This Martial Saint is Too Cautious
Chapter 10 - 8: A Poor Family, Owe What Favors You Can

Chapter 10: Chapter 8: A Poor Family, Owe What Favors You Can

Seven days passed in a flash.

For these seven days, Lin Yan stayed home every day, cultivating the Rock Pillar Posture.

He doubted the Inspection Bureau would investigate such a minor incident, but he stayed home for seven days just to be safe.

Now that he had successfully completed the Nourishing Foundation stage with the Rock Pillar Posture, he could still increase his Qi Blood by continuing to practice, but the growth rate was extremely slow.

Seven days had passed. No one from the Inspection Bureau had come knocking, nor had anyone else come looking for him. The matter had likely blown over. It was time to find a Skin Smoothing Technique.

Master Zheng had mentioned several ways to obtain a Skin Smoothing Technique: apprentice at a Martial Arts Hall, join a gang, sell oneself into servitude to the powerful, or purchase one with money.

Master Zheng had also explained the pros and cons of each in detail.

Thanks to the money from Zhang Dahai and his companion, a Martial Arts Hall was the best choice for Lin Yan.

There were over a dozen Martial Arts Halls of various sizes in the city, each with different fees. The most expensive, Lingyun Martial Arts Hall, charged an apprenticeship fee of two hundred silver, while the cheapest was twenty.

There was surely a reason for the price disparity.

’I can ask Master Zheng for more advice.’

’With my family’s finances, I only have one shot at enrolling in a Martial Arts Hall. I have to understand my options clearly before making a decision.’

’Although Nursing Director Zhou from the Cai Mansion is more powerful than Master Zheng, given Master Zhou’s attitude, he wouldn’t necessarily give me any serious guidance.’

"Yan’er, it’s time to eat."

Just as Lin Yan finished his train of thought, his Aunt Liu’s voice called out.

"Auntie, I’ve successfully completed the Nourishing Foundation stage."

"You completed the Nourishing Foundation stage?"

Aunt Liu had learned about the different realms of Martial Arts from Lin Yan, so when she saw her nephew lift the stone lock in one smooth motion, her face lit up with joy. "So quickly?"

Although she hadn’t told anyone that Lin Yan was practicing Martial Arts, Aunt Liu had made a point of asking around. The eldest son of the Xu Family down the street also trained at a Martial Arts Hall, and she had learned from them that Xu Ping had to practice at home for a year before he was qualified to join one.

’Xiaoyan managed it in just a few months. Doesn’t that mean his talent is even greater than Xu Ping’s?’

"May the ancestors of the Lin Family protect us. May my dear brother and sister-in-law watch over us."

Aunt Liu was thrilled, clasping her hands together and bowing repeatedly. "Yan’er, go wash your hands and pay respects to our ancestors. Thank them for their blessings."

"Okay."

He didn’t think his success had anything to do with his ancestors, but this was the simple worldview of the common people: all achievements were owed to ancestral blessings.

After paying his respects to his ancestors and parents, Lin Yan went inside to eat.

"Yan’er, I’m heading out for a bit. If you leave, remember to lock the door."

"Alright."

Aunt Liu left with her basket, but as she turned away, a hint of worry clouded her smile.

’May my dear brother and sister-in-law watch over him,’ she thought. ’Yan’er has a talent for Martial Arts, but joining a Martial Arts Hall costs a fortune. The family only has a dozen or so silver coins left. Even with the twenty silver from the Cai Mansion, it’s barely enough for an apprenticeship fee. I’ve also heard that the expenses are even greater once you’re in. A few silver a month gets spent in a flash.’

...

Weiyuan Escort Agency.

This time, Lin Yan asked Zhang Wei to arrange a meeting with Master Zheng, but instead of waiting at a teahouse, he went directly to the entrance of the Escort Agency.

"Stone, come with me."

Zhang Wei appeared at the entrance, waving excitedly at Lin Yan. "I just told Master Zheng about your situation, and Escort Leader Chen happened to overhear. He said to bring you right in."

"Escort Leader Chen?"

"Escort Leader Chen is an expert in Single-Time Skin Smoothing at our Escort Agency. He also came from a Martial Arts Hall, so he definitely knows more about them than Master Zheng does."

After he finished, Zhang Wei lowered his voice. "Stone, did you really complete the Nourishing Foundation stage?"

