“`
Behind Tianyi Studio, only a wall apart.
Jie Jia carefully chewed on a piece of crystal pork elbow, the fresh and salty taste continuously assaulting his taste buds, saliva secreted like crazy, making his eyelids involuntarily lift a fraction.
He glanced at Chen Mu unexpectedly.
The scholar has this skill too?
“If you like it, have more!” Chen Mu offered enthusiastically.
“I won’t be staying at Tianyi Studio tonight,” Jie Jia said indifferently.
You think I’ll help you deter the ghosts, you’ve probably miscalculated!
“No worries, I won’t be staying here tonight either,” Chen Mu replied indifferently.
As long as you’re here during the day, that’s fine.
Old man Jie Jia talked about ghosts without changing his expression.
Chen Mu had long guessed that this old fellow had ways to deal with ghosts.
He immediately rented the residence next to Tianyi Studio for a high price.
Contrary to popular belief,
ghosts aren’t afraid of sunlight, they just dislike it. Thus, there’s still a risk during the day.
Jie Jia unexpectedly glanced at Chen Mu.
So assured and fearless?
Forget it, don’t think about it, just eat. You can’t let this deliciousness go to waste.
After gulping down the last sip of fish ball soup, Jie Jia burped with satisfaction.
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to let this scholar live here.
As long as he doesn’t add anything, at least the meals are enjoyable.
Since that’s the case, I might as well charge a little less silver, “Ten taels per month.”
Chen Mu looked at Jie Jia with a face full of surprise, “Is this residence yours?”
“No, it isn’t,” Jie Jia responded, baffled.
“Then how can you charge me rent?” Chen Mu asked seriously.
Jie Jia: “…”
Am I charging you rent?
It’s a fee for warding off evil!
“Old Jie might not know, but the rent is paid three months in advance, and I’ve already paid it; there’s no need for you to collect it for me,” Chen Mu said with a smile.
I won’t give it, let’s see if you’ve got the guts to move out.
Jie Jia: “…”
…
As evening came, the skies darkened.
Chen Mu had his dinner early.
Locking his home door, he walked unhurriedly toward the north of the town.
He tried to stick to the main roads where people could be seen.
Soon, he arrived in front of a residence.
Pulling out a key, he unlocked the brand-new copper lock and pushed the door open to enter.
This was a three-section large residence.
All the courtyards he rented previously put together weren’t as big as this one.
The rent was also not cheap, costing five taels of silver a month.
In comparison, his previous residence cost only one tael of silver for an entire year.
“Expensive, but I must rent it,” Chen Mu decided, turning his head to look next door.
A single wall separated it from the large courtyard of the Zuo Family, the residence of young master Zuo Sheng.
Zuo Sheng was a ruthless man who had truly slain ghosts!
This was the information Chen Mu confirmed after spending ten taels of silver, obtained from the Zuo Family’s coachman, gardener, watchman, and a disabled guard.
“With Jie Jia and young master Zuo as two passive protectors, the ghost crisis is temporarily not a worry,” Chen Mu thought silently.
“It’s just a bit expensive.”
In March, he had already spent a huge sum on stocking up on a large quantity of medicinal materials and food.
Lately, to ensure his own safety, he had scattered away quite a lot of silver.
Now, he only had eighty-six taels of silver and a jar of copper coins left on him.
“It won’t affect daily life, but it will eventually lead to exhausting all resources without income.”
He walked into the room closest to the Zuo Family.
Chen Mu locked the door behind him, washed up, and went to bed.
“Need to sell more fish.”
All key managers and clerks of Miao Hua Pavilion have left Qingshan County, leaving only an empty shell behind.
Chen Mu’s business of selling portraits was completely ruined.
Selling fish, on the other hand, became a significant source of income for him.
By making several more trips each month, he could easily save up ten to eight taels.
Definitely not as profitable as selling portraits.
But the advantage lies in the steady and secure income.
…
Bailang River to the south of Qingshan County.
“`
Early in the morning, Chen Mu arrived here, braving the morning dew.
He had specifically chosen this spot, Deep Water Bay, far from Qingshan County.
Due to the distance, few people came here to fish, so the fish were abundant.
