Immortality Begins With Internal Breathing-Chapter 2: Inquiring

Chapter 2: Inquiring
Lin Zheyu entered Baishan District. Most people wore ragged clothes and looked sallow and thin. Songyi City was relatively stable, but most commoners were impoverished and barely scraping by. Dressed in clean robes, Lin Zheyu stood out in stark contrast to his surroundings.
As evening approached, many people were returning from work. Lin Zheyu saw scattered pedestrians, and their gazes toward him were tinged with suspicion.
"I've been watching that kid for a few days now. His face is looking better. Bet he's gained something in the city," muttered a skinny, monkey-like man to his companions nearby.
The four of them were sitting on roadside stones, chatting idly while watching passersby.
"I know him. He's a refugee who came a while ago. A scholar type, so they let him work in the city."
"Heard he's from a wealthy family in Jiunan City, but the city was taken by rebel forces and he became a refugee."
Another companion curled his lips disdainfully. "What money could a refugee have? I snuck into his rental place a few days ago and there was nothing there. Probably got robbed clean on the road."
When it came to people like him who were alone and with no allies, these thugs were usually quite bold. As long as no one died, the authorities usually didn't pursue such matters. Even if someone was killed, without anyone to speak up for the victim, the crime might be completely ignored.
From a distance, Lin Zheyu spotted the four and muttered to himself in annoyance, "Tch, what bad luck."
Those men were local thugs, idle all day, doing nothing but petty theft and bullying the weak. He took a detour, deliberately avoiding them as his frail body couldn't afford any rough treatment.
The four of them lit up at the sight.
"Well, well!"
"That kid's acting guilty, and he's avoiding us. Might have something good on him!"
"Come on, let's go take a look," said the biggest man of the group.
His name was Gao Yu. He was 1.83 meters tall, twice the size of Lin Zheyu, and was the kind of person who enjoyed bullying cowardly types with fear in their eyes and no one to back them up.
"Hey kid, stop right there! What're you hiding from?" Gao Yu shouted at Lin Zheyu from afar.
Lin Zheyu stopped helplessly and thought,
Is avoiding them not even an option?
"Been seeing you head into the city a lot these days. Got some lucky break or something? Why not help your brothers out a bit?" Gao Yu chuckled.
His eyes roamed up and down Lin Zheyu's body.
"There's no such luck. You all know how hard it is to find work these days. I was hoping to get some food in the city, so I learned a bit of storytelling. But I'm not good enough and business is quiet," said Lin Zheyu, giving a bitter smile.
"You? A storyteller?"
"
Hahaha!
"
The group couldn't help but burst into laughter.
The skinny monkey-like one kept eyeing Lin Zheyu, then suddenly snatched the bag from his hand.
"
Tsk tsk
, looks like you did earn a bit. Even bought yourself meat, huh?" said the skinny one while clicking his tongue and grinning.
It was a tiny piece of meat with a few streaks of fat running through it.
"I've been weak lately, so I gritted my teeth and bought this small piece of meat. It's all I have," said Lin Zheyu, revealing his empty pockets.
After being robbed last time, he had divided his money into several parts and hidden them in various concealed spots along the way. He was like a cunning rabbit with three burrows; even if one stash was found, there were still others hidden elsewhere.
The thugs looked at the skinny Lin Zheyu and felt he truly didn't look like someone with money.
"Alright, off you go. Next time you see us, come say hello, got it?" said Gao Yu, waving him off.
"Yes, yes, I understand," Lin Zheyu replied and didn't even bring up the meat.
The situation was stronger than the man. With no family or friends to rely on, he'd just get beaten for nothing.
“Phew...”
He exhaled deeply, swallowing the bitterness in his heart.
The King of Hell may be easy to talk to, but the little devils are hard to deal with. When the situation is against you, lying low and developing quietly is the only way. I'll move first thing tomorrow. Rent in the city is higher, but at least it's safer there.
