21: Grain price fluctuations

The autumn sun filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows. His mind sank into his body. Within his Dantian, the Qi vortex of the Qi Sea Acupoint slowly spun, and pure Inner Breath circulated throughout his body.

At the same time, he could clearly sense the presence of fifty-three Death Warriors scattered throughout Qingyuan Town, Qinglan City, and the courtyard around him.

They were like the most precise nodes, forming the increasingly vast network of power that lay hidden beneath the surface.

Since his Transmigration and awakening, nearly two months had quietly passed. The summons, arriving punctually every day, had never ceased, and the number of Death Warriors had accumulated to fifty-three.

Their skills ranged from tracking and stealth to forging and medical arts, from documentation and shorthand to arithmetic and horsemanship. Although all were basic, they already wove a wide-ranging net of capabilities.

Furthermore, the physical constitution they accumulated daily had deepened the Foundation of Lin Mo's body to a degree far surpassing the surface appearance of his current martial Dao Realm.

The preliminary Cultivation feedback System established was like a steady stream, continuously and stably enhancing the purity and total volume of his Inner Breath.

Qinglan Martial Academy would be his first true stepping stone.

"Tomorrow, the Martial Academy's first class." Lin Mo looked toward the repeated shouts and sounds of clashing metal emanating from the depths of the Martial Academy. His eyes were calm, but deep within, a spark of brilliance waited to ignite a prairie fire.

On the morning at Qinglan Martial Academy, the thin mist had yet to fully disperse.

Inside the private courtyard, Lin Mo sat cross-legged on a bluestone slab, his eyes slightly closed.

Inside his body, the Qi Sea Acupoint, condensed through the Aperture Condensation Method, was slowly spinning, and pure Inner Breath flowed through his Meridians like a tide.

At midnight, the fifty-fourth Death Warrior arrived as scheduled: [Fifty-Four], whose basic skill was [Basic Herb Identification].

At that instant, Lin Mo clearly felt his physical constitution subtly improve by another fraction.

Currently, the stacking effect of a single Death Warrior was not as obvious as it was initially, but the accumulation of Fifty-Four people made the Foundation of his physique so profound that even he found it hard to estimate.

More important was the Cultivation feedback.

In Qinglan City, forty-three Death Warriors were scattered around. The remaining eleven stayed in Qingyuan Town to maintain operations, and newly summoned ones infiltrated various locations in Qinglan City according to plan.

At this moment, all the Death Warriors were Cultivating.

Some were practicing stance, some were drilling boxing forms, and some were sitting quietly, circulating their Inner Breath.

And through the System, Lin Mo's perception seemed to gain forty-three streams, continuously channeling their respective Cultivation gains—their control over Inner Breath, their insights into boxing methods, and their understanding of movement techniques—

—into his own consciousness and body.

An 80% conversion rate, lossless.

Lin Mo opened his eyes and stood up. He walked to the open space in the courtyard and slowly assumed the starting stance of the Bedrock Fist.

This basic Martial Academy boxing method emphasized steady progress, tight defense, and powerful offense.

He had only recorded the complete set of incantations and diagrams in the Sutra Pavilion yesterday, but now—

The fist shot out.

Whoosh!

The fist wind was steady, faintly carrying the sound of tearing air. His movements were smooth and flowing, without any stiffness, as if he had practiced diligently for months.

This was the embodiment of the Death Warriors' Cultivation feedback.

Over twenty of them had begun practicing the Bedrock Fist. Although their individual progress varied, all their insights, corrections, and moments of Breakthrough instantly transformed into Lin Mo's experience.

After completing the set, Lin Mo retracted his stance, his breathing stable.

"Young Master, your boxing method..." Fang Han, standing nearby, looked slightly stunned. "You only got the manual yesterday, yet you are already this proficient today?"

Lin Mo smiled faintly: "Just some insights. You should start practicing your boxing too; Foundation is the most important."

Fang Han nodded vigorously. This young man's bone structure was indeed outstanding. In just over ten days, aided by wen yuan powder and Lin Mo's occasional guidance, he had subtly touched the threshold of Inner Breath.

"Si," Lin Mo called out.

Death Warrior [Si] appeared silently. He was one of the first four Death Warriors, and his skill [Block] had been upgraded to the proficient level through extensive combat training.

"What is the arrangement for the Martial Academy today?"

"At three quarters past the chen hour, all newly enrolled Grade A students must gather at the Martial Arts Training Hall. The Instructor will uniformly explain the Academy's regulations and allocate monthly resources."

Si's voice was flat and emotionless. "Additionally, after the si hour, the Service Pavilion will open, and students may accept missions to earn contribution points."

Lin Mo nodded. This was the first step to integrating into the Martial Academy's System.

