Chapter 1: A Skill To Make A Living

The autumn air was crisp and refreshing, with gentle winds and radiant sunshine. Jiangyun Prefecture was located in the southern region of Great Wei and enjoyed a warm climate, slightly milder than the other prefectures. Even with winter approaching, many people on the streets were still dressed in short sleeves and shorts.

It was afternoon, and pedestrians bustled through the lively streets of Songyi City. Among them, Baiwei Street stood out as one of the most bustling districts in Songyi City. It featured delicacies from all over Great Wei, said to offer a hundred flavors of the world—hence, the name Baiwei Street[1]

Thunderous applause erupted inside the Jade Pill Teahouse.

"Good!"

"Brilliant!"

On the storytelling stage, a young scholar spoke with rhythmic grace. "The night was dark, and all was silent. Ning Caichen was just about to fall asleep when he felt someone enter his room. He quickly sat up, and to his surprise, it was the pretty young lady from the northern courtyard. If he remembered correctly, her name was Little Qian.

"Ning Caichen asked in surprise, 'Miss, what brings you to my room?'

"Little Qian gave a charming smile...."

The young scholar continued his storytelling until he ended the session with a sudden, crisp slap on the table.

Pa!

He said, "To know what happens next, join us next time!"

"Ah!"

"That's it?"

"You can't be serious! It just got exciting!"

"Young sir, give us one more segment! It's still early!"

The guests in the teahouse all voiced their disappointment, clearly unsatisfied.

Behind the storytelling desk stood a teenage scholar, about sixteen or seventeen years old. He had decent facial features, though his skin was a bit tanned and his frame rather lean. Dressed in a plain green scholar's robe, he carried the spirited aura of a young intellectual.

"No, no, I can't go on. My throat won't hold out," Lin Zheyu said, waving his hand.

After speaking for over an hour, his voice was a little hoarse and his throat was nearly at its limit.

The guests still continued to complain in disappointment.

"What am I going to do now? I won't be able to sleep tonight."

"Young sir, you're too cruel, stopping right at the good part."

***

Amid the guests' reluctant calls, the young man cupped his hands in salute and stepped down from the stage.

"You're truly gifted, young sir. To be able to craft such a vivid and tantalizing story, even someone my age can't help but be drawn in," the teahouse manager said with a smile.

The manager was named Wu Yinghe, and he was a portly middle-aged man who always wore a smile like the Laughing Buddha.

"You flatter me. I'm just trying to earn a meal," said Lin Zheyu, waving modestly and accepting the coins the manager handed him.

"These 138 wen[2] are from the guests' tips, and these 100 wen are today's wages. You worked hard today, so I raised your pay a little," Wu Yinghe said with a grin.

A little over ten days ago, Lin Zheyu had volunteered to tell stories, even saying he would work for free if he wasn't any good. At first, Wu Yinghe had been hesitant. After all, Lin Zheyu was far too young and lacked life experience. He didn't seem like someone who could tell stories well.

But being a kind-hearted man, and seeing how pitiful yet well-mannered the boy was, he decided to give him a chance. If Lin Zheyu wasn't good, he simply wouldn't be paid.

Unexpectedly, while the young man's storytelling technique was average, the stories themselves were astonishingly engaging. Since Lin Zheyu began telling stories here, more and more customers had been coming just to hear his tales. Business at the teahouse had been booming ever since.

"Thank you, Manager," Lin Zheyu said gratefully.

He left the teahouse and walked along Baiwei Street. The street was lined with an array of delicacies, their tempting aromas stirring Lin Zheyu's appetite.

It had been over a month since he arrived in this world, and he had gradually adapted to life here. Thinking back to the miserable days right after his arrival, Lin Zheyu still felt a lingering fear.

The city where the old Lin Zhenyu lived had been overrun by rebel forces. Their family, once wealthy merchants in Jiunan City, had gotten wind of the danger early and fled together. But even so, they could not escape misfortune.

On their way to the Central Plains, they were ambushed by bandits, and Lin Zhenyu was separated from his parents and relatives.

After many days of wandering and drifting among the refugees, he finally arrived at Songyi City. Not long after arriving, he succumbed to exhaustion, and

this

Lin Zheyu took over the body.

