Scouting and Reconnaissance

Chapter 2: Reconnaissance and Investigation

Chapter 2: Reconnaissance and Investigation

Lin Mo had seen many destinies marked by death, much like the birth, aging, sickness, and death of people in hospitals in his previous life. However, this time, it seemed closer to him.

Lin Hai's head clearly displayed the destiny of [Calamity of Blood Light], which had evidently appeared not long ago. Lin Mo was quite certain it had something to do with Zhao Wu.

This job... was indeed not easy to find.

"Lin Hai is my own cousin. He even helped me when I first transmigrated... As for Zhao Wu, even if I ignore this, he won't let me off after I fail to repay my debts..."

"This time, I have the help of my Lin family uncles and elders. But what about next time? When even hoodlums can find trouble with justification, it truly means the road to death is not far..."

Lin Mo took two deep breaths, doing his best to calm himself. A bold decision suddenly popped into his mind.

Strike first to gain the upper hand!

As long as Zhao Wu was dealt with in the next few days, many problems would be easily solved.

Zhao Wu was just a mortal, a good-for-nothing with mediocre skills. What was there to fear?

"It seems I can't wait a few more days for this tea money. I'll go to the martial arts school tomorrow to pay the tea money and practice the moves!"

The next morning, at the crow of the rooster.

Lin Mo changed into a coarse linen long gown, the only piece of clothing at home that wasn't patched. After washing up and tidying himself, he looked presentable and clean, which would leave a good impression.

He had already retrieved the windfall from last night. Now, Lin Mo walked along the wall a few times, aiming at a protruding brick. He gripped it with four fingers and pulled hard.

With a swish, the mud brick was removed, and a brown cloth money bag covered in dust rolled out from within.

This was where Lin Mo always hid his wages. This world was not like his previous life; there were plenty of ruffians worse than Zhao Wu.

If it were stolen, he wouldn't even have a place to cry.

Entering the central area of Changhe County in the early morning was more prosperous and lively than he had imagined. The eaves of the houses on both sides were connected, and wooden carts were lined up below.

"Sizzling hot meat flatbreads! Thin crust, generous filling!"

"Freshly roasted chestnuts, freshly roasted chestnuts! Fragrant and soft, sweet and delicious. If it's not sweet, it's free!"

Vendors on both sides of the long street called out their wares, and pedestrians came and went. The morning mist was hazy, but the atmosphere was full of life.

The martial arts school was located on Zhonglang Street, a street near the center of Changhe County. Several mansions had some empty training grounds, and the scale was not small.

Rounding the entrance of the martial arts school, Lin Mo came to the side entrance of the Stone Wall Courtyard. A small wooden sign hung there, crudely carved with 'Recruiting Apprentices'.

Lin Mo knocked on the small window of the wooden door. A young man, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, opened the door and looked him up and down. "Hello, I am Xu Changfeng, a disciple on duty at the martial arts school. Are you here to learn martial arts or visit a friend?"

"To learn martial arts, of course. One tael and five qian?"

"One tael and five qian only covers lunch. Two taels covers accommodation and lunch. Five taels of silver covers accommodation, three meals, and medicinal soup. The term is only half a month. Passing the assessment counts as entry."

Accommodation?

Assessment?

Lin Mo thought carefully. Although the second tier was five qian more expensive, if he could live at the martial arts school for half a month, ordinary troublemakers wouldn't dare to bother him.

This was like seeking shelter under a big tree...

Secondly, Lin Mo hadn't forgotten about last night. He still needed to resolve the matter of the [Calamity of Blood Light]. Judging by the intensity of the destiny's color, it would likely only last four or five days.

"Excuse me, brother, what is the assessment based on?" Lin Mo asked, cupping his hands.

"Just sensing Qi and Blood is enough."

Qi and Blood... The moment Lin Mo looked up, he focused on the area above the young man's head. Amidst the swirling white mist, he truly saw a brand-new destiny.

