Chapter 152: Intention
Chapter 152: Intention
At this moment, Huamengying blinked her eyes, examining Chen Mu up and down with a look of astonishment, as if she had discovered some great secret. Upon hearing Chen Mu's words, her amber-like eyes sparkled, and she smiled softly, "It wasn't intentional to detain Miss Chen. It's just a coincidence, and I hope you won't take offense, Elder Chen."
"Coincidence?" Chen Mu asked indifferently.
Huamengying covered her mouth and laughed softly, "The Harmony Sect's establishment and development in Yu Prefecture is based on an agreement with the Seven Profound Sect. We are also searching for talents daily. As it happens, among the sisters, there is one with a 'Seductive Bone' constitution, a natural gift. So, we invited her over, not knowing she was your sister."
"Since we've already invited your sister, I thought it would be a good opportunity to meet you, Elder Chen. It's also a chance for Lingling to thank you for saving her life."
This explanation was somewhat reasonable.
However, Chen Mu didn't blindly believe the Harmony Sect's female disciple's words. Calmly, he said, "In that case, you should let my sister go. You know she can't join the Harmony Sect."
Whether Huamengying was referring to Chen Yue or Yu Ru, it didn't matter. Aside from the fact that Chen Mu would never allow them to join the Harmony Sect, their identities as members of the Yu Family and his sisters made it impossible for them to be associated with the sect. After all, the four inner city families were all allies of the Seven Profound Sect.
Anyone daring to play both sides would soon face the fate of extermination.
The four families were not powerful enough to rival the Seven Profound Sect or the Harmony Sect. In front of any of the four sects or the Seven Profound Sect, they were merely a small force that could be eliminated with a flick of a finger. If the Seven Profound Sect chose to ignore Yu Prefecture, they could attempt to change their allegiance. However, with the arrival of the Inspector General, Yan Jingqing, in Yu Prefecture, it meant that the prefecture was still under their control, and the four families had to obey Yan Jingqing's orders.
"Elder Chen, there's no need to be hasty. If it's just about this matter, wouldn't it be impolite to ask you to come here personally?" Huamengying's voice was gentle and graceful, her eyes filled with laughter. Suddenly, she slightly parted her lips, but no sound came out. Instead, the next few sentences were heard directly in Chen Mu's ear.
Upon hearing Huamengying's words, Chen Mu's gaze became more serious.
It was about the remnants of the Sky Corpse Sect.
This wasn't something she was supposed to discuss with him, but rather, she was conveying some information to Yan Jingqing.
Apparently, since the four sects had settled in Yu Prefecture, they had finally come into contact with the remnants of the Sky Corpse Sect. This was probably what the Seven Profound Sect wanted to see—they hoped the four sects would test and probe the foundation of the Sky Corpse Sect's remnants in Yu Prefecture.
The four sects weren't foolish, and the Harmony Sect had already realized this. They understood why the Seven Profound Sect wanted to use Yu Prefecture as a boundary. However, Yan Jingqing had almost completely opened up the prefecture's resources, allowing the disciples of the four sects to obtain them freely, including the demons in the mountains, heavenly treasures, and more. It was clear that he intended to remain uninvolved and not take action against the Sky Corpse Sect.
As the four sects vied for resources in Yu Prefecture, conflicts with the hidden remnants of the Sky Corpse Sect were inevitable. Eventually, they would become sworn enemies, even though they knew it was part of the Seven Profound Sect's plan. They couldn't allow the Sky Corpse Sect to use their disciples for corpse refining.
The four sects were all major sects in the prefecture, and they wouldn't consider yielding to a sect that had declined for hundreds of years and was only showing signs of revival in these turbulent times.
The Harmony Sect hoped to cooperate with Yan Jingqing to some extent, especially in terms of intelligence. Although they weren't the weakest among the four sects, they were only slightly better than the Heavenly Sword Sect. They were far inferior to the Mystic Pavilion and the Blood Veil Tower. If they could obtain intelligence from Yan Jingqing's Inspector Bureau, the Harmony Sect's actions would undoubtedly become much smoother.
