Immortality Begins With Internal Breathing

”Close your eyes, feel the rhythm, and try to breathe along with it,” said Liang Song.

Hearing this, Lin Zheyu closed his eyes. Calming his mind, he shut out the surrounding noise, and the sound of his master’s breathing grew louder by his ear. He tried to match the rhythm, but his breathing was a little erratic. It was his first attempt at abdominal breathing, and he found it rather uncomfortable.

”Don’t rush. The first attempt at an internal breathing method is always a bit difficult. Calm your mind and focus all your attention on the rhythm and cadence of my breathing,” Liang Song said.

He placed his palm on Lin Zheyu’s abdomen, pressing lightly in time with his breathing rhythm. His fingertips moved slightly, making subtle adjustments to Lin Zheyu’s muscle movements.

Time passed, and more than an hour went by. Lin Zheyu’s expression grew calmer, and the rise and fall of his chest gradually gained a sense of rhythm. Under Liang Song’s guidance, his breathing took on a special cadence, and a strange, wondrous sensation rippled through Lin Zheyu’s heart.

”Very good. That’s exactly the feeling. Remember it; once you’ve adapted to it, using this breathing method while practicing your forms will yield twice the results with half the effort!” Liang Song said softly.

Lin Zheyu quickly understood and managed to grasp the basics in just over an hour.

”To master the basic breathing method in just over an hour... your comprehension is truly astounding,” praised Liang Song as he looked at Lin Zheyu’s steadily improving breathing. He hadn’t expected to find such a promising talent here in Songyi City.

***

By the time he left Liang Song’s house, it was almost lunchtime. Lin Zheyu wanted to invite his master to eat out, but Liang Song refused. On the way back, when he was still about 500 meters from his small courtyard, Lin Zheyu felt that something was off.

Someone’s following me? thought Lin Zheyu, frowning slightly.

Ever since his Barbaric Ox Fist had reached Competence, his perception had greatly improved, making him extremely sensitive to any movement around him. Just moments ago, he had sensed a gaze constantly fixed on him. His steps faltered slightly, but he continued on as if nothing was wrong.

Who’s following me, and for what purpose?

Thoughts surged in Lin Zheyu’s mind, various possibilities flashing through his head. But no matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t figure out who had set their sights on him. Ever since arriving in the inner city, he had kept an extremely low profile and hadn’t clashed with anyone.

He turned down another street, heading toward the bustling market. At the market, he wandered about, browsing and haggling. Keeping a careful watch, he finally spotted the one following him.

It’s him! Even after moving into the city, he’s still haunting me like a ghost!

Lin Zheyu was speechless.

That sneaky fellow might have dressed differently from before, but Lin Zheyu recognized him at a glance. Back when he lived in the Baishan District, a gang of thugs had always stolen his food, and this man was one of the four. He hadn’t expected that even after moving to the inner city, the man would still linger like a bad smell.

Did he really think Lin Zheyu was that easy to bully? Before, he had been weak, malnourished, and powerless, so he was forced to avoid them whenever they crossed paths. Now that his Barbaric Ox Fist had reached Competence, he no longer gave these street thugs a second thought. Lin Zheyu wasn’t one to boast, but he believed he could take on ten of these untrained brutes who only knew how to be aggressive.

”There’s no such thing as a thousand days guarding against a thief. I’ll find an opportunity to investigate and see what this guy’s up to,” muttered Lin Zheyu to himself.

***

Lin Zheyu had another day of bountiful earnings after finishing his storytelling. Today, he had received nearly three hundred wen in rewards.

On his way back home, he realized he was being followed again. Returning home without betraying any sign of noticing, Lin Zheyu quickly changed into ordinary clothes and quietly followed the person instead. With his current strength, while his tracking skills might not be great, if he were to keep his distance, there was no way the other party could notice him.

They switched the person following me, but it’s still one of their group, thought Lin Zheyu as he trailed him from afar.

They soon arrived in the Baishan District. This place truly lacked the prosperity of the inner city. Many areas were silent and deserted, and it was common for a murder to go unnoticed for over ten days.

The man weaved through the narrow alleys of Baishan District, turning corner after corner, until he reached an ordinary-looking house. He knocked on the door, someone inside opened it, and it was shut again once he entered.

”Strange... Why are they acting so secretive? Could they be planning something big?” muttered Lin Zheyu as he quickly moved closer.

These fellows, who usually loitered at street corners chatting idly, were now sneaking into a house to discuss something. Lin Zheyu felt this was out of the ordinary, and since it concerned him, he was paying close attention. He wasn’t exactly a bad person, but he wasn’t much of a good one either. After all, good people didn’t survive easily among the drifters.

***

The sky grew dim. Carefully approaching the window, Lin Zheyu took out a piece of black cloth and covered his face. He pressed his ear to the window, wanting to find out what these men were plotting against him.

Ever since his strength had improved, Lin Zheyu’s hearing had become exceptionally sharp. Even if the people inside spoke softly, their words carried clearly through the thin window.

”Wen Biao, how did it go today?” Gao Yu said to the man who had just entered.

”Same as always. That kid either spends his day storytelling or staying at home. Even when he goes out for a stroll, it’s always to the busy parts of the city,” replied the man.

”And once it gets dark, I’ve never seen him leave. He’s probably scared after fleeing for his life, and is clinging to it dearly now,” Yan Ling added.

They had been following Lin Zheyu for over ten days, trying to map out his daily routine. They were waiting for a chance to strike in secret, both to avenge the skinny fellow and to rob him of a tidy sum.

From their ten-plus days of observation, they had concluded that the kid was quite wealthy. He earned at least two hundred wen a day in tips, and with his wages, his daily income exceeded three hundred wen. That was enough to make them green with envy. For a destitute scholar who had fled here as a refugee, he was living far too well in such a short time.

They’ve been following me for this long?

A chill ran through Lin Zheyu’s heart. If not for his increased strength and sharper senses, he might have been ambushed without even knowing it.

Fortunately, he had been very cautious lately. He never went out at night and never took secluded paths. A man may bear no ill will toward the tiger, but the tiger would still want to harm the man. Being targeted for no reason left Lin Zheyu extremely displeased, and a glint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes. When armed with a weapon, the thought of using it naturally arose. With his growing strength, his courage had also swelled.

”By the way, Brother Yu, I’ve noticed he’s somehow learned martial techniques. Every day I hear the sound of fists striking a wooden post from his yard.” Wen Biao hesitated and said, ”Are we really going to make a move... against someone who’s trained in martial arts?”

He wasn’t too keen on the idea. Although he called the skinny fellow a brother, they were merely drinking buddies. Risking himself for the skinny fellow wasn’t something Wen Biao truly wanted to do. But knowing Lin Zheyu was a fat sheep, alone and without support, made Wen Biao tempted.

”What’s there to fear? Even if he started training the day he arrived in Songyi City, it’s only been a bit over two months. Two months is barely enough time to build a foundation, let alone master anything fancy,” said Gao Yu with disdain.

Yan Ling smirked and chimed in. ”Exactly. Wen Biao, you’re being way too timid.”

”If there’s no chance to act in the open, we’ll sneak in at night. Yan Ling, you buy a few sticks of knockout incense—stronger ones, to put his yard dogs to sleep. Wen Biao, you get the things ready for climbing over the wall. We’ll make our move in about ten days or so, after that kid’s made a bit more silver... heh, heh,” said Gao Yu.

Wen Biao remained silent.