My experience of grinding in another world

Chapter 126 Retreat
June 28th, 641st year of the Great Liang Dynasty, morning.

Linhengfang, Chen Residence.

Chen Mu ate snacks and drank tea while slowly flipping through "Bone Analysis and Physiognomy".

After a long while, Chen Mu closed the book and looked at the gray wall.

Transformation Technique: 697/10000/Tier 3;

"It went up by thirty points?!"

Xing Laoliu can use it to examine corpses and read faces.

Chen Mu can use it to increase his proficiency in the Transformation Technique.

"A good book!" Chen Mu nodded in satisfaction.

More than ten days have passed since the plan to have one person play the role of the Water Margin was abandoned.

Chen Mu stayed quietly in Linhengfang and didn't go out.

The dire consequences of the twenty-day lockdown began to emerge.

The shortage of supplies gradually led to chaos, with frequent violent brawls.

Chao Tianwang completely let things take their course, yet his recruitment efforts were in full swing.

Only by joining Chao Tianwang can one earn money and have food to eat.

They slaughtered wealthy families, plundered their wealth, and recruited soldiers, but they ignored the lives of ordinary people.

"Is this King Chao trying to slip away?"

"Go quickly!"

"If you leave, I'll leave too."

The city of Nanyang is almost ruined by disaster.

"Once we reach Lijiang City, I will stay home and practice my martial arts. I will not go out under any circumstances."

This world is in utter chaos.

They would massacre entire cities and families at the drop of a hat.

……

Putting away the books, Chen Mu walked to the center of the courtyard.

Gently press your hands together on your lower abdomen. Your breathing rhythm suddenly changes, becoming rapid.

He began practicing the Heavenly Serpent Form Refinement Technique.

Despite his recent hiding and fleeing, he has never given up practicing his physical training.

As his breathing changed, Chen Mu began to twist his waist and hips, turning his body backward into an incredible angle.

This is precisely the characteristic of the Heavenly Serpent Form Training Technique, which can greatly enhance the body's flexibility.

Chen Mu practiced slowly and rhythmically, as usual.

After finishing the round, Chen Mu let out a long breath.

I glanced at the gray wall.

Heavenly Serpent Form Refinement Technique: 9536/10000/Tier 3;

"almost!"

……

In the afternoon, as the sun set, a large area of ​​the evening glow was illuminated in a blood-red light.

A dazzling red and yellow light shone on Chen Mu's cheeks.

call……

A long breath was exhaled.

Chen Mu's muscles began to twitch rapidly. Instead of expanding, they began to contract inward.

Large muscles become fine and firm, combining flexibility and strength, while also being as explosive as a spring.

He can unleash his full power instantly, like a python coiling around its prey, whenever he wants.

Moreover, Chen Mu discovered that he had grown another finger's length, now almost 1.79 meters tall.

"Another body-refining technique has been mastered and its marrow-transforming properties have been achieved."

"I'll be able to develop my sixth Soul Bone in a month at most!"

Chen Mu lifted his clothes and gathered all the wandering spirits into his belly.

Suddenly, a black belt, about two palms wide, appeared around her belly.

"A hundred years to nourish the soul? Ha!"

"Who are you looking down on!"

Chen Mu chuckled smugly for a moment, then reached out and pinched his shiny black belly.

"I wonder what exactly this 'courage' is?"

The skin is jet black and shiny, yet lacks any skin texture, indicating that this is not a simple change in skin quality.

However, it is not thick enough to be described as an independent substance covering the surface.

"In short...it's amazing!"

……

Evening, at the prefectural government office.

The main hall of the inner courtyard was guarded in the center by a team of elite soldiers.

There were no maids or servants within fifty meters, eliminating any possibility of eavesdropping.

Inside the main hall, Heavenly King Chao Fang sat at the head of the table with a smile. His twelve brothers sat in two rows below him.

"You've made quite a bit of money lately, haven't you?" Chao Fang said with a smile.

The crowd below burst into laughter.

Zong Tai, who was sitting in the first seat on the left, smiled somewhat reluctantly.

From the moment he entered the inner city, he was assigned to guard the library and didn't get any reward!

"It's fine if you take it yourself, but don't let the people below fool you." Chao Fang said, "Second brother did a good job."

“Hanging a person naked would easily intimidate those cunning petty officials.” “Second Brother really has a good idea!” Jia Xiang, sitting in the first seat on the right, laughed heartily: “I’m going to see that old geezer, his balls are practically bursting from the sun!”

"Hahaha……"

The twelve brothers were laughing and joking.

Zong Tai twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing a gloomy, bitter smile.

"Zong Tai, it's just a few body-refining techniques. It's fine if someone tricks you out of them," Chao Fang comforted him.

