After his master left, Lin Yan was given a tour of most of the Martial Arts Hall by the senior brother who had guided him earlier.
The Front Courtyard, the Central Courtyard, and even the Rear Courtyard.
The Front Courtyard was for Nourishing Foundation disciples. The Central Courtyard was for disciples who had yet to achieve their first Skin Smoothing. The Rear Courtyard, on the other hand, was for those who had completed at least one Skin Smoothing.
The bathhouse, kitchen, infirmary, and Disciple’s Quarters—it had all the necessary facilities.
"Junior Brother Lin, that’s the general layout of our Martial Arts Hall. In a bit, you can head to the Logistics Office to pick up your training uniform and Identity Token."
"Thank you, Senior Brother Li."
"We’re all martial brothers, so there’s no need to be so formal. Master always says we must support one another. A single tree doesn’t make a forest, after all."
Senior Brother Li was very enthusiastic, but his bushy-bearded face made Lin Yan take an almost imperceptible step back.
’Getting some support is fine.’
’But with a face like Senior Brother Li’s... maybe we don’t need to *physically* support each other.’
After collecting his training uniform from the Logistics Office, Lin Yan bid farewell to Senior Brother Li and went to his dorm. Once he had changed into his new uniform, he didn’t rush to the training grounds to practice. Instead, he left the Martial Arts Hall.
He planned to make a trip home to tell his aunt the good news of his successful apprenticeship.
On the way home, Lin Yan bought some malt candy. It wasn’t expensive, but it was a favorite among children.
The malt candy wasn’t for his younger brother, but for the other neighborhood kids.
He would use the act of handing out candy to let his neighbors know he was now training at the Martial Arts Hall.
His aunt had a falling out with her side of the family, and with him now training at the Martial Arts Hall, only she and his younger brother would be at home. He was worried someone might get the wrong idea and try to cause trouble.
Letting the neighbors know he was training at a Martial Arts Hall would instill a sense of caution in them, no matter what they thought.
There weren’t many fools in this world. Even the most uneducated commoners understood the principle "never look down on a poor youth," let alone a youth who was practicing Martial Arts.
Anyone who thought about bullying his aunt and younger brother would have to think twice.
"Hey, Snot-Nose! Come get some candy."
"Hey, Charcoal, where are you running off to? I’ve got malt candy for you."
As Lin Yan handed out candy to every child he saw on the street, he quickly attracted the attention of the neighbors.
"Xiaoyan, where did you get that outfit? You look so imposing."
"Xiaoyan, don’t tell me your aunt found a matchmaker to set you up with a wife? Is that why you’re so happy?"
"Auntie, I formally joined the Martial Arts Hall today. This is the disciple’s uniform they issued."
Just as Lin Yan had expected, the moment he mentioned joining the Martial Arts Hall, the expressions of the neighborhood women changed. Some of their smiles even froze on their faces.
"So you joined a Martial Arts Hall! That’s incredible. Xiaoyan is going to be a big shot in the future."
"I heard the apprenticeship fee for a Martial Arts Hall costs several dozen silver taels. Your family must be wealthy, Xiaoyan."
After Lin Yan walked away, a few local loafers slapped their thighs in regret.
’If we’d known Widow Liu’s family had that much money, we’d have found a way to get our hands on some of it.’
"The Xu Family’s eldest son on this street also joined a Martial Arts Hall. Counting Xiaoyan, our street now has two boys training in the martial arts. Once you’ve made something of yourselves, you’ll have to look after us neighbors."
Listening to the neighbors’ mix of surprised and complimentary remarks, Lin Yan simply smiled and played along. Whatever these people were truly thinking, his purpose had been achieved.
His aunt, Liu Shi, had also heard the commotion outside. By the time Lin Yan stepped through the courtyard gate, she had already put down her work and walked out of the house to greet him.
"Auntie, my apprenticeship was successful!"
"That’s wonderful news." Liu Shi was overjoyed, but then she asked with a hint of concern, "Is the Hall Master... a good person?"
"My master is very responsible. I’ll have to live at the Martial Arts Hall for the next month, though. Meals are free for the first month."
"Living at the Martial Arts Hall is a good thing. Don’t you worry about us at home. Just focus on your training."
Liu Shi called Lin Yan inside and brought out several pairs of layered-sole cloth shoes. "I heard that martial artists wear through their shoes very quickly. I’ve been sewing these for you recently. See if they fit."
They had white soles and black uppers, and all of them were brand new.
Seeing the shoes, Lin Yan was deeply moved. He had often seen his aunt sewing by the oil lamp late at night and had assumed her Boss had just given her more work. He never imagined she was preparing shoes for him.
’My aunt... she’s not my mother, but she treats me better than one.’
"Well? How are they?"
"Auntie, they’re a perfect fit! And they’re so warm. I wouldn’t trade these shoes for a thousand gold pieces."
"Don’t be silly."
Liu Shi chided him with a smile. "As long as they fit. I was afraid you were growing so fast that they’d be too small in no time, so I didn’t make any more. Try on the other two pairs while I go pack some clothes for you."
Given the Lin Family’s financial situation, they couldn’t afford to throw away shoes after just a few months. In the past, no matter how much his aunt doted on Lin Yan, she always sewed his shoes a size too big. If they were loose, they’d just stuff them with thicker insoles.