Exaggerating his progress to Master Zheng would have been one thing, but he couldn’t bluff in front of Escort Leader Chen.

"Let’s go."

Lin Yan patted Zhang Wei’s shoulder, silently telling him not to worry.

The two entered the Escort Agency and wound through several corridors. Lin Yan could see that the Weiyuan Escort Agency was at least several times larger than the Cai Mansion. They finally arrived at a courtyard.

On the way over, Lin Yan had learned a few things about the Weiyuan Escort Agency.

The Weiyuan Escort Agency was divided into teams. Each team had two to three Escort Leaders, overseeing five or six Escort Masters with martial arts training, like Master Zheng. When Zhang Wei came looking for Master Zheng, Escort Leader Chen of the same team was also present. He had heard that Lin Yan managed to build up sufficient Qi Blood in just a few short months and was curious, which was why he’d told Zhang Wei to bring him right in.

"Master Zheng."

Upon entering the courtyard, Lin Yan saw Zheng Guang, along with a middle-aged man sitting in a large armchair, sipping tea.

"Lin Yan, did you really manage to complete the Nourishing Foundation stage?"

Even though a short while had passed since Zhang Wei had told him the news, he still found it incredible. It had taken him two years to complete his own Nourishing Foundation, whereas Lin Yan, all told, had done it in just over three months.

Lin Yan glanced at the stone lock in the corner of the courtyard. "Master Zheng, talk is cheap. Allow me to demonstrate with the stone lock."

There were several stone locks in the courtyard, and the hundred-jin one was the smallest.

Grasping the stone handle, Lin Yan lifted it to his chest in one go. He was about to hold it for a while, but the middle-aged man in the large armchair spoke. "His Breathing is stable. Your strength is indeed up to standard. You can put it down now."

Hearing Escort Leader Chen speak, Zheng Guang quickly made the introduction. "Lin Yan, let me introduce you. This is our Escort Agency’s Escort Leader Chen."

"This junior greets Master Chen."

"I don’t deserve to be called ’Master.’ You can just call me Escort Leader,"

Escort Leader Chen laughed. In Guangping County, only those who had achieved Second-Time Skin Smoothing could truly be addressed as ’Master,’ and he was still a ways off from that.

"So, you want to join a Martial Arts Hall to study, and you came to ask Master Zheng which one is reliable?"

"Yes, I came to ask for Master Zheng’s advice."

Lin Yan didn’t know why Escort Leader Chen wanted to see him, so he kept his answer brief.

’The Weiyuan Escort Agency has a Skin Smoothing Skill as well. What if Escort Leader Chen wants me to join them?’

’As long as I don’t have to sign my life away, the Weiyuan Escort Agency is a good option, too.’

"How much silver have you prepared?"

"With my family’s savings, plus borrowing some from relatives, I should have about fifty silver."

"Stone, your family has that much money?"

Zhang Wei, who was standing to the side, was shocked to hear that Lin Yan could scrape together fifty silver.

He knew Lin Yan’s family situation. With both parents gone, they relied solely on his aunt, who did sewing and mending for others. They were living completely off of old savings.

"Fifty silver is what an ordinary family saves over a decade. When it comes to learning Martial Arts, it’s barely enough for the initial period."

Chen Lang mulled it over for a moment. "There are many Martial Arts Halls in the city, but only six teach the real deal. Of those, Lingyun Martial Arts Hall is the strongest. Their graduates are at least at the Second-Time Skin Smoothing Realm."

Lin Yan didn’t get excited, because he already knew Lingyun Martial Arts Hall’s apprenticeship fee: two hundred silver.

"Do you know why even the weakest disciples from Lingyun Martial Arts Hall graduate at the Second-Time Skin Smoothing Realm?"

’It’s because of the apprenticeship fee, of course.’

Lin Yan grumbled to himself. ’An apprenticeship fee of two hundred silver. Anyone who can afford that must come from a wealthy family.’

’To put it bluntly, with enough silver to support the costs of Skin Smoothing, anyone could probably grind their way to the Second-Time stage eventually.’

Out loud, however, Lin Yan said, "This junior does not know."

