This martial saint is too cautious.

Chapter 75 Interception

Under the moonlight, Zhao Ziming escorted Lin Yanyuan to the entrance.

"Young Master Lin, please get some rest. I'll be leaving now."

"Thank you for seeing me off."

Lin Yan clasped his hands in greeting. After Zhao Ziming left, he did not go back to the house, but sat down at the stone table in the courtyard. His eyes were clear, and he showed no signs of being drunk.

"Is this a coincidence or a test?"

In Lin Yan's mind, a series of scenes flashed by, starting from the banquet.

From the moment he arrived, Zhao Zixuan showed him some disdain.

He could interpret this as Zhao Zixuan feeling dissatisfied because he felt his abilities were inferior to Zhao Zixuan's, yet he enjoyed being treated like a star.

From this perspective, it's acceptable for Zhao Zixuan to challenge himself.

But what if all of this was planned?

The whole process was very natural, but Lin Yan caught a detail.

When I came, I was carrying a scabbard, so to outsiders I should know how to use a knife.

With Zhao Zixuan's arrogance, he should have asked himself before challenging someone whether he needed to use a weapon, lest his victory be dishonest.

However, Zhao Zixuan did not, as if he knew that his greatest strength was martial arts.

Of course, it's also possible that Zhao Zixuan didn't use any weapons and didn't think about it that way.

"Whether it was a test or a coincidence, I have established my authority. I hope Zhao Tieshan will not disturb my cultivation here."

Lin Yan snapped out of his thoughts and glanced at the martial arts tree in his mind.

The green leaves of the Smoke-Stepping Technique have fully taken shape, and I can say that I have reached the mastery level.

Today, I also tested the effect of the Smoke Step. If I wanted to, even if Zhao Zixuan fought until he was exhausted, he wouldn't be able to touch the hem of my clothes.

As for that punch, it was less than 20% of his strength.

A courtyard on the west side.

Zhao Tieshan, Zhou Yuanqing, and the other two sat at the stone table, sipping fragrant tea.

"Tell me your thoughts."

Zhao Tieshan's previous warm and smiling expression vanished, replaced by a gloomy face as he glanced at Zhou Yuanqing and the other two.

"I think Lin Yan accepted the mission normally."

Zhou Yuanqing was the first to offer his assessment: "If the Lin family truly suspects us, there's no need for them to send someone from one of their branches."

Qian Wanli pondered for a moment and said, "I think it's too early to draw that conclusion now."

"I share the same view as Brother Zhou."

Sun Desheng said in a deep voice, "The Lin family recently gathered a group of branch clansmen. Lin Yan has only been in the Lin family for a short time and wants to investigate us. How could they send a branch clansman who has only recently arrived?"

All three gave their own judgments, and finally their gazes fell back on Zhao Tieshan.

Ultimately, the decision rests with Master Zhao.

"Have some tea."

Zhao Tieshan didn't rush to give a conclusion. Instead, he picked up his teacup. After the group finished their tea, the courtyard gate was pushed open, and Zhao Zixuan walked in.

"Zixuan is here, please take a seat."

Qian Wanli got up and helped Zhao Zixuan to sit down at the stone table.

"You suffered a great loss this time. How are you feeling?"

Zhao Tieshan asked with concern, and Zhao Zixuan smiled on his pale face: "I feel better after taking the medicine."

"This is my fault for not considering things carefully. I didn't expect Lin Yan to be so strong."

This time, he deliberately arranged for his nephew to challenge Lin Yan. Otherwise, no matter how arrogant or disdainful his nephew was, he would not have dared to provoke the Lin family on the very first day.

The purpose of doing this was simple: to test Lin Yan's temperament and strength.

Lin Yan is not a member of the main branch of the Lin family, but comes from a lower branch. If he is afraid of causing trouble and dares not scold his nephew, it means that Lin Yan is soft-hearted and does not even dare to borrow the power of the Lin family. In that case, he is not a threat.

Now, however, it's a bit hard to say.

"Let's not jump to conclusions yet; everyone should be cautious these days."

The next day.

Lin Yan had just finished breakfast when Zhao Tieshan arrived.

"Brother Lin, my nephew was quite offensive yesterday. My elder brother already knows about this and specifically asked me to come and apologize to you."

Zhao Tieshan entered Lin Yan's courtyard with a smile, took out a silver note from his waist and handed it over: "A little apology, Brother Lin, please don't refuse."

