technique isn't easy to master. Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Show me your identity token."

Lin Qinghe checked Lin Yan's identity token, wrote Lin Yan's name, the exchanged cultivation technique, and the deducted contribution points on the ledger in front of him.

Then, his expression turned stern: "The clan will tally the daily expenditure of all clan members' contribution points and calculate the remaining contribution points. Although the clan won't verify the exchange of contribution points for pills and cultivation techniques on the same day, if it's found that the contribution points are insufficient during the settlement, you will face severe punishment from the clan. In addition, cultivation techniques are strictly forbidden to be passed on to outsiders, and you are not allowed to carry cultivation techniques on your person when you go out. You must remember that you represent not only yourself, but also the entire branch of the clan behind you. Don't implicate the clan."

"This junior will remember this and will never dare to disobey the clan rules."

"Okay, please wait a moment."

Lin Qinghe turned around, opened a drawer in the cabinet behind him, and took out a booklet.

"After completing your studies, send the copy here; do not destroy it privately."