Making Trouble

Early morning.

Dawn was just breaking.

Lin Zheyu got up early and sat cross-legged on his bed, practicing the Turtle Breathing Technique.

Now that his strength had reached the Blood Energy Realm, he could continue practicing the Turtle Breathing Technique.

After practicing for some time, he had discovered that the technique was much more effective when he practiced just after waking in the morning.

This was related to the changes in metabolism that occurred after a night's sleep.

During deep sleep, a person's metabolism and Blood Energy activity both dropped to their lowest levels, much like the Turtle Breathing Technique.

By experiencing the body's natural changes, he could better understand the mysteries of the Turtle Breathing Technique.

He practiced for an hour.

Lin Zheyu went out for a stroll.

On the streets of Songyi City.

The streets were much quieter.

If not for the occasional group of refugees arriving in Songyi City and bringing a little life to the city, it would have become a dead place.

Afternoon.

At the Bidan Tea House.

Lin Zheyu and the others gathered here every day.

"Did you hear? Zhou Jiang is dead," Xie Jiang said.

"What? He was so strong. How could he have died?"

Jia Yanyong exclaimed, surprise in his eyes. "Could it be that a powerful martial artist has appeared among the bandits?"

Zhou Jiang was a member of the Flying Rainbow Gang. His strength had reached the peak of the Bone Forging Realm, making him stronger than Jia Yanyong and the others.

He was a battle maniac, ferocious whenever he fought.

"A group of bandits stormed the White Stone Mountain mining area, and a clash broke out. Three people died. Two of them only knew a bit of Turtle Fist."

"Zhou Jiang was strong, but he got carried away in the fight and charged into the bandits' encirclement. No one got to him in time. Outnumbered, he was beaten to death."

Xie Jiang explained, staring straight at Jia Yanyong.

At his words, Lin Zheyu and Ning Hui both turned to look at Jia Yanyong.

They saw Jia Yanyong's future in Zhou Jiang.

"Hey, hey, why are you all looking at me like that?"

"I'm not that lunatic. I don't fight like my life doesn't matter."

Jia Yanyong squirmed under their stares and muttered.

"No, you are."

They all answered in unison.

Jia Yanyong: "..."

"Do you think Gang Leader Xu will send people to support them?" Ning Hui asked.

"It hasn't come to that yet."

"But now that bandits are running rampant outside the city and other places have come under attack, he might send us to support them elsewhere."

Xie Jiang said.

The guy loved gossiping and was always up to date on the latest news.

Lin Zheyu focused on martial arts, Jia Yanyong didn't care about any of this, and Ning Hui was so caught up in drink and women that he was out of the loop.

So they got together every day to hear Xie Jiang's latest gossip.

"Brother Lin, if we really get sent out to help, we'll probably be in the same squad. I'll be counting on you to keep me alive."

Xie Jiang looked at Lin Zheyu as he spoke.

"You're too kind, Brother Jiang. Just call me by my name. There's no need to call me Brother Lin."

Lin Zheyu felt awkward.

Being called Brother Lin by someone older than him felt strange.

"Don't your scholars say that whoever is more accomplished is the teacher?"

"Your strength is far greater than ours. What's wrong with calling you Brother Lin? If I weren't too old to swallow my pride, I'd call you Brother Yu."

Xie Jiang chuckled.

Lin Zheyu rolled his eyes at him.

After getting to know the others, he had learned what Xie Jiang was really like.

Unlike Jia Yanyong, who was reckless and disliked thinking, Xie Jiang often had little schemes of his own, but he had no shame.

As they chatted, the storyteller began.

The storyteller was an elderly gentleman with impressive skill and experience. His storytelling was miles better than Lin Zheyu's.

The customers listened with rapt attention.

"Fatty Xing's had a change of heart. He's actually come to listen to a story."

Ning Hui curled his lip and pointed toward a table not far away.

They looked over and saw the familiar fellow.

"Fatty's definitely here to stir up trouble again."

"He failed to pick a fight last time, so now he's brought a bunch of people with him," Jia Yanyong said.

They didn't need to guess what Fatty Xing was here for.

A young master like him wasn't the type to listen to stories. All he ever did was fight, gamble, and chase women.

