From sunrise to sunset.

The day spent wandering the streets and alleys had only just come to an end.

Chu Mu, however, hadn’t returned home. He only emerged from Mingxin Hall as the curfew was approaching.

For the Nanshan Inspection Office, last night’s turmoil was undoubtedly a double loss.

The crucial corpse was gone, so there was naturally no need to keep the entire town under lockdown.

Nanshan Town was already extremely desolate. Now, with the patrolling Inspectors gone from the streets, the dead of night felt as eerie and silent as a ghost town.

The battle last night had already resulted in many casualties among the Inspectors. In the sparsely populated town, white funeral banners and scattered paper money were once again everywhere, adding a touch of horror to the gloom.

Chu Mu walked at a leisurely pace, his brow slightly furrowed. His attention wasn’t on the dark and eerie surroundings, but rather on the considerable gains he had made that day.

His greatest gain of the day was in combining theory with practice.

And the most significant aspect of this combination was in medicinal herbs, or rather... their medicinal properties.

Chu Mu placed half a stalk of an herb into his mouth and chewed it slowly.

At the same time, the Spiritual Radiance Blessing descended upon him.

The remnants of the herb were still in his mouth, but its juices were already traveling down his throat and into his stomach.

Chu Mu could clearly perceive the flow of his Qi Blood and the burgeoning energy within his five viscera. The so-called Five Elements Yin and Yang were clearly not an illusion in this world, but a tangible reality.

Half a stalk of Yangji Grass. According to medical texts, its properties were to supplement yang and expel evil. It was a potent medicine, classified as a drastic remedy.

A drastic remedy, when used correctly, could cure an illness instantly, as if by a miracle doctor’s hand. But used incorrectly, it would fuel the body’s yang fire, incinerate the five viscera, and become a deadly poison!

Under the Spiritual Radiance Blessing, Chu Mu carefully sensed every minute change within his body.

As the juices entered his stomach, Chu Mu consciously manipulated his Qi Blood to accelerate his body’s absorption. A faint warmth began to rise from his heart.

The heart belongs to fire and is also associated with yang.

His five viscera and six bowels, which had become increasingly harmonious through Qi and Blood Cultivation, now showed faint signs of disharmony as this bit of yang fire surged.

Without such a detailed perception, this disharmony would go completely unnoticed by the body, manifesting only as increased thirst and a quick temper.

But Chu Mu knew clearly that this bit of yang fire could, at times, be fatal!

Chu Mu continued to sense the changes for a moment longer before pulling another herb from his robes and casually putting it in his mouth to chew.

Flowing Yin Grass. It grew in shady, flowing water. Its properties were to clear heat and purge fire, with a sweet aftertaste. It was the top choice for making herbal tea in the summer.

As the medicinal juice entered his stomach, it neutralized the faint heat, which slowly subsided into a state of peace.

Lost in thought, Chu Mu continued to chew unconsciously.

’This application of medicinal properties is still the most basic of methods,’ he knew.

Human ailments are almost never a single issue. Most of the time, they are a complex tangle of multiple problems.

To treat them, one needed to peel back the layers, then create a targeted combination of herbs and use their medicinal properties for treatment.

And this was only for treating illnesses.

’It’s still far from enough to reach the level I’m aiming for.’

After all, he had to consider his entire body, his own five viscera and six bowels, his own Yin Yang Five Elements!

He also needed to consider the countless combinations of medicinal properties and whether they were compatible with the human body. Furthermore, the changes in bodily functions that came with starting Qi and Blood Cultivation was another factor to consider.

Just like this Yangji Grass—used well, it was a life-saving miracle drug; used poorly, it was a fatal poison!

"Phew..."

Chu Mu let out a long breath, unable to hide the fatigue on his face. He rubbed his forehead and looked ahead, only to see the gate to his courtyard was open, with a flickering light clearly visible inside.

Chu Mu frowned and quickened his pace to the gate. When he saw the scene inside the courtyard, his tense brow couldn’t help but relax.

"Brother Mu, you’re back!"

