This Martial Saint is Too Cautious
Chapter 14 - 11: Fierce Beasts Always Walk Alone

Chapter 14: Chapter 11: Fierce Beasts Always Walk Alone

In Cultivation, there is no sense of time. Half a month passed like flowing water.

For the past half-month, Lin Yan had been at the Martial Arts Hall, practicing his fists.

The training grounds were not crowded.

"I knew you’d be here, Junior Brother Lin. Come give me a hand."

Li An was carrying a large cauldron. Lin Yan saw him and hurried over, helping him move it to the center of the training grounds where a temporary stove had been set up.

Lin Yan peered at the black, paste-like substance inside, his eyes filled with curiosity. "Senior Brother Li, what is this?"

"It’s Skin Smoothing Cream, personally concocted by our master. It’s specially prepared for disciples like you who haven’t completed the Single-Time Skin Smoothing yet. Since you haven’t been here a full month, you can use it for free. Otherwise, you’d have to pay."

’So this is the Secret Medicine for Skin Smoothing?’

After half a month in the Martial Arts Hall, Lin Yan had gained some understanding of the Martial Arts.

For a Martial Artist’s Skin Smoothing, it was said to be thirty percent training and seventy percent medicine.

Without the Secret Medicine for Skin Smoothing, a year of bitter training couldn’t compare to a single month of training while using it.

"The rule Master set is that the Secret Medicine can be applied freely until the You hour."

Li An lowered his voice. "For the first coat, I won’t put it on too thick. After it’s applied, endure the pain and go practice your fists. By the Shen hour, it’ll be mostly absorbed. Seeing as it won’t be the You hour yet, you can get a second application in. I’ll make the second one thicker, enough to last until the Hai hour."

Lin Yan’s eyes lit up. "Thank you, Senior Brother."

"It’s only because you’re so diligent, Junior Brother Lin. Not everyone could persevere like this," Li An said with a smile, then instructed, "Take off your outer shirt and pants."

Lin Yan didn’t waste any time. He stripped down to his underwear and let Li An grab handfuls of the cream and slather it onto his body. The moment the cream touched his skin, a fiery heat seeped through, turning into a searing pain within a few short breaths.

SLAP! SLAP!

After he finished, Li An slapped both of Lin Yan’s thighs. "Alright, go practice your fists."

Lin Yan put his clothes back on and, enduring the burning sensation, began to practice the Mountain-Splitting Fist.

At first, the burning sensation from the cream spread like a wildfire, making Lin Yan’s skin prickle with sharp pain.

As he settled into a stance and began to circulate his Qi Blood, the searing pain intensified.

Lin Yan gritted his teeth, forcing himself to endure the searing pain as he went through the moves one by one.

One round of the Mountain-Splitting Fist, then a second.

As he earnestly executed each punch and kick, Lin Yan found that the fiery heat on his skin was being drawn in and broken apart by his Inner Breath, seeping strand by strand beneath his skin and into his flesh.

"This Secret Medicine is the real deal!"

Lin Yan’s eyes began to shine. An opportunity to use the Secret Medicine for free was rare.

The next moment, a thought struck him. He activated his Stone Waist Barbarian Spine Root Bone. This Root Bone could enhance the nourishing effect of his Qi Blood, which in turn would speed up his absorption of the Skin Smoothing Cream.

From a distance, Li An glanced over. Seeing Lin Yan’s steady Fist Momentum and even breathing, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes. ’He adapted so quickly on his first try? Looks like Junior Brother Lin’s second application is a sure thing.’

Four hours later, Lin Yan looked down at the smooth skin on his arms and walked back toward the large cauldron.

This time, Li An applied a thick layer. He gave Lin Yan a knowing look. "Junior Brother Lin, hang in there."

Everything was left unsaid.

With a layer of cream easily twice as thick as before, Lin Yan felt the searing pain return before he even threw a punch, more ferocious than the first time.

The simple act of raising his hand was as agonizing as being scorched by flames.

’No wonder Master doesn’t care how much Skin Smoothing Cream the disciples use. Even if you want more, your body has to be able to withstand it.’

’I’ve also reached my body’s limit.’

Forcing back the pain and covered in sweat, Lin Yan focused his mind and began practicing on the training grounds.

Although every circulation of his Qi Blood brought intense agony, seeing the Martial Arts Tree in his mind grow, however slowly, made all the pain worthwhile.

’Pain and suffering that lead to visible progress isn’t suffering. It’s striving.’

Late that night, Lin Yan dragged his exhausted body from the training grounds, a look of utter satisfaction on his face.

...

For seven straight days, Lin Yan existed in a state of painful bliss.

The pain was the burn of the Skin Smoothing Cream; the bliss was watching the tender leaf representing his Mountain-Splitting Fist gradually grow in his mind. The Martial Arts Tree itself had also reached a height of seven inches.

He was only three inches away from the one-foot height required for the Single-Time Skin Smoothing.

At his current pace, he could reach one foot in another two months and achieve the Single-Time Skin Smoothing.

Lin Yan was very satisfied with his progress in the Martial Arts, but maintaining this pace required applying the Skin Smoothing Cream twice daily.

However, the master only provided the cream for free during a disciple’s first month. After that, he’d have to pay if he wanted to keep using it.

One tael of silver a day. The thought alone was painful.

And this was only for the Single-Time Skin Smoothing. After that came the second, third, and fourth stages.

Lin Yan didn’t dare to think about the future costs of his martial arts training.

’I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it. One step at a time. With the Martial Arts Tree, my starting point is already higher than most. I can’t get ahead of myself.’

...

「The next day.」

Lin Yan arrived at the training grounds as usual, but this time, he didn’t see Senior Brother Li. A different senior brother was there instead.

