My experience of grinding in another world

Chapter 16 Chaos
Turning the corner and avoiding the gazes fixed on him, Chen Mu chuckled.

"Trying to swindle me money? No way!" He became even more certain that Officer Lu and Sheng Hong were in cahoots.

"I thought this guy was a good person before," Chen Mu remarked.

They'll smile at you to your face, but they'll betray you behind your back.

The world is a dangerous place!

"There aren't many people as simple-minded as me anymore..." Chen Mu sighed.

……

东市
"Zheng Tu, why has the price of meat gone up again?" Chen Mu asked, frowning.

The last time I bought it, it was 26 copper coins a pound, but now it has risen to 32.

"There's nothing I can do about it. The livestock dealers were robbed, and now they're selling livestock that I raised myself."

Despite the higher price, Zheng Tu showed little joy.

"Robbed again? Is it some livestock dealer trying to rip people off by raising prices?" Chen Mu asked suspiciously.

"I've asked around, and things haven't been very peaceful outside lately," Zheng Tu said with a worried expression.

Chen Mu's heart stirred, but he didn't urge Zheng Tu to do anything. While chatting, he took the opportunity to inquire about the outside world.

He had been in this world for three or four months, staying in Qingshan County, and his understanding of the outside world was limited to vague memories of his predecessor.

"We're alright here; it's a remote area and relatively peaceful. I've heard that in some places, there have already been rebellions and bandits are running rampant."

"Recently, many refugees from war-torn areas have come to our Qingshan County."

"We absolutely mustn't let things get chaotic here."

Zheng Tu was worried as he cut the meat. He could only do business in times of peace.

"So, by that logic, Qingshan County is actually considered safe?"

If even in this so-called safe place, people still dare to wipe out entire families, how chaotic must the outside world be?

unimaginable!

He had previously been thinking of exploring different places.

But with the outside world so dangerous, Chen Mu hesitated.

"Just eat meat and practice your skills honestly."

Without solid skills, it's best not to dream of running around aimlessly.

With his proficiency boosting his skills, Chen Mu had no doubt about his cultivation speed.

"It's not too late for me to come out of the mountain after I've mastered the Sword God of Shili Slope."

……

Chen Mu initially thought his life would be full of ups and downs and magnificent events.

In reality, as time goes on, you'll find that it's not much different from your previous life.

Every day, he gets up, washes, eats, and practices his martial arts. Every three or four days, he goes out to draw portraits for people to earn money.

Just like clocking in and out of work every day in my past life.

However, it's better than Earth in its previous life.

Whether it's painting or practicing martial arts, every time I put in the effort, I gain clear insights.

This solid feedback of watching his abilities improve little by little kept Chen Mu entertained.

A life without ups and downs is actually becoming more and more enjoyable.

……

Twenty miles south of Qingshan County, behind Chenjia Village.

Five or six hunters carrying bows and arrows and holding woodcutting knives walked through the mountains and forests.

The path beneath our feet barely extends above the ground, surrounded by lush, green vegetation.

Besides the sounds of unknown birds, there were also occasional roars of unknown beasts.

Among this group of people, a fair-skinned young man stood out from the crowd; he was Chen Mu, who had come to Chenjia Village.

"Muwa, why are you thinking of coming into the mountains with us to hunt instead of staying comfortably in the city?" the middle-aged burly man leading the group asked curiously.

"Uncle Erdao, someone in the city wants a landscape painting, so I have to come and do some on-site research. Thank you all for your help," Chen Mu said with a smile.

"Landscape painting? What would you need that for?" a short, stocky man in the group asked curiously.

"Perhaps they've never seen it before and don't want to go out and suffer, so they bought the painting to take home and see," someone nearby guessed.

Chen Mu smiled and didn't interrupt, letting the others speculate.

Chenjia Village is the hometown of Chen Mu, and it is surrounded by mountains on three sides.

The grandfather of the original inhabitant lived here until his death. The original inhabitant followed his father to the city mainly because his father was going to teach in Qingshan County.

