Chapter 205: Clarifying One's Will
Chapter 205: Clarifying One's Will
After spending some time with Chen Yue, Chen Mu headed over to Xu Hongyu's courtyard, which was livelier than usual with many maids bustling about and chattering away.
Upon seeing Chen Mu, they all hurriedly bowed in greeting.
"Son-in-law, you're here!"
Xiao He emerged from the inner courtyard, dressed in a jade-green outfit. She smiled and bowed politely to Chen Mu before saying, "The young miss has gone to visit her grandmother in the east. She's not here right now, but these past few days, she's been waiting for you to take her measurements for her bridal robe."
Xu Hongyu was not from an ordinary civilian family, and Chen Mu's status was even more notable. Wedding preparations had begun over a month in advance, including the creation of new garments and bridal attire, all made from the finest silk. Although Yu Prefecture was not as extravagant as it used to be, and the wedding would not be overly ostentatious, the renowned Yan Jingqing would be officiating the ceremony, so everything had to be perfect.
"Alright," Chen Mu smiled at Xiao He.
In reality, his physique was something Xiao He could accurately assess, especially since he was a Five Viscera Realm cultivator, making it easy for him to alter his body shape to some extent. A little more or less didn't make much difference, but for this wedding, both Xu Hongyu and Xiao He considered every detail crucial.
Chen Mu himself wasn't overly concerned about these details. Following Xiao He's measurements, he asked about various matters that had occurred during his one-month seclusion. For instance, there had been minor conflicts between the Surveillance Bureau and the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion due to certain incidents within the city, but they hadn't escalated, and since he had already resigned from his position as the Deputy Director, these trivial matters no longer bothered him.
"Son-in-law..." Xiao He, who was taking Chen Mu's measurements down to his waist, suddenly blushed, her voice trembling slightly. Her delicate eyes, like pools of water, gazed at Chen Mu.
Chen Mu didn't make any excessive moves; he merely placed his hand on her, carefully sensing the Qi and blood within her body. "You've finally achieved Muscle Transformation Mastery," he said.
Xiao He's progress in martial arts was far slower than Xu Hongyu's. Firstly, her martial arts foundation was indeed not as strong as Xu Hongyu's. Secondly, the resources she had access to were incomparable to Xu Hongyu's. Lastly, as Xu Hongyu's personal maid, she had to handle numerous trivial matters, allowing Xu Hongyu to be free from such distractions, which inevitably delayed her cultivation.
Xiao He trembled lightly in response, her body slightly shaking.
As a master of Muscle Transformation, she was not weak or powerless. In her heart, she secretly wished Chen Mu would be a little more 'excessive,' removing her clothes and whipping her with all his strength. But she also knew it wasn't the right time, so she dared not advance or retreat, only able to stand there, half in shame and half in anticipation, unable to move.
However, Chen Mu didn't make any further moves. He seemed to be merely sensing her Qi and blood, and soon removed his hand, allowing Xiao He to breathe a small sigh of relief. She had no thoughts of resistance towards Chen Mu; instead, she was more than willing, but she knew she couldn't do this before the young miss had even passed by the door... She didn't know how she would face the young miss afterward.
Chen Mu watched as Xiao He continued to measure him, and he couldn't help but smile gently. In his heart, he had never held any concepts of superiority or inferiority. Instead, he had long admired Xiao He's courage and intelligence. While there were many women in Yu City who could rival her in various aspects, she was, after all, just a small maid.
Xiao He had proven herself capable, offering advice and strategies to Xu Hongyu during her time as the Chief Inspector. For a maid, this level of dedication was already beyond commendable.
Even though she had thought countless times about intimate matters, just a slight touch from him made her heart race and her body tremble. She tried her best to endure, knowing that she had to wait for the young miss.
There were countless women more beautiful and talented than Xiao He, even those like Xu Hongyu, with flawless figures, prestigious backgrounds, and remarkable talents. They were too numerous to count.
But they held no significance to him.
Only the woman before him was a living, breathing existence, a genuine reality.
Ever since learning about the existence of martial will, Chen Mu had been pondering his own. Was his martial will to protect the holy land by his side, or to stir up the world, reshaping the mountains and rivers, redefining the very fabric of reality?
Yet, none of these desires seemed purely his own.
Even his past deeds, like aiding the disaster-stricken and saving the common folk, were not driven by a saintly heart or innate kindness. It was simply that, after gaining power and status, he could no longer bear to witness such suffering.
