Chapter 86: Chapter 83 Eight Phases Diagram

"Master."

Ku'er, carrying a water jug, was coming out from the inner courtyard, and upon seeing Chen Mu walking into the yard, he hurriedly asked in a quiet voice.

As Chen Mu walked into the yard, he asked, "How is the child now?"

"To answer the master, she is still very weak, but by noon today, she has gotten a bit better, able to sit up and drink medicine and eat porridge by herself," Ku'er responded softly from beside.

Chen Mu nodded slightly and walked into the side room. There was a stove burning inside, and Wang Ni was sitting by the bedside sewing something. The girl they had brought back previously was propped up in bed, watching Wang Ni work, still looking a bit frail.

"Brother Mu."

When Wang Ni saw Chen Mu come in, she gladly got up to greet him.

Chen Mu reached out and touched Wang Ni's little head, then walked over to the bedside. The little girl on the bed was somewhat at a loss, she twisted her body slightly, thinking of getting up to salute Chen Mu.

Despite being young, children from poor families mature early. After waking from her confusion, she had learned quite a few things from Wang Ni and knew that Chen Mu had saved her and was the kind of official lord her parents had often talked about, an important figure whom one must bow to upon meeting.

"It's fine for you to stay lying down."

Chen Mu placed a hand on her, preventing her from getting up, and said in a gentle tone, then asked, "What is your name?"

The little girl replied weakly, "I, I don't have a name… Dad and Mum always called me 'girl'."

In those times, it was common for very young girls to not have names as children from impoverished families often died young, and parents sometimes did not name them, hoping to keep them off the ledger of death.

Chen Mu thought for a moment and said, "Then from now on you'll be called Yue'er. Ni'er should have told you that you'll live here from now on. I've arranged for your parents to be buried outside the city, and when spring arrives for the ancestral worship, I will take you with me then." Stay connected with m-v l|e'-NovelFire.net

The little girl bowed her head, silently shedding tears, but soon forcibly held them back.

"Thank you, master…"

Seeing this, Chen Mu gently patted her forehead as a gesture of comfort, then instructed Wang Ni to take good care of her before turning and leaving the room.

For Chen Mu, taking in Yue'er was a minor matter, but for her, it was enough to change her fate, at least allowing her to continue to live on well, without having to struggle in misery anymore.

However, the snow disaster had wide-reaching effects, and he couldn't lend a hand to everyone; he could only do what was within the duties of the Prefecture Chief.

He went to his own bedroom.

Chen Mu quickly took out a large bundle. Inside the bundle were some gains he had acquired after dealing with the gang of villains last night, which he had yet to sort out carefully.

There were about three to four thousand Silver Taels inside, along with some Gold Leafs. In total, it should be close to five thousand taels. Compared with the Zheng Family's fortune, it was much less, but that was to be expected. After all, though the gang of villains was powerful, the Silver Taels they had snatched were basically taken by the He Family.

The remaining Silver Coins were spent over the years by Zhang Lang, and there might be some hidden elsewhere. Having a few thousand was already quite substantial. In fact, he would have trouble carrying much more.

However.

Compared with these Silver Taels, what was most important was something else he obtained from Zhang Lang's body.

After sorting and storing away the Silver Taels from the bundle, Chen Mu took out an account book. This book was not the main point; it was just the usual account of the gang of villains. Inside it, however, was something sandwiched that was like leather yet not leather, like paper yet not paper, something extraordinary.

Chen Mu extracted the yellow page resembling oily paper and slowly unfolded it, revealing a painting.

This painting was very peculiar; it seemed to depict a dark sky filled with dense clouds that were quite indistinct, yet amongst them were dozens of sharp, dazzling thunderbolts, so striking that it felt like facing Heavenly Thunder itself!

"Qian Heaven Kun Earth Eight Phases Map…"

Chen Mu muttered to himself as he looked at the Thunderclap Diagram.

After returning last night and examining it in detail, Chen Mu had basically confirmed its origin, and today he had specially looked into some additional information, further confirming that this was indeed one of the Qiankun Eight Phases Maps, the 'Thunderclap Diagram'!

"In Da Xuan's Martial Arts, the Qiankun Eight Phases Map is supreme, almost endless in the variety of moves and techniques derived from it, whether it's techniques involving knives, spears, or swords, all evolved from it."

"It is said that the initial maps of the Eight Phases were created long before the founding of Da Xuan, during an ancient era, by numerous Martial Arts saints who stood at the pinnacle of the world, who jointly deduced and drew them, known as the 'Primordial Eight Phases Maps', which are now mythical and unknown to exist."

"Later on, these maps circulated within the Imperial Court of Da Xuan, intended for use only by the royal disciples for their cultivation, which were the versions replicated by the celebrated painter of the time, known as the second generation 'Replicated Eight Phases Maps'. It's rumored that these were damaged later on.

Descendants and Martial Arts masters then cooperated to try and recreate and restore them, which became the third generation maps."

"As the ages passed, Da Xuan flourished and then waned, and the third generation maps ultimately shattered, spreading into the world."

Chen Mu stared at the Thunderclap Diagram in his hand, recalling the history of the Eight Phases Maps he had come to understand.

The Eight Phases Maps circulating in the world today are mostly reprints or engraved versions of the third-generation maps. The closer they are to the 'Primordial Version', the deeper the Artistic Conception contained within, the closer to the essence of heaven and earth, and the higher their quality.

After all, Artistic Conception is an understanding of nature; copies upon copies, engravings upon engravings, naturally become more and more distorted over time.

