Chapter 8: Spiritual Form Reflecting Onto The Physical Body

On the way home, a familiar figure stepped out from the corner.

"Mister Lin, have you given yesterday's matter any thought?" asked the person. He was Jia Yanming, the manager of Overflowing Fragrance Teahouse.

Unlike Manager Wu, Jia Yanming had a well-proportioned build, a stern expression, and a pair of piercing eyes. He looked every bit the career-driven professional from Lin Zheyu's previous life.

"I'm sorry, but the Jade Pill Teahouse has always shown me kindness. Back when I didn't have much, I went to your teahouse seeking work, but the server chased me away before I could even enter. Such a shame," replied Lin Zheyu, with a look of regret on his face.

At the time, Jia Yanming had also been present. He had shot Lin Zheyu a cold, indifferent glance, as if he were looking at a beggar at the door, and impatiently waved for the server to drive him away.

"Please reconsider," Jia Yanming begged. "We're open to discussing the terms. At our teahouse, we can offer you 300 wen per shift, and even increase it based on the number of guests. For every ten guests above the base count, we'll add 10 wen.

"That Jade Pill Teahouse or whatever is small and insignificant. Its development prospects don't even come close to those at the Overflowing Fragrance Teahouse. As long as you come to our teahouse, we will—"

"Sorry, but I'm not considering it for now," said Lin Zheyu, cutting him off and walking right past him.

Jia Yanming slowly turned around, staring at his back with an unreadable expression before murmuring, "He's still young, after all. Even if he has read a few years of the classics, he wouldn't understand the harshness of the business world. He's sentimental, knows how to repay kindness, but... heh..."

***

Back in his courtyard, Lin Zheyu took off his green robe. It was uncomfortable, and he still preferred the fitted attire meant for martial training. He then took out the qi-tonifying and blood-nourishing herbs he'd bought yesterday, poured them into the medicine pot, and began decocting them.

Phew, this is real hard labor. I'd love a maid right now,

Lin Zheyu thought as he wiped the sweat from his forehead, panting heavily.

He had already trained for several hours in the morning and was utterly exhausted. Chopping firewood, fetching water, and boiling it made him even more worn out. After a while of doing this, Lin Zheyu collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. He didn't want to move at all; every slight motion was a test of willpower.

"No, I must not give up so easily!" Lin Zheyu shouted out, trying to psyche himself up.

After a month of stance training, his willpower had improved significantly. He slowly got up from the ground, but even that one movement drained all the willpower he had just built up.

"I guess I went too hard at Master Liang's place earlier," he muttered, pain coursing through his body.

After a brief rest, he gritted his teeth and resumed training.

"Whenever Heaven entrusts someone with great responsibility, it first tests their resolve...[1]" Lin Zheyu recited, recalling a famous phrase from his past life to encourage himself. He endured the physical pain and the mental fatigue, pushing forward with his training. After all, if he couldn't even endure this much hardship, how could he ever achieve greatness?

He moved in front of wooden stakes, wrapped in old clothing he had prepared earlier for punching practice. He then transitioned into his stance. While his strength was lacking, his posture was precise.

Heh!

Hah!

Letting out sharp shouts, Lin Zheyu began practicing his punches.

Bang, bang.

Bang, bang, bang.

His fists landed on the wooden posts, producing dull thuds.

As time passed, Lin Zheyu got more and more into the rhythm, and the sound of punches striking the posts grew louder and more forceful. The beginning of training was always the hardest. Once one forced themself to start, the rest could be endured with clenched teeth.

A gentle breeze stirred, causing the leaves to rustle softly. Beneath the moonlight, Lin Zheyu was drenched in sweat. His face was pale, and his lips were trembling slightly. His eyes were bloodshot, and with each punch, the muscles in his arms trembled involuntarily. It was a sign that he was nearing his limit.

Hold on! Just a bit more! I'm almost there!

thought Lin Zheyu.

With his teeth clenched and his mind stretched to the limit, Lin Zheyu used sheer willpower to fight through the searing pain coursing through his body.

Another ten minutes passed. That sensation of breaking through the body's limits and the mind instantly elevating surged forth. His essence, qi, and spirit condensed into one in that moment. He let out a long breath and collapsed to the ground in exhaustion, his muscles twitching uncontrollably from sheer fatigue.

A smile appeared on Lin Zheyu's pale face as he muttered, "It's done."

He had finally gained another unit of Origin Force.

[Heaven Rewards the Diligent]

[Name: Lin Zheyu]

[Origin Force: 3]

[Skill: Barbaric Ox Fist (Dormancy: 5%)]

The Barbaric Ox Fist is still 95% away from Initiation. It'll take about twenty more days to initiate it. I wonder how much of an effect Origin Force has to boost the Barbaric Ox Fist,

thought Lin Zheyu, full of anticipation.

He lay resting on the ground for a full half hour before getting up. He stretched his limbs, stripped off his clothes, and stepped into the prepared wooden bath.

"Ah, that's the spot!" he exclaimed. Submerged in warm water, he shivered pleasantly and felt some of the muscle fatigue fade away.

"Let's try out what Origin Force can do," Lin Zheyu muttered to himself. Unable to hold back his eagerness, he decided to try it right away.

Use 1 unit of Origin Force to enhance the Barbaric Ox Fist.

As the thought was formed, 1 unit of Origin Force vanished.

Immediately, the progress of the Barbaric Ox Fist began to rise rapidly.

6%... 10%... 20%... 50%... 80%... 100%!

A mysterious energy surged from deep within his cells and began to remodel Lin Zheyu's muscles and tendons. At the same time, his mind fell into a strange state. It felt as though he was in an unfamiliar space, where he had only one purpose: to train the Barbaric Ox Fist!

He trained madly in the Barbaric Ox Fist, throwing punch after punch, never stopping, and never tiring, like a possessed demon. He had no idea how much time passed in that miraculous state, but his understanding of the Barbaric Ox Fist grew deeper and deeper.

Eventually, he snapped out of the hazy state of mind. His eyes widened slowly, filled with awe.

Unbelievable!

Lin Zheyu felt as though he had trained endlessly in the Barbaric Ox Fist, without sleep or rest—but in reality, it was only a few seconds.

His comprehension of the Barbaric Ox Fist was now incredibly profound. Suddenly, a strange sensation came from his nose, as if something was flowing out. He touched it with his right hand and saw a smear of blood under the moonlight.

Is this... a nosebleed?

Lin Zheyu was stunned. A wave of dizziness struck him, his body feeling unbearably weak as his vision began to blur.

What's going on? Why does it feel like my body got even weaker?

wondered Lin Zheyu.

Supporting himself on the edge of the tub with both hands, Lin Zheyu rested a while before recovering slightly. A wave of hunger and weakness swept through every cell in his body. His usual swarthy skin turned pale. Lin Zheyu gave it some thought and soon figured out what was happening.

Origin Force put my mind into a special state, where time stretched and my spiritual form could train endlessly within. The results of that training carried over directly to my physical body, strengthening it as well. But without sufficient energy, it could only draw from my body's reserves, depleting my qi and bood,

he pondered quietly, understanding the process.

He continued to rest for a bit more until his vision cleared up.

Splash!

As soon as he stepped out of the tub, his vision went black again, a wave of dizziness washing over him. He quickly grabbed the edge of the tub for support, resting again before he could recover. It seemed like the depletion of blood qi was more severe than he expected.

1. This line comes from 《孟子·告子下》 (Mencius, "Gaozi II"), one of the Four Books of Confucianism. ☜