Chapter 428

The middle-aged man had already made up his mind.

Yu Chengbang heard this, his heart eased slightly, yet he dared not fully believe it, urgently asking, "A secret passage? Is it safe? Could the Zhenwu Bureau have already discovered it?"

"Relax, this secret passage is known only to us and has never been used—absolutely safe."

The middle-aged man spoke with certainty, "Stay here and rest. Don't make a sound. Don't light a lamp. I'll make arrangements."

Saying this, he rose and gave a glance to the hunched old man, who understood and silently stepped into the shadow by the door, like a lifeless statue.

The middle-aged man then pushed open a hidden door on the other side of the earthen hut, seemingly part of the wall, slipped inside, and the door sealed shut without a gap.

Yu Chengbang sat nervously on the worn-out chair, straining his ears for sounds outside, his heart tossing and turning.

He didn't know if the middle-aged man would truly help him, whether the secret passage was truly safe, or what fate awaited him after escaping the Wu Long Mansion.

Time passed, second by agonizing second.

Outside the earthen hut, around the general store, the night grew deeper.

The surveillance officers of the Bureau blended perfectly into the darkness, motionless as the most patient hunters.

They had already sent word: Lord Tang Bin was mobilizing absolutely reliable elite forces to encircle this location.

Inside the earthen hut, beyond the hidden door, the middle-aged man had not gone far.

He reached a corner, took from his robe a bone fragment slightly different from Yu Chengbang's but equally black, pressed it against an inconspicuous depression in the wall, and whispered a few eerie incantations.

The bone fragment warmed slightly; faint blood-red patterns surfaced on the wall, then vanished.

This was an extremely covert short-range communication method, capable only of transmitting minimal warning messages to a specific direction.

After completing this, a ruthless gleam flashed in the middle-aged man's eyes.

Yu Chengbang was no longer useful—he had become a burden and a threat!

His return order was not to arrange an extraction, but to eliminate him!

Clean up all traces, then everyone immediately evacuate this contact point via the backup secret passage.

He adjusted his expression, then reopened the hidden door and returned to the earthen hut.

"All arranged."

The middle-aged man said to the anxious Yu Chengbang, "In another hour, when the night is darkest, we'll take the secret passage. Our contact waits at the 'Graveyard of the Abandoned,' thirty li outside the city."

Yu Chengbang had no suspicion, nodding quickly, "Good, good! Thank you… thank you!"

"My lord, you're too kind."

The middle-aged man's face twisted into a strange smile, "But before we go, to ensure absolute safety, you must cooperate…"

"Cooperate with what?" Yu Chengbang asked instinctively.

"Cooperate… to die!"

Before the words were fully spoken, a short blade coated in ghostly blue poison-light slid from the middle-aged man's sleeve and stabbed with lightning speed toward Yu Chengbang's throat!

Simultaneously, the hunched old man at the door snapped his head up, his cloudy eyes instantly sharpening like an eagle's, his withered palm becoming an iron claw, laced with foul wind, slamming toward Yu Chengbang's back!

Their coordination was flawless, their strikes ruthless—they clearly intended a single, fatal blow, leaving Yu Chengbang no chance to resist or cry out!

Yu Chengbang turned pale with terror.

He never imagined they would turn on him so swiftly!

He wanted to dodge, to shout—but their ambush came too suddenly, too close!

He was only at the late Stage of Primordial, how could he withstand two assassins whose cultivation clearly matched his own and who had planned this for long?

As the poisoned blade and iron claw neared his body—

"Chii!"

"Bang!"

Two soft sounds rang out almost simultaneously.

The expected agony and death did not come.

Yu Chengbang saw only a blur—a palm of pale golden qi, appearing out of nowhere, had firmly pinched the blade's tip, halting it dead in its tracks!

The iron claw striking his back had slammed into a suddenly formed transparent energy shield, emitting a muffled thud—the shield remained unmoved, while the claw was repelled by the counterforce.

A figure in a blue long robe, young-faced, appeared like a ghost, standing precisely between Yu Chengbang and the two assassins, unseen until now.

It was Chen Mu!

He had been nearby all along, his powerful spiritual sense perceiving every word and movement within the earthen hut.

When he sensed the middle-aged man's return and the surge of murderous intent, Chen Mu knew the net was ready to close.

"Who are you?"

"You seek death!"

The middle-aged man and the hunched old man, both shocked and enraged, shouted as one, abandoning Yu Chengbang and turning their attacks on this sudden intruder.

The poisoned blade twisted, slashing toward Chen Mu's wrist; the iron claw struck again, aiming straight for his face!

Their moves were vicious, perfectly coordinated—they meant to swiftly eliminate this unexpected nuisance.

Chen Mu's expression remained calm, even without drawing a weapon.

He simply raised his left hand, fingers spread, and gently pressed downward.

Hum!

An invisible, formless, immense force field erupted from Chen Mu's palm, instantly engulfing the small earthen hut.

The middle-aged man and the hunched old man felt their bodies tighten, as if suddenly trapped in thick, viscous mud.

Their movements slowed drastically; their internal qi flow was severely disrupted and suppressed!

They realized in horror that their full-power attacks, within the invisible field, moved like slow-motion replays, utterly drained of all force.

"Earth Altar Realm?!"

The middle-aged man gasped in terror.

Chen Mu did not give them more time to think.

His right hand formed a sword finger and lightly stabbed the air twice toward the two men.

"Puff! Puff!"

Two razor-sharp sword qi blades pierced through their hastily formed defensive qi like paper, striking precisely the vital acupoints on their chests and abdomens.

Both men stiffened simultaneously, their eyes filled with disbelief, terror, and despair, then collapsed limply, their vital energy rapidly fading — their major meridians sealed by the sword qi, utterly stripped of resistance.

From Chen Mu's appearance to subduing the two assassins, the entire process took no more than two or three breaths!

So fast that Yu Chengbang had not yet fully recovered from the fear of death.

He sat slumped on the ground, staring dumbfounded at the young figure standing before him like a god descending from heaven, his mind utterly blank.

At that moment, a rapid, orderly tread and low shouts came from outside the earthen hut.

"Zhenwu Bureau on official business! Those inside, surrender…"

"Enough talking — break down the door!"

"Boom~!"

The already dilapidated wooden door was kicked open in one blow.

Tang Bin led the charge, wielding a long saber, followed by over a dozen burly, fully armed officers of his personal guard.

When they saw the scene inside the room —

the limp Yu Chengbang, the two subdued strangers lying on the ground, and Chen Mu standing calmly in the center — they all froze.

"Your servant bows to Elder Chen!"

Tang Bin immediately sheathed his saber and bowed to Chen Mu, his eyes brimming with reverence.

He had not expected Chen Mu to appear here personally, let alone eliminate the targets so cleanly and swiftly.

Chen Mu nodded slightly and pointed at the two assassins on the ground.

"These two are from the Longsheng Cult. This contact point must have a secret passage — search immediately, secure everyone, and let no one escape. Also, Yu Chengbang is under your custody."

"Yes!"