The morning sunlight, a rare visitor, pierced through the perpetual cold mist that clung to the Silent Stone District, dappling the thick moss on the courtyard walls.
Lin Mu rose from his stone bed. After a simple wash, he did not put on the faded gray military uniform he usually wore.
Instead, he walked to the bedside, opened his bundle, and retrieved a brand-new azure robe, neatly folded.
The sleeves and collar were embroidered with silver thread in the distinctive thorn patterns of the Black Blood Stronghold.
The fabric was thick and durable—not quite a magical artifact, but within the clan, this garment represented a status: Steward of the External Affairs Hall.
Though it was merely a nominal position with no actual administrative duties, wearing it meant officially crossing from "expendable cannon fodder" into "the system."
Lin Mu dressed himself properly and stood before the bronze mirror, regarding the young man reflected there—straight-backed, composed in bearing. His expression remained calm.
"This garment is the protective talisman Lin Zhen bestowed, and also an umbrella of protection. With it, at least on the surface, most of those covetous gazes will be deflected."
He adjusted his collar and pushed open the door.
The main hall of the External Affairs Hall was as bustling and noisy as ever.
Lin Mu walked straight to the central registration counter. Seated there was that familiar old face—Lin Qiang.
Lin Qiang was lounging with his legs crossed, listlessly flipping through ledgers while humming some unknown tune. Hearing someone approach, he called out without looking up: "Get in line! Can't you see I'm busy... huh?"
Before he finished speaking, his peripheral vision caught the azure hem that signified "Steward" status.
Lin Qiang's entire body jolted. He looked up sharply.
When he saw it was Lin Mu, he visibly froze, the shock in his eyes instantly transforming into an extremely complicated expression—part fear, part envy, but mostly an almost instinctive fawning.
"Oh! Mu... Steward Mu! You're here!"
Lin Qiang sprang from behind the counter like a coiled spring, his face wreathed in smiles, his waist bent lower than a shrimp's. Where was any trace of his former arrogance?
"Look at these dog eyes of mine, I was spacing out just now! Please, come in. Your desk has been prepared long ago—it's on the second floor, the sunny side. That's the best feng shui spot in our entire hall. The finest tea has already been brewed for you!"
From "Lin Mu" to "Steward Mu"—this was not merely a change in address, but the taste of power.
Lin Mu nodded faintly, said nothing more, and walked directly upstairs.
This was the advantage of being within the system. He no longer needed to crowd together with other branch disciples, queuing for missions, arguing red-faced over a few Primeval Stone fragments.
Seated in the spacious, well-lit private room on the second floor, Lin Mu took a sip of hot tea and casually opened the thick booklet on the desk.
"Clan Internal Resource Exchange Catalog—Steward Edition."
This was the "internal network" accessible only to Stewards and above.
Lin Mu scanned through it rapidly, his eyes growing brighter. According to this catalog, basic clan resources such as Red Iron Ore, beast blood, and Green-Striped Rice were all available to Stewards at a ten percent discount.
"The discount isn't large, but cultivation is a long war of attrition. Little by little, this will save me a fortune."
Closing the booklet, Lin Mu dismissed the servants who wanted to come in and curry favor. In this absolutely quiet space, he began the most meticulous inventory and reorganization of his assets.
"My current combat system has taken initial shape."
Lin Mu silently reviewed in his mind:
The core engine was the Liquor Worm, which refined his Rank 1 middle-grade Primeval Essence to high-grade quality—the fundamental power driving all tactics.
Defense and battlefield control relied on the Red Mud Gu. After this period of enhanced feeding and tactical training, Lin Mu had become thoroughly proficient with it.
Mobility and burst damage came from the coordinated use of the Swift Ant Gu and Red Mud Gu. His self-created technique, Earth Ring Body, had matured considerably, giving him speed rivaling wind-path Gu Masters.
His killing trump card was the newly developed "Mud-Dust Blood Prison"—the Dust Escape Gu creating interference, the Blood Scent Gu providing navigation. This combination was sufficient to execute a dimensional reduction strike against same-rank enemies within three breaths.
