Internal Breathing Practice

"Close your eyes, feel the rhythm, and try to follow the breathing pattern."

Liang Song said.

Lin Zheyu closed his eyes upon hearing this. As he calmed his mind and focused, the noisy surroundings faded away, and his master's breathing grew louder in his ears.

He followed the rhythm, though his breathing was somewhat chaotic; it was his first time attempting abdominal breathing, and it felt very unnatural.

"Don't rush. It is always a bit difficult when first attempting the Internal Breathing Method."

"Calm your mind and focus your entire attention on the rhythm and cadence of my breathing."

Liang Song said.

He reached out and pressed his palm against Lin Zheyu's abdomen, gently pushing in time with his own breathing rhythm. His fingertips moved slightly, making subtle adjustments to the movement of Lin Zheyu's muscles.

As time passed, over an hour went by.

Lin Zheyu's expression became increasingly calm, and a rhythmic cadence gradually emerged in the rise and fall of his chest.

Guided by Liang Song, his breathing began to adopt a special rhythm, and a magical sensation rippled through Lin Zheyu's heart.

"Very good, that is exactly the feeling."

"Remember this sensation. Once you adapt to it, combining this breathing method with your fist practice will yield twice the result with half the effort!"

Liang Song said softly.

Lin Zheyu learned very quickly, and with his master's help, he had mastered the basics in just over an hour.

"To master the basic breathing method in just over an hour, his comprehension is truly astonishing."

Liang Song watched as Lin Zheyu settled into a good rhythm and sighed in admiration.

He had not expected to encounter such a talented prospect in Songyi City.

By the time he left Liang Song's house, it was nearly lunchtime.

Lin Zheyu wanted to invite his master out for a meal, but Liang Song declined.

On the way back, about a mile away from his small courtyard, Lin Zheyu felt that something was wrong.

Is someone following me?

Lin Zheyu frowned slightly.

After his Bull Fist reached the proficiency level, his sensory perception had improved significantly, making him extremely sensitive to the movements around him.

Just now, he felt a gaze constantly fixed on him, and there was a sneaky fellow following behind him.

Lin Zheyu paused for a brief moment before continuing on, pretending that nothing was amiss.

Who is following me, and what is their goal?

Lin Zheyu's thoughts raced, various possibilities flashing through his mind.

But no matter how he thought about it, he couldn't figure out who would be targeting him.

Since coming to the Inner City, he had kept a very low profile and had not had any conflicts with anyone.

Lin Zheyu turned a corner, took a different path, and headed toward the bustling market.

Upon reaching the market, Lin Zheyu wandered around, touching and looking at items, and haggling over prices. While paying close attention, he finally spotted the guy who had been following him.

It's him!

I've already moved into the city, yet he's still haunting me like a ghost!

Lin Zheyu was speechless.

Although the sneaky fellow was dressed differently than before, he recognized him at a glance.

Back when he lived in the Baishan District, he had been robbed of his food by a group of thugs, and this guy was one of those four.

Lin Zheyu hadn't expected that even after moving to the Inner City, the other party would still be so persistent.

Did they really think he was easy to bully?

In the past, he was weak, frail, and malnourished, so he had no choice but to walk away when he encountered them.

Now that his Bull Fist had reached the proficiency level and his strength had seen a leap in improvement, he no longer held these local thugs in any regard.

Lin Zheyu wasn't bragging, but he could take on ten of these guys who had never practiced martial arts and only knew how to be aggressive.

There is no such thing as a thousand days of guarding against a thief. I'll find an opportunity to investigate and see what this guy is up to.

Lin Zheyu said to himself.

After finishing his storytelling, it was another bountiful day.

Lin Zheyu had earned nearly three hundred wen in tips today.

On his way back, he discovered that he was being followed again.

Returning home without drawing attention, Lin Zheyu quickly changed into ordinary clothes and quietly followed the other person.

