Chu Mu watched the direction where the figures had disappeared, his expression growing noticeably more solemn.

That direction was, without a doubt, leading out of town.

In other words, they must have come from inside the town.

If they were residents, there would be no reason to be so sneaky about leaving.

This meant it was highly likely these furtive individuals had come from outside, infiltrated the town, and had already achieved their goal...

Subconsciously, Chu Mu thought of the surviving Rebels from Qili Village. The impression that youth had left on him was profound, to say the least.

After a moment of contemplation, Chu Mu decisively changed direction and headed straight for the Inspection Office.

With a trace of the thieves revealed, he couldn’t just pretend he hadn’t seen anything, both for official reasons and for his own sake.

Upon reaching the Inspection Office and reporting the news, Chu Mu promptly left and headed home.

What happened after he made his report was no longer his concern.

He just hoped that whatever happened, it would wait until his injuries had healed.

Whether the outcome was good or bad, he would at least have a bit more confidence to face it.

And just as Chu Mu was returning home to rest, outside Nanshan Town, amidst the mountains to the Southwest...

The figures that had fled Nanshan Town without stopping finally halted their frantic dash in front of a mountain cave. After observing their surroundings, they entered the cave.

The cave was not large, and its furnishings were extremely crude—just a few straw mats, a campfire, and nothing else.

"Uncle Niu, Sister Ning, Brother Wu!"

As soon as the black-clothed people stepped into the cave, several young children ran up and threw themselves at them.

To one side of the cave, a youth with a cold and stern expression sat cross-legged.

If Chu Mu were here, he would have definitely recognized this youth as the one he had fought in his first real battle after entering the mountains.

If he had seen this with his own eyes, Chu Mu would have found it unbelievable.

After all, in that battle, he had clearly seen the youth suffer a grievous wound from a single blade strike, saved from the brink of death only at the last moment.

Yet now, the youth appeared completely normal. That devastating injury... it was as if it had never existed.

As if sensing the movement, the youth slowly opened his eyes and looked at the three people in black who had entered.

"Xiao Xiu, how are you? How’s the injury?"

"It’s fine now."

The youth shook his head. "Sister Ning, did you manage to gather any information?"

"We’ve found out."

"Master’s body is most likely being held in the dungeon of the Inspection Office by those dog officials."

"But it’s heavily guarded inside. It’s clearly a trap; they want to use Master’s body to lure us in."

"With just the few of us, if we rush in recklessly, I’m afraid it’ll be a one-way trip."

Another person in black chimed in, "That’s right. Those dog officials are obviously prepared, just waiting for us to walk into their trap..."

After the exchange, everyone fell silent. Faced with such a thorny situation, they all felt powerless.

The youth was also silent, but his eyes held none of the helplessness and hatred of the others. Instead, they were like a pool of stagnant water, indifferent and calm.

As the night deepened, the faint sounds of conversation in the cave faded away. Amidst the flickering firelight, a long, slanted shadow was cast from within.

The youth, who should have been resting and asleep, silently walked out of the cave and stepped into the darkness.

...

The mountain forest was silent, but Nanshan Town at night had lost its usual peace.

Patrol teams, which were usually nowhere to be seen at night, made a rare appearance tonight, dutifully patrolling all over town.

Under the cover of night, the Inspection Office was even more brightly lit.

Lanterns and bonfires dispelled nearly every shadow within the Inspection Office grounds, leaving no blind spots.

In the open and in the shadows, there were Inspectors clad in armor and brandishing sharp weapons.

The reason for all of this was, clearly, Chu Mu’s report.

And as for the instigator of it all... Chu Mu.

The lights in his courtyard had long been extinguished. Through the latticed window, under the moonlight, a figure could be seen sleeping fully clothed.

Chu Mu slept very peacefully.

As usual, Chu Mu didn’t wake from his slumber until dawn.

The changes at the Inspection Office clearly had little to do with Chu Mu, who was still recuperating.

After a simple breakfast, Chu Mu once again began his regular routine.

Reading, reading, reading...

This routine continued for more than ten days, unbroken until Chu Mu’s injuries had almost fully healed.

The black-clothed people from that night seemed to have been a flash in the pan, disappearing without a trace and causing no further disturbance.

By noon, after more than half a month of recovery, the grief that had enveloped Nanshan Town was gradually washed away by time.

The streets, though not as bustling as they once were, had regained much of their life and prosperity.

The dead were gone, but the living had to go on.

Inside Mingxin Hall, Chu Mu was bare-chested. The once-bloody wound on his abdomen had now become a vicious-looking scar.

"It’s pretty much healed."

Elder Li nodded. "It won’t affect your martial arts practice, as long as you avoid any overly strenuous activity for a short while."

After speaking, Elder Li pointed to a pile of small, oil-paper packets on the counter. "The prescription you asked for is also ready. It’s a one-month supply."

"The price isn’t too expensive. Fifty silver."

Hearing the price, Chu Mu’s mouth twitched, but he said nothing more. He pulled a stack of Paper Currency from his robes and handed it to Elder Li.

He picked up the stack of medicinal herbs and walked straight out of Mingxin Hall.

The cultivation method for the Body Refining Technique was internal consumption and external training.

It also recorded several medicinal formulas to provide Support for Cultivation.

While not strictly necessary for practicing the Body Refining Technique, it was obvious that practicing with medicinal Support and practicing without it were two completely different concepts.

But the price... fifty silver a month... was undoubtedly exorbitant.

As his thoughts swirled, Chu Mu touched the thin stack of Paper Currency in his robes and couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on.

Since coming to this world, he had inherited his predecessor’s father’s legacy of several hundred silver. A few days ago, he had received a reward of two hundred silver for his military service, not to mention his Monthly Stipend and Black Gold from recent days.

Logically speaking, he should have been extremely wealthy.

But while his income was large, his expenses were clearly even larger.

In just one or two months, studying at the private school, studying at the medical hall, treating his colleagues to meals, martial arts necessities, daily necessities...

Each one was a major expense, easily costing tens or even hundreds of silver.

Putting everything else aside, the fifty silver a month for medicinal herbs alone completely exceeded his Monthly Stipend.

Chu Mu rubbed his forehead, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

Before, as an ordinary Inspector guarding his predecessor’s inheritance of several hundred silver, he had never really worried about money.

Now that he’d been promoted to team leader, had martial skills and a reputation, he actually had to start worrying about money.

’Guess I’ve got to make some money...’

Chu Mu shook his head and walked distractedly down the street.

Once he was fully healed, he would have to resume his duties. And once he did, Wu Shuo would surely introduce him to the things that no one had included him in before.

For example... the iron from the Black Market?

Chu Mu didn’t feel much of a psychological burden over it; he was quite open-minded.

’What’s there for the taking, I’ll take.’

If Wu Shuo brought him into the game and he refused to take his share, wouldn’t that just be asking for trouble?

...