This Martial Saint is Too Cautious
Chapter 36 - 28: The Tang Family’s Eldest Miss

Chapter 36: Chapter 28: The Tang Family’s Eldest Miss

Great Mist Mountain!

Lin Yan’s figure weaved through the mountain forest. This time, he had been in the mountains for over an hour.

After reaching Second-Time Skin Smoothing, his breathing was deeper and more sustained than before, and his Antitoxic Pills lasted longer as well.

However, Lin Yan was not very satisfied with his harvest this trip. So far, he had only found a few types of medicinal herbs, none of which were particularly old.

The True Understanding of Earth Veins stated: "In winter, the Earth Qi withdraws and hides, like a snake entering its burrow or a creature lying dormant in the abyss. It cannot be seen without digging deep, nor can it be perceived without waiting quietly. The great earth seals itself away, its energy returning to its roots. Thus, the surface lacks splendor, and the plants restrain their colors. This is not a sign of the Earth Qi’s decline, but of it gathering strength for the spring bloom."

To put it in plain terms, the Earth Qi was hidden in winter, making it hard to find and difficult to judge by the growth of plants.

’Forget it. I’ll just come back next year.’

The new year was not far off, and he was getting ready to head back to the city.

Just as Lin Yan was about to leave, his ears twitched. He bent down low, his gaze fixed to his left.

A faint sound was coming from the forest to his left. If it weren’t for his Second-Time Skin Smoothing and the enhancement of his five senses, he might not have noticed it at all.

A few breaths later, the sound grew louder, and four figures appeared a few dozen feet away. Due to the mountain mist, Lin Yan couldn’t make out their faces, but by the same token, the four of them couldn’t detect Lin Yan hiding nearby.

"The terrain here is good. Let’s set up here."

The four figures stopped. A voice spoke, and then Lin Yan saw them crouch down for a moment. Before he could see clearly what they were doing, the thick stench of blood assaulted his nostrils.

Blood!

Lin Yan’s eyes narrowed. He knew what these four had done.

They had sprinkled some kind of blood in the surrounding area.

It probably wasn’t human blood; the stench was too strong and foul.

’Spilling blood in the mountains in the dead of winter... are they trying to bait a wild beast?’

"Alright, the bait has been laid. Let’s leave for now and come back in an hour. That beast’s sense of smell is extremely sharp. It can smell a person from a great distance, and if it does, it will definitely not show itself."

Anyone who could make it this far had to be, at the very least, a Single-Time Skin Smoothing Martial Artist with many years of experience, and possibly even a Second-Time Skin Smoothing Martial Artist.

Lin Yan didn’t want to cause trouble. He remained hidden to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings and had planned to retreat after the four left. However, when he heard that voice, a cold glint appeared in his eyes.

He was very familiar with the owner of that voice: Housekeeper Li from the Prince’s Mansion, the man who had come to probe him after he had killed the members of the Qingshui Gang.

Since he had run into him, he no longer planned to leave.

Dozens of breaths later, the four figures disappeared completely into the miasma. Lin Yan, however, didn’t move a muscle. He remained hidden in the bushes for a full quarter of an hour, confirming that Li Guiyi and his men hadn’t just pretended to leave to test the waters from a hiding spot, but had truly gone far away. Only then did he slowly rise.

He didn’t approach immediately. Instead, he first retreated several hundred feet, then circled around in a wide arc, returning from a different direction.

Lin Yan stood where Li Guiyi’s group had been. The dead leaves on the ground were soaked with bloodstains, and there was a small pile of minced meat emitting an extremely foul, fishy stench.

’It seems this minced meat is the so-called bait.’

He had no intention of playing the oriole that stalks the mantis that preys on the cicada.

That Housekeeper Li was one of the best among Second-Time Skin Smoothing Martial Artists, and though the strength of the other three was unknown, they were likely also Skin Smoothing Martial Artists. The risk of such a move was too great.

