Having left the prison,
Chen Mu hurriedly walked out.
He didn't want to stay at the City Guard General's office any longer than necessary; the atmosphere there was somewhat oppressive.
However, as Chen Mu made his way back to the front courtyard and returned in front of the towering City Defense Tower, an inadvertent glimpse of movement caught in the corner of his eye on the fourth-floor balcony revealed the presence of someone clad in a white flying fish robe.
Despite the distance, he could still make out that it was a woman, and likely quite young. Judging by her appearance, she could well live up to the adulation of 'sinking fish and falling geese'; even flattery would not be entirely without basis.
"Is that the Chief Constable of the South City District?"
Chen Mu only glanced briefly with the corner of his eye before swiftly turning his gaze away.
Of the four city districts—east, south, west, north—only the South City District's Chief Constable was a woman. However, no one dared to underestimate her for this fact alone. After all, Head Constables might rise to their position through connections, and Prefecture Chiefs might be mediocre, but as the Chief Constable overseeing the South City District City Guard General, one couldn't possibly hold such a title without genuine personal strength, regardless of the power behind them.
In his heart, he couldn't help but think of the world's various external skills like Blade Techniques and Swordsmanship, as well as the rumored 'Internal Techniques.'
To his knowledge, Internal Techniques did indeed exist, but whether it was the difficulty of practice or the various requirements, they were far beyond external skills. A single Medicinal Powder could cost dozens of Silver, and practicing Internal Techniques was almost synonymous with burning money, hence their scarcity.
But the true powerhouses were those who cultivated Internal Techniques. By relying on external skills alone, one might reach the zenith and display Blade Momentum, facing ten enemies, but that would be the limit. Whereas cultivating Internal Techniques could lead to prolonged Inner Breath and stamina, and it was said they could even face a hundred, or even a thousand opponents!
"This Chief Constable must be a formidable practitioner of Internal Techniques; pity that I can't get my hands on the methods to practice them,"
Chen Mu shook his head.
He wasn't interested in how beautiful the Chief Constable looked; it was the Dharma Doors to Internal Training that he cared about. He wondered if the system could force experience to stack up in the practice of Internal Cultivation Methods.
His thoughts drifted for a moment, but Chen Mu soon steadied himself. He shouldn't aim too high just yet; he needed to perfect the Raging Wind Blade Technique first, then find a way to advance further. Once he had a certain level of strength and status, he could then attempt to seek out Dharma Doors to internal training.
Chen Mu quickly left the City Guard General's office.
Meanwhile, Xu Hongyu, the Chief Constable standing on the balcony of the City Defense Tower, looked down at the City Defense Division with a hint of worry. Her gaze crossed over Chen Mu's fading figure but did not pause; like many Prefecture Officers who hurriedly passed by every day, he didn't attract her attention.
...
Chen Mu did not stop his steps and hurried all the way home.
Because the City Guard General's office was quite far from his home, and the day was already growing late. Once night fell, even though he was dressed as an officer, walking at night would still be unsafe. A careless encounter could drag him into trouble, landing him as an unnoticed corpse in a gutter the next day.
Chen Mu quickened his pace and arrived home while it was still light out. Chen Hong had been waiting anxiously as if the days were like years.
As soon as Chen Mu finally arrived, she quickly greeted him.
"Third Aunt,"
Chen Mu nodded to Chen Hong, saying, "The head jailer accepted the Silver, and said that he wouldn't torment my cousin too harshly for the next month or two. But after that, we'll need to think of something else."
Upon hearing Chen Mu's words, Chen Hong finally breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That's good, that's good..."
These past few days, she had been trying to find a way to get someone out of prison but had hit a wall at every turn, unable to find anyone to plead with. Now, taking a step back was fortunate enough, since the head jailer was approachable. At the very least, this could save Zhang Hai's life. As for what would happen in a month or two, they would have to take it one step at a time.
Chen Mu helped Chen Hong sit down.
"Third Aunt, don't worry too much about this; we'll cross that bridge when we get there. Perhaps in a few days, there might be a turning point."
In truth, if Zhang Hai could have delayed his misfortune, and he had become a Head Constable, he would naturally have some influence. Moreover, at his age, if he could manifest Blade Momentum and catch the eye of a figure like the Chief Constable, there might indeed be a chance to fish Zhang Hai out of prison. Maybe it was just his fate to face this tribulation, and for now, there wasn't much Chen Mu could do about it—he was even reluctant to get involved, in case it disrupted the plans he had in mind.
Chen Hong composed herself after sitting down.
With her age, after hearing that Zhang Hai was temporarily out of danger, she quickly calmed down.
"Yes, we can only take it one step at a time."
Chen Hong also let out a sigh, adding, "It's my fault for spoiling him since he was young... Xiaomu, it's getting late. Why don't you and Yue'er come to my place and have a simple meal?"
Chen Mu saw a glimmer of hope in Chen Yue's eyes, but he still shook his head and said, "No, it's getting a bit late, and by the time we finish eating, it will be nightfall. Then we would have to spend the night at Third Aunt's, which is too troublesome."
Chen Hong waved her hand, saying, "It's not bothersome, not at all. It's good that you come to my place... umm..."
As she spoke,
Chen Hong suddenly paused, as if she remembered something, hesitated for a moment, and then continued, "Xiaomu, do you remember Youying? She's the girl from little Hai's fourth uncle's family. She used to visit your house when she was a child."
Chen Mu felt somewhat bewildered.
That memory was quite distant, belonging to events before he came to this world. However, he retained all previous memories, though they were a bit vague.
When Chen Hong brought it up, he searched his mind and managed to find the image of a young girl.