Chapter 314: Leave Not a Single Soul Alive!

He used his last ounce of strength to painfully utter a question.

"Swoosh~ Swoosh~ Swoosh~"

In response, icy, merciless blade light slashed forth.

The leader of the black-clad men twisted his wrist; the curved blade slashed like a gale across Hua Lingfeng's chest, leaving behind several deep, interwoven, bone-exposing wounds.

Hua Lingfeng's body convulsed violently a few times, then his gaze blurred, and he died.

The mountain wind swept through the mine, carrying the heavy stench of blood and the acrid smell of burning wood.

All the black-clad men stood motionless as statues, silent and still, their blood-dripping claws and weapons reflecting a cold, glinting sheen under the flickering firelight.

The leader of the black-clad men slowly sheathed his blade and gave orders in a deliberately altered, hoarse voice.

"Inspect thoroughly—leave not a single soul alive!"

"Yes!"

The other black-clad men immediately scattered, searching every room and corner like a comb.

Whether hidden surviving miners or severely wounded Jiuxuan Sect disciples, once discovered, they met an unrelenting claw strike or slash, ensuring not a single one could survive.

Moments later, all the black-clad men regrouped.

The leader of the black-clad men scanned the mine, now resembling a ghostly hell, confirmed no living souls remained, then waved his hand.

"Withdraw!"

Dozens of black shadows vanished as silently as they had come, dissolving into the boundless night, swiftly disappearing into Chongshanjunling, leaving behind a litter of corpses and smoldering ruins as witnesses to the bloody massacre.

……

The next morning, nearing noon.

In the Zhenwu Office's main hall, Chen Mu sat upright on the main seat, clad in his Inspector's official robes, quietly turning the pages of a Juan Sect scroll.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps sounded outside the hall, drawing nearer.

"My lord! My lord! Something's happened!"

Tang Ji burst into the hall like a gust of wind, sweat on his brow, breathing labored, heedless of propriety, he cried out urgently, "The Jiuxuan Sect and the Divine Eagle Gate have clashed!"

"Hmm?"

Chen Mu slowly set down the scroll in his hands, his knuckles tapping lightly on the yellowed pages, producing a dull thud.

Then he raised his head, brows slightly furrowed, "What happened? Speak slowly."

Tang Ji took a deep breath, forcing calm, yet his speech remained rapid, "My lord, details are still being verified. But reports indicate that the Divine Eagle Gate launched a surprise attack last night on a magnetite mine belonging to the Jiuxuan Sect, two hundred li west of the city!"

"Inside the mine, twenty-seven Jiuxuan Sect disciples and overseers—all were killed, not a single survivor!"

Chen Mu's gaze sharpened, "Confirmed as the work of the Divine Eagle Gate?"

"The traces left at the scene are highly indicative."

Tang Ji explained, "Hua Lingfeng, the Jiuxuan Sect's outer gate overseer on night watch, was slain by a devastating blade technique—wounds long and deep, exposing bone, with a cunning, twisting force—exactly matching the signature left-hand blade of Elder Brother Guan Xu of the Divine Eagle Gate!"

"The other disciples were mostly killed by specially crafted eagle claws and the Eagle Claw Art; the weapon marks and martial signatures all point unmistakably to the Divine Eagle Gate."

"This morning, the Jiuxuan Sect's vice sect leader led a force straight to the Divine Eagle Gate's outpost outside Weizhoucheng and severely wounded Elder Brother Guan Xu on the spot."

"Brother Guan Xu initially vehemently denied it, claiming he had been in seclusion within the sect all night, never left, never attacked the mine. But after being wounded, the Divine Eagle Gate erupted in fury, accusing the Jiuxuan Sect of extreme provocation and immediately launched a counterattack."

Tang Ji's face grew even more troubled, "My lord, you know the Jiuxuan Sect and the Divine Eagle Gate have held sway in Weizhoucheng for years, their power deeply entrenched, with countless minor sects and gangs under their influence."

"Now that the two factions have torn open their masks, nearly half of Wu Lin in Weizhoucheng has been dragged into the chaos, everything in disarray!"

"Even within Weizhoucheng itself, they've ignored your decree issued just days ago—several groups have already fought openly in the streets, harming innocent civilians, destroying shops, with multiple casualties already!"

With that, Tang Ji stared urgently at Chen Mu, "My lord, the situation is dire—how should we respond?"

Chen Mu did not answer immediately.

Instead, he leaned back slightly against his chair, lost in thought again.

Du Yuansheng…

Intuition told Chen Mu that this was surely orchestrated by the Zhenwu Office's Chief Clerk.

But last night, Du Yuansheng had remained inside his own residence, never stepping out.

Was it not his own hand?

Or… did he not need to act personally?

"My lord!"

Seeing Chen Mu silent in thought, Tang Ji couldn't help but call out again.

Chen Mu's eyes flashed with cold light; he no longer hesitated, issuing a firm order, "Notify all commissioned Zhenwu Office guards—immediately disperse throughout the city! Anyone caught armed and fighting—whether Jiuxuan Sect, Divine Eagle Gate, or their affiliates—arrest on the spot! Resist, and kill without mercy!"

His voice was not loud, yet it carried an undeniable authority and aura of slaughter; the temperature in the hall seemed to drop several degrees.

"Carry out my order: anyone who defies it, I will personally visit their door afterward and eradicate them without mercy!"

"Yes, My lord!" Tang Ji's spirit snapped taut; he bowed deeply in compliance.

Then, cautiously, he asked, "What… what of the Jiuxuan Sect and Divine Eagle Gate's main sects outside the city? If left unchecked, the fighting will escalate, plunging all of Weizhoucheng into chaos and endangering civilians."

"I am aware."

Chen Mu raised his hand to cut him off, "You and your men handle the city. The Jiuxuan Sect and Divine Eagle Gate's mountain bases… I will go there myself."

Tang Ji's face lit up with admiration and excitement, "My lord is wise! With your personal intervention, they will dare not act recklessly again! I'll arrange it at once!"

"Hmm, go." Chen Mu waved his hand.

"Your servant takes leave!"

Tang Ji bowed again, then quickly exited the hall.

After Tang Ji left, Chen Mu did not rise immediately.

He remained seated, gazing out toward the sky beyond the hall, his eyes deep and unreadable.

If this conflict truly was a scheme laid by Du Yuansheng…

He himself need not appear in person — he only had to send trusted confidants, or make use of pieces he had long since planted, disguise them as men of the Divine Eagle Sect to raid the mine, and leave behind some ambiguous evidence, and that alone would be enough to ignite the powder keg of the Jiuxuan Sect.

Brother Guan Xu's left-hand saber style was indeed distinctive, but it was not beyond imitation.

The Divine Eagle Sect's specially forged weapons and Eagle Claw Art — for someone with intent, forging fakes would be no difficult matter.

Then, what exactly was Du Yuansheng's purpose in doing all this?

To force him to step into the conflict between these two local overlords?

The Jiuxuan Sect and the Divine Eagle Sect had been operating in Weizhou for several hundred years, their ties tangled and intertwined, sharing the same roots.

As an Imperial Inspector sent here by the imperial court, if he were to forcibly step in to mediate, a single misstep could set the fire burning on himself, offending both sides at once.

If they therefore came to bear him a grudge, or even… in a fit of rage or fear, turned their killing hands on him — that too was not impossible.

Was Du Yuansheng trying to use these two blades to get rid of him?