"Brother Zhao, you're too kind."

Lin Yan accepted it without any intention of refusing. Three hundred taels was not a small amount; it was enough to buy three Bone Tempering Pills.

"I originally wanted Zixuan to come and apologize to you, Brother Lin, but when my elder brother heard that Zixuan dared to offend you, he sent Zixuan back to the manor early this morning to be punished."

"It's just a friendly sparring match between us young people, Patriarch Zhao, there's no need for such formality."

Having received the money, Lin Yan's attitude was very good. It didn't matter whether the Zhao family head really wanted Zhao Zixuan to go home to be punished or to go back to heal his injuries; at least the Zhao family had shown their attitude.

"Brother Lin, are you going to the entrance today, or...?"

"Brother, you're not in such a hurry for me to start working, are you?"

"Of course not, Brother Lin, you can go about your business. As for the entrance—hehe, there won't be any problems."

"That's good."

Lin Yan nodded, chatted with Zhao Tieshan for a few more minutes, and then Zhao Tieshan left with his hands behind his back.

Watching Zhao Tieshan leave, Lin Yan took out a map from his pocket. It was a topographical map of the Yangtian Mountains, with many places circled on it.

This map was given to him by Brother Yuan yesterday. The area circled in red is a dangerous place in the mountains, where ferocious beasts and poisonous creatures exist. At his current level, he should not venture there lightly.

Having memorized the map, Lin Yan put it away, went back to his room, put the silver notes and bone-tempering pills into his pocket, and then went to the kitchen to ask for some dry rations, a small pot, and some seasonings.

Now that he was here, he didn't intend to waste any time and went into the mountains immediately.

The entrance to Eagle's Beak Gorge.

Zhou Yuanqing was standing on both sides with about ten martial artists. When he saw Lin Yan, Zhou Yuanqing was stunned for a moment, then quickly walked over and said, "Young Master Lin."

"Brother Zhou, I'm preparing to go into the mountains for a patrol."

Upon hearing Lin Yan's words, Zhou Yuanqing smiled and asked, "Should we arrange for someone to accompany Young Master Lin?"

"No.

"6

Upon being rejected, Zhou Yuanqing's face revealed a knowing expression, as he knew what Lin Yan was going to do on patrol in the mountains.

"Then I wish Young Master Lin a fruitful journey."

Zhou Yuanqing chuckled and lowered his voice, while Lin Yan smiled but didn't respond.

Once Lin Yan's figure disappeared through the entrance, Zhou Yuanqing's smile faded, and he beckoned to a martial artist beside him: "Report Young Master Lin's entry into the mountain to Second Master Zhao."

After entering the mountains and passing through the narrow, throat-like mouth of Eagle's Beak Gorge, the world before Lin Yan suddenly opened up before him.

Unlike the cliffs and precipices outside, the inside of the mountain presents a completely different scene.

The mountains stretch endlessly, with layer upon layer of peaks and ancient trees reaching for the sky, blocking out the sun.

Instead of rushing deeper, he first found a high rock, climbed up, and observed the surrounding terrain from above, while comparing it with the map in his pocket to identify his location.

He is currently located in an area about five miles inward from the entrance of Eagle's Beak Gorge, which is the outer area of ​​the mountain range.

According to the map, the terrain in this area is relatively flat, there are not many wild animals, and naturally, there are not many precious medicinal herbs.

-

There are quite a few common medicinal herbs. If he picked a whole bamboo basket, he could sell it for more than ten taels of silver. But he doesn't need these herbs anymore. And if he really did that, the news would probably get out and Hai Ge would beat him up.

This is a disgrace to the third wife's family.

Slightly disappointed, Lin Yan put away the map, jumped off the rock, and walked along a stream.

He walked slowly, but his steps were light.

The exquisite skill of the "Stepping on Smoke" technique is fully demonstrated on the rugged mountain road.

His toes touched the pebbles, withered branches, and fallen leaves almost silently, and he drifted through the mountains and forests like a wisp of smoke.

As he walked, he observed the surrounding terrain and the growth of vegetation.

The book "True Explanation of Earth Veins" states: "Water follows the mountains, and water stops at the mountain boundaries. The gathering and dispersal of the earth's energy can be known by observing water. When water flows away, the energy disperses; when water gathers, the energy gathers."