Xu Yuan was standing on the roof, waving at Chu Mu with a cheerful grin.

The large hole in the roof was already mostly repaired.

"Didn’t I tell you not to worry about it? You kid, get down from there!"

"It’s almost done! I’ll be finished in a minute!"

Xu Yuan shouted, then added, "Brother Mu, I’ve already fed Wangcai, and there’s food left for you in the kitchen!"

Chu Mu scooped up Wangcai as the pet scurried over, rubbing its furry head. He looked up at Xu Yuan and said, "I have to go to Mingxin Hall to study medicine for the next few days. You take care of Wangcai for me."

"You got it."

Xu Yuan replied while laying tiles on the repaired roof frame.

Chu Mu climbed the wooden ladder to the roof, grabbed some tiles, and was about to help finish the repairs when his attention was drawn by the clamor in the adjacent courtyard.

"Wu He is dead too?"

Chu Mu asked casually, gazing at the scene of people coming and going in the neighboring courtyard.

"Not just him. A lot of guys from Team Two died."

"I heard there was more than one Resentful Soul this time... there were several..."

Xu Yuan said with lingering fear, "It’s a good thing we’re on the day shift. Otherwise, we probably would’ve been in deep trouble too."

Chu Mu’s expression remained calm as his gaze shifted to the courtyard on the other side, which was also filled with white funeral banners and a constant flow of people.

Chu Mu was taken aback. He remembered the family in that courtyard being completely wiped out by a Resentful Soul, didn’t he?

’They’ve been gone for a while. Why is there a funeral?’

"What’s the situation over there?"

Chu Mu asked, puzzled, pointing towards that courtyard.

Xu Yuan was clearly surprised. "You don’t know, Brother Mu?"

"How would I know!"

Chu Mu waved his hand dismissively. He had been so busy with his cultivation lately that his head was spinning. He had been so preoccupied day in and day out that he’d paid little attention to worldly affairs, so how could he have kept track of so much?

"Brother Mu, do you remember that old guy’s young daughter?"

Xu Yuan wore a lecherous expression as he pointed to the courtyard next to the neighbor’s.

"What about it? What does this have to do with her?"

Of course, Chu Mu remembered. The Old Child Scholar had several beautiful daughters, but only one had survived. He had gone to the scene to confirm it himself.

Besides, if it weren’t for that incident, he would have been at home and might have been taken out by that youth along with the others.

He figured he’d never forget that for the rest of his life.

"Brother Mu, do you know He San? He’s He Baihu’s brother-in-law!"

"I’ve heard of him. What does this have to do with him?"

"That old guy died and left behind a mountain of debt. There was no way the young lady could pay it off."

"That bastard He San had been lusting after her for a long time. He bought up all the debts and used them to force the young lady to marry him."

As he spoke, Xu Yuan was clearly gloating. "This is the house He San bought to marry her in. They said the wedding was set for the beginning of next month. The date was all fixed."

"And you know what happened last night, Brother Mu."

Chu Mu was slightly stunned. "He San is dead?"

"Dead!"

Xu Yuan chuckled. "He San, that guy, just wasn’t fated to have such luck."

"It’s just a pity for the young lady. She became a widow before she was even married."

"The people in the He Family are no good. That young lady is going to have a hard time now..."

Chu Mu looked at the courtyard, only about ten feet away. The funeral was bustling. There were quite a few people dressed in mourning clothes, but most were He San’s former colleagues and friends.

Unfortunately, Chu Mu scanned the crowd but couldn’t find the young lady’s graceful figure.

"Brother Mu, are you looking for the young lady?"

Xu Yuan sidled up to him, speaking shamelessly, "Brother Mu, the young lady is in her room. Let me tell you..."

"Get lost!"

Chu Mu shoved Xu Yuan away in annoyance, his face full of disgust.

"AHH..."

"HELP..."

"MURDER!"

The sudden screams made Chu Mu instinctively look towards the source of the sound.

Right before their eyes, the funeral service for He San had erupted into chaos...

...