Chapter 159: No Mercy
Chapter 159: No Mercy
Chen Mu, dressed in the official uniform of the Inspector Bureau, made his way to the bottom of the tower.
Outside the Surveillance Tower, a light drizzle fell, occasionally mixed with a few snowflakes, but very rarely.
"Sir," a clerk beside him hurried over and respectfully held up an umbrella for Chen Mu.
Chen Mu, with a calm expression, stepped forward and walked out of the tower. He looked up at the sky and said, "This winter is warmer than usual. On the ninth day of the first month, there's hardly any snow in the rain."
The clerk never expected Chen Mu to strike up a conversation with a minor gatekeeper like him. While holding the umbrella, he followed closely by Chen Mu's side, feeling honored and said, "You're right, sir. It's mainly because of the severe cold last year, and according to the usual celestial phenomena, this year is supposed to be warmer. There was also a major drought in the middle of last year, so even if there's not much snow this year, it's definitely going to be a good year."
A good year...
Perhaps.
Chen Mu shook his head slightly. At least, this year didn't start off well, as they had to hunt down the remnants of the Sky Corpse Sect across the mountains and valleys.
According to intelligence, the remnants of the Sky Corpse Sect had been secretly operating in Yu Prefecture for nearly a hundred years. After the battle at Purple Mist Mountain, the corpse refiners they revealed were almost like an army, numbering over ten thousand. Although they were defeated and scattered by various sects, no one knew if there were still some hiding in the shadows, nor how many had escaped.
It would be difficult to capture over ten thousand pigs, even if the enforcers took ten days to do it.
However, compared to catching pigs, capturing the Sky Corpse Sect's remnants was a bit more challenging, but they were easier to find. After all, no matter the level of corpse refinement, the stench of the corpses was always detectable. There were also some who specialized in capturing these stench-emitting demons, which could aid in the search.
Chen Mu exited the Inspector Bureau.
A red-topped palanquin was waiting outside, though no one knew when it had arrived.
In this world, important figures rarely preferred palanquins, especially on rainy days. Most officials, regardless of rank, possessed martial arts skills and found walking more convenient and faster. Instead, it was the wealthy merchants who didn't practice martial arts that often traveled by palanquin.
Of course, there were some who enjoyed putting on a show and maintaining their dignity, and still preferred palanquins for travel, but they were in the minority. Thus, in the cities of this world, palanquins were a rare sight.
Chen Mu, who usually didn't ride palanquins, suddenly felt a slight stir in his heart. A glint flashed in his eyes, and he took a step forward and boarded the palanquin.
"Lift," he commanded.
The palanquin bearers were all martial artists, and the cool winter rain didn't bother them at all. With a collective effort, they lifted the palanquin and began to move forward.
The cold drizzle fell steadily, landing on the umbrella-like top of the palanquin and dripping along its edges.
In the distance, an elderly man dressed as a fisherman appeared in the rain. He watched the palanquin disappear down the street and shook his head, "This young man..."
The old man was none other than Yu Jiujiang. Despite the rain, he stood there in his fisherman's attire, with a bamboo hat on his head. The raindrops slid down the hat and rolled off his raincoat, but at a very slow pace, as if the raindrops were precious gems slowing down as they rolled down his body.
Yu Jiujiang continued walking forward.
The rain around him gradually dispersed, and as the light refracted, his entire figure began to fade, eventually seeming to disappear completely into the rain.
Just then, a clear sound of jingling pearls rang out, followed by a continuous stream of similar sounds.
Yu Jiujiang's figure, about to be obscured by the rain, suddenly stopped. The raindrops around him had somehow frozen mid-air, and upon hitting the ground, they turned into rolling ice pellets.
"Please wait, Elder Yu," a voice called out from the rain ahead.
A figure in a black robe appeared, carrying a bamboo basket on his back. He smiled at Yu Jiujiang and said, "I am Cheng Houhua, the sixty-third generation of the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion. How about we go to that small building over there and have a chat? That way, we won't have to waste our energy..."
In an instant, the raindrops within a radius of several yards froze in mid-air. They then converged and formed streams of water, flowing and swirling around Yu Jiujiang.
A cold glint flashed in Yu Jiujiang's aged eyes, and without a word, a fishing rod appeared in his hand. With a swift swing, the streams of water transformed into countless blades, flying towards the black-robed figure.
"Sigh, why bother?" Cheng Houhua sighed. The bamboo basket on his back opened, and a sword with a faint cold aura flew out. With a gentle wave, all the streams of water froze and hung in the air.
