Chapter Nine: The Locusts

Chen Mu never imagined that a single painting would entangle him in a gruesome massacre. What chilled him to the bone was the fact that the Wang family had been wiped out—a prominent clan that had held sway over Qingshan County for decades.

Staring at the portrait with the missing head, Chen Mu’s mind raced with a thousand thoughts.

"Come with me." Chief Constable Lu turned, intending to escort Chen Mu to the back hall. The County Lieutenant had ordered that Chen Mu not be released, so he had no choice but to lock him up for the time being. Chief Constable Lu couldn't help but feel a flicker of pity. It was easy to get thrown into jail, but getting out was another matter entirely. The Wang family massacre was a heinous crime, and both the Magistrate and the County Lieutenant were under immense pressure. It was entirely possible they would eventually look for a scapegoat to take the fall. This scholar, who had become linked to the Wang family... Chief Constable Lu dared not think any further.

"Wait!" Chen Mu called out, stopping the Chief Constable. His predecessor had no kin or connections; if he were locked away with no one on the outside to advocate for him, he would truly be at the mercy of fate.

"I painted a complete portrait. The head didn't just vanish; someone must have played a trick, using a special technique to erase it!" Chen Mu said in a low, firm voice. His Level 2 Art skill provided him with a vast reservoir of knowledge. Staring at the headless image, a formula for a chemical reagent gradually surfaced in his mind. He leaned closer to the painting and took a subtle sniff. Amidst the rich scent of ink, a faint, lingering fragrance emanated from the paper, making Chen Mu even more certain.

"You have no way to prove that," Chief Constable Lu stated.

"I do!" Chen Mu stared intensely at the Chief Constable. "This painting is a posthumous portrait of the Wang family patriarch. The paper and pigments are of high quality, and combined with my technique of 'ink penetrating the paper,' it is designed to last for decades without fading." Chen Mu bluffed with absolute confidence. In reality, the chemical solution used to erase the ink was not perfectly effective and left traces behind. Of course, he couldn't tell the official about the existence of such a reagent, as that would only increase his own suspicion. "If you have a professional mounter split the paper from the middle, you will certainly find traces of the original pigment. That will be enough to prove I painted a complete portrait!"

"Wait here." Chief Constable Lu took the painting and left the hall. The clerks in the county office were all scholars, and many of the older ones were skilled in the art of mounting.

...

Half an hour later, in the back hall of the county office.

"It seems we can't blame this on evil spirits after all," County Lieutenant Du remarked, looking at the lifelike portrait with a furrowed brow. Evil spirits wouldn't bother erasing the head from a painting; this was clearly the work of criminals playing elaborate tricks.

"It appears that the scholar was indeed just in the wrong place at the wrong time," Chief Constable Lu said.

"Indeed, and he's quite talented, too." County Lieutenant Du finally had a moment to study the portrait. The three-dimensional effect and the realism were a revelation to him. He had never seen such a style of painting before.

"If the portraits on our wanted posters were as realistic as this, no thief would ever escape capture," the County Lieutenant mused, a thought striking him. "I am actually quite interested in meeting this scholar." He then confirmed, "The Spirit-Warding Mirror really showed no reaction?"

"None at all."

"Let's go. We shall meet this scholar," County Lieutenant Du said calmly.

...

"Young Master Chen is truly talented. Your painting skills have truly opened my eyes," County Lieutenant Du said as he walked out of the back hall, his face full of admiration.

"This is County Lieutenant Du of our county," Chief Constable Lu introduced from the side.

Chen Mu bowed respectfully. "Greetings, County Lieutenant Du." He had already gleaned information from his predecessor's memories, knowing that the County Lieutenant was equivalent to a deputy general manager, second only to the County Magistrate in the Qingshan County office, and primarily responsible for law and order. The Wang family massacre fell directly under his jurisdiction.

"I have already investigated the matter. The Wang family massacre has nothing to do with you. You were simply caught in the middle of it. You may go home in peace shortly," County Lieutenant Du said with a wave of his hand.

