Chapter 11: Chapter 10: Half a Year

Just like that.

In a blink, another half-month had passed.

Chen Mu was somewhat surprised to hear news that his aunt had bailed Zhang Hai out of jail.

It was said that Butcher Zhang had found a significant person from his side of the family, and through some hard pleading, finally managed to have an effect. After nearly two months, Zhang Hai was released from jail.

Chen Mu hadn't been involved in this, so he only found out a few days later when Chen Hong came to visit him.

"Auntie, you don't need to bring rice and flour every time you visit. I haven't really done much to help you."

Chen Mu invited Chen Hong into the house, looking at the bag of rice she was carrying.

Zhang Hai came along with Chen Hong. Compared to over a month ago, he had lost a considerable amount of weight, but having rested at home for several days after being released from jail, his complexion had improved significantly.

Upon entering the small and dilapidated house with Chen Hong, he glanced around and looked at Chen Mu, his eyes revealing an unspoken meaning as he shook his head secretly. After he returned, he heard that Chen Hong wanted to propose a marriage between him and her young niece Youying, but how could his cousin marry into such a place without even a proper yard? Fortunately, Youying hadn't agreed.

Chen Hong insisted he come to thank Chen Mu in person, but he didn't feel there was much to be thankful for. Chen Mu might have made a bit of effort, but besides passing some silver to the jail head, he hadn't done much else.

Chen Mu noticed Zhang Hai's different attitude, but he didn't mind. Now, with his steadily increasing strength and an improving life, his mindset was naturally becoming more solid and calm, paying little regard to others' views.

"Can't I bring some rice and flour to see my niece? You might not fear starving, but I fear Yue'er might lose weight."

Chen Hong said cheerfully.

Zhang Hai had been rescued, and she was clearly in a better mental state, unlike her previously listless state.

"Auntie,"

Chen Yue came around from behind and called out sweetly.

During this time, because Chen Mu had improved the food at home, her complexion was clearly much better than before. She even seemed more vibrant, and her face had filled out, which surprised Chen Hong and made Zhang Hai pause for a moment.

"Yue'er is getting prettier. What good food have you been eating?"

Chen Hong joked as she cupped Chen Yue's face with a laugh.

Chen Yue, sitting there innocently, didn't respond.

Chen Hong with Zhang Hai didn't stay long at Chen Mu's house, leaving after a short while. This visit was mainly to inform Chen Mu about Zhang Hai and to thank him for the previous help.

Chen Mu saw Chen Hong and Zhang Hai out, and after he closed the door, he looked at Chen Yue and said with a smile, "Your aunt asked what good food you've been eating recently. Why didn't you tell her about the fish and meat we've had these days?"

Chen Yue ducked her head and said, "What if Cousin finds out and decides to stay at our house to eat? Auntie is fine, but Cousin might eat five times what Yue'er does in one meal."

Chen Mu heard this and couldn't help but laugh and cry.

Although he thought Chen Yue might be exaggerating, it was good that the little girl could resist boasting about it.

...

Meanwhile.

After leaving Chen Mu's house, as soon as Zhang Hai followed Chen Hong into an alley, he couldn't help but complain, "Mom, how could you think of proposing Youying as a wife for him? Look at his house, it's impoverished. What kind of good life could Youying lead with him?"

He paused, thinking of Chen Yue, "Well, the little sister Yue'er is becoming quite beautiful. If she could marry into a good family, maybe she could be fortunate to receive some help..."

Having a sister who was quite attractive was not entirely without merit.

"Nonsense."

Chen Hong glared at Zhang Hai and said, "Your cousin is a constable. Even if he doesn't have much silver, but he lives a stable life and doesn't fear any thugs or hoodlums. Yue'er is still young, don't harbour any crooked ideas."

"Yes, yes, yes."

Zhang Hai responded nonchalantly.

Although he had no personal grievances with his cousin Chen Mu, he felt dissatisfied, believing Chen Mu hadn't made full efforts for him during the jail incident.

However, if Chen Mu had been a Head Constable or even Prefecture Chief, speaking even a few words on his behalf about the incident might have earned Zhang Hai's immense gratitude, but because Chen Mu was just a low-ranking constable, Zhang Hai felt that Chen Mu hadn't really done anything, even if he had tried his best.

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...

The days passed by, one by one.

Chen Mu practiced the Blade Technique every day, rain or shine, slowly accumulating experience points.

The journey from Major Achievement to Perfection in the Raging Wind Blade Technique required a lot of experience points — a total of three thousand. For him, it meant at least six months of accumulation, a long and arduous task. But the direction was clear, and there were no obstacles. As long as he worked hard and persevered, he could steadily overcome this threshold.

