Chapter 28: Joining (Part 2)

...

"No need to be so polite."

"Put away that scholar act; we martial artists don't have so many formalities."

"Right, look at my memory. You value silver above all else, kid; I almost forgot to mention it," Xu Jingwu said with a laugh.

Back then, when he had asked Jia Yanyong to invite Lin Zheyu to tell stories, the boy had refused simply because he wasn't being paid.

"Ha, ha..."

Lin Zheyu gave an awkward laugh.

Due to his preconceived notions, he had initially felt that those in gangs were never good people. Combined with Jia Yanyong saying there was no pay, Lin Zheyu's impression had worsened, leading him to refuse on the spot. Who invites someone to tell stories without offering payment?

However, as they interacted, Lin Zheyu discovered that Xu Jingwu was not the ferocious, villainous man he had imagined. Instead, Xu Jingwu gave off an air of elegance and easygoing grace, and he was extremely generous. Just now, Lin Zheyu had seen him reward an opera performer with one tael of silver simply because he was in a good mood. Lin Zheyu estimated that if he had agreed back then and told stories to Xu Jingwu's satisfaction, he would have received plenty of tips.

"Your strength is a bit higher than Jia Yanyong and the others, but since you haven't made any significant contributions yet, your pay will be the same as theirs: five taels of silver per month. How does that sound?" Xu Jingwu said.

An ordinary lackey usually earned about 1,300 wen a month. Those with more strength, like Jia Yanyong and Xie Jiang, could earn five taels a month.

"Mhm, I'm very satisfied with five taels," Lin Zheyu said with a smile. He added jokingly, "But if the Gang Leader wants to hear stories next time, he'll still need to pay extra for the service."

"Hahaha!"

"I will, I certainly will!"

"It's a deal. I'll give you a heavy reward!" Xu Jingwu laughed heartily.

Lin Zheyu stayed to watch another performance with Gang Leader Xu before leaving. Xu was a busy man; he had an appointment to stroll through the gardens with Miss Wang and Miss Chen in the afternoon, and the Baihua Pavilion was arranged for the evening. His daily life was busy and fulfilling, yet simple and unpretentious.

...

Baiwei Street.

Honglai Restaurant.

Jia Yanyong, Xie Jiang, and Lin Zheyu sat together at a table.

"Come, let me toast Brother Lin. Welcome to the Feihong Gang," Xie Jiang said, raising his wine bowl.

Lin Zheyu picked up his bowl, clinked it with Xie Jiang's, and drained it in one gulp. He refilled his bowl and said to Jia Yanyong, "I toast Brother Yong. From now on, we are brothers; all past grievances are wiped clean."

"Haha, I was in the wrong before. This toast should be mine to you!" Jia Yanyong laughed boisterously. When it came to brotherhood, he was a man of his word.

The two clinked bowls and downed their drinks. After a few bowls, the atmosphere livened up.

"After we finish eating, I'll take you around to meet the other brothers," Jia Yanyong said.

"I have to tell stories later, so maybe tonight," Lin Zheyu replied.

He could earn six or seven taels of silver a month from storytelling, which was quite a lot; he had no intention of giving that up for now.

"That's a coincidence. Many brothers enjoy your stories. We can all gather at the Bidan Teahouse then," Xie Jiang said with a smile.

Once they were full, Jia Yanyong treated them to the meal.

Through his conversations with Jia Yanyong and Xie Jiang, Lin Zheyu's understanding of the Feihong Gang deepened. There were many experts within the gang. There were over thirty Bone-Forging Realm martial artists like Lin Zheyu, with about twenty at the peak of the realm. There were eight in the Viscera-Refining Realm, two of whom had reached the peak. Once one reached the Viscera-Refining Realm, they were considered first-rate fighters in Songyi City and could earn at least fifteen taels a month. Above the Viscera-Refining Realm was a Blood-Qi Realm expert: Gang Leader Xu.

