This Martial Saint is Too Cautious

Lin Minghai was a little speechless. It was the end of the year, and the other clan members were all trying to finish their tasks and return for the New Year. Lin Yan, however, was thinking of going out to accept a task at a time like this.

"Is it almost the New Year?"

Lin Yan was a bit dazed. ’Has it really been almost a year since I came to the Lin Family?’

He still remembered traveling from Deng State to Qing State after the New Year, planning to give himself three years to enter the Blood Exchange Realm. He never expected... he would achieve it in less than one.

"Don’t be in such a hurry to accept a task. Many of our clan members are out on missions and will only be back for the New Year. You should use this opportunity to get to know everyone, both in our branch and the wider clan."

Hearing Brother Hai’s words, Lin Yan nodded. "I’ll listen to you, Brother Hai. I won’t accept any tasks for now."

After bidding farewell to Brother Hai, Lin Yan, for once, didn’t head straight back to his courtyard. Instead, he began to stroll around the Lin Mansion. Just as Brother Hai had said, the paths were much more crowded.

Of course, Lin Yan hadn’t explored the Lin Mansion much before. The few times he had left his courtyard were to visit the Hidden Technique Pavilion and the Martial Arts Vault.

After wandering for half an hour and seeing the clan members walking together in twos and threes, Lin Yan felt like he didn’t quite belong.

It was a feeling he’d never had back in Guangping County Town.

’So, am I homesick?’

Lin Yan thought of his aunt. Around this time, she would be preparing the three sacrificial animals for ancestral worship. His little brother would be running out first thing in the morning, only returning when he smelled food cooking. Then, he’d duck his head, sneak a piece of meat from the pot, and, after a scolding from his aunt, grin shamelessly and run off to wash his hands.

’I should write a letter home. I’ll write a poem for my little brother, too, and see if he’s learned enough to understand it.’

’Alone in a strange land, a lone traveler. On every holiday, my thoughts of home grow fonder. I know from afar my brother will climb the high peaks, with a sprig of dogwood for everyone... but one.’

After reciting it in his mind, Lin Yan couldn’t help but smile. It was a good poem, but it didn’t fit his reality.

His little brother wouldn’t go climbing any peaks, and this world didn’t even have dogwood.

Shaking his head, Lin Yan turned to go back to his courtyard and write the letter. Just as he was passing a lake, however, he saw a crowd of people staring at the pavilion in its center, murmuring amongst themselves.

The Lin Family had at least ten lakes of various sizes, and each one had a Lake Heart Pavilion.

And right now, in the pavilion on this particular large lake, sat several figures. Each one of them carried themselves with an impressive, high-spirited air.

"Six of the top ten in the Blood Exchange Realm are here."

"If only I could be in that pavilion, conversing with them..."

"Keep dreaming. The weakest person in there is at the Blood Exchange Third Transformation. If you want to be qualified to set foot inside, you’ll have to break through to the Blood Exchange Third Transformation first."

"Even breaking through to the Blood Exchange Third Transformation is useless. They’re also at the Third Transformation, but they can easily take on two opponents at once. Besides, a year has passed. I bet those two who were at the Third Transformation are probably about to reach the Blood Exchange Fourth Transformation."

"Heh, I wouldn’t dare dream of entering the pavilion. But just seeing all ten of them together would be a real eye-opener."

"Brother Song from the Third Branch and Brother Xiao from the Fourth Branch would never show up together in private. Then there’s Sister Xi from the Fifth Branch, who’s a total recluse. And the First Branch’s... Brother Ya... is supposedly focused on breaking through to the True Gang Realm. I doubt we’ll even see him at the clan assembly this year."

Listening to the clan members’ discussion, Lin Yan also cast his gaze toward the center of the lake.

Even from hundreds of yards away, across the rippling water, he could feel the powerful presence of these six individuals.

It had nothing to do with their blood qi or Realm, but was a powerful, confident presence that radiated from their very bones—the kind born from long holding a superior position.

These six were the cream of the crop of the Lin Family’s "Ming" generation. None were yet thirty, and even the weakest among them was at the Peak of Blood Exchange Third Transformation.

It would be strange if they *weren’t* confident!

Lin Yan withdrew his gaze. ’There’s still a significant gap between me and them,’ he thought, ’but it’s not impossible to catch up.’

In Martial Arts, one must strive to be first, but more importantly, one must strive for relentless momentum.

...

On the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, Lin Yan was in his courtyard polishing his Abyssal Sword when a servant delivered a letter.

"Young Master Yan, a letter from Guangping County in Deng State Prefecture."

Lin Yan took the envelope, his fingers hesitating for a moment.

The handwriting on the envelope was still a bit crooked, but it was much neater than his previous letters. It was unmistakably his little brother’s scrawl.

He tore open the envelope and unfolded the sheet of paper inside.

The paper was folded in thirds, and a faint scent of rice paste wafted up as he opened it.

—

Dear Big Brother,

Big Brother, Mom says Qing State is too far from home. The journey is long, so she said you shouldn’t come back this year.

Everything is fine at home, so don’t you worry.

This year, Fourth Aunt invited us to her home for the New Year, and Mom agreed.

Brother Monkey and Brother Wei will be there too. They’re in business with Fourth Uncle and have earned a lot of money.

Mom says you’re a Blood Exchange Realm powerhouse now. What is the Blood Exchange Realm? Is that even stronger than Skin Smoothing?

Big Brother, your name is really powerful now!

A few days ago, Da Hu’s family was being bullied by some guys from the Chishui Gang. I stepped up to help, and they were about to hit me. But I said your name, Big Brother, and they just ran off.

I told Mom what happened, and she got a little worried. She told me to talk to Brother Zhuang Zheng about it.

After Brother Zhuang Zheng found out, he told me the Chishui Gang wouldn’t cause any more trouble. And since then, I haven’t seen any of their members on the streets.

Big Brother, is Brother Zhuang Zheng really powerful? Is he even more powerful than you?

He doesn’t say much whenever he comes to visit Mom. But when he stares at you, it gives me the creeps, like I’m being watched by a snake.

Oh, right, Big Brother. Mom wanted me to ask you something.

She wanted to know if you have anyone in Qing State to take care of you.

Heh, heh!