Although the Outer City was as chaotic as ever, in the past he had managed to navigate safely through it by being observant and cautious. Now with strength on his side, as long as he neither sought trouble nor meddled in affairs, naturally, no trouble would come his way.

In the woodshed.

The Servant's Knife in Chen Mu's hand fluttered up and down, its movements seemingly carrying a trace of wind, causing dust to swirl within the woodshed. Yet, all the dust revolved outward from him as the center, seeming chaotic yet orderly.

He practiced unknowingly for a long time, and as 'Experience +1' popped up in his field of vision, Chen Mu slowly sheathed his knife and stopped.

"It's been six months."

He sighed.

Unnoticed, it had already been almost six months since he achieved a major achievement in his blade technique.

Since he had acquired the Raging Wind Blade Technique and activated the system, he had already been practicing the blade technique for about nine months.

Chen Mu summoned the system interface.

[Martial Arts: Raging Wind Blade Technique (Major Achievement)]

[Experience: 2917 points]

"Just a little bit more."

Chen Mu nodded slightly as he looked at the accumulated experience.

Nowadays, he could gain about ten or more experience points each day. He was not far from reaching three thousand points; at this rate, he could collect enough in just seven to eight more days.

"Brother, you're up so early again."

Chen Yue appeared at the woodshed door, yawning.

"It's not early anymore."

Chen Mu moved aside and said, "Rest a bit more, then it's time to go to duty."

"Alright, out you go."

Chen Yue pushed Chen Mu out; she needed to start the fire to cook.

As Chen Mu was pushed out of the woodshed, he smiled inwardly. Instead of returning to his bedroom to rest, he opened the door to step outside and stretched his body, breathing in a few gulps of fresh air.

He stood at the door for a while, listening to Chen Yue busying herself in the woodshed. Just as he was about to go back inside, he suddenly heard a commotion not far down the alley, mixed with crying and shouting.

"So early in the morning…"

Chen Mu shook his head.

Listening to the noise, it seemed to be Old Man Wang from the south of the alley and his granddaughter's voices.

This Old Man Wang's life had actually been decent, having raised a son together with a daughter-in-law. The couple ran a small business, ensuring they were well-clothed and well-fed. However, not long ago, both his son and daughter-in-law mysteriously vanished without a trace.

With a granddaughter to support, Old Man Wang had no choice but to pick up his old trade and went outside the city to chop wood, but age had caught up with him, and after not having chopped wood for several years, he accidentally broke his leg on one of his few trips.

Then came the takeover of the Black Snake Gang by the Red Gold Gang.

They started aggressively collecting "protection money."

"In these times, a common family hit by one or two disasters can hardly ever recover," Chen Mu thought.

As he listened, he stood at the door, looking in the direction of the commotion, vaguely seeing two men dragging a young girl around ten years old outwards.

An old limping man clumsily followed them out and, with a push from one of the men, fell straight to the ground.

"Old fool, your family has been behind on the protection money for four months, thinking we are made of mud? If you can't pay today, taking your granddaughter as debt collateral is only just and natural," one of the men shouted from down the alley.

Although the nearby households heard the ruckus, not one opened their door— the most anyone did was peek through a crack in the door, and even more didn't bother looking at all, staying motionless inside their homes.

Old Man Wang's granddaughter screamed and struggled desperately, but there was no way she could outmatch the strength of two burly men, and she was dragged away even further.

"Such a sin… such a sin…"

Old Man Wang fell to the ground, struggled to get up, but his cane had flown off to the side. Limping and unable to stand, he could only watch helplessly as his granddaughter was dragged away, tears streaming down his face.

Chen Mu was also very displeased by this sight.

Although the Black Snake Gang had been quite tyrannical, they generally did not push those who truly could not afford to pay to desperation, but the Red Gold Gang was much harsher, cornering people to death, even blatantly causing trouble in broad daylight.

The order in the Outer City was getting worse; the Red Gold Gang's actions had become so vile, and the City Defense Division seemed to ignore it altogether.

Although he had seen quite a bit of this sort of thing, guided by the cautious tenet of 'when poor, one must first safeguard oneself,' he had always kept out of it, but this time it was different since they were neighbors from the same alley.

Just then,

Amid her struggling and crying, Old Man Wang's granddaughter saw the only door that was open in the alley and the man standing in it. She cried out, "Chen Big Brother, save me."

Enough was enough.

Chen Mu shook his head and walked forward a few steps.

In the end, they were fellow villagers and neighbors. If he were still poor and struggling to just get by, he would have had to remain indifferent, but now, things were quite different.