The meal was a pleasant affair for both host and guest. Afterward, the two didn't remain idle. One grabbed a broom, the other a rag, and working together, they managed to finish the thorough cleaning that Chu Mu hadn't been able to complete.
While the entire residence wasn't exactly sparkling new, it was noticeably tidier. Xu Yuan didn't leave until it was nearly time for the city-wide curfew.
The courtyard returned to its usual tranquility.
The night was deep and quiet, a time meant for sleep, yet Chu Mu was not idle.
Studying and practicing martial arts seemed to consume all of Chu Mu's energy.
His studies were merely to become literate, to better integrate into this new era.
But for Chu Mu, practicing martial arts was where his true hopes lay.
Despite the existence of the Spiritual Radiance Value, Chu Mu had no idea if practicing those Sword Technique forms would actually amount to anything.
But for now, this Sword Technique was undoubtedly the only thing he could pin his hopes on.
After all, no external aid could compare to one's own strength—and besides, he currently had no external aid to rely on.
The heavy blade flashed once more within the courtyard. Without a Spiritual Radiance Blessing, its movements lacked their usual wild sharpness, appearing somewhat clumsy instead. Only the gleam in his eyes remained as focused and serious as ever.
This time, Chu Mu practiced a little longer. He went through the Sword Technique forms a dozen or so times, only stopping when his aching body was once again overcome with weakness.
After his martial practice came his studies.
A full day of hard work at school hadn't yielded massive gains, but he had learned a fair number of new characters. If he went to sleep without reviewing them, he wasn't sure how many he would still remember in the morning.
The candlelight in his bedroom flickered, casting the long shadow of a figure hunched over a desk. The candle was not extinguished until late into the night.
The night passed peacefully, and Chu Mu awoke naturally at dawn.
The morning air was still brisk, but the streets were no less crowded. The common folk had to make a living; they didn't have the luxury of complaining about the weather.
In his room, Chu Mu also rose early and changed into his Inspection Department Armor.
It was called Armor, but it was really just a thick, cyan-colored padded jacket. The cotton had clearly been specially treated, making it hard to the touch, and there were even some iron plates embedded within the lining. The Defense it offered was likely decent.
The only real benefit of wearing the Armor was that its bulkiness made his own scrawny frame appear somewhat more robust.
The reflection in the Copper Mirror showed a young man holding a blade, looking decidedly more heroic.
His gaze lingered for a moment before he gave a wry smile. Shaking his head, Chu Mu stepped out the door.
According to what Xu Yuan had told him yesterday, the Inspection Department's day shift held roll call at the start of the Chen hour—around seven o'clock, by his past life's reckoning. After that, everyone would attend to their respective duties.
It was still early, so Chu Mu wasn't in a rush. He stopped at a street vendor's stall for a bowl of steaming meat noodles. After filling his empty stomach, he felt much better.
The Inspection Office was located in the southern part of town, near the mines. It wasn't far from Chu Mu's house; his residence was in the center of town, so nowhere was truly a long walk.
About fifteen minutes later, Chu Mu arrived outside the Inspection Office.
Compared to his predecessor's memories of the grand, imposing County Inspection Department, this local Inspection Office was clearly a significant step down.
A plaque bearing the name 'Inspection Office' hung above the entrance. There was no one standing guard. Inside the gates was a large, open courtyard. Beneath the eaves on one side, an assortment of blades, spears, and halberds were racked, while stone weights of various sizes were piled in a corner.
In his predecessor's memory, this training yard was little more than a decoration, used only for gathering during the daily roll call.
The scene before him was more or less identical to his predecessor's memories.
"Chu Mu!"
Just as Chu Mu was observing the Inspection Office, a sharp voice rang out, interrupting his thoughts.
"Squad Leader."
Chu Mu turned to see a middle-aged man with a handlebar mustache. He quickly cupped his fist in greeting.
This was Squad Leader Wu Shuo, the man who had helped Chu Mu confirm his position as an Inspector a few days ago. At the Inspection Office, he had outranked even his predecessor's father's own superior.
According to the Inspection Office's structure, the most basic unit was the team. Above the team was the squad, and above the squad was the Hundred Households. Wu Shuo commanded an entire squad, so his position in the Inspection Office was not low.
"Finished with your family affairs?"
Chu Mu quickly replied, "Yes, Squad Leader. They're all taken care of. I'm here to report for duty today."
"If you hadn't shown up soon, I would've had to send someone to fetch you. We're desperately short-staffed at the Inspection Office right now."
"Come on, follow me to get you registered. I'll give you an assignment after that."
Wu Shuo waved his hand dismissively. As he walked, his expression was clearly tinged with worry.
Chu Mu's heart skipped a beat. 'Best not to say anything.' He did his best to maintain his predecessor's reclusive personality, silently following in Wu Shuo's footsteps.
The Inspection Office wasn't large. Past the training yard was the main hall, flanked by a few rooms on either side. Beyond that was the rear courtyard, the residence for the successive commanders of the Hundred Households. That was clearly not a place an ordinary Inspector was allowed to enter.
After following Wu Shuo to register with the clerk in a side hall, they returned to the main hall. By now, it was nearly the Chen hour, and the office was already crowded with Inspectors.
"Alright, that's enough idle chatter! Everyone from the Third Squad, over here!"
Wu Shuo strode to the front of the hall and barked an order. The Inspectors, who had been chatting in small groups in the training yard, began to gather before him.
Once the Inspectors had assembled, Wu Shuo scanned the crowd, his gaze finally settling on a burly, bearded man at the head of one of the lines.
"Li Gang, this kid's name is Chu Mu. He just got registered today. Have him fall in with your team for now."
"Right."
The burly man turned his large, bell-like eyes on Chu Mu, looking him up and down before turning back to Wu Shuo and grunting his assent in a low, rumbling voice.
At this, Chu Mu hurried down from the hall's steps and took his place in the line where the bearded man stood.
The Inspectors from the various teams stood there quietly, their expressions a mix of attitudes. Some looked nonchalant, others were completely stone-faced. Of course, the majority were like Chu Mu, filled with a faint sense of apprehension about this new environment and new life.
An escort mission for over a thousand men performing Forced Labor. Qinghe County had dispatched nearly a hundred Inspectors, and they had all vanished without a trace.
The compensation from the County Magistrate's Office to the families of the fallen Inspectors consisted of silver coins and an offer to inherit the deceased's post. These days, the one thing the various Inspection Offices didn't lack was new faces. And since the Nanshan Inspection Office was so large, it had more new recruits than any other.
Undoubtedly, all these new faces shared the exact same circumstances as Chu Mu.
Even though this was his second life, Chu Mu couldn't suppress his unease.
'That little residence…' When he had first arrived, it had taken him nearly ten days to get used to it. Now, it had become a safe harbor in his heart.
And now, he had stepped out of that safe harbor and into an almost completely alien environment.
'What does the future hold?'
As the morning sun climbed higher, Chu Mu pursed his lips, his mind a whirl of thoughts.
...