"Escort Leader Zhang, a letter from your Escort Agency has arrived. While it was addressed to me, it’s primarily for you."
Zhang Xiuyuan dismounted, curiously took the letter, and after a few glances, his expression turned strange. He fell completely silent.
"Brother Zhang, what’s wrong?" Yang Qingfeng asked, curious. They had left Sanshan County less than four hours ago. ’Why would the Escort Agency send another letter? Could something have changed in Qing State?’
"Brother Yang, see for yourself."
"Alright."
Seeing Zhang Xiuyuan’s mysterious expression, Yang Qingfeng took the letter from him. After reading it, he too fell silent.
It seemed they had made this trip for nothing.
"Brother Zhang, it seems we were both wrong. Lin Yan must have secured his footing in the Lin Family."
After a long moment, Zhang Xiuyuan spoke with a smile. ’To make Qingfeng Stockade not only release the goods but also return the money... his status as a mere branch family member shouldn’t have been enough.’
"Perhaps he intimidated Qingfeng Stockade by invoking the Lin Family’s name."
Yang Qingfeng shook his head, but as he spoke, he started to laugh at his own words. The two chieftains of Qingfeng Stockade weren’t fools. If Lin Yan were just an ordinary member of a Lin Family branch, getting the goods back at all would have been a great feat.
There was only one explanation for what happened: Lin Yan wasn’t afraid of the main house hearing that he was using the family’s name, and his unyielding attitude forced Qingfeng Stockade to submit.
From the looks of it, Lin Yan had already caught the eye of a powerhouse in the Lin Family’s main house and had truly secured his footing.
"Brother Yang, if you’re still worried, we can continue on to Qing State and ask Lin Yan to clarify."
"The matter is resolved, so there’s no need to go to Qing State."
Yang Qingfeng waved his hand. Since the problem was solved, he wouldn’t go to Qing State.
It was for the same reason he never visited Linyuan at the Profound Celestial Sect, nor did he go to the Prefecture City.
Linyuan was valued by the powerhouses of the Profound Celestial Sect, and now Lin Yan had caught the eye of the Lin Family’s main house. Both had brilliant futures in Martial Arts ahead of them. He considered himself only their first teacher on the path of Martial Arts.
’Whether it’s Linyuan or Lin Yan, they will both find better masters on their Martial Arts journey. If I, their first teacher, show up too often, it’s bound to displease the Martial Arts powerhouses who are now guiding them.’
’Every powerhouse wants to be the most important and respected master in their disciple’s heart.’
’The best thing I can do for them now is to fade into the background.’
"Since you’re not going, Brother Yang, then neither will I. I’ll write a letter back right now. According to the rules, Lin Yan was the one who recovered the goods, so the three thousand taels in silver banknotes must go to him. We absolutely cannot let him be short-changed."
Hearing Zhang Xiuyuan’s words, Yang Qingfeng smiled and didn’t refuse on Lin Yan’s behalf.
’You can never have enough money for Martial Arts. Even with the Lin Family’s support, more silver coins are always better. Besides, it’s what Lin Yan deserves.’
’Now that Lin Yan has secured his footing and has the support of the Lin Family, plus this sum of silver coins, reaching the Fourth-Time of Skin Smoothing should be no problem.’
The thought that both of his apprentices had bright futures made Yang Qingfeng happy for them from the bottom of his heart. Now... only Zhuang Zheng was left.
"Escort Leader Zhang, Hall Master Yang, since the matter is resolved, you’ve both come a long way. Why not allow me to show you some hospitality?"
Manor Master Liu spoke with a beaming smile. He had naturally seen the letter’s contents, and without needing an introduction from Zhang Xiuyuan, he had already deduced Yang Qingfeng’s identity from their conversation.
The Martial Arts Realm was, at times, a very pragmatic place.
Before forty, people judge you. After forty, they judge your children—or your disciples.
Zhang Xiuyuan and Yang Qingfeng exchanged a look, then both smiled and said, "Then we shall impose on you, Manor Master Liu."
「Five days later.」
Lin Yan prepared to head to the Yantian Mountain Range. It had been nearly half a month since he’d last gone, and not going again felt improper.
Although, fifty Contribution Points meant little to him now.
From his trip to Qingfeng Stockade, the silver coins he’d collected totaled twenty-three thousand taels. If not for having to search every corpse one by one, he wouldn’t have taken so long to come down the mountain.
Additionally, Luo Feng from the Seven Stars Escort Agency had visited again yesterday, delivering three thousand taels in silver banknotes. He said it was Escort Leader Zhang’s demand that he absolutely must accept them.
Lin Yan accepted the silver banknotes, but as Luo Feng was leaving, he secretly left three hundred taels in silver banknotes for him.
Beyond the monetary gains from the Qingfeng Stockade trip, what satisfied Lin Yan even more was that his Martial Arts Tree was now laden with Martial Arts Fruits—over a hundred of them, densely packed together.
In total, they amounted to a staggering two hundred and thirteen years of cultivation.
One huge score!
That was Lin Yan’s summary of his gains from Qingfeng Stockade. For the past few days, he had to chant "Amitabha" over and over just to stop himself from giving in to the impulse to wipe out other bandit lairs.
Using Martial Arts Tree Introspection, he saw that the leaves corresponding to the Flowing Cloud Thirteen Techniques had turned completely silver.
His Swordsmanship had reached Minor Achievement in less than half a month.
Lin Yan grinned from ear to ear. This was all thanks to his own efforts, achieved without using a single Martial Arts Fruit.
His original plan had been to cultivate the Flowing Cloud Thirteen Techniques to Great Success, developing Sword Momentum, and only then use the Martial Arts Fruits to advance further. But now...
It seemed pointless to save such a trivial amount of time.
"Refine!"
With a single thought from Lin Yan, a Martial Arts Fruit was refined and vanished.
One year of cultivation.
A breath later, Lin Yan drew his sword.
He thrust out, and the light from his sword cascaded like a waterfall.
It was no longer a weave of fine Sword Silk, but whole sheets of silver-white light, pouring down like Flowing Cloud, like a waterfall hanging upside down.

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