Departure (Part 2)

It was already late at night when Lin Zheyu returned home.

After a few days of recuperation, his energy and spirit had returned to their peak.

Upon returning, he took off his coat and continued his training.

In the courtyard, Lin Zheyu's figure moved rapidly, occasionally lashing out with whip kicks that struck the wooden dummy with crisp, snapping sounds.

He trained frantically for over an hour.

Hiss—

He felt his muscles spasm, and his face turned deathly pale.

He had reached his limit.

His energy and spirit condensed into a single point at this moment, and his Source Power increased by one unit.

"Hoo..."

Lin Zheyu stopped and let out a long breath.

"As my strength grows, my endurance improves, making it much harder to break through my physical limits."

Lin Zheyu sighed.

As his strength increased, breaking through his physical limits became increasingly difficult.

Not only that, but after breaking his limits so many times, his physical endurance and mental resilience had grown significantly, which in turn made further breakthroughs even more arduous.

[Heaven Rewards Diligence]

Name: Lin Zheyu

Source Power: 4

Skills:

Bull Fist (Proficient 5%)

Golden Goose Technique (Second Layer 24%)

Turtle Breathing Technique (Third Layer 0%)

Lin Zheyu looked at the data in his consciousness; his Source Power had accumulated to four units again.

The Turtle Breathing Technique had made almost no progress.

After reaching the third layer, the difficulty of cultivation skyrocketed, far exceeding what someone in the Bone Forging Realm could achieve.

The subsequent layers involved content related to Blood Energy.

Lin Zheyu had already reached his limit by using Source Power to cultivate the Turtle Breathing Technique to the perfection of the second layer; to continue improving, he would have to raise his strength to the Blood Energy Realm.

The next day.

The sun was setting.

Outside Songyi City.

Lin Zheyu and Han Mo stood in silence, watching Master Liang depart.

"I wonder if I'll ever have the chance to see Master Liang again."

Lin Zheyu looked at the horizon where the figure had vanished, his expression filled with the melancholy of parting.

"You will."

"Master is so strong; he will definitely be fine."

"If you run into any trouble in the future, Junior Brother Lin, feel free to come find me. I will certainly do my best to help you," Han Mo said, patting Lin Zheyu on the shoulder.

After spending this time together, Lin Zheyu had gotten a good grasp of Senior Brother Han's character.

They say that one's appearance reflects one's heart, and Han Mo was just as he appeared: upright and a person worth befriending.

"Do you still have to go on patrol later, Senior Brother?"

"No, I took the afternoon off," Han Mo said.

"Since you're free, why don't we spar a few rounds in the courtyard later?"

Lin Zheyu felt gloomy and wanted to find something to vent his frustrations.

"Sure, I've got nothing else to do anyway," Han Mo said with a smile.

The two stood in silence for a while, looking in the direction where Liang Song had disappeared, before turning to walk back into the city.

Due to the war, there were even more refugees outside the city; the sight of the starving and the dead was truly unbearable.

A few wealthy merchant families had set up a porridge station outside the city, but it was nowhere near enough to feed the ever-increasing number of refugees.

As they passed by, Lin Zheyu caught sight of a familiar figure.

It was Ren Qingying of the Ren Family, a very beautiful young woman.

"Why are you staring at that young lady? Do you have a crush on her?"

Han Mo laughed, "Do you want your senior brother to go and propose a marriage for you?"

"Stop messing around."

"That is Miss Ren Qingying of the Ren Mansion, isn't it?"

Lin Zheyu pointed at a beautiful woman at the porridge-dispensing station and said, "I was once a refugee myself. When I fled to Songyi City, it was thanks to Miss Ren's porridge that I survived; otherwise, you wouldn't be seeing me here today."

"Then we really should thank Miss Ren properly," Han Mo said.

He looked at the refugees covering the ground and felt a sense of helplessness, though there was nothing he could do.

Every day, their City Guard would patrol the area to burn the corpses of those who had died, a task that was incredibly distressing.

"I heard that the rebel army might attack Songyi City. Senior brother, you are in the City Guard, do you have any inside information?" Lin Zheyu asked.

"I'm not sure. Those high-ranking officials reassure the soldiers every day, saying there is nothing to worry about and that the Great Wei will soon send troops to suppress them."

"No one knows the specific news from the front lines."

Han Mo shrugged helplessly. He also wanted to know what was happening at the front; if the situation turned dire, he would want to get his wife and children to safety first.

"Don't worry, look, the eldest daughter of the Ren Mansion is still here, so the situation shouldn't be that bad yet."

"The Ren Mansion started as merchants and they are well-informed; many people keep an eye on them. If there were any unusual movements from the Ren Mansion, it would likely mean something has gone wrong," Han Mo said, gesturing toward Ren Qingying.

At this moment, Ren Qingying had finished dispensing the porridge. She brushed back a lock of hair and looked at the refugees with a sorrowful expression.

Escorted by the guards of the Ren Mansion, Ren Qingying left the refugees behind and returned to the city.

"What a fine young lady. I wonder whose wife she will become in the future," Han Mo sighed.

"What, does senior brother have ideas?"

"Go on, if your sister-in-law hears that, she won't talk to me for days," Han Mo said with a laugh.

Da da da.

A pair of soldiers approached, their footsteps rhythmic and powerful.

Leading them was a sturdy man in armor, sitting atop a horse.

The sound of horse hooves came thudding, and they galloped toward Lin Zheyu and the other man at a rapid pace.

"Quick, move!"

Han Mo pulled Lin Zheyu aside to avoid the charging horse.

Whoa--

The man pulled on the reins, and the horse came to a halt right in front of Lin Zheyu and his companion.

"Xing Penghai, what are you doing!"

Han Mo frowned, glaring angrily at the man on the horse.

"Oh, isn't this Centurion Han? I didn't look closely just now, my apologies."

"But I heard that Centurion Han took the day off today, so why are you appearing here?"

"What, does Centurion Han also want to learn from those rich folks and set up a porridge station outside the city?" Xing Penghai removed his helmet and said with a smile.

He was a man with ordinary features and a distinct scar at the corner of his eye.

"Centurion Xing is joking. I don't have that much silver," Han Mo said coolly.

Lin Zheyu stood to the side, sensing that the atmosphere between the two was off; it seemed they had some kind of conflict.

"This little brother beside Centurion Han looks quite handsome. Won't you introduce him?" Xing Penghai looked at Lin Zheyu, his eyes narrowing into a smile.

"None of your business!" Han Mo retorted directly.

"I think it is my business."

"I suspect he is a spy sent by the rebel army who will endanger the safety of Songyi City," Xing Penghai said with a fake smile, looking at Han Mo with a mocking tone.

"Hmph, Xing Penghai, don't force me to turn against you," Han Mo said angrily.

"Haha, I'm just joking."

"Centurion Han is as unable to take a joke as ever," Xing Penghai said with a laugh.

"Xing Penghai, I am warning you. If you dare to act recklessly, I, Han Mo, am not someone to be trifled with."

Han Mo's expression was icy as he turned to Lin Zheyu and said, "Let's go, don't pay him any mind."

"Mm."

Lin Zheyu followed silently by Han Mo's side as they walked into Songyi City.

Behind them came the sound of Xing Penghai's wanton laughter.

"Senior brother, do you have a grudge against that man?" Lin Zheyu asked.

"Yes, a little bit."

"Don't worry, that guy wouldn't dare to do anything reckless; he just looks for opportunities to annoy me from time to time," Han Mo said, telling Lin Zheyu not to worry.

Lin Zheyu nodded and did not ask further.