Dawn was breaking.
The woodshed.
Chen Mu wielded a knife, flipping it up and down, stirring up a whistling wind.
He didn't know how long he had been practicing, until the system panel flashed a notification that read 'Experience +1.' Only then did he stop, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and revealed a faint smile.
A month had passed since the incident with Zhang Hai, during which Butcher Zhang and Chen Hong had been continuously trying to find a way to get Zhang Hai out of prison. But there was still no news, and the man remained locked up, although for the time being, he was safe.
As for the matter of the sister 'Youying' that Chen Hong mentioned, it was never brought up again. Chen Mu didn't ask either, figuring either Butcher Zhang had blocked the idea, or the girl simply didn't think highly of him. He didn't feel upset about it; after all, he really was just a lowly servant, and it was normal for her to look down on him. Although he was now on the right path, he hadn't made a name for himself yet and certainly wasn't arrogant enough to expect the respect of the high and mighty.
Everyone has their aspirations and he did not insist.
Anyway, after nearly a month of practicing the blade, his experience points had accumulated bit by bit to finally reach a total of one thousand.
Elevating the Raging Wind Blade Technique to the Novice level had consumed one hundred experience points, and from Novice to Minor Achievement took three hundred. As for the leap from Minor Achievement to Major Achievement, it required a full thousand points, which had cost him almost two months of hard cultivation.
"In fact, I'm now on the right track with my knife practice. Even without anyone to guide me, I know how to practice, and with time to hone my skills, even without the system, I could slowly achieve Major Achievement. However..."
Chen Mu shook his head.
He could actually save some experience points and try to use them later, but he chose not to do that.
On the one hand, just by practicing the blade technique every day, it would take him years to reach Major Achievement on his own, which was too long a timespan. On the other hand, he desperately needed strength now.
The Raging Wind Blade Technique at Minor Achievement didn't give him much confidence in this chaotic world. But once it reached Major Achievement, he would at least be able to handle the assault of five or six armed robbers, and even during the most dangerous night patrols, he would feel more confident.
After all, many head constables, including some of the gang enforcers, and even the protectors hired by wealthy families, usually only reached Major Achievement in their respective skills. Those who had developed 'Momentum' were considered quite skilled and held considerable status.
Taking a deep breath.
Chen Mu concentrated, spending all one thousand accumulated experience points.
Hum!
In an instant, his entire mind went blank.
Moving from Novice to Minor Achievement in the Raging Wind Blade Technique, he had at least been instilled with memories of practicing hard throughout the seasons. But this time, from Minor Achievement to Major Achievement, the experience was equivalent to several years of training through all the seasons.
It felt as if he were truly there, practicing day after day, month after month, through the spring winds, under the summer sun, atop the autumn frost, amid the winter snow... years passed in the cycle of seasons in the blink of an eye.
When Chen Mu's consciousness fully returned, his entire back was soaked in sweat, and he had no idea how long he had been standing there in a daze.
But when he gripped the servant's knife in his hand once more, a sense of innate control emerged naturally.
The Blade Technique at its entrance level was merely about learning the correct direction and details of utilizing strength, mastering the basic moves.
With the Blade Technique at Minor Achievement, not only the moves but the subsequent variations were mastered. One could adapt to real combat and fluidly execute various moves, marking the first meaningful step in a practitioner's journey.
And with the Blade Technique at Major Achievement...
It meant complete mastery of the Raging Wind Blade Technique. It was no longer about sticking to moves and variations, but rather, having the capacity to improvise, flexible and versatile during combat. Whether in one-on-one fights, against multiple opponents, or against different types of enemies such as melee or sword fighters, all could be skillfully handled – the mark of a truly competent practitioner.
Once put into action, common thugs wielding weapons would be swiftly defeated, and even five or six robbers would struggle to get close.
"At last, I have some real strength."
Chen Mu, feeling the power he now possessed, couldn't help but smile.
Strength is the foundation for surviving in troubled times. With this ability, he could handle many more situations. Even if he were to lose his servant status, he wouldn't fear those ruffians or gangsters causing trouble.
This level of skill also fully qualified him to work as an enforcer for some power or act as a protector to earn some Silver Coin.
Of course.
Chen Mu wouldn't become complacent over this small achievement. Major Achievement in blade technique provided just enough self-defense and means to live on his own merit, but it wasn't enough to drastically change his status.
Only by mastering the Raging Wind Blade Technique to Perfection, and cultivating the 'Momentum' that only one in a hundred martial artists could comprehend, would he truly stand on solid ground. Whether he aspired to become a head constable or leave the City Defense Division to make his own way, he would have the capability to do so.
"Huff."
Chen Mu steadied his breaths for a moment before reaching under the stove to grab a piece of jerky, chewing it and washing it down with water.