Most people in the village are surnamed Chen, and they are all related in some roundabout way.

Although his old house is dilapidated, it still stands. His predecessor would return several times a year to clean the ancestral home and pay respects to his ancestors.

Therefore, it was easy for them to establish connections with the village's hunting teams.

He returned to his hometown this time to purchase Thousand-Beard Grass.

Pork, grains, and medicinal herbs have all seen price increases simultaneously.

The number of people asking him to draw will definitely decrease, so he has to think about the future.

Following the hunters into the mountains was a way to familiarize oneself with the forest environment beforehand.

The mountainous terrain is complex and the vegetation is mixed, so he plans to test the Red Falcon Formation Technique here.

"Muwa, the mountain path is difficult to walk on, watch your step," Chen Erdao instructed.

"Okay," Chen Mu readily agreed.

The burly man was still worried and kept turning back to check on things.

But to everyone's surprise, Chen Mu walked steadily and without any lapse in concentration.

He was out of breath after walking with them for so long, but Chen Mu was still breathing evenly, just like he was out for a spring outing! He was amazed by this.

After wandering in the mountains for three days, Chen Mu followed the hunters to check traps, collect herbs, and hunt wild rabbits and pheasants.

They didn't return with the hunters until the fourth day, laden with their spoils.

I stayed calm and asked questions whenever I encountered something I didn't understand, and finally got a general understanding of the back mountain of Chenjia Village.

……

Two days later, Chen Mu left Chenjia Village with dozens of thousand-beard grasses.

He bought it in Qingshan County. One plant cost half a tael of silver, which is close to six hundred copper coins.

The medicine dealers bought the plants from the villagers, paying only sixty copper coins per plant.

Even if sold directly to a pharmacy in the city, it would only fetch a maximum of seventy copper coins.

Nearly ten times the profit!

"Black, really black!" Chen Mu shook his head and complained.

After leaving Chenjia Village, he didn't go straight back to the city. Instead, he took a detour and went back into the mountains.

He hadn't forgotten that he came here not just to collect herbs, but also to test his physical training techniques.

As they ventured into the mountains, Chen Mu tightened the pack around his back and proceeded cautiously.

Besides wild beasts, there are also poisonous insects in the mountains. Sometimes, even an inconspicuous little insect can be deadly.

While paying attention to his surroundings, Chen Mu gradually increased his speed.

He started by walking briskly, but soon he was running.

A protruding rock, a broken, withered tree—anything could become a foothold for him.

Chen Mu moved like a cheetah, swiftly darting through the mountains and forests, his clothes flapping loudly in the wind.

He rushed up a small hill in one breath, feeling exhilarated, and couldn't help but let out a loud roar.

"Haha... cool!"

Whether it's speed, physical strength, or reaction speed, they have all surpassed ordinary people.

This was unimaginable in his previous life, and Chen Mu couldn't help but be excited.

I was just about to yell a couple more times.

"Ow..."

A ferocious beast's roar suddenly rang out.

Chen Mu involuntarily shrank his neck.

"Keep a low profile, keep a low profile, don't be reckless!"

Deep in the mountains and forests, there are tigers and other ferocious beasts!
If someone with his physique were to encounter him, he might very well die on the spot.

They quickly left the hillside and headed straight for a wooden cabin in the mountains, a temporary camp built by the hunters.

After putting away his belongings, Chen Mu didn't go far. Instead, he practiced the Red Falcon Formation Technique in the surrounding mountains and forests.

While a complex environment increases the difficulty, it also increases the rewards.

He practiced six times in one go, which increased his proficiency by more than seventy points.

"If you use the secret medicine, your proficiency will increase even more!"

Chen Mu almost considered living directly in the mountains.

"We can't rush this matter. We need to think about it in the long run."

He also needs to earn money by drawing portraits, and if he wants to practice his skills in the mountains, he needs to plan carefully.

(End of this chapter)