Chapter Seven: Cornered

Paint if you must; earning money is nothing to be ashamed of.

"Please bring me the clothes and accessories that Master Wang wears daily."

"The maid who grooms Master Wang should also be called over, if possible."

"And bring me a decent chair."

Steward Li looked at Chen Mu with surprise, went out to consult with the young master of the Wang family, and then arranged everything exactly as Chen Mu had requested.

Ideally, one should have the subject of a portrait dressed and posed properly. Unfortunately, judging by the state of the man on the bed, he would be lucky to survive until tomorrow, let alone get dressed and strike a pose. Had Chen Mu not possessed a second-tier painting skill, he would never have dared to accept this commission. But now, he was full of confidence.

As soon as he saw Master Wang’s garments, the image of the man dressed in them appeared clearly in his mind. After carefully questioning the maid about her daily grooming routine, the image of Master Wang in his prime—face and hairstyle included—was already etched in his mind. With the addition of an antique, sturdy, circular-backed chair, the entire composition of the portrait became crystal clear.

Chen Mu took one last look at Master Wang, then lowered his head to paint.

An hour later, Chen Mu set down his brush and stood up.

"Master Chen, your skill is divine!" Even the usually stern Steward Li could not help but be moved.

The man in the portrait had a full face, bright, spirited eyes, and hair combed with meticulous care—his overall appearance was a world away from the man on the sickbed. Yet, Steward Li knew that this was exactly what Master Wang looked like in his prime. He had not expected this quiet, impoverished scholar to possess such talent.

...

In the carriage, Chen Mu happily clutched a small cloth bag. Inside was the fee from Steward Li: ten taels of silver. In addition, his rent had been waived for a year. In Qingshan County, one tael of silver could be exchanged for about twelve hundred copper coins. Three hundred copper coins were enough for a family of three to live on for a month, and well enough to be full at that. Ten taels of silver, if one were frugal, could sustain a household for three years! To Chen Mu, this was a massive fortune, yet Steward Li had handed it over with complete indifference. Beyond the excellence of the portrait, it was simply because the Wang family was wealthy and did not care for such trifles.

"Finally, I can afford to eat meat!"

He had spent half a month in seclusion, exhausting his energy to master his painting. Although he had been full at every meal, it had only been greens and coarse wheat. Not only had he not gained weight, he had actually grown thinner.

Arriving at the East Market, Chen Mu got off early, ran to the butcher shop, bought two catties of pork belly, and headed home. After struggling for a month and a half, he was going to have a good meal today.

...

As he walked, he passed a martial arts school. Hearing the shouts and cries from within, Chen Mu could not help but stop to watch. He had not forgotten the mysterious Constable Lu, who could cover five or six meters in a single stride. The school bore a black plaque with golden characters reading "White Cloud Martial Arts School."

Chen Mu stood at the entrance, observing calmly. The apprentices were busy—some lifting stone locks, others practicing with spears, and others wielding swords. It was a scene of intense activity. After a short while, Chen Mu left the school, feeling disappointed. These training methods were essentially just ways to build raw strength, much like the gym workouts from his previous life. These techniques alone could never produce the ability to leap five or six meters like Constable Lu.

"No hurry. I will look into it slowly."

...

The next day, it was already late morning before Chen Mu woke up to wash. The desperate month and a half of isolation, combined with the uncertainty of this strange new world, had weighed heavily on him. But the ten taels of silver he earned yesterday had finally allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief. With this money, he wouldn't have to worry about going hungry for at least a year or two. More importantly, he had mastered a skill that could support him and perhaps even allow him to live quite well.

"It’s just a pity that my first job was a funeral portrait. It would have been better to paint a beautiful courtesan."

After a hearty meal, Chen Mu packed his brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone, preparing to head to Anle Ward to continue selling his paintings. Chen Mu lived in Ping'an Ward, located in the southeast of Qingshan County, an area of low, clustered houses—a neighborhood for commoners. The roads were nothing but a maze of winding alleys. Just as he turned a corner, a tall, burly man blocked his path. The man stared at Chen Mu, his face full of savage, fleshy features that were enough to make one’s heart tremble.

Chen Mu instinctively felt that something was wrong and turned to retreat, only to find a shorter man standing behind him. The man looked at Chen Mu with a mocking grin, his expression like a cat playing with a mouse.

He had been cornered!

Panic flared in Chen Mu’s heart for a second. He searched his memories of the previous owner of this body, but found no sign of these two men, nor any memory of having made enemies.

"I have an appointment with the Wang family in the city to paint a funeral portrait for Master Wang today. If I am delayed, you two will have to bear the consequences," Chen Mu said, trying his best to remain calm.

"Trying to scare me?" the short man chuckled. "Didn't you finish that yesterday?"

Chen Mu’s heart sank. These two had come prepared!

"The entire commission is in here. Can you let me pass?" Chen Mu took out the cloth bag, feeling strangely calm. He decided to pay to avoid disaster. He knew that these people were like leeches; once they latched on, they were not easily shaken off. But if he didn't pay, they would certainly rob him by force, and he might even get a beating.

"That’s not enough. You’ll have to add something else," the short man said, smiling as he stepped closer, his tone filled with frivolous playfulness.

Chen Mu frowned. Aside from this bag of money, he had nothing else of value.

"Your hands!" the tall, burly man said coldly.

Chen Mu’s heart went cold.

"Can you tell me who sent you?" This was no longer a simple robbery!

The short man looked at Chen Mu with surprise: "You’re not afraid?"

"I am," Chen Mu said calmly. But fear would not stop these two.

The short man frowned. Why was this fellow so indifferent? Shouldn't he be panicking and begging for mercy?

"Break both his arms!" the short man ordered coldly. "Once I break your hands, let's see if you can stay so calm."

Chen Mu’s scalp tightened. Suppressing the instinct to run, he stared intently at the two men, memorizing their faces.

"What are you looking at, damn you!" The short man was irritated by Chen Mu’s gaze and kicked him to the ground.

"What, you want to take revenge on us?"

"Once I break your legs and gouge out your eyes, I’ll see how you take revenge!" the short man said viciously. Living on the streets, such brutal methods were second nature to them.

The tall man stepped forward and raised his foot, aiming to stomp down hard on Chen Mu’s hand. Chen Mu couldn't help but tense his entire body.

*Bang!*

A dark shadow flashed before his eyes, but the expected pain did not arrive.

The tall, burly man suddenly flew backward through the air, crashing down three or four meters away, landing flat on his back. He twitched and writhed on the ground like a worm, unable to get up.

*Bang!*

Almost simultaneously, another sound rang out. The short man was pressed against the wall, his body seemingly stuck there against his will, before falling to the ground, his face contorted in agony as he gasped for air.

Chen Mu turned his head and saw that, at some point, a figure dressed in black, with a long sword at his waist, had appeared not far behind him.

"Constable Lu?!"