Da Xuan Martial Saint

Chapter 85: Chapter 82 Suspicion

The sun rose high into the sky.

The cold wind persisted, with the ice and snow still refusing to melt, and the corpses on the ground fused with the snow, maintaining their last expressions from the previous night.

A large number of constables encircled the headquarters of the Evil Men Gang, and in the courtyard full of corpses at the very center, there were many clad in blue uniforms and even those donned in dark green constable outfits.

They came from the City Guard General of the Western City District.

Following the trail of corpses westward and crossing several hundred meters, the body of Zhang Lang, the leader of the Evil Men Gang, lay horizontally by the roadside.

Next to the corpse, a man dressed in a white constable uniform stood with several others in dark green uniforms. Wearing the white uniform was He Guangzong from the City Guard General of the Western City District, a third-generation member of the He Family, belonging to the "Light" generation, a generation senior to He Mingxuan's "Ming" generation.

But at this moment, the Western Chief Constable, whose power and position surpassed He Mingxuan, appeared extremely solemn.

"Sword wound, a lethal blow..."

He Guangzong bent down to examine the only wound on Zhang Lang's body and surveyed the surroundings, his eyes revealing deep doubts.

This strike was unquestionably one of Artistic Conception's force, and judging from the wound, it likely belonged to the 'Thousand Winds' Artistic Conception under the Qiankun lineage of the Qiankun and Five Elements.

But the problem was,

Throughout all of Yu City, there were only a handful of people who had mastered the Thousand Winds Artistic Conception, most of whom had no direct connections with Zhang Lang, making it hard to determine which one might want to kill Zhang Lang.

But if not them, then who?

He Guangzong pondered for a long time without coming to a conclusion, and he finally shook his head, saying, "Let's clean up the bodies."

"My lord, the murderer..."

"Let it end here, no need to investigate further."

He Guangzong waved his hand.

Someone who had mastered an Artistic Conception had killed Zhang Lang, whether because Zhang Lang had inadvertently offended someone or for some other reason, it was unnecessary to pursue it further; Zhang Lang wasn't worth raising such a furor over.

...

South City District.

Inside a tavern located in the central street district.

Chen Mu was sitting and drinking with another person, facing an older man whose temples were touched with gray, who was none other than Xu Feng, the former Prefecture Chief from Wutong Grove District.

"Lord Chen is truly a pillar of talent. I heard earlier that the Chief Constable hoped Lord Chen would take over Wutong Grove District. I was worried that the mess there would hamper his efforts. Little did I think that in just a few months, Lord Chen would have revitalized Wutong Grove District completely. This old man is truly ashamed."

Xu Feng picked up his wine cup and proactively toasted Chen Mu, then exclaimed, "Now that disasters are striking everywhere, Wutong Grove District has suffered the least, all thanks to Lord Chen. If only Lord Chen had governed Wutong Grove District earlier, perhaps it would have become even better sooner."

Chen Mu responded with a calm demeanor, "Lord Xu flatters me. Earlier, I was merely a commoner. Even if I had governed a region, there wouldn't have been much I could do. Now, it just so happens that I am in the right position to seek the right policies."

Yesterday, after the news spread that he had manipulated six gangs to eliminate Sha Xiangtian, Xu Feng, the former Prefecture Chief, took the initiative to invite him for a meeting today at noon.

Since he took over the position of Prefecture Chief for Wutong Grove District, Xu Feng had made all the arrangements properly and had generally passed on his duties. However, beyond that, he had not met with him again—possibly still harboring some thoughts about his young age for the role. But after all, both were subordinates of Hongyu, and the work proceeded as instructed.

Only a few days after Chen Mu took office and thunderously eliminated the Zheng Family did Xu Feng's view of Chen Mu, the new Prefecture Chief, dramatically change, realizing that Chen Mu was not just a young man forcibly pulled in by Hongyu, but a man of strength, authority, and skill.

As of yesterday, with all six gangs being intimidated, Sha Xiangtian dead, and the Nan Family proactively donating Silver Tael for disaster relief... all these developments had thoroughly convinced Xu Feng of Chen Mu, the new Prefecture Chief, prompting him to actively invite him to a feast, both as an overture of friendship and as an apology for past doubts.

Chen Mu held no grudges against Xu Feng. After all, Xu Feng might have had some reservations about his taking over as Prefecture Chief, but during the handover, he did not cause any obstacles and had fully cooperated, handing over the necessary manpower. This had led to first-day situations wherein figures like Shang Qinglai and other Head Constables were deferential to him.

"Lord Chen need not be modest. Now, the entire Wutong Grove District strictly enforces laws, an outcome visible to all."

Xu Feng began with a cheerful tone and then lowered his voice, "However, one must be cautious of the He Family... now that Lord Xu is out hunting monsters, some troubles might arise in these days."

"Thank you for the warning, Lord Xu. I will be cautious."

Chen Mu thanked Xu Feng.

With Hongyu away, it indeed was a suitable time for the He Family to stir trouble. Recently, though, since the disaster continued extensively without much turmoil, the current Chen Mu was not actually afraid of the He Family causing trouble underhandedly. Anyone daring to meddle would need to be prepared to have their claws cut off.

Xu Feng nodded and said, "Hmm, if there's anything, I am also able to lend a hand. Although I am no longer in office, I can still wield a knife a few times if needed."

At this point, he paused and suddenly remembered something. He continued, "Speaking of which, the He Family will likely have to deal with the west side soon. I heard that last night, in one fell swoop, the villainous Evil Blade Zhang Lang, along with several Deputy Gang Leaders and hundreds of gang members, all died tragically.

