Chapter 88: Find Someone!

「Mmm!! 」

Huang Feiyang's entire body trembled, searing pain instantly sweeping through every part of him.

Just as he was about to scream, Chen Mu shoved the towel he held into his mouth.

Biting down on the towel, Huang Feiyang shuddered violently, sweat sliding off every inch of his skin; in that instant, it felt as if countless knives were slicing him—not just his flesh and blood ached, but even his bones throbbed with pain.

Pain!

Too much pain!

He bit down so hard on the towel that it tore.

He wanted to leap up, but Chen Mu held him down firmly.

Huang Feiyang was already at the Third Stage of Heaven in the Postnatal Realm; the Divine Power Card's energy had scattered through his body, transforming his physique and initiating his evolution—and it hurt this badly, nearly making him faint.

If Chen Mu, who was in the Innate Realm, used a Divine Power Card, he would pass out from the pain the instant it activated, then wake up in agony, then die from it again.

This was precisely the ruthless, formidable nature of the Divine Power Card.

Huang Feiyang had thought he could endure it, but now realized that if Chen Mu hadn't restrained him, he would've already smashed into the wall.

Agony piercing the heart, agony tearing the soul…

They say childbirth is the most excruciating pain a woman endures, but right now Huang Feiyang felt as if his entire being had been ripped open—not just torn, but crushed into fragments.

He hadn't sensed the Divine Pill's effects yet, but he had certainly felt its pain.

After an unknown length of time, the pain on his body gradually faded.

The sweat on Huang Feiyang's body evaporated into mist, swirling around him.

He bowed his head, breathing heavily, "Huff~ huff~"

"It's done."

Chen Mu withdrew his hand and said softly, "The Divine Pill's energy has spread throughout your body. The subsequent evolution will unfold gradually over time, increasing your strength—you'll master ten-thousand-jun power within three years."

Huang Feiyang didn't reply; he continued gasping, the torn towel falling from his mouth, his chest heaving, sweat still steaming off him.

Chen Mu watched him, sensing the aura emanating from Huang Feiyang's body.

Cross-tempering One Cauldron Body?

No, still a bit short.

The effect of the Divine Power Card was obvious: in just these few minutes, Huang Feiyang's physique had strengthened to rival Postnatal Perfection.

He was close to achieving Cross-tempering One Cauldron Body.

But the Divine Power Card primarily enhances strength; physical resilience is merely a side effect.

It's not true Cross-tempering.

Even so, it's more than enough for Huang Feiyang to protect himself.

"That nearly killed me!"

After catching his breath for a while, Huang Feiyang drew a deep breath and rasped, "I thought I was dead from the pain just now!"

"That's called suffering first, then reaping the reward," Chen Mu smiled. "From now on, Brother, you've got to control your strength—especially when you're around your wife. Don't hurt my unborn nephew."

"Get lost, get lost—do you really think I need you to tell me that?"

Huang Feiyang snapped.

He could already sense the changes brought by his enhanced physique.

Without exaggeration, he could punch a bull to death.

This was pure physical strength!

Thinking of this, Huang Feiyang grew more excited, taking several deep breaths to calm himself.

Then he stood up and looked at Chen Mu: "I won't say thanks…"

"There's nothing to thank for," Chen Mu interrupted. "Now, do you still want to be boss?"

"No."

Huang Feiyang blurted out, "After you asked me last time, I thought it over carefully. The boss position isn't for me, and it's not what I want. If I can, I want to leave the Big Knife Gang and live a simple life with your sister-in-law—open a small restaurant, enough to support our family."

"…," Chen Mu was somewhat surprised.

Huang Feiyang was willing to give up the power and prestige he'd just gained, choosing a humble life instead.

"Then we'll leave the Big Knife Gang."

Chen Mu said seriously, "I'll speak to the boss."

"Wait a moment."

Huang Feiyang shook his head. "Although I want to leave the Big Knife Gang, the brothers who followed me don't. I have to arrange for them."

Now that he was stronger, leaving the gang wouldn't make him a target—but the others wouldn't be so safe.

Joining a gang is hard; leaving is harder.

Fighting and killing inevitably lead to deaths.

Even though the eastern district of the outer city is now fully controlled by the Big Knife Gang,

internal struggles remain fierce.

Although the number of top leaders has increased, once someone takes the position, whether they can hold onto it is another matter entirely.

If Huang Feiyang willingly leaves the Big Knife Gang, will the others believe him?

Some will believe him; others won't.

Without the position of top leader, those who oppose Huang Feiyang will surely emerge.

They fear he'll return and take their positions.

So they might as well kill him outright.

Then, whether Huang Feiyang fights back or not, he'll have no choice.

This wasn't something that could be resolved just because "Brother Guan Tong" agreed to let Huang Feiyang leave.

To withdraw unscathed, the retreat route had to be arranged before breaking away.

This point, Chen Mu had indeed overlooked.

After Huang Feiyang's reminder, he only then came to his senses.

