Skinny Monkey stepped onto their shoulders, and with a boost from Gao Yu and the other man, he sprang lightly up onto the courtyard wall.
"Heh!"
"Building the wall this high—did he really think it could keep me out?"
Skinny Monkey chuckled slyly and gripped the top edge of the wall with both hands.
"Huh?"
"Hss—"
A piercing, excruciating pain shot through his palms.
Gritting his teeth, Skinny Monkey swallowed his scream. He tumbled backward off the wall, rolling on the ground in agony.
"Monkey, what happened!"
Gao Yu and his companion gasped in hushed voices, not daring to make much noise.
If they were caught, they were done for—they would surely be thrown into prison for hard labor.
"That motherless cur! The bastard planted a ton of long, sharp needles on the wall!" Skinny Monkey cursed under his breath.
Blood was already soaking heavily through his gloves.
As a seasoned thief, Skinny Monkey was extremely experienced. To prevent injury from sharp objects embedded along walls, he had deliberately worn gloves.
Yet he never imagined that Lin Zheyu’s wall would bristle not only with various spikes, but also small razor blades and long needles.
Even worse, every single needle was barbed!
"What do we do now?" Gao Yu asked, frowning as he looked at the blood-drenched gloves.
"It's fine, I've still got another way."
"Back in prison, I picked up a secret lock-picking trick from an old pal. Once I catch my breath, we'll go in through the front gate!" Skinny Monkey bared his teeth.
The pain was excruciating. His hands felt as if they were on fire, and he could not stop hissing through his teeth.
"Are you sure you're all right? How about we come back another night?" Gao Yu asked worriedly, noticing Skinny Monkey's deathly pale face.
"No need. I'm fine."
Skinny Monkey gritted his teeth. His mind felt somewhat fuzzy, though he assumed it was just from rattling his head when he took the fall.
None of them knew just how many precautions Lin Zheyu had taken in his courtyard to guard against the possibility of Jia Yanyong ambushing him in the dark.
Those needles were far more dangerous than simple barbs—they were coated in poison Lin Zheyu had acquired through a special channel.
Every morning and evening, he made a point of reapplying it to ensure the poison's potency never waned.
"Monkey, Monkey..."
"What's wrong with you?"
Seeing that Monkey’s voice was growing fainter and his eyelids were fluttering shut, Gao Yu asked anxiously.
"I'm... I'm fine... I... I'll... in a bit..." Skinny Monkey stammered weakly.
"Woof, woof... Woof, woof, woof..."
Before he could finish, the yapping of a puppy drifted from inside the courtyard.
"Damn it, that guy has a dog."
"Let's go. We're heading back first. If we make too much noise and get caught, we're finished," Gao Yu decided on the spot.
The inner city was nothing like Baishan District; regulations were far stricter, and night patrols made regular rounds.
Hoisting the semi-conscious Skinny Monkey onto his back, he signaled the other companion, and together they darted into the dark alley, vanishing into the night.
***
Inside the courtyard.
In the kitchen.
Lin Zheyu snapped his eyes open.
Tucked away within a stack of firewood was a concealed little nook, where Lin Zheyu lay on bedding spread over the floor.
*Did someone come?*
Lin Zheyu instantly grew alert.
To protect himself against any underhanded move from Jia Yanyong, he had prepared thoroughly.
Lin Zheyu had placed a dummy in his bedroom, while he slept every night in this hidden corner of the kitchen, preventing anyone from sneaking in and finishing him off in the dark.
Having watched plenty of television dramas in his past life, he knew many scoundrels favored nighttime ambushes. He felt this arrangement was much safer.
Rising cautiously, Lin Zheyu grasped his woodchopping knife and pressed his ear against the door crack.
Outside, all was quiet save for the barking of the puppy he had recently bought.
After waiting patiently for more than an hour, there was still no movement outside.
Relieved, he cracked the door open a sliver to inspect the yard. Only after confirming nothing was amiss did he let his guard down.
*A false alarm.*
*None of the traps in the yard were tripped. Someone or some stray animal must have passed by outside and startled Little Huang,*
Lin Zheyu thought.
He rubbed the puppy's head, calming it down.
Little Huang was a mixed-breed pup about three months old. It had two slanted, drooping eyebrows that gave it a perpetual look of melancholy—at once comical and endearing.
"Tomorrow I'll pay a visit to Jia Yanming to discuss a partnership. Living in constant fear like this isn't sustainable," Lin Zheyu mused.
In this world, there were no permanent enemies and no permanent friends—only permanent interests.
***
The following morning.
Lin Zheyu indulged in a satisfying stretch, wincing as the movement pulled on his sore muscles.
After washing up, he polished off five large bowls of rice accompanied by braised meat.
His appetite was growing larger by the day, and his digestion and absorption were improving just as steadily.
Early in the morning, Yixiang Teahouse had few patrons, though it still saw more business than Bidan Teahouse.
As a higher-class establishment, Yixiang Teahouse attracted wealthy gentlemen who enjoyed stopping by early for tea.
Entering the teahouse, Lin Zheyu picked a table by the window.
Influenced by Master Liang Song, Lin Zheyu had gradually grown fond of sitting near windows, where he could watch passersby and take in the view outside.
"Waiter, bring a pot of Immortal Mist Phoenix Tea, and a plate each of sesame flatbread, dana pastries, and lejiang sweets..." Lin Zheyu ordered, adding, "Also, please inform Jia Yanming that someone named Lin Zheyu is here to see him."
"Right away, sir!" the waiter replied, quickly turning on his heel to place the order.
*Lin Zheyu, Lin Zheyu... Why does that name sound familiar?*
The waiter muttered to himself before his eyes suddenly lit up. *Isn't Lin Zheyu the storyteller from Bidan Teahouse?*
*Why would he come looking for Manager Jia? Could he be thinking of telling stories at Yixiang Teahouse?*
*If so, that would be wonderful! Business here will definitely reach new heights!*
The waiter felt a surge of excitement and hurried off to inform the manager.
The better the teahouse's business, the more young masters from wealthy families it would draw—and the more opportunities the waiters would have to receive generous tips.
While waiting for his food and tea to arrive, Lin Zheyu looked around Yixiang Teahouse with interest.
Unlike the upscale Yixiang Teahouse, Bidan Teahouse was hardly a high-end venue; those who frequented it were mostly common folk from the lower and middle classes.
Yet as Lin Zheyu's reputation spread by word of mouth, his tales had grown wildly popular.
Over the past few days, more and more wealthy young masters had been flocking to Bidan Teahouse out of admiration, drawing away a considerable portion of Yixiang Teahouse's clientele.
"Mr. Lin, a pleasure to meet you."
Jia Yanming strode over with a faint smile on his face.
Chapter 13