External Training of Sinews, Bones, and Skin

"I know him too?"

Lin Zheyu was somewhat surprised.

He had not been in Songyi City long and only knew a handful of people. As far as he remembered, none of them practiced martial arts.

"Mm."

"He's a regular at our Tea House. He used to come here often to listen to stories and pass the time."

"Ever since you started storytelling at our Tea House, he's been here almost every day."

"When I saw him listening, he often laughed heartily. He clearly likes the stories you tell," Steward Wu said.

"Would he be willing to teach me?"

Lin Zheyu asked nervously.

He had heard that many martial arts were passed down only to men, never to women—let alone outsiders.

"Hmm, he probably would."

"I've seen quite a few people learn martial arts from him."

"He likes your storytelling so much that he should be willing to teach you a few skills," Steward Wu said.

Without keeping him in suspense, he continued, "His name is Liang Song. He looks to be around fifty and is a cripple. He often sits by the window." Wu Yinghe said.

"The man who tips so extravagantly?!"

Lin Zheyu exclaimed in surprise.

He remembered the man because he tipped with exceptional generosity. At present, he was the Top Supporter.

Yet Liang Song looked utterly ordinary, and he even limped. He did not look like someone particularly powerful at all.

"That's him."

"Don't be fooled by Liang Song's lame leg. He's extremely skilled."

"A few years ago, someone in the Tea House was molesting a woman. Without even raising his head, Liang Song flicked his hand, and his chopsticks pierced the palms of three burly men like sharp arrows."

Steward Wu took a sip of tea as he spoke.

"Impressive!"

Lin Zheyu praised him.

Without even looking up, he had casually used chopsticks to pierce the palms of three burly men. That required incredibly keen perception and formidable strength.

The two ate and chatted, and time slipped away in the blink of an eye.

It was time for storytelling.

Over the past dozen days, the stories Lin Zheyu told had spread farther and farther through word of mouth among the patrons.

As his fame spread, more and more young noblemen came to Bi Dan Teahouse to hear him tell stories.

Young noblemen tipped far more generously than others.

Today, Lin Zheyu earned over three hundred coins, much more than before.

His pay was still one hundred coins for a two-hour performance, but his tips had reached over two hundred coins.

The main reason was that when the story reached its climax, the patrons grew so excited that they howled as they threw out tips.

Seeing how enthusiastically the patrons tipped, Lin Zheyu himself became fired up as he spoke and told the story for more than ten extra minutes.

"There, Liang Song came today too."

Wu Yinghe pointed at Liang Song, who sat alone beside the window.

He was a man who looked to be in his fifties. His shoulder-length hair was loose and disheveled, and his face was covered in an unkempt beard. He looked utterly slovenly.

After listening to the story, the man seemed to be in a fine mood.

He drank a few cups of liquor, then looked out the window at the scenery outside, a faint smile on his face.

Straightening his clothes, Lin Zheyu picked up a jug of liquor and walked over.

The liquor was called General's Tears, and it was extremely famous.

General's Tears was not particularly strong, but it went down fiery and hit hard.

Steward Wu had said it was Liang Song's favorite drink.

"Greetings, Master Liang. I am Lin Zheyu, the Storyteller of Bi Dan Teahouse."

"This is some liquor I brought. Please give it a taste."

Lin Zheyu filled Liang Song's cup and spoke with great courtesy.

Liang Song glanced at him with a smile but said nothing, continuing to admire the view outside.

Lin Zheyu did not interrupt Liang Song's pleasure. After instructing a waiter to bring a few small dishes, he silently accompanied him in watching the scenery.

Other than storytelling, he had nothing important to do now.

After a long while.

The two watched the scenery for over two hours. The sky had darkened before Liang Song finally spoke.

"Go on. What do you want?"

Liang Song seemed to have had his fill of the view. He looked at Lin Zheyu as he spoke.

He raised his cup and downed it in one gulp, the fiery sensation flowing down his throat and into his stomach.

"Ahh—"

Liang Song let out a satisfied sound, every bit the bold and unrestrained man.

"I am Lin Zheyu. I fled here from Jiu Nan City, but became separated from my parents and relatives along the way. Now I am alone in Songyi City, with no one to rely on."

