Chapter 10: Half a Year
Chapter 10: Half a Year
And so, half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
An unexpected turn of events unfolded for Chen Mu, as his third aunt's family managed to secure Zhang Hai's release from prison.
Apparently, Zhang Hai's uncle, the butcher, had sought help from a well-connected relative, pleading his case until the relative finally intervened. After nearly two months, Zhang Hai was set free.
Chen Mu had no involvement in this matter, and it was only when Chen Hong visited that he learned the news.
"Aunt, you don't need to bring rice and flour every time. I haven't been of much help to you anyway."
Chen Mu invited Chen Hong inside, commenting on the bag of rice she was carrying.
Accompanying Chen Hong was her cousin, Zhang Hai, who looked significantly thinner compared to over a month ago. However, having been released from prison and presumably resting at home for several days, his complexion had improved considerably.
As they entered the small, dilapidated house, Zhang Hai glanced around, then at Chen Mu, his eyes conveying an ambiguous meaning. He shook his head inwardly, having heard that Chen Hong wanted to arrange a marriage between his cousin, Zhang Youying, and Chen Mu. But how could his cousin marry into such a place, without even a decent courtyard? Thankfully, Youying had refused.
Chen Hong insisted on bringing Zhang Hai to thank Chen Mu in person, but Zhang Hai didn't feel particularly grateful. While Chen Mu might have helped to some extent, all he did was deliver silver to the warden; nothing more.
Chen Mu noticed Zhang Hai's unusual demeanor but didn't pay it much mind. With his strength steadily improving and his life getting better, his mindset became increasingly calm, and he cared less about others' opinions.
"Can't I even bring some rice and flour to see my niece? I'm worried she's hungry, and I don't want Yue'er to lose weight."
Chen Hong said with a hearty laugh.
Zhang Hai's spirit had clearly revived since his release, unlike the lifeless state he was in before.
"Aunt."
Chen Yue called out sweetly from behind.
Thanks to Chen Mu's efforts to improve their meals, Chen Yue's complexion had noticeably improved, and she even looked more vibrant and charming. Chen Hong was amazed, and even Zhang Hai was slightly taken aback.
"Yue'er is becoming more and more beautiful. What good things have you been eating?"
Chen Hong teased, cradling Chen Yue's face.
Chen Yue, sitting there with a silly expression, didn't respond.
Chen Hong and Zhang Hai stayed at Chen Mu's house for a while but didn't linger. They soon took their leave, primarily to inform Chen Mu about Zhang Hai's situation and to thank him for his previous help.
After seeing Chen Hong and Zhang Hai out, Chen Mu turned to Chen Yue with a smile. "Your aunt asked what good things you've been eating. Why didn't you tell her you've been having fish and meat these days?"
Chen Yue, her head lowered, replied, "If my cousin knew, how would our family eat? Aunt is fine, but I'm afraid one meal of his could feed five of Yue'er's portions."
Chen Mu couldn't help but find the situation both amusing and frustrating.
Although he suspected Chen Yue was teasing, he was pleased that the young girl could resist the urge to boast.
...
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
As Zhang Hai left Chen Mu's house with Chen Hong, he couldn't help but complain, "Mother, how could you think of marrying Youying off to him? Look at how poor his family is. What kind of life would she have if she married him?"
He paused for a moment, then added, "Well, Yue'er is becoming more and more beautiful. If she could marry into a good family, she might be fortunate enough to receive some support..."
Having a pretty sister wasn't entirely useless.
"Nonsense!"
Chen Hong glared at Zhang Hai and said, "Your cousin is a patrol officer. Even if he doesn't have much silver, his life is stable, and no thugs or ruffians dare to cause trouble. That's a skill in itself. Yue'er is still young, so don't get any funny ideas."
"Yes, yes, yes."
Zhang Hai responded insincerely.
Although he had no particular grudge against Chen Mu, his cousin, Zhang Hai felt that Chen Mu hadn't done his best during the prison incident, which only increased his dissatisfaction.
In reality, if Chen Mu had been a senior officer or even a patrol commander, and had merely mentioned the matter or asked a few casual questions, Zhang Hai would have been extremely grateful. But because Chen Mu was just a lowly, ordinary patrol officer, even if he had genuinely tried his best, Zhang Hai didn't think Chen Mu had done anything significant.
Such was the way of the world.
...
Time passed day by day.
Chen Mu practiced his blade technique daily, undeterred by rain or shine, steadily accumulating experience.
The Gale Swordsmanship, from Mastery to Perfection, required a vast amount of experience—a total of 3,000 points. For Chen Mu, this would take at least half a year of dedicated effort. The task was challenging but clear, and with perseverance and hard work, he could steadily overcome this hurdle.