Following the direction of the earth's energy, Lin Yan went deeper and deeper until the sunlight could hardly penetrate, and the forest was as dark as dusk.

call out!

Suddenly!

A cold light flashed from the scabbard at Lin Yan's waist, and a three-foot-long brocade snake fell down in front of him and above his head. The snake's head had been shredded by the sword energy, and bits of flesh were scattered all over the ground.

"White King Snake, not bad, enough for one meal."

Lin Yan tossed the snake's carcass into the cloth bag at his waist, his gaze fixed ahead.

Not far ahead, on a dead old tree stump, grew a cluster of dark red fungi with slightly purple edges on the caps, which stood out conspicuously in the dim forest.

"Lingzhi?"

Lin Yan took a few steps closer and examined it carefully.

It's a pity it's not the precious purple Ganoderma lucidum, just ordinary red Ganoderma lucidum, but it's quite old and can still nourish the blood and qi.

As evening approached, Lin Yan stopped searching and chose to rest on a secluded hilltop.

After discovering the red Ganoderma lucidum, he successively discovered many other medicinal herbs, including twenty-year-old Codonopsis pilosula and large patches of Dendrobium nobile, all of which were quite valuable.

Dinner consisted of snake meat and a pheasant, along with some fresh wild mushrooms and onions, which smelled delicious.

After the meal, Lin Yan practiced the Smoke Step for half an hour, then took a Bone Tempering Pill and began cultivating with the help of the medicine.

The next day.

As Lin Yan walked on a hilltop, he stopped and looked down at his feet.

There was a pile of black ash on the grass ahead.

Lin Yan squatted down, picked up a pinch of black ash with his fingers, smelled it, and then gently rubbed it between his fingertips.

The ash was dry and loose, without clumping together, indicating that it had not been soaked by rainwater.

He looked up at the sky. It had been sunny for days and hadn't rained in the last few days, but the mountain dew was heavy at night. If the ashes were from seven days ago, they would be damp and clumped together, and fine mold might even grow on the surface.

The pile of ashes in front of us, though somewhat damp, was still powdery when rubbed in our hands, indicating it had been there for no more than three days.

Lin Yan narrowed his eyes slightly. Whether it was the Lin family's herb-gathering team, hunting team, or the martial artists guarding the entrance, they would register the time every time they entered the mountain.

He had seen the registration book at Yuan Ge's place, and no one had entered the mountain in the last three days.

Were they martial artists who entered from other entrances?

After turning his gaze away from the black and gray objects and glancing around, Lin Yan chose to continue forward, but his steps were lighter and his aura more restrained than before.

The appearance of that pile of ashes set off alarm bells in his mind.

The fact that there were ashes in less than three days indicates that there are people in these mountains, and they are not registered members of the Lin family, or at least not martial artists from Brother Yuan's side. We must be careful.

If there were signs of human activity, Lin Yan would usually choose to avoid them by changing direction, but this time he wouldn't.

Based on his exploration of the earth's energy flow, the strongest energy in the vicinity converges towards the front, indicating that there must be something good ahead.

Half an hour later, upon entering a dense forest, Lin Yan suddenly stopped.

Not right.

It's too quiet.

His right hand rested discreetly on the scabbard at his waist.

"Come out."

no respond.

Lin Yan did not repeat himself, but simply stood quietly, his right hand resting on the scabbard, his gaze calmly fixed on the front.

Ten breaths.

Twenty breaths.

Thirty breaths.

"Quite clever."

A deep voice came from behind the rocks on the left.

Immediately afterwards, three people emerged from different positions in front.

Emerging from behind the rocks was a man in his forties, with an ordinary face and a calm demeanor. He carried a thick-backed machete at his waist, its scabbard heavily worn, clearly indicating that it had been used for many years.

Emerging from the thicket on the right was a lean man in his early thirties, also carrying a long knife in his right hand, the blade gleaming coldly in the forest.

The last person was a man in his twenties, burly and strong, holding a long spear, looking at Lin Yan with a mocking expression.

All three of them had reached the third level of skin smoothing.

"You're quite cautious, aren't you? Tell me, how did you manage to discover the three of us?" Zhou Hong asked with a smile, his eyes filled with curiosity. They had concealed their presence very well, and according to common sense, they shouldn't have been discovered.

