“Lord Lin, your perseverance is incredible!” Xie Jiang could not help but say.
They had stood night watch all night, slacking off the entire time, mostly staring blankly at the sky or chatting to kill time.
Lin Zheyu, on the other hand, had practiced martial arts for six whole hours.
Such perseverance was frighteningly formidable!
“The three of you have decent talent. If you could be as diligent as me, you’d have a good chance of cultivating to the Viscera Tempering Peak,” Lin Zheyu said, looking at Jia Yanyong and the others.
“Count me out. Xie Jiang, Ning Hui, you two can give it a shot.” Jia Yanyong shook his head vigorously. Just imagining cultivating frantically like Lin Zheyu made him shudder.
“Not me. I feel my talent taps out at the Bone Tempering Peak.”
“Same here,” Xie Jiang and Ning Hui said in unison.
If they had to train maniacally every day like Lin Zheyu, living like ascetic monks, what fun was there in life?
Wasn’t practicing martial arts meant to make life more comfortable?
Jia Yanyong and the others felt their current strength was enough. Naturally, it would be nice if they could be stronger, but they knew their own limits—given their talent, reaching their present level was pretty much the ceiling.
“To each their own. Suit yourselves,” Lin Zheyu said with a smile.
He walked over to an ox cart, sat down on the ground, and leaned back against it.
“Lord Lin, here is the medicinal decoction you asked us to brew; it’s all packed into this waterskin.”
“And this is the roast meat from last night. We just warmed it up for you. Please taste it and see if it’s to your liking.”
A subordinate stepped forward holding a waterskin and a piece of roasted meat, speaking respectfully.
They had watched Lin Zheyu practice martial arts the entire time and were awestruck by Lord Lin’s perseverance.
“Thank you.”
Lin Zheyu took the waterskin and popped the wooden stopper; the aroma of medicine rushed into his nose.
Taking a sip, a warm current flowed down his throat and into his stomach.
After finishing the roasted meat and drinking a few mouthfuls of the decoction, Lin Zheyu sat cross-legged and circulated his breathing method to restore his stamina.
Time slipped by, and dawn broke.
Two young men climbed down from an ox cart.
They glanced at Lin Zheyu, looks of admiration showing on their faces. Neither had been able to sleep well the previous night, so they knew Lin Zheyu had practiced martial arts for six hours.
Walking over to an open patch of ground, they kept some distance between each other and began their morning practice.
“Uncle Lin!”
More than an hour later, the two stopped and stepped forward respectfully.
“Good work, but your force-exertion technique there just now was slightly off. When you slash, harder isn’t always better; you need to hold back a fraction of your strength...”
Lin Zheyu looked at the elder young man and offered guidance.
These two were Senior Brother Han Mo’s eldest son, Han Tianshu, and second son, Han Tianmin.
Both possessed decent talent and fair perseverance; they were promising martial arts material.
“Thank you, Uncle Lin,” Han Tianshu said respectfully after listening to Lin Zheyu’s pointers.
Holding his saber, he returned to the clearing and began training according to Lin Zheyu’s instruction.
“And you—you’re lacking adaptability. Your Six Harmonies Saber lacks agility.”
“Then again, this saber technique is plain, unpretentious, crisp, and direct; taking it down a sweeping, grand path isn’t impossible.”
“However, Senior Brother Han follows an agile path imbued with a touch of that grand, sweeping feel. If you try to mimic his path directly, it won’t suit you.”
“When practicing the saber, you need to pay attention to these few areas. First...”
Lin Zheyu took Han Tianmin’s saber and began demonstrating the moves.
The journey to Bafang City was terribly dull, so guiding Senior Brother Han Mo’s children during his free time was a fine way to pass the hours.
Yet among Han Mo’s children, only his eldest and second sons were interested in martial arts. His eldest and second daughters were quiet and did not practice martial arts.
The youngest, Han Tianshun, had no interest in martial arts at all; his dream was to become a high-ranking official.
In peaceful times, officialdom was a good choice, and many descendants of prominent clans who disliked martial arts would try to earn imperial examination degrees.
In times of war and chaos, however, civil officials devoid of personal strength could only drift with the tide; martial arts was the sole path to survival.
It all depended on whether Great Wei could halt the rebel army’s advance and preserve the nation’s stability.
Daylight grew fuller.
The convoy set out.
Lin Zheyu climbed into an ox cart and sat in meditation, circulating the Turtle Breathing Art to restore his mental energy and physical stamina.
Time flowed quietly by.
Over a month passed.
