Picked up the medicinal soup prepared in the yard beforehand.
As the medicinal soup entered his stomach, Lin Zheyu felt a warming sensation in his abdomen, but his complexion remained somewhat pale.
A rumbling sound came from his stomach, and every cell in his body cried out with a strong sense of hunger.
Entering the kitchen, he devoured five large bowls of noodles in a row, and Lin Zheyu's stomach was now bulging, yet his body continued to transmit a strong sensation of hunger.
Not enough, still not enough!
His body still lacked a large amount of energy!
"Brew another dose of herbal medicine."
Lin Zheyu thought to himself.
He took out the last dose of Qi-boosting and Blood-nourishing medicinal herbs from the room and started brewing them.
This was his last dose of medicine; inside the room, he had less than an ounce of silver savings left, and it would be several days before he could afford more.
The scent of medicine wafted through the yard.
Lin Zheyu checked the data in his consciousness and found that he had finally entered the rudimentary stage of Wild Bull Fist.
[Heavenly Dao Rewards the Diligent]
Name: Lin Zheyu
Source Power: 2
Skills: Wild Bull Fist (Rudimentary 46%)
"One unit of Source Power saved me over a year's worth of laborious practice."
Lin Zheyu considered his cultivation progress and calculated some approximate data.
Mr. Liang had mentioned that an average person requires about two to three years of diligent practice to progress from rudimentary to proficiency.
Given his good aptitude, he estimated it would take him one or two years.
Wild Bull Fist does not have obvious tier demarcations; based on the understanding of Fist Skill and Martial Dao levels, it can be divided into Rudimentary, Proficiency, Minor Achievement, Great Success, and Perfection.
"The effect of Source Power is indeed astounding. At this rate, I can soon cultivate Wild Bull Fist to the Perfection stage."
"However, Source Power primarily acts on the spirit. Once the spirit is enhanced, it reflects onto the physical body, requiring additional energy to support the body's enhancement, otherwise it will result in Qi Blood deficiency."
"Luckily, I only used one unit of Source Power; otherwise, I might have turned into skin and bones again by now."
Lin Zheyu felt a surge of fear as he sensed his body's weakness.
The medicinal brewing extended into the late night.
Both doses of medicine were brewed three times to extract the medicinal power.
Lin Zheyu drank the medicine and fell into a deep sleep.
After breaking through his limits, his spirit was already extremely fatigued.
In addition, using Source Power and entering that special state had greatly drained his spirit.
At dawn.
Although it was pitch dark outside, the crowing of a rooster was already heard.
The raucous rooster crowed again, waking the drowsy Lin Zheyu.
"This chicken is so annoying, just let me catch you and I'll slaughter you!"
He muttered softly, using a pillow to cover his ears and continued to sleep.
After drinking the two doses of medicinal soup, his condition had improved significantly, but he still felt incredibly weak.
His whole body felt soft and limp, filled with a sense of helplessness.
...
At the Yixiang Tea House.
Compared to over a month ago, the tea house's business had cooled significantly.
The customers had all been snatched away by the Bidan Tea House on Hundred Flavors Street.
Jia Yanming was sitting at a table by the window with someone, a burly young man sitting across from him.
"Brother, who will you target this time?"
The young man, chewing a lamb leg, asked indistinctly.
He was Jia Yanming's younger brother, Jia Yanrong.
Jia Yanrong was six-foot-three, robust, his body brimming with muscles, wearing a tank top that exposed numerous scars on his body, giving him an extremely fierce look.
"A scholar."
"The storyteller at Bidan Tea House, named Lin Zheyu, tells stories there every afternoon."
"Find an opportunity to rough him up, teach him a lesson."
"Go easy on him, don't cripple him. Just scare him." Jia Yanming instructed.
"It's such a hassle, I'm worried I might not control my strength."
Jia Yanrong muttered quietly.
He worried that scholars were all physically frail, and his punch might accidentally break a bone or two.
"Be careful, don't cripple him. If needed, get some of your regular buddies to help."