For conventional means, there was also the Iron Leaf Gu for ranged output, and the Eagle Eye Gu scavenged from Lin Tong for routine visual reconnaissance.
"Offense and defense, control and escape, even a finishing move. Against peers, this system has almost no weaknesses."
Lin Mu nodded slightly. His self-assessment was quite objective. "The only weakness remains Primeval Essence endurance. Burst capacity is too high, sustained combat insufficient."
Then his consciousness probed deep into his aperture, examining those "idle assets" that had been sealed in red mud, never having had a chance to be deployed.
Wind-Treading Gu: A Rank 1 wind-path movement Gu. Though its linear speed was excellent, it was difficult to control and overlapped functionally with Earth Ring Body and Dust Escape Gu. Keeping it would just gather dust.
Savage Stone Gu: A Rank 1 earth-path defense Gu. A good item, but its origin was sensitive—it was the signature Gu of that musclebound man from White Bone Stronghold. Moreover, Lin Mu didn't follow a pure brute-force defensive path. Keeping it would only invite trouble.
There was also an Iron Leaf Gu, casually retrieved from Lin Tong's corpse—a duplicate asset.
"These Gu worms were only preserved intact because I instant-killed my opponents in battle, leaving them no time to trigger their apertures' self-destruction. Such windfall opportunities will probably be rare in the future."
Lin Mu mentally estimated their value.
"Wind-Treading Gu's market price is one hundred sixty, Savage Stone Gu one hundred eighty, Iron Leaf Gu eighty... If I can properly offload these on the black market, this batch should exchange for four to five hundred Primeval Stones!"
Adding the two hundred-plus in cash he currently held, once successfully liquidated, his total assets would approach eight hundred!
This was a fortune sufficient to support all expenses for his assault on Rank 2.
"There's no rush to liquidate. I'll need to wait until things quiet down, then find Old Ma and sell in batches."
Inventory complete, Lin Mu gazed at the bustling crowds outside the window, his eyes growing profound.
Now he had money, reputation, and status. How should he proceed from here?
"Based on my current perception, plus continuous aperture nourishment, I faintly sense that breaking through the Rank 1 high-grade barrier will take approximately two to three more months."
For someone with ordinary Grade-B aptitude, this speed was nothing short of miraculous.
Normally, such speed would definitely invite suspicion. But now...
A playful smile curved Lin Mu's lips.
"The entire clan knows that Supreme Elder Lin Zhen rewarded me with five hundred Primeval Stones. I can use this news to openly squander resources on cultivation."
"When others see my rapid progress, they'll only sigh that I 'really spend generously' or 'was lucky enough to latch onto a powerful backer'—never suspecting any problem with my aptitude."
This was perfect cover.
Lin Mu set his mental timetable:
Short-term (two months): Focus entirely on nourishing the aperture. Use resources and Primeval Stones to force a breakthrough to Rank 1 high-grade.
Mid-term (three to five months): Polish the realm, assault Rank 1 Peak.
Long-term (approximately one year): Prepare Rank 2 fusion materials, formally assault the Rank 2 realm!
As for the direction of his Vital Gu after reaching Rank 2...
Using his Steward privileges, Lin Mu opened a heavy tome: "Clan Gu Worm Encyclopedia." His finger traced across the illustrations of bizarre and fantastical Gu worms. He looked for a long time, but his brow furrowed slightly.
Though the clan's collection of Rank 2 Gu recipes was extensive, most were conventional. None were "core Gu" that made his eyes light up.
"Never mind. Rank 2 matters are still far off—no need to rush. Perhaps at some future moment, the answer I seek will appear."
Closing the encyclopedia, Lin Mu stood and walked out of the External Affairs Hall.
By now it was dusk. The setting sun had dyed the entire Black Blood Stronghold in shades of gold and crimson.
Looking at this mountain fortress full of human warmth, Lin Mu felt a long-absent tranquility rise within him.
Fighting and killing are merely means, not ends.
He drew a deep breath and merged into the stream of people heading home.
The present calm is preparation for the next, greater eruption.