Chapter 9: Lingering Fear And A Lesson Learned

He picked up the medicinal decoction that he had prepared earlier in the courtyard. As soon as the decoction entered his stomach, Lin Zheyu felt a warm sensation in his abdomen. However, this didn't do much for his complexion, which remained somewhat pale.

His stomach growled, and every cell in his body cried out with intense hunger. He went into the kitchen, preparing and devouring five bowls of noodles in a row. His belly bulged from fullness, yet that feeling of relentless hunger continued to linger.

This is simply not enough! It's nowhere near enough!

"I'll boil another batch of herbs," Lin Zheyu muttered to himself.

He retrieved the final batch of qi-tonifying and blood-nourishing herbs he bought and began decocting them. He had less than a tael of silver left at home and would need to work a few days before he had enough money to buy more.

The scent of medicinal herbs wafted through the courtyard as Lin Zheyu looked at the data in his consciousness. The Barbaric Ox Fist had finally reached the entry level.

[Heaven Rewards the Diligent]

[Name: Lin Zheyu]

[Origin Force: 2]

[Skill: Barbaric Ox Fist (Initiation: 46%)]

The Barbaric Ox Fist had no clear tier distinctions, but based on one's proficiency in it, the practitioners could categorize their skill levels as Initiation, Competence, Initial Mastery, Advanced Mastery, and Perfection.

One unit of Origin Force probably saved me more than a year of hard training,

Lin Zheyu pondered, roughly calculating the numbers.

Master Liang had said that for an ordinary person, it would take about two to three years of hard training to go from Initiation to Competence. But with Lin Zheyu's high aptitude, coupled with Origin Force, he estimated that he could probably do it in one or two years.

"The effect of Origin Force is truly remarkable. At this rate, I'll be able to cultivate the Barbaric Ox Fist to Perfection very soon. However, based on what happened earlier, Origin Force mainly acts on my spirit, and once it improves, the benefits flow back into my body. That, in turn, requires other forms of energy to support physical enhancement. Otherwise, it leads to a depletion of blood qi.

"It's a good thing I only used one unit of Origin Force earlier. I might've turned back into skin and bones by now," muttered Lin Zheyu.

Feeling the weakness in his body, Lin Zheyu was suddenly struck by lingering fear. He decided to boil both batches of herbs he had already prepared three more times to fully extract their medicinal power.

After drinking the decoction, Lin Zheyu fell into a deep sleep. His spirit had already been utterly drained after pushing past his limits, so having used Origin Force to enter that special state earlier taxed his spirit even further.

***

Morning soon came. It was still dark outside, but the rooster's raspy-voiced crowing had already begun, waking the bleary-eyed Lin Zheyu.

"This rooster is so annoying. Just let me catch you and I'll have you slaughtered!" muttered Lin Zheyu in a soft voice. He covered his ears with his pillow and went back to sleep. After drinking two batches of medicine, he had recovered quite a bit, but still felt overwhelmingly weak. His whole body was limp and completely lacking strength.

***

The Overflowing Fragrance Teahouse.

Compared to a month ago, the teahouse's business had dwindled significantly. All the customers had been snatched away by the Jade Pill Teahouse on Baiwei Street. Jia Yanming was seated at a window-side table with a burly young man sitting across from him.

"Bro, who's the target this time?" asked the young man, mouth full as he bit into a lamb leg.

He was Jia Yanming's younger brother, Jia Yanyong. Jia Yanyong stood at 1.9 meters tall, with a burly frame and bulging muscles. He was dressed in a tank top with his body covered in terrifying scars of all sizes.

"A scholar. It's that new storyteller at the Jade Pill Teahouse, named Lin Zheyu. He tells stories there every afternoon. Find a chance to teach him a lesson for me, would you? But go easy on him. Don't cripple him, just give him a scare," said Jia Yanming.

"This is so troublesome. I'm worried I won't be able to control my strength," replied Jia Yanyong in a soft tone. Scholars were all frail and delicate. He was afraid one punch might break the man's bones.

