Encounter Again

After breaking through to Muscle Strengthening, Chen Mu was in high spirits all day.

Aside from his usual practice of the Flying Locust Stone and the Red Falcon Body Tempering Technique,

Chen Mu specifically went out to Ruyi Abode in Anle Ward.

It was a famous vegetarian restaurant throughout Qingshan County.

In the past, he had never been willing to spend money here.

He did not take a private room either, instead finding a seat in a corner of the main hall and ordering an entire tableful of dishes.

He leisurely savored the food while listening to the storyteller in the hall ramble on.

"The general trend of the world is that after long unification comes division. The Daliang Kingdom has lasted over six hundred years, and by now it is already old and frail."

"Our corner of the world lies on the southwestern frontier, so we are hardly noticeable. But in the Central Plains, rebel armies are emerging everywhere, factions are springing up all over, and things are nearly becoming a complete mess."

"Turbulent times produce heroes. We will not discuss affairs of state today; instead, let me tell you about a hero of these troubled times. His fists were unmatched, and he was known as the Iron Fist Saint Fist..."

The storyteller's tale rose and fell dramatically, leaving everyone in the hall fired up.

Chen Mu listened with great interest as well.

He had previously kept his head down and focused on martial arts, cut off from news of the outside world. Hearing about the chaos of the martial world for the first time, he was immediately captivated.

"Iron Fist Saint Fist? What realm would that be? Marrow Cleansing, with the Body Tempering Technique mastered?" Chen Mu thought enviously.

"No rush. One step at a time. I will reach Marrow Cleansing sooner or later."

Proficiency was his greatest reliance.

"Luckily, Qingshan County is so remote."

At the very least, it would not be affected by the chaos.

As long as he steadily worked at it for another two or three years, he too could master the Body Tempering Technique.

By then, even in troubled times, he would dare to venture out and make his way.

At dusk,

Chen Mu reluctantly left Ruyi Abode.

The food was indeed delicious, and the storyteller's tale had been exciting enough. If it were not getting late, he would have stayed longer no matter what.

Unfortunately, this world was not peaceful.

Rumor had it that nighttime was when Malevolent Spirit incidents occurred most frequently.

Since arriving in this world, unless there was a special reason, he never went out at night.

The lights of Anle Ward had just begun to shine, and faint sounds of flirtatious women drifted over.

Chen Mu glanced at the pretty young ladies nearby who were openly displaying themselves, then looked up at the sun nearing the horizon and gave an awkward smile. "Next time. Definitely next time."

Chen Family Residence, Ping'an Ward.

After returning home and bolting the main gate behind him, Chen Mu noticed someone sitting in the dark room.

Silver-white hair and beard, eyes narrowed into slits, and a stern, expressionless face.

Chen Mu calmly walked into the room, already accustomed to the old man's ghostly comings and goings.

"Payment." As always, Jie Jia was concise.

"Wait a moment," Chen Mu said calmly.

Then he lit the oil lamp, opened the cloth bags one by one, and carefully inspected the medicinal herbs inside.

Before long, Chen Mu placed a Small Cloth Bag in the middle of the table and glared at Jie Jia speechlessly. "These are fake medicines."

"You noticed?" Jie Jia's expression did not change. His eyes swept over the herbs, and a flash of disappointment passed through them.

Chen Mu: "..."

What the hell are you disappointed about?!

"Is it fun slipping fake medicine in every time to cheat me out of money?" Chen Mu asked helplessly.

You are a high-flying assassin. Why are you cutting corners when running errands for someone?

"It seems your misunderstanding of me runs deep," Jie Jia said blandly.

Chen Mu: "..." Why did that expression seem so familiar?

Forget it, forget it. I am the bigger man here. I will not argue with this old man.

After deducting the cost of the fake medicine, Chen Mu honestly handed the money to Jie Jia.

Watching the other man vanish in a flash, moving so quickly that he could barely be seen, Chen Mu could not help sighing.

"I still cannot beat him. Otherwise, I would beat him up no matter what."

The joy of breaking through to Muscle Strengthening immediately diminished by more than half.

"Better keep practicing."

He was only a martial arts beginner. The world was vast, and there was no room for arrogance or complacency.

"I should also find some books on medicinal herbs."

The first time around, he had suffered a major loss after being deceived by this old man's fake medicine.

"This old man's methods of passing off inferior goods as quality goods are getting more and more cunning. I need to watch out."