I do not know who they offended, but now only a few 'big cats and kittens' remain... "

Chen Mu, listening to Xu Feng's words, maintained a calm demeanor and took a sip from his wine cup.

Xu Feng, shaking his head, continued, "Although the Villainous Gang is not under the He Family's influence, they essentially look only to the He Family in the west, offering many Silver Taels each year. Now that they have offended a big personage and collapsed overnight, it's all a big mess that will take time to clean up."

Xu Feng couldn't help but sigh at that moment.

The Villainous Gang.

It was not an ordinary power. It dominated the west. In the beginning, it even dared to overstep its boundaries and clashed with Hongyu, who, although she ultimately pushed them back, could not subdue them entirely.

Yet now, they silently perished overnight, a testament to the fact that even someone as notorious as Evil Blade Zhang Lang, when facing the real powerhouses from the Inner City, was merely an ant easily crushed. It remains unknown whose hand laid them to ruin this time, but it certainly belonged to one of the major figures from the Inner City families.

"Villainous Gang, apart from running gambling dens and engaging in forced buying and selling, went as far as to try inflating prices during a disaster year to plunder the riches of the people, thereby deserving their fate."

Chen Mu said indifferently,

"Indeed."

Xu Feng also smiled and said, "The villains of the Evil Gang truly deserved to die, their death is satisfying. Let's drink to that."

After three rounds of drinks, Xu Feng began to make conversation under the influence of alcohol, discussing that Chen Mu had not yet taken a wife. He mentioned he had a distant niece who was quite charming and could be married off to Chen Mu as a concubine.

Having reached the Tendon Changing Level in his martial practice, Chen Mu had no taboos. However, his strength and status were rising day by day, and his perspectives had changed. He had encountered many such attempts to curry favor and had rejected most of them.

Just as he was about to say something,

suddenly a familiar voice entered the private room.

"What are you two discussing?"

Chen Mu and Xu Feng both reacted and turned to look, seeing a graceful figure pushing the door open, with a light smile on her face.

Xu Feng was slightly surprised and then greeted with a bow, "Miss Ning, what brings you here?"

The newcomer was Little Lotus.

However, Xu Feng's address to Little Lotus was much more respectful, partly because she was the personal maid of Xu Hongyu, and partly because Little Lotus had also reached the Tendon Changing Level, elevating her status from before.

"I just happened to be passing by."

Little Lotus stepped forward and said, "Mr. Xu, how has your health been recently?"

Xu Feng bowed slightly and said, "Thanks to Lord Xu, I have been resting comfortably since my retirement and have recovered from some old injuries. However, I'm no longer fit for conflict and competition."

Little Lotus nodded and said, "Mr. Xu, you have worked hard for many years. You should rest well here in the South City from now on. There's no need to worry about the issues in Wutong Grove District anymore."

Xu Feng smiled and said, "If I had known Lord Chen would handle it, I should have retired earlier... Miss Ning, were you looking for Lord Chen? I'll take my leave now and invite you another day."

With that,

Xu Feng left, leaving Chen Mu and Little Lotus alone.

Chen Mu looked at Little Lotus with a hint of suspicion. Although they were close to the City Guard General's office, it was too coincidental to just be passing by.

"Did you come here earlier?"

"I happened to be free and heard that you and Xu Feng were here, so I came over to check on you,"

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Little Lotus blinked and said, "Miss mentioned recently that when she returns, she wants to take you to see Sister Yu Ru."

Chen Mu thoughtfully said, "Yu Ru... She seems to get along quite well with Yue'er. I saw her a few days ago when I visited the Inner City."

Little Lotus's eyes sparkled as she said, "Did you find Sister Yu Ru pretty? When Miss returns, perhaps she could propose a match for you."

"Not really."

Chen Mu picked up his wine cup and took a sip, saying, "Yu Ru and Yue'er practice martial arts together in the inner courtyard. They are still so young."

Yu Ru was slightly younger than Chen Yue and indeed looked charming, but in many ways, she was still too young. Additionally, Qi-Blood could impact those crossing the Tendon Changing threshold; if one wanted to achieve martial arts success, it would be better to focus on cultivating one's body and spirit before the Tendon Changing.

Hearing Chen Mu's words, Little Lotus's heart skipped a beat.

Studying Chen Mu's features for a moment, she suddenly said, "Zhang Lang of the Evil Group in the west died last night. Did you hear about it?"

"Yes, he got what he deserved."

Chen Mu responded nonchalantly.

Little Lotus looked at Chen Mu with a hint of suspicion and said, "They say he died under the Artistic Conception of Thousand Winds, killed in one strike."

"Impressive,"

Chen Mu lifted his wine cup and took another sip.

Little Lotus looked at Chen Mu and tilted her head, saying, "The destruction of the Evil Group, though far in the west, is close enough to cause some ripples. Just handle it normally."

"Okay."

Chen Mu nodded.

After talking for a few more moments about the situation, Chen Mu got up and left with Little Lotus, and they parted ways at a street alley.

As Chen Mu walked away, Little Lotus's eyes revealed a hint of suspicion.

Could it be him?

It wasn't that she was fanciful, but the death of Zhang Lang was abrupt and unexpected, and he died from a strike of Thousand Winds Artistic Conception. Of those in Yu City who mastered this conception, none matched the description.

But eventually, Little Lotus shook her head, feeling it strange. Artistic Conception seemed too far-fetched,

after all, Chen Mu likely hadn't even encountered the basic theory of Xun Wind's Artistic Conception yet, making it impossible for him to grasp such a conception out of thin air.