Midway, they rested for seven days in Wangshan City to resupply before setting out once again. The journey to Bafang City was exceptionally long. To martial artists like Lin Zheyu, it was nothing.
To ordinary people, however, it was an agonizing ordeal.
Between the jolting road and the inability to eat or sleep well while traveling, their spirits were thoroughly drained.
Fortunately, they encountered very few ambushes along the way. Even when they did, they were just blind petty thugs who were swiftly dealt with.
Lin Zheyu had thought the Xing clan or Zhao clan might secretly dispatch people to stage an ambush, but surprisingly, they had not.
The entire journey went smoothly.
Every four days, Lin Zheyu took advantage of his night watch to train past his physical limits and harvest Origin Power.
The entire trip took fifty-seven days in total.
During the rest stop in Wangshan City, Lin Zheyu used his accumulated Origin Power to advance the Turtle Breathing Art to the third layer’s perfection.
He still had nine units of Origin Power saved up, which he planned to use for further advancement after reaching Bafang City.
*Clip-clop, clip-clop...*
*Creak, creak...*
Hooves clattered against the ground, and wooden wheels groaned as they rolled along the official road.
After nearly two months on the road through rain and wind, the carts had suffered considerable wear and tear.
Fortunately, there were no casualties, and they arrived safely at Bafang City.
“We’re finally here! Bafang City truly lives up to its name as the most bustling city around. It really is magnificent!”
Looking at the towering city walls, Jia Yanyong could not help but marvel.
In all his years, this was his first time visiting Bafang City. He had only ever heard tales of how prosperous it was, never having had the chance to see it for himself.
“How about we head to the pleasure quarter tomorrow evening to listen to some tunes?” Xie Jiang chuckled. “I hear the women in Bafang City are far more delicate and charming than those in Songyi City.”
“Besides, the women in Bafang City know so much more. Try them once, and you won’t have the slightest interest in Songyi City’s Hundred Pavilions anymore.”
“Great idea! I’ve wanted to see it for myself for a long time, but I never had the chance,” Ning Hui said with a laugh.
“Lord Lin, care to join us?” Jia Yanyong asked with a smile, looking at Lin Zheyu.
Back in Songyi City, when they visited the Hundred Pavilions, they had often invited Lin Zheyu along.
“Sure,” Lin Zheyu nodded with a smile. “Though it’ll have to wait a bit—let’s make it the day after tomorrow. I need to get Sister-in-law, Uncle, Aunt, and the others settled before I can go.”
“The day after tomorrow it is, then. We need to get our families settled as well.”
Chatting and laughing, the group passed through Bafang City’s gates into the city.
Given the extraordinary times, Bafang City inspected incoming travelers very strictly, but the Feihong Gang had prepared for all of it.
With all documents in order, the group passed through the city gates and entered Bafang City.
The Feihong Gang had long since made arrangements for its members.
Members could purchase houses to live in below market price, or take the gang’s stipend and find housing on their own.
“Uncle, would you prefer to look for a house to live in yourselves, or purchase one provided by the Feihong Gang? I can give you my internal slot,” Lin Zheyu said to Han Mo’s father with a smile.
He would not stay long in Bafang City, so he had no intention of buying a house; renting a small courtyard suited him fine.
“We’ll find a place to live on our own,” the father replied. “We’ll find a spot to settle down for now, and make further plans once Tianshu joins the City Guard.”
“Alright then, I’ll go with you. It works out well, since I only plan to rent a temporary place to stay anyway.”
Lin Zheyu picked up his bundle, and the group headed to the agency handling property rentals and sales.
With the rebel army on the offensive, a flood of refugees had poured into Bafang City, causing the rental and property market to explode.
Prices changed daily, tripling in just over a year.
Lin Zheyu and Senior Brother Han Mo’s family each rented a small courtyard, costing a steep nine hundred eighty copper coins a month.
The price was shockingly exorbitant—an ordinary person didn’t even earn that much in a month.
To Lin Zheyu, however, it was trivial.
“From now on, you two brothers will be the backbone of the Han family. If you run into anything you can’t resolve, you can come find me.”
“Don’t worry about troubling your Uncle Lin and think you have to handle everything on your own.”
“I may not stay in Bafang City for very long. While I’m still here, familiarize yourselves with this place as quickly as you can and get settled.”
Lin Zheyu gave these instructions to Han Tianshu and Han Tianmin.
One was sixteen and the other fifteen, both having reached coming-of-age years.
Coupled with Senior Brother Han Mo’s good upbringing, the two brothers were sensible and dependable.