"But we must learn from this. If you act carelessly, how can I dare to give you more responsibilities?"

"Brother is right!" Zong Tai quickly stood up and said respectfully.

"Sit down, sit down..." Chao Fang waved his hand kindly.

He immediately suppressed his smile and said solemnly, "Brothers, it's time to retreat."

"We'll quietly retrieve the soul-stabilizing stake tonight, and set off out of the city first thing tomorrow morning."

"Brother, why the rush?" the third brother, Jia Xiang, asked in confusion.

"Shangguan Ji has arrived eighty li outside the city. He has led eight thousand elite Tangshan soldiers in armor and has stationed them at Xiulinpo."

"He also brought a protective mirror. The evil spirits imprisoned outside the city cannot stop him."

Chao Fang's expression grew increasingly serious: "We've recruited enough people and made enough money. Brothers, it's time to go."

"The most important thing tonight is to retrieve the Soul-Stabilizing Pillar. We must not allow any unforeseen complications."

"If anything goes wrong, don't blame me for turning ruthless!" Chao Fang said indifferently.

The group, who had been laughing and joking moments before, immediately stood up and bowed respectfully: "Yes, sir!"

Everyone's gazes were subtly drawn to Zong Tai.

Although they address each other as brothers in ordinary times, they must never neglect the important affairs of the Heavenly King.

This second brother, who has been neglected to this day, is the best example!
Zong Tai clasped his hands and bowed his head, feeling the gaze behind him, and couldn't help but clench his teeth!
"Damn Song Jiang!"

……

Linhengfang, Chen Residence.

Beside the brick stove at the base of the east wall, two plumes of black smoke floated above the chimney.

The smoke from burning firewood is first swallowed up by the black smoke below, and then expelled from the black smoke cloud above.

With each intake and exhaust, the carbon produced by incomplete combustion is completely filtered out.

The Five Ghosts Bag was thrown into the vertical well, and clumps of clear water floated in mid-air.

After being rinsed repeatedly, the smoke from the stove quickly lost its color.

"Trying to use the smoke from the cooking fires to conscript men from me? I'll admit defeat if you find out!"

Chen Mu held a spatula in his hand, humming an unknown tune, and stir-fried the flavorful cured meat with a crackling sound.

"Now that I've mastered the Form Technique, I absolutely have to add another dish!"

If he had time, he would definitely have made himself a pot of braised pork.

"We can't miss seeing Miss Yutao's performance."

"I'll definitely make it up tomorrow!"

……

Zongtai walked out of the inner courtyard of the government office and passed by the offices of the six departments of the government.

Looking up, he saw the gaunt figure hanging on the flagpole and clenched his fists.

He thought of his other brothers, who were full of vigor and whose wealth and soldiers had all increased. He, on the other hand, was still a commander without troops.

His resentment towards Old Man Ding grew even stronger.

"Finding the soul stake is of utmost importance."

"I'll let you live one more night, you old codger!"

"We'll set off first thing tomorrow morning... Hmph!"

Zongtai changed his clothes, put on a bamboo hat, left the prefectural government office, and rode in a carriage, speeding towards the south gate of the inner city.

The inner city roads were wide and there were few pedestrians in the evening; he left the inner city in just fifteen minutes.

After making several turns and going around in circles, the carriage arrived at Linhengfang a quarter of an hour later.

Zongtai jumped off the carriage and looked around.

His repeated mistakes made him increasingly cautious in his actions.

A faint, pungent yet enticing spicy aroma wafted into my nostrils.

"Smells good? Is it lunchtime?" Zong Tai looked up at the gradually darkening sky.

"Hurry up and finish this so we can go to my brother's banquet." Zong Tai lifted his leg to leave, but then suddenly stopped.

"That can't be right. Hasn't this street been deserted all along?! Where is this fragrance coming from?"

To ensure the safety of the soul-stabilizing stake, he had specifically investigated the area, and found that it was surrounded by empty houses.

As a result, a scholar suddenly appeared out of nowhere and ruined his plans, causing him to be ostracized and neglected now.

It was later speculated that the man might have been a fugitive criminal who, like them, deliberately sought out empty houses to hide in.

Their initial meeting was truly just a coincidence.

Zongtai carefully recalled the scholar, then suddenly frowned.

He remembered that the scholar's fried dumplings were also very fragrant.

Just like the spiciness, it makes your mouth water.

Also in Linhengfang.

Also on deserted streets.

It can also be used to make incredibly delicious food.

Is it...

Zong Tai suddenly turned his head and solemnly looked at the street not far away.

"Could it be another escaped criminal?!"

(End of this chapter)