[Prolonged Qi and Blood]

However, he couldn't see the destiny above the young man's head completely clearly. Besides the white mist, there was also a mass of azure mist lingering, indicating that the destiny contained within was of a higher grade.

Lin Mo understood a little. "Then I'll sign up for the two-tael silver package."

"Please come this way to register. State your name, age, and place of origin, and pay the fee."

The characters in this world were very similar to the traditional characters of his previous life. Lin Mo had no significant obstacles in reading and writing them, at least for the name and place of origin.

After weighing the silver and confirming it was correct, Xu Changfeng led Lin Mo around the Stone Wall Courtyard a few times. Along the way, he saw many youths in similar coarse linen clothes practicing.

After getting his personal wooden token from the room, Xu Changfeng smiled and congratulated him, "Brother, you are now an apprentice of the Changhe Martial Arts School. I wish you success in passing the assessment. You can call me Senior Brother Xu."

"Hello, Senior Brother Xu!"

"You can read?"

"I learned some when I was young. Reading and writing are not a big problem," Lin Mo casually gave himself a plausible reason.

"That's good. Oh, right, this basic lecture booklet is a gift from your senior brother, so you won't need me to explain it to you." Xu Changfeng's face lit up. He had been worrying about not getting enough sleep, and now he had an opportunity!

He paused, then added, "Don't worry, Senior Brother will definitely teach you the basic stance exercises. However, it will all start tomorrow morning!"

"For today, you can familiarize yourself with martial arts common sense on your own, pack your belongings, and move into the communal dormitory over there."

Xu Changfeng gave a light "Nuo" and pointed to the side wing room, from which many youths were emerging.

"Thank you, Senior Brother!"

Fortunately, Lin Mo didn't have much luggage. After a simple pack, he used the remaining few coins to buy some meat buns.

He picked a spot on the communal bed, ate, and began to flip through the booklet.

"The foundation of martial arts is divided into four gates: Skin, Flesh, Bone, and Blood..."

"When the Skin Gate is opened, the entire body's skin becomes like cowhide, difficult for ordinary sharp weapons to penetrate, greatly increasing defense."

"When the Flesh Gate is opened, strength increases by several hundred jin, making it easy to lift a person barehanded."

"When the Bone Gate is opened, the tendons and bones are formed, with strength enough to break stone tablets and shatter rocks."

"When the Blood Gate is opened, the Qi and Blood boil throughout the body, and strength is inexhaustible."

After carefully reading through more than half of it, Lin Mo's brow furrowed deeply.

It seemed that achieving entry in just a few days was harder than climbing to heaven. Even without his Destiny manifesting, he knew his own Root Bone was a [Weak and Humble Destiny].

Just pulling any sturdy person off the street, someone with a [Healthy and Strong] Destiny, might have more talent for martial arts than him.

"Half a month... if it really doesn't work, I'll just have to train day and night. How can one succeed without hardship?!"

Lin Mo let out a long sigh and closed his eyes to rest a bit on the communal bed, but his mind was already occupied with another matter.

Achieving entry in a few days was impossible, but he absolutely had to deal with Zhao Wu before the [Calamity of Blood Light] came true.

Zhao Wu usually didn't go out much, only busy with things at sunset and after dark. To make a move, he would naturally have to scout him out first.

Just past noon, the sun beat down on Baihua Street, steaming the horse dung in the cracks of the bluestone bricks, releasing a sour, rotten smell that carried far, mixed with the scent of rouge.

A young master stepped into a brothel to escape the heat, while a shop assistant carrying a bundle of licorice squeezed through the crowd. His sweaty back brushed against an old man's bamboo basket, picking up a layer of dust.

Lin Mo lowered his straw hat and moved through the throng. Not far away, he saw one of the ruffians who had followed Zhao Wu a few days prior.

He had waited all morning and finally caught sight of this person. All he had to do was follow him until he found Zhao Wu's residence.

