Chapter 128: The Advantages of Backing a Major Power!

"Your subordinate dares not!"

Tong Yuanshan bowed his head and said calmly, "I merely fear that if I made a mistake..."

"There is no 'if'."

Chen Mu interrupted, speaking calmly, "Qi Mengjun is the eyewitness. This first beauty of Tai'an Prefecture is Pei Renguang's most important pawn, a lure to attract Wang Zhongyi, Zhou Shaoyou, and others. Her fake death was to shed suspicion."

"But the plan failed. Pei Renguang's hiding place was exposed—it's the Giant Willow Manor. After learning this, the Wang family, Zhou family, and Jin Yang Gate rushed to Giant Willow Manor to search. Jin Yao couldn't hold back and struck first. The result? Giant Willow Manor is gone."

"If Pei Renguang hadn't suddenly emerged from seclusion and killed everyone, Wang Zhongqiu and the others wouldn't have died."

"Oh, by the way, Zhou Bowen and the Zhou patriarch didn't die—he's also an eyewitness!"

Silence.

The square fell into deathly silence once more.

Qi Mengjun's "resurrection" is one; the annihilation of Giant Willow Manor is the second—these things cannot be faked; a single check reveals the truth.

The third is Pei Renguang's current condition: though awakened, his limbs are severed, his breath feeble, his face ashen. Chen Mu spoke at length, yet he uttered not a single word—he clearly knows his fate, and has no defense left!

At this, Tong Yuanshan fell silent too.

If he spoke another word in Pei Renguang's defense, he might be branded an accomplice!

Although Chen Mu's aura revealed only Second Stage of Heaven.

But his role as Inspector made him dare not show the slightest disrespect.

The saying "a higher rank crushes the lower" describes this exact situation.

Most importantly, someone at Second Stage of Heaven would not dare take on the role of Inspector unless he could capture Pei Renguang, a late-stage Innate expert—could Chen Mu really be weak?

The scene fell silent.

Chen Mu scanned the crowd and said calmly, "No one has anything to say?"

No one answered.

"If you have nothing to say, get back to work. Jin Yang Gate, the Wang family, the Zhou family—even though you destroyed Giant Willow Manor, nearly everyone you sent died. Tai'an Prefecture will be chaotic now. You've got your hands full."

Chen Mu said calmly, "By the way, I'm Chen Mu, your Inspector. You may have heard of me; if not, it doesn't matter. For the remaining accomplices of Pei Renguang who haven't harmed fellow officers, I'll show leniency. Anyone who comes to report to me before nightfall will have their past offenses forgiven."

With that, he turned and left, gesturing to two enforcers, pointing at Pei Renguang and Qi Mengjun, signaling them to imprison the two.

After giving his orders, Chen Mu strode toward the Town Martial Office's main hall.

The Town Martial Office guards stood silent for a moment, then dispersed.

There was indeed much to do.

The killer who practiced the Devour Heaven Demon Art and murdered so many people? It was Pei Renguang, the highest-ranking official of the Town Martial Office.

Just his identity as the killer was enough to throw Tai'an Prefecture's Town Martial Office into disarray.

Total humiliation!

Second, the Wang family, Zhou family, and Jin Yang Gate lost so many people, and Giant Willow Manor was wiped out—four of Tai'an's top ten factions have now collapsed. The territories and influence left vacant? They'll fight like demons for them.

Tai'an's Wu Lin will descend into chaos, inevitably affecting ordinary civilians.

The Town Martial Office's duty is to suppress martial sects—stability is paramount!

So the days ahead? You've got your hands full.

Of course.

Meanwhile, those who had followed Pei Renguang were filled with dread.

They were accomplices—if they confessed to Chen Mu, what if he lied?

Wouldn't that just be walking straight into his trap?

But if they didn't confess, and Chen Mu uncovered them? Then they were truly finished.

Tormented, anxious, helpless, stifled...

Dozens of men felt each second stretch into a year.

In comparison, others were far more relaxed—they were far more curious about Chen Mu's origins.