"Elder Yu, your condition doesn't seem very good. If you don't engage in combat, you can preserve your qi and blood for a while. But if you fight, after a few battles, you might have to retire. Sigh, I wonder why they chose such a rainy day. Don't they know about Elder Yu's Water Divination Intention? Fortunately, my 'Severe Winter Intention' is perfect for countering Water Divination, otherwise, I wouldn't be so confident standing here..."
Swish! Swish! Swish!!!
Yu Jiujiang remained silent and continued to wave the fishing rod. The falling raindrops within three yards turned into blades, slicing through the air. His raincoat fluttered, and the Water Essence Energy within him was fully activated.
"You disciples of the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion, why so much chatter?"
He finally spoke up, his voice cold.
The Yu Family, as a subordinate of the Seven Mysteries Sect, was bound to clash with the other four sects sooner or later. However, there wouldn't be many unexpected events, especially since Yu Jiujiang had been an executive of the Seven Mysteries Sect in his youth. Seeing the current situation, he knew something was amiss, and it was highly likely that the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion had taken action while Yan Jingqing was away, initiating a challenge and attempting to strike at Chen Mu and the Yu Family.
In such a situation, there was no time for hesitation. Without any delay, he immediately summoned all his Water Divination Primordial Energy and prepared to rush towards Cheng Houhua.
"Ah."
"How can you call it chatter? If people don't speak, what's the difference between them and beasts? Since we are born as humans, we should talk more... Also, I'm a pretty shrewd person, so don't think you can deceive me, Old Man Yu."
Cheng Houhua held a sword that exuded a chill, his eyes still fixed on Yu Jiujiang in front of him. Suddenly, he swept the sword diagonally to the right, and in an instant, the ground froze along the direction of his sword finger, inch by inch, and even the air froze into a large patch of white mist. Within the white mist, a figure appeared faintly.
It was another Yu Jiujiang!
Meanwhile, the figure that had spoken before Cheng Houhua suddenly turned into a stream of water and scattered on the ground.
Cheng Houhua watched as Yu Jiujiang's figure emerged from the cold mist and laughed lightly, saying, "This rain is the most profound moment of your Water Divination Concept. But now, in this season of winter, it's the perfect time for me, the most suitable heavenly timing."
"..."
Yu Jiujiang's face turned gloomy.
...
Demon Slayer Bureau.
Inside the Demon Subduing Tower, Meng Tianzhang was holding his cheek with one hand, feeling somewhat drowsy. Suddenly, he became alert, and a fierce gleam appeared in his eyes as he gazed into the distance. Then, his figure flickered, and he directly arrived outside the Demon Subduing Tower. With another step, he had already exited the Demon Slayer Bureau and stepped into the rain outside.
But his footsteps suddenly halted.
In front of him, a figure in a black robe appeared, looking young. Smiling at Meng Tianzhang, he revealed a set of white teeth and said, "I'm Han Guang from the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion. I pay my respects to the Demon Slayer Bureau. Elder Meng, you said that although the Hao Family and the Yu Family are not direct subordinates of the Seven Mysteries Sect, they still have unclear connections with the sect. If these two families were to fight, even the Seven Mysteries Sect should remain impartial and mediate between them. I think it's best if you don't get involved, Elder Meng."
"Get out of my way."
Meng Tianzhang spoke coldly.
Han Guang laughed and said, "I've long admired your reputation from your youth, Elder Meng. It's an honor to meet you today. I hope you can join me for a few drinks, and I'd also like to predict your future..."
Swish!
A blood-colored blade burst forth with intense heat, slashing towards Han Guang.
Han Guang's expression remained unchanged, and he maintained a faint smile. With a flip of his right hand, a jade-colored bamboo stick flew out from behind him. Its material seemed like bamboo but wasn't, and it seemed like jade but wasn't. It collided with Meng Tianzhang's blood-red blade, emitting a crisp sound of metal clashing.
"Elder Meng's Departure Fire Concept might not be easy to utilize in this rainy winter. However, the 'Warm Spring Concept' I cultivated is also quite restricted. It seems we're evenly matched, hahaha!"
Han Guang burst into laughter as he spoke.
Meng Tianzhang didn't continue his attack. After one ineffective strike, he stood holding his blood-red blade, seemingly restricted by the rainy winter. However, the 'Warm Spring Concept' he cultivated was also restricted by the current season. It seemed they were equally matched.
Meng Tianzhang sighed and raised his blood-red blade once more.
"Forget it. You might as well stop talking."
...
In the rain.
The red-topped palanquin moved forward slowly.
The four bearers dared not slack, moving quickly through the rain while maintaining stability.
But at that moment, amidst the sound of the rain, a faint sound of tearing through the air suddenly echoed, mixing with the raindrops. When it caught their eyes, they saw a demonic red arrow flying straight towards the center of the palanquin!
