This Martial Saint is Too Cautious

Chapter 160: Chapter 19: Domineering

It was the Lake Heart Pavilion again.

As Lin Yan reached the lake, Lin Minghai was just coming down from the causeway. "Did something happen?" he asked.

"How did you know, Brother Hai?"

"Knowing you, you wouldn’t come looking for me unless you needed something."

Lin Yan was speechless.

Seeing Lin Yan’s silence, Lin Minghai chuckled. "Go on, spit it out. Don’t hold it in."

"Brother Hai, back when I was in Guangping County Town for my Martial Arts cultivation, a senior helped me out. Now, his Escort Agency’s men were transporting a shipment when their cargo was stolen by the Qingfeng Stockade..."

Lin Yan quickly explained the situation with Zhu Xiao and the Qingfeng Stockade, making a point to mention that the Head of Escort Leader of the Seven Stars Escort Agency was an elder who had looked out for him.

After hearing Lin Yan out, Lin Minghai narrowed his eyes. "Are you trying to settle the score for the Seven Stars Escort Agency?"

"Just getting the goods back is enough."

"Pathetic!" Lin Minghai glared at Lin Yan. "The Qingfeng Stockade is nothing. If you weren’t involved, it wouldn’t matter. But since you’ve stepped in, just having them return the stolen goods would be a disgrace to the Lin Family."

Lin Yan was at a loss for words.

"You need to remember this: even though you’re from a branch family, to the outside world, you are still a member of the Lin Family. In all of Qing State Prefecture, besides the other three great families, you don’t need to pay any other power any mind. Since you’ve gotten involved, not only must the Qingfeng Stockade hand over the goods, they must also pay compensation."

Lin Minghai’s tone was incredibly domineering. Lin Yan’s jaw went slightly slack. ’You can do that?’

"If that’s what you say, Brother Hai, then I know what to do," Lin Yan explained. "I was just worried that the Qingfeng Stockade might be backed by a more powerful force."

The whole reason he’d come to ask Brother Hai about the Qingfeng Stockade was to get a clear picture of their background.

What if the Qingfeng Stockade was secretly backed by some major power, just like the Qingshui Gang he had destroyed back in Guangping County Town, which had been secretly supported by the Wang Family? He was afraid of stirring up a hornet’s nest.

Thinking more cynically, some large powers secretly backed bandits to control the roads. This way, they could not only earn silver coins by collecting tolls, but also use the bandits to control the channels through which goods flowed.

This was also why he hadn’t simply fought his way from Guangping County Town to the Qing State Prefecture.

He was constantly afraid that some group of bandits would turn out to be backed by a powerful figure, who would then hunt him across a thousand miles.

Lin Minghai was taken aback. He hadn’t expected Lin Yan to think so far ahead. It reminded him of his last conversation with Brother Song about Lin Yan, where they had remarked on how cautious he was.

This degree of caution was perfectly in line with Lin Yan’s character.

"Don’t worry, the Qingfeng Stockade has no real backing. They’ve only survived this long because they’re smart enough not to provoke powers they can’t afford to offend. Just reveal your identity as a member of the Lin Family, and the Qingfeng Stockade will have to treat you like an honored guest and formally apologize."

Lin Minghai said calmly, and Lin Yan’s eyes lit up.

’So this is what it feels like to be a dog backed by its master... ahem, no, I mean, is this what they call ’enjoying the shade of a large tree’?’

’Just his status alone was enough to make them yield.’

’Have to admit, it felt damn good.’

"Remember, you are a member of the Lin Clan. Set your sights higher. Don’t let them fob you off with a pittance."

As Lin Yan took his leave, Lin Minghai added one last reminder. He was worried that Lin Yan, hailing from a small county town, hadn’t seen enough of the world and would be satisfied with whatever meager compensation the Qingfeng Stockade offered.

If word of that got out, it would only invite ridicule.

...

...

Li Family Clinic.

"Luo Feng, are you sure Young Master Lin said he was coming?"

In a courtyard behind the clinic, several Escort Masters surrounded Luo Feng. An hour had passed since his return. If Young Master Lin was coming, he should have arrived long ago.

"Maybe Young Master Lin got held up by something."

Luo Feng pursed his lips. Noticing his odd expression, one of the other Escort Masters asked curiously, "Luo Feng, what happened exactly? What did Young Master Lin really say?"

"What else was there to say? He just said he would come see Escort Leader Zhu, and then he sent me away."

Hearing this, the other Escort Masters all fell silent.

"If you ask me, Escort Leader Zhu was right. The man has no real connection to us, and he’s just arrived at the Lin Family, yet to find his footing. It’s understandable that he wouldn’t want to get involved in this."

After a long moment, one of the Escort Masters spoke with a wry smile.

Going to the Lin Family to ask Lin Yan for help hadn’t been Escort Leader Zhu’s idea; he was still unconscious at the time. It was a decision the rest of them had made after discussing it amongst themselves.

It seemed Escort Leader Zhu had seen things clearly back then; they had been too presumptuous.

"I’ve already written to the Head of Escort Leader," Luo Feng said. "As for everything else, we’ll wait until Escort Leader Zhu wakes up."

The others nodded in agreement. Under the circumstances, it was all they could do.

Just as they finished their discussion, footsteps approached the courtyard gate.

Hearing the footsteps, the men grew wary, their hands instinctively going to the hilts of their swords.

"Finally found the right place this time."

Lin Yan pushed the gate open and entered. Seeing the stunned looks on their faces, he explained, "My apologies. I didn’t ask which street this Li’s Clinic was on, so I had to search for it clinic by clinic. That’s what took so long."

Hearing Lin Yan’s words, the men in the courtyard snapped out of their stupor. Their eyes immediately shot to Luo Feng. Luo Feng’s face flushed crimson, and not daring to meet his companions’ accusing glares, he lowered his head. "It’s my fault. I didn’t explain clearly to Young Master Lin."

He felt incredibly wronged. He hadn’t known how many Li’s Clinics there were in North City, either. He had subconsciously applied the logic of a county town, where a single district might have several clinics, but only one with a given name. Who could have guessed that the entire North City would have so many Li’s Clinics?

’With that many locations, weren’t they afraid they wouldn’t get enough business?’

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