The Yang Family Martial Arts Hall had many disciples, so the Hall Master, Yang Qingfeng, didn’t come to the training grounds every day. Lin Yan had only met him on his first day because a batch of new disciples had joined right before him.

The Master only appeared in the Central Courtyard to teach Cultivation Techniques to new disciples. Most of the time, he stayed in the rear courtyard, which was where the disciples who had completed their Skin Smoothing trained.

As for those who hadn’t yet achieved the Single-Time Skin Smoothing, they were instructed by the other senior brothers.

"This Senior Brother Ge is so strict. A moment ago, one of the brothers tried to apply a little extra and got shot down."

"Forget extra cream, Senior Brother Ge doesn’t even smile. It really makes you appreciate how much better Senior Brother Li was."

Listening to the discussion among his fellow disciples, Lin Yan frowned. He went forward, applied the Skin Smoothing Cream, and began to practice.

Four hours later, the cream on his body completely absorbed, Lin Yan walked toward the large cauldron again.

"What are you doing? Each person only gets one application a day. Don’t you know the rules?"

Ge Hui barked, but Lin Yan didn’t back down. "Senior Brother Ge, Senior Brother Li told us that as long as we can absorb the Skin Smoothing Cream Master provides, we can apply it multiple times."

"You’ve been here less than a month. The fact that you can use it for free once is already an act of grace from the Master. Now get lost."

Ge Hui was getting impatient. Disciples like him, who had completed the Single-Time Skin Smoothing, were paid by the Martial Arts Hall to help instruct the new junior brothers. But that little bit of pay wasn’t enough for him, so he set his sights on the new disciples themselves.

’Want a second coat of Skin Smoothing Cream? Then pay up.’

’The Hall sells it for one tael of silver; he’d just take a 200-wen cut.’

Just as Ge Hui blocked Lin Yan, another disciple went over to the cauldron and began applying a second coat.

"If, as Senior Brother Ge says, each person only gets one turn, why is that brother allowed a second?"

"The Master put me in charge of teaching you, so I make the rules here."

Ge Hui took a step forward, releasing the aura of someone who had completed the Single-Time Skin Smoothing. He’d seen plenty of troublemakers like this. Under the pressure of his Qi Blood, didn’t they always back down in the end?

Lin Yan felt the pressure from Ge Hui as well, but this was about his future in the Martial Arts. He had no intention of backing down.

"If that’s what Senior Brother Ge insists, then I have no choice but to go ask the Master for clarification."

"Go find the Master?"

Ge Hui sneered. "Who do you think you are? You want to see the Master? He hates being disturbed more than anything. Anger him and you can just wait to be kicked out of the Martial Arts Hall."

Hearing Ge Hui’s threat, Lin Yan’s expression remained unchanged. A typical teenager might have been bluffed by such words.

But he wasn’t.

’Although he had only interacted with the Master once, Lin Yan had given some thought to his temperament. The Master was a placid man, but judging from his attitude on that first day, he was by no means an irresponsible person.’

Lin Yan ignored Ge Hui and turned, heading directly for the rear courtyard.

When he saw Lin Yan actually walking toward the courtyard gate, the sneer on Ge Hui’s face vanished. "Stop," he yelled.

"I told you to stop!"

Seeing that Lin Yan wasn’t stopping, Ge Hui took several quick strides and blocked his path.

Looking calmly at the man blocking his path, Lin Yan said coolly, "Is Senior Brother Ge planning to make a move on me? I recall the Martial Arts Hall has a rule: fellow disciples are forbidden from fighting without cause."

"Lin Yan, is it? Fine. Be that way. Go on, use all the Skin Smoothing Cream you want."

Ge Hui gritted his teeth, his face so dark it looked like it could drip ink.

"Thank you, Senior Brother."

Lin Yan paid Ge Hui’s attitude no mind. As long as the man didn’t stop him from using the Skin Smoothing Cream, he had no desire to take the matter to the Master.

After applying the Skin Smoothing Cream, Lin Yan returned to his spot and resumed his practice.

"Junior Brother Lin, that was very unwise."

"That’s right. Senior Brother Ge is a Martial Artist who’s completed the Single-Time Skin Smoothing. I’m afraid he’ll make things difficult for you now that you’ve offended him."

"Senior Brother Ge just wants a little money. You could have just given him 200 wen."

The two disciples beside him whispered, but Lin Yan just shook his head. ’Two hundred wen today, two hundred wen tomorrow... I’m already short on money for my own training. How could I possibly give it to someone else?’

’Two hundred wen... That’s how much my aunt makes from half a month of mending clothes for others.’

’Martial Arts Academy Disciples can’t fight without cause. I’m not afraid of Senior Brother Ge trying anything.’

’The worst he can do is refuse to instruct me. But with the help of the Martial Arts Tree, I’ve already mastered the basics of the Mountain-Splitting Fist. I don’t need his guidance.’

"Two hundred wen is enough to cover my family’s expenses for a month."

Lin Yan’s words stunned the other two. Their families were better off than his, but not by much. Coming to the Martial Arts Hall had nearly emptied their families’ savings as well.

But for that very reason, they were even more afraid of causing trouble and offending the senior brothers.

"Well, just be careful from now on, Junior Brother Lin."

「The next day.」

When Lin Yan arrived at the training grounds again, he discovered that the few disciples who had previously been near him had all distanced themselves.

Seeing Ge Hui standing there with his arms crossed and a smug look in his eyes, he understood. Ge Hui had told the other disciples to ostracize him.

He saw the apologetic looks from the two disciples who had warned him yesterday, but his expression didn’t change. He understood them.

’A fierce beast walks alone; only sheep and cattle travel in herds.’

’I’ll just consider this an early taste of that loneliness.’