Chapter 576

In the following three days, Chen Mu did not idle.

He acted like a newcomer to the capital, spending each day loitering in key areas within and outside the Dragon Court, crowded venues, and well-informed teahouses and taverns.

Though appearing aimless, he used his Tiangong realm divine sense and sharp observation to gather traces of the Dragon Court's recent movements, the dynamics of various factions, and any possible clues related to the "Beast God" or the "Mountain-River Sheji Cauldron."

He heard rumors that the Emperor had recently fallen slightly ill and had not attended court for several days.

He heard whispers of several princes secretly vying for power and courting court officials.

He heard of minor friction between the Zhenwu Si and the Hulong Si due to overlapping responsibilities in a major case.

He also heard rumors that the Fengtian Hall had recently strengthened its guards, with strange lights often flowing at night.

But of the "Beast God," there was not a single whisper.

This organization operated with extreme secrecy and would hide even deeper in a core place like the Dragon Court.

Three days later, evening.

Chen Mu arrived punctually at the "Qingfeng Teahouse," located in the western district of the inner city, near Xihua Gate, famed for its refined tranquility.

The teahouse had three stories, built of wood, ancient and elegant.

Chen Mu ascended to the third floor and stood before Room Jia-3, gently knocking.

"Enter."

Inside came the voice of Taiyang Xingjun.

Chen Mu pushed open the door.

Inside the room, three others were already seated.

Besides Taiyang Xingjun, disguised as a scholar, there was Pojun Xingjun, clad in black robes with a chilling aura, and Qisha Xingjun, the "One-Eyed Old Servant."

The four met without pleasantries.

Taiyang Xingjun waved his hand to cast a soundproofing barrier, then spoke first, his voice solemn.

"The situation is not good. I received confirmed intelligence that three days ago, the Hulong Si intercepted and killed two outer members of the 'Beast God' attempting to infiltrate disguised as a merchant caravan—both were Di Tan realm cultivators."

"But before capture, they self-destructed, their souls annihilated, leaving no survivors. Hu Long Si recovered a fragment of an encrypted route map from the wreckage; after preliminary decryption by Tianji Xingjun, it pointed directly to the drainage channel entrance west of the Fengtian Hall, near the 'Treasure Pavilion'!"

Pojun Xingjun interjected, his voice low, "I've monitored Xihua Gate and nearby royal residences for three days. I noticed several unfamiliar guest masters entering and leaving the Anping Commandery Prince's mansion—cold aura, their cultivation methods utterly unlike ordinary people—and they had secret contact with a eunuch in the palace responsible for procurement."

"The Anping Commandery Prince is the Emperor's third uncle, traditionally low-key, but rumors say he has old ties to certain tribes in the southern reaches of Tiannan."

Qisha Xingjun added in a hoarse voice, "I wandered through several underground gambling dens and black markets and picked up some whispers. Someone is paying high prices for 'Break-Array Cones,' 'Invisibility Pills,' and 'Filth-Soul Sand'—a substance capable of briefly polluting and corroding spiritual essence!"

"The buyer is mysterious, but the delivery location vaguely points to an abandoned mansion in Xicheng's 'Tongluo Alley.' I investigated—it's concealed by an array, saturated with malevolent energy, not a place of good intent."

Chen Mu listened silently, then concisely recounted his own observations over the past three days—especially the rumors of strengthened Fengtian Hall guards and nocturnal strange lights, along with the subtle shifts among the Dragon Court's high echelons.

"Drainage channel, Anping Commandery Prince, Filth-Soul Sand, Fengtian Hall anomalies…"

Taiyang Xingjun's eyes gleamed, "It's clear—the Beast God's target is indeed the 'Mountain-River Sheji Cauldron' inside the Fengtian Hall."

"They plan to infiltrate via the western drainage channel, likely with an inside contact, and have prepared vile tools like Filth-Soul Sand to pollute the sacred cauldron. The timing is almost certainly the seventh day of next month, when the cauldron's spiritual energy leaks most intensely."

"That abandoned mansion is likely one of the Beast God's secret bases within the Dragon Court, used to store supplies and hide operatives."

Pojun Xingjun said coldly, "The area from Xihua Gate to the western side of the Fengtian Hall falls under our jurisdiction. The drainage channel entrance, the Anping Commandery Prince's mansion, and the Tongluo Alley abandoned mansion are all within this zone."

"Ziwei Xingjun's meaning is…"

Taiyang Xingjun looked at the three, "Before we uncover the Beast God's exact plan and troop deployment, we must not alarm them. But we must closely monitor these locations—especially the Tongluo Alley abandoned mansion and the drainage channel entrance."

"If we confirm the Beast God's main force is hidden in the mansion, or uncover their infiltration route and timing, we can coordinate with other teams to net them all!"

"How do we divide tasks?" Qisha Xingjun asked.

"Then this: Pojun, you continue watching the Anping Commandery Prince's mansion, especially his contacts with palace personnel."

Taiyang Xingjun said, "Qisha, you are responsible for monitoring the Tongluo Alley abandoned mansion."

He turned to Chen Mu, "Wu Qu, you and I will investigate and confirm the exact location, guard status, and whether the drainage channel entrance has been tampered with by the Beast God. Meanwhile, be ready to support Pojun and Qisha at any time."

Chen Mu nodded: "Agreed."

The four discussed further details and covert contact signals, then dispersed.

Chen Mu left the teahouse, oriented himself, and walked slowly toward the area inside Xihua Gate, near the palace walls.

……

Time passed.

Several days later.

The four gathered again at the teahouse.

"Gentlemen…"

Taiyang Xingjun spoke solemnly, "Our investigations over these days have uncovered shocking information. We underestimated the Beast God's ambitions this time—and the depth of their infiltration into the Dragon Court!"

