Chapter 9: Stability
Chapter 9: Stability
After a brief moment, several figures appeared at the alley entrance, gazing at the Black Serpent Gang's leader lying in a pool of blood, silent for a while.
One of them crouched down, examined the wound, and whispered, "Wind's Trace... This seems to be the Wind Lineage of the Heaven and Earth Eight Trigrams' blade technique. Judging by the force and precision, it's estimated to be at least Rank 3 Mastery. There's no one in our gang with such skill."
He stood up and asked one of them, "Xiangzhu Qu, do we need to investigate this?"
The man addressed as 'Gang Leader' contemplated the corpse before him for a moment, then shook his head. "A Mastery-level blade technique... Never mind, it's better to stay out of trouble. Anyway, the person is already dead, and we can report back without issue."
In these chaotic times, when the lines between right and wrong are blurred, it's best to avoid unnecessary trouble. If the deceased was a low-ranking patrol officer who happened to stumble upon this incident, an investigation might be warranted. However, if it was a Mastery-level blade technique practitioner, there's no need to get further entangled.
After all, a Mastery-level blade technique practitioner is either a gang leader or a martial instructor for some powerful force, and they might even be a senior officer in the City Guard. Without any personal grudges, there's no reason to provoke them.
The only mystery remains the identity of this person.
...
Chen Mu quickly returned home and closed the door behind him.
Chen Yue watched as Chen Mu rushed into the house, his silence speaking volumes. She sniffed lightly, catching a faint scent of blood, and her large eyes revealed a thoughtful expression. Quietly following him inside, she whispered, "Brother, what happened?"
"I encountered some trouble, but it's over now," Chen Mu replied.
After ensuring the door was securely shut, Chen Mu listened intently for any sounds, and his anxiety gradually subsided.
Feeling the silver ingots and gold leaves in his pocket, he estimated the amount to be nearly seventy or eighty taels—a fortune that an average civilian family could never accumulate in a lifetime. In these turbulent times, many people were forced to sell themselves into servitude just to survive. Often, a young girl's life was valued at less than ten taels of silver, and men were even cheaper.
With fifty taels of silver, one could purchase a small courtyard with a single entrance in the Nine Streets area near the City Guard headquarters, a relatively peaceful neighborhood. Typically, only owners of taverns, pawnshops, small gang leaders, or senior officers in the City Guard could afford to live there.
It was impossible for Chen Mu to remain completely unmoved by such a substantial sum.
However, Chen Mu was no longer the same as before. His mastery of the blade technique and newfound strength gave him confidence and a sense of control. Holding such a significant amount of silver, he could still suppress the turmoil in his heart and calmly analyze the situation.
"He tried to kill me, and I killed him in self-defense. It's only natural. Even if they investigate and trace it back to me, it's not a big deal. Others might not even know he was carrying such a large sum of money... And even if they do, and they come after me, it's not a problem. With my current status, seventy or eighty taels of silver is still within my means to handle."
If the deceased was just an ordinary low-ranking patrol officer who stumbled upon this fortune and wanted to keep it for himself, it would be a significant risk. If discovered, he would have to return the money and might face additional trouble. He might even consider offering most of it to the senior officer to gain their protection.
But the situation was different now.
Chen Mu himself possessed the skill of a Mastery-level blade technique, which could make him a gang leader in a gang or qualify him as an apprentice senior officer in the City Guard. With just seventy or eighty taels of silver, he could still maintain his influence.
Furthermore, it was the other party who initiated the attack, and Chen Mu acted in self-defense, making it justifiable from an emotional, logical, and physical standpoint.
With this realization, Chen Mu's heart gradually calmed.
"This money is enough for me to find a better home for you, Yue'er. Our lives will improve from now on, but it's best to avoid drawing unnecessary attention for now. Let's wait and see how things unfold. When I killed him, there were no witnesses, and no one knows my true strength. They only know me as an ordinary patrol officer, so it's unlikely anyone will suspect me. It's better to avoid unnecessary trouble."
Chen Mu had been living in this old house since he arrived in this world, and it was in dire need of repair, lacking windows and occasionally leaking during rain. He had always dreamed of moving to a better place with Chen Yue once he became successful, and now that time had finally come.
However, to avoid trouble, it was best to wait a little longer.
In the meantime, they could afford to be more extravagant with their daily necessities, unseen by others in the privacy of their home. At least their young maid could enjoy meals with rice, noodles, and meat, and Chen Mu could also supplement his body with more nourishing food to strengthen his physique)
As Chen Mu pondered, Chen Yue circled him, finally finding a trace of blood on the hem of his robe that hadn't dried yet.
She paused, choosing not to speak, but instead turned back to face him and playfully sniffed his body. "Brother, you smell. Take off your robe, and I'll wash it."
"Okay," Chen Mu agreed, not paying much attention to Chen Yue's actions as he was deep in thought. He casually removed his patrol robe and handed it to her.
Chen Yue then ran off with the robe to the firewood room.
