Chapter 91: Intelligence
Chapter 91: Intelligence
Xu Hongyu held a high position among the fourth generation of the Yu Clan's direct lineage, and as someone who had entered the Sinew Transformation Realm, she was a formidable individual capable of standing on her own. Yu Yun knew that no matter how much she and Yu Ru bickered, it wouldn't cause any issues, but if it interfered with Xu Hongyu's affairs, there would be consequences, ranging from a stern reprimand to possibly being punished with solitary meditation.
Thus, after recognizing Chen Mu, Yu Yun didn't linger and left without further entanglement.
After all, this was the Southern District, and causing a fuss that reached Xu Hongyu wouldn't bring any good news.
The main reason was that Xu Hongyu herself was closer to Yu Ru. Yu Ru's father and Xu Hongyu's mother were siblings, so Yu Ru and Xu Hongyu were like close sisters, while Yu Yun's relationship with them was more distant.
On the other hand, Xu Hongyu's father had gone missing early on, and Yu Ru's mother had passed away from an incurable illness, so Xu Hongyu had taken care of Yu Ru since they were young... Of course, most of Yu Yun's grievances towards Yu Ru stemmed from this. When they were younger and got into arguments, the adults would always favor Yu Ru.
Naturally.
The elders of the Yu Clan didn't mind the ups and downs in the relationships between the younger generation; it was normal for them to have both good and bad relationships. Yu Yun and Yu Ru's bickering even added to the competitive atmosphere within the Martial Arts Academy.
Chen Mu didn't know much about the inner workings of the Yu Clan; the only people he was familiar with were Xu Hongyu, Xiao He, and Yu Ru, and this was the first time he had met Yu Yun. After hearing some of Chen Yue's statements, he had a general understanding of the situation.
As such, he didn't pay it much mind.
If he were an elder of the Yu Clan, he would probably give this little girl a stern lesson, even though Yu Ru's temperament was a bit too gentle, and Yu Yun, despite her young age, had a touch of arrogance.
However, Chen Yue's previous reaction had impressed him; facing Yu Yun and her gang of followers, she didn't falter in the slightest. If Yu Ru's temperament was such that her martial arts training would only be for fitness, but in Chen Yue's case, if she could reach a certain level in her training, she would indeed have the ability to stand on her own.
After a brief interaction, Chen Mu quickly changed the topic, casually chatting and soon making Chen Yue and Yu Ru laugh, brushing away their previous sadness.
Leading the two young girls, they strolled and played along the way.
Yu Ru and Chen Yue both wore elegant skirts, and although they still looked quite young, they already exuded a subtle beauty, becoming even more captivating when they smiled and laughed, attracting many gazes along the way.
Among the onlookers, there were some with ill intentions, but when they noticed Chen Mu leading Yu Ru and Chen Yue, many of them leading Yu Ru and Chen Yue, many of the gazes quickly averted. Those who didn't avert their eyes quietly followed from the shadows for a while, but soon they too, disappeared.
Although Chen Mu wasn't wearing his official robes, ordinary commoners wouldn't recognize him, but various gang members were skilled at identifying people. They knew the Willow Grove Patrol Commander very well, and it was rare for them to not recognize him.
A Patrol Commander was undoubtedly someone not to be trifled with.
Chen Mu also noticed some covert glances, but he didn't pay them any mind. He was no longer the inexperienced youth he once was. In the past, when he wanted to take Chen Yue out to play, he had to smear her face to disguise her, but now, walking openly in the streets, he remained calm and composed.
After taking a big loop around the main street, they arrived at the back of the main street. Ahead, a tall, sprawling area appeared, with a four-story building visible behind a towering green stone wall, creating a solemn and dignified atmosphere.
"This should be the City Guard Headquarters of the Southern District, right?"
Chen Yue looked up at the expansive area ahead.
"Mhm."
Chen Mu nodded slightly and said, "Speaking of which, Xu Hongyu, or should I say, Deputy Magistrate Xu, might have returned. Shall we go in and see her, Ru?"
Yu Ru glanced in the direction of the City Guard Headquarters and said, "It's been a long time since I've seen Hongyu. I heard she went out of the city to hunt demons and was supposed to return soon."
"Let's go, then."
Chen Mu led Chen Yue and Yu Ru towards the City Guard Headquarters.
He, too, hadn't seen Xu Hongyu in a long time. He only knew from Xiao He that she would likely return in the next day or two. If he saw her, he could brief her on recent events and provide a simple report.
Soon after, the group entered the City Guard Office and made their way to the fourth floor.
"Oh, so it's you here. What brings you to this place?"
Xiao He was on the fourth floor, reviewing a document in the main hall. Seeing Chen Mu, Chen Yue, and Yu Ru, she didn't show any surprise and smiled at Yu Ru.
Usually, a maid or servant would address Yu Ru as "Miss" out of respect, but Xiao He was different. Not only had she been Xu Hongyu's personal maid since childhood, but she had also entered the Sinew Transformation Realm and was capable of managing the City Guard Headquarters in Xu Hongyu's absence. In the future, when Xu Hongyu got promoted, Xiao He would even be qualified to take over as the Deputy Magistrate.
In reality, Xiao He also had a good relationship with Yu Ru.
"Sister Xiao He."
Yu Ru greeted Xiao He with a polite gesture and said, "I wanted to see Hongyu."
Xiao He patted Yu Ru's head gently and said, "Miss Xu has encountered some matters and won't be able to return to the city for a while. Once she's back, she'll definitely visit you in the Inner City."