Following the ruffian, they walked further down Baihua Street. Passing the entrance to an alleyway off Baihua Street, the crowds gradually thinned, and they entered the area where wealthy merchants lived, according to the outer city residents.

Not small courtyards lined the street. After winding through several turns, Lin Mo followed the ruffian to a small courtyard and watched him walk inside.

Lin Mo looked at the small courtyard from afar, secretly surprised.

"This place is right next to Baihua Street. A courtyard this size must cost at least two or three taels of silver a month, right?"

He walked around the courtyard and stopped at an inconspicuous spot near the base of the courtyard wall. He estimated the distance between the eaves of the house and the courtyard wall, which was no more than two meters.

"This is the spot..."

Lin Mo took a deep breath. Seeing that no one was around, he retreated several meters and suddenly started running.

With a few light thuds, he gathered all his breath, grabbed the top of the wall, and carefully climbed over.

Even in broad daylight, the commotion inside wasn't small. The noisy human voices completely drowned out the sound of him climbing the wall...

"Zhao Wu is, at best, just a local thug. Living in such a nice place, is he perhaps involved in some important business?"

"This is a life-risking business!"

Inside, several men sat around a wine table, including Zhao Wu. He took a large gulp of wine and advised them.

"Heh, Fifth Brother, relax. Those villagers are idiots!"

"Exactly, exactly. They sent their own sons to be conscripted so easily, saving us a lot of effort."

A scoundrel, already a bit drunk, swayed his head with arrogance. He seemed to remember something and said, "Fifth Brother, the Master said there are a few more restless places, and we need to quickly get more batches of blood food to the Water Ghost cave."

"Didn't we just send a batch last night? It's already used up so quickly..."

Zhao Wu frowned. Thinking about how busy he had been these past few days, he felt increasingly uneasy.

That monster called a 'Water Ghost', looking like a dried-up person with a terrifying greyish-green skin, always made him shiver whenever he saw it.

"Those things have appetites as big as a cow's. One meal is equivalent to the daily rations of dozens of people!"

The remaining scoundrel gestured animatedly. Having rarely seen such a monster, he was quite amused.

Water Ghost?

Were these people feeding this thing?

Lin Mo crouched down, holding his breath, afraid of disturbing the people in the hall. The more he listened, the more horrified he became.

He seemed to have heard some incredibly important news...

A while ago, the Water Ghost incident had not only made the dock business difficult but also unsettled the people managing the canal transport under the yamen. River transport business was difficult, and fishermen were terrified...

The Master of the Zhao Family Grain Store in Changhe County was actually the mastermind behind this Water Ghost!

Another man opened a small ledger and handed it over. "The Master said he'll delay the payment for a few days and give us an extra five qian. One counts as two taels of silver."

"Got it. I'll take this group myself tomorrow night once it gets dark."

Zhao Wu wiped the corner of his mouth, a shade of gloom coloring his eyes.

Though his appearance was rough and unkempt, he had clawed his way to his current position through sheer cunning.

Ever since he agreed to help plan the Water Ghost incident, he knew it was a dangerous job where people were often betrayed and discarded once their usefulness ran out…

"Even the dumbest villagers would worry if their sons went missing for over a month… Besides, it's time to run…"

Zhao Wu mused inwardly. Just as he was about to leave the hall, he heard the clatter of roof tiles. He quickly stepped outside and looked up.

He saw a wild cat leap onto the wall, pawing at the eaves. Outside the courtyard, a few kids were playing with marbles.

A few stones, mixed with tile shards, rolled down the roof gutter, creating a dusty patter.

"Seems I've been a bit on edge lately…"

Zhao Wu shook his head and chuckled. Meanwhile, Lin Mo had already left the alley.

"He's delivering people tomorrow night? From the sound of it, he's the only one going. Perhaps this is a good opportunity to get rid of him!"