Chapter 3: External Training Of Muscles, Bones, And Skin

"I know him too?" asked Lin Zheyu as he was a little surprised.

He hadn't been in Songyi City for long and knew only a handful of people, none of whom had any martial training, as far as he could recall.

"Yes. He's a regular at our teahouse. He used to come often just to pass the time listening to storytelling. Ever since you started telling stories here, he's shown up almost every day. I often see him laughing heartily while listening. It's clear he really enjoys your stories," said Manager Wu.

"Would he be willing to teach me?" Lin Zheyu asked nervously.

He had heard that many martial arts were passed only to male descendants of a family and never made available to anyone else, much less to outsiders.

"Well, I think he would. I've seen quite a few people learn martial arts from him. He enjoys your storytelling so much, he should be willing to teach you a few skills," Manager Wu said. "His name is Liang Song, looks to be around fifty, has a limp, and usually sits by the window."

"The one who tips so generously?" Lin Zheyu exclaimed in surprise.

He remembered him clearly because of his generous tipping. Liang Song was actually his top contributor, but he looked rather ordinary and even had a limp. He didn't seem strong at all.

"Yes, that's him. Don't be fooled by his limp. Liang Song is actually very powerful. A few years ago, someone harassed a woman in the teahouse. He didn't even look at the guy; he just casually flicked his chopsticks and they shot through the palms of three burly men like sharp arrows," said Manager Wu while sipping his tea.

"Impressive!" Lin Zheyu exclaimed in admiration.

To pierce through the palms of three big men with chopsticks without even looking at them required extremely sharp perception and immense strength.

The two chatted while eating, and time flew by in a flash. Before they knew it, it was time for storytelling.

Over the past ten or so days, Lin Zheyu's stories had spread far and wide by word of mouth. As his fame grew, more and more young nobles came to Jade Pill Teahouse to hear his storytelling. These young nobles tipped much more generously than the average guest.

Today, Lin Zheyu earned over three hundred wen, which was far more than usual. The wage was still one hundred wen for a two-hour session, but tips had reached over two hundred wen.

At the story's climax, the guests tipped with excitement and enthusiasm. Seeing their eager response, Lin Zheyu became even more passionate in his storytelling, extending the session by over ten minutes.

"Look. Liang Song came today, too," said Wu Yinghe, pointing toward Liang Song, who was sitting alone by the window.

He looked to be in his fifties and had messy, shoulder-length hair and a scruffy beard. He was unkempt and disheveled.

After the storytelling ended, the man seemed to be in a good mood. He drank a few small cups of wine, gazing out the window to enjoy the view as a faint smile appeared on his face.

Straightening his clothes, Lin Zheyu picked up a jug of wine and walked over. The wine was called General's Tears, and it was a well-known brew. Though it wasn't very high in alcohol content, it had a fiery taste and quickly went to the head. Manager Wu had given the information to Lin Zheyu that this was Liang Song's favorite drink.

"Greetings, Master Liang. I am Lin Zheyu, the storyteller at Jade Pill Teahouse. I brought you some wine. Please give it a try," Lin Zheyu politely said as he filled Liang Song's cup.

Liang Song glanced at him with a smile but said nothing, continuing to enjoy the scenery outside the window. Not wanting to interrupt his leisure, Lin Zheyu ordered a few side dishes and quietly accompanied him in watching the view. Aside from storytelling, he had no pressing matters to attend to.

A long while passed. After over an hour of watching the scenery, just as dusk began to fall, Liang Song finally had his fill of the view.

He turned to Lin Zheyu and said, "Go on. What is it?"

He raised his cup and drank it all in one go. The fiery burn traveled down his throat and into his belly.

“Ahh~.”

Liang Song let out a satisfied sigh, fully displaying his bold and uninhibited nature.

"I fled from Jiunan City and I was separated from my parents and relatives along the way. Now I am alone in Songyi City with no one to rely on, and when I'm wandering alone outside, anyone can bully me however they want. I heard you're skilled in martial arts, so I'd like to learn from you. Master Liang, please teach me!" Lin Zheyu refilled Liang Song's cup before cupping his fists in a respectful plea.

"Martial arts are a bitter path, even harder than studying. You have real literary talent. Why not keep studying and aim for the civil exams?" Liang Song said calmly.

"Great chaos is coming. If I can't even protect myself, how could I possibly focus on the civil exams?" replied Lin Zheyu, shaking his head.

Liang Song looked Lin Zheyu up and down and gave a slight shake of his head.

"It's not that I can't teach you, but you're getting on in years. Starting martial arts now is a bit late. The martial path trains the physical body, including your muscles, bones, and skin. It also trains your body inwardly, cultivating breath.

"Training the body needs to start from a young age. It demands excellent natural aptitude and a regimen of herbal baths and bone-strengthening exercises to build a strong foundation. Once you've grown and your bones have set, the process becomes a hundred times harder. One misstep could leave lasting damage. Starting now will take twice the effort for half the result. Most likely, you won't get far. Are you sure you still want to learn?"

"That's fine. I'm not afraid of hardship and can endure tough training. As long as I can learn martial arts, that's enough!" Lin Zheyu replied quickly.

"Well, it's not like I've got anything better to do. I'll teach you, then. I really like that character, Yan Chixia, you spoke about. Tell more stories like that in the future," Liang Song said with a smile.

"Got it! Thank you, Master Liang! I'll write a story just for you next time!" replied Lin Zheyu, overjoyed.

With a grand wave, he called over a waiter and ordered a few more side dishes.

"If you've finished what you came to say, get going. Don't be an eyesore. Find me at No. 33 Jindong Street tomorrow morning," said Liang Song. He shooed Lin Zheyu off like he was swatting away a fly.

"Alright, I won't disturb your peace any longer. Please enjoy your meal!" said Lin Zheyu as he stood up.

He turned away, clenched his fists in excitement, and couldn't stop grinning. Things had gone much more smoothly than expected. Master Liang had agreed outright, without even mentioning money.

Then again, it made sense. After all, he was one of Lin Zheyu's most generous tippers, always giving over twenty wen. He probably wasn't short on cash.

***

On his way home, Lin Zheyu bought some meat and vegetables to nourish himself properly. Back when he lived in the Baishan District, he never dared to buy much meat or fresh food as he was afraid of drawing unwanted attention. This time, he bought half a jin of pork belly, planning to braise it once he got home. It had been a long time since he last had braised meat.

In the morning, just as dawn was breaking, Lin Zheyu woke up early. Since moving to his new place, he'd been woken up by the rooster next door, which had a hoarse, grating crow. It was not at all like the clear, crisp calls of normal roosters. It was quite unpleasant to hear.

After freshening up, he enjoyed a hearty breakfast of braised meat and thin porridge prepared the night before. Today marked the start of his martial arts training, so he had to ensure proper nutrition.

Having suffered through hunger and exposure to the elements, his body was frail. He was so thin that he was nearly skin and bones. Over the past few weeks, he had earned a decent sum through storytelling. He could finally afford good food, and his body had started to recover, but still, he remained weak. After running just a few li, he would need to stop and rest.

Dressed in a snug, practical outfit suited for martial training and with his long hair tied up, Lin Zheyu looked sharp and capable, shedding some of his usual scholarly aura.

When he stepped out, he saw that many people were already out and about.

In this world with little in the way of entertainment, people tended to sleep and rise early. When he first arrived, Lin Zheyu had trouble adjusting. But after a few days of boredom, he began going to bed early as well. His past-life troubles, such as sleepless nights and drowsy workdays, had all but vanished. He had now developed the healthy habit of sleeping and waking early.