"Fine, then we'll talk after you've made the arrangements." Chen Mu said calmly.

Huang Feiyang nodded. "Don't worry."

……

Having given the Divine Power Card to Huang Feiyang, Chen Mu relaxed considerably.

The next target was Li Li Qiancheng.

That fellow, wanting to avenge Li Xiangyang, had chosen Chen Mu as his primary target.

He actually dared to hire assassins from the "Black Dragon Society."

Now the "Black Dragon Society" in Nanyun Prefecture had been wiped out, and the subsequent assassins had stopped the assassination along with them.

But Li Li Qiancheng still had to die!

Knowing the identity and name, finding a person wasn't hard.

Chen Mu had the people from the External Affairs Hall begin the search.

In less than half a day, they found Li Li Qiancheng.

……

In a street-facing teahouse in the western district of the outer city.

Li Li Qiancheng's brows were tightly furrowed, and in his irritable mood he was pouring cup after cup of tea into his belly.

It wasn't that he didn't want to drink alcohol—the problem was that all his money had been given to the "Black Dragon Society," and now he only had a few taels of broken silver in his pocket.

He couldn't even afford decent liquor anymore.

He could only drink tea, to keep his mouth from tasting of nothing.

'Why is there still no news?'

Sitting in the teahouse, Li Li Qiancheng was nervous, anxious, expectant, and inexplicably fearful.

He had only learned of the great name of the "Black Dragon Society" recently.

By all rights, such a major power shouldn't have any mishaps, but for some reason Li Li Qiancheng's heartbeat kept accelerating.

An inexplicable intuition told him that the "Black Dragon Society"'s assassination of Chen Mu had probably gone wrong.

But how could that be possible?

Li Li Qiancheng admitted that this Chen Mu was a genius—only sixteen years old yet already at the Fifth Stage of Acquired—but what kind of power was the "Black Dragon Society"?

The assassins they dispatched were professional killers; killing one at the Fifth Stage of Acquired should have been a cinch.

How could it be…

Whoosh!

A gust of fierce wind abruptly cut through the air, spanning dozens of meters, entering the teahouse from outside the window, and with a "thwack" struck Li Li Qiancheng's neck.

Li Li Qiancheng, whose mind had been rapidly thinking and who was tense and uneasy, fell silent and collapsed onto the table; in his still-open eyes lingered astonishment.

Li Li Qiancheng sat in a corner, so the people in front didn't notice for the moment.

It was the teahouse's waiter who came out from inside, saw Li Li Qiancheng slumped over the table with an arrow stuck in his neck, and let out a sudden shriek.

"Mur… murder!"

……

On the rooftop of a street-facing building dozens of meters away, Chen Mu put away his Half-Spirit Bow and turned to leave.

Killing Li Li Qiancheng took only one arrow.

Third Stage of Acquired—could be pinched to death with ease.

【Corpse discovered. Pick up?】

"Yes!"

With the card in hand, a check showed it was an Internal Force Card—one month's worth of internal force.

Chen Mu stored it directly.

There was one thing that Chen Mu found strange.

That was, after breaking through to the Second Stage of Heaven, the pickup range hadn't changed—it was still a hundred meters!

In the Acquired realm, every breakthrough of one stage increased the pickup range.

Breaking through in the Innate Realm no longer increased it?

The principle behind this situation, Chen Mu couldn't figure out.

"Perhaps breaking through to the Earth Altar Realm is needed to increase the pickup range again…"

Chen Mu guessed.

Guesses and the like, even if inaccurate, didn't matter.

A hundred-meter pickup range, even without growth, was enough.

……

With Li Li Qiancheng dead, Chen Mu paid no more attention.

Li Xiangyang was dead, the Guo family was gone, and the Gao family people hadn't come to the Great Saber Gang either.

For the time being, Chen Mu was free.

He stayed at the External Affairs Hall's branch for two days.

Then he went to the Great Saber Gang headquarters, and using the identity of "Brother Guan Tong," entered the underground chamber through the secret passage and took a look around.

With no unnecessary matters, Chen Mu left the city again and headed for Sanjue Valley.

Chen Mu was deeply interested in the treasure mentioned in Tang Wuyang's memories.

Something that compelled the first master of Sanjue Valley to personally instruct its transmission across generations must be valuable.

Just because Tang Wuyang couldn't find it doesn't mean Chen Mu can't.

……

Sanjue Valley.

After leaving last time, returning now, the valley was utterly silent.

No human sounds, no signs of wild beasts.

Some herbs in the valley emitted medicinal fragrance, drifting with the air.

Chen Mu walked slowly, activating both the "Listen to the Wind" skill and the "Wolf Sniffs the Moon" skill, combining them with his Innate Five Senses to search inch by inch, like a carpet.

He scoured the entire valley.

Especially the master's residence—walls, floors, ceilings, every corner, without exception.

Even behind the house, in the corners, and at the bottom of nearby ponds.

Not a single spot was left unsearched.