Baiting, fishing, all in one breath.
He filled two large bamboo baskets, regretfully glancing at the drunken fish bobbing on the water.
Chen Mu shouldered his load and strode towards Qingshan County.
He started with a brisk walk, but then quickened his pace until he was outright running.
With a tap of his toe, a small hole burst open in the ground.
His figure flashed as he sprinted more than ten meters away.
Ever since undergoing the Bone Transformation, he felt like he had installed a Da Fei wheel inside himself.
Once he started running, a huge inertia carried him, requiring minimal effort to maintain his sprint.
Sheng Hong said the Red Falcon Shape Cultivation Technique could make one faster than a galloping horse.
According to the real-world data from his previous life, a normal horse’s galloping speed is around thirty kilometers an hour, reaching up to fifty-five kilometers over short distances, and sprinting could even go up to seventy kilometers.
Chen Mu glanced at the trees rapidly retreating on either side.
“At least sixty kilometers per hour!” he estimated.
And he still felt he had the power to speed up.
In his former life, Bolt’s speed was only about forty-five kilometers per hour, and that was only for short sprints.
But as for Chen Mu… he felt he could run for an entire day!
The sound of the wind howling past his ears, this sensation of speeding like lightning, made him enjoy the run even more.
At this moment, Chen Mu finally understood the extraordinary nature of the Shape Cultivation Technique.
It had truly transcended him beyond ordinary humans.
Carrying two baskets of fish, Chen Mu, using the Sprinting Style of the Red Falcon Shape Cultivation Technique, headed straight for Qingshan County.
…
East Market
“Fresh river fish, thirty copper coins each, first come first served, hurry while stocks last!”
A rough voice suddenly exploded in the streets of East Market.
“Fishmonger, it’s been a while since you’ve come to sell fish!”
“I’m in a good mood today!”
Chen Mu, still wearing his bamboo hat and grey clothes, masqueraded with a Yin-Yang face as Yang Zhi.
“Well, what’s the good news?”
“Are you buying or not? I don’t have time to waste on chit-chat, pay up!”
“Hey! This brute…”
A basket of fish was quickly sold out.
Before noontime, Chen Mu was heading back to his new house in West Market with an empty basket.
Ever since he rented this courtyard, he spent his days there practicing and grinding Proficiency.
He hadn’t given up his original room.
After moving some food and medicine supplies there, he sealed it off to use as a secret storage.
With the Ghost crisis temporarily averted, Chen Mu settled down.
Though he was curious about the Ghosts, he refrained from inquiring further.
With his current strength, actively pursuing them would be courting death.
And with the Proficiency cheat he possessed, he would eventually master the Shape Cultivation to the highest level.
When he no longer feared the Ghosts, he could investigate without fear and even catch a couple to guard his home.
Afterward, he practiced during the day behind Tianyi Studio and slept in the courtyard next to the Zuo Family house at night.
Every three or four days, he went to catch fish.
Initialy to eat meat and earn money.
Lately, he had grown fonder of the feeling of running at extreme speeds in the wilderness.
The thrill of speeding was indeed blood-pumping.
And the feeling of achieving sixty kilometers an hour on foot was euphoria-inducing!
He thus became even more passionate about grinding Proficiency, working day and night without rest.
One night, half a month later, Chen Mu successfully progressed the Sleeve Sword Technique to Second Rank.
Writing: 1576/10000/Second Rank;
Drawing: 1443/10000/Second Rank;
Throwing: 5753/10000/Third Rank;
Red Falcon Shape Cultivation Technique: 409/10000/Third Rank;
Cooking: 6226/10000/First Rank;
Pharmaceutical Technique: 2152/10000/Second Rank;
Sleeve Sword Technique: 16/10000/Second Rank;
Glancing at the data on the grey wall, he flicked his wrist, and a Dagger appeared in his hand. With another flick, the dagger vanished.
With a thought,
A hole suddenly appeared in the wooden pillar beside him.
Secret, swift, a concentrated strike.
The Second Rank Sleeve Sword Technique allowed him to instantaneously complete a series of actions: unsheathing the dagger, piercing the wooden pillar, and hiding the weapon again.