In the evening, after Lin Yan prepared dinner for Xiaozhi, he returned to the dining room again. However, he did not go in. Instead, he turned to the alley behind the dining room.
Lin Yan and Pang Tong agreed to meet every once in a while. Today was the time to meet.
Not long after, at the other end, Pang Tong crouched down and ran over sneakily.
"Senior Brother Pang."
"Junior Brother Lin, you're truly a ruthless person!"
Lin Yan recalled the scene of everyone calling his name in the afternoon and said cautiously, "I don't understand what Senior Brother Pang means."
"You don't know? Everyone in Dragon Gate Pavilion knows your name now!"
As he spoke, Pang Tong recounted how Pang Yinlong had called him three times in front of everyone during the Monthly First Evaluation.
Lin Yan's heart tightened. "Senior Brother Pang, why did the Pavilion Master call my name?"
"Isn't it because your Five Animal Hands Technique is too good? I, Pang Tong, have never admired anyone in my life. You're the first! I always thought that you bought the Spirit Recovery Pills to stock up and sell them. I didn't expect you to be ruthless enough to eat them yourself!"
Lin Yan's pupils constricted violently and his entire body tensed up. "You followed me?"
His gaze suddenly became sharp, causing Pang Tong to feel uncomfortable. "Don't panic, Junior Brother Lin. I'm not following you. My father told me this when he saw you. Don't tell me you think that no one will ever see you practicing in the middle of the night?"
"May I know who your father is?"
"Pang Meng, one of the two guest masters of Dragon Gate Pavilion. By the way, the owner is my biological uncle."
With this background, no wonder he dared to sell Spirit Recovery Pills in Dragon Gate Pavilion.
Lin Yan was silent. He knew that his progress in martial arts was abnormally fast, so he had been very careful, worried that he would get into trouble.
However, there was only so much space in Dragon Gate Pavilion, and it was not good to stay at home all day to cultivate. There would always be a day when someone would see him.
However, he did not know how much others had seen.
Pang Tong said, "Junior Brother Lin, I heard from my father that you've mastered the Deer Form of the Five Forms? Can you show it to me?"
"Deer Form?"
"That's right. My father told me about it. I didn't expect the Five Animal Hands Technique to have true meaning. I've been in Dragon Gate Pavilion for so many years, but I've never heard of this saying."
Lin Yan heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, they only saw him practicing the deer form, which was still within their understanding.
If they knew that he had cultivated all five true forms, it would not be that he was talented, but that it was strange and surpassed common sense.
Now, he had mastered the fusion of the five forms, and his movements were at his will. As long as he did not deliberately practice the true meaning of the five forms, it would be difficult for others to see his realm.
"Then now, do you still dare to sell the Spirit Recovery Pill?"
Pang Tong shook his head like a rattle drum. "How many have you eaten? Even if you're not afraid of death, I don't dare to sell it to you!"
Lin Yan's heart sank.
As his muscles and bones strengthened, the consumption of his blood energy became greater and greater. Now, the poisonous mushrooms had yet to ripen, and the poison was also exhausted.
Without the Spirit Recovery Pill, his progress in martial arts would be greatly delayed.
However, he did not dare to mention eating the Spirit Recovery Pill again. Moreover, he did not have much money left.
"Senior Brother Pang, if I eat the Spirit Recovery Pill, will it affect my admission into Wei Yard?"
Pang Tong shook his head. "Don't worry. The test of Wei Yard only depends on the transformation of blood energy. However, if you hadn't taken the Spirit Recovery Pill, Dragon Yard would have accepted you. Unfortunately, now…"
Lin Yan put on a satisfied expression. "I'm already very satisfied to be able to enter Wei Yard."
Pang Tong shook his head slightly as doubt flashed in his eyes.
After interacting with Lin Yan, he felt that although Lin Yan looked wooden on the surface, he was actually an extremely smart person.
However, his current performance, including eating the Spirit Recovery Pill, was just as the Pavilion Master had said. He was playing to the gallery and did not have any ambition to pursue the peak. His temperament was too poor.
Perhaps this was what it meant to know a person's face but not their heart.
It was a pity that his strange talent had been destroyed by him for nothing.
The two of them chatted for a while more. Pang Tong suggested several times that he wanted to see the true meaning of the deer form and even use the opportunity to earn money as a bargaining chip. Lin Yan had no choice but to practice it once.
His movements were light and his figure was agile. He was almost completely different from the others' Five Animal Hands.
As he watched, Pang Tong's eyes were bewitched. "Deer Form, this is the true deer Form. It's as agile as passing through mountains and forests. So that's how it is, that's how it is…"
After a long while, Pang Tong revealed a look of emotion. "Junior Brother Lin, no wonder my lord said that your talent is astonishing. You're not inferior to Mi Tai. If you had demonstrated the Five Animal Hands to me back then, I would have avoided at least half of the detours!"
"Senior Brother Pang, can we talk about earning money now?"
Pang Tong smiled. "No problem, no problem.
"There are many opportunities to earn money, but it depends on whether you have the ability and the guts.
"The first one is in the depths of the Guangchuan Mountain Range outside the city."
