Bones Tempered Like Iron

"Yeah, Master Liang is far too mysterious." "Do you think he might be a secret assassin for some faction, and he was off on missions during the times he vanished?" Lin Zheyu shared his conjecture. "I thought about that back then too, but over the past dozen years or so, I've rarely heard of anyone being assassinated. Probably not." The two exchanged casual remarks, idly passing the time. ... "So bitter." "Next time, I should add something to improve the taste," Lin Zheyu muttered in the courtyard. The Blood-Nourishing Bone-Strengthening Decoction was exceptionally bitter, especially when simmered down from three doses boiled together. With Liang Song gone, Han Mo was merely in the Viscera Tempering Realm and couldn't see through anything. Lin Zheyu planned to push his strength higher, gaining another layer of security in this chaotic world. On the table sat two large bowls filled with medicinal decoction. Each held the concentrated brew boiled down from three doses of Blood-Nourishing Bone-Strengthening herbs. After a moment's thought, Lin Zheyu drank both bowls dry in one breath. As the brew settled into his stomach, a startling wave of dry heat coursed through his body. Closing his eyes, he sent out a thought: 'Use three units of Origin Power to improve the Golden Goose Skill.' In an instant, mysterious energy welled up, channeling the medicinal power from the brew and sending it surging through every limb and meridian. Lin Zheyu's spirit slipped into that familiar, extraordinary state. He began cultivating the Golden Goose Skill with reckless abandon, crackling sounds bursting continuously from inside his body. In that state, he went without sleep or rest, pressing on endlessly. Having used three units of Origin Power all at once, he felt as if several years had passed—a stretch so vast it left his mind somewhat weary. He had never experienced this kind of exhaustion before. Beneath the moonlight, Lin Zheyu's chest rose and fell in rhythm with the Golden Goose Skill's unique breathing technique, steadily strengthening his internal organs. The resonant thrum of his sinews and bones grew denser and denser, until a synchronized humming vibrated throughout his entire frame. Bone Tempering: Great Accomplishment! Lin Zheyu opened his eyes. They held deep weariness, yet a gleam of sharp brilliance flashed within. "About what I estimated. The medicinal brew I drank was almost entirely consumed, leaving only a trace," he murmured, assessing his physical condition. Rising to his feet, he shifted through the courtyard like a phantom, his movements blazingly swift. As he maneuvered, faint pops and cracks echoed from his sinews and bones. This was merely because he had just reached great accomplishment in Bone Tempering and had not yet adapted to it. As he grew accustomed, the popping gradually subsided before disappearing entirely. *Thud!* *Crack—* Swaying forward, he closed in on a training post and whipped out his right leg. With a sharp crack, the wooden post shattered. "Bones tempered like iron! This is what it means to temper bones like iron!" Lin Zheyu patted his right leg; the impact point didn't hurt in the slightest. His leg bones possessed astonishing hardness, as solid as iron and steel. Lin Zheyu threw whip kicks, leaped, and punched, the force of his strikes whistling through the air. [Heaven Rewards Diligence] Name: Lin Zheyu Origin Power: 1 Skills: Wild Bull Fist (Proficient 5%) Golden Goose Skill (Level 3, 23%) Turtle Breathing Art (Level 3, 0%) "Level three of the Golden Goose Skill—the Viscera Tempering Realm." Adjusting to his current strength, Lin Zheyu felt unprecedentedly powerful. Compared to before, his strength and speed had increased by at least fifty percent. More importantly, with Bone Tempering at great accomplishment, his sinews and bones had grown immensely durable, able to withstand far greater explosive force. The hardened skeletal frame reinforced his physique, making it difficult for incoming weapons to fracture his bones. "Only one unit of Origin Power left, and just six doses of the Blood-Nourishing Bone-Strengthening Decoction remain in the room." "Martial arts really burns through money," Lin Zheyu muttered, sighing over the staggering expense of cultivation. ... In the blink of an eye, nine days passed. Strolling through Songyi City, Lin Zheyu noticed far fewer pedestrians in the streets. The shops were nowhere near as bustling as in former days. With the year drawing to a close, today was another festival for worshiping the gods. Yet no smiles graced people's faces; everyone wore expressions steeped in gloom. Life was growing harder by the day. He walked into the teahouse for a round, only to find business even bleaker. "Mr. Lin, the boss sent me to discuss rates with you. He wants to lower the fee per storytelling session to three hundred copper coins," Manager Wu said, stepping forward with an apologetic look. "All right," Lin Zheyu nodded. Jia Yanming had approached him yesterday to negotiate the same price, reducing it to three hundred copper coins as well. Lin Zheyu's daily income had been dropping steadily, now falling short of a single tael of silver. Even so, he was far better off than the common folk. Lin Zheyu accepted the payment Manager Wu handed him; starting tomorrow, it would be reduced to three hundred coins. "Brother Lin, over here!" Not far off, Jia Yanyong waved to him. Lin Zheyu walked over and sat down opposite Jia Yanyong. Xie Jiang was there too. "Have you heard? The authorities have posted notices recruiting soldiers," Xie Jiang said. "Notices?" "I just came back from the city gate. How come I didn't see any?" Lin Zheyu asked in confusion. "They haven't been posted yet." "Master Qiu told us; someone in his family serves in the government," Xie Jiang explained. "Bandit problems outside the city are worsening, and the City Guard doesn't have enough men to handle it all." "Those of us in the Feihong Gang won't be conscripted, will we?" Lin Zheyu asked. "No, conscription targets the common residents." "However, something happened at one of the Feihong Gang's iron mines on Baishi Mountain. I don't know if they'll send us over to reinforce them," Jia Yanyong said. "What happened?" "Is it haunted?" Lin Zheyu asked. The last time they chatted, they had talked about the hauntings on Qinghe Mountain. Now, whenever an incident at a mine outside the city was mentioned, his mind immediately went to ghosts. "No." "A powerful gang of bandits arrived near Baishi Mountain. They're formidable and utterly reckless, and they've set their sights on the iron mine on Baishi Mountain and the iron implements and weapons forged there," Xie Jiang said. "Oh..." Lin Zheyu felt a twinge of disappointment. He had thought he might finally catch a glimpse of this world's spirits and test out what it felt like to blow up a ghost with dynamite. "You aren't actually interested in those specters, are you?" "Hoping to enact one of your stories, where a female ghost falls for a scholar and writes a romantic tale?" Xie Jiang chuckled. "You'd best drop that idea. Those spirits have no intellect whatsoever, and they look utterly grotesque and terrifying." The men chatted for a while longer, and Jia Yanyong suggested heading to the Hundred Pavilions to fool around. Lin Zheyu didn't join them to fool around at the Hundred Pavilions, returning instead to his own courtyard to train.