Chương 21: Chapter 21: Reunion
Having broken through the Muscle Transformation phase, Chen Mu was in high spirits all day.
In addition to the customary practice of Flying Locust Stone and Red Falcon Shape Cultivation Technique.
Chen Mu made a special trip to Anle Square's Ruyi Residence.
This was the famous vegetarian restaurant in the whole Qingshan County.
In the past, he couldn't afford to spend money here.
He didn't go for a private room, simply finding a seat in a corner of the main hall and ordering a full table of dishes.
While leisurely savoring the food, he listened to the storyteller in the hall spouting tales.
"The trend of the world is that after a long union comes a division. The nation of Da Liang has reigned for over six hundred years, and now it is on the verge of decline."
"Our place here, lying on the southwestern border, isn't very prominent. In the Central Plains, various bands of righteous rebels march onto the stage; with camps established everywhere, it's quickly becoming a complete mess."
"Times of chaos reveal heroes. We won't discuss the nation's major affairs; today, let me tell you about a hero of these troubled times. This person's Fist Technique is unparalleled, known as the Iron Fist Saint..."
The storyteller's narrative was engaging, and the people in the hall were listening with boiling enthusiasm.
Chen Mu also found it fascinating.
He had been burying himself in Martial Arts Practice, cut off from news. Hearing about the chaotic Jianghu for the first time, he was immediately captivated.
"Iron Fist Saint? What kind of realm is that? The Marrow Transformation Level of Shape Cultivation Technique when it's fully mastered?" Chen Mu thought enviously.
"No rush, step by step, I'll achieve Marrow Transformation sooner or later."
Proficiency was his greatest asset.
"Fortunately, Qingshan County is located in a remote area."
At least it won't be affected by these chaotic times.
As long as he can calmly spend a couple of years, he can also master Shape Cultivation Technique.
By then, even if it's a time of chaos, he'll dare to make a foray into it.
...
In the evening.
Chen Mu left Ruyi Residence still feeling content.
The food was indeed delicious and the storyteller's tale was captivating enough that, had it not been getting dark, he would have stayed even longer.
Unfortunately, the world is not at peace.
It is said that at night, mischievous spirits are most active.
Since arriving in this world, he never went out at night without a special reason.
The nighttime lanterns began to light up in Anle Square, with the faint sounds of joy and merriment drifting over.
Chen Mu glanced at the pretty young lady not far away showing off her assets, looked up at the sun about to set, and smirked sheepishly, "Next time, definitely next time."
...
At the Chen family residence in Ping'an Square.
Upon returning home and securely locking the main door, Chen Mu noticed a person sitting in the dark room.
Silver-white hair, eyes squinted into slits, an expressionless and stern face.
Chen Mu walked calmly into the room; the old man's sudden appearances and disappearances had become the norm for him.
"The payment," Jie Jia stated succinctly, as always.
"Just a moment," Chen Mu said calmly.
He then lit the oil lamp, opened up each cloth bag, and carefully checked the medicinal herbs within.
Before long, Chen Mu placed a small cloth bag in the middle of the table, staring at Jie Jia with a speechless expression, "This is fake medicine."
"Did you notice?" Jie Jia said with an emotionless face, his eyes briefly scanning the herbs before a flash of disappointment crossed his face.
Chen Mu: "..."
What is there for you to be disappointed about?!
"Every time you pass off fake medicine to trick me out of money. Do you find it amusing?" Chen Mu said helplessly.
You say you're a high and mighty assassin, so why skulk around and cheat when running errands?
"It seems you have a deep misunderstanding of me," Jie Jia said indifferently.
Chen Mu: "..." Why does this sound so familiar?
Forget it, forget it, I'll be the bigger person and not hold a grudge against this old man.
After discounting the fake medicine, Chen Mu honestly handed the money to Jie Jia.
Watching the other party disappear in a whoosh, so fast that Chen Mu couldn't help but sigh,
"Still can't beat him. Otherwise, I would definitely have given him a thrashing."
The joy of breaking through the Muscle Transformation was instantly halved.
"Just keep practicing."
He was still a novice in Martial Arts Practice; the world was vast, and arrogance was unacceptable.
"I need to find some books that record medicinal herbs."
The first time, he had suffered a great loss, deceived by the old man with fake herbs.
"The old man's tactics in substituting inferior goods are getting more and more cunning; I need to be wary."