"Thank you, County Lieutenant!" Chen Mu breathed a long sigh of relief.

"I see that your painting skills are remarkably realistic. If you were to come to the county office to help draw wanted posters, it would certainly greatly improve our county's security. I wonder, Young Master Chen..." County Lieutenant Du said offhandedly.

"No problem at all." Chen Mu agreed decisively. He had no choice but to agree.

County Lieutenant Du nodded with satisfaction, then asked casually, "Since you could tell that someone deliberately erased the head from the painting, do you have any knowledge of such special techniques?"

Knowledge? I don't just have knowledge; I know how to concoct that very solution! But I cannot say so.

Chen Mu pretended to be lost in thought for a moment, then gave a bitter, helpless smile. "My late father once mentioned such techniques for removing pigments, but I only heard of it in passing; I have no idea how it is actually done."

County Lieutenant Du nodded. He hadn't expected a poor scholar to know such secret methods anyway. Just as he was about to see him off, Chen Mu suddenly added, "It is said that the Miaohua Workshop in the east of the city gathers the top painters of Qingshan County. They might know something about this."

Chief Constable Lu, standing to the side, felt his mouth twitch violently.

"Miaohua Workshop?!" County Lieutenant Du's eyes lit up. "Chief Constable Lu, take your men and bring those painters from the Miaohua Workshop in for questioning."

Chief Constable Lu turned to look at Chen Mu, who was standing to the side with a faint, innocent smile, as if none of this had anything to do with him. He couldn't help but blink. This scholar was truly one to hold a grudge.

...

Ping'an Ward, Chen residence.

Chen Mu sat at the square table in the living room, silent, his expression shifting between light and shadow. First, he had been blocked at his door by men sent by the painter Yan. If it hadn't been for Chief Constable Lu's timely arrival, a severe beating would have been inevitable. Then, he had been dragged to the county office and implicated in a mass murder. Although he had been released, there was no guarantee he wouldn't be snatched up again. In such a high-profile case, if they couldn't solve it, the county office would surely seek a scapegoat to boost their performance record. As a poor scholar with a connection to the case, he was the perfect candidate.

"I am a pawn of fate," Chen Mu sighed. Today’s events had given him a clear realization: this was no longer the stable, prosperous country of his past life, but a chaotic ancient world. He had to learn to protect himself.

"Practicing martial arts in the short term isn't feasible, but I need something for self-defense." The first thing that came to Chen Mu's mind was lime powder. It was cheap, easy to obtain in large quantities, and could be devastating if used to catch an opponent off guard. He decided to stock up on some later.

"I also need to gain some strength." He knew nothing of the martial arts in this world and dared not practice blindly, so he could only search through his past memories. His previous life had been an era of information explosion; he knew a little about various combat techniques, but none were systematic. After pondering for a long time, a vague memory surfaced. He seemed to have seen a training method for the "Flying Locust Stone" from the Natural School.

Flying locust stones were just small, common pebbles. They were easy to find and simple to practice with. By gradually improving accuracy and striking power, their effectiveness would naturally increase. Chen Mu immediately went into the courtyard to collect small stones. He leaned his wooden washbasin against the wall and, standing five paces away, began throwing the stones into the basin. Once he had landed all twenty-plus stones into the basin, he stepped back to six paces and continued. By the time he was throwing from eight meters away, some stones finally started missing the basin. Chen Mu didn't increase the distance further, choosing to practice diligently from that spot.

As he threw until his arm grew sore and his strength began to wane, a flash of insight suddenly struck him. His throwing technique adjusted subconsciously, and the movement became slightly more efficient and effortless.

Chen Mu focused his mind, and the gray wall appeared before his eyes:

Writing: 1043/10000/Level 2;

Drawing: 157/10000/Level 2;

Throwing: 26/10000/Level 1;

Chen Mu took a deep breath. This was a process he was familiar with.

Time to practice.