Moreover, this cooperative intention wasn't just aimed at the Sky Corpse Sect's remnants; it also hinted at a subtle opposition to the other three sects. After all, the four sects weren't a united force. Their collaboration in entering Yu Prefecture was merely to seize the resources of Jade Prefecture. Currently, the sects seemed stable in Yu City, but the competition among them had never ceased outside.
Otherwise, disciples like Huamengying and Gu Hong, who were direct disciples of their sects, wouldn't have come to Yu Prefecture. Chen Mu could also guess the intentions of the higher-ups in the four sects. He estimated that for such a small matter, the top figures in the four sects wouldn't personally intervene. Therefore, Yu Prefecture was more like a place for the sects to hone their disciples while acquiring resources and steadily developing.
The issue of the Sky Corpse Sect's remnants was slightly unexpected. Currently, the disciples of the four sects might have already suffered losses, but none of the sects wanted to deal with the remnants alone. As a result, the situation had temporarily fallen into a mysterious stalemate.
This stalemate wouldn't last long.
Once the various parties reached an agreement, it would be time to join forces against the remnants of the Sky Corpse Sect.
Chen Mu didn't respond but gave Huamengying a look, indicating that he understood.
Being involved in the struggle among the four sects was dangerous, but it ultimately depended on Yan Jingqing's decision or, rather, the Seven Profound Sect's intentions.
In reality, the Seven Profound Sect couldn't remain a bystander forever. With limited resources and interests, there would eventually be a sect eliminated from the competition. Currently, Chen Mu couldn't reach the higher-ups of the sects, nor did he know their plans.
Huamengying smiled charmingly, her beauty radiating from her every gesture. She raised her small hands and clapped lightly, and soon, someone led Chen Yue and Yu Ru over, along with some of the Yu Family's guards.
"Brother," Chen Yue called out as she saw Chen Mu in the crowd and hurried over.
Chen Mu nodded slightly at her, "You and Ru haven't been harmed, have you?"
"No," Chen Yue whispered, "These sisters are very nice. They even practiced sword techniques with us."
The Harmony Sect
Chen Mu turned to Yu Ru, who had a rosy blush on her face. As she approached, she waved goodbye to a female disciple of the Harmony Sect, and then, upon witnessing the scene, she instinctively drew closer to Chen Mu's side and asked, "Brother Mu, what's wrong?"
"Nothing," Chen Mu replied, gently patting Yu Ru's head.
Flower Shadow, with a playful smile, said, "This sister's physique is indeed exceptional. It's a shame she can't cultivate within the Harmony Sect; if she were to practice ordinary cultivation techniques, she wouldn't be able to bring out her seductive bone's unique characteristics, and she would be no different from an ordinary martial artist."
Chen Mu's expression turned indifferent as he said, "There's no need for you to concern yourselves with this. Even setting aside the issue of allegiance, I wouldn't allow my sister to practice the Harmony Sect's cultivation techniques."
Upon hearing these words, Flower Shadow couldn't help but giggle coquettishly, "It seems that you have quite a prejudice against our Harmony Sect. But we are not a sect that indulges in carnal pleasures. The path of harmony is derived from the concept of 'Yin and Yang,' and sensual desires are merely a means to aid cultivation, not a license for unbridled lust. If one can directly grasp the Great Dao of Yin and Yang, then the physical form becomes insignificant..." She paused, looking at Chen Mu with a mischievous smile, "...Why don't you take a look and see if I'm still a maiden?"
The other Harmony Sect disciples didn't seem to mind her words, but Yu Ru's face flushed with embarrassment, like a ripe apple, as she stared at Flower Shadow in shock.
Oh heavens!
What is this sister talking about?!
Even Chen Yue's cheeks turned slightly pink with unnatural shyness, and she walked over to Yu Ru's side, covering her eyes with her hand.
"Yue'er, let's go, Ru."
Chen Mu gave Flower Shadow a disapproving glance. These Harmony Sect women were shameless, saying whatever came to their minds. But with his two sisters by his side, he couldn't very well discuss the Yin and Yang principles of the Harmony Sect, lest they learn something inappropriate.
