Chapter 34: All Fear Stems From A Lack Of Firepower

There was still medicinal power left, and Lin Zheyu did not let it go to waste.

Use one unit of Origin Force to enhance the Golden Goose Technique.

The thought was sent out, and one unit of Origin Force was consumed.

The cultivation progress of the Golden Goose Technique began to rise rapidly, and Lin Zheyu's mind sank into a special state. It was as if he were in a strange and formless space, and in this place he had only one thought: to practice the Golden Goose Technique!

Again and again, without end, tireless, like a possessed demon. The progress leapt quickly, straight to 100%, and in an instant, he broke through to the second stage, yet the progress continued to climb. It finally stopped when the progress of the second stage reached 24%.

Mysterious energy surged from deep within his cells, nourishing and transforming Lin Zheyu's body, focusing mainly on his two legs. He felt the muscles in his legs grow firmer, his tendons toughen, and the density of his bones rapidly increase, becoming harder and granting him even greater explosive strength.

[Heaven Rewards the Diligent]

[Name: Lin Zheyu]

[Origin Force: 2]

[Skills: Barbaric Ox Fist (Competence: 4%), Golden Goose Technique (Second Stage: 24%), Tortoise Breath Grand Method (Third Stage: 0%)]

Second stage, Bone Forging Realm,

thought Lin Zheyu.

Lin Zheyu opened his eyes and stretched his muscles and bones, without the slightest feeling of depleted blood qi. His body was no longer as overheated as before. The medicinal power of the decoction had nearly been consumed, with only a trace remaining.

The Blood-Nourishing Bone-Fortifying Decoction truly is extraordinary,

thought Lin Zheyu to himself. He planned to use this prescription from now on, as not only was its medicinal strength potent, but it also saved effort.

Only two units of Origin Force remained, and that wasn’t enough to raise the Golden Goose Technique to the third stage, but this was not urgent. Although the Tortoise Breath Grand Method concealed his strength, his use and comprehension of the Golden Goose Technique could not be faked, and in real combat it would easily be revealed.

In the coming days, he would be going daily to Master Liang's house to spar with Senior Brother Han Mo. If he improved gradually, he could attribute it to his astonishing comprehension.

***

Three days later.

On the way to the Jade Pill Teahouse, Lin Zheyu could see that every household was setting off firecrackers and worshipping the gods.

Crackle, crackle.

Firecracker sounds rose all around, and children played and chased one another, laughing joyfully.

"On the third, sacrifice to the Kitchen God[1]; on the fourth, sweep the house; on the fifth, steam buns; on the sixth, slaughter pigs..."

"There'll be pork to eat..."

They sang the proverb as they chased each other and played.

Seeing this familiar scene before him, Lin Zheyu could not help but recall his childhood memories from his past life. At that time, he too had been carefree like these children, happy and full of laughter.

Arriving at the Jade Pill Teahouse, Lin Zheyu curiously asked, "Manager Wu, what day is it today? Why is everyone setting off firecrackers and worshipping the gods?"

"Today is the day to worship the Kitchen God, the True Lord of Destiny. Does your family not hold worship?" Manager Wu said this as a matter of course, but quickly realized that Lin Zheyu had fled here as a refugee, separated from his family and friends along the way.

"My apologies, I spoke too quickly," said Manager Wu with regret.

"It's nothing." Lin Zheyu waved his hand and said, "They’re worshipping the Kitchen God, the True Lord of Destiny, eh? No wonder it's so lively today."

In many ways, this world was quite similar to his past life. Worshipping the Kitchen God, the True Lord of Destiny, could dispel calamities and ward off evil, blessing the family with safety, a bountiful harvest, and an abundance of fish and meat in the coming year. Besides the Kitchen God, there were also the Door God, Earth God, Bed God, Well God, Toilet God, River God, and so on.

In Great Wei, the structure of authority was interesting. It was not the divine right of kings but rather the king's right granted by the gods. All deities were formally enfeoffed by the emperor. Take the Kitchen God, for example. His full title was the August Heaven's True Lord of Destiny, Recorder of Virtue and Bestower of Fortune, and the deity in charge of the imperial palace kitchens.

As for the emperor's ancestor, he was the Supreme Emperor of Myriad Daos, Sovereign of the Golden Palace of Heaven, known in short as the August Heavenly Emperor. In this world, the emperor was not the son of heaven. The emperor was heaven itself!

"There are far fewer people today!" said Lin Zheyu as he glanced at the guests in the teahouse.

"It can’t be helped. Anyi City has already fallen, and more and more people are worried that our Songyi City will be next," said Manager Wu with a sigh.

Recently, with more and more bandits outside the city, the cost for merchant caravans had risen, causing prices within the city to rise as well. If not for Han Mo and the city guard going out from time to time to eliminate bandits and keep the trade routes open, prices would probably have soared sky-high already.