If not for the bandits causing trouble and leaving pharmacies short of medicinal herbs, Chen Mu would have kicked this old man to the curb long ago.

He did not know where Jie Jia procured them, but his supply of medicinal herbs had never run short.

"After all, as an assassin, he might have secret channels."

Year 639 of Daliang, January nineteenth. Clear weather.

Chen Mu rose early, washed up, ate breakfast, and spent the entire morning alternating between practicing the Flying Locust Stone and the Red Falcon Body Tempering Technique.

For the past half year, Chen Mu had lived this way every day.

After breaking through to Muscle Strengthening, his physical abilities had greatly improved, allowing him to train for longer periods.

But Second Tier skills were also harder to upgrade.

With the two factors balancing each other out, the Proficiency he could grind out each day was not much greater after all.

Upon reaching the Bone Strengthening Realm, the Breathing Method cycle had gone from sixty breaths to ninety.

His movement technique had gained nine new moves.

The Secret Medicine was still the same prescription.

But Chen Mu discovered that the Secret Medicine's effects had decreased by a third.

He did not know whether it was due to drug resistance or whether Sheng Hong had held something back.

"Spend another hundred taels to ask him?" Chen Mu shook his head.

It was not worth it.

That old fox Sheng Hong might not tell him the truth anyway.

"I will keep practicing like this for now." With Proficiency, he would eventually succeed.

That afternoon, Chen Mu left home and headed straight for the south side of the city with the two Burly Men waiting outside his door.

Wonderful Painting Workshop had arranged a portrait commission for him today.

It was his first job of the month.

"Zhou Liang, nothing major has happened at Wonderful Painting Workshop lately, right?" Chen Mu asked the Burly Man on his left as they walked.

The two Burly Men belonged to a small gang in the eastern part of the city. Wonderful Painting Workshop had hired them to protect him.

"I have not heard of anything major. It is just that Boss Zhen went to Nanyang Prefecture City over half a month ago and still has not returned," Zhou Liang replied.

Chen Mu nodded to show he understood, but could not help muttering inwardly.

According to the original plan, Wonderful Painting Workshop was supposed to arrange four commissions for him every month.

Yet it was already late January, and this was only the first commission.

It gave Chen Mu a faint sense of crisis.

He trained every day and ate meat in great quantities. His expenses were anything but small.

If something went wrong with the painting workshop, his quality of life would immediately suffer.

"I hope Boss Zhen returns soon."

Before long, Chen Mu arrived outside the gates of a grand Residence. A plaque above the entrance bore the words Zuo Residence.

Zhou Liang and Zheng Huan stepped forward to knock and announce their arrival.

A young servant led him inside, while Zhou Liang and Zheng Huan were left to rest and wait in the gatehouse.

Chen Mu had been painting portraits for several months and was already proficient at the work.

After meeting the Zuo Family patriarch and asking about his requirements, he immediately began painting.

With his current Second Tier painting skill, even though he deliberately dragged things out to appear thorough, he finished in less than an hour.

After receiving twenty taels for his work, Chen Mu followed the servant out with a delighted smile.

As they passed a small courtyard, shouts and cries rang out from within.

Chen Mu could not help turning to look.

Through the Moon Gate, a young Young Master was practicing martial arts.

Beside him stood a man in his forties or fifties, patiently offering instruction with a smile on his face.

Perhaps sensing someone watching, the man turned his head to look over.

Their eyes met, and both froze.

Sheng Hong?

Had he been hired to teach martial arts directly in someone's home?

Under the man's gaze, Chen Mu could not help feeling uneasy. He cannot tell that I mastered the Red Falcon Body Tempering Technique, can he?

His face revealed nothing. He smiled and nodded at Sheng Hong, then followed the servant away at an unhurried pace.

Sheng Hong watched Chen Mu's retreating back in confusion. He felt that the man looked familiar.

After thinking carefully, realization suddenly dawned on him. "It is that scholar who paints!"

His impression of Chen Mu was far from shallow.

Over the years, he had used the Red Falcon Body Tempering Technique as bait to hook countless fools.

How could a Body Tempering Technique be so easy to learn?

Anyone who came looking for him would have to spend at least three hundred taels of silver before recognizing reality.

But this scholar had come once and never returned.

That had cost him two hundred taels in lost profit. How could he possibly forget him?

"Judging by his movements and physique, he seems to bear traces of a Body Tempering Technique. Did he really learn it?" Sheng Hong wondered.

Then he shook his head and laughed. "How could there be so many geniuses in this world?"

