The official suspected that one of the Tang Family’s affiliated Martial Artists might know their whereabouts. If so, it stood to reason that those who had been affiliated the longest were the most likely candidates.
A clan as large as the Tang Family wouldn’t easily trust an affiliated Martial Artist. They would surely have to pass the test of time to earn the family’s trust.
"Arrest the first twenty people on the list and bring them to the Tang Mansion. As for the rest... if they know what’s good for them, we’ll let it slide."
Of course, Zheng Wenqu wanted to interrogate all of them, but he lacked the manpower. The Martial Artists from the Four Seas Gang and the Inspection Bureau, along with the families who relied on them, had used up all the men he brought. He was forced to resort to using the Escort Masters from the Weiyuan Escort Agency.
If these Escort Masters were made to interrogate the Tang Family’s affiliated Martial Artists, they would never get any results.
As fellow Martial Artists of Guangping County Town, these Escort Masters would never be ruthless enough. The final report would just say "no suspicion." Why go through the trouble?
"I understand what you mean, sir. I’ll see to it."
Wang Shaojun breathed a sigh of relief. "Knowing what’s good for them" meant paying to make their problems go away, and he was confident that the rest of the people on the list would be more than willing.
One day, two days, three days.
Lin Yan remained at home, focused on his cultivation, never once stepping out of the courtyard.
He practiced the Smoke-Stepping Technique daily, its erratic and uncanny footwork making his little brother cry out in constant amazement. When he wasn’t training, Lin Yan would tease his brother, and the days passed in pleasant contentment.
But staying within the courtyard didn’t mean he was ignorant of the outside world.
Wei Zi came by the house every day to keep him updated on the situation outside.
Wei Zi might not have been a Martial Artist, but his job at the Weiyuan Escort Agency meant he was extremely well-informed.
For the past few days, every Martial Arts Clan in Guangping County Town had been paying to avoid disaster.
One after another, they scrambled to deliver money to the Weiyuan Escort Agency, then headed to the Inspection Bureau to retrieve their arrested Martial Artists.
Meanwhile, ten Martial Artists were taken to the market square to be beheaded each day.
The common folk who gathered to watch all clapped and cheered, as most of the executed Martial Artists were members of the Four Seas Gang.
The townspeople didn’t know the Zheng Family had intentionally let the Four Seas Gang’s Gang Leader escape. All they knew was that after the Zhengs arrived, all those gang Martial Artists were arrested, and they no longer had to pay protection money under duress.
What the townspeople also didn’t know was that the Zheng Family was making an example of these Martial Artists merely to intimidate the other Martial Arts Clans in town, frightening them into handing over more of their family wealth to survive.
"Big Brother, are the Zheng Family the good guys?"
Just after seeing Wei Zi off, his little brother, Lin Mo, asked with curiosity.
Hearing his little brother’s question, Lin Yan mulled it over for a moment before finally smiling and nodding. "Yes, they’re the good guys."
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
The next day, someone knocked on the door.
"Junior Brother Lin!"
Lin Yan opened the door to see Senior Brother Zhang Liang standing at the courtyard gate, his face flushed with excitement.
Seeing Senior Brother Zhang’s excitement, Lin Yan’s own eyes lit up. "Senior Brother Zhang," he began, "don’t tell me... Junior Brother Zhao broke through?"
"That’s right! Junior Brother Zhao broke through! Master sent me to come get you. We need to hurry to the Martial Arts Hall."
"That’s wonderful."
Lin Yan turned to say a quick word to his aunt, then followed Senior Brother Zhang toward the Martial Arts Hall. By the time they arrived, he saw that nearly all the other senior brothers were already there.
This time, the atmosphere was completely different from the panic of the last few days. A restless, anticipatory excitement filled the air.
Lin Yan had just found a place to stand when Li An sidled up to him, whispering, "Junior Brother Lin, I hear Junior Brother Zhao is coming out of his seclusion today."
Li An was a Single-Time Skin Smoothing Martial Artist, and most of his friends were disciples of the same level, so his information wasn’t always the most current.
"Junior Brother Zhao was successful."
Lin Yan didn’t beat around the bush. Upon hearing the news, Li An’s face flushed red, and he slapped his thigh. "He did it! I mean, how old is Junior Brother Zhao, really?"
SWISH!
The sudden noise drew everyone’s gaze. Li An’s words had carried clearly to all, and expressions of agreement appeared on every face.
Junior Brother Zhao had just turned seventeen after the New Year. At seventeen... half the people present hadn’t even begun their Martial Arts training, yet Junior Brother Zhao was already a Fourth-Time Skin Smoothing Martial Artist.
Li An, embarrassed by the stares of his senior brothers, was just about to lower his head when the sound of footsteps came from the courtyard entrance. Instantly, everyone’s gaze snapped toward the gate, and he was forgotten.
At the courtyard gate.
Yang Qingfeng’s figure appeared. He was dressed in a navy blue robe today, his hair combed immaculately. His expression was as calm as ever, but Lin Yan noticed his master’s steps were a bit lighter than usual, and his eyes held a subtle glint.
A younger figure followed behind him.
Zhao Linyuan.
The moment Zhao Linyuan came into view, the eyes of everyone present, including Lin Yan, were fixed upon him.
Clad in a long robe, Zhao Linyuan’s skin was smooth and seemed to hold a faint luster. As he walked, his robes swayed gently, yet he made no sound. It was as if he had become one with the ground beneath him.
’There’s something different about Junior Brother Zhao.’
A thoughtful look appeared in Lin Yan’s eyes. He had seen Fourth-Time Skin Smoothing Martial Artists before, but their auras were nothing like Junior Brother Zhao’s.
If the Zhao Linyuan of the past was like a drawn sword, all sharp edges and exposed brilliance...
...then the man he was now was like a treasured sword sheathed, its edge hidden, but all the more profound for it.
Yang Qingfeng walked to the center of the main hall, stopped, and turned. His gaze swept across all the disciples present.
His gaze lingered on each face for a moment. "I’ve called you all here today to announce a joyous occasion. I suspect you already know what it is, but I will say it again regardless."
To produce a Fourth-Time Skin Smoothing Martial Artist is a matter of great pride for any Martial Arts Hall in any county. To produce one who is not yet seventeen is an even greater accomplishment.

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