Chapter 390: Underground Conspiracy!

What made Chen Mu's eyes narrow was that beside the helmet, other armor plates, forearm guards, leg guards, and even several blades and swords were scattered about.

Judging by their style and faint spiritual glow, they too seemed to be ancient relics, possibly incomplete equipment belonging to some ancient general or cultivator.

The Liu family probably regarded this helmet as part of some ancient armor set, trying to "complete" it here?

Unfortunately, they didn't know this helmet was one of the core components of the "Duan Tianhe Sword Armor," utterly unrelated in pattern and aura to the armor pieces beside it.

Without hesitation, Chen Mu gestured through the air; his true qi surged, and the dark gold helmet floated weightlessly into his palm as if pulled by invisible threads.

It felt cold to the touch, yet not heavy—instead, it carried a strange sense of perfect fit.

With a thought, the helmet vanished into the space within his palm.

Now that he had the helmet, his heart settled.

He was about to retrace his steps, but as he reached the door, his "Listen to the Wind" skill suddenly caught an extremely faint sound, as if transmitted from deep underground through layers of obstruction.

The voices were indistinct; had Chen Mu not possessed the "Listen to the Wind" skill, and had it not been this silent midnight, and had the speakers not refrained from using advanced true qi projection, he could never have detected them.

One voice, deep yet tinged with urgency and anxiety, was strikingly familiar—

"We can't wait any longer! If we wait any longer, I fear we'll run out of time—the Black Water Marsh outside the city is already stirring; the Town Martial Office may discover something at any moment!"

This was…

Liu Qihua's voice?

Chen Mu halted his step, held his breath, and pushed his "Listen to the Wind" skill to its limit, focusing entirely on capturing the sound waves from underground.

Immediately, another voice, slightly aged and soft yet sinister, spoke as if soothing: "Brother Qihua, calm down. The timing isn't ripe yet. We haven't fully secured the key points within the city, nor confirmed the guard rotation patterns. Most crucially, the 'Captain Lord' hasn't arrived."

Captain Lord?

Chen Mu's heart leapt.

Another voice interjected, oily and cautious, now heavy with solemnity: "Old Liu, Li Lao is right. With just us and our underlings, we're no match for two palms of Du Wei the old bastard! We must wait for the Captain Lord to arrive personally—or at least bring enough high-level experts—before we act!"

Huh?

Hearing this voice…

A sharp gleam flashed in Chen Mu's eyes!

Xiao Xinming!

It was Xiao Xinming—the Town Martial Office's Moon Inspector who had just supported the Liu family today!

Liu Qihua, Xiao Xinming, and that third man called "Li Lao"…

They were indeed colluding!

And from their conversation, this was far more than mere personal gain or suppressing rivals.

The four words "Captain Lord" carried overwhelming implications against the backdrop of the current holy-dark war sweeping the world.

This was no title any ordinary gang or faction within the orthodox sects would dare use!

A shocking suspicion instantly surfaced in Chen Mu's mind—

Xiao Xinming, Liu Qihua, and possibly even the faction represented by "Li Lao," had secretly defected to the Mo Sect?

They were plotting some action within the Dao City?

Chen Mu was stunned, yet his expression remained as calm as still water, his aura completely suppressed, like an inanimate stone in the corner.

He held his posture motionless, pouring all his focus into the "Listen to the Wind" skill, listening remotely to the secret talk from deep underground.

Xiao Xinming, Liu Qihua, Li Lao, and a fourth person with a younger voice but formidable aura continued whispering about a plan.

They mentioned keywords like "array core," "city gates," "warehouses," and "Town Martial Office inside agent," repeatedly stressing they must wait for the "Captain Lord" or reinforcements before launching their operation to seize or cripple the Dao City.

They clearly feared Du Du Weilong, the mid-stage Tiangong commander, repeatedly emphasizing they must not move without a Tiangong-level cultivator present.

After listening a while longer, the underground voices gradually faded, as if the secret meeting was nearing its end or shifting topic.

Chen Mu knew he could no longer stay.

The Liu residence's underground chamber contained such a hidden meeting place—there might be other defenses or alarms; lingering longer risked trouble.

He silently opened the door, slipped out, and shut it behind him, restoring its appearance—even though the lock was broken, nothing looked amiss.

He swiftly returned to the shadowed corner where he'd emerged, activated Earth Submersion again, and sank into the ground.

This time, Chen Mu did not pause—he pushed his Earth Submersion to maximum speed, shooting through the earth like an arrow, far beyond the Liu estate's boundaries.

He only surfaced after traveling several streets away, in a quiet, deserted alleyway.

The night wind brushed against him, carrying a chill.

Chen Mu stood in the darkness, eyes filled with thought.

The Liu family had allied with the Mo Sect and intended to cause chaos in the Dao City!

Xiao Xinming, as Moon Inspector of the Town Martial Office, was involved too—deserving nothing less than death.

This matter was no trivial affair—it concerned the safety of an entire city, possibly even the outcome of the Yuanlong Dao front!

Without further hesitation, Chen Mu oriented himself, his body becoming a faint blue shadow invisible to the naked eye, moving at top speed across silent streets and rooftops, heading straight for the Town Martial Office headquarters.

The Town Martial Office headquarters remained brightly lit and heavily guarded even in the deep night.

When Chen Mu revealed his Inspector's token and declared urgent business requiring immediate audience with the Commander, the guards dared not delay—they immediately relayed the message upward.

Soon after, Chen Mu was led to the outer chamber of the Commander Du Du Weilong's private quarters, where he handled urgent affairs.

Several solemn, aura-steady personal guards stood outside.

After a brief wait, the heavy palace door slowly opened.

Du Du Weilong wore loose dark blue casual robes and a draped outer cloak, his hair slightly disheveled—he'd clearly been roused from meditation or sleep.

His face held no anger, but his bright eyes, like cold stars in the night, fixed on Chen Mu and asked calmly.

"Inspector Chen, why have you come at this hour?"

Chen Mu stepped forward, bowed deeply before Du Du Weilong under the watchful eyes of the guards, his voice low.

"Commander Du, I have urgent news to report!"

He lifted his head and met Du Wei's deep gaze, speaking slowly and clearly.

"Your subordinate has discovered that the Liu family in the city is secretly colluding with the Mo Sect, plotting to instigate rebellion within Dao City, opening the gates from within to overthrow the city's defenses!"

"And among those conspiring with them is someone from within my Zhenwu Bureau—"

"The Director of the Moon Bureau, Xiao Xinming!"