However, since he had encountered them, he wasn’t about to let Housekeeper Li’s group achieve their goal so easily.

Lin Yan untied his belt without hesitation. He first aimed at the minced meat, then relieved himself in a circle around the area.

Many beasts used urine and feces to mark their territory. Since that beast’s nose was so sharp, it should be able to smell the scent he left behind and would no longer come here.

After finishing, Lin Yan left, heading down the mountain from a different direction. He didn’t return to his residence in the town, but went straight for Guangping County Town.

...

An hour later, Li Guiyi and his three men reappeared in the mountain forest. Seeing the untouched minced meat on the ground, Li Guiyi’s expression turned incredibly ugly.

The minced meat was still there, but there was no sign of the beast.

"Housekeeper Li, could the rumors be wrong? Maybe there’s no Purple Furred Beast in Great Mist Mountain at all?"

"Shut up!"

Li Guiyi stared coldly at the man who had spoken. "Have you forgotten the rules we set before coming?"

"Calm down, Housekeeper Li."

The man shivered under Li Guiyi’s gaze and quickly apologized. Inwardly, however, he was unconvinced. ’Housekeeper Li is being overly cautious,’ he thought. ’Worrying about someone being in the mountains, telling us not to say the Purple Furred Beast’s name... We’re in the deep wilderness, surrounded by miasma. How could anyone possibly be hiding here?’

Li Guiyi looked away from the man. A moment later, his figure flickered as he began to search the surroundings. Only after confirming there was no one lying in ambush did he stop.

’Did I overthink things just now?’

Li Guiyi breathed a sigh of relief. He was suspicious by nature, and the Purple Furred Beast’s failure to appear had made him suspect someone was lurking nearby.

He couldn’t afford to be careless in this matter. The Purple Furred Beast was a Treasure Medicine that had a high chance of allowing a Second-Time Skin Smoothing Martial Artist to successfully break through to the Third-Time Skin Smoothing Realm.

If word got out, all the powers in the county town would swarm here at the news.

The information about the Purple Furred Beast couldn’t be false. Under his interrogation, that hunter wouldn’t have dared to lie. The only possibility was that the Purple Furred Beast wasn’t in this area and couldn’t smell the Fragrant Cloud Musk Meat he had prepared for it.

Looking at the Fragrant Cloud Musk Meat on the ground, a pained look crossed Li Guiyi’s eyes. Fragrant Cloud Musk Meat cost a hundred taels per jin, and he had even mixed and refined it with a Secret Medicine. This bait alone was worth two hundred taels.

If he had caught the Purple Furred Beast, it would have been worth it, of course. But with the beast nowhere to be found, his heart was bleeding.

There was no way to gather a second batch of bait in a short time. He would have to wait until spring next year.

...

...

Three days after returning to the county town, Lin Yan went to the Tang Mansion for a banquet.

In the banquet hall of the Tang Mansion, which was specially designated for hosting their retained Martial Artists, four tables were set up. Many guests were already seated.

Lin Yan quickly scanned the banquet hall but didn’t spot any familiar faces. Captain Ji wasn’t there, and he didn’t know anyone else.

As Lin Yan sized up the Second-Time Skin Smoothing Martial Artists present, they were also sizing him up.

Due to his background, coupled with having practiced Martial Arts for less than a year, Lin Yan was still a nobody in the Guangping County Town Martial Arts Community.

The Tang Family was very generous. The wine was top-shelf, and the dishes were exquisite. Among them were servings of deer and snake meat, which could enhance a Martial Artist’s Qi Blood, though the portions weren’t large.

This time, Lin Yan didn’t go overboard and merely sampled the food lightly.

No matter how thick-skinned one was, one had to consider the occasion.

In a public setting like this, as a Martial Arts Academy Disciple of the Yang Family Martial Arts Hall, he had to uphold the Martial Arts Hall’s reputation.

