This Martial Saint is Too Cautious

Lin Yan rose and made a welcoming gesture. The old man didn't stand on ceremony, walking straight to the campfire, grabbing the bamboo skewer with the tiger meat, and bringing it to his lips.

The young girl in green stood by the campfire, her brows furrowed slightly. She seemed unaccustomed to the soot-covered grass, but when her gaze fell upon the sizzling, greasy tiger meat, a trace of curiosity flickered in her eyes.

"Delicious!"

The old man swallowed a mouthful of tiger meat and smacked his lips a few times. "Young man, you must have used some special seasonings."

"Yes. I developed the blend myself after spending a long time hunting in the mountains."

Lin Yan nodded and turned his gaze to the girl in green. "Miss, would you care for a taste?"

"No, thank you."

The girl's throat bobbed, but she still refused.

Unbothered by the rejection, Lin Yan continued to cut another piece of tiger meat, skewer it, brush it with oil, and place it over the campfire to roast.

"May I ask how I should address you, Senior?"

"This old man is Situ. You can just call me Old Situ."

"So it is Senior Situ. I have a relative named Situ as well; what a coincidence to share the same surname, Senior."

'Lin Yan was getting excited. An old man plus a young girl—that was a classic power-duo buff. Add the surname Situ to the mix... if this old man wasn't a Powerhouse, he'd eat...'

'I absolutely cannot miss an opportunity like this.'

Getting to his feet, Lin Yan straightened his wrinkled clothes. The gesture made the young girl subconsciously take half a step back. The old man didn't move, simply watching him with leisure.

"This junior, Lin Yan, is still a novice in Martial Arts. To be able to meet Senior Situ by chance in these deep mountains is a true honor. I implore you, Senior, to offer me some guidance in Martial Arts."

Lin Yan's expression was earnest and sincere. Opportunities to encounter a master like this were rare, especially in such a setting. He definitely wouldn't let this chance slip by.

'If I'm a little shameless, it'd be best if I can get some guidance. If I'm rejected, there's no loss.'

"Pfft, you're hilarious."

Before the old man could speak, the girl in green couldn't help but laugh. A light "harrumph" came from her pert, jade-like nose. "Just because he ate one piece of your meat, you dare to make such an outrageous request? You really are shameless. Do you have any idea who my Grandmaster is?"

The girl's mockery didn't anger Lin Yan. His expression remained unchanged, and his tone was sincere. "I know in my heart that Senior Situ is a master. It is precisely for that reason that I've been shameless enough to ask for guidance."

"If you knew that, how could you have the nerve to ask?"

Lin Yan's expression didn't change as he looked at the girl.

"Miss, you must come from an extraordinary background, one I cannot compare to. I was born to a common family of city folk. I lost my parents at a young age, and my uncle disappeared after being conscripted for labor, never to return. My aunt had to scrimp and save, sewing for wealthy families, just to barely raise my little brother and me. Fortunately, heaven took pity on me and gave me a fortunate encounter that allowed me to step onto the path of Martial Arts."

"But a Martial Artist's Cultivation is heavily dependent on silver coins. I have no family fortune and no backing. To get where I am today, aside from diligent training, my only asset has been this shamelessness. Back when I was confused about Martial Arts, I would wait for my master to finish instructing my junior brothers before stepping forward to ask for guidance, often waiting for one or two hours at a time."

"Speaking up so rashly was indeed shameless of me, but I truly did not want to miss this opportunity. If Senior refuses, it would be within my expectations. If Senior is willing, perhaps due to my sincerity or our fateful encounter, then it would be the greatest fortune of my life. Compared to that, what does a little shame matter? But regardless of whether you refuse or agree to offer some guidance, it has nothing to do with the roasted meat."

Lin Yan's expression was calm. After he spoke, the girl in green fell silent. Her clear, bright eyes darted about for a moment, and for a time, she didn't know how to respond.

'You're still a little naive, little girl. You don't understand that sincerity is the ultimate killer move.'

Seeing the girl rendered speechless by his words, Lin Yan didn't press his advantage. Instead, he turned his bright, intense gaze to the old man.

Situ Mu looked at the sincere-faced Lin Yan and smiled as well. The young man's words were blunt, but they certainly held true.

"Who knows what you're really thinking? Since you claim it's not because I ate your roasted meat, I'll just keep eating, and I'll make sure Grandmaster doesn't teach you."

Unwilling to back down, the girl finished speaking and, ignoring the soot on the roasted meat, reached for the skewer. However, Lin Yan was a step faster and blocked her hand.

