Da Xuan Martial Saint Chapter 1: Chapter 1 Corvée Duty

A sliver of dawn pierced the darkness, casting its glow upon the towering walls of an ancient, majestic city.

Nearly a millennium had passed since the founding of the Da Xuan Dynasty, and in that time, the administration had succumbed to corruption while the bureaucracy rotted from within. A pale golden light washed over the Prefecture City, touching every grand estate and crumbling shack alike, yet it remained powerless to illuminate the dark and stagnant hearts of the people dwelling within.

Chen Mu, dressed in the standard uniform of a lower-ranking law enforcement officer with a wide-bladed saber strapped to his hip, navigated the cramped alleys. The sharp, metallic scent of blood hung heavy in the air, prompting him to knit his brows in distaste.

He continued his pace a short distance further.

Emerging onto a broader thoroughfare, he discovered seven or eight corpses scattered haphazardly across the ground in a gruesome display. They appeared to have been butchered by reckless blade strikes, their forms mangled almost beyond human recognition, with splatters of gore and flesh clinging to the nearby walls.

"Sigh, these are Black Sand Gang members; it looks like they’ve been wiped out for good this time," remarked another lower-ranking officer standing near Chen Mu. With a heavy sigh, he added, "A year ago, nobody in this district would have dared to provoke the Black Sand Gang. But ever since their leader fell, their strength has crumbled day by day. Now, even a few nobodies can manage to exterminate them entirely."

"Shh, keep your voice down, it isn't our concern. Just start sweeping!"

A third officer signaled for quiet before grabbing his cleaning tools, preparing to clear the street.

Chen Mu observed the grisly scene with a furrowed brow, but eventually, he simply shook his head in silence.

In the two years he had spent in this world, he had encountered such sights many times. This Prefecture City, despite its grand exterior, was a lawless territory defined by constant conflict and bloodshed.

Gang wars that ended in the total slaughter of clans were frequent events, occurring even within the supposedly prestigious and disciplined 'Inner City'. Bodies were discarded from those gates daily, and officers like them—though technically on duty—were essentially just the cleanup crew for the aftermath.

Chen Mu recalled a colleague who had spoken too freely while intoxicated; the following morning, his corpse was found in a ditch by the road. The higher authorities didn't even bother to investigate, let alone ask what had happened.

Time to clean!

Chen Mu pushed up his sleeves to wave away the sickening stench of iron and joined his coworkers.

In the chaotic environment of the Prefecture City, the life of a lower-ranking officer was actually relatively stable. As long as a person kept their mouth shut, minded their own business, avoided offending superiors, and remained submissive, they could generally survive. They were far safer than the desperate commoners who lived in eternal terror.

Chen Mu owed this position to his late father, a veteran enforcer with a few useful connections. On his deathbed, the old man had exhausted his remaining influence to secure this post for his son before passing away.

However.

This role as an officer didn't grant the original 'Chen Mu' much more time; he soon succumbed to illness. The man standing there now was no longer that person, but a soul from Earth also named Chen Mu, who had stepped into this life.

In his previous life, Chen Mu had been an average man, but years of toiling at the bottom of society had taught him how to read people and navigate social minefields. This experience allowed him to stabilize his life quickly after arriving in this strange land and survive the past two years without incident.

The officers moved efficiently, each beginning to handle the remains.

Chen Mu followed suit, feigning a routine sweep while discreetly patting down the corpses... This habit of searching the dead was a silent pact among the men. While they rarely uncovered anything of great worth—since most Silver would have been looted long before they arrived—luck occasionally favored them with something missed.

For these bottom-tier officers, even the discovery of a few copper coins was a highlight of the day.

As he searched the garments of the body before him, Chen Mu found nothing. Meanwhile, he noticed Liu San, a short distance away, subtly sliding an object into his own robes.

"Why do I always come up empty-handed?"

Chen Mu felt a flicker of annoyance. Over two years, he had processed nearly three hundred bodies, yet he hadn't found a single significant stash of Silver. Actual Silver coins were incredibly rare, appearing only a handful of times, leaving him with nothing but a few random coppers.

Because of their unspoken rules, he didn't question Liu San, though it was obvious the other man had found something worth keeping.

Driven by a stubborn streak, Chen Mu continued his search and felt an odd texture. It was an object—a small booklet made of paper.

Chen Mu instantly grew alert.

Pocketing Silver was one thing, and valuables like jade were usually safe to take, but one had to be wary of mysterious items, especially written ones—there was no telling what kind of trouble they might invite.

