Autumn was crisp, the sky clear, and the breeze gentle.
Jiangyun Province lay in the south of Great Wei, where the climate was warm—milder than in the other provinces.
Even though winter was fast approaching, many passersby still wore short sleeves and shorts.
Afternoon.
The streets of Songyi City teemed with people.
Baiwei Street was one of the busiest districts in Songyi City.
It brought together delicacies from every province in Great Wei, and was said to offer a hundred flavors from across the world.
That was why it was called Baiwei Street.
"Wonderful!"
"Brilliant!"
A wave of enthusiastic cheers erupted from the Bidan Tea House.
On the storytelling stage, the young storyteller spun his tale in an easy, unhurried voice.
"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 looked at the visitor. To his surprise, it was the beautiful young woman from the house in the northern courtyard. He vaguely remembered that her name was Xiao Qian.
"Ning Caichen asked in surprise, 'Miss, why have you come to my room?'
"Xiao Qian gave him a coy smile..."
"..."
Smack!
The storyteller clapped his block, bringing today's tale to a close. "To find out what happens next, tune in next time!"
"Ah!"
"That's it?"
"No way, you're stopping just when it gets good!"
"Little storyteller, tell us one more bit! It's still early!"
The customers in the tea house all called out, unhappy to have heard so little.
Behind the storytelling stage stood a young scholar of sixteen or seventeen.
He had fine features, but his complexion was somewhat dark and he was a little on the skinny side.
Dressed in a blue-green robe like a scholar, he carried himself with a scholarly air.
"No, no. My throat can't take any more."
Lin Zheyu waved his hand as he spoke.
His voice was a little hoarse. After talking for more than an hour, his throat was starting to give out.
"What am I supposed to do? I won't be able to sleep tonight."
"That little storyteller's so wicked, stopping right there."
Amid the customers' reluctant cries, the young man clasped his hands in farewell and stepped down from the stage.
"Little storyteller, you're a remarkable talent. To write such a steamy tale! Even an old man like me can't help but yearn for romance after hearing it."
The tea house manager said with a smile.
The manager, Wu Yinghe, was a portly, middle-aged man who wore the look of a laughing Buddha all day long.
"You're too kind. I'm just trying to earn a living."
Lin Zheyu waved his hand and accepted the silver the manager passed him.
"These one hundred and thirty-eight copper coins are tips from the customers. And these hundred coins are your wages for today."
"You worked hard telling your story, so I've raised your pay a little," Wu Yinghe said with a smile.
A little over ten days earlier, Lin Zheyu had offered his services as a storyteller, promising he wouldn't take any money if he wasn't good.
At first, Wu Yinghe had been reluctant.
After all, Lin Zheyu was so young, and lacked experience. He didn't look like someone who could tell a good story.
But Wu Yinghe was a kindhearted man. Seeing Lin Zheyu's pitiful state and his refined speech and mannerisms, he recognized him as a scholar and gave him a chance.
If he wasn't any good, he could simply refuse to pay him.
He hadn't expected that although the young man's storytelling skills were only so-so, his stories would be exceptionally entertaining.
Ever since Lin Zheyu started telling stories at their tea house, more and more customers had come by reputation, drawn in by his excellent tales.
Business at the tea house had been booming.
"Thank you, Manager." Lin Zheyu expressed his gratitude.
He left the tea house and walked along Baiwei Street.
The streets were lined with all kinds of delicacies, their aromas filling the air and making Lin Zheyu's mouth water.
He had been in this world for a little over a month, and had already gotten used to life here.
Thinking back to the wretched days just after he arrived, Lin Zheyu still shuddered.
The city where his previous body had lived had fallen to a rebel army. His family had been wealthy merchants in Jiunan City, and they had learned of the danger in advance and fled together.
But even then, they hadn't escaped their misfortune.
Bandits had attacked them on the road to the Central Plains, scattering his parents and relatives.