With his current strength, although his tracking skills were not very refined, he could trail them from a distance without being discovered.

"They switched the person tracking me, and it's another one from their group."

Lin Zheyu followed the man from afar.

They arrived at the Baishan District.

It was not as prosperous as the Inner City, and many areas were silent and deserted; it was common for a murder to go undiscovered for over a dozen days here.

The man wove through the alleys of the Baishan District, taking several turns before arriving at an ordinary residential house.

He knocked on the door, someone opened it from inside, and after he entered, it was shut tight again.

"Strange, being so secretive—could they be planning something big?"

Lin Zheyu muttered to himself and quickly followed.

These guys, who usually hung around street corners chatting and wasting time, were now sneaking around and hiding in a house to discuss matters; Lin Zheyu felt this was abnormal.

Since the matter involved him, he was very concerned.

Although Lin Zheyu was not an evil person, he was not a saint either. It was difficult for a good person to survive among refugees.

The sky grew dim.

Carefully approaching the window, Lin Zheyu took out a piece of black cloth and covered his face.

He leaned his ear against the window to eavesdrop on the conversation inside, wanting to figure out what these people were plotting against him.

After his strength improved, Lin Zheyu's hearing became extremely sharp.

Even though the people inside were speaking in low voices, he could clearly hear the content of their exchange through the poorly soundproofed window.

"Wen Biao, how was it today?"

Gao Yu said to the man who had just entered.

"Same as usual. Aside from storytelling, that kid just stays at home, and even when he goes out to wander, he only goes to busy, crowded places."

"And once it gets dark, I've never seen him step out. I guess he's scared after fleeing as a refugee; he values his life quite a lot now," Yan Ling added.

They had been tracking Lin Zheyu for over ten days, trying to figure out his daily schedule and looking for an opportunity to strike in the shadows, both to avenge Skinny Monkey and to rob him of his silver.

According to their observations over the past ten days, this kid was quite wealthy.

The daily tips he received were at least two hundred wen, and with his wages, his daily income exceeded three hundred wen, which made the group very envious.

A down-and-out scholar who had arrived as a refugee had actually managed to do so well in such a short time.

"These guys have been tracking me for so long!"

Lin Zheyu felt a lingering fear.

From their conversation, he could tell that these people had been tailing him for quite a while.

If it weren't for his improved strength and heightened perception allowing him to discover their tracks, he might have been ambushed without even knowing why.

Fortunately, he had been extremely cautious during this period, never going out at night or walking down secluded paths.

A man may have no intent to harm the tiger, but the tiger has the intent to harm the man.

Being targeted for no reason made Lin Zheyu extremely annoyed, and a hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes.

Possessing a sharp weapon, the desire to kill arises on its own.

With his strength increased, his courage had also grown.

"By the way, Brother Yu, I discovered that he learned martial arts from somewhere; every day, the sound of fists hitting a wooden post comes from his courtyard."

Wen Biao said with some hesitation, "Do we really want to make a move? Dealing with someone who has practiced martial arts..."

He was not very keen on taking action; although he called Skinny Monkey a brother, they were just drinking buddies. Wen Biao was unwilling to take risks for Skinny Monkey's sake.

However, knowing that this guy was a fat sheep, alone and without support, made Wen Biao tempted.

"What are you afraid of? Even if he started practicing martial arts the moment he arrived in Songyi City, he's only been at it for two months."

"Two months is only enough to build a foundation; what kind of tricks could he possibly have learned?" Gao Yu said dismissively.

Yan Ling curled his lips and chimed in with a laugh, "Exactly, Wen Biao, you're too timid."

"Since there's no chance to strike during the day, we'll sneak in at night."

"Yan Ling, go buy some incense to knock him out, get a strong dose to put down the dog he keeps in the yard."

"Wen Biao, you prepare the tools for climbing the wall."

"We'll make our move in about ten days, let that kid earn a bit more silver first, hehe."

"..."