My experience of grinding in another world

Chapter 15 Ghost Market
Ping An Fang

Chen Mu sat by the stove under the thatched shed.

A small stove sat on the floor next to the hearth, with a clay pot on top bubbling away, releasing a rich aroma of medicine.

He was brewing a secret medicine for the Red Falcon Formation Technique.

This secret medicine is quite valuable, costing one tael of silver per dose, which really pained Chen Mu.

If his portrait business weren't still relatively stable, he wouldn't dare to practice at all.

Once the secret medicine was brewed and cooled to a warm temperature, Chen Mu drank it down in one gulp.

After rubbing his stomach a few times, he began practicing the Red Falcon Formation Technique in the yard.

Chen Mu moved nimbly left and right, running around the yard, his sleeves flapping loudly as he was pulled by the air, his speed comparable to a 100-meter sprint.

Chen Mu ran for a quarter of an hour before stopping, taking a deep breath, and his heaving chest quickly calmed down.

As proficiency in the Red Falcon Formation Technique increases, its effects begin to become apparent.

Chen Mu's overall physical attributes improved. His strength, speed, and endurance all increased to varying degrees.

After running for 15 minutes, I quickly regained my breath and even had energy left.

"If this speed were in the Olympics of my previous life, none of the sprint and long-distance champions could outrun it!"

Writing: 1245/10000/Second order;

Drawing: 663/10000/Second order;

Throw: 2465/10000/Tier 2;

Red Falcon Form Training Technique: 1050/10000/Tier 1;
"Gained another 15 experience points."

"It's still better to have the secret medicine to work with it," Chen Mu sighed.

After more than twenty days of cultivation, each time with the help of secret medicine and full effort, one can gain between 8 and 15 experience points.

The experience gained is greatest immediately after taking the secret medicine, and then it decreases over time.

Because he had to put all his effort into each practice session, he could only practice six or seven times a day at most.

Any more and I'll experience unbearable aches and pains all over my body. That's probably my physical limit.

This way, you can increase your proficiency by about fifty points a day.

"Breaking through to the second stage will bring about a qualitative change, and there is a high probability that one can complete the Yi Jin Jing (Muscle/Tendon Changing) technique."

Sheng Hong told him that the Form Refining Technique has three levels of transformation: Tendon Strengthening, Bone Strengthening, and Marrow Strengthening.

Each change will greatly improve physical fitness, breaking through the limits of ordinary people.

"Based on 50 experience points per day, it would take about 179 days, or about half a year, to complete the Yi Jin Jing (Muscle/Tendon Changing) technique," Chen Mu silently calculated.

"After six months of training, I can surpass most ordinary people. That's not bad speed. Hehe."

He couldn't guarantee how long the next two levels would take.

It's said to be getting harder and harder.

Fortunately, I'm already familiar with gray walls, and with a little more effort, I can eventually master it.

Thinking of this, Chen Mu immediately felt at ease.

Let's keep practicing.

……

The morning passed quickly.

Chen Mu lit a fire to cook, boiled wheat, stir-fried some greens, and cut two pounds of braised meat, then ate it in large bites.

As he practiced martial arts for a longer period of time, his appetite grew larger and larger.

They ate meat at every meal, spending five or six taels of silver a month just on food.

Add to that the body-strengthening elixirs. The total monthly cost would be at least thirty-five taels.

The original owner had never even seen so much money before!

"Luckily, those old folks are rich enough." Chen Mu no longer has any expectations of singing girls.

He was prepared to go all the way among the elderly.

After having dinner and changing into clean clothes, Chen Mu went out and headed into the county town.

Today we had an appointment to paint a portrait of a wealthy man surnamed Li.

Over the past few months, Chen Mu has become extremely skilled at this business.

Upon arrival, he quickly began his work, and by evening he leisurely returned home with a staggering ten taels of silver as a commission.

He now gets a client about every three or four days.

One can earn seventy or eighty taels a month.

If it weren't for this money, he wouldn't dare to practice martial arts.

"Don't get too cocky. This business will eventually come to an end." Chen Mu was quite clear-headed.

Those who could afford to have their portraits painted were simply the wealthy and powerful families in the city. Ultimately, the number was limited.

We need to find a way to increase revenue and reduce expenditure.

He doesn't have any ideas about open source for the time being.

He did have some ideas on how to cut costs.

The biggest expense right now is the secret medicine.