At that point, Lin Zheyu's stomach was full of dirt, bark, and weeds. He was so constipated he couldn't relieve himself for days. It wasn't until he drank some dirty water and got diarrhea that things finally improved. But it had nearly cost him his life.

"I really must thank Lady Ren. If not for her porridge, I probably would've died again right after reincarnating," Lin Zheyu said with an emotional sigh.

The Ren Family was a renowned high-ranking family in Songyi City, and Ren Qingying was not only beautiful but also kind-hearted. She was a living bodhisattva[3] in the eyes of many refugees. If she hadn't repeatedly offered porridge outside the city, Lin Zheyu surely wouldn't have survived.

As he walked down the street, Lin Zheyu sniffed the air, and his stomach rumbled in response.

"Smells amazing!" he exclaimed.

He reached into his pocket and resisted the urge to spend. He had just saved up a little money and couldn't afford to squander it.

In this world, aside from storytelling, Lin Zheyu hadn't found any good ways to earn a living. Originally, he had grand ambitions to use his knowledge and ideas from his past life to make a name for himself in this world. But reality's harshness quickly woke him from that dream. After several attempts, Lin Zheyu realized he wasn't good at anything.

Fortunately, in his past life, he had loved listening to Master Guo's storytelling. Through constant exposure, he had picked up some basic skills.

In the end, relying on the stories from his previous life, he managed to land a job as a storyteller. While his storytelling skills were just average, his facial expressions and emotional delivery were excellent, and the stories themselves were outstanding. All in all, he did a decent job and managed to earn a living.

"I've managed to save a little more than one tael[4] of silver. I wonder if that's enough to learn a martial art. The world is in chaos. Without a clan or kin by my side, it's far too easy to be bullied," muttered Lin Zheyu.

Lin Zheyu tightened his grip on the silver in his pocket. He had already been robbed several times. Without any relatives or backing, he had suffered greatly since arriving in this world. And even if he reported it to the authorities, the magistrate's office was swamped with other matters. Who would care about something as minor as Lin Zheyu's troubles?

Fortunately, in these chaotic times, he did have something to rely on. Lin Zheyu glanced at the data that existed within his consciousness. It was something that had appeared the moment he arrived in this world.

[Heaven Rewards the Diligent]

[Name: Lin Zheyu]

[Origin Force: 1]

[Skills: ]

This had appeared in his mind after arriving in this world. As long as he trained hard and pushed his body beyond its limits, he could gain one unit of Origin Force each time.

He could then use Origin Force to enhance skills. A few days ago, he had tried to gain Origin Force by pushing himself past his physical limit. But all it resulted in was his entire body aching for a full week before recovering.

Regular exercise doesn't count as a skill. I wonder if the martial arts of this world qualify,

Lin Zheyu thought to himself.

The martial prowess in this world was formidable. Before Jiunan City had been overrun by rebel forces, the old Lin Zheyu's family had employed many martial artists. Some of them were so powerful that they could easily fight ten men alone.

Unfortunately, the man himself had been a frail scholar, focused solely on passing the imperial exams, and had never learned a single martial technique.

Lin Zheyu passed through Baiwei Street. After walking a few more kilometers, crossing a plaza and turning through various streets and alleys, he arrived at the rundown Baishan District.

It was far from the core of Songyi City, and was part of the outer city where only the poor resided. When he first arrived, Lin Zheyu had no money, so he could only rent a small hut here as a temporary shelter.

Fortunately, his storytelling had gradually gained traction, and he had saved up a fair amount of silver. It was about time he moved into the inner city.

"This smells awful," said Lin Zheyu, pinching his nose. He was unable to tolerate the stench of the Baishan district. The reek of sweat, urine, feces, and rotting garbage all mingled together into a foul, nauseating stench.

1. Baiwei (百味) translates to “Hundred Flavors” in Chinese. ☜

2. The

wen was

a basic unit of currency in ancient China and one

wen

is one copper coin. ☜

3. In the sense used here, a bodhisattva is someone who delays their own nirvana in order to help others attain it. ☜

4. The tael is a traditional unit of weight used in East and Southeast Asia, and it can also refer to a monetary unit. ☜