41: Chapter 41 My stomach hurts, I need to go home to poop.

"This kind of Comprehension Ability, if he were in the yamen, it would be like using a precious sword as a fire poker." Ye Zhiqiu flicked the gun barrel with a finger, and a crisp, pleasant hum resonated. "Today's young people are either as stupid as pigs or as sly as ghosts. This kid has both Comprehension Ability and managed to survive in that dreadful place. He's material for a soldier."

"Lord's meaning is..."

"Go investigate his background. As long as his family is clean, find a way to get him into the City Defense Army." Ye Zhiqiu slammed her hand on the table with such force that two shallow indentations appeared on the redwood surface. "In these times, demons are growing in number, and the northern barbarians aren't staying put either. I'm short on people, short on people who can kill and are quick-witted."

The scout hesitated for a moment: "But Lord Jiang..."

"That madwoman?" Ye Zhiqiu sneered. "She's just looking for something new. Once she gets tired of it, he'll naturally be mine. Go do it."

"Yes!"

The scout took his leave.

Ye Zhiqiu looked at the empty courtyard, narrowing her eyes.

"Chen Mo... Heh, I hope he lives a long time."

...

Yuelai Inn, private room on the second floor.

Jiang Hongli was troubled by a table full of dishes.

Not troubled by not being able to eat it all, but troubled by not having enough to eat.

She was a Martial Artist, with vigorous Qi and blood, so her appetite was naturally several times that of an ordinary person. On the table were braised beef, roasted chicken, pork hock, and a large basin of white rice.

When Chen Mo came up, he saw this valiant Lord, with one foot on the stool, gnawing on a large pork hock, oil dripping from her mouth.

Her eating style wasn't much better than the beggars in the Outer City; the only difference was that she was beautiful, and even when eating fiercely, she exuded a sense of heroism.

"You're here?"

Jiang Hongli greeted him indistinctly, casually tossing the cleanly gnawed bone onto the table. "Sit."

Chen Mo didn't sit.

He stood by the table, cupping his hands: "Lord Jiang."

"Don't bother with those empty formalities." Jiang Hongli swallowed the meat in her mouth and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

Jiang Hongli sized him up.

The young man was thin, his short tunic washed until it was faded white, and he carried a long saber wrapped in rags on his back. His Face was unremarkable, the kind that would disappear in a crowd, but his eyes were as calm as an ancient well.

"Sit down and eat something?" Jiang Hongli pointed to the leftover food on the table.

"I've eaten." Chen Mo lied without batting an eye. In fact, he was starving, his chest almost touching his back; he had just bought steamed buns for Little Grass and hadn't even dared to eat one himself.

"Alright, then let's talk business."

Jiang Hongli didn't force him. She picked up a teacup, rinsed her mouth, and her expression became slightly more serious.

"That wandering spirit last night was just the beginning."

Chen Mo's heart sank.

He knew that seeking out this woman would never lead to anything good.

"The city hasn't been peaceful lately; the dirty things are increasing." Jiang Hongli lowered her voice. "The yamen suspects the source is outside the city."

Chen Mo's eyelids twitched, and he had an ominous premonition.

"So?"

"So, after dinner, come with me outside the city."

Chen Mo felt his scalp tingle. Without thinking, he blurted out: "No."

His refusal was swift and decisive, without any hesitation.

Jiang Hongli was stunned, clearly not expecting the young man to show so little Face.

"What did you say?"

"I said I'm not going." Chen Mo took a step back, his back ramrod straight. "Lord Jiang, I'm just an ordinary Runner who only moves corpses. Dealing with major issues like demons and monsters is the responsibility of your Imperial Astronomical Bureau. If I go, I'll just be seeking death."

What kind of joke is this?

Go outside the city?

Although Chen Mo had only Transmigrated a few months ago, he had inherited the original body's memories and was very clear about this world.

These city walls were the boundary between Yin and Yang.

Inside the walls, although there were ruffians and corrupt officials, and life was a bit hard, it was still the human world.

Outside the walls, that was a ghost Realm.

To the north were the Northern Di barbarians, each one looking like a black bear, devouring people without spitting out bones. The wilderness was even more infested with demons, and he heard there were even evolved weasels that specialized in bewitching people's minds.

The original body had lived for more than ten years and had never stepped outside the city gate.

Chen Mo had even less desire to step out.

He only had forty-seven years left to live, and every second was precious. How could he waste it feeding demons?

"You're afraid of death?" Jiang Hongli raised an eyebrow, a half-smile on her Face.

"Yes." Chen Mo replied righteously. "Being afraid of death isn't shameful. If you die, everything is gone."

"You're quite honest."

Jiang Hongli stood up, walked around the table, and approached Chen Mo.

She was very tall, only half a head shorter than Chen Mo, and carried a faint scent of blood and rouge, which, mixed together, had a dangerous allure.

"Chen Mo, you have great talent."

Jiang Hongli stared into his eyes. "That strike last night, I saw it. Qi and Blood Enchantment, that's a technique that only Tongmai Realm Martial Artists can barely master, yet you, a Body Tempering Realm practitioner who just started, were able to use it. This shows your Comprehension Ability is extremely high, and even... your Mental Energy is extraordinary."

Chen Mo lowered his head, not speaking.

Talent?

Could talent be eaten? Could it block the claws of demons?

"But," Jiang Hongli changed her tone, "no matter how good your talent, if you stay cooped up in the city doing odd jobs, you'll just be an odd-jobber. What Realm are you in now? Body Tempering Realm first stage, Skin Refining?"

Chen Mo didn't make a sound.

The nine Realms of martial arts, the first Realm is Body Tempering, divided into four small stages: Skin Refining, Muscle Tempering, Tendon Strengthening, and Bone Forging.

He had just begun Body Tempering, so now he had only made his skin tough. An ordinary wooden stick hitting him wouldn't hurt, but if he encountered a sharp blade, it would still cut through him easily.

"Skin Refining Realm, to put it plainly, is just a sandbag that can take a beating." Jiang Hongli struck him mercilessly. "If you encounter a true expert, they can poke you to death with a single finger. Not to mention encountering demons."

"That's why I'm not leaving the city." Chen Mo was impervious. "I'll stay in the city, not cause trouble, and I'll always survive."

"Survive?"

Jiang Hongli sneered. "You think the city is safe? How did that wandering spirit get in last night? The city's defense array already has a loophole; it's only a matter of time before demons infiltrate. By then, the entire city will be a hunting ground. Where will you hide?"

Chen Mo's heart tightened.

Those words hit his weak spot.

When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. If the city fell, he truly would have nowhere to run.

But he still didn't want to go.

"That's a matter for the future." Chen Mo stubbornly insisted, "Anyway, I'm not going today. My stomach hurts; I need to go home and poop."

Having said that, he turned and left.

This woman was too dangerous; staying even a second longer would make it easy to be tricked.

"Stop."

Jiang Hongli's lazy voice came from behind him.

Chen Mo's steps did not falter.

"Tiger Demon Bone Refining Fist."

Chen Mo's feet seemed to be nailed to the floor, unable to move an inch.

He slowly turned around, his eyes somewhat glazed over.

Jiang Hongli held a blue-covered booklet in her hand, which had appeared there at some point, gently patting her palm with it.

"This is a Secret Manual from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau's martial arts library. Although it's not some peerless Divine Power, it's a legitimate killing art."