Chapter Twenty-Seven: Calming the Storm

After the incident with Zhou Liang and Zheng Huan, Chen Mu had even less desire to leave the house. He stayed tucked away, focusing on grinding his skill proficiencies.

Three days later, as Chen Mu was eating lunch, the faint sound of gongs drifted in from outside, followed by periodic announcements. Chen Mu listened intently. The authorities were finally stepping in to restore order. Even so, he remained home for two more days before finally venturing out.

The streets of the East Market were a shadow of their former prosperity. The crowds were sparse, and the shops on both sides had been ravaged, their doors and windows shattered. As he walked, he could hear occasional wailing drifting from the small alleyways. He hadn't gone far before he encountered two funeral processions. And those were just the ones who could afford a proper burial; who knew how many bodies were already buried in the mass graves outside the city, wrapped in nothing but cheap straw mats.

He had intended to find Butcher Zheng to buy some fresh meat, but the sight of the shop's tightly shuttered doors from afar told him it was a lost cause. He turned and headed for the Bafang Pavilion in Anle Ward. The doors, windows, and furniture there were mostly new, likely replaced after being looted and destroyed during the chaos. The main hall was filled with people drinking tea and chatting; he was not the only one here to gather information.

He bought a pot of tea and a plate of melon seeds as usual, sat in a corner, and listened to the storyteller recount the causes and consequences of the bandit uprising from a few days ago. The routed troops with grey headscarves had breached the gates, the bandits from Aishan Mountain had looted during the chaos, traitors within the city had opened the gates, and entire wealthy clans had been wiped out. Each piece of shocking news made Chen Mu’s head ache.

The magistrate had gone missing? Had he fled or died? The eldest young master of the Zuo family had displayed incredible power, cutting down the second-in-command of the Aishan bandits. Was this really the frail, spoiled playboy he remembered? Most likely, he was another cunning fox playing the fool.

"Will the routed troops and bandits attack the city again?" This was the question Chen Mu cared about most. Unfortunately, the opinions in the tea house were divided, and after listening for a long time, he couldn't reach a conclusion.

"Forget it. Better to just stay home," Chen Mu thought, rising to leave.

As he reached the door, he came face-to-face with a young man in white.

"Young Master Zuo Sheng of the Zuo family?" Chen Mu almost doubted his eyes. It was the same face, and he still looked just as tall and thin. However, after his own body had undergone two transformations, Chen Mu’s senses were far superior to those of an ordinary person. He could clearly perceive the powerful, muscular physique hidden beneath the man's loose robes. He really was a cunning fox; playing the part of a frail, spoiled brat with a frame like that—what a joke!

The young man noticed Chen Mu and nodded with a smile. Chen Mu hurriedly returned the gesture, wondering to himself, *I have no friendship with this Zuo family heir, so why is he always so polite when we meet?* Without waiting for the other to speak, Chen Mu gave an awkward smile and quickly walked away. He had no desire to get involved with such a deceptive person.

...

"Young master, do you know that man?" the page boy behind Zuo Sheng asked curiously. His young master was solitary by nature, and there were few people who could earn him a pleasant expression.

"I suppose you could say that," Zuo Sheng replied with a soft laugh, watching Chen Mu's retreating figure. That was the footwork of the Red Falcon Body-Refining Technique. By that logic, they were fellow disciples. Their stingy teacher was so greedy for money that he must have taken on many disciples. Yet, truthfully, only this one seemed to have inherited Master Sheng's true techniques. Thinking of the "True Red Falcon Body-Refining Technique" that had been sold until it was common in the Ghost Market, Zuo Sheng’s expression turned peculiar. "He’s quite good at drawing, heh."

...

In the West Market, at Tianyi Studio, Chen Mu stood at the entrance, looking left and right, feeling that something was wrong. Wasn't this Jie Jia's antique shop? What was with all the coffins filling the hall?

Chen Mu walked to the door and peered inside, locking eyes with Jie Jia, who was sitting behind the counter with an air of profound composure. It really was this old man. Chen Mu looked at him with admiration. When it came to making money, this old guy was truly ruthless. It had only been a few days, and he had actually turned a perfectly good antique shop into a coffin shop! Incredible, absolutely incredible.

"Something you need?" Jie Jia asked, sitting expressionless behind the counter.

"I want to go to the Ghost Market," Chen Mu said directly. Having dealt with Jie Jia for a long time, he knew that, aside from money, the old man had very little patience for anything else. It was best to be blunt.

"Twenty taels." Jie Jia’s eyes shifted slightly to focus on Chen Mu's sleeve, where his money bag was kept.

Chen Mu looked at him with a mocking expression. "You might not be aware, but I am practically a fellow disciple of Young Master Zuo Sheng of the Zuo family. We were just chatting at the Bafang Pavilion, and we happened to talk about the Ghost Market. Do you think he doesn't know the price of an entry ticket? If I didn't want to keep my business in the Ghost Market a secret, would I have come to you?" Chen Mu said coldly. "You can give me another price."

Jie Jia's eyes flicked back, a flash of disappointment crossing his face. "Two taels."

Chen Mu: "..." *Is he really being this black-hearted? Ten times the price!*

"Do I look like such a pushover?" Chen Mu couldn't help but ask.

Jie Jia didn't speak; he just gave Chen Mu a faint, flat look. Chen Mu felt a lump of frustration rising in his chest.

...

On the twenty-third day of the fourth month in the 639th year of the Great Liang Dynasty, Chen Mu wrapped himself up tightly and took a carriage alone to the Ghost Market. It was different from what he had imagined. He had expected the Ghost Market to be as desolate as the city's East and West markets, but instead, the flow of people had surged, more than doubling since his last visit. Even though everyone subconsciously lowered their voices, the entire market was bustling. Had it not been for the fact that everyone was bundled up, Chen Mu would have thought he had arrived at an open-air fair.

Chen Mu walked silently through the streets of the abandoned village, quietly observing the vendors on both sides of the road. Compared to the past, there were many more people buying and selling jade and antiques. The sacking of Qingshan County by the rebel army and the looting by the Aishan bandits had killed many, but it had also enriched many others. If he hadn't possessed some skills of his own, Zhou Liang and Zheng Huan might have ended up here themselves.

Chen Mu stopped wandering and headed straight for a dilapidated house.

"Is the guest buying or selling?" a person wearing a smiling fat monk mask asked calmly from behind a square table.

"Buying secret manuals," Chen Mu replied, sitting down opposite him.

"Any special requirements?" the masked man continued.

Chen Mu felt a stir in his heart. "Do you have any body-refining techniques?"

"The guest wants a body-refining technique?" The masked man's voice rose in excitement.

"You really have one?" Chen Mu looked in surprise at the wooden cabinet behind the man. While all body-refining techniques allowed for transformation, they had different focuses. The Red Falcon technique focused primarily on speed, with no advantage in strength. If he could learn a complementary technique, he could achieve a comprehensive transformation!

"The guest is truly lucky!" The masked man turned and pulled a scroll from behind him. "I just acquired a precious body-refining scroll. This chart is exquisitely drawn with detailed notes, making it extremely easy to learn." He eagerly unrolled a third of the scroll. "Guest, please look."

In the center was a row of lifelike figures. On the right were dense columns of tiny script. On the left was a line of elegant, bold characters: "True Red Falcon Body-Refining Technique."

Chen Mu: "..."

"Not a thousand taels, not even five hundred—only one hundred and eighty-eight taels. You won't lose out, you won't be cheated; it is absolutely, positively worth more than the price!"

Chen Mu: "..."

*Heh...*