Chapter 310: A Thousand Deaths Cannot Exonerate One

The Black Tiger Gang and Red Turban Gang members, as if granted a reprieve, immediately bowed and bowed again, thanking him with tears of gratitude.

Then, like two startled tides, they scattered in disarray, carrying their comrades' corpses, fleeing in panic without looking back toward the ends of the street.

Only a scene of chaos and still-wet bloodstains remained.

……

Amid the grateful and reverent gazes and faint cheers of the townsfolk, Chen Mu turned and left, his figure quickly vanishing around the corner.

Returning to the grand entrance of the Town Martial Office, he paused slightly and instructed the gate guards.

"If Tang Ji, Du Yuansheng, and He Xiaoming arrive at the office, tell them to come to the main hall at once."

"Yes, my lord!" The gate guards straightened their postures and replied respectfully.

Chen Mu gave a slight nod and stepped inside.

Along the way, every guard of the Town Martial Office halted their steps, bowed deeply, and addressed him with reverence.

"Hail, my lord!"

"Greetings, my lord!"

Chen Mu merely murmured a soft "hmm" in response, his steps unbroken, walking straight into the empty, solemn main hall, picking up the Juan Sect's documents again, and sinking into focused reading.

About half an hour later, Tang Ji, Du Yuansheng, and He Xiaoming arrived together in haste, stopping before the hall and bowing in unison.

"Hail, my lord!"

Chen Mu set down the document he held, his gaze calmly sweeping over the three, then spoke seriously, "I called you here to say one thing."

His tone was calm, yet carried an inherent authority: "I am aware that Weizhou's people are fierce and martial artists often settle disputes with blades. But the Town Martial Office's duty is to suppress the martial world and maintain order. Private killings among martial artists, so long as they do not disturb civilians, may be overlooked by our office. But—"

He paused slightly, emphasizing his words, "But if innocent civilians are harmed, it is absolutely forbidden! I expect you to immediately issue orders throughout the prefecture, notifying all factions: if they have personal grudges, let them settle them outside the city, on open ground—life and death, each to their fate."

"Whoever dares to draw weapons within the city and harms civilians—the Town Martial Office has both the duty and the power to deal with them!"

"Yes, my lord! We humbly obey your command!"

Tang Ji, Du Yuansheng, and He Xiaoming's hearts tightened, replying in unison.

Immediately, Tang Ji stepped forward half a pace, his face showing perfectly calibrated shame, volunteering to apologize: "My lord, your wisdom sees clearly—previously, we were indeed derelict in duty, failing to strictly restrain them, thus disturbing you today. We beg your punishment!"

Seeing this, Du Yuansheng and He Xiaoming quickly followed, each speaking to self-reproach.

"I failed in supervision—please punish me, my lord!"

"I too bear responsibility for negligence!"

Chen Mu raised a hand, cutting off their pleas, his tone still flat: "Enough. Past matters are past. I judge by what follows, by the future. I hope you all conduct yourselves wisely."

"Thank you, my lord, for your magnanimity! We understand!"

The three replied in unison again, their postures lowered deeply.

"Hmm, go about your duties," Chen Mu said no more, waving his hand.

"We take our leave!"

Tang Ji, Du Yuansheng, and He Xiaoming bowed deeply and slowly withdrew from the main hall.

Once out of Chen Mu's line of sight, their expressions of respect vanished instantly; they exchanged glances, each seeing the same gloom in the others' eyes.

Head bowed, faces grim, they walked swiftly toward the side courtyard, while fierce mental transmissions crackled between them.

Du Yuansheng transmitted: 'How's that? I told you he'd never settle down! Only the second day, and he's already leaping out to give orders!'

Tang Ji transmitted: 'What Chen Da-ren said… is, well, it's at least fulfilling his duty as his position demands.'

He Xiaoming transmitted, his tone hollow: 'What we want isn't a diligent superior. We want one who only cares about eating, drinking, and pleasure—ignoring everything we do!'

Du Yuansheng transmitted, teeth clenched: 'Exactly! Now it's clear—this Chen Mu has sharp ears. Any whisper in the city, he'll stick his nose in. With this Niu Dashan looming over us, how can we ever proceed?'

Tang Ji transmitted, with a hint of resignation: 'Then what do you suggest we do?'

Du Yuansheng and He Xiaoming fell silent for a moment, clearly struggling for a solution.

Suddenly, Du Yuansheng transmitted, a cruel and cunning edge in his voice: 'Wait… I've got an idea!'

……

The next day.

Chen Mu followed his usual routine: leaving the inn at dawn, strolling through Weizhoucheng as if inspecting, sensing the streets now slightly "calmer" due to his show of authority the day before, then returning to the Town Martial Office's main hall to resume reading the Juan Sect's documents.

Around mid-morning, Du Yuansheng entered the main hall alone, his face filled with "anxiety" and "outrage," striding in hurriedly, bowing to Chen Mu at the head of the hall, reporting in a rushed voice:

"My lord! Trouble at the Prefecture Border Lines between Lüliu Prefecture and Hongsang Prefecture! A vicious band of bandits has spilled out from 'Huyashan' and slaughtered a nearby town!"

"The 'Huyashan Bandits' have existed only briefly, but are powerful—their leader is suspected to be a Divine Bridge expert of the Earth Altar Realm! They've taken refuge deep within Huyashan, thick with miasma and easy to defend, apparently to cultivate some dark art!"

His tone grew heavy with sorrow: "Over a month ago, Tang Si-ling personally led a force to clear Huyashan, clashed with the bandit chief, and returned wounded."

"Who would have thought that after so little peace, this damned creature has emerged again, committing such a heinous massacre—and now he's retreated to his nest. Huyashan's terrain is complex, shrouded in miasma—we… we lack the strength to handle it."

At the end, Du Yuansheng raised his head, his face brimming with "patriotic concern" and "helplessness," cautiously suggesting in a low voice: "My lord, this matter is grave—the bandit chief is of profound cultivation. Could we request reinforcements from the Dao City headquarters?"

Having finished, he slightly lowered his head, a flicker of barely perceptible cunning and calculation glinting deep in his eyes.

"A bandit chief suspected to be of the Earth Altar Realm?"

Hearing this, Chen Mu lifted his gaze from the documents, fixing it on Du Yuansheng, who bowed before him, a flicker of thought passing through his eyes.

He showed no great surprise, only paused briefly, then spoke calmly:

"No need to request reinforcements from headquarters. A mere band of mountain thieves—I'll handle them myself."

"Ah—!" Du Yuansheng's face instantly showed perfectly timed "shock" and "alarm"; he snapped his head up, voice urgent with "concern," hastily pleading:

"My lord! This… wouldn't this be too risky? The Huyashan Bandit Chief has already defeated Si-ling Tang, and has held Huyashan for years—he knows the terrain, and has the advantage of miasma…"

"I'm not doubting your strength, my lord, I just… I just fear that if you go alone and something goes wrong, we would be guilty of a thousand deaths and unable to atone!"

His words rang with heartfelt sincerity, portraying the image of a "loyal subordinate," utterly devoted to his superior's safety.