Feeling the weakness wracking his body, Lin Zheyu was seized by a wave of lingering fear.
He had brewed his medicinal herbs late into the night. Both packets of medicine had been boiled down three times to extract all their medicinal potency. After drinking the decoction, Lin Zheyu had fallen into a deep slumber.
Having pushed past his limits, his mental energy had already been thoroughly drained. On top of that, using Origin Power to enter that unique state had taken an immense toll on his mind.
Early morning.
It was still dark outside, but a rooster's crow had already begun to sound. That rasping, broken-gong rooster crowed once again, rousing Lin Zheyu from his hazy sleep.
"That bird is so annoying. If I ever catch you, I'll slaughter you!" he muttered under his breath, burying his ears under the pillow to go back to sleep.
Drinking the two medicinal decoctions had helped him recover considerably, yet he still felt terribly weak, limp all over and completely sapped of strength.
...
Yixiang Teahouse.
Compared to a month ago, business at the teahouse had dropped off sharply. All their patrons had been lured away by Bidan Teahouse on Baiwei Street.
Jia Yanming sat at a window table across from a burly young man.
"Brother, who's the target this time?" the young man asked indistinctly around a mouthful of mutton leg.
He was Jia Yanming's younger brother, Jia Yanyong.
Jia Yanyong stood one point nine meters tall, with a massive, muscular build. Wearing a sleeveless vest, he bared scars of all sizes across his frame, cutting an immensely fierce figure.
"A scholar," Jia Yanming said. "The storyteller at Bidan Teahouse. His name is Lin Zheyu, and he performs there every afternoon. Find an opportunity to beat him up and teach him a lesson. Don't go too hard—don't cripple him. Just scare him into line."
"So troublesome. I'm afraid I won't be able to control my strength," Jia Yanyong muttered. Scholars were all frail and feeble; he worried a single punch might break bones.
"You'd better be careful. Don't go crippling him. If you can't manage that, have a few of the lackeys who hang around you do it instead," Jia Yanming urged, worried his brother wouldn't know when to hold back. "The man has a brilliant mind, and his stories are fantastic. If we can get him to join us, Yixiang Teahouse's business will reach new heights!"
"Got it, got it. The gang has some business to deal with over the next couple of days. Once that's done, I'll go give that storyteller... Lin Zheyu, was it? I'll give him a sound thrashing," Jia Yanyong said, grabbing the leg of mutton off the table and tearing into it again.
...
When Lin Zheyu woke, the sun was already high in the sky.
He pushed open the window. Sunlight streamed in, bringing warmth into the room. Winter had set in, and the pedestrians on the street were all clad in long sleeves and trousers.
"My head's still a bit dizzy, and my body feels limp and powerless. Those two medicinal decoctions weren't enough to make up for the qi and blood deficit caused by the upgrade. I need to get some money first and nurse my body back to health."
Lin Zheyu frowned; his physical condition had deteriorated badly.
Changing into a green robe, he headed straight for Bidan Teahouse.
Seeing Lin Zheyu, Wu Yinghe looked somewhat surprised, as he usually only arrived in the afternoon right before his storytelling session.
"Mister Lin, what's wrong? Why do you look so awful?" Manager Wu asked.
"I overtrained last night."
Manager Wu furrowed his brow and cautioned, "Though I don't know martial arts, I do know there's a time to push and a time to rest. You mustn't rush things. Don't end up hurting your body before you've even mastered the art."
"Right, I understand. I won't do it again," Lin Zheyu nodded, then voiced the reason for his visit. "Manager Wu, do you have any spare money on you? Could you lend me some? My body is far too weak; I need to buy some tonic herbs to nourish it."
"You do need some nourishing," Manager Wu agreed with a nod. "How much do you need to borrow?"
"Lend me five taels of silver for now. You can deduct it from my daily storytelling wages; I need the tips for daily expenses," Lin Zheyu said.
He would have liked to borrow more, but Manager Wu was only an ordinary employee after all, and asking for too much would just put him in a difficult spot.
"Five taels of silver? No problem. Come back this afternoon, and I'll hand it over to you."
The manager agreed without hesitation. He was not worried that Lin Zheyu would renege on the debt. With Lin Zheyu's ability, earning back five taels would take no time at all. After all, his daily wages alone amounted to three hundred coins now.
"Wang Qing, bring paper and brush. I'll write an IOU for Manager Wu," Lin Zheyu called out to the waiter nearby.
"No need for such trouble; I trust you," Manager Wu said. "Come on, I'll treat you to a big meal. Your complexion is terrible—I'll buy you a feast full of nourishing food."
The two of them went to Qingsu Restaurant.
Wu Yinghe ordered a whole table of meat dishes, and Lin Zheyu tucked in without ceremony. Perhaps because the cells in his body were starved for energy, his digestion had become remarkably fast; though he had eaten breakfast less than two hours prior, he was already starving again.
"Jia Yanming came looking for me again last night. I turned him down. When he left, his eyes looked rather cold," Lin Zheyu remarked. "Do you know anything about this Jia Yanming? He won't pull any underhanded tricks, will he?"
Jia Yanming looked shrewd and capable, carrying the distinct air of an aggressive go-getter—the kind of man who gave the impression he would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.
"Then you'd better watch out!" Manager Wu said, frowning with concern. "Jia Yanming is sinister and ruthless. He wasn't always the manager of Yixiang Teahouse. From what I've heard, he played dirty behind the scenes to seize the position. The man stops at nothing to get what he wants. If he's set his sights on you, trouble won't be far behind."
"That ruthless?" Lin Zheyu asked, his expression turning solemn. "Does he have any backing?"
"Jia Yanming has a younger brother three years his junior named Jia Yanyong," Manager Wu said after a moment's thought. "As far as I know, Jia Yanyong has trained in martial arts since childhood. He has some real skill and does quite well for himself in the Feihong Gang. When the previous manager of Yixiang Teahouse was pushed out, it was likely Jia Yanming who had his brother do the dirty work."
Chapter 9