"It's very simple. You set up an ambush here, probably to avoid being disturbed by poisonous snakes. You drove them away beforehand, and you also drove away many birds, making this place too quiet. Something is clearly strange."

Upon hearing Lin Yan's reply, Zhou Hong suddenly realized, "I see, that was indeed our oversight."

"I've answered your questions, now it's your turn to answer mine. How did you know I would come here?"

The moment the three appeared, Lin Yan's first thought was that these three were in contact with Zhao Tieshan and his group, and that Zhao Tieshan had informed them of his entry into the mountains.

However, upon further reflection, Lin Yan rejected the idea.

Even if Zhao Tieshan had a way to notify them, how could the three of them be sure they would appear here in the Yangtian Mountains?

Zhou Hong smiled slightly, raised his right hand, and let out a sharp whistle. A few breaths later, a dark shadow appeared in the sky and descended, landing on his arm.

"Training eagles for reconnaissance, a brilliant tactic."

Looking at the eagle on Zhou Hongxi's arm, Lin Yan finally understood how he had been discovered.

Eagles are a common sight in the mountains and forests, and even if an eagle circles overhead, one wouldn't pay much attention. However, after the Cotton Day, one must be more mindful of this.

A fall into a pit, a gain in your wit!

From the cotton roof upwards, every bird flying overhead could be a pair of eyes. Zhou Hong reached out and touched the eagle on Xi's back, but his gaze fell on the belt around Lin Yan's waist.

The young man with the sash of righteousness is from the third branch of the Lin family.

Judging from his aura, he had clearly not yet reached the fourth level of skin-grinding, so his strength was not a concern. He was considering whether or not to kill this person.

If we don't kill him and let him go, he'll probably immediately inform the third branch of the family, and the three of us will be in turmoil.

Kill this person—but the Lin family will investigate. It's not uncommon for members of the Lin family to have encountered accidents while entering the Yangtian Mountains.

Having thought all this through, Zhou Hong's eyes flashed with murderous intent, and he gave his two companions a meaningful look.

"May I ask one more question?"

Although the exchange of glances between Zhou Hong and the other two was brief, Lu Linyan caught it. However, he still had a lingering question in his mind: "How did you get in?"

He wanted to know whether the three of them had sneaked in from the cliff or from the entrance, and if it was the latter, which entrance had let them in.

"Still trying to trick me into revealing anything? Your grandfather will tell you the answer after you die."

Liu Kun grinned maliciously: "Master Zhou, leave this man to me. I've never killed anyone from the Lin family before."

Zhou Hong nodded. Liu Kun had already honed his skills three times and his marksmanship was superb. He should be more than capable of dealing with a young man.

"Just speak, why be so foul-mouthed? I hate people with foul mouths," Lin Yan said calmly.

"Kid, I hope you can still be so stubborn later."

In response to being insulted for his foul mouth, Liu Kun raised his spear, the tip flashing coldly in the air as it aimed straight for Lin Yan's throat. This strike was swift and ruthless, devoid of any intention to provoke; it was a killing blow from the very first move.

Seeing the opponent's fierce shot, Lin Yan remained calm, his right hand resting on the scabbard, and gently pressed down.

Clang!

A cold glint flashed from the scabbard.

The light was as thin as a wisp of smoke and as faint as a wisp of mist, its trajectory almost invisible in the dim light of the forest.

Liu Kun's pupils contracted sharply as he saw a golden light streak across the sky, but he was unable to react.

That sword light was too fast.

Liu Kun's sinister smile froze on his face, his eyes still lingering with the murderous intent and contempt from before, but those expressions were fading rapidly, replaced by a look of bewilderment.

The iron spear slipped from his hand and crashed to the ground with a thud, scattering a patch of withered leaves.

Liu Kun's body crashed to the ground, a thin line of blood slowly seeping from his neck, almost invisible in the dim light.

"Sword—Sword Intent!"

Zhou Hong stood beside the rock, the long sword behind him already in his hand.

His pupils shrank to pinpoints as he stared intently at the thin, cicada-wing-like longsword in Lin Yan's hand, a single thought swirling wildly in his mind: sword intent.

He had seen swordsmen before, and had sparred with swordsmen who had honed their skills four times. He could see how fast or how exquisite their sword techniques were when they used them.

He couldn't see the sword light just now.

This means that if that sword had been aimed at him, he might not have been able to dodge it.

