The region was home to the source of the Qing River, which flowed through eight counties and spanned two commanderies.

Jingmen, naturally, was extremely prosperous.

This prosperity was plain to see from its port alone.

Though they arrived at Jingmen in the early morning, before the sky had even fully brightened, the brightly lit port was already a hub of clamor.

Chu Mu, who had been sound asleep, was jolted awake by the din.

Standing at the bow, he looked out at the boundless lake shrouded in darkness, and beyond it, the brightly lit port not far away.

Traveling merchants, porters, soldiers maintaining order...

The sounds of shouting, clattering, and lapping waves...

All this clamor and prosperity unfolded before his eyes.

Gazing into the distance, he saw that beyond the port lay an endless stretch of rooftops, disappearing into the horizon just like the dark surface of the lake.

"Go get ready. Take out the travel permits and the household registration records."

"Remember, don’t tell anyone we’re from Nanshan Town. Just stick to the story I prepared."

Chu Mu spoke slowly. His preparations, of course, went far beyond just this small, black-canopied boat and packing their belongings in advance. He had used his former authority as an Inspector to meticulously prepare everything, including household registration records, travel permits, and even a merchant’s certificate.

Although his name was still Chu Mu, the story he’d prepared painted a different picture. He was no longer a resident of Qinghe County but a man from the neighboring Changning County, born to a family of healers. He was only stopping in Jingmen County temporarily while on his travels.

Of course, this was largely the truth.

Chu Mu clearly had no intention of staying in Jingmen County for long.

At his current rate of progress, he estimated it would take a year or two for his Qi and Blood Cultivation to reach the stage of Great Success.

Once he achieved Divine Appearance, he would definitely leave Jingmen County to seek out the Cultivation Immortal Realm.

Jingmen was, after all, just a temporary stop.

As the boat docked, an Inspector immediately came aboard for an inspection. Having spent several months in the Inspectorate system himself, Chu Mu was naturally aware of some of its unspoken rules and corrupt practices.

He slipped the man some money, sending the Inspector on his way, and used the opportunity to ask a few questions about Jingmen.

After hiring a few porters to unload the books and medicinal herbs from the boat, they finally headed into Jingmen County.

In a place where merchants and travelers converged, inns were naturally an essential sight.

They found a random inn to stay in, leaving only the matter of finding a permanent home.

The two of them didn’t have much money left. Over the past month, they had sold everything they could. Even after adding their monthly stipends and two portions of Black Gold, their total assets amounted to just over three hundred silver.

But "not much" was a relative term.

For someone who spent money as freely as Chu Mu, it was clearly not a lot.

However, for an ordinary person, this "not much" would be considered a huge sum.

Chu Mu’s plan was quite simple: rent a storefront in Jingmen and open a pharmacy.

He would practice martial arts, read, and practice medicine, earning a little money on the side to avoid burning through their savings.

After they settled in at the inn, the morning sun had risen. Chu Mu left the inn alone and began to wander through the unfamiliar streets of Jingmen County.

The Qinghe County from his predecessor’s memories was simply not in the same league as the Jingmen County before him now.

The streets were bustling with people—peddlers, horse-drawn carriages, traveling merchants, porters...

The street, which was thirty to forty feet wide, still felt somewhat crowded.

Chu Mu blended into the crowd, walking at a leisurely pace while carefully observing his surroundings.

Perhaps because his experience in Nanshan Town had left such a deep impression on him, his observations were exceptionally detailed.

More than half a month ago, he had listed several potential places for a temporary residence. His reasons for ultimately choosing Jingmen County were quite simple.

First, there were no active mines within its borders. Second, Jingmen was located at the lower reaches of the Qing River in the East Lake region; it was commercially prosperous, with a large and diverse transient population.

But what he had learned on paper was ultimately just theory. Without seeing it for himself, Chu Mu couldn’t shake a feeling of unease.

He didn’t want to jump out of the frying pan and into the fire. If Jingmen County didn’t meet his expectations, he would rather travel a bit more than settle here.

For an entire day, Chu Mu wandered around Jingmen County. He even took a carriage to visit a few of the surrounding villages and towns, giving him a general understanding of the true situation in the county. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

It wasn’t much different from the descriptions in the books. Jingmen had a strong commercial atmosphere, and the various accents one could hear in the county confirmed that it had a large population of outsiders.

The County Magistrate and County Captain of Jingmen County were not named Li, but Zhao. This was undoubtedly very important, as it at least proved that Jingmen County was not within the Nanshan Li Family’s sphere of influence.

Even if there was some Jingmen Zhao Family, he wasn’t part of the Jingmen establishment, so it would have nothing to do with him.

Having made his decision, Chu Mu didn’t delay. Acting decisively, he soon found a storefront facing the street and spent thirty silver to rent it.

The storefront wasn’t on the most prosperous main street of Jingmen County, but on a parallel street named Changling. The foot traffic here was obviously much lighter than on the main thoroughfare.

However, this property was rented out along with its connected backyard, and the rent was much cheaper than on the main street.

Since his main goal wasn’t to make a lot of money anyway, Chu Mu saw no reason to be picky.

Once the decision was made, he hired a few people to clean up the storefront. Early the next morning, he and Xu Yuan moved over from the inn.

"Hundred Herbs Pavilion..."

In the early morning, Chu Mu personally hung up the custom-made plaque. Xu Yuan stood under the eaves, looking up with a curious expression. "Brother Mu, why call it the Hundred Herbs Pavilion?"

"A hundred herbs, a wealth of knowledge..."

Chu Mu murmured, not giving a direct answer. He climbed down from the ladder and said with a smile, "From now on, you’re the Shopkeeper of the Hundred Herbs Pavilion."

"Me?"

Xu Yuan was a bit baffled. "If I’m the Shopkeeper, what will you do, Brother Mu?"

"I’ll just see some patients and read my books. The pharmacy business will be up to you."

Seeing Chu Mu once again taking on the role of a hands-off boss, Xu Yuan was already used to it. Besides, being a Shopkeeper...

Xu Yuan was filled with a sense of novelty. He sat behind the counter, looking very much the part, and his self-important posture made even Chu Mu crack a smile.

"Brother Mu, do you think we should also do business with Martial Artists?"

"The Dragon and Snake Soup is so effective! If you come up with one or two more formulas like that, Brother Mu, business at the Hundred Herbs Pavilion will skyrocket!"

"We’ll only do business with ordinary people. The Dragon and Snake Soup is too conspicuous. We’re new here; it’s better to keep a low profile."

Chu Mu shook his head, rejecting Xu Yuan’s suggestion. In Jingmen, he just wanted to practice his martial arts and read his books in peace—to live a more leisurely and comfortable life.

But once they got involved with the Martial Artists of Jingmen, they would inevitably come into contact with the deeper, more powerful forces in the city. And once that happened, it would be easy to get swept up in their affairs.

The risks would outweigh the rewards...

...