"Hooo..."
Chu Mu let out a long breath, slowly composing himself.
He firmly believed that since True Martial Arts existed, he would inevitably come into contact with it one day.
The only reason he hadn't yet was because he hadn't reached that level.
Having come to this world and already begun practicing Martial Arts, it was undoubtedly only a matter of time before he reached that level.
However, the strange killing intent in his heart put Chu Mu on alert.
It was a simple principle: a different mentality would inevitably affect one's style of action.
People always prefer to solve problems using the method they are best at.
Scholars reason, and warriors use force. It was just like that.
With this mentality, he feared his future actions would lean more toward the blade in his hand.
'I just don't know if this is a good thing... or a bad one...'
As his thoughts drifted for a moment, the pale blue Light Curtain Panel materialized in his vision.
[Name: Chu Mu.]
[Skill:
Basic Blade Technique (Initial Glimpse) 20/500]
[Spiritual Radiance Value: 15.3%]
He habitually scanned it, his gaze finally settling on the explosive increase in his Basic Blade Technique Skill Level.
In just one or two hours, the Skill Level had skyrocketed by more than ten points!
Such a sharp rise in his Blade Technique Skill Level clearly showed that he wasn't just messing around; his efforts were genuinely beneficial to his Martial Arts progress.
"As long as it's useful."
Chu Mu let out a soft sigh. He had been genuinely afraid he was just wasting his time. After all, this seemingly simple equipment was quite expensive.
Not to mention the wooden man target—it was made of Iron Wood, which was extremely hard and naturally quite costly. Adding the thick hemp cloth wrapped around it, the total price was considerable.
And those unimpressive-looking hanging balls were a luxury in this era. Each one was a temporarily repurposed Cuju ball.
In this era, Cuju was a sport for the wealthy, so the balls used for it were naturally expensive.
Over ten hanging balls had made Chu Mu's wallet ache quite a bit.
All told, this endeavor had cost him dozens of silver, which flowed away like water.
If it had all been for nothing, it would have been like working for over two months for free.
As his thoughts wandered, Chu Mu suddenly recalled his previous life.
In his past life, he probably never would have been so decisive and swift to act.
Acting immediately without regard for the cost—the miserable corporate drone he'd been in his past life could never have been as carefree as he was now.
"This is pretty good, too..."
Chu Mu felt a sudden pang of sadness, murmuring to himself.
"WHIMPER WHIMPER WHIMPER..."
Hearing the faint whimpers, Chu Mu looked down to see the fluffy little puppy rubbing its head against his trouser leg.
"I almost forgot about you!"
Chu Mu broke into a smile, scooped up the puppy, and strode into the kitchen.
There were plenty of leftovers from last night. He poured them into a bowl, and the puppy immediately scampered over on its short legs, waddling up to the bowl and gobbling down the food with loud chomps. It was clearly starving.
Chu Mu continued to busy himself at the stove, preparing a meal to fill his own stomach.
Since he was alone, he didn't bother with anything fancy. He stir-fried a couple of simple dishes, cooked some rice, and ate right there by the stove.
After finishing his meal and cleaning up, Chu Mu returned to his bedroom.
By the light of a single candle, Chu Mu leaned against the headboard, slowly leafing through a book.
About half an hour later, a light flared in the courtyard. A bonfire crackled to life, its flickering flames making the hanging balls sway. The wooden stake thudded dully, and the figure practicing with his blade appeared once more...
...
The next morning, as usual, Chu Mu practiced his Martial Arts for over half an hour before changing into his Inspector Armor and heading out for his shift.
Nanshan Town was somewhat desolate in the early morning. Chu Mu had already run into several of the street vendors he used to frequent at the mine.
The vendors who once set up their stalls at sunrise and closed at sunset had now become Forced Labor, toiling before dawn and unable to rest even after the sun went down.
Chu Mu figured it would be difficult to taste their cooking again in the future.
Without the familiar flavors, Chu Mu couldn't be bothered to be picky. He grabbed a quick bite and headed for the mine.
Under the swirling wind and snow, the entire mountain was already covered in white. The mountain climate was already cool, and with the heavy snow blanketing everything, even Chu Mu, wearing a thick cotton jacket under his Armor, couldn't help but shiver.
In contrast to the desolation on the mountain, the mine was already a scene of feverish activity.
With the arrival of deep winter, most of the Forced Labor had switched to thick jackets. Of course, this wasn't some benefit provided to them. As was customary, when conscripted, they were expected to bring their own winter clothes. If they didn't, their families had to deliver them before winter set in.
Of course, there were always exceptions. It wasn't unheard of to see people in ragged clothes at the mine in the dead of winter.
Compared to over half a month ago, the number of Forced Laborers had undoubtedly increased significantly.
In Chu Mu's mining area alone, there were over thirty new Forced Laborers.
Chu Mu estimated that in the past half a month or so, the entire mine had added at least two thousand more Forced Laborers.
This was an incredible number, and what was even more incredible was that the conscription of Forced Labor showed no signs of stopping.
'What are they doing, digging up so much ore?'
Chu Mu sat under a tree, watching the Forced Laborers toiling in the wind and snow, unable to hide the confusion on his face.
Over the past half a month, he had naturally done some digging.
Even after the Ore Materials were sent to the Commandery City, that wasn't the final destination. It was said they were then sent to an even higher authority.
This wasn't just the case in Qinghe County. All the surrounding counties that had mines, regardless of the type of Ore Materials, followed the same process.
Excavate, hand over, and hand over again.
It all went through official channels, completely unrelated to the market.
This meant that from Qinghe County to the Commandery City, and even throughout the entire Yanshan County, all Ore Materials that flowed into the market were essentially black market goods that couldn't see the light of day.
'The question is... after mobilizing so much manpower and resources to excavate these Ore Materials, if they don't enter the market, where do they end up?'
'Forging military equipment?'
Iron Ore was needed for that, and the demand for iron was high in this era, but what about the other Ore Materials?
As far as Chu Mu knew, Changshan County, which neighbored Qinghe County, had several copper mines. They too were mined day in and day out for decades—mined, smelted, and handed over, just like in Qinghe County.
In this era, iron still had many uses. But what about copper?
This wasn't an industrial age. Copper's greatest use was for minting coins. But now, paper currency had been in use for several hundred years. What else could copper be used for?
'At the very least, the official process is to hand it up level by level, with no connection to the market. So where is the ultimate destination? And why is it needed?'
Chu Mu speculated silently.
Without a doubt, this entire process defied all logic.
Chu Mu couldn't figure it out, nor could he find any answers. At least, no one he could talk to at the Nanshan Inspection Office knew anything.
Of course, aside from Chu Mu, very few people would even think about such questions.
"Everyone, over here!"
"Assemble!"
As the shouts suddenly rang out, Chu Mu rose to his feet and hurried over.
...