"This guy is quite clever, and his stories are very appealing. If he joins, the business at Yixiang Tea House will surely flourish!"
Jia Yanming advised, worried that his brother might not know his own strength.
"Got it, got it."
"There are some matters in the gang to handle these days. Once I'm done, I'll find that storyteller…Lin Zheyu, right?…and give him a good beating."
Jia Yanrong said, grabbing another lamb leg from the table and biting into it.
...
When Lin Zheyu woke up, the sun was already high in the sky.
He opened the window, letting the sunlight spill in and warm the room.
It was already winter, and pedestrians outside were wearing long sleeves and pants.
"My head is still a bit dizzy, and my body feels weak and powerless. Those two doses of medicinal soup couldn't replenish the Qi Blood deficiency caused by the enhancement."
"Got to get some money first to recover my body."
Zheyu frowned, noticing how poor his condition had become.
He changed into a blue gown and went straight to Bidan Tea House.
Wo Yinghe spotted Lin Zheyu, looking a bit surprised since normally he only showed up in the afternoon before storytelling.
"What's wrong, Mr. Lin? You look terrible." Mr. Wo asked.
"Overdid it with martial arts practice last night."
Mr. Wo frowned and advised, "While I'm not familiar with martial arts, I do know that you need to balance intensity and relaxation."
"Do not rush things. You might hurt yourself before you even master the skills."
"Yes, understood. I'll be careful next time." Lin Zheyu nodded, then revealed the purpose of his visit.
"Mr. Wo, do you have any money on you? I need to borrow some. My body is too weak, I need to buy some tonics."
"Indeed, some replenishment is necessary." Mr. Wo nodded. "How much would you like to borrow?"
"Lend me five ounces of silver for now; you can deduct it from my daily storytelling wages. The reward money, I usually need to use." Lin Zheyu said.
He wanted to borrow more, but Mr. Wo was just an ordinary worker, borrowing too much would put him in a difficult position.
"Five ounces of silver, is it? Alright, come by in the afternoon, and I'll get it for you."
The manager agreed without hesitation.
He wasn't worried about Lin Zheyu not paying him back. With Lin Zheyu's skills, he'll quickly earn back the five ounces of silver.
After all, his daily wages alone now amounted to three hundred coins.
"Wang Qing, bring the pen and paper; I'll write an IOU for Mr. Wo." Lin Zheyu called out to a waiter nearby.
"No need to go through the hassle, I trust you." Mr. Wo replied.
"Come on, I'll treat you to a hearty meal. You look way too pale, let me treat you to something nutritious."
Mr. Wo said warmly.
The two went to Qingsu Tower.
Wo Yinghe ordered a large table full of meat dishes, and Lin Zheyu did not hesitate to eat heartily.
He didn't know if it was because his body cells lacked energy so much, but his digestion was rapid now. Despite having eaten just a few hours earlier, he was hungry again.
"Jia Yanming approached me again last night, and I turned him down. The look in his eyes as he left was a bit cold."
"Jia Yanming, do you know much about him? Would he resort to some underhanded tactics?" Lin Zheyu asked.
Jia Yanming seemed shrewd and capable, giving off an impression of someone willing to do anything to achieve his ends.
"Then you better be careful!"
"Jia Yanming is ruthless, employing cruel tactics."
"The manager of Yixiang Tea House before wasn't him. I heard Jia Yanming secretly used underhanded means to seize the position."
"He's quite unscrupulous. If he's targeting you, that's bad news."
Mr. Wo frowned, speaking with concern.
"That ruthless?"
"Does he have any backing?" Lin Zheyu's expression turned serious as he asked.
"Jia Yanming has a younger brother, three years his junior, named Jia Yanrong."
"From what I know, Jia Yanrong started learning martial arts at a young age and has some skills, and he's doing well in the Feihong Gang."
"Estimates suggest that it was Jia Yanming's brother who helped overthrow the previous manager of Yixiang Tea House."
Mr. Wo thought for a moment and said.