After a moment of internal debate, Chen Mu pried the cover back just enough to glimpse the contents. It was a worn, yellowed manual, and he could faintly make out the words '...Wind Blade Technique'.

"Hmm."

Chen Mu’s pulse quickened, but he maintained a neutral expression, stealthily hiding the small manual in his clothes.

If he had found a ledger or a map, he would have ignored it. Such things were useless to him and acted as magnets for danger. A damaged Blade Technique, however, was a different story. If it were truly precious, the killer would have taken it during the night.

Liu Song and the others saw Chen Mu’s movements, but after a brief look, they collectively decided not to pry.

"Let's move!"

The group finished their grim work, piling the dead onto a small wooden cart and pushing it toward the city's edge.

To the north of the city lay the Mass Burial Mound.

Chen Mu, Liu Song, Li Liu, and the rest reached the site and simply dumped the bodies on the dirt; burial was an unnecessary luxury. Wild wolves prowled the area at night, and the corpses served as easy fodder. If they had the energy the next day, they might even hunt a few wolves and sell the skins for some wine money.

In truth, none of them wanted to spend a moment longer than necessary outside the walls. Inside, their status as government servants offered a shield, but in the lawless wastes outside, that title meant nothing. Every extra minute spent there was an invitation to disaster.

They finished the task quickly and hurried back, only letting out a collective breath of relief once they were safely back inside the city gates.

"Chen Er, what do you say? Should we grab a drink together today?"

Liu Song asked with a grin, looking toward Chen Mu.

His name was actually Liu Song, but as the third child in his family, everyone called him Liu San. Since Chen Mu had an older brother who died young, he was the second child, leading others to call him Chen Er.

"I’ll pass," Chen Mu replied with a wave of his hand.

While the idea of feasting, drinking, and visiting the music houses appealed to him, the reality of his empty pockets was a constant embarrassment.

Being a servant was supposed to be a steady living, but he saw very little actual Silver. The majority was siphoned off by the officials above him, leaving him with barely enough to cover basic necessities. Indulgences like quality liquor were simply out of his reach.

Furthermore, Chen Mu had a sister seven years younger than him at home. She had to stay hidden for safety and couldn't work, meaning his meager pay had to support two people. This made his life significantly harder than someone like Liu Song, whose family had more resources.

Seeing Chen Mu turn to leave, Liu Song chuckled. "Chen Er, your sister is getting close to the age for marriage. Why don't I find a way to get her into a wealthy household? She’d be well-fed, and you’d get enough Silver to live comfortably. What do you think?"

Having worked together for years, Liu Song was well-aware of Chen Mu's plight. Their father had drained the family savings on medical bills before dying. Now, on a servant's pittance, Chen Mu was struggling to provide for a dependent sister.

While they weren't starving like the dregs of society, their lives were far from easy.

At Liu Song’s suggestion, the image of a bright, innocent girl appeared in Chen Mu’s mind. He offered a faint, tired smile. "Let’s wait a couple more years. She’s still too young."

When he first arrived in this world, he was deathly ill, and it was only through the tireless care of his twelve-year-old sister, Chen Yue, that he recovered. Her devotion had saved his life.

Even though he lacked the memories of their childhood together, living with her for two years had forged a genuine bond. To him, she was truly his sister. As a man from the modern world, the idea of selling her for Silver was something only a beast would consider.

"Fine, if you ever change your mind, just let your big brother know," Liu Song said, not pushing the point. He slapped Chen Mu on the back with a laugh before heading off with Li Liu for their drinks.

After parting with them, Chen Mu walked down the alleyway until he reached the main road. At a corner stall, he spent ten Xuan Money on two coarse pancakes before making his way home.

"The prices these days…"

Chen Mu felt the few remaining Xuan Money in his pocket and sighed.

In his memories from a decade ago, one Xuan Money could buy a pancake. Now, it took five. It wasn't that the food had become more expensive, but rather that the value of the currency had plummeted due to illegal private minting. The money was becoming worthless.

This hit the lowest-tier servants hardest, as their pay was always calculated in Xuan Money. Even though his nominal wages had technically increased, it hadn't kept pace with the currency's collapse.

He couldn't help but wonder which corrupt official was profiting from the difference.

Before long, Chen Mu arrived at his residence.

It was situated on the edge of the South City District in an area no better than a slum, consisting of a few dilapidated houses made of mud and tile. His home was barely more than two small rooms—one for cooking and storage, and the other for sleeping.