"But the Yang Family Martial Arts Hall behind you will do."
Qian Shuhang stared intently at Lin Yan. His target was never Lin Yan from the start. What he valued was the Yang Family Martial Arts Hall behind him—and its Hall Master Yang, who was at the Fourth-Time of Skin Smoothing Realm.
As for Lin Yan... he was barely worthy of his notice.
Lin Yan laughed. He had found it strange. This Young Master Qian carried himself with such a superior air, clearly looking down on him. Now it all made sense.
’So he was after my master and the Martial Arts Hall. I was really getting ahead of myself.’
No wonder he left me waiting here until the tea went cold before showing up. The man didn’t think anything of me at all. Even when he came to persuade me to pick a side, he just offered empty promises, not mentioning a single concrete benefit.
’Is he so sure I won’t refuse?’
"My apologies. You two overestimate my influence on my master. I can’t help with this matter."
Hearing Lin Yan’s refusal, Qian Shuhang’s expression instantly turned cold.
In his eyes, for someone of his status to personally come and see Lin Yan was already a great condescension, a lowering of his own standing.
He was just some poor kid from a common family. Even if he had cultivated to the Third-Time of Skin Smoothing, without sponsorship from another family, he would likely never reach the Fourth-Time of Skin Smoothing in his lifetime. With such a great opportunity right in front of him, he should have been scrambling to agree.
"Brother Lin, don’t be so quick to refuse. First, listen to the terms Brother Qian is offering."
Cao Zhang glanced at Qian Shuhang, whose face had turned cold, and gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head.
He had his reservations about Qian Shuhang’s plan from the very beginning. No matter how much you looked down on Lin Yan, if you needed him to do something, you had to offer some tangible, promised benefits. How could you expect someone to agree based on empty words alone?
Besides, Lin Yan might have a poor background, but he was still a Third-Time Skin Smoothing Martial Artist. That made him a person of some note. What’s more, if you were to consider their Cultivation Time, Lin Yan had broken through to the Third-Time of Skin Smoothing faster than either of them.
Had he been in Lin Yan’s shoes, he wouldn’t have just refused—it would have been an act of incredible self-control not to show his displeasure.
For a Martial Artist like Lin Yan, who came from an ordinary background, the best way was to present tangible benefits to entice him.
But Qian Shuhang was arrogant, and since Cao Zhang was just the middleman, it wasn’t his place to openly object.
Qian Shuhang felt a fire raging inside him but forcibly suppressed it. He said, "If you agree, I will give you a bottle of Leopard Bone Tempering Pills. Once you’ve persuaded your master to side with the Four Seas Gang, I will give you thirty more. And when the Four Seas Gang takes over Guangping County Town, the rewards for your merits will be self-evident."
Listening to Qian Shuhang’s charitable tone, as if he were giving alms, Lin Yan really wanted to just slap him across the face.
’These terms were probably decided before he even entered the courtyard, not thought up on the spot.’
’The man acts high and mighty, but he’s actually quite stingy. He just had to wait until I refused to bring it up. If I hadn’t refused from the start, he probably never intended to give me these Leopard Bone Tempering Pills at all.’
Lin Yan fell silent and didn’t reply.
Seeing Lin Yan’s silence, Cao Zhang sighed again inwardly.
’Young Master Qian, why must you be like this?’ he thought. ’Even I can tell these terms weren’t thought up on the spot, so Lin Yan can definitely tell too. Anyone in his position would feel upset.’
If you’re going to give something, you should offer it generously from the start. To only present the terms after being rejected... the whole affair was handled in a very petty manner.
Seeing Lin Yan’s silence, Qian Shuhang pressed, "Well?"
"The rules of my Yang Family Martial Arts Hall forbid disciples from joining gangs. I am powerless to help with this matter. If there’s nothing else, I will take my leave."
Lin Yan refused once again.
His silence wasn’t because he was swayed by the forty Leopard Bone Tempering Pills. He was pondering something else: what was this Young Master Qian truly after?
Forty Leopard Bone Tempering Pills. Never mind the thirty to come later, the first ten alone were worth five hundred taels.
He didn’t believe Qian Shuhang was unaware of his master’s temperament, and he certainly didn’t believe Qian Shuhang thought he could actually persuade his master to pick a side.
Five hundred taels, most likely poured down the drain.
Given the petty disposition Qian Shuhang had just displayed, would he really be willing to throw away five hundred taels?
It didn’t seem reasonable no matter how you looked at it.
Seeing Lin Yan refuse and stand up, Qian Shuhang could no longer contain his fury. He shot to his feet as well, his eyes locked on Lin Yan as he said, word by word, "Lin Yan, you had better think this through. This is Sanshan County. The Tang Family has no time to concern themselves with things here. Not long ago, even the Wei Family dared to move against you. If the Wei Family hadn’t been wiped out, the Tang Family’s territory would have likely changed hands by now."
It was a blatant and undisguised threat: if Lin Yan refused, he wouldn’t be able to protect the Tang Family’s territory in Sanshan County.
Lin Yan turned back, gave Qian Shuhang a calm look, and even cupped his fist. "Thank you for the reminder, Young Master Qian. I will be careful."
Then, he turned and strode out of the courtyard gate.
"Bastard!"
Qian Shuhang watched Lin Yan’s departing figure and slammed his palm onto the stone table. The table instantly shattered into several pieces, sending the tea set on it crashing to the ground.
"He doesn’t know what’s good for him! Does he really think reaching the Third-Time of Skin Smoothing makes him somebody? I’ll make him regret this."
Cao Zhang watched Qian Shuhang’s outburst, feeling a bit sorry for his own high-quality tea set. Inwardly, he couldn’t help but grumble, ’He already *is* somebody. If things really go south, he can just go back to Guangping County.’

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