Smack!
The sound of the clapper rang out in Bidan Tea House.
Lin Zheyu said slowly, "What happens next? Please tune in next time to find out."
"Great!"
"Tell us a little more, Mr. Lin!"
"Yeah, yeah! We haven't heard enough."
The audience below cheered, begging him to stay.
Facing their pleas, Lin Zheyu smiled, cupped his hands in salute, and stepped down from the stage.
After finishing his storytelling and moving to a different setting, his emotions had faded considerably.
He hadn't done anything wrong. This world was the one at fault!
"Steward Wu, care for a drink?" Lin Zheyu asked.
In Songyi City, he knew only two people: Wu Yinghe and Master Liang.
Lin Zheyu had really wanted to discuss the insights he'd gained after killing someone with Master Liang, but unfortunately, Master Liang wasn't around.
He'd gone to Master Liang's house that morning and knocked for a long time, but no one had answered. Master Liang hadn't shown up for the storytelling that afternoon, either.
At that point, Lin Zheyu realized that Liang Song had gone off somewhere again.
Every so often, Master Liang would disappear for a few days. This time, Lin Zheyu had no idea how long he'd be gone.
Fortunately, Liang Song had taught him both the Bone Forging Realm cultivation method and the Internal Breathing Method for Bull Fist. That was enough to keep Lin Zheyu occupied for a while.
"Sure, but you're paying this time!"
"I've seen how much you've been earning in tips lately. You're a lot richer than I am now," Steward Wu said with a smile.
"Come on, once we've had a drink, let's go have some fun at Hundred Flowers Pavilion."
Lin Zheyu said with a smile. He needed to blow off some steam and get all those complicated emotions out of his system. Then he'd feel better.
In the blink of an eye, three days passed.
Lin Zheyu had secretly visited Baishan District. The disappearance of Gao Yu and the others had finally caught the attention of their families.
They'd often gone missing for a while in the past, but this time, they'd been gone a little too long.
After searching for some time, their families found their bodies in a remote wasteland.
Three days had passed, and wild animals had gnawed the bodies beyond recognition.
After the families reported it to the authorities, the constables from the prefectural yamen went through the motions, took a look, and told them to wait for news. Then nothing more came of it.
Their families could only hold a simple funeral and bury them in haste.
The weight on Lin Zheyu's heart finally lifted.
He'd gained a deeper sense of what it meant for human life to be as cheap as grass.
"Master Liang still hasn't come back. What on earth is he doing?"
Lin Zheyu passed Liang Song's house and knocked for a while, but no one answered.
Liang Song had already been gone yesterday, and he still hadn't appeared by today.
Another four days passed.
At Bidan Tea House.
Lin Zheyu and Steward Wu sat in the teahouse's rear courtyard, chatting.
"I heard the rebels have taken another city. There are a lot more refugees outside the city now," Steward Wu said, a trace of worry in his expression.
Songyi City lay near the edge of Great Wei. If the rebels advanced in their direction, they'd soon reach the city.
"Don't worry. Haven't you noticed that the wealthy people in Songyi City haven't fled yet?" Lin Zheyu reassured him.
Before Jiunan City fell, the wealthy who'd gotten word of it had been the first to run.
"How do you know they haven't fled?"
"As far as I know, those lineages have already started sending their young clansmen and some of their people to Bafang City," Steward Wu said.
It was precisely because he knew about this that he was so worried.
His roots were in Songyi City. If he left, finding another good job would be difficult.
"Don't dwell on it. When the sky falls, the tall will hold it up."
"Besides, Great Wei has strong troops and fine horses. The rebels are only riding a temporary wave of strength. It won't be easy for them to keep up this momentum."
Lin Zheyu said.
News traveled slowly in this era. He had no idea what was really happening at the front lines, so all he could do was reassure himself.
"Enough, it's time for the storytelling. I'm heading up."
Lin Zheyu walked onto the storytelling stage and swept his gaze over the audience below.
"Eh? Master Liang's back!"
By the window, Lin Zheyu spotted a familiar figure.
Liang Song sat by the window, gazing outside in a daze.
After disappearing for six or seven days, he'd finally shown up again.
After the storytelling ended.
Lin Zheyu came over and sat opposite Liang Song.
He naturally poured his master another cup of wine, then filled his own.
"Master, this cup is to welcome you back. Let's call it a cleansing of the dust after your journey," Lin Zheyu said, raising his cup.
"You're thoughtful."
Liang Song smiled, raised his cup, and clinked it against Lin Zheyu's. Then he teased, "Using my wine to welcome me back. You've got some nerve."
"It's all the same. Your disciple spent all his silver on martial arts and is dead broke. As long as the sentiment's there, that's what counts."
Lin Zheyu grinned. He picked up his chopsticks and took a bite, then continued, "Master, you were away for a while before. I can tell you about what happened during those days when I come by later."
"No need. Just give me the manuscripts from those days and I'll read them," Liang Song said.
The two chatted about this and that.
Liang Song didn't mention where he'd gone over the past few days, and Lin Zheyu didn't ask. They understood each other perfectly.
If his master wanted to talk about it, he would.
If he didn't, Lin Zheyu wouldn't ask. Everyone had secrets they didn't want others to know.
Lin Zheyu was no different.
"Starting tomorrow, come to my place every morning for a few days. I'll focus on teaching you," Liang Song said.
Since he'd begun teaching Lin Zheyu martial arts, he'd spent less than two full days actually instructing him. Lin Zheyu had mostly relied on self-study.
Even so, Lin Zheyu's progress in martial arts had far exceeded his expectations.
It was almost impossibly fast.
That kind of comprehension and aptitude was one in ten thousand.
Liang Song decided to start teaching Lin Zheyu in earnest. Perhaps one day, he could train him into a powerful martial artist.
"Thank you, Master!"
Lin Zheyu's eyes lit up.
He had quite a few questions he wanted to ask Master Liang.
Some were about Bone Forging, some about Organ Refining, and some about actual combat.
Originally, Lin Zheyu had planned to use Source Power to raise his strength when he got home that night. Several days had passed, and he'd saved up quite a bit of silver.
Now he changed his mind. He'd wait a while longer.
He'd already learned Bull Fist to mastery and advanced to the Bone Forging Realm in a short time. That was shocking enough.
If he kept improving, Master Liang might discover his true strength. Lin Zheyu had no idea what his master would think; he might even suspect that Lin Zheyu possessed some rare treasure.
Human nature couldn't withstand a test.
Early in the morning.
The sky was only just beginning to lighten when Lin Zheyu arrived at Liang Song's courtyard.
"Good morning, Master Liang."
Lin Zheyu respectfully offered a greeting and handed over the manuscripts he'd prepared.
They contained the stories Lin Zheyu had told during the days Liang Song was away.
Liang Song gestured for Lin Zheyu to close the door, then turned and sat back down at the stone table in the corner of the courtyard.
"Show me a set of Bull Fist. I want to see whether you've been slacking lately," Liang Song said.
"Yes, Master."
Lin Zheyu replied.
He took off his long outer coat, revealing his muscular frame.
The weather had turned chilly lately, and the early morning air was cold.
Lin Zheyu settled into his stance.
His chest rose and fell in a particular rhythm, and his breathing was exceptionally slow and deep.
After this period of diligent practice, he'd finally grown used to Bull Fist's unique breathing method.
It had taken him more than ten days to go from struggling with it at first, to incorporating it into his daily life, and then to coordinating it perfectly with Bull Fist.
Even Lin Zheyu was amazed.
So I really was a genius!
Before you continue