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Chapter 32: Ten Days
Chapter 32: Ten Days
"Alright, big brother will keep his word."
Chen Yue giggled.
Although it was said that children of the poor grew up fast, she was still only fifteen years old, and in the years after her father's departure, she had been mostly raised by Chen Mu. Thus, she still retained some childish innocence.
Chen Mu patted Chen Yue's head and chatted with Xiaohe for a while before seeing them off as they left.
When he turned around, he spotted Wang Ni, half-hidden behind the door, her small figure peeking out.
Chen Yue was going to the Inner City to study martial arts, and Wang Ni was to accompany her as her maid. Chen Mu knew he didn't have the face to ask for such a favor, especially since Wang Ni was still too young, only ten years old.
"Your sister Yue has left, go back inside."
"Yes..."
Wang Ni replied timidly and returned to the courtyard.
Chen Mu stood at the doorway, watching the direction Chen Yue had left in for a while before turning back into the house.
He wondered if Chen Yue would be able to showcase her talent in the Inner City. He still didn't quite understand the concept of 'constitution,' but after feeling her body the night before, he sensed that it was likely better than his own. However, he wasn't sure if it was truly exceptional.
Naturally, Chen Mu hoped that Chen Yue would achieve something in the path of martial arts. While he didn't mind her being a sheltered little sister, it would be even better if she could stand out and excel.
In fact,
Even if Chen Yue was exceptionally talented, it would still be difficult for her to leave his protection. Perhaps no one in this world, no matter how brilliant or talented, could compare to the capabilities of his system panel.
Unless someone could snuff him out in his cradle, like the assassination attempt the day before, as long as he had enough time, he would undoubtedly climb higher and higher, eventually reaching the pinnacle of power.
"Time to practice."
Chen Mu took a deep breath, went to the backyard, and started practicing his blade technique.
Now that he had achieved minor success in skin tempering, his physique had significantly improved. He could increase his daily skin tempering routine from twice to thrice, and during his free time, he dedicated himself to refining his blade technique.
As for the City Guard Headquarters, he planned to drop by occasionally during these days, as there wasn't anything that required his attention, and Min Baoyi probably didn't want him to get involved in their affairs.
In Min Baoyi's eyes, the most important thing was for Chen Mu to quickly achieve minor or even major success in skin tempering. With Chen Mu's talent for grasping blade auras, once he perfected skin tempering or even reached its pinnacle, even without advancing in muscle tempering, it would be difficult for ordinary people to threaten him. Even the kind of assassination attempt he experienced in the alley would be manageable if his body tempering was not yet perfected.
Once his skin tempering reached perfection, things like quicklime would be useless, and even the sharp blades of ordinary thugs who had never trained in martial arts might not be able to pierce his toughened skin membrane. Naturally, they would pose no threat.
And so,
The ten days passed in the blink of an eye.
During this time, nothing eventful occurred. The assassination attempt seemed to have faded away, and the entire Nine Streets became peaceful... This tranquility, however, only applied to those with status like Chen Mu. For the lower-class citizens, life remained a struggle against the government's taxes, gang extortion, and the menace of bandits and thieves.
As a Senior Patrol Officer, Chen Mu was well aware of these issues, but he didn't feel the urge to immediately change the world. He wasn't cold-hearted or indifferent; he simply didn't involve himself in matters beyond his duties.
Perhaps one day, when his achievements overshadowed the ages and he became a figure whose words carried immense weight in the Great Xuan Dynasty, he might consider reshaping the world according to his ideals. But for now, he was just a Senior Patrol Officer, and he didn't possess such capabilities.
"That's enough."
Once again, he rose from the sand pit.
Chen Mu summoned his system panel and saw that his accumulated experience points had finally surpassed three hundred. He couldn't help but nod in satisfaction.
Three hundred experience points were enough for him to advance from minor success to major success in skin tempering. Such speed and progress would likely leave even the most dazzling geniuses of the Inner City in awe.
But he wasn't in a rush.
He first washed off the mud and sand from his body, then returned to the house. After his body recovered, he regulated his thoughts and breathing before summoning the system panel again and choosing to enhance his Golden Jade Skin Polishing Technique.
