Chapter 369

Xu Mingyuan's calm, scholarly composure vanished instantly, replaced by utter shock.

His pupils contracted sharply, his body involuntarily leaning forward slightly, his voice rising several notches.

"Lord Chen, is this true? The outpost of the Sun-Moon Mo Sect… you know its exact location? This matter is no trivial matter—do not utter a single false word!"

It was no wonder he was so unguarded.

The Sun-Moon Mo Sect, one of the Wudamo Sects, moved with elusive secrecy; its outposts were often hidden in places too perilous for ordinary people to imagine, or heavily disguised—even the top-tier force of Wan Jian Mountain required immense manpower and resources, and often paid a heavy price, to uncover a single confirmed outpost.

Chen Mu suddenly appearing, claiming to know the exact location, was truly astonishing.

"Director Xu doubts I am deceiving you?"

Chen Mu's gaze turned cold, his tone sharpening with lethal intent, "I am a Patrol Envoy of the Great Zhou's Zhenwu Si. My duty is to purge treachery and oversee lawlessness. I have slain no few Mo Sect demons!"

His words rang with finality.

Xu Mingyuan, cowed by Chen Mu's aura, immediately realized his earlier questioning had been rude and Tang Tu.

He hastily bowed in apology, "Lord Chen, forgive me—I spoke foolishly! This matter is of grave importance, involving the Sun-Moon Mo Sect; I could not afford to be careless in verifying it."

He reconsidered: Chen Mu's reputation and achievements were real.

Young as he was, he had already dropped off the Dragon's List, escaped from a Tiangong realm demon, and slain numerous Mo Sect elites—even the infamous Bu Nantian had fallen to him.

To claim such a man was a Mo Sect infiltrator?

The Mo Sect would have to be absurdly reckless—and overestimate themselves terribly.

"This matter is too grave for me to decide alone," Xu Mingyuan said, his expression turning solemn. "It must be reported immediately to the Mountain's Elder Council—and may even require alerting the Sect Master. I beg your pardon, Lord Chen."

"Understood." Chen Mu nodded, showing comprehension.

Wan Jian Mountain, given the importance of this intelligence, would naturally require high-level approval; they could not act rashly on his word alone.

"Lord Chen, please wait here. I shall report this at once."

After speaking, Xu Mingyuan hurriedly ordered his subordinates to serve Chen Mu refined pastries and premium tea, then swiftly departed the City Management Office, disregarding the city's flight ban entirely—he summoned his sword, shot into the sky as a streak of light, and raced toward Wan Jian Mountain beyond the city.

Chen Mu bided his time, sitting quietly in the reception hall.

He lifted his teacup, sipping slowly, while mentally planning his next moves.

If Wan Jian Mountain acted, if they could tie down—or even eliminate—the Tiangong realm outpost leader at Moonwatch Valley—his chances of rescuing Long Tuti would increase dramatically.

About an hour passed.

Footsteps sounded outside the reception hall: Xu Mingyuan had returned.

With him came another man.

The man appeared to be in his forties or fifties, his features utterly ordinary, dressed in a simple long robe, a worn-looking sheathed sword casually hung at his waist, no powerful aura radiating from him—he would vanish without notice in any crowd.

Yet when Chen Mu's gaze fell upon him, his heart tightened.

The man's aura was faint, almost imperceptible, as if fused with the surrounding environment; yet his seemingly plain eyes were as deep and chilling as an unfathomable abyss—when they swept over you, they felt like they pierced your soul, compelling involuntary reverence.

"Lord Chen, this is Elder Li Tianjun of Wan Jian Mountain," Xu Mingyuan introduced with deep respect.

"Greetings, Elder Li."

Chen Mu rose immediately, bowing with neither subservience nor arrogance.

Someone so formally introduced by Xu Mingyuan, possessing such a return-to-nature aura, could only be a Tiangong realm cultivator.

Li Tianjun gave a slight nod, his gaze calm as it settled on Chen Mu, speaking plainly yet with penetrating clarity.

"Lord Chen, I hear you know the exact location of a hidden outpost of the Sun-Moon Mo Sect? Can you confirm it is truly their base, and not a deliberate deception?"

"Confirmed."

Chen Mu answered with absolute certainty, his tone open, his gaze clear as he met Li Tianjun's, "The source is reliable. I am over ninety percent certain. The location is called Moonwatch Valley, within Han Prefecture."

"As for how I came to know…"

Chen Mu paused briefly, apologetic, "Forgive me—I cannot disclose the source in detail. This involves classified matters."

Xu Mingyuan, listening beside him, suddenly looked enlightened.

He recalled Chen Mu's position as a Patrol Envoy of the Great Zhou's Zhenwu Si—the imperial court's intelligence network spanned the land, unmatched in reach; knowing secret Mo Sect outposts seemed entirely plausible.

When Chen Mu called it "classified," it only made it more credible.

Li Tianjun clearly reached the same conclusion.

A flicker of understanding passed through his eyes; he nodded, and did not press further on the source.

The Zhenwu Si had its own rules and secrecy protocols—he, as an outsider, had no right to probe.

"Good."

Li Tianjun's expression turned grave. "Though Lord Chen confirms it, given the Sun-Moon Mo Sect's involvement and the potential scale of Wan Jian Mountain's action, prudence demands final verification. I trust Lord Chen understands."

"Understood." Chen Mu nodded.

It was only natural—no one would mobilize forces on his word alone.

Li Tianjun wasted no time: "Please tell me the precise location of Moonwatch Valley, its surrounding terrain features, and any information you have regarding the outpost's defenses or personnel deployment."

Chen Mu immediately described, as clearly and accurately as possible, the exact location of Moonwatch Valley, the terrain's contours, entrance characteristics, and possible outer defense setups—all drawn from Wei Liao's memories.

Li Tianjun listened intently, occasionally probing one or two details.

When Chen Mu finished, Li Tianjun fell silent for a moment, then spoke slowly, "The information you provided is highly specific—not fabricated. I will dispatch reliable personnel immediately to Han Prefecture to verify the truth of Moonwatch Valley."

He looked at Chen Mu and gave a clear timeframe.

"Within three days at most, we will have confirmed news. For these three days, please remain in Wan Jian City and await the verification results."

"No problem." Chen Mu agreed promptly.

Three days—he could wait. And it gave him the perfect chance to recuperate and prepare for the coming operation.

"Then I shall take my leave."

Li Tianjun nodded to Chen Mu, then told Xu Mingyuan, "See to Lord Chen's comfort," and turned—his steps seemed slow, yet in an instant he vanished beyond the reception hall's threshold, as if dissolved into the air.

Xu Mingyuan quickly turned to Chen Mu.

"My lord Chen, please rest here for these three days; should you need anything, simply give the order."