What was that? The four bearers and the clerk holding an umbrella beside them were caught off guard. They only saw a flash of red light entering the palanquin. When they turned their necks to look inside, they saw...
A book!
Boom!!!
A violent rumble shook the air.
Accompanying the flash of red light was a burst of intense flames that soared over ten yards high.
"Ahh!!"
The four bearers and the clerk were all shocked. Although the flames were concentrated in a small area, the intense heat still made them feel like they would be burned to a crisp. They scrambled away, almost crawling in their haste.
And it didn't end there.
Following this, a barrage of multicolored arrows rained down from all directions, exploding one after another as they neared the palanquin, transforming into clusters of strangely colored mist that enveloped the entire carriage.
Then, fist-sized spherical objects were thrown into the colorful mist, detonating one by one with a loud boom, causing several roof tiles to shatter and fall to the ground from a nearby tile-roofed house.
Finally, the commotion ceased.
Figures appeared at both ends of the alley.
He Zhengya shook his head and said, "That's a bit too wasteful, isn't it? With the Blood Fury Arrow, anyone below the Organ Realms would surely die without a doubt. Why add these extra measures? This person is probably already dead."
He Zhengya's voice turned stern, "So what if it's wasteful? It's just a few million silver coins. I said this person must die beyond death, and there can be no room for accidents this time."
"That's right."
He Zhengying also spoke up slowly, "Chen Mu must die. Even if his body is reduced to ashes, we must confirm it again. There can be no mistakes... I'll go and take a look."
However, just as he was about to take a step forward, a faint voice sounded from not too far away.
"There's no need to look."
Chen Mu, still in his official robes, approached step by step, saying calmly, "I'm right here."
The scene fell into an instant silence.
The Hao family members stiffened, their faces filled with shock as they looked at Chen Mu.
"Impossible!"
"You... you're not in the palanquin?!"
He Zhengya exclaimed in disbelief.
Chen Mu walked towards them, his hands clasped behind his back, and said indifferently, "There's nothing impossible about it. Elder Yu's Water Mirror Technique has reached an unparalleled level, especially with the Winter Rain phenomenon. Combined with my Wind Mimicry, which imitates the breath, how could you cowards hiding in the dark, employing such treacherous methods, possibly discern the intricacies?"
In reality, he didn't think the Hao family's methods posed any threat to him. However, the Hao family had been unusually quiet for over ten days, which he found rather abnormal. He didn't want to test his luck, as there were many mysterious techniques in this world, just like that initial red arrow.
It seemed to have little power, not even destroying the entire street, but in reality, all the Inferno Qi was concentrated in the smallest area, making it lethal to anyone below the Organ Realms or those who hadn't mastered the second step of the Concept. However, he had comprehended the Departure Fire Concept and cultivated it to the second step, rendering that technique useless.
The Hao family members' faces turned ashen.
Their meticulously planned methods, executed all at once, had proven completely ineffective! But soon, He Zhengya's face darkened, and he said, "So you evaded it. Do you think Elder Yu will come to your rescue?"
As his words fell, the Hao family members' faces turned grim, their eyes filled with murderous intent.
Although most of the Hao family's elite had been deployed by Yan Jingqing, these elders had long since retired. Despite their declining Qi and blood, they were all at the Bone Forging Realm and above, having mastered the Concept.
Furthermore, the other few individuals present were the Hao family's elite, cultivated in their external territories, all at the Bone Forging Realm. Even if Chen Mu had narrowly escaped the previous assassination attempt, he would still have to face them!
Chen Mu watched as the Hao family members slowly surrounded him.
He spoke calmly.
"So..."
"The Hao family plotted..."
"...to assassinate the Inspector General..."
"...an act of rebellion..."
"...according to the Grand Proclamation Law... no pardon."
As his words landed, a flash of sword light illuminated the nearby falling raindrops.
He Zhengya, the closest to Chen Mu, immediately reacted with dread. Without hesitation, he summoned the Ultimate Mountain Concept to block the attack.
However...
A loud cracking sound accompanied the breaking of metal, and a blood bloom instantly appeared in the rain as He Zhengya's eyes widened before he collapsed.
He Zhengya was shocked.
Chen Mu had proven He Zhengya's words true. This attack's power, even with the combined Wind and Thunder Concepts, was beyond what a Bone Forging Realm cultivator could achieve!
"You..."
He Zhengya, in his shock, instinctively swung his sword, but the sword light flashed, and he felt his vision spin, seeing his own back.
Chen Mu's eyes were indifferent, like a wolf among sheep, as his silver-flowing sword reaped lives.
After just a few breaths...
Bodies lay sprawled across the alley, their eyes still filled with shock and unwillingness. Blood gushed out, mixing with the rain, flowing towards a low-lying area, staining the entire alley red.
(End of Chapter)
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