My experience of grinding in another world

Chapter 60 Courage
The sun was setting in the west, and the clouds were a fiery red.

The sizzling sound of hot oil being stir-fried echoed from the courtyard.

Chen Mu held the spatula and rhythmically stir-fried the bright green vegetables, ensuring that each piece of vegetable was heated evenly.

Under the grape trellis, beside the stone table, Jiejia sat calmly and composed.

There was a pile of broken silver in front of him, and he was rubbing the silver beads one by one.

Chen Mu placed the food on the table: "Does every top assassin have a few strange hobbies?"

He simply couldn't understand why people would roll loose silver into beads.

Jie Jia ignored Chen Mu completely, quickened his pace, and rolled all the loose silver into beads and hid them in his sleeve.

He got up to wash his hands, took out a clean white handkerchief to wipe them, and then casually threw it into the fire pit.

Chen Mu rolled her eyes and picked up a serving chopstick to start dividing the food.

Once they got to know each other, the old man became increasingly demanding.

Tableware and kitchen utensils must be clean, ingredients must be fresh, and food must be served using serving chopsticks.

You make such a fuss! We've traveled all the way from Qingshan County, enduring wind and rain, and you haven't seemed to care much.

Besides, you're just here to freeload, why are you making all these demands?

Can this be tolerated?
"Yours." A gray cloth bag landed on the table in front of Chen Mu.

Hmm, Chen Mu felt he could tolerate it.

He grabbed the gray cloth bag and weighed it in his hand; it was worth at least a hundred taels of silver.

"This is your food!" Chen Muxi happily distributed the food.

The Sanyang Liujun Pill has been renamed Lingsha Pill, and this is the first month's dividend.

He made a total of about twenty spirit sand pills.

The profits are really high!

……

After the meal, Chen Mu handed Jie Jia a gourd the size of a palm.

"We'll have someone try Huanglong Powder. The effect might be less, but our cost is lower."

"Okay." Jie Jia's eyelids lifted slightly.

Ling Sha Wan is a precious medicine for treating injuries; it's unnecessary for minor injuries and can't be used if you're short on money. Despite its high profit margin, sales are poor.

More than twenty were sold in just one month.

Huanglong Powder is great. It's a secret-recipe wound medicine; which martial artist doesn't carry some with them?

This high-end wound medicine is ridiculously expensive, but it's more effective than ordinary medicine and has a wide market.

Before leaving, Jie Jia asked Chen Mu, "Do you still want the Body Refining Technique? You can pay on credit."

Chen Mu immediately turned his head and asked, "Are you really wearing armor?"

Jie Jia looked at him expressionlessly.

"Deduct it from the share."

Chen Musong breathed a sigh of relief. He had thought that Jie Jia had been replaced.

"No rush," Chen Mu waved his hand. Since there was no divine intention involved, whether to switch or not was meaningless for the time being.

"Although the exquisite body-training technique lacks divine intent, it's not impossible to cultivate charisma," Jie Jia advised.

"The art of physical training itself contains divine intent. Ten years of physical training, a hundred years of spiritual cultivation."

"Once you've mastered the art of physical training, continue honing your skills. You'll have a chance to grasp the core principles and cultivate your inner strength."

"The Red Falcon Formation Technique is too rudimentary."

Chen Mu looked thoughtful and glanced at the proficiency panel.

Red Falcon Form Training Technique: 3601/10000/Tier 4;

"You want to cultivate your courage through the Red Falcon Formation Technique?" Jie Jia asked calmly.

Chen Mu smiled but didn't say anything.

"Good luck," Jie Jia said calmly as he turned around.

……

Jie Jia's advice was quite discouraging.

"But who can resist the urge to do it?" Chen Mu shrugged and continued to adjust his breathing.

The Red Falcon Form Training Technique has entered its fourth stage. The effects of the first three levels of training have greatly diminished. On the contrary, the newly devised breathing technique is more efficient.

"The physical changes are reduced, but the connection of force is smoother."

Chen Mu suddenly understood.

The three transformations of body training – tendon, bone, and marrow – are aimed at reshaping the body. Once body training is mastered, the transformation is complete.

The breathing method doesn't stimulate muscles as much as the previous training method, but it's more effective because it focuses more on controlling the whole body.

"One focuses on modifying hardware, while the other focuses on developing software."

"Practice physical techniques to strengthen the body, and use divine intentions to enhance the spirit, thereby transforming and controlling it."

"I see……"

Chen Mu's understanding of the Form Refining Technique became increasingly profound.

……

Time flies.

Chen Mu spends his days making medicine and reading books, constantly practicing breathing techniques, and his progress is encouraging.

That day, his family ran out of food and meat, so he had to go out to buy more.

After leaving Taohuafang, walk north along Renhe Street. Pass through Xiuhefang and you will arrive at a bustling main street.

The street, named Dingding, is wide enough for five large carriages to travel abreast. It runs east-west through Nanyang Prefecture and is the central axis of the prefecture.

After passing Dingding Street, you will arrive at Nanshi, one of the two major commercial markets in Nanyang Prefecture.

Chen Mu chose Tao Hua Fang because it was relatively far from Nanshi, only a 15-minute walk away.

Watching people come and go, Chen Mu felt a sense of joy.

"After staying at home for so long, it's good to come out and see some people."

I was on my way to Nanshi for a big shopping trip when I ran into an acquaintance.

There's a stone archway at the entrance to the South Market. Several wooden planks stand beneath it, covered with numerous pieces of paper—similar to bulletin boards and small advertisements from my past life.

There was a large crowd gathered there at that moment.

Chen Mu didn't want to join in the fun, but he spotted an acquaintance in the midst of it all.

Zhang Ye?