If it weren't for bandits causing a shortage in the medicinal supply, Chen Mu would have long since turned away the old man.
He had no idea where the other party sourced his herbs; they never ran out.
"After all, a person in the assassination business might have secretive channels."
...
The year 639 in Da Liang, January 19th, the weather was clear.
Chen Mu got up early, washed, had breakfast, and spent the entire morning alternating between the practice of Flying Locust Stone and Red Falcon Shape Cultivation Technique.
For the past half year, this had been Chen Mu's routine.
Advancing through the Muscle Transformation phase greatly improved his physical condition, allowing him to practice for longer periods.
But upgrading Second Rank skills was more difficult.
The trade-offs between the two meant that his daily increase in proficiency wasn't significant.
Entering the Bone Transformation Realm, the Breathing Method's cycle increased from sixty breaths to ninety.
There were nine new movements added to his movement technique.
The Secret Medicine remained the same dose.
But Chen Mu found that the effects of the Secret Medicine had decreased by a third.
He wasn't sure if it was due to drug resistance or if Sheng Hong was holding back.
"Should I spend another hundred Silver to consult?" Chen Mu shook his head.
It's not worth it.
That old slick Sheng Hong might not even tell the truth.
"Just keep practicing like this." With proficiency, he would surely master it sooner or later.
In the afternoon, Chen Mu left his home, followed by two burly men straight to the south of the city.
Today, Miaohua Fang had secured a portrait business deal for him.
This was the first deal of the month.
"Zhou Liang, has there been anything significant at Miaohua Fang recently?" Walking down the street, Chen Mu asked the burly man on his left.
These two burly men were members of a small gang from the east of the city. Miaohua Fang had hired them to ensure his safety.
```
"I didn't hear about anything big, just that Boss Zhen has been to Nanyang Prefecture City for over half a month and hasn't come back yet," Zhou Liang replied.
Chen Mu nodded to indicate he understood, but he couldn't help but murmur to himself.
According to the original plan, the Miao Hua Workshop was supposed to get him four business deals each month.
But now it was late January and this was only the first one.
This gave Chen Mu a faint sense of crisis.
He practiced martial arts every day and ate meat in large quantities; his consumption was not ordinary.
If there were problems with the workshop, his quality of life would be immediately affected.
"Hopefully Boss Zhen can come back soon."
Before long, Chen Mu arrived at the gate of a large mansion. Hanging on the door was a plaque with the words "Zuo Mansion."
Zhou Liang and Zheng Huan stepped forward to knock on the door and announce their arrival.
A manservant led him in, while Zhou Liang and Zheng Huan were left to rest and wait in the gatehouse.
Having painted portraits for people for several months, Chen Mu was skilled in his business.
After finding out what the lord of the Zuo Family wanted, he immediately began to paint.
With his current second-rank painting skills, even if he deliberately delayed to show seriousness, it took him less than half an hour to complete the painting.
After receiving twenty taels as a tip, Chen Mu followed the manservant out, his mood buoyant.
Passing a small courtyard, a burst of shouting came to his ears.
Chen Mu couldn't help but turn his head to look.
Through the moon gate, a young nobleman was practicing martial arts.
By his side stood a man in his forties or fifties, patiently pointing out each move with a smile.
Seemingly sensing someone's gaze, the man turned to look over.
The two men locked eyes for a moment, both slightly taken aback.
Sheng Hong?
Was this someone hired to come teach martial arts directly at someone's home?
Feeling Sheng Hong's scrutinizing gaze, Chen Mu felt a bit uneasy, "Could he have noticed that I've mastered the Red Falcon Shape Cultivation Technique?"
Keeping his composure, he nodded and smiled at Sheng Hong before following the manservant out unhurriedly.
Sheng Hong watched Chen Mu's departing figure, puzzled. He felt that the man looked familiar.
After thinking it over for a moment, he suddenly realized: "It's that scholar who paints!"
He had a deep impression of Chen Mu.
Over the years, he had used the Red Falcon Shape Cultivation Technique as bait to cheat countless simpletons.
Learning Shape Cultivation Technique was not that easy.
Anyone who came to him would have to spend at least three hundred taels of silver to realize the reality.
But that scholar came once and never returned.
He had missed out on two hundred taels of silver; how could he forget him?
"Judging by that man's movements and posture, it seems he has a hint of Shape Cultivation. Did he really master it?" Sheng Hong wondered.