The inner city's order was far better than the outer slums, with big and small gangs and constables keeping things in line. Thugs didn't dare act out there because if they were caught, they would get beaten bloody.
Lin Zheyu's stomach started growling just as he got back home. His meat had been stolen tonight, so he could only make do with thin porridge.
***
Lin Zheyu asked his next-door auntie for some pickled vegetables and downed five large bowls of porridge. He was still recovering physically and needed to stay nourished.
The next morning, Lin Zheyu got up early. He explained the situation to the landlord, picked up his small bundle, and left. He didn't have much to pack.
Not long after, he arrived at the Jade Pill Teahouse.
"Good morning, Manager Wu!"
Early in the morning, the teahouse was quiet.
"Huh? Why are you here so early today?" Wu Yinghe asked curiously.
"Well, I'm planning to move. The outer city is too chaotic, and living in Baishan District is just unbearable." Lin Zheyu pointed at his bundle and asked, "Manager Wu, do you have any recommendations?"
"Baishan District really isn't suitable for living." Manager Wu nodded and thought for a moment before saying, "I know a few brokers who handle rentals. The prices are quite reasonable."
"Then I'll trouble you, Manager Wu," Lin Zheyu said with a smile.
"No need to be so polite," Manager Wu replied with a smile.
Right now, Lin Zheyu was his god of wealth. He gave some instructions to the staff, then personally took Lin Zheyu to look for a place. With Manager Wu's help, Lin Zheyu moved to a quieter place, three streets away from Baiwei Street.
It was a small courtyard, and the rent was 500 wen a month. It was quite affordable. Single rooms went for even cheaper, only two hundred wen.
The courtyard was a bit remote, with few neighbors around, but that suited him perfectly. He'd definitely be practicing martial arts in the future. A secluded location meant he wouldn't disturb anyone.
Back on Baiwei Street, Manager Wu brought Lin Zheyu to Qingsu Tower for a meal. Qingsu Tower was a well-known restaurant, famous for its great dishes at affordable prices.
Originally, Lin Zheyu had intended to treat Manager Wu as thanks, but Manager Wu refused no matter what, so he ended up being the host.
"Do you still plan to pursue civil exams in the future, young sir?" Manager Wu asked, his eyes fixed intently on him.
This young sir was the teahouse's lucky charm. Whether the business would continue to thrive depended on him. If Lin Zheyu really intended to resume pursuing the civil exams, he wouldn't be able to keep storytelling at their teahouse.
"No. Given my current situation, getting a recommendation and gaining the qualifications to sit the exams isn't easy. Other than that, the civil exams are just too difficult," said Lin Zheyu, shaking his head.
After arriving in Songyi City, he had applied for a temporary identity card and was registered under a temporary managed household. It was a start, but with this kind of temporary registration, getting exam eligibility was troublesome. He would need to find a clan to sponsor him, restore his academic records, or be noticed by someone influential.
"
Phew...
"
Manager Wu quietly let out a breath of relief.
"With stories as captivating as yours, I believe it won't take more than a few years before you're a household name in Songyi City," Manager Wu said flatteringly.
"I''ll take your kind words to heart!" Lin Zheyu replied with a smile.
They chatted while eating, and after a few bites of food to fill his belly, Lin Zheyu brought up the real topic.
"Manager Wu, do you know any veteran martial arts instructors?" asked Lin Zheyu.
"You want to learn martial arts?" Manager Wu asked in surprise.
"Yes, I want to pick up some skills for self-protection. You know I'm all alone in Songyi City, with no family or relatives. It's easy for petty thugs to take advantage of me. So I figured it'd be better if I had some martial skills for protection," said Lin Zheyu, giving an explanation.
"That's true," said Manager Wu, nodding in agreement.
The laws in this world weren't as comprehensive as in his previous life, and neither were they applied as strictly. The authorities had limited influence, and many matters were handled by people of high social standing or clans. People like Lin Zheyu, who had no backing, often ended up as easy targets.
"If you want to learn martial arts, I do know someone, and you've actually met him before," Manager Wu said with a smile.