The other person seemed to have seen Chen Mu as well. After hesitating for a moment, they walked up to Chen Mu.

“Young Master Chen, what a coincidence.” Zhang Ye didn’t know why he felt so awkward around this scholar. “What’s going on?” Chen Mu pointed to the wooden sign with his chin.

"The Jinghong Gang is recruiting!" Zhang Ye's eyes lit up.

"You're willing to be a lackey?" Chen Mu asked in surprise.

Can this gang leader from Qingshan County accept this psychological gap?

“Not a lackey.” Zhang Ye was quite excited.

"The notice said that as long as you pass the test, you will be at least a leader in charge of twenty people. The stronger you are, the higher your status will be. You may even be able to directly command a whole hall with hundreds of people under your command."

Chen Mu was surprised.

These long-standing gangs have a stable power structure. It's difficult for even insiders to get promoted, let alone outsiders.

Zhang Ye leaned close to Chen Mu and whispered, "I heard the Jinghong Gang ran into some tough guys; several of their branches were wiped out. They're in a hurry to increase their strength."

"Joining now would be suicide!" With such great power, wouldn't they be willing to risk their lives?
"Hey, I'm just a nobody, might as well take a gamble and maybe I can get a better background." Zhang Ye didn't seem to care at all.

Chen Mu couldn't help but take another look.

It was probably this fearless, reckless spirit that transformed him from a petty thug into the leader of the White Wave Gang.

"Good luck." Chen Mu turned around calmly.

"Thank you for your kind words!" Zhang Ye said happily, cupped his hands in farewell, and then went back to the wooden sign under the archway to read the notice.

……

"Nanyang Prefecture isn't so peaceful either." Carrying a bag of wheat and ten pounds of beef, Chen Mu swayed as he walked home.

The pedestrians on the road walked slowly, most of them with rosy complexions, indicating that their lives were not difficult.

"I wonder how long this peaceful situation can last."

The Jinghong Gang, the largest gang in Nanyang Prefecture, has had several of its branches wiped out. Regardless of who the enemy is, it could potentially bring chaos.

Should we stockpile supplies?

He then chuckled and shook his head.

Nanyang Prefecture is protected by a powerful prefectural army, and even if there are gang conflicts, no major unrest is allowed within the city. He himself was terrified by the chaos in Qingshan County and was somewhat like a frightened bird.

"This is a strategically important city; how could it possibly descend into chaos so easily?"

"Just relax and enjoy your life, and focus on improving your skills."

……

Three days later, Chen Mu wiped the sweat from his forehead.

A circular space, about three meters high and five meters in diameter, appeared beneath Chen Mu's bedroom.

Sprinkle with lime and a secret medicine to prevent moisture and repel insects.

Chen Mu recited the Five Ghosts Moving Mountain Incantation.

Bags of white wheat kept appearing in the space below. They only stopped when the space was completely full.

"Prevention is always better than cure. If we can't eat it all, we can turn it into fasting pills."

Looking at the cave full of grain, Chen Mu felt extremely at ease.

……

Stockpiling supplies helped alleviate the monotony of training. Chen Mu once again immersed himself in improving his proficiency.

Based on the results of the drug trials, the Huanglong Powder formula was slightly adjusted. It is now successfully on sale. Monthly profits are considerable, conservatively estimated at two hundred taels.

Accumulation is steadily increasing, and stability is maintained.

Two months later, Chen Mu took a deep breath.

It was rhythmically operated by the complex breathing technique that he constantly perfected.

In my mind, the red phantom became clearer and clearer.

What used to be a tangled mess has now become lines whose structure is gradually becoming clear.

Finally, after Chen Mu exhaled his last breath, his mind suddenly cleared, and a clear image appeared in his consciousness.

Its overall design is woven from black and red lines, with a structure resembling the flowing edges of a skirt. It is roughly symmetrical from left to right, and at first glance, it looks like an abstract bird in flight.

Birds are constantly changing. The black and red lines seem to be alive, constantly moving and weaving, yet forming a relatively stable three-dimensional structure.

"God's intention?"

In the instant he realized what had happened, a sudden, sharp, stabbing pain shot through the sole of his foot.

Then a cold sensation appeared, as if I were stepping on ice, and the ice was coated with oil.

He stumbled and almost fell.

Instinctively, I took a step, but in a daze, I disappeared from under the grape trellis and suddenly found myself face to face with the wall.

"That speed... it's like lightning!"

Chen Mu took a deep breath and activated the gray wall.

Writing: 1756/10000/Second order;

Drawing: 1623/10000/Second order;

Throw: 9833/10000/Tier 3;

Red Falcon Form Training Technique: The Limit;

Cooking skill: 3506/10000/Tier 2;

Pharmaceutical Arts: 5126/10000/Tier 3;

Hidden Blade: 3966/10000/Tier 3;

Five Ghosts Moving Mountain Spell: 4447/10000/Third Tier;

"limit?"

"Has the Red Falcon Form Training Technique reached its peak?"

Recall the ever-changing wing structure in your mind.

The body, which had just undergone the transformation, was quickly taken under control.

Except for the initial near-crash, he has fully adapted to the change.

Chen Mu took off his shoes and socks, revealing a black spot the size of a soybean in the center of the ball of his foot.

When you reach out and touch it, it's slightly cool, yet flexible and firm.

With a thought, the black dot disappeared. Recalling the bird god's intention, the black dot slowly reappeared.

"What courage..." Chen Mu couldn't help but shed tears.

It was a bumpy road, filled with blood and sweat. It took a year and a half to cultivate that kind of courage.

"I guess I'm just an ordinary person after all," Chen Mu sighed, covering his mouth.

Yeah, I'm afraid he'll laugh if I don't cover him up.

(End of this chapter)