It was extremely difficult for ordinary people to practice martial arts; excellent talent alone was not enough. One needed to spend vast amounts of time training and have sufficient silver to support the endeavor, as the costs were staggering. Therefore, most successful practitioners came from wealthy backgrounds. People with such backgrounds rarely joined gangs. Consequently, men like Jia Yanyong, Xie Jiang, and Lin Zheyu were considered quite skilled within the Feihong Gang.

...

Arriving at the Bidan Teahouse.

Lin Zheyu stepped onto the storytelling platform and scanned the audience, seeing many familiar faces. The new "Top Donor" was there as well. That wealthy young master passing through Songyi City was incredibly generous. Unfortunately, ever since he had tipped one tael of silver last time to ask Lin Zheyu to continue a story, he hadn't tipped such a large amount again. Each time, it was only a few hundred wen. Still, it was decent enough.

"Last time we discussed how Huang Rong used delicious food to entice Hong Qigong, finally convincing him to guide Guo Jing..."

Lin Zheyu spoke eloquently on stage, and the audience was mesmerized. As the plot unfolded, the story grew more and more exciting.

"He tells it so well!"

"Brother, stay a bit longer before we leave."

Lu Zhenfang listened to the storytelling with a sense of reluctance. Compared to Baohe City, Songyi City was not as bustling, but the storytelling here was exceptionally brilliant! In Songyi City, Lu Zhenfang had become obsessed with the fox-like tales of scholars at Yixiang Teahouse and the blood-pumping martial arts world at Bidan Teahouse. In Baohe City, she could never hear such fresh and exciting stories; they were all old and stale.

"Uncle's business is almost finished. We have to leave in four days at most. If we delay any longer, he'll scold us," Lu Qihui said helplessly.

He didn't want to set off so soon either; he wanted to play in Songyi City for a few more days. Once they departed, the journey would be long, taking about a month of travel. The experience of sleeping in the open and eating on the road was miserable.

"I'll send an invitation to Mr. Lin later and ask him to travel with us. That way, the journey won't be so dull."

"Will he really agree?"

Lu Zhenfang was worried. In this era, few people were willing to leave their homes. They were leaving Baohe City out of necessity; the rebel armies were not far from there. Once they captured two more cities, they would march straight into Baohe City. To be safe, the Lu family had already sent most of their clansmen ahead to scout; they were the second group.

"He will. I heard Mr. Lin's hometown isn't Songyi City; he's a refugee from Jiunan City. He has no relatives here. As long as the pay is good, where else would he tell stories?" Lu Qihui was full of confidence.

He wasn't worried at all that Lin Zheyu would refuse to join them. How much could one earn storytelling in Songyi City? Between daily wages and tips, the most one could make was five hundred wen a day, or about ten taels a month. He didn't believe that if he offered twenty taels, the man would refuse to leave Songyi City.

...

After finishing the story.

Just as Lin Zheyu stepped down from the stage, Manager Wu approached him.

"Mr. Lin, a guest says they wish to see you."

"I won't."

Lin Zheyu refused immediately. More and more people wanted to see him lately, and he was getting annoyed.

"The other party is very sincere; they offered one tael of silver."

Manager Wu pulled out a silver piece and handed it over. "I thought for the sake of the silver, you might be willing to meet them, so I accepted on your behalf."

"This kid is so savvy?"

"Then I'll meet them."

Lin Zheyu took the silver and grinned. He liked people who knew how to handle things; they were useful. In terms of social graces, Jia Yanyong was far behind. If Jia Yanyong had been more polite and sincere back then—explaining that while there was no upfront pay, the tips from Gang Leader Xu would be much higher if the stories were good—then all these complications wouldn't have happened.

...

Under Manager Wu's guidance, he met the guest: the generous young master who had previously tipped one tael.

"I am Lin Zheyu. Greetings to you all," Lin Zheyu said with a smile, cupping his hands.

Those who paid were masters. As long as they were willing to pay, Lin Zheyu was very enthusiastic and easy to talk to.

"I am Lu Qihui, and this is my sister, Lu Zhenfang. Mr. Lin is truly a great talent, able to write such exciting and passionate works as *The Legend of the Condor Heroes*!" Lu Qihui praised.

"Not at all, you flatter me, Young Master."

...

(End of Chapter)