Chapter 159

"This… this is slander!"

Facing the varied gazes of the crowd, Qi Jinghong clenched his teeth, seeming both furious and wronged, desperately defending himself.

"They aren't people of the Qi household—how could they…"

"Enough!"

Chen Mu cut in with a cold shout, his icy voice echoing throughout the entire scene.

"The Qi family has framed an imperial court official, spread rumors, and disrupted Tai'an! Evidence is conclusive—their crime merits death! Zhenwu Bureau, heed my order: exterminate the Qi family! Those who resist to the end—kill on sight!"

"Fire!"

The Zhenwu Bureau soldiers, long ready, pulled the triggers without hesitation.

Zzzzz~

Shoo! Shoo! Shoo!

Amid a chorus of ear-piercing crossbow mechanisms, over a hundred powerful bolts rained down like a storm of death, instantly covering the ground before the Qi mansion's gate.

"Bad!"

"Block it!"

Qi Jinghong's eyes bulged with rage; he roared and slapped away several bolts with his palms, but those behind him—Qi family disciples and guards—had no time to dodge.

Puch! Puch! Puch!

"Ahh!"

"Get out of the way!"

Screams and shouts erupted everywhere.

Blood sprayed in all directions; in an instant, over a dozen men were pierced like hedgehogs and collapsed, dead.

Qi Jingxiao's shoulder was grazed by a bolt, spraying a streak of blood; his face turned ghastly.

【Corpse detected. Collect?】

"Yes!"

……

Before the first volley of bolts had even ceased, Chen Mu moved!

His body shot forward like lightning, right fist clenched; the Five Elements Spirit Transformation Scripture activated, Duan Tianhe's true qi transforming into furious flame as he punched forward.

"Bang~!"

A massive, blazing fist imprint flew free, carrying hatred and destruction enough to burn all things, straight toward Qi Jinghong—who had just blocked the bolts and was still reeling from his bloodline turmoil.

Qi Jinghong, terrified, poured every ounce of his true qi into both palms and thrust forward.

Boom~!

The flame fist imprint collided violently with his palm force, unleashing a muffled thunderclap.

Qi Jinghong felt an unstoppable wave of searing force surge through him; the terrifying shockwave shook his internal organs, churned his blood, and surged upward uncontrollably—he groaned, spat a mouthful of blood, and was flung backward like a severed kite, crashing hard against the Qi mansion's thick vermilion-painted gate.

"Boom—!"

The gate shattered into splinters, wood chips flying everywhere!

Qi Jinghong tumbled inside, slammed onto the ground, rolled twice, then spat another gush of blood when he stopped.

Chen Mu didn't pause—he drew Zhan Sha Dao; the transformed flame blade-qi surged and slashed through the air in a horizontal sweep.

"Fuhhong~!"

The flame blade-qi swept forward, instantly engulfing three Qi family cultivators of Early Innate Stage who rushed to rescue their master—cutting them and their weapons clean in half, the stench of charred flesh spreading!

【Corpse detected. Collect?】

"Yes!"

……

Before Qi Jinghong could rise, Chen Mu flickered forward, entering the Qi mansion courtyard, using both fists and blade.

Shhh~ Shhh~ Shhh~

Boom! Boom!

The sound of tearing wind and exploding impacts never ceased.

The overwhelming hatred of the Hateheart Fist battered the mind; the devious, unpredictable blade techniques of the Counter-Fate Blade targeted every opening, aided by invisible, intangible "spirit blades" that struck the consciousness.

Qi Jinghong, staggered to his feet, barely defended himself—but his spirit was wounded, he fell back step by step, only able to parry, with no chance to counterattack.

New wounds kept appearing on his body!

"Die!"

Chen Mu seized an opening, eyes blazing with cold light; Duan Tianhe's true qi surged forth, transforming into flame blade-qi.

Shhh~!

The blade-light erupted, as if surpassing the limits of speed.

Qi Jinghong's blocking motion froze mid-air; his pupils dilated and glazed.

A fine line of blood appeared on his forehead, stretching across his nose, lips, and chin…

Puch!

With a strange sound, Qi Jinghong's body was cleanly split in two, his organs and blood splattering the ground.

At the same moment, a scream came from outside the courtyard.

It was Tong Yuanshan—his longsword stained with blood, having pierced Qi Jingxiao through the heart as he tried to flee.

"Kill!"

Zhenwu Bureau soldiers and Zhou family disciples, eyes red with rage, stormed into the chaotic Qi mansion like tigers among sheep, killing anyone they saw.

"Spare… spare me!"

"Run! Run fast… ah~!"

"…"

Inside the Qi residence, cries of grief, pleas for mercy, and the clash of battle rang together.

Facing crossbows leading the assault and their high-level warriors neutralized, the rest of the Qi family offered no resistance; one after another, they fell amid screams.

【Corpse detected. Collect?】

"Yes!"

……

Chen Mu walked slowly, occasionally slashing out a flame blade qi and collecting card after card.

After fifteen minutes, the battle ended.

The once-mighty Qi residence had become a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

The crowd of martial artists gathered outside the gate stood silent, each face etched with shock, fear, and a hint of inexplicable sorrow.

A powerful family that had dominated Tai'an Prefecture for years had been exterminated in just fifteen minutes, with such brutal ferocity.

Chen Mu, this prodigy of the Hidden Dragon, the newly appointed Inspector, displayed such ruthless methods and overwhelming strength that hearts and souls trembled.

"My lord, some members of the Qi family escaped through a secret tunnel!"

Tong Yuanshan rushed to Chen Mu's side and reported.

"Pursue them. Kill them all." Chen Mu said, expressionless.

"Yes!"

Tong Yuanshan bowed and responded, then led a squad to track down Qi Yunpan and the others who had fled through the tunnel.

Chen Mu then searched Qi Jingxiao's corpse and retrieved the one-third Haoran Sect treasure map.

He took the ancient, weathered animal hide and stepped out of the blood-soaked Qi residence gate onto the street.

"This is…"

All eyes in the crowd instantly locked onto the animal hide map in Chen Mu's hand; their breathing grew rapid.

Greed, longing, fear… emotions intertwined.

"This is the treasure map."

Chen Mu coldly swept his gaze across the crowd, a faint curve forming on his lips as he declared loudly, "You all wanted it? Take it!"

With that, he whipped his arm upward and hurled the treasure map—long fought over and stained with blood—into the crowd.

The crowd erupted.

"Treasure map!!"

"Mine! The treasure map is mine!"

"Grab it~!"

"…"

After a brief silence, the crowd exploded.

Martial artists nearby surged forward like starving wolves, roaring, cursing, and frantically fighting to seize it.

The clashing of swords and spears, the thud of fists and kicks, the screams replaced the prior silence.

In their fight for the animal hide map, the very martial artists who had moments ago merely watched the spectacle became mortal enemies.

People kept falling, slashed down, trampled underfoot; blood stained the long street.

【Corpse detected. Collect?】

"Yes!"

Chen Mu watched coldly, collecting card after card.

Suddenly.

"Tear~!"

A sharp crack rang out sharply amid the chaos, reaching every ear.

The animal hide map—poorly preserved to begin with—was ripped apart midair into a dozen fragments.

The noisy chaos instantly halted.

Everyone froze, staring dumbly at the fragments drifting slowly downward like withered leaves.

The treasure map… was torn to pieces?