Discussing Cooperation

Bang! Bang! Bang...

A steady rhythm echoed through the courtyard.

More than two hours passed.

Lin Zheyu panted heavily, his face beginning to turn pale. He was nearly at his limit.

He gritted his teeth and kept going.

Every time he broke through his physical limits, it was a dual trial and cleansing for both mind and body.

Another ten-odd minutes passed.

Finally...

Lin Zheyu collapsed onto the ground, gulping down air, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.

Awesome!

This feeling was addictive.

[Heaven Rewards Diligence]

Name: Lin Zheyu

Source Power: 3

Skill: Bull Fist (Beginner 46%)

After resting for a while, Lin Zheyu climbed to his feet and endured the pain as he stretched his muscles and bones.

Stretching properly after training could make the fascia tougher and stronger, allowing the body to unleash even greater power.

Late at night.

The moon was full tonight. Brilliant moonlight spilled down, illuminating the dark streets.

Three furtive figures made their way through the darkness to the outside of Lin Zheyu's courtyard, borrowing the bright moonlight.

"Brother Yu, this is the place," Skinny Monkey said.

"He actually rented such a nice little courtyard. Looks like he's made quite a bit lately." Gao Yu chuckled. They would make another haul tonight.

"Monkey, you're nimble. Climb over the wall and open the gate from inside," Gao Yu ordered.

"Got it. Wait for me."

Skinny Monkey said confidently.

Though he looked dry and skinny, like a scrawny monkey, he was exceptionally agile. He climbed walls and trees with the flexibility of an actual monkey.

Gao Yu and the other companion crouched halfway down and clasped their hands together.

Skinny Monkey stepped onto them. With their boost, he gave a light leap and landed atop the wall.

"Heh!"

"They built the wall so high—did they really think that could stop me?"

Skinny Monkey snickered, gripping the edge of the wall with both hands.

"Hm?"

"Hiss—"

A piercing pain shot through his palms.

Skinny Monkey forcefully held back his scream. Enduring the agony, he fell from the wall, then rolled about in pain.

"Monkey, what happened?!"

Gao Yu and the other man cried out in low voices, not daring to make too much noise.

If they were discovered, they were done for. They would definitely be thrown into prison as laborers.

"Damn it, that brat put a whole lot of long sharp needles on the wall!"

Skinny Monkey cursed under his breath.

Blood seeped profusely through his gloved hands.

As a seasoned thief, Skinny Monkey was extremely experienced. To guard against sharp objects hidden atop walls, he had even worn gloves.

But he had not expected Lin Zheyu's wall to contain not only all manner of spikes, but also tiny blades and long needles.

What was even more damnable was that the long needles all had barbs!

"What do we do now?"

Gao Yu frowned as he looked at the gloves soaked in blood.

"It's fine. I still have a way."

"I learned a secret lockpicking technique from an old friend in prison. Let me recover a little, then we'll go in through the front gate!"

Skinny Monkey bared his teeth.

It hurt too much. His hands felt like they were on fire, and the pain made him suck in cold breaths.

"Are you okay? Should we come back another day?"

Seeing Skinny Monkey's deathly pale face, Gao Yu asked worriedly.

"No. I'm fine."

Skinny Monkey gritted his teeth. His consciousness was growing hazy, and he assumed he had rattled his brain in that fall.

None of them knew how many preparations Lin Zheyu had made in the courtyard to guard against Jia Yanyong potentially making a move against him in the shadows.

Those needles had more than just barbs on them. They were also coated in poison Lin Zheyu had obtained through special channels.

Every morning and evening, he deliberately maintained them to ensure that the poison did not lose its potency.

"Monkey, Monkey..."

"What's wrong with you?"

Gao Yu anxiously asked as Monkey's voice grew softer and softer, his eyelids twitching as they began to close.

"N-No... I... I'll be fine in a moment..."

Skinny Monkey said in fits and starts.

"Woof, woof... Woof woof woof..."

Before he could finish, the barking of a young puppy came from within the courtyard.

"Damn it, this guy keeps a dog."