The Guangchuan Mountains stretched on endlessly. One section passed by Ding'an City. The mountain range was winding and rarely traveled. It was extremely easy to get lost. Coupled with the fact that snakes, insects, and ferocious beasts were everywhere, it was extremely dangerous.
"A few days ago, in the depths of the Guangchuan Mountains, an earth dragon flipped over and shook violently. Many hunters and villagers saw a strange light soaring into the sky and dyeing the clouds red. Now, the hottest topic in the entire Ding'an City is the Guangchuan Mountains. Many people have gone to the mountains to search for treasures."
Lin Yan raised his eyebrows slightly. He had been staying in Dragon Gate Pavilion for the past few days and did not expect such a big thing to happen outside.
The earth dragon flipped over, which was an earthquake. A few days ago, on the night Xiaozhi fell ill, he did feel a slight tremor and thought that it was an illusion.
"There are many people and opportunities in the Guangchuan Mountain Range now. There might even be treasures. It depends on whether you have the guts and brains to make money there."
Lin Yan knew that he didn't even have to think about treasures.
However, with so many people gathered in the Guangchuan Mountains, the snakes, insects, and wild beasts would definitely avoid them. It might be a chance to collect poisonous mushrooms.
"Senior Brother Pang, aren't you going to take a share?"
"With my weak body, I don't dare to mess around."
"Since Senior Brother Pang doesn't dare, I naturally don't dare either. Senior Brother Pang, please tell me about other opportunities."
Pang Tong was just saying it casually. He didn't think Lin Yan would go. "The second chance depends on your ability in accounting. Is it really as powerful as you say?"
Lin Yan's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?"
"In the Dragon Yard, there's a senior sister named Chen. Although she's a woman, she's extremely obsessed with math. She's always wanted to hire a brilliant math master.
"Didn't you say that your math skills are extraordinary and unprecedented? If you really have such great math skills, you'll naturally earn a lot of money without much work if you become her teacher. It's closer to home too!"
When Lin Yan asked Pang Tong to find an opportunity to earn money, he told Pang Tong about his ability to write poems and settle accounts. He even exaggerated and bragged about it. He did not expect Pang Tong to really find an opportunity.
Lin Yan's eyes lit up. "Senior Brother Pang, please introduce me."
"Don't worry. This Senior Sister Chen is from the Chen Family, which is a banking Family of the Longhu District. Although she's a woman, she grew up nibbling on the Classic of Calculations. It's said that she even has the family's unique math books. Are you really confident that you can be her teacher?"
Lin Yan smiled slightly. He was a science student in his previous life and his math results had always been good.
Furthermore, this was clearly an ancient society. Just the concept of numbers, equations, and calculus alone was enough to crush everyone.
"Since you just demonstrated the deer form for me, I'll help you ask. I can't guarantee that it will succeed."
"Thank you, Senior Brother Pang. I'll treat you to a drink."
"No problem, no problem. By the way, there's one last chance to earn money…"
At this point, Pang Tong kept him in suspense and smiled. "However, I can't say this opportunity now. You'll naturally know in a few days."
Lin Yan did not understand, but since Pang Tong did not say anything, he did not ask further and invited Pang Tong to drink.
The next day, after arranging Xiaozhi's breakfast, Lin Yan left Dragon Gate Pavilion and went straight to his house in Zhubai District.
He had been holed up in Dragon Gate Pavilion for more than a month and had not returned home. The weather had turned slightly cold today, so he wanted to go home to get a thicker blanket.
Along the way, Lin Yan could hear tea stall customers, tavern residents, and passersby discussing the Guangchuan Mountains from time to time.
Some people said that they saw someone dig out gold in the Guangchuan Mountains and became rich overnight.
Some people said that there was a group of bandits in the Guangchuan Mountains who specialized in robbing passersby.
Some people said that there was a huge crack in the depths of the Guangchuan Mountains that led to the netherworld…
There was all kinds of news.
However, the lively discussion about the Guangchuan Mountains did not hide the fact that the situation in Ding'an City was getting worse.
As Lin Yan walked, he saw even more desolation.
Needless to say the dirty environment, the density of beggars in the alleys and corners was twice as high as last month.
Fighting, robbery, and even violence…
The gang members ran amok everywhere. Not long after he arrived, Lin Yan saw several atrocities. They did not hide anything in broad daylight.
Lin Yan was dressed in Dragon Gate Pavilion's attire. Coupled with his strong body that he had trained for more than a month, no hooligan dared to approach him casually.
However, he could clearly feel many malicious gazes sweeping over him.
Chaotic and uneasy auras were brewing everywhere.
He could only speed up.
Tiger Camp was no longer arresting people because the Dingdeng Battle would begin in less than a month.
However, a few days ago, the City Lord's Mansion had exhausted all its resources and had increased taxes again. It was like the last straw that broke the camel's back. It destroyed many small businesses and hired workers in Ding'an City, causing them to wander the streets.
On the other hand, the rich families plundered the wealth and took properties. They lived a good life.
The wealthy houses reeked of wine and meat, and the road was filled with frozen bodies.
The chaos in Ding'an City became stronger and stronger. It was as if a huge tide had begun, making Lin Yan feel vaguely uneasy.
Lin Yan became more and more determined. He had to stay in Dragon Gate Pavilion no matter the price.
Only then could he protect himself and Xiaozhi in this chaotic situation.