Thud, thud, thud!
The dull impacts of fists and palms clashing echoed across the courtyard.
Liang Song held his strength at Lin Zheyu's level—perhaps even a bit lower.
Even so, Lin Zheyu was thoroughly crushed.
The immense gap in combat experience and battle awareness made Lin Zheyu realize what it meant for cultivation not to equal combat prowess.
A true martial arts expert could effortlessly punch above their weight against stronger opponents and emerge victorious.
After lasting a dozen exchanges against Liang Song, Lin Zheyu was kicked flying backward.
"Not bad. Much better than yesterday," Liang Song said with a chuckle.
Lin Zheyu rubbed his chest, where the strike had landed burning with sharp pain.
Liang Song had attained the Qi and Blood Realm; his bones were as hard as iron.
Taking a kick from his master felt as though an iron hammer had slammed into him.
"Again!"
Resolve gleaming in his eyes, Lin Zheyu pushed off the ground and launched himself toward Liang Song.
Master Liang's primary martial art was the Golden Goose Skill, and Lin Zheyu had absorbed many of the technique's combat nuances from him.
As the fight progressed, Lin Zheyu's grasp of the Golden Goose Skill improved by leaps and bounds, and he began weaving its footwork into combat.
Facing the seasoned Master Liang, Lin Zheyu shifted his strategy, utilizing the nimble footwork of the Golden Goose Skill to circle his master.
"Heh!"
"That trick is older than you are."
Watching Lin Zheyu dart swiftly from side to side, Liang Song chuckled. His right leg whipped backward at an angle, fast as lightning.
*Bang!*
Caught off guard mid-stride, Lin Zheyu took the blow squarely on the shoulder and was sent sprawling once more.
Lin Zheyu: "..."
He felt thoroughly exhausted.
How he missed the feeling of fighting Jia Yanyong and Xie Jiang during the day!
The two sparred late into the night, every bout ending with Lin Zheyu getting kicked flying.
Yet under Master Liang's relentless drilling, Lin Zheyu's combat instincts sharpened. He held out longer and longer against Liang Song, and near the end, he was even able to launch a few counterattacks.
...
Morning. After a night's rest, Lin Zheyu was largely recovered.
The medicine Liang Song had given him worked wonders; rubbed over the bruises, they were mostly healed by the next morning.
He arrived early at Liang Song's courtyard.
Guided by Liang Song, Lin Zheyu trained for more than three hours, and the Golden Goose Skill finally crossed the threshold into basic mastery.
[Heaven Rewards Diligence]
Name: Lin Zheyu
Origin Power: 6
Skills:
Wild Bull Fist (Proficient 3%)
Golden Goose Skill (First Layer 2%)
*Finally made entry. Progress reached two percent in just one morning. At this rate, I should reach the second layer in about a month,* Lin Zheyu thought to himself.
With the foundation laid by the Wild Bull Fist, early progress in the Golden Goose Skill was much faster.
His muscles were now full and firm, his fascia tough and powerful. The first layer of the Golden Goose Skill mainly trained the muscles, tendons, and skin. Once the strengthening of the muscles and sinews in his legs was complete, he could break through to the second layer.
Once he reached the second layer—the Bone Tempering Realm—his progress would naturally slow down.
Bidding farewell to his master, Lin Zheyu headed toward Feihong Tower around nine in the morning.
No. 28 Tongquan Street.
Stepping into Feihong Tower, Lin Zheyu found it rather quiet inside.
"Mister Lin, you're here. This way, please."
A man stepped forward to lead Lin Zheyu inside.
"The Chief left word. When you arrived, I was to bring you to the backyard to meet him. He will assign your post in person," the man explained.
Lin Zheyu followed the man through winding covered corridors, passing an ornate pond and pavilion before arriving at a courtyard.
Inside the courtyard stood an opera stage, where Chief Xu was leisurely enjoying a performance.
*The life of the wealthy really is this modest and unpretentious,* Lin Zheyu thought with a rueful sigh, feeling a touch envious.
He worked tirelessly just to earn a few taels of silver, while these people spent their days listening to ditties, watching operas, and strolling around pleasure houses, raking in hundreds or thousands of taels without breaking a sweat.
"You're here. Have a seat."
"It's a fine play. Sit down and listen for a bit," Xu Jingwu said with a smile.
Lin Zheyu sat down beside Xu Jingwu and idly sampled the delicacies laid out across the table.
Xu Jingwu knew how to live well; the refreshments alone on that table probably cost several taels of silver.
Munching on the treats, Lin Zheyu listened to the singing now and then.
He could not quite appreciate traditional opera; having grown up with a wide variety of entertainment in his past life, classical performance arts held little appeal for him.
Yet as he listened on, Lin Zheyu gradually began to discern the charm in it.
Once the piece concluded, Xu Jingwu turned to business.
"There isn't too much to do in the gang. Mainly, it's maintaining order within the Feihong Gang's territory.
"On the surface, the city's order is overseen by the authorities. But due to staffing shortages, the government delegates the work downward to gangs of various sizes.
"If trouble breaks out within our territory and stirs public outrage, the authorities will hold us accountable right away," Xu Jingwu explained, laying out the core responsibilities of the Feihong Gang.
From Xu Jingwu's words, Lin Zheyu finally understood how Songyi City operated.
The authorities controlled the gangs, and the gangs managed order in the city.
In total, there were three major gangs in Songyi City, with the Feihong Gang being the largest.
These gangs were jointly funded and established by aristocratic families and wealthy merchants. The city's prominent clans and merchants were divided into three interest groups that checked and balanced one another.
Xu Jingwu hailed from the Xu family and was the younger brother of its current clan patriarch.
The three major gangs held each other in check, maintaining civic order while preventing gang members from running wild.
"From now on, you will team up with Jia Yanyong and Xie Jiang. The three of you will form a squad led by Qiu Gaoxuan, temporarily responsible for maintaining order in the streets around Baiwei Street.
"Later on, you'll need to be assigned out to guard key sites like the mines for a spell, but that's done on rotation," Xu Jingwu said.
"Understood."
Lin Zheyu nodded.
Order was generally well-maintained around Baiwei Street, with hardly any troublemakers around. It was an easy assignment.
"I think very highly of you.
"Jia Yanyong told me that it hasn't been long since you started practicing martial arts, yet you already possess your current strength. Your talent and comprehension are remarkable.
"Do good work. Once you've contributed enough, there will be plenty of rewards for you," Xu Jingwu said with a smile, patting Lin Zheyu on the shoulder.
"Thank you for your regard, Chief Xu."
Chapter 27