"Er, San," he called again.

The two Death Warriors responsible for intelligence and covert protection appeared.

"What is the situation in Qinglan City?"

"Last night, [Twenty-Six] to [Dead Soldier] rented two courtyards in the western slum area as new contact points."

Er reported, "[Thirty-One] to [Thirty-Five] have infiltrated the dock laborers disguised as refugees. Currently, no targeted screening by the Black Wolf Gang has been detected."

San added: "News from Qingyuan Town is that Liu Kui and White Sand Child have completely integrated the resources of the two gangs and, as instructed by Young Master, have begun secretly acquiring grain, iron materials, and medicinal herbs, storing them in the secret room of the River God Temple.

Recently, grain prices have shown slight fluctuations, rising by about half a percent."

Grain Price Fluctuations?

Lin Mo raised an eyebrow slightly. Qinglan City was a major border town with developed commerce, and grain prices were usually stable. Although a half percent rise was small, if it continued... "Have you found out the reason?"

"Preliminary investigation suggests it may be related to the northern trade route."

San said, "Three days ago, after a large merchant caravan from the Northern Territory entered the city, a small number of refugees from the northern regions appeared on the market. Rumor has it that Horse Bandits activity has intensified at the border, causing some smaller merchant caravans to be afraid to travel south."

The Northern Territory... The Great Qian Dynasty borders the various Grassland Tribes to the north, where friction often occurs. However, Horse Bandit activity usually only becomes rampant in the autumn and winter; now it is just early summer.

This is somewhat abnormal.

Lin Mo noted this information down and said, "Inform Wu and Liu that research on the rusted sword and medicinal herbs can be slowed down. They should first assist in establishing the intelligence network in the city."

"Focus monitoring on the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, the Patrol Inspection Department Office, and the movements near the City Lord's Mansion."

"Understood."

"Furthermore, have [Shi Liu], who remains in Qingyuan Town, begin selecting clever youths with clean backgrounds from the gang and send them into the city in batches. We need more people who can be used openly."

Although Death Warriors are loyal, their overly instrumentalized speech and actions are easily exposed in complex social situations.

Lin Mo needed some genuine local manpower to handle daily affairs and act as cover for the Death Warriors' operations.

"Understood."

The two Death Warriors accepted the order and withdrew.

Lin Mo checked the time; the chen hour was approaching.

"Fang Han, follow me to the Martial Arts Training Hall."

The Martial Arts Training Hall was located in the center of the Martial Academy, a spacious hall capable of holding several hundred people.

When Lin Mo arrived with Fang Han, over Dead Soldier young men and women were already present.

There were Dead Soldier-eight Grade A students in this cohort. Every one of them had a steady Aura and sharp eyes, clearly being elites selected from various regions.

Lin Mo's gaze swept over them, making a quick assessment.

About half of them had Inner Breath initially formed, meaning they had just entered the Bone Forging Realm. Over ten people had a deeper Aura, possibly at the Minor Achievement level.

Three or four others were particularly noticeable, with condensed Auras and a subtle sense of pressure around them, indicating Major Achievement in Bone Forging, or perhaps even touching the threshold of Muscle.

"That one is Chen Feng from the Chen Family. It's said he reached Major Achievement in Bone Forging last year and deliberately suppressed his Cultivation for a year to aim for Grade A at the Martial Academy."

"Look over there, the one in white, that's Liu Qingyun from the Prefecture City, a Sword Technique Genius. She punched eight hundred pounds during the strength test, without using Inner Breath!"

"And that big dark guy, named Lei Meng, he's from the Northern Territory Border Army. He's ferocious in real combat..."

The students conversed softly, each forming small cliques. Lin Mo stood alone in a corner, not rushing to integrate.

At three quarters past the chen hour, a middle-aged man wearing a green martial robe stepped into the hall. His steps were steady and his Aura was restrained, but as he walked, he possessed a dignified and imposing Aura.

"Muscle Realm, Minor Achievement at least," Lin Mo judged inwardly.

"Silence." The man spoke. His voice was not loud, yet it clearly reached everyone's ears.

"My surname is Zhao, my given name is Zhenshan. I am the Chief Instructor for your Grade A class this year. For the next year, I will be responsible for teaching you the fundamentals of the martial Dao."

The hall immediately fell silent.

Zhao Zhenshan's gaze swept over the crowd like lightning: "To be admitted to Grade A proves that your Talent, Heart-Nature, and Foundation are all top-tier selections."

But the Martial Academy is not the finish line; it is the starting point.

Here, you will come into contact with the true Martial Dao System, Cultivate more refined Cultivation Techniques, and obtain richer resources.

The prerequisite is that you must be hardworking and outstanding."