The next afternoon, Xing Lao Liu looked at the overly cheerful Ding Lao Tou with a face of despair, too lazy to even speak.
Raising his head to look at the tall figure with a blue birthmark covering half his face, he felt the hair on his scalp stand on end.
Had Ding Lao Tou stirred up a hornet’s nest?
Every single one of them was the kind of ruthless person who dared to mar their own face?!
Life no longer held any appeal for him, yet he had no choice but to handle things cautiously. Xing Lao Liu slouched in the recliner, finding himself unable to focus on the book in his hands.
“I can’t stay in this Scripture Pavilion anymore!”
…
As evening approached, at the residence of the Wu Character Camp instructor in the Inner City East of the City,
Chen Mu hopped down from the carriage, brushed his hand over the Five Ghosts Bag on his chest, which now contained an additional all-new Shape Cultivation Technique, and couldn’t help but reveal a satisfied smile on his face.
In the Scripture Pavilion, there were only three high-end Shape Cultivation Techniques in total.
The rest were at the level of the Red Falcon Shape Cultivation Technique, some even worse.
“I can’t take off the ‘green-faced beast’s’ vest yet,” Chen Mu sized up the vermilion-painted gate before him.
He had to hang around with Chao Tianwang until the one-month deadline arrived.
Otherwise, with people constantly coming to press-gang him, even eating would not be peaceful.
Chen Mu turned his head to look at Ding Lao Tou inside the carriage.
The old man had been a lot of help today.
The identity of Yang Zhi was made up on a whim, easy to expose upon any scrutiny.
Thanks to the old man’s wheeling and dealing, no one had suspected a thing.
Noticing Chen Mu’s gaze, Ding Lao Tou immediately responded with an eager smile.
This man might be unsightly, but he had made him a full five hundred taels of silver!
Upon closer inspection, that face was actually quite… endearing, haha.
Chen Mu gave him an equally terrifying smile, his eyes occasionally wandering over the old man’s arms and legs: “Since he’s gone to such lengths, let’s give him a little gift.”
“Two Iron Lotus Seeds? No more than that.”
As Chen Mu pondered whether to ambush the carriage on the road later or sneak in at night to deliver,
Ding Lao Tou suddenly leaned forward with a broad grin: “Young Warrior Yang, don’t you also have a friend?”
“Hmm? Can I even have friends?”
“Why not!”
“As long as the money is right, friends can be found everywhere!” Ding Lao Tou said excitedly!
He leaned forward and whispered to Chen Mu, “You’re one of the tough guys from up north, aren’t you?”
“Where did you used to hang out before this?”
“You couldn’t mix in there anymore because of the chaos in the north, could you?”
“Now you’re thinking of joining Chao Tianwang?”
“Tell me about it, don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”
Chen Mu: “…”
How did a decent person like me end up being seen as a gangster?!
What the hell did you imagine, you bastard!
And asking where I used to hang out?!
Chen Mu glared at Ding Lao Tou: “I hung out on Liang Mountain!”
“See! I guessed right!” Ding Lao Tou said proudly.
“I’ve seen quite a few of your kind recently!”
“Let me tell you, as long as the silver is forthcoming, there’s no problem with your identity!”
“Come on, tell me, how many more of you want to join Chao Tianwang.” Ding Lao Tou smiled warmly.
Chen Mu thought about the medical and poison compendiums on the first floor, then about the other precious books on the second floor.
“One hundred and seven!”
“One… one hundred and seven?!” Ding Lao Tou’s eyes bulged in disbelief. “All as skilled as you?”
“Each with their own unique expertise,” Chen Mu asserted fervently.
“This… this… this could be a big deal!” Ding Lao Tou’s eyes turned red with excitement.
Chen Mu, with a look of dejection: “I know it’s a bit many, if you could arrange for just three or five more…”
“Not many! Not at all!” Ding Lao Tou’s neck was red with excitement.
Five hundred taels per person, for one hundred and seven people…
“I’m taking this deal—no question about it! I’m telling you, not even Chao Tianwang can stop me!”
Chen Mu showed a look of admiration and gave Ding Lao Tou a thumbs up: “Impressive spirit!”
…
After gently declining Ding Lao Tou’s dashing invitation to the Chunfeng Tower,
Chen Mu regretfully watched the other’s carriage drive away.
“I wonder if I will ever see Miss Yu Tao again.”
After all, once the role play was over, he was supposed to leave Nanyang.
Chen Mu turned to look at the vermilion gate of the Wu Character Camp behind him, took a deep breath, “See you tomorrow.”
Then he turned and walked away.
He had to go prepare the dye solution; his face had to be blackened to portray the character of Song·Black Third Son·Timely Rain·Jiang.
…
The cool night air dispelled the heat of the day.
At the Taohua Pottery Workshop, in the fourth residence on Dingyou Street,
After dinner, Chen Mu, as usual, completed his daily practice of the Heavenly Serpent Shape Cultivation Technique.
After a quick cleanup with a bucket of cool well water, Chen Mu walked into the room wearing an open-front sweatshirt.
In the middle of the square table in the room was placed a fist-sized bronze incense burner.
Thin plumes of blue smoke wafted up, carrying a faint medicinal scent that spread the insect-repelling incense throughout the room.
