Chapter 357: Zhao Fuzhou Seeks Help

The landlord wiped the sweat from his forehead, lowered his voice, his tone clearly tense and uneasy.

"To be frank with you two, we at Hero Hall have yet to uncover the exact cause of this great battle."

"The incident happened too suddenly—the Five Mo Sects acted nearly simultaneously, with not a single warning beforehand. Many of our spies scattered across the lands have lost contact, and the reports we've received are chaotic and contradictory, impossible to verify."

He paused, then gave a bitter smile. "It's not just our Wuzhou branch—every branch across the lands is in chaos now. Many longtime patrons and major clients are pressing for news. We… we're overwhelmed."

"With the Holy-Mo war now ignited, all factions have tightened control over information, sealing off news and purging their eyes and ears. Though Hero Hall has always remained neutral, making our living from selling intelligence, this situation…"

He didn't finish, but the meaning was clear.

In this colossal wave sweeping across the world, any force attempting to maintain "neutrality" or remain above the fray risks being seen as a threat or an unstable element by both sides.

Hero Hall's once-proud intelligence network now stands as a prime target; it is no longer possible to gather and sell information as freely as before.

Even their own safety and position face severe tests!

…

Having gained nothing from Hero Hall, yet gaining a deeper sense of the chaos, Ye Jiuzhong and Chen Mu both felt heavy-hearted.

"Chen Brother."

Ye Jiuzhong broke the silence first, his face lined with worry and resolve. "The situation at our sect is unclear—I must return to Tianlei Sect immediately. I don't know how long this Holy-Mo war will last. I must go back and stand with my sect."

Chen Mu nodded in understanding.

Tianlei Sect was Ye Jiuzhong's root—he had to return.

"Brother, take care. The journey is long, and the Mo Sects are rampant now—be extra cautious. If you need anything, contact me anytime." Chen Mu said solemnly; the two exchanged simple means of communication.

"You too, Chen Brother! Your identity is unique, your target is large—you must be even more careful!"

Ye Jiuzhong bowed his fists.

"I hope one day we can fight side by side again!"

With no further pleasantries, they parted solemnly at a quiet spot outside Wuzhou City, each transforming into streaks of light and shooting off in opposite directions, vanishing swiftly into the boundless sky.

The Holy-Mo war had begun—the world would descend into chaos, with fires blazing everywhere.

In this turbulent era, as a Patrol Inspector of the Zhenwu Bureau, Chen Mu's duty naturally forbade him from standing aside.

But beyond duty, he had personal concerns.

His only family were Huang Feiyang and Miao Xiuxiu.

Though Huang Feiyang was within the Juling Sect, safe and protected,

the Huang Quan Sect had been wiped out—such a major power as Juling Sect surely had enemies too.

If Mo Sect forces invaded, no one could say whether Huang Feiyang would be properly protected.

Thinking of this, Chen Mu decided to return to Shannan Dao.

He did not delay—he set out immediately.

Leaving Wansheng Dao, he crossed Jiangbei Dao once more.

When he stood again before the mighty Tianmen River, its surface stretching dozens of li wide, his heart was utterly different from when he had first come.

The river wind still bit sharply, the mist still thick—but the air itself seemed suffused with invisible smoke.

Chen Mu crossed the river in silence, without pause.

Entering Jiangnan Dao, the once-fertile land of rice and fish, its former splendor, now bore a shadow.

Along the way, towns had tightened their defenses; merchants and travelers had sharply diminished; occasionally, small squads of imperial troops or local militias patrolled, the atmosphere taut.

Chen Mu had intended to head straight west toward Shannan Dao.

Yet, shortly after entering Jiangnan Dao, while flying through the air, a "tongxin bamboo tablet" in his chest, meant for emergency contact, suddenly vibrated—faint but unmistakable.

"Hmm?"

Chen Mu slowed midair, descending to a secluded grove of trees.

He pulled out the smooth bamboo tablet and infused it with a thread of true qi.

The tablet's surface shimmered with spiritual light, revealing a brief line of text.

The sender was Zhao Fuzhou!

The message was simple:

【Chen Mu, come to Zhenzhou at once! Urgent matter to discuss—of great importance, urgently!】

Zhao Fuzhou had an urgent matter for him? And specifically emphasized "urgent matter" and "of great importance"?

Chen Mu frowned slightly.

Zhao Fuzhou was steady and capable—if it weren't truly a matter of life-or-death, and one only he could handle, he would never send such an emergency message demanding Chen Mu's immediate presence in distant Zhenzhou.

Was there a major upheaval in Zhenzhou? Was it tied to the Holy-Mo war? Or… something else?

Various speculations flashed through his mind.

But trusting Zhao Fuzhou's character and the urgency of the wording, Chen Mu made his decision instantly.

He tucked away the bamboo tablet, made no further hesitation, turned his direction, abandoned his course toward Shannan Dao, and sped toward Zhenzhou at full speed!

With his current Dantian Realm, Five Qi in Harmony cultivation, his speed far surpassed anything before.

In less than a day and night, he reached Zhenzhou's borders.

Upon entering Zhenzhou, Chen Mu did not head directly to the provincial capital or the Zhenwu Bureau office.

The situation was treacherous now, Mo Sects lurking—he had been urgently summoned. Out of caution, he paused briefly in a small town, changed into an unremarkable blue cotton robe, applied simple disguise, and concealed some of his more conspicuous features.

Once prepared, he took out the tongxin bamboo tablet again and sent Zhao Fuzhou a brief message.

【Brother Zhao, I've arrived in Zhenzhou. Where shall we meet?】

Shortly after sending it, the tablet vibrated again.

Zhao Fuzhou replied quickly, his message concise and clear.

【West of the city, ten li out—Luo Ying Valley. Come quickly!】

Falling Eagle Valley?

Chen Mu recalled the geography of Zhenzhou and remembered it was a desolate valley west of the provincial capital, with treacherous terrain and rarely visited by humans.

Zhao Fuzhou chose to meet there clearly to avoid attention.

Chen Mu no longer delayed; he confirmed the direction and shot westward toward the provincial capital like a streak of lightning.

The season was early winter; though southern lands were not as bitterly cold as the north, plants and trees had withered, and all things lay barren.

Inside Falling Eagle Valley, the desolation was even more pronounced.

Following the arrangement, Chen Mu paused briefly at the valley's entrance, scanned with his spiritual sense, confirmed no hidden ambushes, then darted inside.

Deep within the valley, about a hundred zhang, beneath a leeward mountain hollow, he saw a familiar figure.

It was Zhao Fuzhou!

He too wore civilian attire, not his official robe, standing alone with his hands behind his back, brows furrowed, face marked by rare anxiety and exhaustion.

"Brother Zhao!" Chen Mu lifted part of his disguise, revealing his true face, and stepped forward quickly.

"Chen Mu, you've finally arrived!"

Zhao Fuzhou looked up at the sound, saw Chen Mu, and a flicker of relief passed in his eyes—but was instantly replaced by deeper urgency.

"Chen Mu, Tutu is in trouble!"