The medicinal soup entered Lin Zheyu his stomach. He felt a warm sensation in his abdomen, but his complexion appeared somewhat pale.
Gurgling sounds emanated from his stomach, and every cell in his body was sending out a strong sense of hunger.
Entering the kitchen, Lin Zheyu swiftly devoured five large bowls of noodles in succession. His stomach bulged from the food, yet his body still emitted a relentless feeling of hunger.
Not enough, still not enough!
His body still lacked a considerable amount of energy!
"Boil another batch of medicinal herbs," Lin Zheyu thought to himself.
Taking out the last batch of qi-replenishing and blood-nourishing medicinal herbs from the house, he began to refine them.
This was his last batch of medicinal herbs, and there was less than a couple of silver coins left in the house. It would take a few days before he could afford to purchase more.
The fragrance of medicine wafted through the courtyard.
Lin Zheyu looked at the data in his mind, and he had finally made progress in the Bull Fist technique.
[Heaven Rewards Diligence]
Name: Lin Zheyu
Source Power: 2 Skill: Bull Fist (Beginner 46%)
"A unit of source power saved me more than a year of arduous practice!" Lin Zheyu contemplated, calculating his progress in cultivation.
Master Liang had mentioned that it typically takes about two to three years for an ordinary person to progress from novice to mastery in martial arts. However, with his good comprehension, he estimated that it would only take him one or two years.
Bull Fist did not have obvious divisions in levels; based on one's comprehension of the martial art and martial level, it could be divided into Beginner, Mastery, Minor Completion, Major Completion, and Perfection.
"The effect of source power is indeed remarkable. At this rate, I'll soon be able to master Bull Fist."
"However, source power mainly affects the spirit. After the spirit is enhanced, it is reflected in the body, requiring other energy to support bodily improvement; otherwise, it may lead to deficiency of qi and blood."
"Fortunately, I only used one unit of source power just now. Otherwise, I might have turned into a bag of bones."
Feeling the weakness in his body, Lin Zheyu felt a wave of fear.
He boiled the medicine until late at night,and refined both batches of medicine three times each to extract the medicinal properties.
After drinking the medicine, Lin Zheyu fell into a deep sleep.
After breaking through his limits, his spirit was already extremely exhausted.Coupled with the use of source power, entering the special state consumed his spirit immensely.
The next morning, outside the house was still dark, but the crowing of the rooster had already begun.
That annoying rooster with its broken voice crowed again, waking up the groggy Lin Zheyu.
"This rooster is so annoying. Don't let me catch it, or I'll slaughter it!" He muttered softly, covering his ears with the pillow to continue sleeping.
After drinking two batches of medicinal soup, his condition improved a lot, but he still felt extremely weak.He felt limp all over, filled with a sense of powerlessness.
...
Overflowing Fragrance Teahouse.
Compared to over a month ago, the teahouse's business had become much quieter.
Customers had been snatched away by the Jade Teahouse on Hundred Flavors Street.
Jia Yanming was sitting with someone at a table by the window, his younger brother opposite him.
"Brother, who are we targeting this time?"
Chomping on a lamb leg, Jia Yanyong asked with muffled speech.
He was Jia Yanming's younger brother, Jia Yanyong.
Standing at 1.9 meters tall, with a burly physique, muscles bulging all over, and wearing a vest that exposed numerous scars on his body, he looked extremely fierce.
"A scholar."
"The storyteller at Jade Teahouse, named Lin Zheyu, who tells stories there every afternoon."
"Find an opportunity to beat him up and teach him a lesson."
"Be gentle, don't cripple him. Just scare him," Jia Yanming said.
"It's such a hassle. I'm worried I won't be able to control my strength," replied Jia Yanyong with a mouthful of food.
Jia Yanyong muttered quietly to himself.
"Scholars are all frail, I am worried that with one punch I would break his bones."
"Be careful, don't cripple him. If necessary, let the few younger brothers who often accompany you do it."
"This man is very smart, and his storytelling is fascinating. If we can get him to join us, Overflowing Fragrance Teahouse's business will surely thrive!"