Then, she looked at Chen Mu and gave him a subtle signal.
Chen Mu understood and patted Chen Yue's shoulder, following Xiao He into a side room.
"What's the matter?"
As Chen Mu entered the side hall and asked Xiao He.
Xiao He shook her head and said, "It's not a big issue. As you know, the Yu Clan manages the Salt Administration, overseeing the salt trade in Yu City. Yesterday, a shipment of salt was hijacked outside the city, and Miss Xu was supposed to return. But after this incident, she changed course to investigate. Based on some clues, it's highly likely the Black Cloud Bandits are behind this."
“Black Cloud Bandit...”
Chen Mu revealed a thoughtful expression.
This name was also somewhat familiar, as it was said that a notorious band of bandits had been operating in the northern mountains of Yu City, being quite vicious and often committing raids. YuOne of the leading families, the Great Family, had their wanted notices posted at the city guard office, with the greatest reward reaching five thousand silver taels, and the Second Family also offering a huge reward of two thousand taels!
"Actually, this Black Cloud Bandit has always had some ambiguous connections with the He Family," Xiaohe added.
Chenmu nodded slightly, after all, if these were just a regular group of bandits, it would be impossible for them to have been operating outside of Yu City for so many years without being taken down, even when troops were sent to wipe them out.
If they had any connections with the forces inside the city, or if they were simply used by the He Family to conduct some obscure matters, then that would make sense. After all, who would dare to challenge Lord Huang?
Chen Mu thought for a moment and asked, "So, does the Yu Family plan to dispatch forces to deal with the Black Cloud bandits?"
"No."
Xiao he shook his head, "It's not worth the trouble to send troops to deal with just a gang of bandits. Besides, even if real troops were dispatched, capturing the Black Cloud Bandits would be hard, as the He Family would still be informed and it would be difficult to catch them right away, a waste of efforts."
Having said this, xiao he looked at chenmu and spoke in a low voice, "I have some intelligence here. The He family is a batch of contraband goods to be transported. It's likely they will be passing by your willow grove, heading to 'Riverbed area' over there. The route is... Can you take the goods down, as I can't dispatch troops to assist you. The He family's informants are everywhere, so you also need to be cautious. Even inside the city guard office, there are the He family's eyes."
"Hmm, I understand."
Chen mu nodded calmly.
This should be the struggle between the He and Yu families. The He family had already used the black cloud bandits to steal a batch of goods from the Yu family, and the Yu family's retaliation would immediately follow, also handling a batch of goods to be returned.
Xiao he looked at Chen mu and suddenly came closer, speaking in a low voice, "Be careful, if things go south, don't just give up..."
Chen mu, smelling the light scent wafting from his nose, turned his head toward her and said, "is this an indication from above, or... something you want to tell me?"
Xiao he's cheeks turned slightly red, she took a step back, pursed her lips, and said with a soft laugh, "I'm just a little maid, without Miss Xiao's permission, I can't dare to be swayed by Chen Lord..."
Chen mu walked out of the side hall, his gaze sweeping over the side room, which was kept clean and tidy, recalling how Xu hongyu dressed in a tight white fish-like garment, stood by the window, overlooking the south city, delicate and attractive.
"Hmm, you look too cold and clear..."
Leaving the side room, xiao he and yu ru had a brief conversation, and then sent a group of people back to the Chief Magistrate.
Chen mu looked at the sky, seeing it wasn't early, and escorted chen yue and yu ru back into the inner city. When parting, ch en yue showed a slight reluctance, wanting to hug him as she imagined in the past, but hesitated and finally waved goodbye.
Yu ru, on the other hand, didn't dare to look at him, keeping her head lowered and whispered a farewell to chen yue, then ran off into the inner city with chen mu's eyes were gentle as he watched chen yue and yu ru leave. When their figures disappeared from sight, his gaze turned cold again, and he soon arrived at the city guard headquarters, issuing an order.
Not long after, seven enforcers gathered at the city guard headquarters.
"There will be action in the coming nights, do not mobilize the patrols below, do not ask many questions, follow my instructions," Chen mu said, looking at Shang qinglai and others, his tone was calm.
"Yes, Lord," Shang qinglai and the others responded in unison.
Then, they exchanged glances, though no one really knew what the action was, but since they were to follow together, it must be something important.
Chen mu's authority at the cityChen mu's authority at the city guard headquarters had been growing stricter, so that even a command would make Shang qinglai and the others refrain from asking for specific details, only responding in unison.
"Understood, now all of you return and change into plain clothes. We'll meet at midnight at the Three-Fork intersection."
Chen mu instructed, then waved his hand.
shang qinglai and the others responded in unison and left the city guard headquarters, each going their separate ways.
However, among them, Zhang Tong quietly slipped into a secluded alley, turning a corner and heading down a less-travered street. A moment later, he arrived at a dilapid hut in a riverside area, knocked on the door, and spoke in a low voice from inside, "there is action at the city guard headquarters tonight."
"Understood," a voice replied from within, then after a brief glance around, swiftly turned and left.
Actually, he didn't want to inform anyone, leaking the city guard headquarters' internal actions, but... they were just too numerous. As long as he quietly operated for a couple of years, he could earn more in ten years than he could openly in the light of day.
However, as Zhang Tong slipped back down the alley and took a step outside, he suddenly froze in place. There, at the alley's entrance, stood Chen mu, silently watching him.
(End of Chapter)
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