The most expensive herb is called Thousand-Beard Grass, and one plant costs half an ounce of silver.

That thing can be found in the mountains outside the city. But it grows in remote, inaccessible places, making it difficult to collect. It seems that hunters in my hometown village used to collect this herb.

"I need to find some time to go back to my hometown," Chen Mu thought to himself.

……

As evening fell, the painter Yan dismissed his two attendants and left Anlefang.

Knowing the way well, they arrived at an inconspicuous carriage shop in the East Market.

They boarded a black carriage and left the city.

Half an hour later, the carriage entered a deserted village and stopped in a courtyard where half of the earthen wall had collapsed.

As the last ray of sunlight disappeared.

The desolate and quiet village came alive.

One by one, people wearing cloaks and covering their faces emerged from the dilapidated houses.

Lanterns were hung on both sides of the street, and many street stalls appeared along the way.

The items they sell are bizarre and unusual: antiques, medicinal herbs, tattered books, meat from unknown animals, and even a black skull.

The painter dared not look any longer, wrapped his cloak tighter around himself, and quickly slipped into a small alley.

When they came out again, their faces, which were covered by a black cloth, turned pale.

"Damn poor boy! Your life is worth a lot!" Painter Yan was heartbroken and sobbing.

"If that scholar manages to establish connections with the brothels and entertainment venues through the Miaohuafang, where will my business be?!" Painter Yan gritted his teeth in anger. More than one courtesan had already inquired about Chen Mu from him.

On the carriage back to the city, the painter Yan leaned against the carriage and closed his eyes to rest.

"Having a lot of money has its advantages. At least I can get rid of that scholar without anyone noticing. No one will suspect me." That was the only way Yan the painter could console himself.

In just a few more days, the scholar will die an accidental death, and I will be completely safe.

"I told you, this industry is murky, you really can't handle it," Painter Yan sneered.

"Good words can't persuade a damned devil."

"If this book dies, it's dead. We need to figure out a way to appease the owner," Yan the painter pondered.

He was thinking about how to deal with the owner of Miaohuafang's suspicions.

Suddenly I felt a cool breeze.

The painter Yan involuntarily opened his eyes and realized that the carriage had stopped at some point.

Just as he was about to ask a question, he discovered that there was someone sitting opposite him.

The painter was suddenly startled.

A cool breeze blew out from behind the carriage curtains, and moonlight streamed into the carriage, illuminating half of the person's face opposite.

The painter Yan felt his heart skip a beat.

"You...you are!"

puff!

There was a flash of silver light.

Yan the painter felt a sudden pain in his heart, his whole body stiffened for a moment, and then he began to tremble. A short while later, he was completely lifeless.

The curtains fluttered, moonlight shone through, revealing a cold, indifferent face.

Upon closer inspection, he bears a striking resemblance to the Wang family culprit who was beheaded and whose name was used to massacre the entire family!
The man stared coldly at Yan Huashi's terrified, pale face.

The next moment, a cool breeze blew, and the figure disappeared.

……

At the entrance of Qingshan County Government Office

As soon as Chen Mu stepped out of the yamen, he ran into Constable Lu.

"Young Master Chen, it's been a while," Officer Lu greeted him with a smile.

“Officer Lu is feeling better,” Chen Mu replied with a smile.

During the last arrest of the culprit who murdered the Wang family, Officer Lu was injured and spent quite some time recovering from his illness.

"It's nothing." Constable Lu waved his hand dismissively. "How's Young Master Chen's training in the Form Technique?"

"Forget it, I'm just not cut out for it," Chen Mu said with a resentful look.

Lu, the constable, froze in a smile. He was still waiting to take Chen Mu's money, so why was he giving up now?
"If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me," Officer Lu said sincerely.

"Really!" Chen Mu exclaimed with delight.

"Of course!" Officer Lu said with a smile. As long as he was given a little incentive and a glimpse of hope for martial arts training, he could always entice people to go to Sheng Hong.

He has recently spent a lot of money recovering from his injury and urgently needs some income.

"Sigh, forget it. Practicing martial arts is too tiring..." After saying that, Chen Mu strode away with a face full of shame.

Officer Lu, who was about to continue his persuasion, suddenly froze in place.

Too tired?

How am I supposed to advise you like this?
Who doesn't get tired from practicing martial arts!

He looked at Chen Mu's back as if he were looking at a huge pile of long-legged silver.

They ran away...

(End of this chapter)