Boom boom boom...
Punching sounds echoed in the courtyard.
It had been over an hour.
Lin Zheyu was panting heavily, his face starting to pale. He had almost reached his limit.
He gritted his teeth and persisted.
Every time he pushed his body to its limits, it was a baptism for his mind and body.
Another ten minutes passed.
Finally...
Lin Zheyu collapsed on the ground, gasping for air, a satisfied smile on his face.
Refreshing!This feeling is addictive.
[The Way of Heaven Rewards Diligence]
Name: Lin Zheyu
Source Power: 3
Skills: Barbaric Bull Fist (Entry Level 46%)
After resting for a while, Lin Zheyu got up and endured the pain as he stretched his muscles and bones.
Effective stretching after exercise could make the fascia stronger and more powerful, allowing for even greater strength.
...
Late at night.
The moon was full tonight, and its bright light illuminated the dark streets.
Three shadowy figures, taking advantage of the moonlight, stealthily approached the courtyard where Lin Zheyu lived.
"Yu Ge, this is it," the skinny monkey said.
"He actually rented such a nice little courtyard. It seems he's been earning quite a bit lately," Gao Yu chuckled, looking forward to earning some more tonight.
"Monkey, you're agile. Climb over the wall and open the door from the inside," Gao Yu instructed.
"Okay, wait for me."
The skinny monkey said confidently.
Although he looked dry and skinny like a monkey, his hands were extremely agile, and he climbed walls and trees with the agility of a monkey.
Gao Yu and the other companion crouched down, their hands clasped together.
The skinny monkey stepped on them, and with the help of Gao Yu and the other companion, he jumped lightly onto the wall.
"Hey!"
"With the wall built so high, do you really think you can stop me?"
The skinny monkey chuckled, grabbing the edge of the wall.
"Huh?"
"Ouch!"
An excruciating pain shot through his palms.
The skinny monkey gritted his teeth and endured the pain without making a sound, then fell from above, rolling in pain.
"Monkey, what's wrong with you!"
Gao Yu and the other companion exclaimed softly, not daring to make too much noise.
If they were discovered, it would be over; they would definitely be thrown into prison to do hard labor.
"Damn it, this guy placed a lot of long spikes on the wall!"
The skinny monkey cursed inwardly.
His hands, wearing gloves, were oozing with blood.
As a seasoned thief, the skinny monkey was extremely experienced. To prevent the other party from burying sharp objects on the wall, he even wore gloves.
But he didn't expect that Lin Zheyu's wall would not only have various spikes but also small blades and long needles.
What's worse, the long needles had barbs on them!
"What should we do?"
Gao Yu looked at the glove soaked in blood, frowning.
"It's okay, I have a way."
"I learned a special door-opening technique from an old friend in prison. Let me take a breather, and we'll enter through the main gate!" the skinny monkey gritted his teeth.
It was too painful; he felt his hands burning with pain, making him involuntarily gasp for cold air.
"Are you okay? Should we come back tomorrow?" Gao Yu asked, seeing the skinny monkey's pale face with concern.
"No, I'm fine," the skinny monkey said through gritted teeth, feeling a bit dizzy. He thought he might have hit his head when he fell just now.
Little did they know, Lin Zheyu had made numerous preparations in the courtyard to guard against Jia Yanrong, who might try to harm him.
Those needles were not just sharp; Lin Zheyu had also obtained poison from a special source and applied it to them.
He would regularly maintain the poison to ensure its effectiveness.
"Monkey, monkey..."
"What's wrong with you?" Gao Yu saw the skinny monkey's voice getting weaker and his eyelids drooping, asking anxiously.
"I'm... fine... I'll... be fine..." the skinny monkey said intermittently.
"Woof, woof, woof..."
Before he could finish speaking, the barking of a puppy came from the courtyard.
"Not good, this guy has a dog."
"Let's go back. If we make too much noise and get caught, we'll be in trouble," Gao Yu decided decisively.
The inner city was much stricter than the Baishan District, with tighter security and patrols at night.
He picked up the skinny monkey, whose consciousness was fading, on his back, called the other companion, and disappeared into the alley.
In the courtyard.
In the kitchen.
Lin Zheyu woke up abruptly.
There was a hidden space in the woodpile where Lin Zheyu lay on a mattress.
"Someone's here?"
Lin Zheyu became alert instantly.
To guard against potential attacks from Jia Yanrong, he had made many preparations.
Lin Zheyu had placed a dummy in the bedroom and rested in the concealed sleeping space in the kitchen every night to prevent being taken care of at night.
He had seen many TV dramas in his previous life where people liked to come at night. He thought this would be safer.
He got up cautiously, gripping an ax, and pressed his ear against the door.
There was no sound outside except for the barking of his recently acquired puppy.
After waiting patiently for over half an hour, there was still no movement outside.
He breathed a sigh of relief, pushed open the door a crack, checked for any problems, and finally relaxed completely.
"False alarm."
"None of the traps in the courtyard were triggered. It seems someone or something outside startled little Huang," Lin Zheyu thought to himself.
He patted the head of the puppy, comforting it.
Little Huang was a mixed-breed dog, over three months old, with eyebrows shaped like inverted eights, giving it a melancholic yet amusing appearance.
"I'll talk to Jia Yanming about cooperation tomorrow. It's not a good idea to live in constant fear like this," Lin Zheyu pondered.
There are no eternal enemies or friends in this world, only eternal interests.
...
The next morning.
Lin Zheyu stretched lazily, grimacing at the pain in his muscles.
After freshening up, he ate five large bowls of rice with braised pork in quick succession.
His appetite had grown, and his digestion had improved.
Early in the morning, there weren't many people at Yixiang Tea House, but it was better than Bidan Tea House.
Yixiang Tea House was of a higher class, and some wealthy people liked to come early in the morning to drink tea.
Entering the tea house, Lin Zheyu chose a window seat.
Influenced by Master Liang Song, Lin Zheyu had gradually developed a liking for sitting by the window, where he could see the passersby and enjoy the view outside.
"Waiter, a pot of Xianwu Fengming tea, flatbread, pickles, and congee... one of each," Lin Zheyu ordered, then continued, "Inform Jia Yanming that someone named Lin Zheyu is looking for him."
"Okay!" the waiter said.
Turning around, he quickly went to take the order.
"Lin Zheyu, Lin Zheyu, I think I've heard this name before?" the waiter muttered, his eyes suddenly lighting up. "Isn't Lin Zheyu the storyteller at Bidan Tea House?"
"Has he come looking for Manager Jia? Could it be that he wants to tell stories at Yixiang Tea House?"
"If that's the case, it would be great. The business at the tea house will definitely thrive."
Excited, the waiter hurried to inform the manager.
The better the business at the tea house, the more wealthy young masters it would attract, and the greater the chance for the waiters to receive tips.
While waiting, Lin Zheyu looked around Yixiang Tea House with interest.
Different from the upscale Yixiang Tea House, Bidan Tea House was not considered high-end, and the people who came to listen to stories and drink tea were mostly middle to lower class.
But as Lin Zheyu's reputation spread and his stories passed on by word of mouth, they became increasingly popular.
These days, more and more young masters went to Bidan Tea House to listen to stories, stealing many customers from Yixiang Tea House.
"Mr. Lin, good morning," Jia Yanming hurried over with a slight smile on his face.