“Understood. Thank you, Uncle Lin, for taking care of us and guiding us throughout the journey,” the two brothers expressed their sincere gratitude.
“Mm, go on and attend to your business.”
“Tianmin, remember to study the Poison Canon whenever you have time. If there’s anything you don’t understand, jot it down on paper, and I’ll explain it to you once every two days,” Lin Zheyu instructed Han Tianmin.
“Yes, thank you, Uncle Lin,” Han Tianmin replied with a nod.
“All right, head back now. I need to tidy up my place as well,” Lin Zheyu said.
After the two left, Lin Zheyu walked into his rented courtyard.
The small compound had been built recently, and everything inside was brand-new.
Various plants and grasses grew in the courtyard, bearing white blossoms that gave off a faint, delicate fragrance.
After putting his change of clothes into the room, Lin Zheyu took some silver and headed out.
The medicinal ingredients he had previously purchased for the Blood-Nourishing Bone-Strengthening Decoction were all used up, so he needed to restock.
Before stepping outside, he circulated the Turtle Breathing Art, taking control of his facial muscles and subtly adjusting them.
Within moments, faint wrinkles appeared on the handsome young man’s face, gradually shifting into the look of a man in his forties.
The shape of his face changed slightly as well, becoming squarer.
A faint, domineering aura emanated from him, completely transforming his demeanor. Even someone intimately familiar with him would never recognize him now.
He was practically a different person.
This ability was something Lin Zheyu had unlocked after training the Turtle Breathing Art to third-layer perfection.
It wasn’t as fantastical as described in novels—capable of arbitrarily swapping faces at will; Lin Zheyu could only make subtle facial adjustments.
Yet that was more than enough.
Through subtle adjustments to fine details, matched with his gaze and aura, even the people who knew him best would at most think they looked somewhat alike, never imagining they were the same person.
Lin Zheyu looked into a bronze mirror. Reflected in it was a middle-aged man in his forties.
Between his brows, the man gave off a domineering, reckless impression, totally different from Lin Zheyu’s usual disposition.
*With this appearance, even if I stood right in front of Jia Yanyong and the others, they wouldn’t recognize me, right?* Lin Zheyu mused silently to himself as he looked at his reflection.
Satisfied, Lin Zheyu sprang lightly on his tiptoes and vaulted over the rear courtyard wall.
Exiting the narrow alley, he emerged onto a wide thoroughfare.
Bafang City was unlike Songyi City; it was vastly larger.
Its layout was different as well. Because merchant caravans frequently traversed its main thoroughfares, the roads were built exceptionally wide.
All kinds of markets and shops abounded, making for a thriving economy.
Walking along the street, the surroundings bustled with lively energy, devoid of any impending sense of war or impending invasion.
Such turmoil seemed distant from the common folk here.
Merchants still hawked their goods with enthusiastic smiles, while children ran in circles playing games and pretending to be different characters.
Ladies and young maidens browsed through cosmetic shops, fabric stalls, and jewelry stores.
*There are far more martial academies here than I expected!* Lin Zheyu was mildly surprised.
Along the way, he spotted numerous martial arts academies—something extraordinarily rare in Songyi City.
In Songyi City, most people learned martial arts through techniques passed down by their ancestors or by specifically seeking out a master to apprentice under.
Others joined factions, risking their lives in exchange for cultivation methods.
During all the time Lin Zheyu spent in Songyi City, he had never seen any famous martial academy.
Most only taught crude, rudimentary skills, and their businesses were lackluster.
This was tied to Songyi City’s economy.
Most ordinary people in Songyi City were poor—steadily and inescapably poor—with zero chance of sudden wealth, so they could never afford to practice martial arts.
Those who had the money to practice martial arts possessed their own inherited techniques.
In Bafang City, on the other hand, merchant travelers came and went in droves. When certain ordinary folks struck it rich through extraordinary luck, the desire to learn martial arts would spring up, fostering countless martial arts academies that taught martial arts to paying students.
*The martial arts culture in Bafang City is quite strong. I wonder if I can unearth a manual that allows one to cultivate to the Qi and Blood Like a Dragon realm,* Lin Zheyu thought to himself.
*If there are no manuals for the Qi and Blood Like a Dragon realm, one that reaches the Sixth Blood Transformation would do as well.*
If he could find one, he wouldn’t mind staying in Bafang City a bit longer to build up his strength before departing for the Central Plains.
Lin Zheyu didn’t set out in search of manuals right away. He wandered around, planning to buy medicinal ingredients first to elevate his strength before doing anything else.
Chapter 101