"Without anyone to rely on while making one's way alone, it's easy to be bullied. I heard that your martial arts are excellent, and I wish to learn a martial art from you."

"Please teach me, Master Liang!"

Lin Zheyu filled Liang Song's cup again and clasped his fists in earnest supplication.

"Learning martial arts is very hard—far harder than studying. Your writing is quite good, so why not continue your studies and sit for the civil service examinations?" Liang Song said flatly.

"Great chaos is about to descend. If I cannot even protect myself, how can I study for honors with peace of mind?" Lin Zheyu shook his head.

Liang Song looked Lin Zheyu up and down, then shook his head slightly.

"It isn't impossible for me to teach you, but you're already too old. Starting martial arts now is somewhat late."

"On the path of martial arts, one trains the sinews, bones, and skin externally, and cultivates a breath internally."

"Training the sinews, bones, and skin must begin from childhood, and the demands on one's physical foundation and talent are high. One must soak in medicinal baths from a young age, tempering the sinews and bones to lay a solid foundation."

"Once one grows older, the body has matured and the bones have set. Tempering the sinews and bones becomes more than a hundred times harder, and one careless mistake can leave behind hidden injuries."

Liang Song said, "If you start martial arts now, you'll get half the result for twice the effort. Most likely, you won't achieve much. Are you sure you want to learn?"

"It's fine. I'm not afraid of hardship, and I can endure suffering very well. As long as I can practice martial arts, that's enough!" Lin Zheyu said hurriedly.

"I'm idle anyway, so I'll teach you."

"I like the character Yan Chixia you told stories about very much. Tell more stories about people like him in the future," Liang Song said with a smile.

"Alright, thank you, Master Liang!"

"I'll write a story especially for you in the future!"

Lin Zheyu was overjoyed.

With a broad wave of his hand, he summoned a waiter and ordered several more dishes.

"Now that you've said what you came to say, hurry and leave. Don't sit across from me and offend my eyes. Come find me at No. 33 Jin Dong Street tomorrow morning."

Liang Song shooed Lin Zheyu away as though driving off a fly.

"Alright. I won't disturb your enjoyment, Master Liang. Please take your time!"

Lin Zheyu rose to his feet.

As he turned away, he clenched his fist excitedly, his face blooming with joy.

Things had gone more smoothly than he had imagined. Master Liang had agreed right away and had not even mentioned money.

But on second thought, it made sense.

He was a wealthy patron who often tipped Lin Zheyu, giving twenty coins or more each time he made a move. He probably did not lack money.

On the way back, Lin Zheyu bought some meat and vegetables to nourish his body properly.

When he had lived in Bai Shan District, he had not dared buy too much meat or vegetables for fear of attracting unwanted attention.

This time, Lin Zheyu bought half a jin of pork belly, planning to braise it when he got back. It had been a long time since he had eaten braised meat.

Sluurp—

Early morning.

The sky was only beginning to brighten when Lin Zheyu woke early.

After moving into his new home, he had discovered that the rooster next door had crowed itself hoarse. Its voice was raspy and unpleasant, lacking the clear ring of other roosters, and it was painful to listen to.

After washing up, he ate a hearty meal of the braised meat cooked last night with rice porridge.

He would begin practicing martial arts today, so he had to make sure his body received enough nourishment.

After going through hunger and sleeping rough in the open, this body was extremely frail, so skinny it was almost skin and bones.

Over the past dozen days, he had earned quite a bit through storytelling and had been willing to spend money on food, allowing his body to recover somewhat.

But he was still a little weak. After running only a few li, he would have to stop and rest.

He changed into a fitted outfit suitable for martial arts training, tied up his long hair, and instantly looked exceptionally capable, with less of his usual scholarly air.

When he stepped outside, there were already quite a few pedestrians on the road.

With so little entertainment in this world, people went to bed early and rose early.

When Lin Zheyu had first arrived, he had been somewhat unused to it. But after a few days, he found himself so bored that he went to bed early every night.

The habit from his previous life—insomnia at night and wanting to sleep while working during the day—had disappeared as well.

He had developed the good habit of going to bed early and rising early.