Chapter 167: Crisis
Chapter 167: Crisis
"Good, good. Having you here, even if I'm in the afterlife, will bring me comfort."
Liu Rong's withered hand embraced Chen Yue, and a few tears flowed from her cloudy, sunken eyes. Her relief was greater than her sorrow, for even though she never got to see her sister again in this life, she had finally met Chen Yue and Chen Mu.
Her memories were already hazy, and she often got confused, but at this moment, her mind was surprisingly clear. She recalled the time a few months ago when she had seen Chen Mu from a distance, never imagining that he was indeed Liu Ping's son.
At the bedside.
Song Qi and his family were gathered around.
Chen Mu stood at a distance. He didn't have much of a reaction to Liu Rong, and even less so to his memories of Liu Ping. After all, the person standing here was no longer the same Chen Mu, and even with Chen Yue, Chen Mu only recognized her as his sister due to her care for him during his illness upon arriving in this world, and their subsequent interactions.
Searching for Liu Rong's family was more about settling some karmic ties of blood.
But in the end, he did recall some memories from his own past, yet he merely shook his head.
He turned and walked out of the room.
After a while, he heard several overlapping cries of grief coming from the room behind him.
"Brother..."
Chen Mu stood in the courtyard and felt someone embrace him from behind. It was Chen Yue, who had wrapped her slender arms around him from behind, squeezing tightly as she sobbed. Suddenly, she choked up and asked, "Will we be like this one day too?"
Chen Mu's mind cleared of distractions, and he turned around, gently embracing the petite girl without responding.
Some time passed.
Chen Yue gradually calmed down and released Chen Mu. She looked up, then suddenly turned her head and wiped her eyes and face. She hadn't cried in front of Chen Mu for a long time, and she had already grown up.
Chen Mu couldn't help but smile at Chen Yue's behavior, and after a while, he saw Song Qi walk out of the room.
Song Qi's eyes also couldn't hide his sorrow as he looked at Chen Mu, wanting to speak but stopping himself.
"Let's put other matters aside for now and first send off the elder," Chen Mu said, stopping Song Qi from speaking.
Although Chen Mu was in charge of the arrangements, he didn't make it too grand. He followed the usual protocol for Liu Rong's funeral and didn't invite all the officials from the county government to pay their respects. He only invited some of Song Qi's relatives and friends.
"I always said that Song San's wife was destined for great wealth and status. It's a pity she couldn't enjoy it during her lifetime. Hey, have you heard? That Chen Elder was so high-ranking that even the county magistrate had to bow and pay respects to him."
"For Chen Elder to achieve such a high position at such a young age, he must be a heavenly deity incarnate. I just took a glance earlier, and my heart started racing, and I didn't dare to speak."
The neighbors whispered among themselves.
Chen Mu could clearly hear all these discussions, but he didn't pay them much mind. At the moment, he was waiting for intelligence from the Inspectorate and the Demon-Slaying Bureau, keeping a close eye on the situation with Xu Hongyu.
After all the funeral rites were completed, Chen Mu finally approached Song Qi.
"Brother Song, I won't say much more. The elder has passed, and although she didn't ask anything of me in her lifetime, I should help her nephew and niece. I can arrange for you to work at the county government, and Song Zhou and Song Miao can also train and improve their martial arts there. In the future, if they make good progress, they can continue to develop at the prefectural government."
Chen Mu made these simple suggestions. In the past, he might have arranged for Song Zhou and Song Miao to go to Yu Prefecture to train, but currently, the situation in Yu Prefecture is more unstable and less secure. Staying in the county government would be a much safer choice.
He also briefly examined their root bone qualities, finding that they were both above average, stronger than ordinary people but slightly weaker than Chen Yue. They belonged to the type with a certain chance of entering the Sinew Transformation Realm in the future, but the opportunity was not guaranteed. Going to the prefectural government might not offer a better future, but staying in the county government and reaching the Muscle Training Realm would provide them with a good position and a prosperous future.
"Yes, yes, we'll follow your arrangements."
Song Qi naturally had no reason to refuse Chen Mu's plan, and he was delighted. Working at the county government, even as a low-level clerk, would ensure a worry-free life. Moreover, if the two children could train at the county government, their future prospects would be much broader. They might even have the chance to become officials in the county government.