At the sight of Xing Jinglong, Lin Zheyu couldn't help frowning.

He had a feeling Xing Jinglong had come for him.

Just give me an opening, and I'll finish you.

Lin Zheyu gazed at Xing Jinglong in the distance and thought to himself.

Anyone who harbored ill intentions toward him, he wanted to finish off.

It wasn't pleasant to have someone keeping an eye on you. He had to stay alert at all times to avoid being ambushed.

After returning from outside the city last time, Lin Zheyu had set up another concealed bed in the kitchen. He now slept there every night.

The storyteller spoke eloquently on the stage, while the audience listened with rapt attention.

Bang!

Suddenly, Xing Jinglong slammed his palm down on the table. The sound rang out loud and clear.

The entire tea house fell silent.

"What kind of trash is this?"

"You dare tell a story like that? Get off the stage!"

He looked at the storyteller with contempt, his face fierce and menacing. The storyteller was so frightened that cold sweat broke out across his forehead.

"Damn it, I'll deal with him!"

Jia Yanyong shot to his feet and shouted angrily.

He was the sort who preferred fighting to thinking, and his anger easily got the better of him.

Provoked by Fatty Xing's words, he was ready to throw punches.

"Don't mind him."

"He came here deliberately to cause trouble. He's trying to make you fight him."

"Look at the people sitting beside him. One of them is an Organ Refining expert. If we fight, we'll be the ones who suffer."

Lin Zheyu pressed down on Jia Yanyong's shoulder. He didn't want to fight and reveal his strength.

His senses were extraordinarily sharp, far beyond those of an ordinary Blood Energy Realm expert.

Unless a Blood Energy Realm expert deliberately tested someone, it was difficult to tell whether they were at the Organ Refining or Bone Forging level.

Organ Refining and Bone Forging both tempered the body's internal tissues, and neither brought a noticeable improvement to one's physical presence or aura.

Some people who had reached the Organ Refining Realm didn't even look as imposing as the broad, muscular martial artists in the Bone Forging Realm.

But after Lin Zheyu had trained the Turtle Breathing Technique to the third level, he had gained terrifying control over his body.

By studying the slightest details, he could identify someone's level of strength.

"An Organ Refining expert came along too? Is this guy trying to start a fight between the two gangs?" Xie Jiang exclaimed.

Their gangs clashed from time to time, but they always kept things under control in the city. There had never been a fight involving Organ Refining experts.

Organ Refining martial artists were considered first-rate experts in Songyi City. If one of them got involved, it would mean the two gangs had fallen out completely.

"How do you know there's an Organ Refining expert hiding among them?"

Jia Yanyong hurriedly sat down at Lin Zheyu's words and asked in confusion.

"I've seen that man with Senior Brother Han. He's very strong, almost at the peak of Organ Refining."

Lin Zheyu made up an excuse and subtly pointed toward the middle-aged man sitting beside Xing Jinglong.

The man was around forty, with a small mustache and an ordinary face. He looked rather unremarkable.

"That bastard!"

"I'll send someone to fetch Lord Qiu. Let's see if they still dare act so recklessly!" Xie Jiang said furiously, calling over a subordinate and ordering him to get help.

Xing Jinglong glanced toward Jia Yanyong and the others from the corner of his eye. When he saw Jia Yanyong stand up, a pleased smile tugged at his lips.

But soon, his expression darkened.

Lin Zheyu had pulled Jia Yanyong back down.

"That coward. I provoked him this much, and he still held back?"

Xing Jinglong cursed under his breath.

He was extremely annoyed that Lin Zheyu had gotten away from him last time.

He couldn't openly attack him in the city. That could easily spark a feud between the two families.

But after provoking someone and giving them a reason to fight, it was fine to beat them up.

In a fight, wasn't it normal to accidentally break a few arms or legs? As long as no one was killed in the city, it wouldn't be a big deal.

"Since you're not going to step in, I'll keep making trouble until this shop goes out of business."

Xing Jinglong laughed coldly.

Wasn't Lin Zheyu known for repaying kindness? He wanted to see whether Lin Zheyu would still put up with it now.

He picked up a plate from the table and hurled it at the storytelling platform.

It shattered with a sharp crack.

The old storyteller turned pale at the sight and hurried off the stage.