That night, he visited several more drinking houses where the body’s former owner had often shown his face. He staged scenes, picked fights, begged for loans, and even vomited on a guest — after which he was beaten again. He didn’t return home until dawn, completely shattered. The girls caught the smell of wine and shrank into a corner, trembling with fear, but to their surprise nothing happened. Their father stripped off the filthy clothes, washed with water he had prepared beforehand, and then meditated in the courtyard for a long while.

  "Pretending is heavy and painful. Ow! They could’ve gone easier, those bastards!" he winced, washing the blood from his face. "Eh. I don’t think one performance will be enough".

  A week later, Zhang Min repeated his drunken raid on the taverns. This time he dragged along a friend from the port, the toothless porter who had once tried to help sell his daughters. Together they caused even more racket, damage, and stench. Zhang Min visited the Night Owl Tavern again, shouting about his honesty, “accidentally” spilled wine on a guest, smeared a chair with filth, and paid the owner ten coppers, nearly making the man reach for a knife.

  "T-throw him out! Now!" Master Lian shouted, red with rage. "And never let his feet cross this threshold again!"

  The old Zhang Min’s reputation worked in his favor. People eagerly believed he had stayed the same. The unbelievable changes that rumors spoke of had always seemed like nonsense, and believing them only made people feel smaller, worse than the former drunk and thief. Seeing him returned to his old self, many regulars were even pleased, it warmed their hearts to know there was someone worse than them.

  I hope this works, and that the creditors will leave me alone for a while, Zhang Min thought, pushing himself off the ground.

  "Bastards. Beaten again", he muttered, limping home with a hand on his aching ribs. "But I still managed to land one punch right in the face. Heh-heh… ow!"

  Solving the problems left behind by the body’s former owner cost him much time, strength, and health. Despite his success, Zhang Min fell behind on his training schedule. He didn’t stop practicing altogether, but he was forced to lower the intensity, and after some beatings he missed a couple of days entirely.

  The bruises and wounds, however, brought an unexpected benefit. He discovered the healing power of meditation and breathing exercises. It seemed he truly had gained a drop of mysterious Qi, even if he couldn’t feel it, and it helped his body recover. When Zhang Min returned to practicing the rest of the teachings from the scroll, his injuries healed completely the very next day. On one hand, this delighted him; on the other, it greatly puzzled him.

  "This is like some kind of magic", he marveled, staring at his reflection in the water. "All the bruises gone overnight!"

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Three weeks had passed since his return from the expedition, they flew by like a single day and all that remained of the Zhao family’s generous reward was memory. Zhang Min had spent much of it on meat, eggs, and other nourishing food, and now had no choice but to give them up and try to stretch his remaining funds for at least another week. The change in diet harmed his training. His body craved protein, porridge alone wasn’t enough to restore his strength.

  A saving solution presented itself during the daily morning runs along the river, whose broad, full waters teemed with life. The clear water revealed the riverbed up to three meters deep, where dark fish shapes glided. Sometimes they rose to the surface, snapping up passing insects. Splashes echoed loudly through the air, and silver scales glimmered in the sun.

  "How did I not think of this before? The answer was right in front of me all along!" Zhang Min exclaimed. "I got so used to shops, I completely forgot where food really comes from".

  The locals fished with rods or nets, but neither method suited him, both took too much time. His idea was to set traps, and after some quick thought he came up with a simple, low-cost way to make them. The city overflowed with woven goods, especially baskets of all shapes and sizes. Old ones were either burned in stoves or discarded, so finding them was no trouble at all.

  "Just a little repair, and the trap is ready. No need to start from scratch!"

  Gathering discarded baskets, Zhang Min, after a few days of practice, crafted four fish traps. Alongside them, he built a simple crane shaped like an “L,” so even the girls could haul the traps out of the water with the catch inside. To work with wood, he rented an axe from a carpenter, leaving his sword as collateral.

  Once he had the tool, Zhang Min decided not to stop with traps and cranes. He added some comforts to the riverside where he spent so much time. From logs gathered nearby, he built a sturdy shelter against rain and wind, and beside it a covered woodpile so firewood would always stay dry.

  Inspired, he fashioned a training dummy from two logs and hung it from a tree branch. Its heavy weight kept it from swinging wildly under blows, while its lack of support reduced the recoil on his arms. Another log he suspended by two ropes, like a rabbit hung by its ears, wrapping it in old mats and burlap. It became a primitive punching bag, though a bit too stiff.

  "Alright, that’s enough. Better return the axe before I build something else".

  The four traps provided a steady catch of up to five fish a day. Some were quite large no less than a kilogram each. Protein, rich in calcium and full of nutrients, returned to the family’s diet. Sometimes crayfish wandered into the baskets as well, making a rich broth the girls adored, treating the meat like a delicacy.

  At first, the bait was scraps of old flatbread, but later Zhang Min switched to minced fish from leftovers and trimmings. The catch increased, so he took the girls to the market to sell the surplus. He picked out the four biggest fish, checked the average price from other fishermen, and set his at twenty coppers apiece.

  "My fish are fresher!"

  He sat right on the ground with a basket of fish before him, covered with a lid. Xue and Mingzhu sat nearby, watching for a while before boredom took over. They meditated a bit, then dozed off, drooling on their father’s shoulder, a sight that melted passersby’s hearts. A tall one-armed old man bought the entire lot at once, calling the girls adorable. His servant carried away both the fish and the basket.

  "Hm," Zhang Min looked at the coins in his hand. "Maybe I should become a fisherman?"