Jia Yanming cautioned, worried that his younger brother might not exercise restraint.
"I understand, I understand."
"I have some matters to attend to in the gang these days. Once I'm done, I'll go and beat up that storyteller... Lin Zheyu, right... heavily."
Jia Yanyong said, grabbing a lamb leg from the table and gnawing on it.
...
When Lin Zheyu woke up, the sun was already high in the sky.
He pushed open the window, letting the sunlight in, bringing warmth to the room.
It was already winter, and pedestrians on the street were already dressed in long sleeves and pants.
"My head still feels dizzy, and my body is weak. Those two batches of medicinal soup didn't fully replenish the qi and blood lost from the enhancement."
"I need to earn some money first, then focus on recovering my body."
Lin Zheyu frowned, feeling his condition had worsened.
He changed into a green shirt and went straight to the Jade Teahouse.
When Wu Yinghe saw Lin Zheyu, he looked somewhat surprised. Normally, Lin Zheyu only came before his storytelling sessions in the afternoon.
"Mr. Lin, what's wrong? Why do you look so bad?" Wu asked.
"I overexerted myself in martial arts practice last night."
Wu furrowed his brows and advised, "Although I don't understand martial arts, I know that everything should be done in moderation."
"Don't be too hasty; otherwise, you might not only fail to master your martial skills but also harm your body."
"Yeah, I understand now. I won't rush next time." Lin Zheyu nodded, revealing his intention for coming.
"Wu, do you have any money on you? Lend me some. My body is too weak; I need to buy some tonic."
"Indeed, you need some tonic." Wu nodded, "How much do you need to borrow?"
"Could you lend me five taels of silver for now? I'll deduct it from my daily storytelling earnings; You can keep the tips I receive." Lin Zheyu said.
He wanted to borrow more, but Wu Yinghe was just an ordinary worker, borrowing too much would only make him uncomfortable.
"Five taels of silver, right? No problem, come this afternoon, and I'll give it to you."
Wu readily agreed.
He wasn't worried that Lin Zheyu would refuse to repay the money. With Lin Zheyu's abilities, he would soon be able to earn back the five taels of silver. After all, he was already earning three hundred wen a day.
"Wang Qing, bring some paper and pen. I'll write an IOU for Wu." Lin Zheyu called out to the nearby waiter.
"No need for such trouble; I trust you," Wu said.
"Come, let me treat you to a big meal. Your complexion is so bad; I'll treat you to a nourishing meal."
Wu enthusiastically said.
The two of them went to the Qing Su Lou.
Wu Yinghe ordered a table full of meat dishes, and Lin Zheyu didn't hesitate to dig in.
Perhaps due to extreme cellular energy deficiency, he was digesting very quickly now. He had eaten only a couple of hours ago in the morning, yet he was already hungry again.
"Yesterday, Jia Yanming came to see me again, but I refused him. When he left, his eyes looked somewhat cold."
"Do you know about Jia Yanming? He might resort to some unsavory methods," Lin Zheyu asked.
Jia Yanming appeared shrewd and capable, exuding an aura of a successful businessman, giving off the impression that he would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.
"You should be careful!"
"Jia Yanming is cunning and ruthless."
"Originally, Jia Yanming was not the manager of Overflowing Fragrance Teahouse. I heard that he used some means to secretly manipulate things and ascend to the position."
"If he sets his sights on you, it won't be good."
Wu Yinghe frowned, expressing his concern.
"So ruthless?"
"Does he have any backing?" Lin Zheyu's expression turned serious as he asked.
"Jia Yanming has a younger brother, three years younger than him, named Jia Yanyong."
"As far as I know, Jia Yanyong has been practicing martial arts since he was a child and is quite skilled. He's doing well in the Flying Rainbow Gang."
"It's said that Jia Yanming had his brother deal with the previous manager of Overflowing Fragrance Teahouse. I reckon he made his move through his brother."
Wu Yinghe thought for a moment before speaking.