He turned and began walking out, and Yu Ru hurriedly followed, almost as if she were fleeing. It was only then that she realized that those 'sisters' were not decent at all. Chen Yue, on the other hand, had already understood this long ago. After leaving the courtyard, she breathed a slight sigh of relief, as she had been worried that she and Yu Ru might cause significant trouble for Chen Mu.
The Harmony Sect
The Harmony Sect disciples did not see them off, instead whispering among themselves. Flower Shadow, however, watched Chen Mu's departing figure, her smile gradually fading as a thoughtful look appeared in her eyes.
...
"The Harmony Sect..."
Chen Mu, accompanied by Chen Yue and Yu Ru, returned deep in thought.
In his imagination, the Harmony Sect existed in various forms. Some accepted both male and female disciples, while others only took in female disciples. Some sects were known for fierce internal competition, where life-and-death struggles were common. In contrast, others fostered strong unity within their ranks.
Based on his current understanding, the Harmony Sect he encountered fell into the latter category.
The Harmony Sect emphasized desire without sentiment. Regardless of how they indulged their desires outside, they remained mere passersby. Every action they took was for the benefit of the sect, making them not only desire-driven but also 'brainwashed.'
Of course, it might not be brainwashing. For orphans with no home or place to go, who would freeze to death on the streets, joining the Harmony Sect meant finding a home. They would willingly do anything for the sect, which was understandable.
The reason the Harmony Sect was considered a demonic sect was that its disciples were not only fiercely loyal to the sect but also treated everything outside with 'no sentiment.' They were similar to the Blood Veil Tower in their willingness to kill and take anything.
For instance, they would infiltrate wealthy families by pretending to be innocent girls, using lust to control and manipulate, plundering their wealth, and causing their downfall. Such actions were common for the Harmony Sect, even during times of peace.
"In times of chaos, the distinction between demonic sects and righteous paths becomes blurred."
Chen Mu shook his head slightly.
For him, whether the demonic sects or the righteous path held little significance. He had no right to interfere in the grand scheme of things. All he could do now was to strive for survival and development within Yu Prefecture, fulfill his duties, and gradually enhance his strength.
In times of chaos, might makes right. With sufficient strength, one could achieve anything. If he could emulate the power and authority of the Grand Proclamation's founding emperor, then pacifying the realm and redefining its borders would be as easy as turning his palm.
"Flower Shadow of the Harmony Sect... In terms of the power of her concept, I surpass her by far. But if we were to truly fight..."
Chen Mu's thoughts returned to their previous conceptual confrontation.
Flower Shadow's concept had not reached the second step. Concepts like Blood Slaughter and Sensual Desire were stronger than a single phase of the Eight Trigrams, but they were also more challenging to comprehend, penetrate, and advance to the second step.
In reality, the second step of the Thunder Rumbling Concept alone was enough to completely suppress Flower Shadow's Sensual Desire Concept. Furthermore, Chen Mu had yet to utilize his second-step Departure Fire Concept, giving him a clear advantage in the conceptual realm.
However, Flower Shadow was, after all, a practitioner of the Organ Realms, having completed the Inner Organ Realm's internal breath circulation. She had connected with the external world, cultivating the Primordial Energy True Force, and if she were to engage in a real fight, the techniques she could unleash were extraordinary. In Chen Mu's estimation, the outcome was hard to predict.
"Next, I should go to the Demon Slaying Bureau to practice the Whistling Wind Concept. Once all three concepts reach the second step, I should also reach the limit of the Bone Forging First Stage. Then, I can try to link the five viscera, transform my blood essence, and attempt to cultivate the Primordial Energy."
Chen Mu exhaled.
A major conflict was inevitable between the four major sects and the remnants of the Sky Corpse Sect, and the impact would undoubtedly be far-reaching. Even the Seven Mysteries Sect, with its intention to stay neutral, might find it challenging to remain uninvolved.
Before that, the more he could enhance his strength, the better. At the very least, when facing opponents like Flower Shadow, a direct disciple of the four sects, he should aim to handle them calmly, rather than engaging in unpredictable battles.
The third chapter will be late, as I need to carefully plan the plot's direction. The transition part is the most challenging to write and takes time, and I feel it's prone to issues if not thoroughly revised.
(End of Chapter)
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