Day turned to night and back again. Chu Mu had slept for nearly a day and two nights, finally stirring awake in the early hours of the third day.
Of course, he hadn't woken up naturally. He had been forced awake by the gnawing hunger in his belly.
His stomach felt completely empty, and the soreness wracking his body seemed to have worsened. The only fortunate thing was that he had recovered a sliver of strength, so walking wasn't an immense struggle.
The house his predecessor's father had left behind wasn't large. There were no covered walkways or pavilions—just a simple farmhouse with a small front courtyard enclosed by a brick and stone wall.
He stumbled out of the bedroom and staggered to the kitchen, where a few cold steamed buns left over from before became his lifeline.
In this life or his last, it was the first time Chu Mu had ever experienced such hunger. He wolfed down the buns, completely ignoring their texture and taste, caring only for the feeling of fullness that followed.
After several buns, the gnawing hunger finally subsided. Leaning against the stove, Chu Mu couldn't help but let out a huge sigh of relief.
He had gained a profound appreciation for the sensation of hunger. Judging by its intensity, Chu Mu figured he must have slept for far longer than usual; otherwise, he wouldn't have been this starved.
'I have to be more careful next time I use the Spiritual Radiance Blessing.'
Chu Mu silently admonished himself once more. The Spiritual Radiance Blessing was powerful, but he had to know his limits. If he got too absorbed and forgot what his body could handle, this good thing could quickly turn disastrous.
As these thoughts churned in his mind, Chu Mu didn't remain idle. Though his body still ached, he began to work methodically around the kitchen.
He had never formally studied cooking in his past life, but having lived on his own, he'd cooked for himself more than a few times. His skills weren't exceptional, but they were more than enough to satisfy his own needs.
Using the remaining ingredients in the kitchen, he busied himself for a while until several decent-looking side dishes were arranged on the table.
Another round of voracious eating followed, and soon the dishes were empty. The hunger in his stomach was finally, completely gone.
By now, the morning sun was up, its gentle warmth tearing through the morning mist to dapple the ground. Out in the courtyard, Chu Mu paced with some difficulty, letting his meal settle and trying to loosen up his aching body.
The Light Curtain Panel had already appeared in his vision.
[Name: Chu Mu]
[Skill:
Basic Blade Technique (Beginner's Practice) 30/100]
[Spiritual Radiance Value: 5.3%]
'My Skill Level increased by fifteen points...'
Chu Mu mulled this over. He wasn't disappointed by the small increase. The greatest boon to his blade technique from that night's Spiritual Radiance Blessing wasn't the fifteen points added to his Skill Level. Rather, it was how the fragmented memories of his predecessor had fully merged with his own. The profound sense of disconnect he had felt before was gone.
That was the true benefit of the Spiritual Radiance Blessing.
His thoughts drifting, Chu Mu continued to pace slowly, eventually coming to a stop before the courtyard gate. The house clearly had some age to it; the lacquered gate was mottled and peeling, with a few chips marring its corners.
He could clearly hear the clamor of the outside world through the gate. With a piercing CREAK, the seemingly rickety gate swung slowly open, revealing another world to Chu Mu's eyes.
Although the house his predecessor's father had left him wasn't very large, its location was excellent. It stood just off the town's main street; opening the gate led right into the hustle and bustle of the market.
The morning mist had yet to fully burn off, but the street below was already bustling under the rising sun. There were hawkers with goods balanced on shoulder poles or held in their arms, street-side attendants calling for customers, and even dung collectors driving ox carts from door to door to collect night soil...
The daily life of the common people in this ancient-style world was laid out in vivid detail for Chu Mu, right outside his gate.
Even though it wasn't his first time seeing such a scene, each time, Chu Mu couldn't help but feel a sense of unreality.
'My past life... it's truly in the past now. It all exists only in my memories. I can never go back!'
Chu Mu felt he should count himself lucky. He was lucky he hadn't left behind any lingering attachments in his past life. Otherwise, he couldn't imagine how he would bear it.
After a long moment, Chu Mu seemed to snap out of his reverie. He pressed his lips together and slowly turned back toward the bedroom.
His predecessor hadn't come from a wealthy family. Furthermore, his father, who had worked as an Inspector, was always leaving early and returning late. When work was especially busy, he might not be seen for more than half a month at a time.
As such, the bedroom was sparsely furnished, containing only a wooden bed and a cabinet.
Following his predecessor's memories, Chu Mu rummaged through the cabinet and found a small, locked wooden box. Opening it, his eyes fell upon a stack of paper "banknotes."
It was strange. From what Chu Mu knew from his past life, shouldn't ancient societies use precious metals like copper and silver as their main currency? Even when paper money existed, it was typically for large-sum transactions. Even officially issued and widely circulated paper currencies like the "Jiaozi" of the Song dynasty or the "Treasure Notes" of the Ming never fully replaced metal coins.
Compared to a piece of paper backed only by reputation—paper that could be printed indiscriminately—the common folk obviously had more faith in the tangible value of metal currency.
And yet, according to his predecessor's memories, for as long as he could remember, metal currency simply didn't exist. Paper Currency was all there was.
But the denominations were strange: one copper, five copper, ten copper, fifty copper, a hundred copper, one silver, five silver, ten silver...
These denominations clearly indicated that metal currency must have once been the mainstream. He just didn't know which dynasty's bold and brilliant emperor had managed to transition past the age of metal into this era of fiat paper money.
This point alone was enough to prove that this Great Chu was no ancient dynasty he recognized from his past life.
'This Paper Currency is quite exquisitely made!'
He picked up one of the banknotes. The texture was distinct; it wasn't the grainy feel of ordinary paper, but something much smoother.
The paper alone wouldn't have surprised Chu Mu so much. What truly astonished him were the exquisite ink wash paintings printed on the notes.
Each denomination featured a different painting: some of mountains, some of rivers, some of cities, some of palaces...
Every single banknote was a veritable work of art, worthy of being framed.
In his past life, this wouldn't have been surprising. But to produce such high-quality banknotes with the productivity levels of an ancient society was truly hard to believe.
He pondered it for a long time without coming to any conclusion and decided not to dwell on it. He was still new here. Once he got his bearings, he was sure he would find the answers.
He grabbed a few banknotes and tucked them inside his clothes. But just as he was about to relock the box, he hesitated. In the end, he took all the Paper Currency, carefully stuffed it into an inner pocket, and then patted the spot several times to make sure it was secure.
This money was his predecessor's entire life savings, including the death benefits for his father.
In total, there were three hundred and twenty-two silver and sixty-eight copper. To put that in perspective, his predecessor, who had inherited his father's post, earned a Monthly Stipend of only eight silver.
Chu Mu couldn't rest easy leaving such a large sum of money in a simple wooden cabinet.
If it got stolen, he'd be left with nothing but air to eat. After all, the Steward at the Patrol Department charged for meals!
...