He took a deep breath and said slowly, "The abandoned mansion Qisha monitored has been confirmed as one of the Beast God's key bases within the Dragon Court."

"I joined him in a risky infiltration of the outer perimeter and detected at least five Tiangong realm auras within."

"Two of them were unmistakably Tiangong mid-stage. They appear to be preparing large quantities of Filth-Soul Sand and some kind of sacrificial demonic artifact. More alarming still…"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over them, "Near the mansion, we found the unique seals and residual auras of the Lele Mo Sect, Wandu Jiao, Xuemo Sect, and Changsheng Jiao!"

"The Four Mo Sects?"

Pojun Xingjun's voice turned icy, "They've also gotten involved? And allied with the Beast God?"

"Correct."

Qisha Xingjun's eyes flashed with malice, "Though only outer personnel, their marks are unmistakable. It seems the Beast God has lured them onto their chariot with heavy rewards. With their help, the Beast God's operations within the Dragon Court will be far more covert and smooth."

Chen Mu's heart tightened.

Four of the Five Mo Sects had all appeared, allied with the Beast God.

This lineup was enough to spark a catastrophe sweeping across several Dao regions—and now their target was the very heart of the Dragon Court.

"This is not the worst."

The Sun Star Lord spoke with grave tone, "General Breaker has made a more astonishing discovery."

General Breaker slowly raised his head, his eyes filled with killing intent nearly solidified, "Prince Anping is indeed in league with the Beast God. The several guest masters in his mansion—after I secretly followed them and used secret methods to spy—I have confirmed they are members of the Beast God."

"And one of them is very likely a Shenlong disguised under the guise of 'Illusion'!"

"The eunuchs they frequently contact belong to the Imperial Household Department's Procurement Office, and the chief eunuch of that office is the adopted son of Gao Rang, the Senior Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Emperor's favorite!"

"Gao Rang?" Chen Mu raised an eyebrow.

He was one of the Emperor's closest attendants, a powerful eunuch whose influence rivaled that of the Grand Secretariat.

"It's not just that."

General Breaker continued, "Through monitoring Gao Rang's adopted son and utilizing certain special channels, we discovered that more than one high-ranking official in court is connected to the Beast God—or, more precisely, to the line of Prince Anping and Gao Rang!"

"Right Vice Minister of War Liu Neng, Director of the Revenue Department's Inspection Office Qian Youdao, even Deputy Commander Zhao Kuo of the Capital Garrison's Divine Fire Division—all have secret financial and interest ties to Prince Anping's mansion or Gao Rang, and their recent behavior has been abnormal."

The Ministry of War, the Ministry of Revenue, the Capital Garrison.

These are key positions controlling military equipment, grain supplies, and the capital's defense.

If these men are controlled or bribed by the Beast God, the consequences are unimaginable.

"The entrance to the drainage tunnel we previously investigated has also been tampered with by the Beast God."

Chen Mu spoke up at the right moment, his voice steady, "I confirmed with the Sun Star Lord that among the guards at that entrance, two Imperial Guard Captains have been replaced—they are Beast God agents in disguise."

"Inside the tunnel, several extremely concealed arrays have been set up. Once activated, they can briefly block external surveillance and summon subterranean yin poison to shield intruders. The method of setup does not resemble the Beast God's usual style—it bears traces of the Longevity Sect."

The Ministry of War, the Ministry of Revenue, the Capital Garrison, the Inner Court, the Imperial Clan, the Sidamo Sect, at least five Heavenly Palace Beast Gods, and the corrupted court officials…

A vast, intricate, black network rooted deep within the Dragon Throne's inner circle now lay clearly before the four of them.

This time, the Beast God is not playing small—it has long planned, conspired internally and externally, and is determined to succeed.

Inside the side chamber, silence fell.

"Have the Purple Micro Star Lord and the Heaven's Mechanism Star Lord given any orders?" asked the Seven Kill Star Lord in a low voice.

"Yes."

The Sun Star Lord slowly nodded, his expression slightly eased, "The Heaven's Mechanism Star Lord, synthesizing all intelligence, has roughly deduced the Beast God's full plan. They will divide into multiple teams."

"One team, led by the Shenlong with a select elite, will infiltrate through the controlled drainage tunnel and strike directly at the Fengtian Hall."

"Another team, composed of Sidamo Sect experts and some Beast God members, will create chaos across the Imperial Palace to draw away guards' attention."

"Meanwhile, the bribed officials and generals within court will, at the critical moment, create security gaps—and may even launch a military mutiny to assist the Beast God's operation."

"Their ultimate goal is to contaminate the Mountain-River Altar Cauldron with 'Filth God Sand,' and, amid the chaos, seize or destroy it!"

"A bold move," General Breaker snorted coldly.

"But…"

The Sun Star Lord shifted tone, a flicker of unusual light in his eyes, "The Heaven's Mechanism Star Lord also mentioned that the palace is not entirely unprepared. The things we've uncovered—Guardian Dragon Corps and the Emperor are already aware."

"Oh?" Chen Mu's gaze stirred slightly.

"Details are unknown, but recently, palace guard rotations have been frequent, and key commanders have been quietly replaced."

The Sun Star Lord whispered, "Though the Emperor claims illness and does not hold court, it is said he still meets secretly with senior ministers in the Yangxin Hall. The Guardian Dragon Corps has also been unusually active, secretly arresting several mid- and low-level officials for unclear reasons."

"The Heaven's Mechanism Star Lord suspects the Emperor may be playing along—using this opportunity to lure out the court's corrupt elements and the Mo Sect forces, and sweep them all away at once."