They gave the pages a brief look. Although the handwriting was a bit rushed, it did not hinder their reading.
Soon, delighted expressions surfaced on both of their faces.
"Master Lin's stories truly do not disappoint!"
"Here are fifteen taels of gold. At current market rates, that comes out to exactly one hundred and fifty taels of silver." Lu Qihui handed over a small parcel.
Lin Zheyu took the parcel and opened it to look inside. Within were fifteen gold ingots, each weighing one tael.
This was the first time he had ever received gold. What normally circulated in the market was silver and officially minted copper coinage.
Compared to silver, however, gold was far more convenient to store.
"If Young Master Lu ever wants more thrilling tales in the future, you can always seek me out," Lin Zheyu said with a smile as he put the money away.
"That goes without saying."
"If Master Lin ever travels to Bafang City in the days ahead and has nowhere to turn, you are welcome to come to my Lu family."
"Our family runs restaurants and teahouses as well. You could tell stories at our teahouse, Master Lin, and the pay would definitely be higher than what you make now," Lu Qihui said with a grin.
***
Early morning.
No. 33 Jindong Street.
Lin Zheyu huffed and puffed through his training.
After several days of grueling practice, his strength had advanced by leaps and bounds. Every so often, his body produced the resonant hum of muscle and bone clashing together, and his bones grew ever harder.
Yet he was still far from the stage of bones tempered like iron.
He had not spent his childhood stewing his sinews and bones with precious medicinal herbs to lay a solid foundation, so tempering them to the hardness of iron proved exceptionally difficult.
Fortunately, Lin Zheyu possessed his unique advantage. As long as he achieved the stage of bones tempered like iron in that special mental state, the progress would feed back into his physical body.
Liang Song leisurely carried a watering pot, tending to his plants.
After watering them, he picked up a pair of small shears and meticulously trimmed the greenery, entirely absorbed in his gardening.
After practicing the Golden Goose Skill for two hours, Lin Zheyu came to a stop, panting heavily.
[Heaven Rewards Diligence]
Name: Lin Zheyu
Origin Power: 7
Skills:
Wild Bull Fist (Proficient 4%)
Golden Goose Skill (First Layer 39%)
Looking at the figures in his consciousness, the Golden Goose Skill's progress had reached 39%. He estimated that in another half a month, he could complete the first layer and break through to the second.
The first layer of the Golden Goose Skill corresponded to a martial artist's Flesh Tempering stage. Because Lin Zheyu had already reached Bone Tempering, his training progressed far faster.
Had it not been for the fact that the Wild Bull Fist primarily trained fists while the Golden Goose Skill focused on footwork—targeting different parts of the body—his pace would have been faster still.
After training for over two double-hours, Lin Zheyu sat down beside the stone table to chat with his master.
"By the way, Master, do you know of any martial arts that can conceal one's aura and hide one's true strength?" Lin Zheyu asked curiously.
After the transaction with the Lu siblings, he had suddenly become quite wealthy.
With so much silver in his pocket and seven units of Origin Power saved up, he felt an itch whenever he thought of leaving them unused.
Yet he did not dare make any reckless breakthroughs.
Liang Song's strength had reached the level of the Three Qi-Blood Transformations. If Lin Zheyu made an abrupt advance, there was no hiding it from him.
If he had an art to conceal his cultivation, however, he could raise his strength without restraint, never worrying that someone might see through him and covet whatever treasures he carried.
"An art that conceals your aura?"
"What would you learn that sort of thing for?"
"Techniques like that are extraordinarily difficult to master. They demand vast amounts of time and relentless practice. Even with exceptional comprehension, you won't pull it off without seven or eight years of bitter effort."
"If a person lacks the talent and aptitude, they might spend ten or twenty years without making any real headway."
Liang Song scolded him, "You are currently in a period of rapid growth. Your primary task right now is to advance your main martial art as quickly as possible, not to squander your time on other distractions."
"Master's reprimand is entirely just."
"It's only that the world is in chaos right now. I thought that if I could learn to conceal my aura and strength, my enemies might lower their guard."
"If something truly goes wrong, it would serve as an extra trump card."
Lin Zheyu explained, "Rest assured, Master, I won't devote too much energy to it. I'll only ponder and study it during my spare moments outside daily practice."
Liang Song pondered Lin Zheyu's words for a moment and found that the young man did have a point.
"Fair enough. But remember this above all: do not waste too much time on it."
"When dealing with danger, the best way to protect yourself is to grow stronger, not to disguise yourself as a weakling."
Liang Song cautioned him, warning Lin Zheyu not to put the cart before the horse.
Lin Zheyu nodded in agreement.
His primary aim was simply to hide the explosive surges in strength brought on by Origin Power.
"I do happen to have a Turtle Breathing Art that can conceal your aura and mask your strength."
"This art was created by a Grandmaster-level expert. Back then, that expert was growing decrepit with old age, his condition well past its prime."
"So he devoted himself to research, hoping to devise a technique to lock away his qi and blood and delay the aging process. That was how the Turtle Breathing Art came to be."
"Its primary function is to lock in vitality, qi, and blood, preventing a martial artist's strength from plummeting too quickly as the years advance."
"Its ability to conceal your aura and hide your strength is merely a side effect."
Liang Song said, then began explaining the art to Lin Zheyu.
The technique was remarkably miraculous, touching upon various fields of knowledge including qi and blood, acupoints, and meridians.
"Make a copy of this manual and take it back to study at your leisure."
"The Turtle Breathing Art involves qi and blood, making it exceptionally difficult to learn before reaching the Qi and Blood Realm. It would be fine to wait until you reach that realm before you begin practicing it; there is no need to rush."
Liang Song added a few words explaining the concepts surrounding viscera refining and the Qi and Blood Realm, then went back to sipping his tea in silence.
*The difficulty of cultivating this art is far greater than I imagined,* Lin Zheyu thought to himself.
Just the sheer breadth of knowledge involved—qi and blood, viscera refining, internal organs, and meridians—was vast enough that fully understanding and memorizing it all would require a long time spent in contemplation and practice.
Chapter 31