Midway through the banquet, the Tang Family Patriarch, Tang Shaoqi, made an appearance. He drank three cups of wine with everyone before leaving. The Second-Time Skin Smoothing Martial Artists present didn’t eat or drink excessively either. Lin Yan simply exchanged names with the few Second-Time Skin Smoothing Martial Artists at his table, and when the time was right, he took his leave.

Lin Yan had only one impression of the Tang Family’s Patriarch: elegant and refined.

In the words of a later generation, he was a "cougar-killer."

...

...

After Lin Yan and the other Second-Time Skin Smoothing Martial Artists had left, a discussion was taking place in the main hall of the Tang Mansion.

Tang Shaoqi looked at his son and daughter with a helpless expression. "Tang’er, if we do this, I’m afraid there will be a lot of talk about our Tang Family in the city."

"Father, who would dare to gossip? You’re just worried about your own reputation."

Tang Yang spoke irritably. The Tang Family was known as the number one great family in Guangping County. Besides their genuine strength, another reason was their father.

The compensation Father offered to retained Martial Artists was the highest in the entire county. To outsiders, this naturally made the Tang Family seem the strongest.

"What do you mean, for my reputation? It’s called building connections! Who in the city doesn’t speak well of our Tang Family?" Tang Shaoqi said, disgruntled. "Besides, this was a rule set by your grandfather."

"Father, Grandfather’s wish was to form positive connections with a few promising Martial Artists, not to cast a wide net like you’re doing."

Tang Tang spoke quietly, not sparing her father’s feelings. "If you continue like this, Father, the number of Martial Artists retained by the Tang Family will only grow. When we can no longer afford the expense and have to dismiss them, those people will resent our Tang Family even more."

A pint of rice is a kindness, but a bushel of rice is a grudge!

These retained Martial Artists have grown accustomed to receiving their stipend from the Tang Family. Over time, they will only see it as their due.

"Tang’er, it’s not that serious, is it?"

Tang Shaoqi’s voice trailed off. Clearly, he knew this was a very real possibility.

"Father, I feel that a change is coming to the county town. The origins of that Four Seas Gang are mysterious. Not only have they occupied West City, but they also want to take North City, yet the Inspection Bureau just sits back and watches. This whole affair is strange. Our family must be even more cautious during this time."

Hearing his daughter mention the Four Seas Gang, Tang Shaoqi frowned as well. The Tang Family also had apothecaries in West City and North City. However, those shops rarely sold medicinal ingredients needed by Martial Artists; they were truly for dispensing medicine to common folk, so their profits weren’t high. Nevertheless, these shops had also been affected by the Four Seas Gang recently.

"Alright, we’ll do as you say, Tang’er."

Tang Shaoqi compromised. Although he was concerned about his reputation, he cared more about the future of the entire family.

"According to my plan, from now on, for the Martial Artists retained by our family, Single-Time Skin Smoothing Martial Artists cannot be retained for more than three years, and Second-Time Skin Smoothing Martial Artists cannot be retained for more than seven years. To continue their post, they must break through to the next Realm."

Hearing his daughter’s words, Tang Shaoqi’s eye twitched several times. According to her standards, he was afraid that more than half of their retained Martial Artists would have to be dismissed.

Tang Tang saw the change in her father’s expression. For all these years, because of his concern for his reputation, as long as a retained Martial Artist didn’t make a mistake, they could keep their position indefinitely.

It would be one thing if those Martial Artists had potential, but many of them had already lost their drive to advance in Martial Arts. No matter how large and wealthy the Tang Family was, they couldn’t support the ever-increasing stipend expenses.

"Tang’er, if we do this, won’t it lead to us not having enough Martial Artists?"

"After dismissing the Martial Artists who don’t meet the requirements, I will recruit a new batch. But they must be young and have potential."

Tang Shaoqi fell silent. His daughter had already thought of everything.

"Fine. You can handle this matter as you see fit."