Chapter Sixteen: Chaos

Turning the corner and avoiding the gazes fixed on him, Chen Mu chuckled to himself.

“There’s no way I’m getting scammed out of my money!” He became increasingly certain that Captain Lu and Sheng Hong were in cahoots.

“I used to think that guy was a decent person,” Chen Mu lamented.

Smiling on the surface, but scheming behind your back.

The world is treacherous!

“There aren’t many pure-hearted people left like me…” Chen Mu sighed.

…

Eastern Market

“Zheng, why has the price of meat gone up again?” Chen Mu frowned.

The last time he bought meat, it was twenty-six copper coins per jin; now it had risen to thirty-two.

“There’s nothing I can do about it. The livestock traders were robbed by bandits, and what I’m selling now is from my own farm,” Zheng said, though his face showed little joy despite the higher price.

“Robbed again? It’s not that the livestock traders are trying to gouge customers, right?” Chen Mu asked suspiciously.

“I’ve heard that the situation outside has been quite unstable recently,” Zheng said with concern.

Chen Mu’s interest was piqued. He didn’t rush Zheng but used the opportunity to casually inquire about the outside world.

He had arrived in this world three or four months ago and had stayed mostly in Qingshan County, with only vague memories of his past life to guide him.

“We’re relatively safe here since it’s a remote area. But in some places, there are already rebellions, and bandits run rampant.”

“Recently, many refugees from war-torn regions have come to Qingshan County.”

“We must make sure things don’t get chaotic here,” Zheng said anxiously while cutting meat. Peace was good for business.

“So, by comparison, Qingshan County is actually quite safe?”

If even this so-called safe haven had people willing to wipe out entire families, what must the chaos outside be like?

It was unimaginable!

Chen Mu had once thought about exploring far and wide, but with the outside world so dangerous, he hesitated.

“Better to quietly eat meat and train,” he thought.

Without solid skills, it was best not to roam about recklessly.

With the advantage of skill proficiency, Chen Mu had no doubt about the speed of his cultivation.

“There’s no rush to venture out before I’ve mastered the Ten-Mile Slope Sword God technique.”

…

At first, Chen Mu had imagined his life would be full of twists and grand adventures.

But as time passed, he realized it wasn’t much different from his past life.

Each day he would wake up, wash, eat, and train; every three or four days, he would go out to paint portraits to earn money.

Just like clocking in at a job in his previous life.

But unlike Earth in his past life—

Whether painting or training, every effort brought clear insights.

This tangible progress in his abilities kept Chen Mu endlessly fascinated.

The uneventful life became all the more fulfilling.

…

Twenty li south of Qingshan County, behind Chen Family Village.

Five or six hunters carrying bows and chopping knives walked through the forest.

Beneath their feet was a narrow path barely revealing the earth, surrounded by lush greenery.

Aside from the unknown bird calls and occasional beast roars, the woods were alive with natural sounds.

Among them was a young man with fair skin who stood out—this was Chen Mu, visiting Chen Family Village.

“Mu kid, why leave the city to come hunting with us?” asked the burly man leading them.

“Uncle Erdao, someone in the city wants a mountain landscape painting. I need to do some field research. Sorry to trouble you all,” Chen Mu smiled.

“A landscape painting? What for?” asked a squat, sturdy man in the group.

“Maybe they’ve never seen it before and don’t want to go out and suffer, so they buy paintings to look at,” another guessed.

Chen Mu smiled but said nothing, letting them speculate.

Chen Family Village was his ancestral home, surrounded by mountains on three sides.

His grandfather had lived there until his death. Chen Mu’s previous incarnation had moved to the city with his father, who taught in Qingshan County.

The village was mostly populated by people surnamed Chen, many of whom were distant relatives.

Though the old family house was dilapidated, it still stood.

His previous self would return several times a year to clean the ancestral home and pay respects to the ancestors.

Thus, it was easy to connect with the village’s hunting party.

This time, Chen Mu came home to purchase Thousand-Whisker Grass.

Pork, grain, and medicinal herbs were all rising in price.

And with fewer people commissioning paintings, he had to plan for the future.

Following the hunters into the mountains was a way to familiarize himself with the terrain.

The mountains were rugged and densely vegetated; he planned to test his Red Falcon Form Technique here.

“Mu kid, the mountain paths are rough. Watch your step,” warned Uncle Erdao.

“Got it,” Chen Mu replied obediently.

The burly man was worried and kept looking back to check on him.

To his surprise, Chen Mu’s steps were steady and unhurried.

After walking so long, he himself was out of breath, but Chen Mu kept even breathing, as if on a leisurely spring outing. The sight amazed him.

They spent three days wandering the forest. Chen Mu observed traps, gathered herbs, and hunted rabbits and pheasants with the hunters.

On the fourth day, they returned heavily laden.

Chen Mu was honest and asked questions when unsure, gaining a good general understanding of the back mountain area around Chen Family Village.

…

Two days later, Chen Mu left Chen Family Village carrying several dozen stalks of Thousand-Whisker Grass.

In Qingshan County’s city, each stalk sold for half a tael of silver—nearly six hundred copper coins.

But herb dealers only paid villagers sixty copper coins per stalk.

Even selling directly to the city’s pharmacies fetched no more than seventy copper coins.

Nearly ten times the profit!

“Such a rip-off!” Chen Mu shook his head in frustration.

Leaving Chen Family Village, he didn’t return straight to the city but took a detour back into the forest.

He hadn’t forgotten that he came not only to collect herbs but also to test the Form Technique.

Entering the mountains, Chen Mu tightened his backpack and moved cautiously.

The mountains held fierce beasts and venomous insects; even a seemingly insignificant insect could be deadly.

While staying alert to his surroundings, Chen Mu gradually increased his pace.

At first, he just quickened his walk, then broke into a run.

Every raised stone or broken dead tree became a leverage point.

Like a leopard, Chen Mu darted swiftly among the trees, his clothes fluttering in the wind.

He sprinted up a small hilltop, chest swelling with exhilaration, and couldn’t help but let out a loud shout.

“Ha ha… exhilarating!”

His speed, stamina, and reflexes had all surpassed ordinary people.

This was unimaginable in his previous life, and Chen Mu was thrilled.

Just as he prepared to shout again—

“Roar…”

A fierce beast’s howl suddenly echoed.

Chen Mu instinctively shrank his neck.

“Keep it down, keep it down, no wild moves!”

Deep in the mountains, there were tigers and other beasts!

With his physique, he might not survive an encounter.

He quickly left the hilltop, heading for a wooden hut in the forest—the hunters’ temporary camp.

He put down his belongings and stayed nearby, practicing the Red Falcon Form Technique in the surrounding woods.

Though the complex environment increased difficulty, it also enhanced his gains.

He trained six times in a row, improving his proficiency by over seventy points.

“If I combine this with secret medicines, my proficiency will increase even more!”

Chen Mu almost wanted to live in the forest permanently.

“This can’t be rushed; it needs careful planning.”

He still needed to paint to earn money and must thoughtfully arrange his training in the mountains.