"Brother, you’re back!"
His younger brother came running home, panting for breath. The moment he burst into the house, his eyes locked onto the malt candy on the table. He had obviously heard about it from his friends on his way back.
"Little brother, I’m going to learn Martial Arts and I’ll be living at the Hall. While I’m gone, you stay home and don’t make Auntie angry. If any trouble comes up, go find me at the Yang Family Martial Arts Hall. It’s in East City. If you can’t find it, just ask someone for directions."
Lin Yan looked his younger brother straight in the eye. He knew that if the family was bullied or wronged while he was away, his aunt’s conflict-averse nature meant she likely wouldn’t tell him about it.
"Don’t worry, Brother, I’ll definitely take care of Mom!"
Lin Mo puffed out his chest, but his eyes never once moved from the table.
「In a home not far from the Lin Family’s.」
"Did you hear? Lin Yan went to train at a Martial Arts Hall. Does the Lin Family even have that kind of money?"
A woman spoke as she mended some clothes, addressing the man beside her who was smoking a long-stemmed pipe.
"The way I see it, Liu Shi must have sold the Lin Family’s last property. There’s no other way she could have scraped together the apprenticeship fee."
"She sold the property? Then what about our Da Ya...?"
"What is there to think about? Forget that idea. Go talk to Granny Chen, see if there are any other suitable matches, and arrange a marriage for Da Ya."
"Sigh, what a mess. I thought Lin Yan was a good choice. He’s literate and has a steady job as a Clerk. If Da Ya married him, with no in-laws to answer to, she’d be the mistress of the house from day one... Why on earth did he suddenly decide to take up Martial Arts?"
The woman’s tone was a mixture of disappointment and resentment. She had been quite fond of Lin Yan as a prospect. He had no parents but owned property, and Liu Shi wasn’t a difficult person. She would have surely prepared a proper betrothal gift, and Da Ya wouldn’t have been mistreated marrying into that family.
"Dear, since Lin Yan is learning Martial Arts, does that mean he and Da Ya can’t..."
"Don’t even think about it."
The man tapped his pipe sharply on the ground. "Do you think Martial Arts is so easy to learn? My Boss’s son is also training at a Martial Arts Hall, and in just two years, they’ve spent an untold amount of silver taels. The lady of the house used to get several new outfits every month; now she only splurges on new clothes for the New Year festival. They’ve let go of several short-term workers too. If that’s what it’s like for my Boss, just imagine what it’ll be for the Lin Family."
"Sigh... why was he so set on learning Martial Arts?" the woman sighed, her voice full of regret.
"Hurry, get out of the way! Don’t provoke them."
"Stay clear, stay clear!"
On his way back to the Martial Arts Hall, Lin Yan saw the pedestrians ahead of him scrambling to the sides of the road, and he followed suit, moving to the edge of the street.
Ahead, a group of menacing men dressed in black marched down the street. In front of them were several flatbed carts, each covered by a white sheet.
’Dead bodies.’
Wherever the men passed, all the pedestrians fell silent, terrified of making a noise that might attract the group’s attention. It wasn’t until the men in black were far in the distance that the crowd collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
"That’s the Black Tiger Gang, right?"
"The big gangs in town have been fighting fiercely lately. I heard the mass grave outside the city is already overflowing with corpses."
"Good riddance. The more of those bastards that die, the better."
Lin Yan listened to the pedestrians’ hushed discussions, a pensive look in his eyes.
He had previously been thankful that he hadn’t transmigrated into a completely chaotic era where order had collapsed and families couldn’t even feed themselves.
From the original body’s memories, Guangping County Town had always had gangs. They collected protection fees, but only from the merchants at the docks, fish markets, butcher stalls, and market streets. They hadn’t yet started extorting the common townsfolk.
And while the major gangs had always fought over territory, their brawls rarely led to such frequent deaths.
Most people who got involved in that life were just trying to make money. If too many members died, not only would it be hard to recruit more, but more importantly, the gang leader would have to pay a hefty compensation to the deceased’s family. Failure to do so would chill the hearts of the remaining members.
’But for the gangs to be fighting this viciously lately... it probably means the balance of power in the city has shifted. I just don’t know if the fallout will affect common folk like us.’
’Thinking about it won’t do any good. Right now, the most important thing is to focus on my training and break through. That way, even if turmoil comes to the county town, I’ll have the power to protect Auntie and my little brother.’
Back at the Martial Arts Hall, Lin Yan went to the training grounds and began practicing the Mountain-Splitting Fist.
*Practice a fist form a hundred times, and its true meaning will reveal itself.*
A satisfied smile appeared on Lin Yan’s face as he saw another tender leaf sprout on the strange tree in his mind.
The tender leaf vibrated, and the cool, refreshing energy reappeared. Lin Yan followed the flow of this energy as he practiced the fist form once more.
Under the guidance of this energy, his Mountain-Splitting Fist had finally reached the elementary level.
’Martial Arts Fruit, consume!’
The moment his Mountain-Splitting Fist reached the elementary level, Lin Yan unhesitatingly chose to consume the Martial Arts Fruit.
Five months of arduous training in the Mountain-Splitting Fist flashed by in an instant.
When he opened his eyes again, they held a newfound understanding. His punches and transitions were far more fluid than before; both his speed and his accuracy had greatly improved.

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