But then he shook his head and chuckled to himself, "How could there be so many geniuses in this world?"
"Forget it, I shouldn't think about him. Focus on fooling the young master in front of me. He's the real easy mark," Sheng Hong thought, smiling at the clumsy movements of the young master of the Zuo Family, "With a big family and big business, maybe one score could set me up for the second half of my life!"
...
Ping'an Square, within the Chen Family residence.
"I never expected to run into Sheng Hong."
Ever since he mastered the Red Falcon Shape Cultivation Technique, Chen Mu had subconsciously avoided the areas where Sheng Hong frequented.
Sheng Hong cheated people with the Shape Cultivation Technique. Chen Mu had learned it in one go. Would Sheng Hong be content if he knew?
Not only did Chen Mu avoid him, but he also avoided Officer Lu.
The two were thick as thieves, and Chen Mu feared they would bring unnecessary trouble, which is why he had no choice but to hire someone with Jie Jia to buy medicine on his behalf, even though it was more expensive.
"Judging by Sheng Hong's expression, it seems he didn't recognize me right away," Chen Mu breathed a sigh of relief.
"Now that he has become the coach for the young master of the Zuo Family, he's probably not going to dwell on me."
Zhou Liang and Zheng Huan said that the Zuo Family was one of the six major families of Qingshan County.
They owned vast lands outside the city and rows of shops within, their wealth astounding.
"I heard the young master of the Zuo Family is a rakehell who frequents places of pleasure. He can't bear hardship or fatigue, and practicing martial arts for half an hour a day is considered diligent."
"Teaching such a student is a walk in the park."
"Given the difficulty of beginner Shape Cultivation Technique, Sheng Hong could easily spend a year or more with the Zuo Family."
"One hundred taels for seven days, half a year... Wow..."
I would swap places with him if I could!
"Forget it, forget it, the more I think, the more it stings. I'd better just focus on my own practice and eat my own food."
Cold mixed vegetables, fragrant pan-fried fish, crystal pork hock, all complemented by a pot of steaming white wheat rice.
Chen Mu set up a square table in the courtyard, enjoying the beautiful sunset as he savored the increasingly delicious food.
With a considerable income, achievements in martial arts practice, and delicious food to enjoy, this was the life he had dreamt of in his previous life.
"Scholar, enjoying yourself, are you?" a voice suddenly rang out from behind.
Chen Mu shuddered and spun around abruptly.
Unbeknownst to him, a figure had already appeared behind him.
Sheng Hong?!
The man had sneaked into his house without making a sound, and he hadn't noticed a thing!
"Master Sheng, would you care to join me for a bite?" Chen Mu gestured generously, pointing to the food on the table.
"Won't I be disturbing?" Sheng Hong asked with a teasing smile.
"Not at all, it would be my honor to have Master Sheng join me for a meal," Chen Mu replied, as he prepared a fresh set of bowl and chopsticks.
"Didn't expect you to have this skill too," Sheng Hong mused, chewing on a piece of the crystal pork hock and marveling, "I hardly want to lay a hand on it now."
Chen Mu's scalp tightened at once.
"Of course, I'm not the kind of person who is unreasonable," Sheng Hong said, leisurely eating the fish.
"Six hundred taels, six hundred taels for your life, fair isn't it?"
Chen Mu couldn't help but tremble all over.
"Don't say you don't have it, I've checked very clearly, your income from painting for people every month is at least over a hundred taels. You've been at it for over half a year, how could you not have six hundred taels?"
Chen Mu felt as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over him.
He never expected that Sheng Hong had always been keeping an eye on him.
"Haven't you already become the coach for the Zuo Family?" Chen Mu asked incredulously, already making plenty of money, why still bother with me?
"Who would complain about having too much silver?" Sheng Hong chuckled.
"You're not afraid of offending the Miao Hua Workshop!" Chen Mu roared in anger.
Sheng Hong glanced at Chen Mu, "I advise you to just hand over the money willingly. Those two blockheads outside have already been knocked out by me. No matter how loud you shout, they can't hear you."
Had Zhou Liang and Zheng Huan already been taken care of?
Even though Chen Mu had completed Muscle Transformation, Sheng Hong had practiced Shape Cultivation Technique for half his life and was at the very least in the Bone Transformation Realm.
"Did you really knock those two out?" Chen Mu couldn't help but ask.
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