130

Lijiang City, East of the City, Yongtong District, outside the gate of a small courtyard.

Chen Mu unlocked the brass lock and pushed the door open.

The thatched shed and practice racks quietly stood in the courtyard. Various weeds whose names he couldn't call to mind haphazardly covered the ground.

"I'll clean up bit by bit," Chen Mu shrugged his shoulders, his attitude relaxed.

Nanyang Prefecture City was vast and bustling, but Chen Mu always felt stifled. An endless stream of affairs left him breathless.

"Small towns are definitely more comfortable," he remarked.

Black smoke swiftly spread throughout the yard, and where it passed, swathes of weeds disappeared.

He removed the weeds, replaced the leaky thatched roof of the shed with new thatching.

He took down the practice racks that were weathered and spotted with grey and black mold.

He cleaned the rooms covered with spider webs.

He cleared the pots and pans that were filled with dust.