The autumn air is crisp, the days bright and sunny.
Jiangyun Prefecture is located in the south of Great Wei, enjoying a warm climate, warmer than other prefectures.
Even as winter approaches, many people on the streets are still wearing shorts and T-shirts.
Afternoon.
In Songyi City, people come and go.
Hundred Flavors Street is one of the most prosperous areas in Songyi City.
It gathers the delicacies from all the major states of Great Wei, known for offering a taste of the world's hundred flavors.
Hence, it is called Hundred Flavors Street.
"Good!"
"Wonderful!"
Loud applause erupts in Bidan Tea House.
On the storytelling stage, a young storyteller narrates smoothly.
"The night was deep, and all was silent.
Ning Caichen was just about to fall asleep when he sensed someone entering his room.
He quickly sat up and saw that it was the pretty girl from the house in the north courtyard, who he remembered was named Xiaoqian.
Ning Caichen asked in surprise, 'Why has the young lady come to my room?'
Xiaoqian responded with a charming smile..."
"..."
Clap!
With a decisive clap, the storyteller ended today's session: "To know what happens next, please listen to the next episode!"
"Ah!"
"That's it?"
"No way, it just got to the exciting part!"
"Little Sir, tell us more, it's still early!"
In the tea house, the guests voiced their unsatisfied desire for more.
Behind the storytelling stage was a young scholar about sixteen or seventeen years old.
The boy had decent facial features but was somewhat dark-skinned and slightly skinny.
He wore a plain green robe typical of a scholar, exuding a scholarly air.
"No, no more, if I keep going, my throat will not hold up."
Lin Zheyu waved his hand nonchalantly.
His voice was a bit hoarse, having talked for over an hour, and his throat couldn't take it anymore.
"What am I supposed to do, I won't be able to sleep tonight."
"Little Sir is too cruel, pausing right there."
...
Amid the guests' reluctant cries, the young storyteller bowed his head and stepped off the stage.
"Little Sir has great talent, to write such stories full of allure. Even someone of my age cannot help but be drawn in,"
the tea house manager said with a smile.
The manager, named Wo Yinghe, was a plump middle-aged man with a perennially smiling face like Buddha.
"You flatter me, I'm just making a living."
Lin Zheyu waved it away, accepting the silver taels handed over by the manager.
"These hundred and thirty-eight wen are tips from the guests, and this hundred wen is today's wages."
"Seeing how hard you worked, I gave you a raise," Manager Wo Yinghe said with a smile.
About ten days ago, Lin Zheyu had volunteered to tell stories, stating that if he did poorly, he wouldn't ask for payment.
At first, Wo Yinghe was reluctant.
After all, Lin Zheyu was too young, lacking in experience, not seeming like he could tell good stories.
But being a kind-hearted person, he saw Lin Zheyu's sorry state, his refined manner of speaking and behavior befitting a scholar, so he let him try.
If it wasn't good, no payment would be made anyway.
Unexpectedly, the young man's storytelling skills were average, but the stories themselves were exceptionally captivating.
Since Lin Zheyu began telling stories there, thanks to the excellent stories, more and more tea patrons came, drawn by reputation.
The tea house business became increasingly prosperous.
"Thank you, Manager." Lin Zheyu expressed his gratitude.
Leaving the tea house, he walked along Hundred Flavors Street.
The streets were lined with an array of delicacies, their aromas captivating his senses and making Lin Zheyu's mouth water.
He had been in this world for more than a month and already adapted to the lifestyle here.
Recalling the miserable days upon first arriving in this world, Lin Zheyu still felt a lingering fear.
The town that he originally belonged to was overrun by rebellious soldiers; his family, a wealthy merchant family from Jiunan City, had learned of the news early and relocated.
However, they still did not escape calamity.
On their way to the Central Plains, they encountered bandits, and his previous life's parents and kin became separated.
After many days of wandering, he mixed in with refugees and arrived at Songyi City.
Shortly after reaching Songyi City, his former self couldn't hold out any longer, leaving the body to Lin Zheyu to inherit.
Upon arriving, Lin Zheyu's stomach was filled with soil, bark, and grass, causing him days of constipation.
It was only after drinking contaminated water one day, which led to diarrhea, that he felt slightly better.
He nearly died because of it.
"I must thank Miss Ren Qingying from the Ren Mansion. Without her charity porridge, I might have just died right after being reborn."
Lin Zheyu sighed emotionally.
The Ren Family was a renowned family in Songyi City, and Ren Qingying was known for her beauty and kind heart, a living Bodhisattva in the hearts of many refugees.
If not for their porridge distribution outside the city, Lin Zheyu would not have survived.
"Smells so good!"
Walking down the street, Lin Zheyu sniffled his nose as his stomach let out a rumbling sound.
He reached into his pockets for his money, suppressing the urge to buy anything.
Having just saved up some money, he couldn't waste it thoughtlessly.
In this world, aside from telling stories, Lin Zheyu hadn't found a good way to earn a living.
Originally, he had ambitious dreams of relying on the mindset and knowledge from his past life to make a name for himself in this world.
But soon, the harsh reality woke him from that dream.
After several attempts, Lin Zheyu realized he knew nothing.
Fortunately, in his past life, he loved listening to Old Guo's storytelling, and through osmosis, he learned some basic insights.
Ultimately, he managed to get a storytelling job by relying on stories from his past life.
His storytelling skills were mediocre, but his facial expressions and emotional delivery were excellent, and his stories were outstanding.
Overall, he told his stories well enough to earn a living.
"Now that I've saved up a bit over a silver tael, I wonder if it's enough to learn some martial arts."
"The world is just too tumultuous. Without clan relatives nearby, one can easily fall prey to bullying."
Lin Zheyu tightened his grip on the silver taels in his pouch.
He had been robbed several times already.
Because he was alone without familial support, he had suffered many hardships since arriving in this world.
Even when reporting to the authorities, the government office had too many matters to handle to care about Lin Zheyu's trivial issues.
Fortunately, despite the chaos, he still had something to rely on.
Lin Zheyu looked at the data in his consciousness, something that had existed since he arrived in this world.
[Heavenly Dao Rewards the Diligent]
Name: Lin Zheyu
Source Power: 1
Skills: None
This appeared in his mind after coming to this world.
As long as Lin Zheyu put in enough effort, each time he exercised and pushed his body to its limits, he would gain 1 unit of Source Power.
Using Source Power, skills can be enhanced.
He tried it once a few days ago. After pushing his body past its limits, he was sore all over for a week before recovering.
"Ordinary exercise moves don't count as skills. I wonder if this world's martial arts do."
Lin Zheyu thought to himself.
Martial power in this world was strong.
Before Jiunan City was captured by the rebellious army, his past life's family kept many martial artists, and those with strong skills could easily take on ten adversaries at once.
Unfortunately, his former self was a weak scholar intent on obtaining academic honors with no martial arts skills at all.
Walking past Hundred Flavors Street.
He continued for several more miles, passed a square, turned through alleys, and reached the considerably more rundown White Mountain District.
This area was far from the core of Songyi City, belonging to the Outer City, inhabited by the poor.
New to the city and lacking sufficient silver, Lin Zheyu could only rent a small house here to make do.
Luckily, his storytelling began to show promise, and he saved quite a bit, so it was time to move to the city.
"The smell is unbearable."
Lin Zheyu pinched his nose, struggling with the scent of White Mountain District.
The stench of sweat, urine, feces, garbage fermentation, and other odors combined to create a nauseatingly unpleasant smell.