A sleepless night.

By morning, the lingering smell of burnt things had completely dissipated, and the haze that shrouded the sky had also vanished.

The morning sun rose, casting its warm light over the land. The fresh mountain air was invigorating, and in the courtyard, the medicinal herbs and rice seedlings were a vibrant green, teeming with life.

Yet, beneath this vibrant scene, Nanshan Town was another extreme entirely.

Though the disaster of the civil uprising that had swept through the town was quickly suppressed, the damage it caused was not so easily erased.

By now, it was safe to say that anyone who could leave had already left, taking their families with them.

The only ones left were the on-duty Inspectors who couldn’t leave, and likely some of the poorest common folk who had no means to depart, along with a few merchants with powerful backing.

All of this meant that Nanshan Town was now very quiet.

The door opened, and Chu Mu walked out carrying a bucket of medicinal dregs.

He hadn’t slept all night, yet he showed no signs of fatigue. In fact, his face was alight with visible excitement.

He piled the dregs in a corner of the courtyard. One bucket of dregs meant that his entire Monthly Stipend, plus his Black Gold, had been spent completely.

It was impossible not to feel a pang of regret, but seeing the changes on the Light Curtain Panel in his vision, that feeling instantly vanished!

He had studied medicine for months, focusing on it almost day and night, pouring in a massive amount of Spiritual Radiance. Elder Li had even praised him for having gained an "initial glimpse" into understanding both people and medicine, yet none of it had ever appeared on the Light Curtain Panel.

Chu Mu had already given up hope, assuming it was because knowledge-based skills were too broad in scope.

But after a night of experiments, his understanding of people and medicine had manifested on the Light Curtain Panel in a way Chu Mu had never expected.

[Name: Chu Mu.]

[Skill: Basic Blade Technique (Entering the Hall and the Room) 9/2000]

[Body Refining Technique (45/1000)]

[Alchemy: Twelve-Times Modified Essence Qi Powder: Beginner’s Practice (95/100)]

[Spiritual Radiance Value: 200.4%]

What he had thought would be a Medical Skill had instead become the concept of Alchemy. The Skill Level wasn’t for Alchemy as a whole, but was directly reflected in the Qi Blood formula he was still working on.

The formula’s original name was Essence Qi Powder, and "Twelve-Times Modified" referred to the twelve consecutive experiments he had conducted last night.

Although the formula’s efficacy was still far from what Chu Mu had envisioned, it was an improvement in every aspect compared to the original version of Essence Qi Powder.

However, he hadn’t yet figured out how to resolve the conflicts and side effects that arose from the combination of herbs. Even after twelve modifications, it was still just a semi-finished product.

Still, the Skill Level for the Essence Qi Powder truly surprised Chu Mu. After appearing on the Light Curtain Panel following the first experiment, the Skill Level had made a visible leap with each subsequent attempt.

Twelve experiments in one night had nearly completed the Beginner’s Practice stage. The progress was so fast that even his practice with the blade technique, something he had always felt he had a talent for, couldn’t compare.

Not to mention his snail-paced Body Refining Technique cultivation; there was simply no comparison between the two.

’Could it be... I have a talent for Alchemy?’

Chu Mu felt a little smug, but he quickly suppressed the feeling.

He knew his own limits.

Although the Light Curtain Panel only showed the Skill Level for the single Essence Qi Powder formula, wasn’t the progress with this formula a reflection of his months of hard work studying people and medicine?

Without the foundation of accumulated knowledge, he wouldn’t even know what the formula was made of, let alone be able to discover and solve problems so smoothly during last night’s experiments. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

’I’ll aim for... Entering the Hall and the Room!’

Chu Mu muttered to himself, gazing at the progress of the Essence Qi Powder on the Light Curtain Panel.

Beginner’s Practice, Initial Glimpse... The names themselves made it clear these were just the very first steps.

Entering the Hall and the Room was just as it sounded. Reaching that stage would mean his understanding of the Essence Qi Powder formula was deep enough to be considered proficient.

An understanding that deep would probably be enough to bring the Essence Qi Powder formula up to his expectations.

Besides, reaching Entering the Hall and the Room with the Essence Qi Powder formula wasn’t just about progress with that one formula. A single recipe involving nearly twenty different types of medicinal herbs would obviously elevate his understanding of those herbs to the level of... Entering the Hall and the Room!

This, in turn, would drive his overall progress in the discipline of understanding people and medicine. The combination of knowledge and experience—that was a true foundation!

Just as Essence, Qi, and Spirit complemented each other, a solid foundation in understanding people and medicine could easily spur the growth of his own cultivation.

For some reason, Chu Mu also breathed a sigh of relief.

Months of stagnation seemed to have finally borne fruit with the appearance of Alchemy and Essence Qi Powder on the Light Curtain Panel. Everything was finally moving in a positive cycle.

It seemed he, Chu Mu, would have a bit more to rely on, a bit more confidence.

Returning to his bedroom, he gathered the thick stack of experimental notes from his desk. After a moment’s hesitation, Chu Mu tucked the stack inside his robes.

Then, his gaze fell upon the Inspector Armor hanging in front of his wardrobe. Chu Mu mulled it over for a moment before stepping forward, taking down the Inspector Armor, and putting it on.

Before the Copper Mirror stood a heroic and vigorous figure. Compared to when he had first arrived months ago, the current Chu Mu, and the former "Chu Mu," were now completely different, inside and out.

A heroic young man, already a team leader in the Inspection Office. From the original owner’s perspective, this was a future with boundless potential, the kind of fortune that would make his ancestors’ graves smoke with pride.

As for him, Chu Mu, before he had ever come into contact with Cultivators, he too had entertained thoughts of becoming a marquis or a general.

Now, of course, such thoughts had long since vanished.

’This Inspector’s skin... maybe it would be more liberating to shed it?’

Chu Mu stared at his reflection in the mirror, at the Inspector Armor he wore, and ultimately suppressed the thought.

’It’s good to have a big tree for shade.’

Regardless, for now, while this "skin" had brought him a fair share of problems, it had also saved him from a great deal of trouble.

Even now, this "skin" was still one of the things he relied on.

As for Elder Li’s apparent hint...

’End of next month...’

Chu Mu murmured, then pushed the thought aside. Even if it was a hint, he would have to wait until next month to find out.

’It’s nearly two months away. Tossing aside my support without even knowing the situation isn’t smart—it’s foolish, idiotic even! For one thing, if I didn’t have this Inspector’s "skin," my house wouldn’t have been rebuilt after being destroyed, nor would I have received any compensation. The able-bodied men of Qinghe County are almost all conscripted. Without the protection of this "skin," would they make an exception for me?’

As his thoughts churned, Chu Mu picked up a bowl of steaming medicinal soup from the desk.

It was, without a doubt, the Twelve-Times Modified Essence Qi Powder he had spent all night researching.

Without hesitation, he downed it in one gulp, fully intending to keep it down.

He had all day to properly experience the pros and cons of the Twelve-Times Modified Essence Qi Powder, which would allow him to make more targeted improvements.

Just in case, Chu Mu had also prepared several high-quality detoxifying and cold-natured medicinal herbs to carry with him.

If the formula truly had hidden drawbacks he hadn’t discovered, he would have a way to recover even if they flared up. If all else failed, he would just run to Mingxin Hall!

...