Chapter 173: The Emerging Murderous Intent!
Chapter 173: The Emerging Murderous Intent!
"Be careful."
Xu Hongyu looked at Chen Mu and finally spoke softly.
Chen Mu was appointed as the Inspector General by Yan Jingqing, and during the flood disaster, it was natural for him to be outside of Yu City. With six rivers and two lakes to manage, Xu Hongyu wanted to follow Chen Mu's actions, but she knew her own limitations. If she encountered any danger, she might even become a burden to Chen Mu. Staying in the city would indeed be more reassuring for him.
Moreover, with her cultivated Water Hexagram Intention, her perception abilities were far superior to ordinary people in this misty weather, making her more suitable for action in the densely populated Yu Prefecture's city. She could either capture and kill demonic creatures or prevent water-related disasters.
"Don't worry."
Chen Mu nodded slightly at Xu Hongyu and then reached out to flick away a drop of round raindrop from her hair, saying, "After this flood disaster passes, we should... well, we're almost at Yu City."
His words trailed off as he found the situation a little odd and inauspicious. Just then, in the distance through the mist, they could make out the silhouette of Yu City.
Soon, the carriage arrived below Yu City.
Looking around, they could see the moat surrounding the city, its waters raging and almost overflowing. All the city gates were sealed shut, including the moat, which was cut off by a sluice gate.
"Who's there!"
A patrolling guard on the city wall shouted at the blurry carriage below.
But before he could finish, something flew up from below, and the guard instinctively reached out to catch it. It turned out to be an order token with the words 'Yu Prefecture Inspector General's Order' written on it. The guard's expression changed.
"It's the Inspector General!"
The guard immediately shouted to the distance, ordering the lowering of the basket.
However, at that moment, Chen Mu's voice came from below, "No need."
As his words fell, a figure climbed up the towering city wall with a few leaps, wearing a light-colored skirt. Despite the rain, it remained unstained by any mud or dirt. Even the drizzling rain slid off her effortlessly.
Xu Hongyu climbed up the wall, followed closely by Xiao He, who struggled a bit more but eventually made it up. Finally, with a cry of surprise, Chen Yue was thrown up onto the wall by Chen Mu's embrace.
But it didn't end there.
Chen Mu severed the carriage with a slash, then lifted the brown-maned horse by its legs. With a surge of strength, he threw the robust horse with a hint of demonic bloodline onto the twenty-meter-high city wall!
The brown-maned horse neighed in midair, its hooves flailing wildly. But after landing on the wall, Xu Hongyu immediately reached out and caught it, albeit with some difficulty. She placed it to the side.
The nearby guards were left dumbfounded.
Chen Yue flying up was one thing, but the sight of such a large horse being tossed onto the high wall was truly awe-inspiring. For a moment, they stood in awe, then resumed their vigilant stance.
Chen Mu, obscured by the mist, glanced at Xu Hongyu and the others on the wall but did not climb up. Instead, he took a deep breath, lowered his gaze, and turned to walk away into the mist, disappearing after a few steps.
On the way there,
He had already received Yan Jingqing's orders to take charge of the Qingping River area. Now that the flood disaster had arrived, escorting Chen Yue and the others had already caused some delay. Naturally, he wouldn't follow them into the city for rest and tea. After delivering them, he directly headed towards the Qingping River area. In ancient times, Yu the Great had passed by his family's door three times while taming the floods, so this was nothing unusual.
He wasn't a saint who cared for the world and worried about the country, but being in his position, he fulfilled his duties.
"The groom didn't even visit first..."
Xiao He stood on the wall, behind Xu Hongyu, watching the blurry figure below disappear. She couldn't help but speak softly, then tugged at Chen Yue beside her.
Xu Hongyu kept her gaze on the mist, fully extending her Water Hexagram Intention's perception until she could no longer sense Chen Mu's presence. Only then did she retract her aura and muttered to herself.
...
Qingping River was one of the six major rivers in Yu Prefecture.
It ran through Jingyu and Pingyu counties, connecting with the Wusha River, one of the two major rivers in Yu Prefecture.
Compared to the two rivers, Qingping River wasn't as wide, spanning only thirty to forty zhang. However, its waters were much more turbulent, far surpassing the other five rivers. During flood disasters, it was considered the most dangerous. In past flood disasters, the casualties caused by the Qingping River's floods far exceeded those of the other rivers.
By assigning him to manage the Qingping River, Yan Jingqing had undoubtedly given him one of the most challenging tasks outside of the two major rivers. Chen Mu wouldn't slack off and was now heading towards the Qingping River area at full speed.
Although the mist was dense,
For him, even with heavy fog, as long as the natural order remained undisturbed, getting lost was impossible.
"I wonder how the two counties are faring."
Chen Mu hurried through the mist, his mind preoccupied.
As the flood had just begun, the waters hadn't yet surged. If the local officials were even slightly competent, they should have already started evacuating the villagers living near the riverbanks.
As the Inspector General, Chen Mu oversaw Yu Prefecture and possessed exceptional memorization abilities. He had a clear mental map of Yu Prefecture, down to the details of each county and village.
"The central areas of Jingyu and Pingyu counties must be evacuated. The terrain there is low-lying, and there are no embankments along the riverbanks. Once the flood peaks, these low-lying areas will undoubtedly be submerged."
As Chen Mu ran, he assessed the situation.
This was something he had already considered upon receiving the order and now needed further refinement.
"In fact, if we could divert this section of the river and construct embankments, guiding the water towards the two-hundred-li wasteland on the other side, the impact of the flood would be significantly reduced. However..."
Chen Mu shook his head.
Constructing embankments required both money and labor.