Chen Mu nodded slightly at Song Qi, appreciating his lack of greed. This could be due to a lack of exposure or limited vision, thinking that such an opportunity was already a tremendous blessing. Either way, Chen Mu would only allow Song Qi to start as a clerk in the county government. If he truly had the ability to become an official, he could gradually rise through the ranks in the future.
After arranging matters for Song Qi's family, another scout from the Inspector Bureau quietly approached Chen Mu and reported the situation.
"You went to Twin Dragon Mountain?" Chen Mu asked after hearing the scout's report, his expression revealing a momentary contemplation.
Xu Hongyu, along with Xiao He and a team from the Demon Slayer Command, was still pursuing the remnants of the Sky Corpse Sect. They had reached the vicinity of Twin Dragon Mountain, which was only about a hundred li from Anyu County's government office, making it relatively close.
Xu Hongyu, now a formidable Bone Forging Realm cultivator, faced little threat from ordinary remnants of the Sky Corpse Sect. Even if she encountered a couple of Golden Corpses, she was no longer as helpless as before. She could at least retreat calmly, so Chen Mu wasn't overly concerned about her safety. However, since they were already so close, and he had some free time, he decided to pay a visit.
"Yue'er, I'll be leaving for a while. You stay at the county office," Chen Mu said, calling Chen Yue over and instructing her.
Chen Yue was with Song Miao, and she brought Song Miao along as she approached. Chen Yue was only eight years older than Song Miao, but she was a whole generation older. Seeing the two girls holding hands, Chen Mu thought of Chen Yue and Yu Ru, and couldn't help but silently hope that Chen Yue wouldn't go astray. He then laughed at his own strange thoughts.
After instructing Chen Yue, Chen Mu quietly left Anyu County and headed towards Twin Dragon Mountain.
...
Twin Dragon Mountain, despite its name, was actually a range of mountains, not too big or small. The mountain range resembled two intertwining dragon-like creatures, hence its name. The mountains were lush with greenery and abundant in resources, supporting numerous villages in the vicinity that relied on the mountains for sustenance.
In a forested area, Xu Hongyu, clad in the official uniform of the Deputy Director of the Demon Slayer Command, led two white-clad guards and a group of blue-clad guards through the forest.
On the shoulder of one white-clad guard sat a small squirrel-like creature, occasionally sniffing the air and scratching its tiny claws as it navigated through the forest.
"Miss, after dealing with this one, we should be able to return," Xiao He whispered to Xu Hongyu, who was walking beside her.
On this trip, Xu Hongyu had achieved significant accomplishments. First, in the Purple Mist Mountain Range, she had fought against the remnants of the Sky Corpse Sect, slaying several of them and a large number of Silver Corpses. She had also collaborated with others to eliminate several Golden Corpses.
Afterwards, based on intelligence and orders, she had been pursuing the remnants of the Sky Corpse Sect, tracking them all the way to Anyu County. Already, three remnants had been found and eliminated by Xu Hongyu's team, and the one before them would be the fourth.
Of course, Xiao He wasn't calculating Xu Hongyu's accomplishments on this trip, but rather her own upcoming wedding, which was set to take place in the coming spring, not long from now.
"Yes, it's about time," Xu Hongyu replied, her face still cold. She had been so dedicated to hunting down the remnants of the Sky Corpse Sect because she wanted to find clues about her father, Xu Yichuan's disappearance, which had been a mystery for a long time.
According to her understanding, the remnants of the Sky Corpse Sect had been hiding in Yu Prefecture for nearly a century, and many of the prefecture's missing person cases were related to them. Even though she didn't want to think about it, she was determined to get to the bottom of this matter.
"Sir, we're close," the white-clad guard with the squirrel-like creature on his shoulder reported, stepping forward a few paces. The creature on his shoulder was now extremely agitated, constantly rubbing its tiny claws.
At this moment, everyone became alert without needing the guard's reminder, as they had all faintly smelled a trace of corpse stench. Tracking the remnants of the Sky Corpse Sect usually involved following their scent.
They proceeded further.
Xu Hongyu's steps abruptly stopped, and with a lift of her hand, the flexible sword fell into her palm. Her cold gaze swept the surroundings as she said, "Come out, there's no need to hide."
A hoarse voice echoed from the forest, "Hey, why is it a woman who came?"
Immediately after, a short, withered figure emerged from the shadows of the distant bushes. Even from a distance, his white hair and small, elderly appearance were visible.
