A Special Skill

The autumn sky was clear and the air was crisp, with a gentle breeze and bright sunshine.

Jiangyun Province was located in the southern part of Great Wei, where the climate was mild and warmer than in other provinces.

Even with winter fast approaching, many pedestrians on the road were still wearing short sleeves and shorts.

It was the afternoon.

Pedestrians bustled back and forth in Songyi City.

Baiwei Street was one of the most prosperous districts in Songyi City.

It brought together delicacies from all the major provinces of Great Wei, boasting that one could taste a hundred flavors of the world here.

Hence, it was called Baiwei Street.

"Bravo!"

"Splendid!"

A burst of enthusiastic cheers erupted inside Bidan Tea House.

On the storytelling stage, a young gentleman was narrating with eloquence.

"The night was deep, and all was silent.

Just as Ning Caichen was about to fall asleep, he felt someone enter his room.

He hurriedly sat up, and upon seeing the visitor, he realized it was the beautiful girl from the household in the north courtyard; he vaguely remembered her name was Xiao Qian.

Ning Caichen asked in surprise, 'Miss, why have you come to my room?'

Xiao Qian smiled enchantingly..."

"..."

Clack!

With a strike of the gavel, the gentleman concluded today's session: "To know what happens next, please listen to the next installment!"

"Ah!"

"It's over already?"

"No way, it just got to the good part!"

"Little sir, give us another segment, it's still early!"

In the tea house, the guests voiced their dissatisfaction, wanting to hear more.

Behind the storytelling stage stood a young scholar of sixteen or seventeen years.

The youth had decent facial features, though his skin was somewhat dark and he appeared slightly thin.

He wore a green robe in the style of a scholar, exuding an air of scholarly refinement.

"No, no, my throat can't take any more if I keep going."

Lin Zheyu waved his hand and said.

His voice was a bit hoarse; after speaking for over an hour, his throat was struggling.

"What are we supposed to do now? I won't be able to sleep tonight."

"The little sir is too cruel, stopping right at this moment."

Amidst the reluctant cries of the guests, the youth cupped his hands and stepped off the stage.

"The little sir is truly talented to be able to write such a vivid and alluring story; even a man of my age can't help but feel a sense of longing after hearing it."

The tea house manager said with a smile.

The manager was named Wu Yinghe, a portly middle-aged man who always wore the expression of a smiling Buddha.

"You flatter me, I'm just trying to make a living."

Lin Zheyu waved his hand and accepted the silver coins handed over by the manager.

"These one hundred and thirty-eight wen are tips from the guests, and these one hundred wen are your wages for today."

"Seeing how hard you worked, I've given you a small raise," manager Wu Yinghe said with a smile.

Ten days ago, Lin Zheyu had recommended himself to be a storyteller, stating that if he didn't do a good job, he wouldn't take any money.

At the time, Wu Yinghe had been somewhat reluctant.

After all, Lin Zheyu was too young and lacked experience; he didn't look like someone who could tell a good story.

However, he was a kind-hearted man, and seeing that Lin Zheyu looked destitute yet spoke and acted with the refinement of a scholar, he decided to let him try.

After all, if he wasn't good, he wouldn't have to pay him.

He hadn't expected that while the youth's storytelling technique was merely average, his stories were surprisingly brilliant.

Ever since Lin Zheyu began telling stories there, more and more tea drinkers had been drawn to the place by his exceptional tales.

The tea house business was becoming more and more prosperous.

"Many thanks, Manager." Lin Zheyu thanked him.

Leaving the tea house, he walked along Baiwei Street.

On both sides of the street were dazzling arrays of delicacies, the fragrance refreshing and intoxicating, making Lin Zheyu's mouth water.

Having arrived in this world for over a month, he had already adapted to life here.

Thinking back to the miserable days when he first arrived in this world, Lin Zheyu still felt a lingering fear.

The city where his predecessor lived had been captured by rebel armies; his family were wealthy merchants in Jiunan City who had learned the news in advance and moved the entire household.

However, they still could not escape their ill fate.

On the road to the Central Plains, they encountered bandits, and his predecessor's parents and kin were scattered.