"Let's go back first. If the commotion gets too big and we're discovered, we'll be in for a world of hurt."

Gao Yu made the decision immediately.

The Inner City was not like Baishan District. Its controls were much stricter, and patrols operated even at night.

He hoisted the increasingly unconscious Skinny Monkey onto his back, called to the other companion, and vanished into a small alley.

Inside the courtyard.

In the kitchen.

Lin Zheyu suddenly snapped his eyes open.

A concealed space was hidden within the pile of firewood, and Lin Zheyu lay on the ground inside it, atop bedding.

"Someone came?"

Lin Zheyu immediately became alert.

He had made many preparations to guard against Jia Yanyong possibly striking at him in secret.

Lin Zheyu had placed a dummy in the bedroom, then slept every night in the hidden sleeping space in the kitchen, preventing anyone from sneaking in at night to deal with him.

He had watched plenty of television dramas in his previous life. Many people liked to come knocking in the dark, so he felt this was safer.

Carefully getting up, Lin Zheyu gripped his wood-splitting blade and pressed his ear against the door.

Outside was utterly silent. Only the puppy he had bought not long ago was barking.

He waited patiently for more than an hour, but there was still no movement outside.

He relaxed a little. He pushed the door open a crack to inspect the area, and only completely let down his guard after confirming there was no problem.

"A false alarm."

"None of the traps in the courtyard were triggered. Maybe someone or an animal passed outside and startled Little Yellow."

Lin Zheyu mused.

He rubbed Little Yellow's head and soothed it.

Little Yellow was a local dog, just over three months old. With two inverted-eight-shaped eyebrows, it looked perpetually melancholy—both funny and adorable.

"Tomorrow, I'll go talk cooperation with Jia Yanming. I can't keep living in constant fear like this."

Lin Zheyu pondered.

There were no eternal enemies and no eternal friends in this world—only eternal interests.

Early morning.

Lin Zheyu stretched comfortably, only to bare his teeth as it tugged at his aching muscles.

After washing up, he wolfed down five large bowls of rice with braised meat.

His appetite was growing larger and larger, and his digestion and absorption were improving as well.

Early in the morning, there were not many customers at Yixiang Tea House, though it was still doing better than Bidan Tea House.

Yixiang Tea House was more upscale, and some wealthy people enjoyed coming early in the morning to savor tea.

He entered the tea house and chose a seat by the window.

Influenced by Master Liang Song, Lin Zheyu had gradually come to enjoy sitting by the window. He could watch the pedestrians passing by and admire the view outside.

"Waiter, bring me a pot of Fairy Mist Phoenix Tea. One plate each of sesame flatbread, Dana, Lejiang..."

Lin Zheyu said to the waiter. After ordering, he continued, "Inform Jia Yanming that someone named Lin Zheyu is here to see him."

"Right away!"

The waiter said.

He turned and left, hurrying off to place the order.

"Lin Zheyu, Lin Zheyu... I think I've heard that name before?"

The waiter muttered. Then his eyes suddenly lit up. "Isn't Lin Zheyu the storyteller at Bidan Tea House?"

"Why would he come looking for Manager Jia? Could it be that he wants to tell stories at Yixiang Tea House?"

"If that's the case, that would be wonderful. The tea house's business would surely rise to another level."

The waiter was thrilled inside and hurried off to notify the manager.

The better the tea house's business, the more wealthy young masters it attracted. As waiters, they would have more chances to receive tips as well.

While waiting for the dishes to arrive, Lin Zheyu looked around Yixiang Tea House with great interest.

Unlike the high-end Yixiang Tea House, Bidan Tea House could not be considered an upscale establishment. Those who came to listen to stories and drink tea were mostly lower- and middle-class people.

However, as Lin Zheyu's fame spread and his stories were passed from mouth to mouth, they became increasingly popular.

Over the past few days, more and more young masters had come to Bidan Tea House specifically to hear his storytelling, taking away many of Yixiang Tea House's customers.

"Mr. Lin, hello."

Jia Yanming hurried over, a slight smile on his face.