It is said that the Primordial Eight Phases Maps are the true treasures of the world. Even the most ordinary person, if granted a glimpse, could ascend beyond the mundane and pass the gates of heaven, comprehending the profundity of Artistic Conception from them.

"The quality of this map should be a multiple-time engraved version of the third generation, belonging to the lowest tier."

Chen Mu assessed in his mind.

Although the Thunderclap Diagram he had in his hand had been copied and printed countless times, its value was still extraordinary.

To the average person, possessing an Artistic Conception Map meant that they could meticulously ponder and figure it out, even if it was just a remote copy. The artistic conception contained within might be minuscule, but it ultimately pointed to the path ahead.

Not everyone was like him, able to deduce on their own using various Blade Momentum, achieving a forceful breakthrough and grasping the artistic conception without the guidance of an Artistic Conception Map.

For the vast majority of people, without an Artistic Conception Map to study, it was basically impossible to comprehend the artistic conception.

"Thunderclap Diagram... Sadly, it's not of the same vein as the one I practice. If only it were an Xun Wind Diagram."

Chen Mu felt a bit regretful in his heart.

But this Thunderclap Diagram was not useless to him because he had tried yesterday. Under the study of the Thunderclap Diagram, the experience points gained were at least several times more than what he got from his daily blade practice!

Now that he had mastered the Xun Wind Artistic Conception, to elevate the artistic conception to a higher and deeper level, the accumulation of experience points he required was no small matter. Over ten thousand experience points were something he would need many years to accumulate.

However.

Focusing on the Thunderclap Diagram for comprehension, he could gain hundreds of experience points every day!

That is to say, to amass ten thousand experience points, he only needed three months at most, which was much faster than by practicing with his blade.

Only...

On the system panel, the experience gained from studying the Thunderclap Diagram was not compatible with the Xun Wind conception; thunder is thunder, and wind is wind.

"Given my current situation, if I continue to accumulate the experience of the Xun Wind conception, it will take at least a year to gather ten thousand points, but studying the Thunderclap Diagram is much faster."

"Although I have not comprehended the Thunderbolt Artistic Conception, in at most three months, I could accumulate a chance to deduce the Thunderbolt Artistic Conception and naturally master it directly," he thought.

Chen Mu pondered deeply in his heart.

He was now facing a minor problem: whether to choose to 'overtake on a bend.'

With the Thunderclap Diagram, the efficiency of studying the Thunderbolt Artistic Conception far exceeded that of the Xun Wind conception. Even though he had just started, with the help of the system panel, he needed only a few months to completely surpass it.

"If I had obtained the Xun Wind Diagram, I wouldn't be so conflicted. It's not possible now to exchange this Thunderclap Diagram for an Xun Wind Diagram," Chen Mu shook his head.

Both the origin of this Thunderclap Diagram and his current identity were not suitable to bring up.

After much thought.

Chen Mu still decided to study the Thunderclap Diagram.

On one hand, with the diagram, the efficiency gap was just too great. Even if he happened to obtain an Xun Wind Diagram in a few months by chance, it would still be a win-win situation.

On the other hand, comprehending more than one type of artistic conception was not a bad thing in itself. Wind and thunder belonged to similar conceptions, and possessing both the Wind Thunder Artistic Conception was inherently much stronger than just one.

Besides...

As far as he knew, the strongest Martial Arts Artistic Conception in the world today was the Heaven and Earth Artistic Conception, which brought together the Qiankun Eight Phases.

But this was currently only a legend. It was extremely rare to comprehend more than two of the six phases like wind, thunder, fire, mountain, marsh, and water, let alone the most difficult 'heaven' and 'earth' in the Qiankun Eight Phases.

Chen Mu's lack was not in his comprehension but in time.

Given enough time, he could naturally deduce each artistic conception to the ultimate level and step into the Third Realm one by one, then pursue that legendary supreme Martial Arts afterward.

Right now, he didn't want to think too much, only to rely on this Thunderclap Diagram to grasp the Thunderbolt Artistic Conception as quickly as possible, and then to elevate it to a higher second level. That would bring the greatest enhancement to his strength.

Having made his decision.

Chen Mu calmed his mind, adjusted his state, and sat cross-legged on the small couch beside his bed, placing the Thunderclap Diagram in front of him. seaʀᴄh thё nôvel_Fire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

He carefully looked at the Thunderclap Diagram, observing the beams of light that seemed to leap out of the paper and turn into real thunder. Gradually, he immersed himself in it.

...

Time flew by.

In the blink of an eye, more than a month had passed.

The cold winter finally began to recede, and the climate started to warm up. The poverty-stricken people who had suffered immensely from this cold disaster finally saw the dawn of hope.

Many lives were taken away by the cold disaster. Wutong Grove District, which Chen Mu governed in South City District, had the smallest death and injury toll. The temporary shelters built with Silver Taels and the hot porridge cooked daily had allowed many poor people whose homes had collapsed in the snowstorm to survive.

During this time,

The Chief Constable Xu Hongyu was still out.

The Deputy Head Officer He Mingxuan had been trying to find trouble with Chen Mu, but his attempts were repeatedly thwarted by Xiao He's vigilance and interventions at the very onset, not even reaching Chen Mu's ears.

In Xu Hongyu's absence, Xiao He's 'battle' with He Mingxuan actually seemed to be gaining the upper hand. After all, she was fully in charge of all Chief Constable affairs and, with the Tendon Changing Realm's foundation and confidence, she became even more bold than before.