The outer city was as chaotic as ever, but in the past, Chen Mu had managed to navigate it by reading people and acting with caution. He had safely made it through over two years, and now with his newfound strength, he avoided trouble and stayed out of other people's business, naturally avoiding any major hassles.
Shed.
Chen Mu's patrol saber danced in his hands, flying up and down. As he swung it, a faint gust of power seemed to stir the dust in the shed, but all the dirt was centered on him, swirling outward. It appeared chaotic yet orderly.
He practiced like this for an unknown duration, and as the words 'Experience +1' flashed in his vision, Chen Mu slowly sheathed his saber and stopped.
"It's been six months."
He sighed.
Unbeknownst to him, nearly six months had passed since he reached Mastery in his blade technique.
Since obtaining the Gale Swordsmanship and unlocking the system, he had been practicing his sword skills for almost nine months.
Chen Mu summoned the system interface.
[Martial Arts: Gale Swordsmanship (Mastery)]
[Experience: 2917 points]
"Just a little more."
Chen Mu nodded slightly at the accumulated experience.
His daily sword practice now earned him over ten experience points, and he was not far from the three thousand points needed. At most, he estimated another seven or eight days would be sufficient.
"Brother, you're up early again."
Chen Yue yawned as she appeared at the shed's entrance.
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"It's not early."
Chen Mu stepped aside and said, "I'll rest a bit more, then it's time for my patrol."
"Okay, okay, go outside."
Chen Yue pushed Chen Mu out. She was about to start a fire and cook.
Chen Mu was pushed out of the shed by Chen Yue, and he smiled to himself. Instead of returning to his room to rest, he opened the door and stepped outside, stretching his body and taking in the fresh air.
He stood at the doorway for a while, listening to Chen Yue's bustling movements in the shed. As he turned to go back inside, he suddenly heard a commotion from not too far down the alley, mixed with cries and shouts. It seemed to be coming from Old Wang and his granddaughter, who lived south of the alley.
"So early in the morning..."
Chen Mu shook his head.
From the noise, it appeared that Old Wang, who had been doing well for himself with a son and daughter-in-law, was now in trouble. His son and daughter-in-law had suddenly gone missing, and they couldn't be found.
With a granddaughter to support, Old Wang had no choice but to return to his old profession, chopping firewood with an axe. But his age and years of inactivity had taken their toll, and he ended up breaking his leg.
Around this time, the Crimson Gold Gang was in the process of absorbing the Black Snake Gang.
They were aggressively collecting protection fees.
"In this world, ordinary people can barely recover after one or two disasters."
Chen Mu sighed to himself.
Listening to the commotion, he didn't approach but stood at the doorway, looking in the direction of the noise. He could vaguely see two men dragging a girl of about ten years old.
Then, a limping old man stumbled out, chasing after them. He was pushed, falling directly to the ground.
"You old fool, your family's protection fees have been overdue for four months. It's only right that we take your granddaughter as repayment today."
One of the men's voices echoed down the alley.
Nearby households had also heard the commotion, but none of them opened their doors. At most, they peered through the cracks in the door, and many didn't even bother to look, remaining inside their homes.
Old Wang's granddaughter cried and struggled, but she couldn't match the strength of the two bare-chested men, and she was dragged further away.
"Sinful... So sinful..."
Old Wang fell to the ground, struggling to get up with his cane. But his cane had flown to the side, and with his limp, he couldn't rise. He could only watch helplessly as his granddaughter was taken away, tears streaming down his face.
Chen Mu also felt displeased witnessing this scene.
The Black Snake Gang, although somewhat domineering, rarely pushed people to their limits if they genuinely couldn't pay. But the Crimson Gold Gang was even more ruthless, forcing people to the brink and even causing trouble in broad daylight.
The outer city's order was deteriorating, and the City Guard seemed to turn a blind eye to the Crimson Gold Gang's actions.
Chen Mu had witnessed similar incidents before, and adhering to the cautious principle of 'when poor, do good to oneself,' he usually ignored them. But this time, it was a neighbor from the same alley, and he felt it was different.
Just then, Old Wang's granddaughter, amid her struggles and cries, spotted the only open door in the alley and Chen Mu standing there. She cried out, "Big Brother Chen, save me!"
Enough.
Chen Mu shook his head and took a few steps forward.
After all, they were fellow townsfolk and neighbors. If he were still in his previous state of poverty and helplessness, he might have had no choice but to remain unmoved. But now, things were different.
(End of Chapter)
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