65: You want to catch me? You're still a little naive!

Outside the Prefecture City, the night was as black as ink.

Li Dong, now disguised as Mu Feng, crouched low behind a thicket of bushes, his eyes fixed on a disused mine shaft not far ahead.

The air was thick with a faint smell of blood and the scent of some rotting plants, making his stomach churn.

"System, are you sure it's here?" he asked inwardly.

"Ding! Based on the residual information from the core experimental data chip and the clues provided by the host, the geographical coordinates of this location match a hidden stronghold marked in the chip with over 85% accuracy. Faint residual fluctuations of demon-attracting incense Materials have been detected in the surrounding air."

"demon-attracting incense..." Mu Feng muttered softly.

Ever since he saw the recipe and use of that thing in the chip, he had felt sick to his stomach.

It wasn't a fragrance; it was practically a poison, a poison specifically targeting human souls and demon lives.

If the Lin family scoundrels were hiding something, this was indeed a good place—remote enough.

He had overheard a few old hands chatting idly while taking a mission at the Demon Suppression Division, mentioning several "unclean" places outside the city, one of which was related to this abandoned mine shaft.

Combined with the clues analyzed by the System, he felt it was worth coming to check.

Of course, he didn't use his Demon Suppression Guard identity; instead, he found an excuse, pretending to be out "gathering herbs" or "hunting demons."

Just as he was about to Move closer, there was a sudden movement from inside the mine shaft.

Several Cultivators in black night clothes emerged, carrying several heavy boxes. They moved quickly, cautiously observing their surroundings.

"Something is indeed going on," Mu Feng's heart tightened, and he immediately pressed himself lower.

These individuals' cultivation levels weren't high, appearing to be anywhere from Foundation Establishment Stage - Early Phase to Middle Stage, but their auras were uniform, clearly indicating they were private soldiers from some force.

The men loaded the boxes onto a carriage parked outside and were about to depart.

One of the leading Cultivators seemed to sense something, his sharp gaze sweeping towards where Mu Feng was hiding.

Mu Feng's heart skipped a beat, knowing he might have been detected.

He lightened his breathing, suppressing his aura to the lowest possible level.

"Who's there?!" the leading Cultivator barked, drawing his weapon. The others immediately gathered around, adopting defensive stances.

"Don't be nervous, sirs," Mu Feng stood up from the bushes, a look of innocent smile on his face. "I'm a passing herb gatherer who got lost and came over when I heard some noise."

As he spoke, he subtly assessed the men.

Their eyes were fierce, unlike ordinary private soldiers.

"Herb gatherer?" The leading Cultivator scrutinized Mu Feng with a suspicious gaze. "In the middle of the night, what herbs are you gathering in a place like this?"

"Hehe, aren't some Spirit Medicine better picked at night for their medicinal properties?"

Mu Feng scratched his head, feigning an honest and simple appearance. "Are you gentlemen... transporting goods?" He deliberately glanced at the boxes on the carriage.

That glance instantly changed the expressions of the men.

"Bold! What you shouldn't see, why did you look?!" The leading Cultivator's eyes turned cold. "Kid, your luck is bad; you saw something you shouldn't have."

"Ah? No way? I didn't see anything!"

Mu Feng waved his hands repeatedly, appearing startled. "I'm leaving now, leaving now!" He said, turning to slip away.

"Trying to leave? Too late!" The leading Cultivator sneered. "Kill him to silence him! Don't let anyone know what happened here!"

Before his words finished, several spiritual attacks surged towards Mu Feng.

"Holy crap, they just attack without a word, so unreasonable?" Mu Feng cursed inwardly, his innocent expression instantly vanishing, replaced by a strange calmness.

His figure flickered, easily dodging the first wave of attacks. With a push off the ground, he darted towards the nearest Cultivator like a ghost.

"Seeking death!" The Cultivator brandished his weapon, thinking he could easily deal with this "Foundation Establishment Stage - Early Phase" herb gatherer.

The next second, his vision blurred, and Mu Feng was already upon him.

There was no flashy Move, just a simple, unadorned hand chop, accurately striking his neck.

How powerful was the strength of a Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator? The Cultivator let out a muffled grunt, collapsing to the ground, his aura completely gone.

"What?!" The leading Cultivator and the others were stunned. How was this a Foundation Establishment Stage - Early Phase Cultivator? This skill, it was definitely Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment! And this speed, this strength... "Is this the level of your Lin family's subordinates?" Mu Feng casually tossed aside the dead Cultivator, clapped his hands, his tone carrying a hint of disdain.