These past few days, even storytellers who came to buy material from Lin Zheyu had grown fewer, since people no longer gave tips. Everyone was poor and had begun to scrimp and save.

***

There was still about half an hour before storytelling time. Lin Zheyu walked over and joined Jia Yanyong and the others in idle chatter. Having been with the Feihong Gang for some time, Lin Zheyu had grown familiar with them. While they chatted, Manager Wu also came over to join them.

"Manager Wu, come, have a seat," said Lin Zheyu.

Seeing Manager Wu, he invited him to sit down. Since the number of customers had decreased, Wu Yinghe's smile had become rare, replaced more often by worry.

"The world is difficult. Who knows when it will end?" sighed Manager Wu.

Bandits outside the city grew in number, and refugees were no longer allowed to enter the city at all. Previously, some scholars and skilled craftsmen had been permitted to enter the city to seek work, but now all were banned.

"With more and more outsiders flooding in from other cities, the city has started to grow chaotic. Yesterday, there were three conflicts on Baiwei Street," said Xie Jiang.

As Xie Jiang spoke, it was clear that fear in people's hearts was causing the city's order to unravel. Even though the Feihong Gang strove to maintain order and handle conflicts, incidents still happened frequently. With order breaking down, business suffered and protection fees could not be collected, so their future days would not be easy.

The group ordered a few dishes and drank a little wine to pass the time. At that moment, Manager Wu leaned in mysteriously and said, "Have you heard? Something happened at Qinghe[2] Mountain."

"Qinghe Mountain of the Nine Stars Gang?" asked Lin Zheyu.

During this time period, he had gained more understanding of the city's power factions. Qinghe Mountain was a coal mine with rich coal resources, under the control of the Nine Stars Gang. The Nine Stars Gang was formed by several major families, and the income from mining coal was distributed among them according to prearranged agreements.

"That's right. It’s the Nine Stars Gang's," replied Manager Wu.

"Go on then. What big thing happened?" Jia Yanyong became interested, clearly pleased to hear that misfortune had befallen the Nine Stars Gang.

Some time ago, he had clashed with members of that gang, and his neck was cut in a fight. It had taken him quite a while to recover.

"I heard that Qinghe Mountain has been cursed. Lots of people disappeared without reason. Some saw their dead coworkers turn into wandering ghosts drifting through the camp, scaring everyone half to death. Many miners who went into the tunnels fled in terror, including several from my Wu Family estate," said Wu Yinghe with a grave expression.

Fortunately, no one from the Wu Family estate had died this time; otherwise, the Wu Family would have gone to make trouble.

"

Tch!

I thought it was bandits breaking in. What's so strange about curses? In coal or iron mines, there are always all kinds of strange things underground. Dig deep enough and you'll always find something unlucky. What's there to fuss about?" said Jia Yanyong, curling his lips in disdain and not taking it seriously.

"Indeed, it's nothing much. I've run into weirder things when guarding mines before. When it happens, don't panic. Just set off a few rounds of explosives, and it's settled. Nothing else to it," added Xie Jiang.

The Feihong Gang also had its own mines. Members took turns guarding them to prevent bandits or rival factions from causing trouble. In remote wilderness areas, such things were not uncommon. Only someone like Manager Wu, who spent all his time in the city, would find it strange.

Hearing this, Lin Zheyu could not help but feel speechless. He had just become interested, but after hearing Jia Yanyong and the others, his curiosity quickly waned. Truly, all fear stems from a lack of firepower.

1. The Kitchen God, also known as the Kitchen God or Zao Jun (灶君), is a domestic deity in Chinese folk religion and Daoist tradition. He is believed to reside in the household kitchen and oversee the moral conduct of the family. Traditionally, near the end of the lunar year, the Kitchen God ascends to Heaven to report on the family’s deeds to the Jade Emperor, who then rewards or punishes them accordingly. To ensure a favorable report, families would make offerings—often sweets, like sticky cakes—to 'sweeten his mouth.' In many regions, he is also called 司命真君 (True Lord of Destiny) and regarded as a protector who brings blessings of health, safety, and prosperity. Worship of the Kitchen God reflects the Chinese belief in household gods as guardians of daily life. ☜

2. 青 (qīng), meaning 'green' or 'youthful vitality,' and 禾 (hé), meaning 'grain' or 'cereal crops' such as rice or millet. Together, 青禾(Qinghe) conveys the imagery of lush, thriving grain fields and symbolizes growth, abundance, and life. In place names, it often evokes a sense of fertile land or prosperous agriculture. In the novel's context, Qinghe Mountain (青禾山) carries this connotation of a place tied to resources and livelihood ☜