Chapter 358: Long Tutu

"What?!"

Chen Mu was startled, "What happened to Tutu?"

Zhao Fuzhou took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and spoke rapidly.

"Tutu has gone missing!"

"According to confirmed news from the Long family, about three days ago, just as the Great War between Zheng and Mo broke out, Tutu and her second brother, Long Fengfei, traveled to the 'Yuanlong Dao' to pay respects and celebrate the birthday of an elder allied with the Long family."

"After the banquet ended, the siblings set out together to return. But along the way, they passed through an area that was suddenly attacked and swept clean by at least two factions of the Wudamo Sect, sparking fierce chaos!"

Zhao Fuzhou's face was filled with worry and anger, "In the midst of the chaos, Tutu and Long Fengfei were also caught up! By the time the Long family received the news and sent people to the area, they found only traces of battle and the corpses of Long family attendants and guards—Tutu and Long Fengfei were both gone!"

"The Long family has never been numerous, and their direct-line core disciples are even fewer. Tutu and Long Fengfei are the most outstanding disciples of this generation in the Long family."

Zhao Fuzhou looked at Chen Mu, his eyes complex, "Now that the Zheng-Mo war has begun and the world is in turmoil, the Long family itself faces immense pressure and needs strong experts to hold their positions and defend against possible Mo Sect attacks. The number of experts who can be spared to search for Tutu and her brother is extremely limited, and at least they must be Ditan-level cultivators to dare travel in today's chaos."

He paused, his tone heavy, "As the chief official of the Zhenzhou Zhenwu Bureau, under the current circumstances, my duties are immense—I cannot possibly leave Zhenzhou for even a moment. After much thought, the only person I can entrust with this task—who has sufficient strength, convenient status, and a deep bond with Tutu, and who would never stand idly by…"

Zhao Fuzhou stared intently at Chen Mu, "It's only you, Chen Mu!"

Chen Mu fell silent.

Zhao Fuzhou was right.

In strength, he was now Ditan's Five Qi in Harmony, sufficient to handle most dangers; in status, he was a Zhenwu Bureau Inspector, whose duty included patrolling various regions, granting him relative freedom of movement; in relationship, he shared deep ties with Long Tutu and bore responsibility to find her.

"Brother Zhao, rest assured—I'm leaving right away."

Chen Mu made no hesitation, immediately deciding. His gaze was firm, his tone devoid of any doubt.

That little girl, Long Tutu, though young, was clever and mischievous, exceptionally intelligent, and possessed a rare sense of chivalry.

Back in Nanyun Fu, had she not accidentally connected him, Chen Mu would never have caught Zhao Fuzhou's attention, let alone received the position of Inspector.

Without exaggeration, Long Tutu was Chen Mu's first benefactor.

He had always remembered this debt.

Now that she was in peril, lost and in danger, how could Chen Mu stand by and do nothing?

"Chen Mu, I truly owe you a great favor this time!"

Seeing Chen Mu's decisiveness, Zhao Fuzhou felt both gratitude and guilt, and solemnly bowed to Chen Mu with clasped fists.

He knew this journey was perilous—the Mo Sect ran rampant, war erupted everywhere, and searching for two people amid such chaos was like finding a needle in a haystack, fraught with danger.

"Brother Zhao, you overstate it."

Chen Mu waved his hand, his expression calm yet radiating unshakable resolve, "Tutu is my friend. When a friend is in trouble, offering help is only natural."

He did not linger in further pleasantries, bowed to Zhao Fuzhou.

"Time waits for no one—I'm leaving now. Brother Zhao, please be cautious with Zhenzhou's affairs, take care!"

"You must be careful too! If you need anything, contact me anytime!" Zhao Fuzhou nodded heavily.

Chen Mu said no more, his figure flickered, and he soared into the air, becoming a streak of blue light that shot rapidly toward the northern horizon, vanishing within moments beyond the desolate mountain shadows of Luoying Valley.