"Be careful and don't cripple him, I said. If you think that's too hard, let a few of your usual followers handle it. This guy is smart, and his storytelling is captivating. If he joins us, the business at the Overflowing Fragrance Teahouse will definitely reach new heights," Jia Yanming reminded him carefully, worried his brother wouldn't hold back enough.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. I've got some stuff to handle for the gang right now, but once I'm done, I'll go give that storyteller, Lin Zheyu or whatever, a good beating," proclaimed Jia Yanyong as he grabbed the lamb leg on the table and tore into it.

***

When Lin Zheyu woke up again, the sun was already high in the sky. He pushed open the window, letting the sunlight pour in and warm the room. Winter had arrived, and the people on the street were all dressed in long sleeves and trousers.

"My head's still a bit dizzy, and my body feels limp. Those two decoctions weren't enough to replenish the blood qi depleted by my breakthrough. I seriously need to get some money and restore my body," Zheyu muttered with a frown. His condition had become terribly poor.

He changed into a fresh green robe and headed straight to the Jade Pill Teahouse. Wu Yinghe was a little surprised to see Lin Zheyu. Normally, he only showed up shortly before his afternoon storytelling.

"Mr. Lin, what's wrong? You don't look well at all," said Manager Wu.

"I overdid my martial training last night," replied Lin Zheyu.

Manager Wu frowned and said, "I may not know martial arts, but even I know things must be done with moderation. You mustn't rush things and injure yourself before the martial techniques are even mastered."

"Yeah, I know. It won't happen again next time." Lin Zheyu nodded and got to the point of his visit, saying, "Manager Wu, do you have any money on you? Lend me some. My body is too weak, so I need to buy some medicine."

"You really do look like you need it." Manager Wu nodded and asked, "How much do you need?"

"Lend me five taels of silver for now. You can deduct it from my daily storytelling wages," said Lin Zheyu.

He would have borrowed more, but unfortunately, Manager Wu was just an ordinary worker. Asking for too much would only put him in a difficult spot.

"Five taels of silver, right? No problem. Come by this afternoon and I'll have it ready for you," said the manager without hesitation.

He wasn't worried about Lin Zheyu defaulting on the loan. With Lin Zheyu's abilities, he would earn back five taels of silver in no time. After all, just his daily wage alone was three hundred wen.

"Wang Qing, bring me a pen and paper. I'll write Manager Wu an IOU," Lin Zheyu said as he called out to the nearby waiter.

𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"No need for all that. I trust you regardless," replied Manager Wu. "Come on, I'm treating you to a feast. You look terrible. I'll get you something really nourishing," said Manager Wu warmly.

The two of them headed to Qingsu Tower. Wu Yinghe ordered a large table full of meat dishes, and Lin Zheyu huffed it all in heartily without hesitation. Perhaps due to his body's extreme energy deficiency, his digestion was unusually fast. It hadn't even been two hours since breakfast, yet he was already hungry again.

"Jia Yanming came to see me again last night, but I turned him down. Afterwards, he had a rather cold look in his eyes. Do you know much about Jia Yanming? Do you think he'd resort to dirty tricks?" asked Lin Zheyu.

Jia Yanming came across as sharp and capable, exuding the aura of a driven businessman. He was the kind who would do anything to get what he wanted.

"Then you'd better be careful! Jia Yanming is ruthless and vicious in his methods. Did you know? There was a manager of the Overflowing Fragrance Teahouse before him. I heard he used underhanded tactics to take the position. He'll definitely stop at nothing to get his way. If he has his eyes on you, that's bad news," Manager Wu said with concern as he frowned slightly.

"He's really that ruthless? Does he have any backing?" asked Lin Zheyu in a serious tone.

Manager Wu thought for a moment before speaking, "Jia Yanming has a younger brother who is three years younger than him. His name is Jia Yanyong. From what I know, Jia Yanyong has been training in martial arts since he was young. He's got some skill and does fairly well in the Feihong[1] Gang. I suspect that it was Jia Yanming who had his brother take out the previous manager of the Overflowing Fragrance Teahouse."

1. 飞(fei) means Fly in chinese and 虹(hong) means rainbow. ☜