His sunken eye sockets held two pitch-black, ink-like, eerie pupils that swept over Xiao He and the others before landing on Xu Hongyu, seemingly disappointed. He sighed, "The Deputy Director of the Demon Slayer Command? A Bone Forging Realm cultivator, not bad. But why is it a woman... How can I use a woman for corpse refinement?"
In the path of Corpse Refinement, the nature of extreme Yin is inherent, and while it may not produce female corpses, the success rate is significantly lower than that of male corpses. Moreover, the quality and power of the refined corpses are often inferior to those of their male counterparts of the same level.
As the words fell, the two white-robed guards accompanying Xu Hongyu revealed expressions of anger. One of them immediately sneered, "With death knocking on your door, you still dare to boast. You, the remnants of the Sky Corpse Sect, always hide in the shadows of Yin. Perhaps your brains have been damaged from all that hiding."
The little old man, upon hearing the guard's words, responded with a faint voice, "If I hadn't intentionally released some of my aura, how could you have found this place? Since I let you find me, haven't you realized who the real prey is?"
As he spoke, the ground suddenly began to churn, and the earth shook.
In an instant, over twenty Silver Corpses burst out of the ground, surrounding the group. Among them was even a Golden Corpse with a brilliant golden hue, exuding a dense and thick aura of Corpse Qi, its might terrifying.
"A Golden Corpse..." Xu Hongyu's eyes narrowed slightly, but she showed no fear.
The current Xu Hongyu was far from her initial state. Back then, facing a Golden Corpse, she had almost despaired. Although Golden Corpses were not easy to deal with, the current situation was different; it was broad daylight, the weakest time for Corpse Refiners.
With a swift motion, Xu Hongyu didn't hesitate. She brandished her sword and charged towards the two Golden Corpses.
As Xu Hongyu took the initiative, Xiao He and the other Demon Slayer Bureau members also sprang into action, attacking the nearby Silver Corpses. The battle quickly intensified.
The Demon Slayer Bureau members fought against the twenty-plus Silver Corpses without showing any signs of weakness. Xiao He, on her own, faced a Silver Corpse and managed to maintain a slight advantage. Although she had yet to reach the pinnacle of Sinew Transformation, she always chose to confront the remnants of the Sky Corpse Sect during the day. Despite the dense forest blocking out some sunlight, as they fought, trees fell, allowing the scorching rays to shine directly upon them, greatly restricting the Corpse Qi of the Silver Corpses.
On the other side, Xu Hongyu, relying solely on her own strength, fought two Golden Corpses with ease.
If it were night, she could barely hold her own against one Golden Corpse, and two would force her to flee. But in broad daylight, she had nothing to fear. Even Golden Corpses, under the restriction of sunlight, would have their power and speed significantly reduced.
"I can do this," Xu Hongyu assessed the situation.
Although she was fighting two opponents, she couldn't take down the Golden Corpses alone. She could only entangle them, but Xiao He and the others were already gaining the upper hand. It wouldn't be long before they eliminated all the Silver Corpses.
Whether they came to support her or directly attacked the Corpse Controller, the situation would turn in their favor. They held an absolute advantage!
However, at that moment, the little old man from the Sky Corpse Sect who had been observing the battle shook his head and narrowed his eyes, gazing at the high-hanging sun in the sky. "You've indeed chosen the right time, seizing the advantage of heaven. My Golden and Silver Corpses are more suppressed than I anticipated... But I don't really want to use that."
As he spoke, an invisible aura suddenly spread from his body.
Xu Hongyu, keenly sensing the anomaly, immediately warned, "Be careful!"
But the opponent's move was more sinister than she had expected. A black shadow emerged from deep within the ground, its body shrouded in eerie mist, moving at an astonishing speed far surpassing that of the Golden Corpse.
The shadow instantly appeared behind one of the white-robed guards, freezing him in place. His left waist and abdomen were missing a large chunk of flesh, and the exposed blood and organs were not of normal color; instead, they appeared completely rotten, emitting a putrid stench.
This sudden turn of events shocked everyone.
The white-robed guard was a master of Sinew Transformation, second only to Xu Hongyu in strength. Even if he faced a Golden Corpse alone at noon, he wouldn't be defeated in a single move.
The figure enveloped in eerie mist was undoubtedly more powerful than the Golden Corpse. They had encountered such black shadows during the large-scale battle with the Sky Corpse Sect remnants in the Purple Mist Mountains and knew exactly what they were dealing with.
"It's a Blood Fury Arrow," someone whispered, their face turning pale.
(End of Chapter)
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