The meal was a warm affair, with both host and guest enjoying themselves. Afterward, Chu Mu and Xu Yuan didn't sit idle. One grabbed a broom, the other a rag, and together they tackled the unfinished cleaning of the house, leaving it spotless.
The old residence wasn't exactly transformed, but it was noticeably tidier. As the town's curfew approached, Xu Yuan reluctantly took his leave.
The courtyard settled back into its familiar quiet.
Night fell, and while most slept, Chu Mu kept busy.
Reading and martial practice consumed his energy.
He read to learn the written word, to better fit into this unfamiliar era.
But martial arts—those were his true anchor.
The saber techniques, even with the mysterious "Linghui Value," might not amount to much, Chu Mu knew. Still, they were his only real hope.
After all, nothing beat the strength you built yourself—especially when, like now, he had no one else to lean on.
In the courtyard, the heavy saber flashed again. Without the "Linghui Enhancement," the moves lacked their usual flair and edge, feeling clumsy instead. But the focus in Chu Mu's eyes burned as steady and serious as ever.
He practiced longer this time, running through the saber forms a dozen times until his body ached with exhaustion. Only then did he stop.
After the blade came the books.
A day of study at the school hadn't made him a scholar, but he'd learned some new characters. If he didn't review them before bed, he wasn't sure how much he'd recall by morning.
In his room, candlelight flickered, casting his shadow long across the desk as he pored over his books. It was well past midnight when the flame finally died out.
The night passed peacefully. At dawn, Chu Mu woke naturally.
The morning air was crisp, but the streets were already bustling. For the working folk, weather was no excuse to slack off.
Chu Mu rose early, slipping into the Patrol Office's uniform.
The "armor" was just a thick blue cotton jacket, specially treated to feel stiff, with iron plates sewn into the lining for decent protection.
The bulky outfit had one perk: it made his scrawny frame look a bit sturdier.
In the bronze mirror, the young man gripping a saber looked almost heroic.
Chu Mu caught his reflection, gave a faint smile, shook his head, and headed out.
Xu Yuan had mentioned the Patrol Office's day shift mustered at the start of the辰 hour—around seven in the morning, by his old world's reckoning. After roll call, everyone went to their posts.
With time to spare, Chu Mu stopped at a street stall for a steaming bowl of meat noodles. The meal warmed his empty stomach, leaving him refreshed.
The Patrol Office yamen sat near the mines south of town, not far from Chu Mu's home. His place, smack in the town center, was close to everything.
A short walk—about fifteen minutes—and he stood outside the yamen.
Compared to the grand county Patrol Office from the original host's memories, this one was modest at best.
A simple "Patrol Office" plaque hung above the gate, unguarded. Inside was a wide open space, with weapons—swords, spears, and more—lined up under the eaves. Stone blocks of various sizes were stacked in a corner.
The original host's memories painted this training ground as little more than a formality, used only for morning roll call.
What Chu Mu saw matched those memories almost exactly.
"Chu Mu!"
A shout broke his thoughts as he took in the scene.
"Captain."
Turning, he saw a middle-aged man with a mustache and clasped his fists in greeting.
This was Wu Shuo, the Captain who'd helped him settle into his Patrol Office role a few days back. He'd also been the original host's father's superior.
In the Patrol Office hierarchy, teams made up squads, and squads answered to Hundred Households. Wu Shuo, leading a squad, held real authority here.
"Everything sorted at home?" Wu Shuo asked.
Chu Mu nodded. "Yes, Captain. All settled. I'm here to start my duties."
"About time. We're short-handed as it is."
"Come with me to register, then I'll get you sorted with tasks."
Wu Shuo waved him along, his face clouded with worry.
Chu Mu's heart skipped, but he kept quiet, sticking to the original host's reserved demeanor and trailing Wu Shuo closely.
The yamen wasn't large. Beyond the training ground was the main hall, flanked by a few rooms, and a rear courtyard where the Hundred Households lived—off-limits to regular patrol officers like him.
After a quick stop at the registrar's office in the side hall, they returned to the main hall. It was nearly time for roll call, and the yamen was filling with patrol officers.
"Alright, enough chatter! Third Squad, front and center!" Wu Shuo bellowed from the hall's steps.
The scattered officers in the training ground hustled to gather.
Once assembled, Wu Shuo scanned the group, his eyes landing on a burly, bearded man at the front.
"Li Gang, this is Chu Mu. He's new, just registered. Put him with your team for now."
"Got it," Li Gang rumbled, his big eyes sizing Chu Mu up before nodding to Wu Shuo.
Chu Mu stepped down from the hall and joined the line behind the bearded man.
The teams stood in silence, their faces a mix of boredom, blankness, and, for many like Chu Mu, a quiet unease about this new chapter.
A thousand conscripted laborers had been escorted, and nearly a hundred patrol officers from Qinghe County had vanished without a trace.
The county yamen's response was money and job placements for the families. Lately, every Patrol Office was teeming with new recruits, and Nanshan's was no exception.
These newcomers, like Chu Mu, all shared the same story.
Even with two lifetimes behind him, Chu Mu couldn't shake the nervous flutter in his chest.
That little residence had taken him ten days to get used to when he first arrived. Now, it was his safe harbor.
But today, he'd left that harbor behind, stepping into a world that felt almost entirely unknown…
What lay ahead?
As the morning sun climbed, Chu Mu pressed his lips together, his mind racing…
…
*(This chapter ends)*