Chen Mu's thoughts returned to the dangerous scene in the alley. He reached out and touched the hilt of his patrol saber, murmuring, "I do have some real skill now. That Black Serpent Gang leader was a formidable opponent, but he couldn't last more than a few rounds against me. It's partly due to his weakened and disorderly blade technique and partly due to the refined strength of my Gale Swordsmanship. The system's forced 'Mastery' status, in a way, might be even purer than the recognized Mastery level in the outside world."
Chen Mu had been contemplating the system's assessment of his blade technique, wondering if it aligned with the general perception of blade mastery in the outside world. Now, it seemed that the system's standards were even higher than those of the outside world.
In other words, his blade technique was more refined than that of an average person.
With this thought, Chen Mu became increasingly eager to achieve perfection in his blade technique and visualize the scene of unleashing a gale-like blade aura. He wondered how much his skill would improve and what kind of formidable opponent he would become.
Perhaps in the entire Yu City, it wasn't much to boast about, but in this outer district's nine streets, there were few who could surpass him.
Practice the blade!
Chen Mu exhaled, drew out his patrol saber, and examined it. He noticed some bloodstains on it, so he cleaned them off and then began his daily evening cultivation.
...
The night passed uneventfully.
As usual, Chen Yue washed clothes, cooked meals, and at bedtime, she insisted on Chen Mu telling her stories. She fell asleep to his nonsensical tales of spirits and monsters.
During the night, Chen Mu didn't sleep soundly. He vaguely heard some noises outside, but they were just passing footsteps, and no one paid attention to the two small houses where the City Guard Patrol Officer lived.
The next day,
Chen Mu also heaved a sigh of relief, almost certain that nothing was amiss. He then went to the City Guard Headquarters to check in as usual.
Coincidentally, when he arrived at the headquarters and was patrolling with Liu Song, Li Tie, and the others, they passed by the alley he had walked through the night before. There, they saw a body lying almost exactly as it had been the night before. It seemed that even the Crimson Gold Gang hadn't done anything to it.
"Huh, this person seems to be a Gang Leader from the Black Serpent Gang."
Liu Song looked at the body with a slight surprise, then approached it and felt around. However, he found nothing and clicked his tongue in disappointment. "Tsk, they've cleaned it up thoroughly, not even leaving half a body."
In the past, he wouldn't have dared to show such casual disrespect to a Gang Leader of the Black Serpent Gang, even if it was just a corpse. But now, the Black Serpent Gang was on its last legs, with most of its leaders and members either dead or dying. Their former might was no more.
Chen Mu remained silent and, together with Liu Song and the others, carried the body and took it to the outskirts of the city, throwing it into the chaotic burial ground.
"The Black Serpent Gang is probably finished."
On their way back, Liu Song sighed, "Those who join gangs are like this, fighting and killing every day, with their lives hanging by a thread. Although they might earn some silver, they never know when their lives might end. It's definitely not as stable as our lives as patrol officers. Although we don't have many opportunities to make money or advance, at least our days are much more peaceful."
Li Tie said, "I have a distant cousin who joined a gang. In the first few years, he was fearless and earned quite a bit of silver. But one day, he disappeared and was never seen again, neither alive nor dead. In my opinion, it's better to live a stable life as a patrol officer."
He laughed and looked at Chen Mu, "You don't seem to be married yet. When the opportunity arises, I'll find you a good match so you can live a stable life."
"No rush, no rush," Chen Mu smiled.
Liu Song winked at Chen Mu, "What do you mean no rush? You probably haven't...um, right? You don't know that feeling. Why not, today, I'll take you to have some fun?"
Li Tie laughed upon hearing this, "Old Liu, you're quite bold. I'll have to tell my wife about this."
Liu Song, dissatisfied, said, "I'm just trying to help Chen Er. Why are you causing trouble? Go, go, go! Dare to ruin my plans, and I'll tell everyone about that time you got drunk and pulled down a widow's pants."
"How dare you!"
Li Tie glared at him, then turned away, feeling a bit guilty.
Chen Mu merely smiled at Liu Song and Li Tie's bickering. Before, he didn't have the silver to visit brothels, but now he did. However, he had more important matters to attend to, and he wasn't willing to waste a moment on practicing his blade.
As soon as he perfected the Gale Swordsmanship, he would have the confidence he needed. Everything would fall into place, and there was no need to rush.
The situation unfolded just as Chen Mu had predicted.
The Black Serpent Gang was swiftly crushed by the Crimson Gold Gang, and within a few days, they completely vanished without a trace. Not a single gang member could be seen again. The power over this large area of streets gradually shifted from the Black Serpent Gang to the newly rising Crimson Gold Gang, and there was not even a ripple of disturbance regarding the body. No one mentioned it, just like a beggar frozen to death in a ditch, unnoticed and unimportant.
Chen Mu remained cautious and didn't make any big moves like buying a new house with the money. Instead, hedonistic land. He only bought more rice, flour, and dried meat to improve their daily meals and got Chen Yue a new cotton-padded jacket, which delighted the little girl.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