He had really splurged over the past three months.
All the little Silver Coin he had barely managed to save over the past two years was spent on meat. After all, practicing the Blade Technique was exhausting, and he needed not only to gain Experience Points but also to strengthen his physique, which required more nutrients.
The effects were rather significant.
At least, under Chen Mu's clothes, after more than three months of arduous practice supplemented by occasional meat intake, his physique had expanded a circle. While not transformed into a figure of protruding muscles, he at least looked less frail than before.
But the Silver Coin he had painstakingly accumulated was nearly depleted, and Chen Mu was mulling over finding time to pawn his 'Raging Wind Blade Technique' manual since he had memorized all its content and it no longer held any value for him.
Even more so.
He pondered if he got a chance, he would buy a few more martial arts manuals from the pawnshop and see if the system could decipher them for him... Sadly, such items weren't expensive, but you'd still need at least ten Silver for a purchase, a sum he currently could not afford.
Selling, on the other hand, would only fetch two or three Silver at most. One could only say that pawnshops had hearts as black as coal.
"Alright, it's getting late, better head to the City Defense Division," he thought.
Chen Mu decided to put away the manual for the Raging Wind Blade Technique and cut off a piece of the leftover jerky. He stashed the rest well, lifted the pot lid, prepared the porridge, and went into the inner room to wake Chen Yue for breakfast.
While he ate meat, he couldn't let his sister go hungry, but he couldn't provide too much either. The time hadn't come yet, so the siblings had to be frugal, waiting for the day when they no longer had to worry about such matters.
Chen Yue woke up groggily, stretching lazily before reaching out her small arms for Chen Mu to hug her, but as she grew older and began to develop, despite their poor nutrition, Chen Mu had ceased such intimate gestures.
But Chen Yue clung to him, leaving him no choice but to oblige with a hug, urging her to eat well.
Afterward.
He changed into his servant's uniform, strapped on his Servant's Knife, and walked out the door.
Chen Yue secured the door from behind, watched through the crack until Chen Mu's figure disappeared, then reluctantly slipped back into the house.
...
The Yu City where Chen Mu lived was quite large, divided into the Inner and Outer City, with the Outer City further partitioned into eastern, southern, western, and northern sections, each of which was divided into ten districts, with each district being about the size of a rural township outside the walls. Inside the city, they were referred to as 'districts', while outside, they were known as townships.
Therefore, in addition to the four main City Guard Generals, each district had a City Defense Division, managed by a Prefecture Chief, with several Head Constables and dozens of city guards under their command.
Chen Mu lived in 'Ninth District,' which belonged to the Ninth District City Defense Division.
In these times of corrupt bureaucracies and rampant disorder, the City Defense Division was almost like a private army for some Inner City powers, often neglecting public safety unless ordered otherwise.
The Ninth District City Defense Division was situated on the north side of a spacious square.
The square served as Ninth District's marketplace during the day, often bustling with life. Years ago, it occasionally held public beheadings of notorious criminals, but such events had grown rarer over the years.
Heading north from the marketplace led to a row of tall, blue stone walls with visible cracks showing signs of disrepair. Compared to the City Guard General's establishments, it was distinctly more modest, yet still somewhat imposing compared to a common household's residence.
The Ninth District City Defense Division, enclosed by blue stone walls, had no tall buildings, just some relatively tidy houses.
Chen Mu entered the City Defense Division, exchanged his Duty Badge to sign in for the day, and then went to the yard behind the houses in search of his squad mates like Liu Song and Li Tie.
But as he turned into the yard behind the houses, he noticed that today seemed different. Where in the past, the multitude of city guards quietly drank their bitter tea, quite a few were now gathered around a younger city guard, creating a lively buzz.
Chen Mu arched an eyebrow slightly.
The young city guard at the center of attention was Ren Yan, someone he knew but rarely interacted with as they were not from the same squad. Ren Yan was two years his junior, making him the youngest officer here.
"Chen Er, you're here! Come on, have some tea and take a break," Liu Song and Li Tie invited with a smile upon seeing Chen Mu approaching.
Chen Mu went over, took a seat beside them, and noticed that the guards flocking around Ren Yan were some of the younger ones. The older guards, around forty years old like Liu Song and Li Tie, were not joining in the crowd.
Taking a sip of the bitter tea, Chen Mu observed the scene and asked, "What's this about?"
With a chuckle, Liu Song answered, "Ren Yan has come into some good fortune. His father recently made the acquaintance of a patron and managed to pull some strings. Just the other day, Ren Yan was sent to train in the Blade Technique at an Inner City martial arts school, the 'Mount Kai Martial Arts Gym'. Now everyone young around here wants to cozy up to him, hoping he might share some tips."