Chapter 507: Why Are You Worrying So Much?!

Chen Mu fell silent for a moment, then replied.

"Not yet. But I feel we're getting close."

Xia Lin smiled faintly: "Good."

After a pause, he added: "Though I know nothing of martial ways, after decades of reading, I've learned one truth: some answers aren't thought up—they appear suddenly before your eyes as you walk."

Chen Mu bowed his fist: "Thank you, Mr."

……

The night grew deep.

The bonfire gradually died out; the camp sank into sleep.

Chen Mu sat beneath a tree, gazing at the star-strewn sky, silently repeating those words.

"Where the heart seeks, the soul resides."

Appear suddenly before your eyes as you walk…

He closed his eyes, his spiritual sense slowly extending, covering the entire camp, then spreading outward.

In the distance, the movement of wild beasts.

Farther still, the cry of night birds.

Even farther, it seemed someone was traveling through the night…

All normal.

He retracted his spiritual sense, about to enter meditation, when suddenly his brow furrowed.

Southwest, roughly thirty li away, there was a fluctuation of true qi.

Not one, but several.

And they were moving toward this direction.

Chen Mu opened his eyes, gazing toward that direction.

In the night, nothing could be seen.

But his spiritual sense had already caught the aura of those people.

Their speed was slow, but their direction was clear—straight toward the plain where the escort team had set up camp.

Chen Mu did not move.

Those people were still far off; at their pace, it would take at least half an hour to reach them.

He did not wake Wang Hu, nor disturb the escort team; he simply sat quietly, his spiritual sense continuing to track their movements.

Half an hour passed quickly.

The camp's bonfire had long since gone out; only a few windproof lanterns hung beside the carts, casting a dim yellow glow.

The night watchmen leaned against the wagon axles, their heads nodding as they dozed off.

Chen Mu stood up.

Without disturbing anyone, his figure flashed once—and vanished into the night.

A hundred zhang away, atop a small hill, Chen Mu stood with his hands behind his back, gazing southwest.

Under the moonlight, seven or eight figures were speeding toward him.

They wore black robes, masked, agile, their auras fierce.

All were at the late stage of Primordial Foundation; their leader radiated the aura of early Earth Altar Realm.

Bandits again?

Chen Mu's brow twitched slightly.

Not like it.

Their movements were too synchronized—clearly rigorously trained. And they headed straight for this direction; they were clearly targeting the camp.

Were they accomplices of the black-robed men from earlier, come for revenge?

Or…

Chen Mu did not dwell on it.

Whoever they were, since they'd come, they couldn't be allowed near the camp.

He took a step forward, his form like a phantom, instantly crossing a hundred zhang to land ten zhang ahead of the group.

The seven or eight figures halted in unison.

Their leader's pupils contracted; he stared at Chen Mu's sudden appearance and growled: "Who are you?"

Chen Mu did not answer. He simply watched them.

Seeing his silence, the leader's eyes flashed with malice; he waved his hand: "Kill him!"

The seven or eight figures surged forward from all sides, attacking Chen Mu!

Blade light like snow, sword shadows like woven silk, murderous intent surging to the heavens!

Chen Mu did not move.

He merely raised his hand and swept it lightly.

Boom—

A vast, overwhelming force erupted like an invisible tidal wave, instantly hurling all seven or eight men into the air.

Every black-robed figure tumbled through the air, crashing into the ground, into trees, each spewing blood, motionless, dead beyond revival.

Only the leader barely managed to stay on his feet, but was blasted back seven or eight steps, his face ashen.

He stared at Chen Mu in terror, voice trembling: "You… you…"

Chen Mu stepped forward, landing before him.

"Who sent you?"

The man had just opened his mouth when Chen Mu shook his head.

"Forget it, I'll look myself."

Saying this, he raised his hand, fingers spread wide, aimed at the man's skull.

Soul-Search Technique!

The man's pupils shrank sharply, his whole body convulsing violently, yet unable to struggle at all.

Countless fragments of memory surged into Chen Mu's consciousness like a dammed flood breaking loose.

Moments later, Chen Mu lowered his hand.

The man collapsed to the ground, eyes vacant, saliva dripping from his mouth—he was now completely a Bai Chi.

Chen Mu stood in place, processing the memories he had just obtained.

These people were indeed here for revenge.

The black-clad leader who had escaped during the day had ridden through the night to a Shanzhai a hundred li away, bringing reinforcements.

That Shanzhai was a sizable bandit den; its chieftain was at the Earth Altar Realm's Five Qi Convergence, with hundreds of men under him.

They planned to ambush the camp under cover of night, kill the "meddling" young man, and rob the caravan.

Chen Mu looked up, gazing toward that direction.

A hundred li away.

There was a Shanzhai.

Since they came, I might as well clean them up.

Thinking this, Chen Mu casually flicked out a sword qi, piercing the black-clad man's brain, now a Bai Chi.

Puff~

The black-clad man fell.

【Corpse detected. Collect?】

"Yes!"

……

Cards obtained, inspect them one by one.

Qi Card, Cultivation Card, Power Card, Qi Card…

The last one was a Soul-Enhancing Card.

Not bad.

Chen Mu gave a slight nod and turned toward the camp.

Back at the camp, Chen Mu went straight to Wang Hu's tent.

"Wang Biaohead."

Wang Hu slept lightly; at the sound, he jolted awake, drew his knife, and burst from the tent. Seeing it was Chen Mu, he finally relaxed.

"Young Master Bu? What's wrong?"

Chen Mu said: "Guests are coming tonight—I've already dealt with them. But their lair still exists; more trouble may come tomorrow."

Wang Hu's face changed: "What do you mean?"

Chen Mu briefly explained.

Wang Hu listened, face turning ashen, teeth clenched: "These damned bandits! Young Master Bu, what should we do? Should we leave tonight?"

Chen Mu shook his head: "No. You continue at dawn. I'm going to that Shanzhai."

Wang Hu froze: "You're going alone? That Shanzhai has hundreds of men, and its chieftain is Earth Altar Realm Five Qi Convergence…"

Chen Mu looked at him, saying nothing.

Wang Hu remembered the scene from earlier that day and swallowed the rest of his words.

Right—this man didn't even fear Earth Altar Realm Five Qi Convergence. Why was he worrying?

He quickly said: "Then, Young Master, be careful."

Chen Mu nodded and vanished into the night.

……

Night was ink-black, the moon hidden, stars sparse.

After leaving the camp, Chen Mu sped southwest without pause.

A hundred li— for one of the Celestial Palace Realm, it took no longer than the burning of an incense stick.

Ahead, the terrain rose gradually; rolling hills in the night resembled crouching beasts.

Chen Mu halted, his spiritual sense surging forth like a tide, covering dozens of li ahead.

Found it.

A Shanzhai stood on a depression between two hills, backed by a sheer cliff, surrounded by mountains on three sides, with only one narrow path leading out.

The walls were built of thick logs, about three zhang high; every few zhang stood an arrow tower, now flickering with firelight—night guards among the bandits.

Chen Mu counted: over a hundred wooden huts, scattered orderly across the compound.

At the center stood a slightly larger meeting hall, with two lanterns hanging at its entrance.

Though deep in night, the hall still glowed with light, faint voices audible within.

He retracted his spiritual sense, flashed once, and landed atop a large tree outside the Shanzhai.

From here, the night guards on the wall were clearly visible.

Each arrow tower held three men; ten patrolled the walls—all at Postnatal Eighth or Ninth Layer, formidable to ordinary people.

But to Chen Mu, they were no different from ants!