"I was right, wasn't I? 'It has nothing to do with the meat,' you said! Now that you've heard my Grandmaster won't teach you, you show your true colors. You're a complete hypocrite."

Yin Ruoxi was furious. To think she had actually been moved by the sincerity in his words just moments ago. She had even started to feel that her own words had been a bit harsh and was feeling ashamed.

And now, with just one test, he had revealed his true face.

'Grandmaster won't agree, so now he won't give me any more meat. He's the epitome of hypocrisy.'

"Miss, your words are a bit too harsh."

"Harsh? Didn't your actions just now prove my point?"

Lin Yan didn't rush to explain. Instead, he changed the subject. "May I ask you a few questions, Miss?"

"What do you want to ask? I'm telling you, even if you ask, I won't answer." Yin Ruoxi was clearly curious about Lin Yan's questions, but her tone remained full of pride.

Lin Yan paid her no mind and asked directly, "Miss, do you know the annual expenses for an ordinary family of three?"

"A hundred... no, wait, fifty taels."

Yin Ruoxi ventured an answer, but then she saw a hint of a smile on Lin Yan's face and immediately changed it.

"Do you know the normal monthly Martial Arts expenses for a Third-Time Skin Smoothing Martial Artist?"

"Several thousand taels."

There was a sly look in Yin Ruoxi's eyes. She deliberately avoided giving a specific number; it could be one thousand taels, or it could be nine thousand.

The corner of Lin Yan's mouth twitched. 'Good heavens, I've really underestimated this girl's background.'

'It's understandable for someone from a rich and powerful family not to know the expenses of common people. But to be this vague even about a Skin Smoothing Martial Artist... just how lofty is her background?'

"Do you know what kind of meat I am roasting, Miss?"

"Tiger meat, of course. It has a gamey smell."

"Do you know how much a pound of tiger meat costs?"

Yin Ruoxi: ...

"Do you know the monthly stipend for a Skin Smoothing Martial Artist holding an official post?"

"Do you know..."

Lin Yan's rapid-fire triple questioning silenced Yin Ruoxi. She knew nothing about any of this.

It was no surprise to Lin Yan that she was left speechless by his questions. It would have been truly strange if this young highness knew about such things.

He then answered his own questions.

"A pound of tiger meat can be sold in the Marketplace for at least fifteen taels. The monthly stipend for a Second-Time Skin Smoothing Martial Artist is about the same amount. That's more than enough to cover the daily expenses of an ordinary family of three for two years."

"My family is poor. I can't afford Rare Birds or wild game, so I can only hunt in the mountains myself. I searched for over a month and risked my life to take down this tiger."

"Meeting the two of you in the mountains is a matter of fate. Out of hospitality, I offered you and Senior some tiger meat. Perhaps it's nothing in your eyes, Miss, but this piece of meat could be sold for over ten taels of silver. In the eighteen years before I stepped onto the path of Martial Arts, the total allowance my family gave me didn't even add up to eighteen taels."

"You said I was shameless and deluded, Miss, and I don't deny it. But on what grounds do you call me a hypocrite? We are not friends or family. I believe I have fulfilled my duties as a host. Must I offer you this tiger meat with both hands for it not to be considered hypocrisy? Does such logic exist in this world?"

As Lin Yan spoke, his expression was neither servile nor overbearing. His tone was calm and earnest, without a trace of anger or sarcasm, as if he were stating a simple fact. He wasn't trying to sell a sob story or win pity, only to make things clear.

The firelight flickered on his face, illuminating a pair of clear, frank eyes.

The tips of Yin Ruoxi's ears turned visibly red, the blush spreading like a budding mountain peach blossom down to her neck. Her lively eyes stopped darting around; instead, she lowered her gaze slightly, her eyelashes trembling, no longer daring to meet Lin Yan's eyes.

Given her background, she would never care how many silver coins a piece of tiger meat was worth. But she had forgotten that for the man before her, it was something he had risked his life to obtain.

She recalled her own words from just a moment ago—"hypocrite," "shameless"—and felt an even deeper sense of shame. Her ears grew redder, and her head sank lower and lower, until it was nearly buried in her chest.

"I... I'll give you money. Double the money."

After holding it in for a long moment, Yin Ruoxi finally spoke, embarrassed. But Lin Yan simply shook his head. "There's no need for that, Miss. I was only making the principle of the matter clear. I had no intention of asking you for money."

Seeing that Lin Yan wouldn't take the money, Yin Ruoxi felt an even deeper sense of guilt. She looked toward her Grandmaster. "Grandmaster, he's so sincere. Just give him some pointers."

Situ Mu: ...