...
The two of them walked towards No. 33 Jindong Street.
This used to be Liang Song’s courtyard, but now it belongs to Lin Zheyu.
Mr. Liang liked quiet, so there were no people living around the courtyard, and the noise from martial arts practice wouldn’t disturb others.
Entering the courtyard, they took off their coats.
"Mr. Lin, go ahead."
Han Mo wielded a blunt blade, assuming the stance of the Six Harmonies Blade.
"Alright!"
Muscles bulged on Lin Zheyu’s body, and with a snap, he shot towards Han Mo.
He moved incredibly fast, reaching Han Mo’s side in the blink of an eye.
Whoosh~
The blade’s edge whistled past Lin Zheyu’s nose, and he rotated his upper body around his waist to avoid Han Mo’s blunt blade.
Using his waist to exert force, he launched a Wild Bull Charge, with both fists attacking Han Mo’s face and abdomen.
Han Mo took a step back, quickly distancing himself.
The blunt blade swept back, forcing Lin Zheyu to retreat.
The two exchanged blows rapidly, engaging each other over ten times in the span of a few breaths.
Bam—
After over forty exchanges, as Lin Zheyu dodged the blade, Han Mo took the opportunity to kick him away.
"Again!"
Lin Zheyu pushed himself off the ground like a carp and launched another attack.
The two continued to spar for over two hours until they both lay breathlessly on the ground.
After letting off steam, they felt completely relaxed.
"Without Mr. Liang around, it always feels like something’s missing."
Lin Zheyu looked at the desolate courtyard, feeling somewhat lonely.
"Don’t worry, our master’s skills are impressive; he’ll be fine. Maybe he’ll return one day."
Han Mo said, both comforting Lin Zheyu and himself.
"Do you know where our master’s hometown is?" Lin Zheyu asked curiously.
"Not sure."
"The master never mentions it, and when asked, he won’t tell."
"Moreover, he disappears every once in a while, not sure where he goes, he’s very mysterious," Han Mo complained.
Mr. Liang’s mystery left them wondering where they could find him if they ever wanted to seek him out.
"Indeed, Mr. Liang is very mysterious."
"You think he might be some secret assassin for a certain faction, disappearing to carry out missions?"
Lin Zheyu voiced his speculation.
"I thought about that before, but over the years, there have been few reports of assassinations, so it’s probably not true."
The two chatted on and off.
...
"So bitter."
"Add some sugar next time to adjust the taste."
In the courtyard, Lin Zheyu muttered to himself.
The Blood-Nourishing and Bone-Strengthening Soup was extremely bitter, especially the concoction of three doses boiled together.
After Liang Song left, Han Mo’s strength remained at the Refining Internal Organ Realm, with nothing remarkable.
Lin Zheyu planned to enhance his own strength, to have some security in these turbulent times.
On the table were two large bowls filled with medicinal soup.
Each bowl contained the essence from three doses of the Blood-Nourishing and Bone-Strengthening Soup.
After some thought, Lin Zheyu drank both bowls of medicinal soup in one go.
As the soup entered his stomach, a shocking sensation of heat welled up in his body.
He closed his eyes, and his thoughts transmitted: ’Use three units of Source Power to enhance the Golden Swan Skill.’
In an instant, mysterious energy surged, guiding the medicinal power throughout his limbs and bones.
Lin Zheyu’s spirit entered a familiar special state, frantically cultivating the Golden Swan Skill, with crackling sounds resonating continually from within his body.
In that state, he neither rested nor stopped.
By using three units of Source Power at once, he felt as if years had passed, the duration so long that his spirit grew somewhat weary.
This was a sensation he had never experienced before.
Under the moonlight.
Lin Zheyu’s chest rose and fell, aligned with the unique breathing method of the Golden Swan Skill, as his internal organs gradually strengthened.
The resonance of muscles and bones within his body grew increasingly intense.
Gradually, the sound of muscle and bone harmonious resonance came from all over his body.
Bone Forging Great Success!
Opening his eyes, Lin Zheyu’s gaze held a deep exhaustion, but there was a gleam of spirit within.
"As expected, most of the medicinal soup consumed was depleted, with only a trace remaining."
Lin Zheyu assessed his bodily state, speaking to himself inwardly.
Rising to his feet, his figure swiftly maneuvered through the courtyard like a phantom, at an astonishing speed.
Amidst his movements, the bones and muscles emitted faint crackling sounds.