After many days on the road, he had made his way to Songyi City among the refugees.
Not long after he arrived, his previous body had given out, and Lin Zheyu had taken over.
When he first arrived, his belly had been full of dirt, tree bark, and weeds. He'd been so miserable that he couldn't relieve himself for days.
He only got a little better after drinking filthy water one day and getting diarrhea.
But he nearly died from that, too.
"I really have to thank Miss Ren Qingying of the Ren Family. Without the thin porridge she gave out, I might've croaked right after being reborn."
Lin Zheyu sighed.
The Ren Family was a prominent clan in Songyi City. Ren Qingying was beautiful and kindhearted, a living bodhisattva in the eyes of many refugees.
If they hadn't repeatedly cooked porridge outside the city to help those in need, Lin Zheyu wouldn't have made it.
"It smells so good!"
As he walked down the street, Lin Zheyu sniffed the air. His stomach rumbled.
He rummaged through the money in his pocket and resisted the urge to buy something.
He had only just managed to save a little money. He couldn't afford to squander it.
In this world, aside from storytelling, Lin Zheyu hadn't found any good way to make money.
At first, he'd been full of ambition, thinking he could rely on his past-life ideas and knowledge to make a name for himself in this world.
But reality had quickly shattered that beautiful dream.
After trying a few things, Lin Zheyu had discovered that he didn't know how to do anything.
Fortunately, he'd loved listening to Old Guo tell stories in his previous life. After picking up a little here and there, he'd learned a few rudimentary tricks.
In the end, he'd relied on stories from his past life to land a job as a storyteller.
His storytelling skills were only so-so, but his facial expressions and emotional delivery were excellent, and so were his stories.
All in all, he was a decent storyteller, and it put food on the table.
"I've saved a little more than one tael of silver. I wonder if that'll be enough to learn a martial art."
"The world's so chaotic. With no clan or relatives by my side, it's easy for people to bully me when I'm alone."
Lin Zheyu tightened his grip on the silver in his pocket.
He'd been robbed several times already.
With no relatives or clan to rely on, he'd had a hard time since arriving in this world.
Even if he reported it to the authorities, the government offices had more than enough to deal with. They couldn't spare time for such a minor matter as Lin Zheyu's.
Fortunately, amid the chaos, he wasn't entirely without support.
Lin Zheyu looked at the data in his consciousness. It had been there ever since he arrived in this world.
Heaven Rewards Diligence Name: Lin Zheyu Source Power: 1 Skills: None
It had appeared in his mind after he came to this world.
As long as Lin Zheyu worked hard, he could gain one unit of Source Power each time he trained his body and pushed it past its limits.
He could use Source Power to improve his skills.
He had tried it once a few days ago. After pushing himself past his physical limits, his entire body had ached for a week before he recovered.
"I wonder if martial arts from this world count as skills. Ordinary exercises probably don't."
Lin Zheyu thought to himself.
The martial prowess in this world was formidable.
Before Jiunan City was taken by the rebel army, Lin Zheyu's previous family had kept plenty of martial artists. The strongest among them could take on ten opponents at once without breaking a sweat.
Unfortunately, his previous body had been a frail scholar, set on earning an official title through the examinations. He hadn't learned a single martial skill.
He crossed Baiwei Street.
After walking several more miles, passing a plaza and turning through streets and alleys, he arrived at the run-down Baishan District.
It was far from the heart of Songyi City and belonged to the Outer City. Only poor people lived there.
When Lin Zheyu had first arrived, he hadn't had enough money, so he'd had no choice but to rent a small room here until he got back on his feet.
Fortunately, his storytelling had started to take off, and he'd saved quite a bit of money. It was time to move into the city.
"What a horrible smell."
Lin Zheyu pinched his nose, unable to stomach the stench in Baishan District.
The reek of sweat, urine, and feces mingled with the smell of rotting garbage, brewing into a nauseating stink.
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