He had also wielded his power to annihilate the entire He family, causing rivers of blood to flow through Yu City.
"Perhaps, what I truly desire is to see the world shaped by my own will," Chen Mu gazed at the sky beyond the window.
Unconsciously, he seemed to gradually understand the direction of his will.
It wasn't about reaching the pinnacle of martial arts, nor was it about world peace or guarding a sanctuary by his side. Instead, he wanted everything to conform to his heart's desire, for all things to be as he willed them, and for his will to be unwavering in this vast world, unhindered and unobstructed. This was the ambition hidden deep within his heart, a desire that had been buried since the moment he arrived in this world.
Perhaps this ambition had existed since he first came to this world, but it had been buried in the dark and treacherous underbelly, hidden by the ever-present pressure he felt in the dangerous outer districts, where danger lurked around every corner. This thought had been concealed in the depths of his heart, never revealed to anyone, not even to himself.
Until now.
As he carefully sorted through his thoughts, he seemed to finally understand what he truly desired.
All things in the world should conform to his will!
This will, or rather, this ambition, was too grand, too vast, bordering on the ethereal and intangible. It surpassed aspirations like 'becoming the revered sword master of the world' or 'gathering all the beauties and treasures under heaven within one's gaze.'
Even compared to grand visions like reshaping the mountains and rivers or creating a peaceful world, this ambition was far more challenging.
After all, it was about reaching the Blood Transformation Realm, becoming the sword deity of the world, and even then, it couldn't make everything in the world conform to one's will.
"My ambition is indeed too grand."
Chen Mu sighed inwardly.
Even he himself felt that his ambition was too grand and too distant, but he couldn't deceive himself.
When he unearthed this deeply buried thought from the depths of his heart, he could no longer bury it again. This was the true desire of his heart, the will he had been pursuing.
Be it so.
Since this was the thought in his heart, it would be the direction of his heart from now on.
Now, although he was still insignificant in the vast world, he had left Yan Prefecture and was known throughout the eleven states of the Cold Northern Path. His name was circulating, and he was no longer the small and insignificant inspector who once worried day and night. Although his ambition was greater than the heavens, the world would eventually present a ladder, leading him step by step towards the lofty heavens.
In the sixth chapter of the first volume, take a look, no mistakes!
All he needed was to hold his sword and move forward, each step becoming a new level.
He needed to look into his heart, no longer questioning, hiding, or avoiding.
At this moment, Chen Mu felt that his heart had silently undergone some kind of silent transformation, becoming more resolute and refined than before.
The power of heaven and earth summoned by the four intents of Gale Wind, Thunder, Fire, and Mountain Root seemed to suddenly become lighter, as if he no longer needed to concentrate his will to wield their might, but could do so with a single thought.
"To refine the martial will, one must first rectify their heart and clarify their intentions."
Chen Mu recalled the brief description of martial will in the Great Xuan Dynasty Canon.
Only by setting one's heart straight, facing one's true desires without wavering, could one initially possess one's martial will... This step seemed simple, but it wasn't easy, as different people had different hearts. Some people's hearts desired 'listening to songs in brothels and dreaming of butterflies,' but they often dared not face these desires, instead choosing to hide and avoid them.
Such hearts were still hearts, but to set them straight and unwavering was no easy task. Those who truly achieved this were not ordinary people; they had reached a state of 'emptiness of form, joy in the Dharma,' like the Great Bliss Buddha of the Buddhist Sect.
At this moment, Xiao He had finished measuring every detail of Chen Mu's body and was looking at him, wanting to say something, when she suddenly froze, feeling that Chen Mu had somehow changed.
But she couldn't quite pinpoint what that change was; it wasn't qi, inner breath, or intent... It was more like an ethereal quality, as if he had suddenly become more real.
The dark light in his eyes seemed to deepen.
"What are you staring at?"
Chen Mu's thoughts gathered, and without any distractions, he immediately focused on Xiao He, who was staring at him in a daze. He smiled and asked, "Nothing, nothing at all."
Xiao He snapped out of her trance, feeling something strange, "It's just... I felt like you just changed a little."
A crisp sound suddenly rang out.
"It's just an illusion!"
Chen Mu said to Xiao He.
Xiao He's pretty face suddenly turned red, and she looked at Chen Mu with embarrassment, "Guye..."
Chen Mu laughed, turned, and left the room. Xiao He stood there, her face still red, and after a while, she ran to the side and wrote down the measurements of Chen Mu's body that she had just taken.
(End of Chapter)
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