"Second Stage of Heaven... Chen Mu... Ssshh! I remember now—the latest New Issue/Phase of the 'Dragon潛 List' had two new entrants. One of them, ranked one hundred and seventh, a prodigy named Chen Mu—he's from Handan Dao, Nanyun Prefecture! Could Lord Chen be him?"

"What? Lord Chen is a Dragon潛 prodigy?"

"Real... real? If I recall right, the prodigy Chen Mu is only sixteen."

"This... comparing people like this kills you!"

"Lord Chen is a Dragon潛 prodigy—why would you dare compare yourself? You're just asking for pain!"

"Incredible! Unbelievable! I never thought the Dragon潛 prodigy Chen Mu would be one of us—in our Town Martial Office, even an Inspector!"

"..."

The Town Martial Office guards erupted in excited chatter.

Confirming Chen Mu was the prodigy Chen Mu was simple.

Age, cultivation level, name, and strength.

Everything matched—there was no doubt.

Only this could explain how Chen Mu captured Pei Renguang.

Even without practicing the demon art, Pei Renguang was a Ninth Stage Innate expert.

Even injured, he wasn't someone an ordinary person could defeat.

A Dragon潛 prodigy perfectly fit this requirement.

In the eyes of the Town Martial Office guards, though Chen Mu was only at Second Stage of Heaven, his combat power might surpass even Tong Yuanshan, an Eighth Stage Innate.

This was the prestige of a Dragon潛 prodigy!

Tong Yuanshan grew even more silent.

Previously, he had lowered his head out of awe of the Patrol Inspector's official rank, but in his heart he was contemptuous.

However, now that he knew Chen Mu's identity, that contempt vanished completely.

Even the most arrogant person knew the intimidation power of the "Hidden Dragon Ranking."

……

When the water is too clear, there are no fish.

The bribery and corruption within the Zhenwu Division, in Chen Mu's view, was really nothing serious.

As long as Pei Renguang's accomplices had not killed anyone from the Zhenwu Division, letting them off lightly and having them redeem themselves through merit was entirely feasible.

If it was just ordinary graft and bribery, even if exposed, the merit points would be limited.

Although being a Patrol Inspector was a job that offended people, Chen Mu was not an impartial, iron-faced man.

When they were not mortal enemies, leaving others a way out was very necessary.

Speaking of which.

The cards picked up this time yielded gains comparable to the largest haul yet.

Besides the Internal Force card and True Qi card, which let Chen Mu break through a whole realm directly.

Among the skill cards was one innate martial art, which was a very pleasant surprise.

This special cultivation method was called the "Five Elements Spirit Transformation Art," at the realm of complete mastery.

The characteristic of the technique was that it could conceal one's own True Qi attribute and simulate the power of the Five Elements.

Simply put.

Once Chen Mu possessed this Wu Gong, when releasing Duan Tianhe True Qi, he could transform it into any one of the Five Elements attribute True Qi.

Flame, Thick Earth, Sharp Metal, Weak Water, Green Wood.

Five kinds of True Qi, freely interchangeable!

With this transformation, very few people who wanted to see through the "Heaven River Art" and deduce that Chen Mu had inherited the "Heaven River Sword Venerable" would succeed.

It was just that the "Five Elements Spirit Transformation Art" was not yet at complete mastery; only by cultivating it to great completion could one truly pass off the fake as genuine.

To this end, Chen Mu used the card, and after obtaining this Wu Gong, he sat in a chair and slowly circulated his cultivation to practice.

And after learning the contents of the "Five Elements Spirit Transformation Art," Chen Mu discovered that to speed up the progress of this technique, it was best to cultivate together with "Five Elements Stones."

The problem was that "Five Elements Stones" were not common.

Fortunately, with Pei Renguang captured, the merit points would not be small.

Once reported to the prefecture city's Zhenwu Division and the merit was obtained, he could exchange them through merit points.

This was the benefit of throwing in one's lot with a major power!

"Um, Lord Chen…"