Zhao Fuzhou stood where he was, gazing at the direction Chen Mu had vanished, silent for a long time, his face filled with worry and hope.

…

Chen Mu crossed the vast, raging Tianmen River once more, the river wind howling.

After entering Jiangbei Dao, he made no pause, continuing northward, his target fixed on the 'Yuanlong Dao'.

According to Zhao Fuzhou's information, the last known whereabouts of Long Tutu and her second brother, Long Fengfei—and the location where they were caught in the chaos and disappeared—was within the territory of 'Lizhou' in Yuanlong Dao.

That place was one of the worst-hit regions in this Mo Sect assault.

Several days later, Chen Mu arrived at the Lizhou territory of Yuanlong Dao, weary from travel.

Before even entering the state capital, a far more brutal and grim atmosphere than that of Jiangnan or Jiangbei Dao struck him.

On the official road, there were virtually no travelers; occasionally, a cart passed, its curtains tightly shut, the driver's face pale with fear, urging his horse to gallop faster.

Along both sides of the road, corpses lay scattered—human and livestock alike—many already rotting, drawing flocks of crows to circle and peck, the air thick with a faint stench of decay and blood.

Chen Mu frowned tightly and chose a large-looking Wulong Fucheng to land in.

Inside the city, the scene was equally bleak.

On the broad main street, pedestrians were scarce; every household had shut its doors, many shops had nailed thick wooden planks across their fronts, and only a few locals, wrapped tightly in robes and alert, hurried past.

Occasionally, squads of city guards in leather armor, wielding weapons, patrolled nervously—their footsteps echoing sharply in the silent streets.

Chen Mu knew this near-"empty city" appearance was temporary panic.

Households likely still had some grain stores to sustain them for a few days behind closed doors.

But grain would eventually run out; then, to survive, people would be forced to risk venturing out to search for food, gather news, or perform basic labor.

At that point, chaos and conflict would likely intensify further.

The immediate priority was to obtain specific information about the Mo Sect forces that attacked Lizhou and their latest movements, to possibly deduce the whereabouts of Long Tutu and her brother.

Chen Mu scanned the deserted street, finally choosing a tavern still open, though only two or three tables had customers, and it looked desolate.

"Sir, please come in."

The Shopkeeper was a thin, gaunt man in his fifties, his face etched with sorrow; seeing a customer, he forced a faint smile, but his eyes brimmed with wariness and unease.

Chen Mu sat at a corner table by the window and ordered a few simple dishes and a pot of wine.

When the food and wine arrived, he did not touch his chopsticks, but picked up the wine pot and poured two full cups.

"Shopkeeper, you've worked hard—come, have a drink and rest," Chen Mu said calmly.

The Shopkeeper froze, a flicker of hesitation and fear crossing his face; he quickly waved his hands, "N-no, sir, please enjoy your meal, I must tend to the stove…"

"Come." Chen Mu's voice remained calm, but his gaze settled on the Shopkeeper like a physical weight.

The Shopkeeper stiffened, feeling invisible pressure, and reluctantly shuffled over, sitting cautiously across from Chen Mu.

Chen Mu pushed one cup toward him and spoke bluntly, lowering his voice, "Shopkeeper, I'd like to ask—what Mo Sect faction launched the attack on Lizhou a few days ago? Where are they now, and what are their latest movements?"

"Ah?!"

The Shopkeeper's face turned pale at these words, as if he had heard something utterly terrifying; he leapt up from his stool, knocking over the wine cup before him.

He was just about to flee…

"Hm?"

Chen Mu furrowed his brows and let out a soft hum.

He did not expend much power—only slightly released a trace of his own Earth Altar Realm's Bridge-level aura.

Hum!

A sense of heaviness, majesty, and spiritual and physical pressure far beyond the Innate Realm descended like an invisible shackle, instantly enveloping the Shopkeeper's entire body!