Stability

Wu Ming inspected the rooms on both the east and west sides. They were all similar, empty rooms with a low bed frame made of wooden planks. Other than that, they were completely bare.

Wu Ming immediately picked one at random. He then went to the market outside and bought a roll of straw matting and a roll of coarse cloth for bedding. After tidying up the room a bit, he decided to settle in for the time being.

In the evening, He returned to Wu Village to inform Wu Qi and Liu Shi that he had found work in the city and a place to stay for the night, so he wouldn't be returning. He also pressed a few taels of silver into Wu Qi and Liu Shi's hands. The next day, he officially moved into the backyard of Chen's Apothecary.

Chen Gui was quick to act. The very next day, after signing the contract at the Seven Martial Alliance, he delivered a brand-new Crimson Serpent Spear into Wu Ming's hands.

The spear shaft was straight, with fine, dark red wood grain that resembled coiled dragons. It was indeed made of excellent Crimson Serpent wood, paired with a spearhead forged from fine iron. Without a doubt, it was a top-grade spear.

"It's only slightly heavier than the sinew spear, so adapting should be easy."

Wu Ming caressed the dark red long spear in his hand, finding it hard to put down. After all, this was not like the crude sinew spears used by thousands at the Seven Martial Alliance, but a brand-new, high-quality long spear worth at least forty taels of silver.

This kind of Crimson Serpent wood was tougher than ordinary steel. Even a low-quality kitchen knife would struggle to leave a mark on it.

"How is it?"

Chen Gui stood by with a smile and said, "This was newly forged by the Refining Hall for me yesterday. The spearhead is made of top-quality fine iron. If sold outside, you probably couldn't buy it for less than fifty taels."

Upon hearing this, Wu Ming politely cupped his hands towards Chen Gui and said, "Thank you for the gift, Brother Chen."

"We are brothers, no need for pleasantries. Besides, you'll be guarding the shop and defending against thieves and bandits. Having a handy weapon will naturally make it easier to deal with them. This spear is a gift to you, and it also adds an extra layer of security for my shop."

Chen Gui said generously.

After speaking, He took out a small packet from his embrace. Inside was a dark red herb, which had been dried and finely chopped. He handed the small packet directly to Wu Ming. The packet contained the 'Bloodgrass Tea'.

Wu Ming took it and felt its weight. He knew the quantity was more than one tael, likely around one tael and three qian. For such a valuable medicinal tea, the amount would certainly be precisely measured, without such a large discrepancy. Undoubtedly, this extra portion was an additional gift from Chen Gui.

This young master from a wealthy family, who seemed carefree and generous, was actually meticulous and thoughtful in all his dealings, as Wu Ming had come to know through their many days together.

In dealing with people, if one were merely generous and magnanimous, they would only attract a crowd of fair-weather friends drawn by self-interest. It was only after extended contact and understanding Wu Ming's character that Chen Gui gradually became more 'generous' towards him.

"Alright, you'll need to collect your wages from the Seven Martial Alliance. That's the rule there. Other than that, there's nothing else. You just need to follow Uncle Yong and make sure no thieves enter the shop. If there are any fierce bandits, defend if you can, and if you can't, find a way to protect yourself. After all, money and possessions are external things..."

Chen Gui said, then chuckled, "However, my shop isn't very large, and it's not too far from the Seven Martial Alliance Outer Hall. No fierce bandits have ever come to bother us, so you don't need to worry too much."

After discussing with Wu Ming for a while, Chen Gui left the apothecary.

After Chen Gui left, Wu Ming carefully examined the brand-new Crimson Serpent Spear in his hand. He walked to the center of the courtyard and casually performed a few spear flourishes. He felt the weight of the spear and realized the force it generated was distinctly different from when he used the sinew spear.

The spearhead, forged from fine iron and fully sharpened, glinted with cold light under the sunlight, far surpassing the training sinew spear. With a spear of this quality, using his strength, a single thrust could undoubtedly pierce through thick leather armor, and even leave dents in thinner iron plates.

"Finally, I'm settled."

Wu Ming exhaled a long breath after a few spear flourishes.

Lingering at the Seven Martial Alliance Outer Hall to hone his martial arts was not a long-term solution. Every day, expenses only increased while income remained stagnant. Now that he had taken on a suitable job with a stable income source to cover his daily expenses, and he was living within the city, no longer needing to travel between Jingye City and Wu Village every day, his life had truly stabilized.

"Now my net income is ten taels of silver per month, and my finances are finally more comfortable. I can control my monthly food expenses to around seven or eight taels, and with the remaining money, I can buy a few clean martial arts training robes for washing, and still subsidize my family."

Wu Ming calculated his income and expenses.

In reality, ten taels of silver a month, without having to pay various taxes, was an inexhaustible fortune for an ordinary person, allowing for a quite respectable life. However, for a Blood Forging martial artist, it was still somewhat tight.

After all, the daily expenditure on meat was a significant expense, and other aspects were as economical as possible.

"It's been a long time since I've counted my expenses like this."

Wu Ming chuckled and shook his head after calculating for a while.

This familiar feeling was from his past life, when he had just entered the world and started striving.

In essence, someone like him, from a commoner background, becoming a Blood Forging martial artist, was merely a transformation from a low-level beast of burden to a higher-level beast of burden. Although he had gained some status and standing, he was still far from being 'wealthy'.

But every beginning is difficult. His current living situation was vastly different from before. He had already taken solid steps forward, and as long as he continued to advance, he would succeed.

Over the next few days, Wu Ming gradually became accustomed to the routine of traveling between the Seven Martial Alliance Outer Hall and Chen's Apothecary, and he also adapted to the job of guarding the apothecary.

Led by Hu Yong, including himself, the four of them took turns patrolling at night, while the days were more relaxed. Occasionally, he could visit the Seven Martial Alliance to consult martial arts texts and hone his spear techniques.

Concurrently, The medicinal tea, cultivated through years of research and resource investment by the Chen Family, officially began selling in various apothecaries. Upon its release, it immediately became very popular.

For Blood Forging martial artists, this medicinal tea directly filled the gap between ordinary meat consumption and expensive medicinal powders. Wu Ming knew that the several catties of medicinal tea stored in the apothecary were sold out within a few days, indicating it was in high demand.

This situation naturally attracted the attention of many forces. Since the cost of this medicinal tea was unclear, they could only speculate on how much profit the Chen Family could make from it.