Chapter 325: Escape Early!

"Giant Snake King egg?" Chen Mu's spirit tightened sharply.

"That's right."

The Star Lord of Tian Tong's voice turned cold, tinged with mockery and killing intent: "They plan to secretly establish a hatching nest in Weizhou, then plunder civilians, vagrants, and even fabricate chaos to abduct people—using fresh human blood to irrigate and hatch these Giant Snake King eggs, forcing them to break free prematurely!"

He paused, then his voice rose abruptly: "These bastards have calculated well. Hatching the 'Giant Snake King eggs'—without doubt—is the work of that 'Jiu Ying'!"

"Once the Giant Snake Kings hatch and grow, each adult will possess strength rivaling the Third Bloom of the Earth Altar realm—fierce, bloodthirsty, and nearly impossible to control! If these hundred eggs succeed in hatching..."

The consequences would be unimaginable!

It would unleash a terrifying beast tide capable of toppling an entire province and spawning boundless slaughter.

Chen Mu's mind raced, and all scattered clues instantly linked together: "Star Lord, are you saying all of this is orchestrated by that 'Beast God,' Jiu Ying?"

"Eighty percent likely!"

The Star Lord of Tian Tong affirmed: "Even if Jiu Ying himself isn't directly directing it, he definitely knows—and has secretly authorized it!"

"To secretly transport this batch of Giant Snake King eggs into Weizhou and ensure they remain undetected during hatching, Cao Cao Liangxing, Tang Ji, and others have secretly bribed and recruited countless individuals, using filthy means to eliminate rivals and drive away anyone who might interfere."

Chen Mu's mind cleared suddenly!

So that's how it is.

The former chief of the Weizhou Garrison Office was suddenly reassigned...

Tang Ji, Du Yuansheng, and He Xiaoming went to great lengths to restrain him—even provoking a full-scale war between Jiuxuan Sect and the Divine Eagle Gate—to trap him in chaos and leave him no time to look elsewhere...

Du Yuansheng and his allies grew increasingly reckless, showing utter disregard for civilian lives...

The root of all these abnormal actions? To clear obstacles and buy time for the hundred Giant Snake King eggs—capable of igniting a bloody storm—to slip into Weizhou in ten days!

Excellent, "Beast God" Jiu Ying.

A meticulously planned conspiracy indeed!

"Thank you, Star Lord of Tian Tong."

Chen Mu suppressed the surging killing intent and vigilance against Jiu Ying's plot, bowed again with solemn gratitude.

"No need."

The Star Lord of Tian Tong waved his hand, his tone softening slightly but still carrying a warning: "Though currently only Jiu Ying's beast servants are targeting Weizhou, the Giant Snake King eggs are of immense importance—Jiu Ying himself, or even his stronger 'Beast Divine Envoys,' might appear at a critical moment."

"When you return to Weizhou, Wu Quxing, if the situation becomes hopeless or you face a powerful enemy, remember to use the Star Token to call for aid from any 'Star Deity' within the Southeast Circuit. When activated, the Star Token will alert all Star Lords within a two-thousand-li radius who carry one."

"Thank you for the warning, Star Lord of Tian Tong. Wu Qu understands." Chen Mu filed away this debt.

With the "Star Deity" organization as backup, facing a behemoth like the "Beast God" did indeed grant him greater confidence.

The two exchanged a few more low words; the Star Lord of Tian Tong imparted to Chen Mu, as thoroughly as possible, the fragmented details he had extracted from Cao Cao Liangxing's memory: the list of Weizhou's colluding factions, possible transport routes for the snake eggs, and the secret codewords used by emissaries from Snake King Island.

Moments later, the Star Lord of Tian Tong took his leave, his figure vanishing into the sea of clouds.

Chen Mu wasted no more time. He seized Cao Cao Liangxing's shattered soul and lifeless body, and activated the Star Token.

Hum!

Space warped again; Chen Mu's figure, along with Cao Cao Liangxing's corpse, vanished from the Star Palace.

Outside Weizhoucheng, in a desolate mountain ravine, the night wind howled bitterly.

Chen Mu and Cao Cao Liangxing appeared out of thin air.

Without hesitation, Chen Mu pressed two fingers like a blade—a refined sword qi sliced across Cao Cao Liangxing's neck.

Puch!

A head with hollow eyes and twisted features rolled to the ground; the torso twitched twice, then fell still.

This division chief of the Canal Guild, Jiu Ying's beast servant, after enduring the agony of soul-searching, finally met complete death.

【Corpse detected. Collect?】

"Yes!"

Card acquired. Check it.

Soul-Enhancing Card!

Not bad.

Chen Mu gave a slight nod, then activated his true qi, summoning a blazing pale-gold flame that engulfed Cao Cao Liangxing's corpse and head.

The flame burned with extreme heat yet remained tightly contained; within mere breaths, it reduced the body and all bloodstains to ash, scattered by the night wind—completely erasing all traces.

Having finished, Chen Mu swiftly stripped off his Star Robe and mask, stowed the Star Token, and donned the official robe of the Imperial Court's Inspector.

Cold light flashed in his eyes; his figure shot skyward, no longer hiding anything, racing back to Weizhoucheng at top speed!

Now that he knew of Cao Cao Liangxing, Tang Ji, and their collusion with the "Beast God" organization, Chen Mu had no intention of playing their game of gathering evidence or following procedure!

Against traitors who conspire with enemies and poison the lives of the people, evidence is unnecessary—capture them first!

If they resist, kill on the spot!

First target: Tang Ji's mansion!

Yet when Chen Mu descended like a divine warrior into Tang Ji's compound, he found servants present, lanterns blazing—but Tang Ji himself was nowhere to be seen.

Chen Mu's expression darkened; without delay, he turned and rushed toward Du Yuansheng's mansion.

Same result: Du Yuansheng was gone.

Finally, He Xiaoming's mansion—also empty.

Three raids, all failed to find them!

A foreboding sense rose in Chen Mu's chest; his figure flashed again, returning to the Garrison Office.

The garrison guards rushed forward upon seeing his sudden return.

"My lord, you're back! Just now, the Canal Guild's division headquarters was attacked by an unknown strong force—the division chief, Cao Cao Liangxing, is suspected of being abducted, fate unknown."

"The incident has caused an uproar in the city. Lord Tang, Lord Du, and Lord He received the news and personally led teams to investigate the Canal Guild headquarters—they have not returned yet."

"Investigation?" Chen Mu's lips curled into a cold smile, his eyes filled with mockery and chilling malice. "They must have smelled trouble and fled ahead of time!"

Without asking further, he shifted his form and left the Town Martial Office again, this time heading directly to the sealed, brightly lit Canal Guild branch.

Inside the branch, everything was in chaos; the pavilion's ruins still lay shattered, the bloodstains not yet dry, and the Canal Guild disciples were terrified. When they saw Chen Mu, the Inspector, arrive in person, they fell utterly silent.

Chen Mu inspected the entire branch and carefully questioned the disciples who had witnessed the scene, confirming that Tang Ji, Du Yuansheng, and He Xiaoming had never set foot here!

"They really ran!"

Chen Mu stood before the ruins of the pavilion; the night wind whipped his robes, snapping loudly. "Cao Cao Liangxing was suddenly arrested—they clearly sensed the danger and feared being dragged out by following the vine. So they chose without hesitation to flee first!"