Chapter 47: The Headquarters
Chapter 47: The Headquarters
"As expected."
At this moment, Chen Mu's heart was devoid of any surprise. He had long anticipated that the Black Crow Sect was planning something big, but their actions were indeed insane.
If they were to kidnap the entire population of the Outer City District, numbering in the millions, and use them as leverage, it was indeed possible to force the major powers of the Inner City to make concessions. After all, while the lords of the Inner City might not care about a few lives in the Outer City District, the entire district was a different matter.
Furthermore, this method was not something that could be easily stopped by force alone. Even those at the Sinew Transformation or Bone Forging levels would find it impossible to completely eradicate the Gray-Furred Rats that roamed the Outer City District.
Xu Hongyu also realized the severity of the situation. At this moment, she had no time to worry about the conditions and traps within the underground passage. She had to crush the Black Crow Sect's delusions in their cradle before the situation spiraled out of control.
Swish!
Xu Hongyu rushed into the underground passage, followed closely by others with torches. Behind her were Min Baoyi, Chen Mu, and a group of Nine District City Guard Corps members. The group marched into the passage in a grand manner.
The passage was not overly narrow, allowing two people to walk side by side. However, the entire passage was filled with a putrid, bloody stench. After rushing through a section, they soon encountered some corpses.
These were the bodies of Black Crow Sect members who had ventured down to explore the passage earlier and had been struck by sharp arrows.
Xu Hongyu glanced at them briefly, paying them no heed, and continued her charge forward. After traversing another section, they reached a fork in the passage, and behind her, Min Baoyi spoke up, "The left path is a trap, and the right is a dead end."
This information had been obtained at the cost of lives during the previous exploration.
Using the knowledge gained from the initial exploration, the group avoided many traps within the passage. But due to Xu Hongyu's swift pace, they soon reached an entirely unfamiliar section.
Sizzle!
Something triggered a mechanism, and a piercing sound echoed from ahead, accompanied by a chilling glint.
"Be careful!"
Someone shouted a warning.
However, Xu Hongyu, who was leading the group, did not retreat. With a flick of her wrist, her soft sword unsheathed, and in the narrow passage, it unleashed a barrage of sword light, forming a semi-circular barrier as if countless raindrops converged.
The clashing of metal filled the air as all the incoming darts were knocked down by Xu Hongyu.
With a Sinew Transformation expert leading the way, ordinary traps were rendered useless. Whether it was flying darts, hidden arrows, or mechanisms that sprayed poisonous water or fog, many were disabled by Xu Hongyu's sword, even the ones that sprayed poison directly were blocked by her intricate swordplay, leaving almost no room for the toxins to penetrate.
Thus, they continued their advance.
Finally, they reached a spacious stone chamber. The room still held some chaotic footprints, indicating that people had been there recently, but they had all evacuated by now.
The stone chamber had four branching passages in addition to the one they had entered, each leading in a different direction.
"We must be close to their headquarters now," Min Baoyi said gravely, having been estimating the distance they had covered.
The footprints in each of the four passages were distinct, indicating different areas within the headquarters.
"No time to waste. Split up and advance. Kill anyone who resists!" Xu Hongyu commanded sternly. With a flash of her figure, she dashed alone into the leftmost passage.
Xiao He was about to say something, but Xu Hongyu had already disappeared. A hint of helplessness flashed in her eyes, but she quickly turned to the others and said, "Xu Cha Si, you take the second passage. Min Cha Si, you take some men and go down the third."
Xu Cha Si, the District Prefect's Patrol Commander and one of Xu Hongyu's trusted men, responded and led his men into the second passage. Min Baoyi then looked back and said, "Wang Gong, Zhong Chang, you two follow me. Chen Mu, Qin Bei, you two go with Deputy Officer He."
With that, he led his group into the third passage.
Qin Bei clearly knew Xiao He's identity, not merely a deputy, but Xu Hongyu's personal attendant, whose status in Xu's household exceeded Min Baoyi's, and whose strength was no less formidable. Chen Mu, of course, had no doubts about this either.
Xiao He's expression turned solemn, and with a wave of her hand, she led Qin Bei, Chen Mu, and the others into the fourth passage. After advancing several dozen steps, the area ahead suddenly opened up, revealing a dimly lit prison.
Within the prison, one could vaguely see emaciated prisoners, barely clinging to life, groaning in their cells.
"Those who went missing these past few months are probably all here," Chen Mu thought to himself.
Although he wasn't clear about the Black Crow Sect's specific purpose for capturing these people, judging by the scene before him, it was likely for cultivating those Gray-Furred Rats, either by drawing blood or some other cruel method.
But just as Chen Mu's gaze swept across the cages, searching for familiar faces, a squeaking sound suddenly filled the air, quickly becoming a continuous rustling like the wind, sending chills down their spines.
Everyone's faces changed in an instant.
Their attention shifted to the depths of the prison.
However, just as their focus concentrated on the cells, a loud crash echoed from the passage behind them. It seemed something heavy had fallen, followed by a muffled thud. When they turned to look, a large stone had dropped, blocking their retreat.
Some of the guards immediately began to panic.
But Qin Bei and Chen Mu spoke simultaneously, "Don't panic!"
Their voices were steady and powerful, without a hint of fear.
Qin Bei, an experienced senior patrol officer, was one of the few in the Nine District City Guard Corps who, aside from Chen Mu, had mastered Blade Aura. Now over thirty-five, his Body Tempering Technique had stalled at Muscle Cultivation Minor Success, leaving no room for further advancement to Patrol Commander. Yet, in terms of strength, he remained the most formidable among the Nine Districts, second only to Min Baoyi.
With his Muscle Training Realm and Blade Aura, he had faced countless battles, and this sudden change didn't faze him.
As for Chen Mu, his strength was his greatest asset. As with the previous passage, if he had been at the forefront, he might not have been able to push through the traps as effortlessly as Xu Hongyu, but the majority of them posed no threat to him.
His Bronze Steel Skin, coupled with Muscle Training Great Success, rendered most Trap Arrows harmless. Poisonous Water was also largely ineffective, and while Poisonous Fog was more challenging, his blade technique allowed him to destroy the source before it could spread.
Even the trap-laden tunnels posed little threat to him, let alone in such an open area.
The simultaneous assurance from the two senior officers immediately calmed the panicked guards, but Xiao He remained silent, observing Chen Mu and Qin Bei's reactions. A flicker of approval flashed in her eyes.
Qin Bei, as a veteran of the Nine Districts, was indeed formidable, and Xiao He was well aware of his capabilities. But Chen Mu, at his age, remained composed amidst the unexpected, revealing a steady temperament, just as Min Baoyi had described.
Given time,
He would undoubtedly become a capable subordinate.
Should he even have a step further, breaking free from the shackles of Sinew Transformation and stepping into the third level of Body Tempering, Sinew Transformation Realm, he might become Xu Hongyu's right-hand man, a pivotal figure.
"That must be the Black Crow Sect's so-called 'Guardian Deity'," Xiao He said, gazing into the depths of the prison.
As her words fell, a swarm of Gray-Furred Rats emerged from the cells, varying in size, the largest nearly twice as big as the ones Chen Mu had seen before, no longer resembling ordinary rats.
The rats surged like a tide, engulfing the prison cells. The half-dead prisoners barely had time to scream before being overwhelmed, their gnawing sounds sending shivers down everyone's spines.
(End of Chapter)
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