"Forget it. No need to think about him. I should focus on fooling this Eldest Young Master Zuo instead. He is the real fool." Sheng Hong looked at Eldest Young Master Zuo's clumsy movements, and his face blossomed into a smile. "With such a wealthy family, if I can make one big score, it might cover my expenses for the rest of my life!"

Chen Family Residence, Ping'an Ward.

"I never expected to run into Sheng Hong."

Ever since learning the Red Falcon Body Tempering Technique, Chen Mu had instinctively avoided the street where Sheng Hong lived.

Sheng Hong used the Body Tempering Technique to scam people out of money. Chen Mu had mastered it after just one visit. If Sheng Hong found out, would he let it go?

Chen Mu not only avoided Sheng Hong, but Constable Lu as well.

The two were in league with each other, and Chen Mu feared attracting unnecessary trouble. Otherwise, he would not have paid Jie Jia such a high price to purchase medicinal herbs for him.

"Judging from Sheng Hong's expression, he did not recognize me immediately." Chen Mu breathed a sigh of relief.

"Now that he is Eldest Young Master Zuo's instructor, he is even less likely to spare another thought for me."

According to Zhou Liang and Zheng Huan, the Zuo Family was one of Qingshan County's Six Great Families.

They owned vast tracts of land outside the city and rows of shops within it, with astonishing wealth.

"I heard the Zuo Family's young master is a wastrel who frequents brothels and entertainment quarters. He cannot endure hardship or fatigue. If he practices martial arts for half an hour a day, that already counts as diligence."

"Teaching martial arts to a student like that could not be easier."

"With how difficult it is to get started in a Body Tempering Technique, Sheng Hong can stay with the Zuo Family for at least a year or two."

"One hundred taels every seven days. Half a year... Hiss..."

He wished he could take Sheng Hong's place!

"Forget it, forget it. The more I think about it, the more bitter I get. Better honestly practice my own martial arts and eat my own meals."

Cold mixed vegetables, fragrant pan-fried fish chunks, Crystal Pork Knuckle, accompanied by a bowl of steaming White Wheat Rice.

Chen Mu set the Square Table in the courtyard, enjoying the sunset scenery while savoring food that was growing ever more delicious.

His income was considerable, his martial arts were progressing, and he had fine food to enjoy. This was the life he had dreamed of in his previous life.

"Scholar, you certainly know how to enjoy yourself." A voice suddenly sounded behind him.

Chen Mu shuddered and abruptly turned around.

At some unknown point, a figure had appeared behind him.

Sheng Hong?!

The man had silently entered his home, yet he had not noticed at all!

"Master Sheng, how about having a bite with me?" Chen Mu raised a hand and gestured toward the dishes on the table.

"I would not be interrupting?" Sheng Hong asked with a teasing expression.

"Not at all. It is my honor to treat Master Sheng to a meal." Chen Mu took out a new bowl and pair of chopsticks for him.

"I did not expect you to possess such skill." Sheng Hong chewed a slice of Crystal Pork Knuckle and clicked his tongue in amazement. "I can barely bring myself to make a move now."

Chen Mu's scalp instantly went numb.

"Of course, I am not an unreasonable man." Sheng Hong slowly ate a piece of fish.

"Six hundred taels. Six hundred taels to buy your life. That is reasonable, right?"

Chen Mu could not stop his entire body from trembling.

"Do not say you do not have it. I investigated thoroughly. You earn at least over a hundred taels a month painting portraits. It has been more than half a year. How could you possibly not have six hundred taels of silver?"

Chen Mu felt as though someone had poured a basin of ice water over his head.

He had never imagined that Sheng Hong had been thinking about him all along.

"Hadn't you already become an instructor for the Zuo Family?" Chen Mu could hardly believe it. You're already making a fortune, so why are you still after me?

"Who would ever complain about having too much silver?" Sheng Hong chuckled.

"Aren't you afraid of offending the Wonderful Painting Workshop?!" Chen Mu roared in fury.

Sheng Hong glanced at Chen Mu. "I suggest you hand over the money obediently. Those two idiots outside have already been squeezed unconscious by me. No matter how loudly you shout, they won't hear you."

Had Zhou Liang and Zheng Huan already been taken out?

He had completed Muscle Strengthening, but Sheng Hong had practiced the Body Tempering Technique for half his life. At the very least, he was in the Bone Strengthening Realm.

"Did you really knock those two unconscious?" Chen Mu could not help asking.