In this current state of the world, where corruption runs rampant and martial law is often flouted, it is almost unthinkable to undertake such a massive project. Even if Yan Jingqing were willing to allocate funds and use his authority to push it through, it is still impossible for an Inspector General to personally oversee the river course for a year or two. Once they turn their back, who knows what might be filled into the embankment?
After a decade or so, when the next flood disaster strikes, the hastily constructed riverbanks will be washed away by the floodwaters. By then, even if one wanted to pursue the officials responsible, they would be long gone, perhaps even having left Yu Prefecture altogether.
As for sending someone to keep watch, who could they possibly send?
From the disciples and deputies of the various sects to the officials of the major families in Yu Prefecture, who wouldn't want to take advantage of the situation first?
The rain gradually intensified, and Chen Mu quickened his pace, rushing through the rain.
With the increasing rainfall, the flood in Qingping River would arrive sooner. He was unaware of the most critical areas, and he had no idea how the evacuation of the common people was going. He had to get there as soon as possible.
The rain fell in a steady drizzle, and Chen Mu's footsteps grew faster and faster.
Droplets the size of an infant's fingertip fell continuously, forming puddles beneath Chen Mu's feet without him realizing it. The thick white mist dissipated slightly, allowing him to see a little further.
As Chen Mu continued to rush forward, a glint flashed in his eyes. He was still running when he suddenly exerted force with his feet, leaping high into the air.
Chi!
Just as Chen Mu jumped, the white mist on his left split in two, and a fierce sword energy tore through the air, slicing through the area he had just passed and leaving a deep trench several zhang long on the ground.
After avoiding this attack, Chen Mu landed in a muddy puddle, splashing mud and water everywhere.
He did not continue running.
Instead, he coldly scanned his surroundings.
"Heavenly Sword Sect?"
From within the divided mist, a figure clad in a black robe emerged, his face full of wrinkles and holding a sword. He looked at Chen Mu with a chilling gaze.
"The intelligence was indeed incorrect... To be able to predict and dodge my sword, one's perception of Qi must be beyond the initial stage of the Whistling Wind Intention. It seems you have already cultivated the second step of the Whistling Wind Intention."
The second step of the Whistling Wind Intention! If one had only comprehended the Whistling Wind and Thunder Rumbling Intentions, it would not be that impressive, at most having comprehension comparable to a Grand Master's direct disciple. But to comprehend the second step of an Intention was different; with Chen Mu's age, he was bound to be ranked among the direct disciples, and his position would not be too low.
Indeed, he agreed with He Wuyou's proposal. Although Chen Mu's fate did not reveal any abnormalities, his rise to prominence and constant surprises indicated a highly volatile fate. It was indeed necessary to eliminate him as soon as possible.
The rain grew heavier, turning into a torrential downpour.
"So it's Deputy Liu of the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion. That sword energy just now was not Sword Intention but rather the Late Autumn Intention."
Standing in the muddy puddle, Chen Mu swept his gaze across his surroundings without raising his eyelids, his tone indifferent. "Who else is here? Since you've all come, why bother hiding?"
"Hahaha, as expected of a heaven-defying genius who has comprehended the second step of an Intention, your audacity is indeed extraordinary. No wonder Brother He wants to kill you so badly. Now even I feel that coming here was the right decision."
From the mist behind him, another figure in a black robe emerged, younger than Liu Su but still appearing to be in his forties. A faint smile hung on his face, but his gaze towards Chen Mu was filled with killing intent.
Cai Jiusheng hadn't planned to come, but Liu Su's arrangement was perfect. After killing Chen Mu, he would still have time to go to the river he was responsible for. Coming here was more of a detour, but now it seemed like a very wise decision.
For Chen Mu, a mere small-time Inspector, to comprehend the second step of the Whistling Wind Intention in a place like Yu Prefecture was terrifying. Even Meng Danyun, a Seven Mysteries True Disciple, had not comprehended the second step.
A figure like this,
could very well become another Yan Jingqing in the future!
"Deputy Cai Jiusheng of the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion."
Chen Mu spoke calmly. He was well-informed about various sects and had a good grasp of their intelligence. Even without seeing their true faces, he could recognize a Deputy-level figure at a glance. "He Wuyou is also here, and who is the other person?"
Although He Wuyou had not revealed himself, intending to launch a surprise attack, his aura had already been captured by Chen Mu. Besides He Wuyou, Chen Mu sensed a fourth person.
"Haha, indeed, your perception with the second step of the Whistling Wind Intention is extraordinary. Even I cannot hide from you. I'm just passing by. As long as you die at the hands of the other three, I won't have to waste my energy."
Ka! Ka!!
As the voice fell, a figure stepped out of the mist on Chen Mu's right. With each step, the muddy puddles beneath their feet froze with a crisp sound, forming ice flowers.
Cheng Houhua, a True Disciple of the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion!
"So it's True Disciples of the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion. I'm just a small-time Inspector, yet I've attracted such attention. It's an honor to have four Five Viscera Realm experts set up an ambush. What a grand welcome!"
Chen Mu's gaze swept past Cheng Houhua and turned to his left. Within the white mist, a final figure in a black robe appeared, wearing a mask that concealed their features. However, Chen Mu had sensed their aura once before in Yu City and could not mistake it. It was undoubtedly He Wuyou.
He Wuyou!
Cheng Houhua!
Two Deputies of the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion!
To kill a mere Inspector, they took advantage of the flood disaster. While Chen Mu was away from Yu City, dealing with the flood, four Five Viscera Realm experts surrounded him, blocking all escape routes and cutting off any chance of survival!
(End of Chapter)
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