"Wu Ya, let's attack together!"

Zhou Hong's voice changed, carrying a tremor he himself was unaware of. He gripped his long sword tightly, the tip pointing at Lin Yan, but he hesitated to strike.

He was waiting, waiting for Wu Ya to make the first move, waiting for Lin Yan's attention to be drawn, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

Lin Yan did indeed give him this opportunity.

call out!

Lin Yan took a step forward, his figure as ghostly as he was only three zhang away from Wu Ya, and a ball of sword light appeared.

Wu Ya's pupils contracted sharply. He instinctively raised his broadsword to parry, only to find that the sword light had already reached him first.

too fast.

He now understands why Liu Kun has no reaction.

puff.

A soft sound, so faint it was almost inaudible.

Wu Ya froze, his broadsword half-raised, his expression frozen in terror.

His death was exactly the same as Liu Kun's.

Just as Wu Ya froze, Zhou Hong moved. In his view, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Because Lin Yan's sword was currently positioned at Wu Ya's throat, its momentum had already dissipated, and there was no time to retract it.

"die!"

Zhou Hong roared and slashed out with his long sword.

He used all his strength in this strike; the blade sliced ​​through the air with a sharp whistling sound, heading straight for Lin Yan's nape.

Before the blade arrived, the strong wind had already followed.

A hint of joy flashed in Zhou Hong's eyes.

Lin Yan's sword was still in Wu Ya's direction, and he didn't have time to turn around.

He absolutely couldn't dodge that strike.

What good is a genius if he only has his skin smoothed three times?

So what if you cultivate sword intent?

Practical experience is the key to survival.

Zhou Hong had been in the martial arts world for twenty years and had killed more people than Lin Yan had ever seen.

Young, still too young.

Zhou Hong's lips even curled up slightly, as if he could already see the blade slicing into Lin Yan's nape.

However, just as the blade was about to touch Lin Yan's body, Lin Yan moved.

It wasn't a turn or a sidestep, but a movement that Zhou Hong had never seen before. Lin Yan's body seemed to be like smoke blown away by the wind. One moment he was still in the same place, and the next moment he had already appeared three feet away to the left.

Zhou Hong's pupils suddenly contracted.

The other person seemed to glide away silently and with ghostly speed.

What kind of footwork is this?

How could he possibly hide?

Countless thoughts flashed through Zhou Hong's mind, each one filled with deep shock and disbelief.

His body reacted faster than his brain. After missing his target with his sword, he immediately changed his move, slashing horizontally with his longsword, trying to block Lin Yan's retreat.

The thing is, his knife was fast, but Lin Yan's speed was even faster.

With a flash, he appeared in front of Zhou Hong like a ghost.

The sword flashed.

This time, the sword light was no longer an arc, but a straight line.

Taking advantage of the moment when Zhou Hong opened his gate with his sword, it pierced straight into his chest.

The sword energy swirled, and in an instant, Zhou Hong's chest exploded, spraying out a cloud of blood mist.

"You—who exactly are you—"

Zhou Hong looked down at his chest, his eyes filled with disbelief and resentment. He simply couldn't believe that a young man who had undergone three skin resurfacing procedures could be this strong.

Unfortunately, he didn't finish his sentence before his body collapsed and he died.

Boo!

Not far away, a hawk on a tree branch let out a mournful cry, spread its wings, and was about to fly away. But as Lin Yan swung his sword, the hawk was cut in two before it could even utter a cry and fell to the ground.

"Since you are so loyal to your master, then I will send you down to reunite with your master."

Lin Yan glanced at the eagle's corpse, his expression calm. He ultimately chose not to leave any survivors, partly because he never held back when he made a move.

If the opponent survives the combined attack of Stone Waist Thunder Spine and the Soaring Swan Sword Technique, he can use the Smoke Step to escape.

Secondly, even if they were spared, it wouldn't necessarily be possible to extract the truth from them. These three people made wild accusations as they were dying, and it was impossible for us to distinguish between truth and falsehood.

Unless they keep their lives to confront each other, revealing their true colors would expose their trump cards.

PS: Two chapters have reached 10,000 words, which is equivalent to an extra chapter, right? I didn't want to split them into chapters so that they would be more evenly distributed and I could get more recommendations. There are only two days left for double monthly tickets, so if you still have any, please give me a few. Thank you!