This time, the sensation wasn't as intense as before, but it was still a tumultuous change within his body, like a surge of hot blood exploding and spreading throughout his entire body, targeting the skin membranes. An indescribable pain erupted, but Chen Mu didn't faint like last time; instead, he endured it with gritted teeth.
Of course,
In his opinion, it would have been better to faint, as this pain was far more intense than when he improved his skills. He curled up, almost biting into his pillow, enduring the agony from every inch of his body for an unknown duration before it gradually subsided.
Chen Mu's clothes were drenched in sweat, and even the bed sheets beneath him were soaked. His body felt weak and limp, almost to the point of collapse.
With a deep breath, Chen Mu released his grip on the pillow and let out a mouthful of turbid air. He struggled to stretch his body, and after a while, he mustered up enough strength to sit up.
Once he had recovered somewhat, Chen Mu got out of bed and poured himself a bowl of medicinal broth that he had prepared earlier to replenish his Qi and Blood. He drank it down, and then called for Wang Ni to come and change the wet bed sheets.
Wang Ni, who had been trained by Chen Yue to be obedient, didn't ask any questions and simply took the bed sheets away to change them. She was a bit curious about why Chen Mu's bed was wet, but the smell wasn't unusual.
Chen Mu didn't mind what Wang Ni might be thinking. He went to the side room to adjust his breathing and calm down. After about half an hour, the effects of the medicinal broth began to take hold, and his body's energy slowly recovered. When he clenched his fist, he felt his strength return.
"I've made significant progress," Chen Mu thought to himself.
Compared to before, his body's Qi and Blood were more vibrant. If he were to exert himself fully and unleash his Blade Aura, his energy would be more sustained, and he could take down dozens of thugs without getting winded or needing to catch his breath.
Moreover, his skin had become more resilient. Although it didn't look much different, his complexion had deepened to a healthy wheat color. In reality, his skin's elasticity had become comparable to that of a Bull Demon's hide.
The Bull Demon's skin was notoriously tough. Even a dull blade would only leave a white mark, unable to cut through it.
Chen Mu's skin had become similarly resilient, granting him superior resistance and endurance compared to ordinary people. Even if he didn't know any Blade Techniques, he could still take down ten thugs who didn't know any techniques and hadn't cultivated their bodies. In a fierce battle, Chen Mu would be the last one standing.
"Blade Aura can almost make up for a large difference in cultivation realms," Chen Mu thought to himself.
He had discussed martial arts with Min Baoyi a few days ago and learned that someone who had mastered Skin Tempering and possessed Blade Aura could match someone who had achieved Muscle Cultivation, as long as the latter didn't have Blade Aura.
However, as one progressed further, the gap between physical strengths would widen. Min Baoyi had said that even with his mastery of Muscle Cultivation and Blade Aura, he would struggle to defeat someone who had achieved Sinew Transformation, even if that person didn't know Blade Aura.
In reality, people who could cultivate their bodies to the third realm of Sinew Transformation without knowing Blade Aura were rare. The reason was that there was a unique gap between Muscle Cultivation and Sinew Transformation, which required a specific Sinew Strengthening Powder to bridge. This powder was extremely expensive, and usually, only the direct descendants of wealthy families could afford it.
Chen Mu had learned this from Min Baoyi, and it wasn't too far-fetched for him, as he would soon surpass the Skin Tempering realm and consider Sinew Transformation next.
"Even if I achieve mastery in Skin Tempering, I'm still no match for someone like Min Baoyi. A group of dozens of assassins wouldn't be a threat to me, but ordinary people would still be unable to harm me. However, I need to be cautious and strive to achieve Muscle Cultivation and master the Second Aura to become a top figure in this Outer City," Chen Mu thought, aware of his current limitations.
"To reach the perfection of Skin Tempering, I need 1,000 Experience Points. With my current body, I can probably temper my skin four times a day and absorb an extra dose of medicinal power. I can accumulate the 1,000 points in about a month," Chen Mu thought, nodding to himself.
Although the internal and external medicinal powders were expensive, Chen Mu wasn't extravagant and could afford the cost of a few dozen silver coins.
(End of Chapter)
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