Chapter 332: Ambush!

Inside the quiet chamber.

Chen Mu spent another two days carefully contemplating and consolidating the mysterious changes brought by his new realm of "Three Flowers Converging at the Crown," fully mastering the surge of power before stepping out.

As soon as he emerged, a guard approached to report that the newly appointed chief of the Weizhou Garrison Office had arrived yesterday and was waiting in the main hall.

Chen Mu had anticipated this—he had been a temporary acting chief, merely a transitional figure, and now that his mission was complete, he felt no lingering attachment or regret.

He immediately went to the main hall and met the new chief, directly dispatched by the Southeast Circuit headquarters: a middle-aged man with a steady aura, clear eyes, and a cultivation level of Earth Altar Realm's Five Qi Converging.

After brief pleasantries, they swiftly completed the official handover.

Chen Mu detailed the current state of the Weizhou Garrison Office, key matters requiring attention, and summaries of selected Juan Sect records.

The new chief clearly already had a general understanding; he expressed respect for Chen Mu's decisive actions during his tenure in Weizhou and his ultimate eradication of internal threats, promising to handle all subsequent affairs properly.

With the handover complete, Chen Mu stepped out of the Garrison Office.

Outside, many guards who had heard the news had gathered spontaneously—several were familiar faces who had accompanied him during the conflicts with Jiuxuan Sect and the Divine Eagle Gate, and the subsequent investigations.

They gazed at this young Inspector, whose extraordinary methods had single-handedly restored order, their eyes complex: awe, reluctance, and admiration intertwined.

Chen Mu's gaze swept over them; he said nothing, merely gave a slight nod to the few guards he knew.

Then, with a light step, his body rose effortlessly like a feather with no weight, his official robe fluttering in the morning breeze.

"Honorably see off my lord!"

Below, all the Garrison guards—regardless of rank or whether they knew Chen Mu—stood solemnly, fists clenched in salute, shouting in unison, their voices loud and piercing the clouds.

They watched as that young figure, already famed throughout the land, pierced through the clouds, becoming a streak of light that vanished swiftly beyond the horizon of Weizhoucheng.

…

Leaving Weizhou's territory, Chen Mu flew through the air, moving at a steady, unhurried pace.

He planned to first return to the Southeast Circuit Garrison Headquarters to report on the Weizhou affair and transfer his duties as Inspector.

After that, he could proceed to the "Qilin Armory."

The Qilin Armory lay in the north.

The Southeast Circuit, Jiangnan Circuit, and Shannan Circuit were all southern regions; Chen Mu had always operated in the south.

This journey north—would he finally gather the last two pieces of the Sword Gear?

…

Lost in thought, Chen Mu entered a range of hills.

Below lay endless forests, lush and green, utterly serene.

Just as Chen Mu flew over a particularly dense and treacherous stretch of woodland—

"Shiiii! Shiiii! Shiiii! Shiiii!"

Four razor-sharp, bone-chilling gray-black beams shot up without warning from deep within the dense forest below.

These beams moved faster than lightning, angled with cruel precision—not aimed directly at Chen Mu, but striking his front, back, left, and right, like four icy nails instantly sealing every possible escape route!

Ambush!

And a premeditated assassination!

"Hmph!"

Cold light flashed in Chen Mu's eyes; he let out a cold snort, reacting with extreme speed.

He didn't even turn around—his mind flickered, and a clear sword-song rang out from the hidden weapon case on his back!

"Qiang!"

The Xian Long Sword flew out automatically, becoming a dark, flowing light that landed in Chen Mu's hand.

The blade trembled, its hot, domineering sword intent surging skyward!

Without the slightest pause, Chen Mu swung the sword horizontally!

"Chilaa—"

A condensed, solid-like, crimson arc of sword qi erupted from his blade, radiating an intense will to sever all things and burn away corruption, meeting the four incoming icy beams head-on!

The sword qi collided with the beams, emitting a strange "zzzz" sound, like cold water poured onto hot oil.

The crimson sword qi, with absolute superiority, tore through and vaporized the four gray-black beams, thick with corruption and dark energy.

Yet the attack was not over.

"Soo! Soo! Soo! Soo!"

Almost as the beams shattered, four shadowy figures cloaked in wide black robes, their faces obscured, surged upward from the forest below like ghosts, their movements eerie and swift, instantly taking positions around all four sides and surrounding Chen Mu!

These four shared the same origin of aura—all cold, sinister, like venomous snakes lurking in shadows—and each was at the Earth Altar Realm's "Three Flowers Converging at the Crown" level!

Moreover, their energies subtly linked, clearly trained in coordinated joint-strike techniques.

"Elder Chen, you've traveled far—we've been waiting here for you!"

A voice filled with malice and hatred came from behind Chen Mu.

Chen Mu turned his head and saw, behind the four black-robed figures, a middle-aged man with a square face, bronze-toned skin, and bloodshot eyes, staring at him as if he wanted to devour him alive.

Chen Mu's expression remained unchanged; he calmly scanned the man, as if looking at a stranger, and spoke softly.

"Who are you?"

"You…" The square-faced man froze mid-breath, then his chest heaved violently, his face flushing red as if deeply insulted, roaring:

"Chen Mu! You damned bastard! You ruined my 'Snake King Island's' painstakingly built plans, caused us catastrophic losses—and you dare say you don't recognize me?! I'll tear you into a thousand pieces! Attack! Kill him!"

He was clearly blinded by hatred, unwilling to waste another word, and immediately ordered the four black-robed figures.

"Jie jie jie… To personally slay the famed Qilong prodigy, the Garrison's genius representative, Chen Mu—what a fortune for my four brothers!" One of the black-robed men cackled, his voice hoarse and grating.

"Chen Mu, remember this: the one sending you to your death is the 'Jin Sha Four Ghosts!'" Another black-robed man sneered, announcing their name with cruel delight.

As the words ended, all four moved at once!

Their motions were perfectly synchronized, yet each carried unique emphasis—as if they had rehearsed a thousand times.

One man struck out with his palm, howling with yin wind, aiming straight for Chen Mu's back.

One man held his fingers together like a sword; grey-black finger-force pierced through the void, stabbing toward the space between Chen Mu's brows.

One man tore at the air with both claws, clawing at Chen Mu's left ribs.

The last man's figure was bizarre and drifting, kicking out a skyful of leg shadows that sealed off Chen Mu's right side and the space above!

Their attacks coordinated flawlessly—front, back, left, right, above, below—every possible angle of evasion was completely locked down.

On top of that, a wave of cold, sinister spiritual force spread outward, trying to disrupt Chen Mu's judgment.

And almost at the same instant, the square-faced middle-aged man below also let out a roar, his hands forming a seal. A sickly-green phantom image of a venomous python, reeking of a foul stench, condensed between his palms. Opening its great maw, carrying a corrosive, all-destroying venom, it lunged from below upward to bite at Chen Mu's dantian vital point.

In an instant, Chen Mu fell into a killing formation meticulously laid by five experts of the same rank.

Above, below, left, right, front, back—no path of retreat remained!