Yet after searching for a long time, he found nothing.

"Is the treasure not in the valley?"

Chen Mu pondered.

If he were the master of Sanjue Valley, he wouldn't hide such a sect-defining treasure within the valley itself.

But he wouldn't hide it too far away either.

The best place would be near Sanjue Valley!

Thinking this, Chen Mu activated his lightness technique, leaping off the ground, stepping through the air, and surging up to the hill on the valley's right side. From above, he activated the "Eagle Eye" skill, scanning every corner of Sanjue Valley from high above.

He scanned every spot in the valley, then the opposite hillside, the valley's depths, and the other side of the mountain behind him.

Simply scanning from afar could not reveal where the treasure was hidden.

How could something buried underground be so easily found?

Chen Mu's aerial scan aimed to locate unnatural spots.

The environment near certain traps often appeared discordant. Of course, most traps were concealed within the surroundings.

Caves, gullies, shallow depressions, and such.

Chen Mu didn't expect much—just trying his luck.

With the Eagle Eye's vision, inspecting the valley's interior and exterior took little time.

If he failed, he lost nothing.

……

……

Wulong Fucheng.

Inner city.

Sifang Martial Arts Hall.

"Who were those people who just went in? The hall master seemed to treat them with great respect."

"Definitely important figures—the hall master bows to them, so they must be powerful."

"Where do you think they're from? The provincial capital?"

"Who knows? This has nothing to do with us. Focus on next month's test instead. Fail it, and you'll be kicked out of the hall. The hall master is kind, but eating free meals gets you beaten to death."

"Right, right! Keep training! Keep training!"

"……"

On the spacious training ground, a group of martial arts apprentices gathered, discussed briefly, then threw themselves into intense practice.

Training at Sifang Martial Arts Hall was cheap, but there was a test every three months.

Fail the test, and you're eliminated.

Pass it, and you may stay until you break through and become a full martial artist.

The lower-level apprentices trained diligently.

In the hall's back courtyard, Sun Jindong stood respectfully beside a thirty-something man with an outstanding aura, bowing as he reported.

"……Altar Master, these are the developments in Nanyun over the past half year."

"Hmph, interesting," the man chuckled. "The Guo family was crushed by the Town Martial Bureau for selling Xiaoyao Pills. The masters of Iron Spear Gate, the elders of Sanjue Valley, and the leaders of Black Dragon Society all joined the Longsheng Sect—and were all crushed by the Town Martial Bureau. Zhao Fuzhou's strength is far greater than rumors suggest."

"Has he entered Earth Altar Stage?"

Earth Altar Stage?

Sun Jindong's heart leapt, and a fire ignited within him.

Earth Altar Stage!

He was still at the peak of Fourth Stage Innate!

He remained stuck, unable to cross the final step to Fifth Stage Innate.

That one step, if unbridged, would trap him forever in Fourth Stage Innate.

Compared to Earth Altar Stage, Fourth Stage Innate was utterly insignificant.

"Envious?"

The man glanced at Sun Jindong and smiled. "Complete one more task for me, and you can exchange for Xuan Yuan Pills. Take them, and you'll break into Fifth Stage Innate."

"Thank you, Altar Master!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Jindong's eyes lit up, and he respectfully bowed to the man.

"Thanking me is useless — it depends on you yourself."

The man raised his hand slightly and said calmly, "This time I've come to assign you a task. Organize a group of people and find someone for me. This person is currently hiding somewhere in Nanyun Prefecture — most likely within the city! But there's a chance they're outside the city as well, so you'll need plenty of manpower — the more, the better!"

"Understood!"

Sun Jindong replied in a deep voice.

"Mm." The man nodded in satisfaction and waved his hand. A burly great fellow standing behind him immediately stepped forward and handed Sun Jindong a sheet of drawing paper.

Sun Jindong took it and looked — he saw only a portrait of a person drawn on it.

Hair disheveled, eyes very large, stubble all over, weariness between the brows — overall looking quite wretched.

"It's this person!"

The man said calmly, "Strive to find the person at the fastest speed possible."

"Yes!"

Sun Jindong said respectfully.

His eyes looked at the portrait, his brain spinning rapidly.

Nanyun Prefecture alone has several hundred thousand people within the city. Finding one person among them — the difficulty is neither great nor small.

The key is finding the right approach!

Though Four Directions Martial Hall counts as a major local power in Nanyun Prefecture, its foundation is too shallow, its rise too recent.

In recent years, although Sun Jindong had made wide connections, he had taken the upper-class route. His grip on the lower levels was merely average.

Unlike the Zheng family, the Pan family, the Gao family — several old established great clans that controlled gang after gang in the outer city.

That's right — the best way to find a person is to mobilize gang members!

The Hungry Tiger Gang in the outer city's south district, the Flying Dragon Gang in the north district, the recently unified Great Saber Gang in the east district — which of them doesn't have several thousand members?

Letting these gang members search for the person is when efficiency can be maximized!

The question is, which gang to approach?