This was because Lin Zheyu had just reached Bone Forging Great Success and hadn’t yet adapted.
As he acclimated, the crackling gradually softened and then disappeared.
Bam!
Splat—
He flickered before the wooden stake used for punching practice, his right leg whipping out like a lash, and the stake exploded with a crack.
"Bone Hardened Like Iron, this is Bone Hardened Like Iron!"
Lin Zheyu patted his right leg, and the area that struck the stake felt nothing at all.
The hardness of his leg bones was astounding, as solid as iron and steel.
Lin Zheyu kicked, jumped, and punched with Qi Force whistling.
[The Heavenly Dao Rewards Diligence]
Name: Lin Zheyu
Source Power: 1
Skills:
Wild Bull Fist (Proficient 5%)
Golden Swan Skill (Third Layer 23%)
Turtle Breath Skill (Third Layer 0%)
"Golden Swan Skill reaches the third layer, Refining Internal Organ Realm."
Lin Zheyu adjusted to his newfound strength, feeling unprecedentedly powerful.
Compared to before, his strength and speed had increased by at least fifty percent.
More importantly, after Bone Forging Great Success, his entire body was incredibly sturdy, able to endure an even greater explosive force.
The hardened muscles and bones enhanced his physique significantly; even if struck by weapons, it wouldn’t easily lead to fractures.
"Only 1 unit of Source Power left, and only six doses of Blood-Nourishing and Bone-Strengthening Soup ingredients remain in the house."
"Practicing martial arts really burns money."
Lin Zheyu muttered, lamenting the high costs of martial arts training.
...
In the blink of an eye, nine days had passed.
Strolling through Songyi City, the streets were much less crowded.
The shops weren’t as bustling as usual.
As the end of the year approached, today was also a day for deity worship.
People’s faces lacked the smiles they once had, filled with sorrow instead.
Life was becoming increasingly difficult.
After a stroll around the teahouse, business there had become even more dismal.
"Mr. Lin, the owner asked me to negotiate the price with you; he wants to lower the cost of each storytelling session to 300 wen."
Mr. Wo approached, speaking somewhat apologetically.
"Alright."
Lin Zheyu nodded.
Yesterday, Jia Yanming had already discussed the price with him, lowering it to 300 wen as well.
His income was decreasing day by day, now yielding less than a tael of silver per day.
But compared to ordinary people, it was still much better.
Lin Zheyu accepted the money from Mr. Wo; starting tomorrow, it would be 300 wen per session.
"Mr. Lin, over here!"
Not far away, Jia Yanrong waved to Lin Zheyu.
He walked over and sat across from Jia Yanrong, with Xie Jiang also present.
"Have you heard? The government has issued a proclamation recruiting soldiers," Xie Jiang said.
"A proclamation?"
"I just came back from the city gate; why didn’t I see it?" Lin Zheyu asked, puzzled.
"It hasn’t been posted yet."
"Lord Qiu mentioned it; he has someone in his family working in the government," Xie Jiang said. "The bandit problem outside the city is getting worse, and the city guards are short-handed, unable to handle it."
"Wouldn’t our Feihong Gang be drafted then?" Lin Zheyu asked.
"Not likely; the draft is for the regular citizens."
"But something happened at a mine of the Feihong Gang in White Stone Mountain; I’m not sure if they’ll send us for support," Jia Yanrong remarked.
"What happened?"
"Is it haunted?" Lin Zheyu inquired.
Last time, they talked about the haunting at Qinghe Mountain, so when issues with the mines outside the city were mentioned, his first thought was of ghosts.
"No."
"Near White Stone Mountain, a powerful group of bandits has arrived. These bandits are very strong and audacious, targeting the iron ore and forged weapons from White Stone Mountain," Xie Jiang explained.
"Oh..."
Lin Zheyu felt a bit disappointed.
He was hoping to encounter ghosts in this world, to experience the thrill of destroying them with explosives.
"You’re not interested in those specters, are you?"
"Dreaming of those tales where a female ghost falls in love with a scholar and pens a beautiful romance?"
Xie Jiang laughed, "You’d better give up on that. Those specters have no intelligence and look terrifyingly grotesque."
After some casual chatting, Jia Yanrong suggested visiting Baihua Tower for some fun.
Lin Zheyu didn’t join them in indulging at Baihua Tower.
He returned to his courtyard to practice martial arts.
...