Eternal Life Begins with Learning

"Sigh, why can’t you be more flexible, kid?"

"In our line of work, you have to read the situation."

"You rush in when you should, and you lay low when you shouldn’t!"

Looking at Chu Mu, who was wrapped up like a mummy, Wu Shuo seemed to be filled with disappointment.

Chu Mu felt a little awkward. He was perfectly capable of reading a situation. The moment he saw things going south, he made a run for it.

’But who could’ve guessed that even after running, I’d still bump right into them? No one could’ve seen that coming...’

"Alright, go home and get some proper rest."

"Don’t worry. The Thousand Households has already issued an order to reward the Inspectors who fought bravely last night!"

"I’ve heard what happened to you. You’ll definitely be getting a piece of this reward..."

"Then I’ll be counting on you, Squad Leader."

Chu Mu smiled, glanced around, and his voice lowered a bit. "Squad Leader, did you catch everyone last night?"

At his words, Wu Shuo’s expression instantly darkened. "We killed one, but two got away. They even managed to take the mummified corpse."

Chu Mu froze, finding it hard to believe.

’Forget everything else, just based on the terrifying power of that man in white last night, how could they have only killed one person?’

Wu Shuo said in a low voice, "I heard that even the Lord Patrol was injured."

"How is that possible?"

Chu Mu was even more stunned.

"Who knows."

Wu Shuo shook his head. "The ways of Immortals... it’s not like we’d understand them anyway."

"Oh, right."

"This is for you."

As he spoke, Wu Shuo seemed to remember something, took out a stack of paper currency from his robes, and stuffed it into Chu Mu’s hand.

"What’s this?"

Chu Mu looked at the stack of paper currency in his hand, a little confused.

Wu Shuo was brief. "The Iron Ore. For the last two months."

Then, as if sensing Chu Mu’s concern, Wu Shuo added, "Just think of it as part of your monthly stipend. A lot of us at the Inspection Office get it."

Chu Mu nodded, tactfully choosing not to ask any further questions.

His goal of "paid leave" now achieved, Chu Mu didn’t linger. After a bit more small talk with Wu Shuo, he made an excuse and left the Inspection Office.

After a night of chaos, the already desolate Nanshan Town seemed to have grown even more somber.

In any era, common folk have a natural aversion to turmoil, and in the current age, this aversion was even more pronounced.

Ever since the unrest first began months ago, a good number of people had packed up their families and left.

Now, one could even see the families of many Inspectors packing up and leaving town.

Being part of the Inspector system, many could clearly sense the danger.

Under Li Jinghong’s strict orders, the Inspectors themselves couldn’t flee, but there was no issue with them arranging for their families to leave.

Since this involved the vast majority of Inspectors, not even Li Jinghong could stop them.

Nanshan Town was a town built upon a foundation of several hundred Inspectors. Their families formed the branches, and the traveling merchants who passed through were the leaves.

As a result, in the dead of winter, this desolation was as still and lifeless as the weather itself.

Even in broad daylight, there were hardly any pedestrians on the streets. On either side, most of the shops had their doors shut tight, with only a few exceptions.

Chu Mu didn’t pay these changes much mind. He was all alone. As long as he didn’t shed his Inspector’s uniform, he couldn’t escape his connection to these events.

And that uniform... for now, at least, it was crucially important.

When you live in the mundane world, you can’t escape its rules.

And the uniform of an Inspector helped him avoid a great deal of unnecessary trouble with those rules.

About fifteen minutes later, he stopped walking. Before his eyes was a scene of utter devastation.

The towering archway had collapsed. The street was pockmarked with craters, as if it had been shelled. The surrounding buildings were in ruins.

Everything before him spoke with piercing clarity of the true, immense power of the Extraordinary!

’But... I have no idea what level that man in white was at in the higher echelons of the Extraordinary World.’

’But that boy... in just one or two months, no matter how much of a genius he is, there’s no way he could have leaped to the very peak of the Extraordinary World.’

’In fact, it’s very likely he had only just entered the Extraordinary World.’

’If the lowest level of power in the Extraordinary World is this terrifying...’

’...then what are the higher levels like?’

’Shattering heavens and splitting worlds? Immortality?’

Chu Mu’s mind raced with the myths and legends of his past life, and an uncontrollable shudder ran through him.

After a long while, Chu Mu finally managed to calm himself. He surveyed the wreckage one last time, then began walking straight toward Mingxin Hall.

Aspiration was one thing, but reality was another. His reality was reading and practicing martial arts.

Once he reached Mingxin Hall, he picked up a medical text, and another ordinary day began.

The only difference was that he used to read while on duty, and now he was reading while on leave.

He finished reading the medical text, and one by one, questions he couldn’t yet understand began to form in his mind. As was his habit, Chu Mu collected his points of confusion, planning to ask Elder Li to clarify them all at once later.

"Elder Li... where is he?"

Chu Mu looked toward a busy Medicine Hall apprentice, slightly puzzled.

"Master seems to have gone upstairs."

"Brother Chu, is something the matter?"

"It’s nothing."

Chu Mu shook his head, glanced at the foot of the stairs, and turned his gaze to another medical text. Just as he was about to open it, a sudden THUMP echoed from the floor above.

Chu Mu shot to his feet instinctively, his hand reaching for his waist. Only when his palm met empty air did he remember that his sword had been shattered the night before.

"Master, what happened?"

Chu Mu was on high alert, but the apprentice beside him wasn’t nearly as startled. He walked toward the stairs while calling up.

"It’s nothing, something fell on the floor."

Soon, Elder Li’s voice came from upstairs.

"Oh..."

The apprentice grunted in acknowledgment and turned back to his work.

Chu Mu’s tense body relaxed. But just as he was about to sit back down, his pupils suddenly constricted.

’There’s someone else upstairs?’

Chu Mu’s movements were subtle, his attention completely focused on the sounds coming from the floor above.

He was certain. Right after that thumping sound, another, distinctly different set of footsteps had appeared upstairs.

Chu Mu scanned the entire Medicine Hall. All five of Elder Li’s apprentices were present. From what he had gathered these past few days, none of the apprentices were allowed upstairs without Elder Li’s permission.

’And I didn’t see anyone else go up...’

Chu Mu slowly sat back down. As he looked at the medical text on the table, suspicion filled his eyes.

’Who would visit Elder Li by acting like a thief in the rafters?’

’Why such a secretive visit?’

’Elder Li is just a doctor. At most, his medical skills are just exceptionally high...’

’Could it be...’

Chu Mu’s thoughts immediately went to the boy covered in bloody wounds.

’After all the chaos last night, that boy did manage to escape.’

Chu Mu started to rise, but ultimately, he settled back into his seat.

’Everyone has their secrets. Prying into them would most likely just be asking for trouble.’

"Phew..."

Chu Mu took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the doubts in his heart as his gaze settled back on the page before him.

’A calm mind brings peace...’

...