Chapter 29: Transaction

……

After a round of polite pleasantries, Lu Qihui got straight to the point.

"You aren't a local, are you, Mr. Lin?"

Lu Qihui asked with a smile, his tone devoid of doubt.

"No, I hail from Jiunan City."

"I presume Young Master Lu has heard that Jiunan City was overrun by rebel forces. I was one of those who escaped from Jiunan at that time, wandering all the way to Songyi City."

Lin Zheyu did not hide anything.

Many people already knew of his exploits; it was no secret.

"Since you are a refugee from Jiunan and are all alone in Songyi City, I wonder if you would be interested in traveling to Bafang City with the Lu family?"

"We would like to invite you to tell stories along the way, so the journey won't be too tedious."

Lu Qihui spoke sincerely, while Lu Zhenfang, sitting beside him, looked at Lin Zheyu expectantly.

Seeing that Lin Zheyu remained silent, Lu Zhenfang added, "We can offer you twice your current income in Songyi City."

"How does twenty taels of silver per month sound?"

"I'm sorry."

"I have no intention of leaving Songyi City for the time being." Lin Zheyu shook his head in refusal.

"This..."

"Could you tell us why, Mr. Lin?"

"Is it because the silver is insufficient? If it's not enough, we can increase it. What do you think of thirty taels?"

Lu Qihui said urgently, offering a price of thirty taels.

Paying thirty taels for a storyteller was an astronomical sum; if word got out, people would think he had lost his mind.

Even the monthly stipend for a practitioner of the Viscera Refining Realm was not this much.

"It is not a matter of money."

Lin Zheyu shook his head.

The thirty taels Lu Qihui offered was indeed tempting. Currently, his total monthly income amounted to roughly thirty taels.

However, the world outside was in chaos, with bandits running rampant; one wrong move could lead to disaster.

His predecessor had also come from a wealthy merchant family and had fled early, only to encounter bandits.

If not for sheer luck, he would never have had the chance to escape to Songyi City.

Lin Zheyu planned to lie low in Songyi City for a while. Only after he had raised his strength to the Qi and Blood Realm and secured a certain level of protection would he consider leaving.

"Then why?"

"Songyi City is not far from Baohe City, and the current situation is extremely grim. If Baohe City falls to the rebels, Songyi City will be next."

"Since you have to leave sooner or later, why not travel with our Lu family? We can look out for one another," Lu Qihui urged unyieldingly.

"Young Master Lu traveled from Baohe City to Songyi City, so you must have encountered many bandits along the way, right?"

"The situation is volatile and bandits are everywhere; venturing out recklessly is a great risk."

"My Lin family was once a wealthy merchant family in Jiunan with many experts under our command, yet we still encountered powerful bandits during our escape."

"Going out now is simply too dangerous."

"I choose to trust the strength of the Great Wei. I believe the Great Wei will soon react and send troops to suppress the rebels," Lin Zheyu said, finding an excuse to refuse.

"Indeed, it is quite chaotic outside the city, with bandits running wild."

Lu Qihui sighed. They had encountered many bandits on their journey.

Had it not been for his uncle's formidable strength and the large number of guards and servants, they might have met a similar fate.

When chaos erupts, the people suffer, and those who can no longer survive turn to banditry. However, those people are not the terrifying ones; what is truly frightening are the powerful individuals who infiltrate bandit groups to do evil.

"What a pity."

Lu Qihui sighed; the journey ahead would likely be very boring.

"You should make plans early, Mr. Lin. Songyi City is not safe. The Great Wei is currently struggling to take care of itself and cannot spare the hands to suppress the rebels."

"I'll tell you a secret, but don't spread it around."

Lu Qihui lowered his voice. "I've heard that the origins of these rebel forces are quite significant, with many major powers pulling the strings behind the scenes. It won't be easy for the Great Wei to resolve this."

"So, if you travel with me, it will be much safer than running once the rebels have already invaded."

"My uncle is a master of the Qi and Blood Realm, and our Lu family guards are powerful. We can certainly ensure our safety," Lu Qihui said confidently.

"What exactly is the background of these rebels?" Lin Zheyu asked curiously.

"I'm not sure about that."

Lu Qihui shook his head. He had only heard rumors; the specifics were unclear.

After all, if they were the masterminds, they wouldn't let even someone like him know the details.

"I'm afraid I must disappoint you. I have no plans to leave Songyi City for now."

"You invited me to join you because you want to hear my storytelling, right?"

"I have a suggestion that could entertain you on the road," Lin Zheyu said with a smile.

"Let's hear it." Lu Qihui grew interested.

"I will write down the subsequent stories for you. You can read them yourselves during the journey, or you can hire another storyteller."

"However, the complete stories are quite expensive—they require eighty taels of silver. I wonder if Young Master Lu can accept this?" Lin Zheyu said.

If the other party accepted, it would result in a significant extra sum of money.

"That works too!"

Lu Zhenfang was overjoyed upon hearing this. He looked at Lu Qihui. "Brother, when we go to the Yixiang Teahouse later, let's buy that story as well!"

"Are you talking about the *Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio* series?"

"Yes, yes! Those stories are also wonderful, though they are in a completely different style from the one you are telling," Lu Zhenfang nodded.

"I also provided those stories to the Yixiang Teahouse; they hired other storytellers to tell them," Lin Zheyu said with a slight smile.

Both Lu Qihui and Lu Zhenfang looked stunned.

"Impressive!"

Lu Qihui gave a thumbs up. "I admire your literary talent, Mr. Lin!"

"If you both want them, I can give you a discount. One hundred and fifty taels for both," Lin Zheyu said with a smile.

To him, this was a massive amount of money.

Many ordinary families might not earn this much in their entire lives.

Once the stories were written, he could also give a copy to Gang Leader Xu, which would surely bring benefits later.

"Alright, it's a deal."

"We are leaving Songyi City in four days. Is four days enough time for you to write the remaining stories?" Lu Zhenfang asked worriedly.

"No problem."

"I have already written more than half, and I have the outlines for the rest. Writing them will be very fast," Lin Zheyu said.

"Good, it's settled then."

……

After making the agreement with the Lu siblings, Lin Zheyu followed Jia Yanyong and Xie Jiang to meet the brothers of the gang.

Their supervisor was named Qiu Gaoxuan, about forty-five years old. He was said to be a peak Viscera Refining expert and appeared extremely cold and expressionless.

After meeting the brothers of the Feihong Gang and becoming familiar faces, Lin Zheyu did not leave until after nine o'clock.

When martial artists drink, they all drink like beasts; they can hold an incredible amount.

"Burp—"

He arrived at Master Liang's residence, hiccuping from the alcohol once again.

Master Liang did not scold him.

As someone who had been through it, he knew that to integrate into a group, drinking was one of the most common and effective methods.

After swallowing a bowl of sobering soup, Lin Zheyu felt much clearer.

"Continue training tonight."

"Han Mo, come and spar with Lin Zheyu for a few rounds. Let me see how much your strength has improved."

梁松 (Liang Song) looked to the side.

Under the night sky, a young man stood there.

The man appeared to be around thirty years old, with a sturdy build, short hair, and a square face that gave off an impression of integrity and uprightness.

"And this is?"

Lin Zheyu looked at the man, only then realizing there was another person in the courtyard.

"His name is Han Mo. I taught him some martial arts a few years ago," Liang Song said.

"So it is Senior Brother Han. I am Lin Zheyu."

Lin Zheyu cupped his hands toward Han Mo.

Manager Wu had mentioned that Master Liang had taught others martial arts; this man must be one of them.

(End of Chapter)