The bright oil lamp illuminated the table where Chen Mu looked with satisfaction at the three Shape Cultivation books.
The “Seven-horned Black Deer Shape Cultivation Art,” the “Green Ox Shape Cultivation Technique,” and the “Mysterious Ram Shape Cultivation Technique.”
Among the three Shape Cultivation books, even the Mysterious Ram Shape Cultivation Technique, with the fewest breathing method variations, had two hundred and six variations. The other two had as many as three hundred and sixty!
“Fortunately, there’s no Divine Intent Diagram,” Chen Mu thought happily.
If such high-end Shape Cultivation techniques included Divine Intent Diagrams, they would have been locked away and collected by noble families long ago.
After flipping through them a couple more times, Chen Mu no longer dwelled on them.
The black smoke roiled as the three booklets were put away into the Five Ghosts Bag.
“No need to hurry, there are more than a dozen others waiting for me!”
…
Eighty miles outside of Nanyang Prefecture City lay a gently sloping hillside known as Xiulin Slope.
Midway up the hill, what was once lush forest had been cleared, and a military camp had abruptly risen.
Thousands of robust soldiers clad in black leather armor were stationed there.
Inside the central main tent,
Shangguan Ji sat on a short couch, his face pale.
“Father, here, take the ‘Jade Pill for Hall Illumination,'” Shangguan Yu handed a porcelain bottle to Shangguan Ji, her face full of concern. Explore new worlds at мѵʟ
Since he was a child, Shangguan Ji had always been Nanyang’s number one. He never expected to be severely injured by someone this time.
“I underestimated that demonic ape, Tu Shan,” said Shangguan Ji, a chill flickering in his eyes.
“He shattered my Body Protection Aura with nothing but his Shell Soul.”
“That person might very well be an illegitimate child of a noble family.”
“With a rich bloodline, his Shell Soul is as hard as Spiritual Light. Endowed with enduring strength, far surpassing that of ordinary people.”
“If we encounter him on our way back to the city…” Shangguan Yu was clearly worried.
Shangguan Ji waved his hand dismissively, “It’s alright, I was careless this time.”
“If we were to fight face to face, I might not kill him, but he would also not be able to kill me.”
Shangguan Yu let out a sigh of relief, “The Evil-Repelling Mirror is ready. When are we going back to the city?”
“What does the Startling Swan Gang have to say?” asked Shangguan Ji.
“Jin Wuduan said they suffered heavy losses due to a demonic attack and can’t afford to help,” Shangguan Yu frowned deeply.
“Cunning old fox,” Shangguan Ji curled his lip.
“Don’t rush, just wait,” he said.
Shangguan Yu puzzled, “Wait for what?”
Shangguan Ji chuckled lightly, “Wait for Chao Fang to clean up Nanyang Prefecture City for us.”
Shangguan Yu’s eyes lit up, “Are we using Chao Fang to clear out all the disobedient forces and families?”
“It’s easier to draw on a blank canvas,” remarked Shangguan Ji meaningfully.
“Father is truly wise!”
…
The next day, Chen Mu arrived at the Scripture Pavilion of the Inner City, his face painted black in disguise as Xiaoyi Heilang.
The usual register at the door, Lao Liu, was not present, replaced by a simple and honest-looking middle-aged man.
After signing in his name, affiliated unit, and visit time just like the past three days, Chen Mu familiarly stepped into the Library.
This time, he did not rush to the second floor to copy Shape Cultivation techniques.
After all, the best three books were already in his Five Ghosts Bag.
Chen Mu walked over to the row that contained medical and poison compendia.
Due to his interest in Pharmaceutical Techniques, he found these kinds of books quite fascinating.
Previously preoccupied with acquiring Shape Cultivation techniques, he had no mind to bother with them. Now was a good time to browse through.
He had asked before; books from the first floor of the library could also be taken out, as long as enough silver was paid.
“Decisive Treatments of Broths and Decoctions”? I’ve seen that.
“Essential Categories of True Forms”? It’s in the Five Ghosts Bag.
“Bone Reading for Physiognomy”? I’m not going around telling fortunes for people.
“Author, Xing Ming. Xing?” Could that be the ancestor of that thin and dark old man?
Chen Mu couldn’t help but take a closer look.
“For every human bone, born innate, shaped through experience, its form logical, flesh and skin relative…”
Chen Mu found himself engrossed in reading.
“Lao Liu really can judge a person’s character by their bones,” Chen Mu reflected.
The book also introduced several drugs for facial disguise and transformation. With his Fourth Rank Pharmaceutical Technique, he understood them at a glance.
“Shaving bones, adding flesh? Cutting open the facial skin, insects gnawing at the bones; applying a medicinal paste, skin and flesh regenerating? That’s harsh!” Chen Mu couldn’t help but look closely.
The more he read, the more familiar it seemed.
“How come this effect is almost the same as my Second Rank Shape-shifting Technique?”
As he thought more about it, he couldn’t help but laugh, “It really is similar!”
But as he laughed, he suddenly stopped laughing, “Lao Liu can judge… bones?!”
This is bad!
How the hell am I supposed to impersonate one of the Hundred and Eight Generals!