Chapter Eighteen: The Chief
Inside the hunter’s cabin.
Chen Mu stared intently through the crack in the window at the white-haired old man outside.
Watching the man seemingly strolling leisurely yet vanishing with incredible speed, Chen Mu finally exhaled in relief.
A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead, his entire head soaked.
“Is that old man an assassin?”
“Who wants to kill me?”
“What happened to the employer’s death?”
“Could it be a trick to catch me off guard and strike again?”
Chen Mu’s mind was a tangled mess.
He had been diligently practicing calligraphy and painting, earning his modest living honestly, yet someone wanted him dead?!
The world was harsh, and human hearts were treacherous!
“I must master power quickly!”
The white-haired old man’s figure had completely disappeared.
Chen Mu fastened a pouch containing a mixture of several venomous snake venoms around his waist.
He tidied the lime powder inside his sleeves.
His right hand clenched dozens of sharp-edged stones.
A mountain-cleaving machete hung from his back.
With a wild rabbit he had prepared in hand, Chen Mu unleashed the Red Falcon Form Training Technique with full force, heading straight toward the edge of the forest.
It was exactly the opposite direction from where the old man had left.
Though it was a longer route, it felt safer.
He absolutely did not want to encounter that white-haired old man again.
…
He proceeded cautiously the entire way.
Like a startled bird, every rustle of wind or movement in the grass made his heart race.
Only at dusk did he sneak back to his home in Qingshan County.
“If they can find Chenjia Village, they might find here too.”
“I must move quickly!”
Today’s encounter left Chen Mu feeling deeply insecure.
After putting his things away and hastily eating dinner, he did not rest at home.
Carrying his bedding, he climbed over the wall into the neighboring courtyard.
Having lived here for some time, Chen Mu had already done his reconnaissance.
An empty mansion to the west had been vacant for a long time.
He decided to spend the night there for now.
“I need to find a way to rent this courtyard too.”
“No, it’s still a bit too close,” Chen Mu muttered, glancing westward.
“That mansion over there looks decent as well.”
…
The next day, Chen Mu went to the East Market’s Dental Shop and rented the two adjacent mansions together.
A year’s rent was only one or two silver coins, which Chen Mu could now easily afford.
After locking the doors, he began scaling walls repeatedly to move his basic supplies into the new home.
He slept in the westernmost courtyard.
Practiced his arts in the middle mansion.
He didn’t abandon the old house, planning to keep it as a decoy.
Then he made a large purchase of medicinal herbs and immersed himself in training.
The Red Falcon Form Training Technique’s secret elixir helped improve his constitution and repair injuries.
Previously, he took it once a day.
Now, desperate for strength, Chen Mu took the elixir twice daily, resting moderately between sessions to increase his training frequency.
Before, practicing six or seven times a day left his body aching and sore beyond endurance.
Now, with the elixir’s aid in recovery, he could train eight or nine times daily.
His proficiency soared rapidly.
Feeling his muscles grow firmer, his speed and reflexes sharper, Chen Mu threw himself deeper into his practice.
He even deliberately reduced the number of times he went out to paint portraits.
…
One month later
Calligraphy: 1336/10000/Level 2;
Painting: 1034/10000/Level 2;
Throwing: 2465/10000/Level 2;
Red Falcon Form Training Technique: 5352/10000/Level 1;
“Soon, at most two months to complete the tendon transformation.”
The Training Technique had three stages: tendon transformation, bone transformation, and marrow transformation.
The names were merely simplistic descriptions.
According to Sheng Hong, the three stages represented three breakthroughs of human limits, each reshaping and strengthening overall physical quality.
Every transformation was earth-shattering.
It could not be achieved without years of dedicated practice.
But once completed, surpassing ordinary people became effortless.
“If only I could keep training like this,” Chen Mu frowned.
He had been training non-stop for a month, greatly increasing his consumption of herbs and food.
With fewer outings to paint portraits, his savings visibly dwindled.
He counted all the silver in his pottery jars, copper coins, and fragments.
Forty-three taels…
“I need to paint more portraits this month.”
Increasing elixir usage sharply raised expenses.
Buying the Thousand-Whisker Grass directly from gatherers saved considerable costs.
Yet the rest of the herbs remained pricey.
Without more income, he could only last another month.
“Still poor.”
In the days that followed, he slowed his training pace appropriately and gradually resumed his usual portrait painting frequency.
Fortunately, his painting skill was steadily improving; he was faster now, needing only half a day to finish a portrait.
The other half-day could be used to grind proficiency.
…
One day, returning home from painting a portrait,
Chen Mu suddenly saw a thin middle-aged man standing at his doorstep.
The man stood right at his door, flanked by two burly men.
He recognized the burly men as the bodyguards of Master Yan, the painter.
If not for these two, Chen Mu would have already gone to talk privately with Master Yan.