After many days of wandering, he mixed in with refugees and arrived in Songyi City.

Not long after arriving in Songyi City, his predecessor could no longer hold on, and Lin Zheyu took over the body.

When he first arrived, Lin Zheyu's stomach was full of mud, tree bark, and weeds, and he was so uncomfortable that he couldn't pass a stool for several days.

It wasn't until he drank some dirty water and developed diarrhea that he felt a bit better.

But he had also nearly lost his life because of it.

"I still have to thank Miss Ren Qingying of the Ren Mansion. Without the thin porridge she gave out, I'm afraid I would have kicked the bucket right after being reborn."

Lin Zheyu sighed with emotion.

The Ren Family was a famous noble family in Songyi City, and Ren Qingying was beautiful and kind-hearted, a living Bodhisattva in the hearts of many refugees.

If it weren't for them boiling porridge outside the city to provide relief multiple times, Lin Zheyu definitely wouldn't have made it through.

"It smells so good!"

Walking on the street, Lin Zheyu sniffed, and his stomach let out a rumbling sound.

He dug into his pocket for money, but resisted the urge to make a purchase.

He had only just saved up a little bit of money, so he couldn't squander it recklessly.

In this world, apart from storytelling, Lin Zheyu hadn't found any good ways to make money.

Originally, he had high ambitions, thinking he would rely on the mindset and knowledge from his past life to make a name for himself in this world.

But soon, the cruelty of reality woke him from his beautiful dream.

After several attempts, Lin Zheyu discovered that he didn't know how to do anything.

Fortunately, he had loved listening to old Guo tell stories in his past life, and through osmosis, he had learned some superficial insights.

In the end, relying on stories from his past life, he managed to land a job as a storyteller.

His storytelling technique was average, but his facial expressions and ability to convey emotions were excellent, and the stories were top-notch.

Overall, he told them quite well and managed to scrape together a living.

"I've saved up a little over a tael of silver now; I wonder if it's enough to learn a martial art."

"This world is too chaotic. Without clan members or relatives by my side, it's very easy to get bullied when you're all alone."

Lin Zheyu tightened his grip on the silver in his pocket.

He had been robbed several times already.

Because he was alone without any clan to rely on, he had suffered quite a bit since coming to this world.

Even if he reported it to the authorities, the magistrate's office had far too many matters to attend to; they wouldn't care about a trivial thing like Lin Zheyu's.

Fortunately, while the world was chaotic, he was not without a crutch.

Lin Zheyu looked at the data in his consciousness; this thing had existed since he arrived in this world.

[Heaven Rewards Diligence]

Name: Lin Zheyu

Source Power: 1

Skills: None

This had appeared in his mind after he arrived in this world.

As long as Lin Zheyu worked hard enough, every time he exercised his body and broke through his physical limits, he could obtain 1 unit of Source Power.

Using Source Power, he could upgrade his skills.

He had tried it once a few days ago, and after that breakthrough of his physical limits, his whole body had ached for a week before recovering.

"Ordinary exercise movements don't count as skills; I wonder if the martial arts of this world do."

Lin Zheyu thought to himself.

The power level in this world was very high.

Before Jiunan City was captured by the rebel army, his predecessor's family had kept many martial artists, and those with strong prowess could easily take on ten men at once.

It was a pity that his predecessor had been a frail scholar, obsessed only with passing the imperial examinations and having never learned a shred of martial arts.

He walked through Baiwei Street.

After traveling a few more miles, passing the plaza and winding through various streets and alleys, he arrived at the much more dilapidated Baishan District.

This place was far from the core area of Songyi City and belonged to the Outer City, where only the poor resided.

Lin Zheyu was a newcomer and lacked sufficient silver, so he could only rent a small shack here to get by for the time being.

Fortunately, his storytelling had gradually started to pick up, and he had saved up a fair amount of silver; it was time to move into the city proper.

"It really stinks."

Lin Zheyu pinched his nose, unable to stand the stench of Baishan District.

The smells of sweat, urine, excrement, and fermenting trash were all mixed together, brewing into a nauseating and foul odor.