My experience of grinding in another world

Chapter 59 Settlement
Taohuafang, east of Nanyang Prefecture.

Inside a secluded courtyard.

Chen Mu sat at a stone table under the grapevines.

He took out all the money he had on him and counted it.

"Travel expenses: 200 taels; rent: 12 taels; purchases: approximately 5 taels."

"There are also 402 taels of silver, plus 767 copper coins."

"I never have enough money," Chen Mu sighed.

Nanyang Prefecture was a bustling city with high prices.

One tael of silver could rent a house for a year in Qingshan County. But a courtyard of the same size could only be rented for a month in Nanyang Prefecture.

Eating out is expensive.

A pound of white wheat costs thirty-five copper coins, and even the cheapest fish costs more than sixty copper coins a pound.

"Wouldn't the Body Refinement Technique be even more expensive?" Chen Mu pondered to himself.

"What are your plans?" Chen Mu asked Jie Jia, looking up at him.

The other person was squinting at the silver in his hand.

Chen Mu expressionlessly put the silver into his money bag and put it away.

"I've already registered with the Zhu Yi Pavilion in Nanyang Prefecture," Jie Jia said calmly.

Qingshan County was shattered; many died, many left, and it was almost a deserted town. There was no way to return.

Chen Mu was envious. That's what a craftsman is like. They'll never go hungry, no matter where they go.

If it weren't for the fact that being an assassin is too dangerous, Chen Mu would have been tempted to register his name at the Zhu Yi Pavilion.

“I’ve rented a shop in Nanshi and I’m planning to open a pharmacy,” Jie Jia said suddenly.

"Sanyang Liujun Pills?" Chen Mu understood; this was a big deal.

“The pharmacy is only a source of raw materials; we still have to sell them at the Ghost Market,” Jie Jia said. “And we’ll have to change the name.”

After all, it's a counterfeit of the Zhu Yi Ge secret medicine; we can't be so blatant about it.

“You provide the medicinal herbs, I’ll process them, and we’ll split the profits 50/50!” Chen Mu immediately said.

“Three sevens,” Jie Jia said calmly.

"Me, seven?!" Chen Mu feigned surprise.

Jie Jia looked at Chen Mu calmly without saying a word.

Chen Mu immediately waved his hand, looking bored: "Fine."

It definitely hurts to spend the money. Who doesn't covet money?

But I'm quite satisfied with the fact that I only need to be in charge of production and don't have to show my face in public.

What if you encounter someone with malicious intent who plans to double-cross you?
With Jie Jia blocking the way, it's good enough to just earn your hard-earned money in peace.

"Have you heard about the Ghost Market? I'd like to go check it out," Chen Mu asked.

Now that everything is settled, it's time to find out more about the new training technique.

"I'll come pick you up in two days," Jie Jia said calmly.

……

Two days later, at dusk, a carriage stopped in front of Chen Mu's door.

Chen Mu, dressed in all black and wearing a bamboo hat, leaped from the shadows onto the carriage.

Silently, the carriage disappeared into the night.

"What are these?" Chen Mu asked, taking the two porcelain bottles handed to him by Jie Jia.

“One is called Huanglong Powder, and the other is called Jade Marrow Pill. Both are precious healing medicines, but they are very expensive. Let’s see if we can crack and counterfeit them,” Jie Jia said.

"Where did it come from?" Chen Mu uncorked the bottle and smelled it.

"Zhu Yi Pavilion".

"You're exploiting every sheep you catch!" Chen Mu said, both amused and exasperated.

Their own top assassin is always thinking about copying their high-end products. I wonder if Zhu Yige would be so angry if he found out that he would put a bounty on Jie Jia's head.

Chen Mu put away the porcelain bottle and peeked at the street outside through the swaying curtain of the carriage: "Isn't this the road to the outskirts of the city?"

He's been exploring the area a bit these past few days and knows the main streets nearby.

Jiejia leaned against the carriage and closed his eyes to rest.

Chen Mu shrugged. Is the Ghost Market in Nanyang Prefecture really this blatant? Open right inside the city?
Chen Mu soon realized he had misunderstood.

A branch of the Jinshui River is called the Luohe River. The river water is crystal clear and of excellent quality, flowing from west to east through the city of Nanyang.

Most of the city's domestic water supply depends on this wide river.

The carriage stopped at an abandoned small dock on the banks of the Luo River.

Jiejia led Chen Mu onto a covered boat and handed the boatman a black wooden plaque.

The boatman didn't say anything, just nodded and started rowing. He passed through the mist-shrouded river and soon stopped in front of a huge vessel.