Chen Lang tapped his knuckles on the armrest, his voice firm. "First, the silver acts as a filter. Those who can afford the two-hundred-silver apprenticeship fee all come from well-to-do families. They can keep up with the medicinal and dietary supplements required for Martial Arts Cultivation. As long as they aren’t complete fools, reaching Second-Time Skin Smoothing is just a matter of time."

"However, for Lingyun Martial Arts Hall to charge such a high fee, they naturally have their own unique advantages. Their Skin Smoothing Skill, when combined with their specially formulated Skin Smoothing Medicine, allows for a much faster Cultivation speed than at other Martial Arts Halls."

"With only fifty silver, you can forget about expensive places like Lingyun and Juying. Then there are the halls run by masters from unorthodox backgrounds. They teach a hodgepodge of techniques, mostly crude methods like rubbing the skin with coarse cloth or wading through sand. Countless students get stuck midway through their Skin Smoothing. Those masters also love to receive ’gifts’ from their disciples. If you don’t have silver to grease their palms, they won’t even bother correcting your Pile Skill."

Lin Yan understood perfectly. Escort Leader Chen had hit the nail on the head.

For those at the bottom learning Martial Arts, the scarcest things weren’t hard work, but a good master and resources. And both of those were tied to silver. His fifty silver wasn’t even enough to get a foot in the door at Lingyun Martial Arts Hall.

"Then I must ask Escort Leader Chen to recommend a suitable Martial Arts Hall."

Chen Lang was silent for a long moment. "If we’re talking about a suitable Martial Arts Hall for you, there is one place: the Yang Family Martial Arts Hall in South City."

"Years ago, the master of the Yang Family Martial Arts Hall was already a Powerhouse who had completed Skin Smoothing four times. But that’s not the most important thing. What’s most important is that Hall Master Yang isn’t harsh on his disciples and doesn’t accept ’gifts’ from them on holidays. Even at Lingyun Martial Arts Hall, most disciples—aside from a few geniuses—have to give their master a hefty ’gift’ if they want to learn subsequent Cultivation Techniques after completing their Skin Smoothing."

"The apprenticeship fee is sixty silver. It’s a bit more than you have, but it’s an infinitely better choice than those halls that only charge twenty or thirty."

After speaking, Chen Lang picked up his teacup and took a sip. Zheng Guang added from the side, "Those halls with low apprenticeship fees have plenty of other ways to take your money once you’re in. You have to buy the hall’s exclusive medicinal soups, which they sell for several times the market price. Many unwary people join, only to be forced to leave after a few months because they’ve run out of money."

Lin Yan nodded eagerly. His biggest fear was choosing the wrong Martial Arts Hall, which was exactly why he had come to consult Master Zheng. This trip had been the right call.

"Thank you for your guidance, Escort Leader Chen. And thank you, Master Zheng." Lin Yan cupped his hands, his tone sincere.

Chen Lang waved his hand. "It’s hardly guidance. I just saw that you completed your Nourishing Foundation in a few short months. You’re clearly cut out for Martial Arts, and I couldn’t bear to see you go down the wrong path."

He himself had gone down a few wrong paths when choosing a Martial Arts Hall back in the day.

Lin Yan could basically guess what had happened. ’Escort Leader Chen must have had a bad experience at his own Martial Arts Hall. Otherwise, as a graduate, he would have surely recommended his own school.’

’Even if he thought I couldn’t afford the fee, he would have explained, not just avoided mentioning it from start to finish.’

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Lin Yan bid farewell to Escort Leader Chen and Master Zheng, and left the Escort Agency with Zhang Wei.

"Stone, if you’re short on money, I can get some from my dad."

"If I ever need it, I’ll be sure to ask."

Hearing Zhang Wei’s offer, Lin Yan clapped him on the shoulder, not refusing it outright.

’With the Martial Arts Tree, I’ll definitely make a name for myself one day,’ he thought. ’But it’s a fact that I’m short on money in these early stages. When I’ve made it big, I’ll just pay Zhang Wei back many times over.’

’The poor dare not owe even the smallest favor.’

In Lin Yan’s opinion, that line of thinking was utterly foolish.

’When you’re poor and at the bottom, you have to seize every single opportunity to turn things around.’

’There’s no shame in borrowing money or being indebted to someone.’

’What’s shameful is borrowing money and owing favors only to squander them, instead of using them to fight for a better future.’

P.S. It’s the Qingming Festival, have you all gone to sweep the tombs yet?