“Master Yan’s Studio!”
“What trouble is that painter stirring up this time?”
“Looks like the gifts last time weren’t generous enough!”
Chen Mu truly did not want to get entangled with these local bullies.
But before he could turn away, the thin man in gray noticed him.
“Master Chen, please wait!”
Glancing at the two burly men with arms thicker than his thighs, Chen Mu reluctantly abandoned the idea of knocking all three unconscious.
“What’s the matter?”
“Our studio owner, Lord Zhen, requests your presence. Please come with us,” the thin man said with a smile.
Chen Mu looked again at the two expressionless guards.
He knew he had no choice.
“Wait a moment. I’ll get ready,” Chen Mu said, cupping his hands.
“Please hurry. Lord Zhen does not like waiting,” the thin man smiled.
Under their watchful gaze, Chen Mu opened the door.
Just as he intended to close it, one of the guards held it open with one hand.
“Master Chen, please come quickly,” the thin man smiled.
Chen Mu nodded expressionlessly.
Inside the room, Chen Mu stood by the window on the west side, peering through the lattice at the three men by the door, silently slipping two packets of lime powder into his sleeves.
After a moment’s thought, he clenched a small porcelain bottle from the windowsill in his palm.
Finally, he grabbed a handful of stones and stuffed them into his money pouch.
…
Anle Workshop, Ruyi Studio.
Chen Mu looked up at the three-story wooden building.
It was midday, the business inside bustling with uninterrupted crowds.
“Master, please. The lord awaits you in a private room on the third floor,” the thin man led Chen Mu upstairs.
Ruyi Studio occupied a vast area, teeming with customers.
The ground floor was lively, but the third-floor private rooms were quiet.
Chen Mu followed the thin man to the third floor.
A well-fed middle-aged man sat inside the private room, flanked by two tall, sturdy bodyguards.
So this was Lord Zhen? Where was Master Yan?
“But you are Master Chen,” Lord Zhen smiled.
“Yes,” Chen Mu replied calmly.
“Come, come, please sit,” Lord Zhen said warmly.
“I’ve long heard of Master Chen’s astonishing painting skills and have been eager to meet you. Today, I finally see you in person,” Lord Zhen flattered.
“Lord Zhen is too kind,” Chen Mu responded evenly.
This Lord Zhen was indeed a shrewd businessman, adept at conversation.
He spoke of Anle Workshop’s amusing stories, then praised Chen Mu’s artistic talents.
Chen Mu responded half-heartedly, feeling relieved it was not a trap.
“I won’t beat around the bush. I want to invite Master Chen to be the chief painter of our studio,” Lord Zhen said directly.
“Our studio will handle all your commissions; we won’t take a penny from your fees. In addition, you’ll receive a monthly stipend of ten taels,” Lord Zhen said sincerely.
Chief painter? Chen Mu was surprised.
What about Master Yan?
Helping attract business, plus ten taels a month, sounded quite good.
Such favorable terms—could there be a catch?
“As chief painter, Master Chen need only paint portraits for our studio when necessary,” Lord Zhen said with a smile.
Chen Mu understood.
His painting skill, combined with modern techniques, was difficult to imitate.
The studio wanted to use him as their flagship artist.
He could earn steadily while they increased their influence.
“Alright! I accept,” Chen Mu decided without hesitation.
As for Master Yan,
If he dared to cause trouble, Chen Mu would send him another “gift”!
Afterward came a feast of food and drink, lasting until evening, when Chen Mu finally left Anle Workshop.
…
Inside the private room of Ruyi Studio,
Lord Zhen leaned against the window, admiring the early evening lights of Anle Workshop, slowly cracking sunflower seeds. “Sent him back?”
“Lord, he’s gone back,” the thin man carrying a cup of ginseng tea replied.
“With this Master Chen, our studio is secure. The owner has good tactics,” the thin man smiled.
Lord Zhen spat out a seed shell. “Not sure where old Yan is. Without his name, many clients have been lost to Hong Workshop in the west of the city.”
“Could Hong Workshop have secretly harmed old Yan?” the thin man asked gravely.
“That woman is truly capable of such cruelty!” Lord Zhen flicked a seed shell coldly.
“Alright, find two good men tomorrow to protect Chen Mu. No more mistakes.”
“Yes, sir.”
…
Outside the wooden building’s window, a shadow clung silently to the eaves, hanging in midair.
“So they really wanted to hire me as chief painter,” Chen Mu breathed a sigh of relief.
He reached out and flicked a stone, striking the ginseng tea in the thin man’s hand.
“Since they’re the real boss, I can’t let them get poisoned.”
“Too bad my vial of concentrated snake venom is gone.”
Without caring about the chaos inside, he nimbly climbed onto the roof, then leapt into an alley and disappeared.