"Is the ghost market here on a boat?" Chen Mu stood at the bow of the small boat, looking at the large, pitch-black ship of unknown length with a face full of curiosity.

"I've learned a lot."

Jie Jia led Chen Mu onto the ship with practiced ease.

Guided by two men in black, we entered the cabin through a small door.

It was pitch black outside, but the cabin was brightly lit. Clearly, the entire ship had undergone special treatment; the exterior was sealed off, allowing no light to penetrate. Compared to the furtive atmosphere of the ghost market in Qingshan County, this place was much more lively.

The hawking and haggling filled the air; if it weren't for the masks on everyone's faces, Chen Mu would have thought he was in a bustling market.

……

Hongliaozhai

The Ghost Market ship has one of the few shops with private rooms and signs.

Our main business is dealing in various ancient books and secret manuals, including secret techniques and martial arts.

"Our shop offers three types of Body Refinement Techniques," the shopkeeper said, wearing a demon mask but speaking in a gentle and polite voice.

"Black Tiger Body Refinement Technique, White Ape Body Refinement Technique, and a rare book that just arrived from the main store." The shopkeeper pulled out a long scroll from behind his back.

"This rare book features clear illustrations and detailed annotations, making it an invaluable masterpiece."

"Please be objective, this is the secret Red Falcon Form Training Technique."

Chen Mu looked awkwardly at the familiar scroll in front of him.

"You've probably never seen a manual drawn so clearly and concisely before, have you?" The shopkeeper's tone was full of pride.

Chen Mu didn't say anything.

He wanted to tell the other person that he had not only seen it, but also that there was a hidden date tag in the bottom right corner.

This is the fifth painting he made. How much did it sell for back then?

Oh, I remember now, ninety-seven taels.

"Very good." Chen Mu's tone was full of praise.

"Then..." The shopkeeper's enthusiasm grew even stronger.

"Show me the White Ape Form Refinement Technique."

"Very well," the shopkeeper said, his voice filled with disappointment.

"The White Ape Form Refinement Technique originated from Ganzi Prefecture and has been passed down for hundreds of years, with countless practitioners."

"It's easy to learn and master, and it's a rare and valuable skill," the shopkeeper explained in detail.

"Is there a divine intention behind this?" Chen Mu asked.

"What is that?" the shopkeeper asked in return.

Chen Mu was taken aback.

This person selling body-training techniques doesn't even know the divine intentions?

Chen Mu suddenly realized.

The upper echelons of the Liang Dynasty held an even tighter monopoly on knowledge than they had imagined.

If it weren't for the instruction from the armored man, he would never have heard of God's intentions.

Like the shopkeeper in front of me. He doesn't know that without divine will, one cannot cultivate courage and can only stagnate in the physical training stage.

"Nothing?" Chen Mu waved his hand, not daring to pry further: "What about the price?"

"Only six hundred taels."

Chen Mu's lips twitched.

Six hundred taels? And you only want?!

Even after spending all his savings, he's still short two hundred taels.

"Well, there's still food cooking on the stove at home, you're busy." Chen Mu slunk away from Hongliaozhai.

Hongliaozhai was the largest bookseller on the Ghost Market ship.

They have no divine intent, and other families are even less likely to have one.

"Aristocratic families, gangs, the military—are these the paths we must take?"

It's really a bit difficult to ask a homebody like him to frequent these kinds of places.

……

Pottery workshop, Chen family residence, under grapevines.

Chen Mu bought a rocking chair and lay half-reclined on it to read a book.

The book is called "The Essentials of Decoctions," and it contains herbal remedies that he found at a ghost market.

Since we've decided to follow the path of counterfeit medicines with Jiejia, we need to have real skills.

Chen Mu has already asked Jie Jia to help collect medical books again in preparation for mastering the art of medicine making.

He adjusted his breathing as he read. Small twitches appeared in his muscles.

This is a brand new breathing method for the Red Falcon Formation Technique.

Once the Red Falcon Form Training Technique has completed the Marrow Transformation, there are no further training methods.

However, Chen Mu discovered that as long as he continued to practice, his proficiency could still improve. It was just that the effect was drastically reduced, practically halved.

What bothered him was that, as his proficiency increased, a red phantom would always flash through his mind in a daze.

As proficiency increases, the phantom gradually solidifies.

"Could this be what they call divine will?" Chen Mu raised an eyebrow.

"Let's not rush to find a training technique." Chen Mu made his decision: "Let's level up the Red Falcon Training Technique to the next level!"

"Let's see how things change," Chen Mu suddenly said, a hint of anticipation in his voice.

(End of this chapter)