"You... who are you?!" The leading Cultivator was truly flustered now. Although they were loyal assassins trained by the Lin family's periphery, facing a Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator who could easily kill a companion, they still felt immense pressure.

"Who I am isn't important," Mu Feng hooked his finger, "What's important is that you saw someone you shouldn't have."

"Attack! Everyone attack! Don't let him escape!" The leading Cultivator knew there was no peaceful resolution, roaring as he led the remaining men to siege.

However, in front of Mu Feng, these few people were like paper.

His movement technique was agile, allowing him to easily weave among them, each strike clean and direct, aimed at vital points.

The reinforced Black Scale Armor, though not worn externally, provided additional defense and strength enhancement when worn close to his body.

Flashes of spiritual light streaked by, accompanied by several short screams.

In less than a moment, the entire squad lay on the ground, their fates unknown. Mu Feng went to check; all had stopped breathing.

"Hmph, Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators daring to transport such goods, is the Lin family truly out of people or just overconfident?"

Mu Feng curled his lips, feeling a bit like laughing.

Playing dumb just now was quite interesting, but unfortunately, these guys had no sense of humor.

He began to search the bodies, focusing on the leader.

"Hmm? What's this?" From the leading Cultivator's chest, he pulled out a Jade Slip and a small leather scroll.

System prompt:

"Ding! Unknown Jade Slip and leather scroll detected. Proceed with analysis?"

"Analyze!" Mu Feng didn't hesitate.

"Ding! Jade Slip analyzed. A concise Material list found. List contents: 'demon-attracting incense' key Materials * several, 'demon blood serum' semi-finished product * several, 'Spirituality catalyst' * small quantity..."

"Indeed, it's Materials for demon-attracting incense!" Mu Feng's eyes lit up; this was solid proof! This list was irrefutable evidence!

"Ding! Leather scroll analyzed. A crudely drawn map found. The map marks an underground area located in the southern suburbs of Prefecture City and labels it as a 'secret warehouse.'"

"Secret warehouse?" Mu Feng quickly looked at the map. Although the markings on the map were simple, the location was clear, and there were also some strange symbols drawn on it.

"Ding! Formation symbols detected on the map. Initial analysis: The external defensive Formation of this secret warehouse is of the 'Third Rank Late Stage,' and higher-Rank defensive or alarm Formations may exist internally. Danger Rank: Relatively High."

"Third Rank Late Stage? And possibly higher?" Mu Feng frowned. A Third Rank Late Stage Formation was beyond his ability to force his way through; it would require at least a Formation Master or a stronger Cultivator to Breakthrough. However, he had the System! The System could analyze the chip before, so analyzing Formations shouldn't be a problem, right? It just required merit points.

He put away the list and map, then searched the other bodies but found no other valuable items. He dealt with the scene, trying not to leave any traces, then quickly left the area.

At the same time, within Prefecture City, in a heavily guarded Lin family residence.

A sinister-looking young man was listening to his subordinate's report. He was Lin Yunzhi, Lin Xiaotian's nephew, who had just returned from outside the city.

"Young Master Yunzhi, the matter in the Earth Abyss has largely been suppressed. Within the Demon Suppression Division, Deputy Commander Wang and Manager Zhang have also been taken care of, so there will be no problems," the subordinate reported cautiously.

"Suppressed?" Lin Yunzhi snorted coldly. "So many people died, and the 'Doctor' died too; how can it be suppressed? The most crucial thing now is whether that Li Dong survived."

"According to our intelligence, he was severely injured in the core area of the Earth Abyss and then experienced such a fierce explosion. The possibility of his survival is minimal..."

"Minimal doesn't mean impossible!" Lin Yunzhi interrupted him. "My spies sent to the Earth Abyss detected residual special demonic Qi there, an aura very similar to the batch of demons the 'Doctor' last modified.

To be tainted with such Qi and still not die, that Li Dong is probably not so simple."

He paused, then continued, "Furthermore, if he truly lives and took the 'Doctor's' things... that would be a fatal threat to our Lin family."

"Then what does Young Master mean?"

"Continue the search! Expand the search area to the entire Prefecture! Focus on investigating unfamiliar Cultivators who have appeared recently, especially those with unknown origins or whose strength has suddenly increased!"

Lin Yunzhi's eyes were venomous. "Additionally, strengthen monitoring of all secret strongholds and Materials transfers. Although the experiment in the Earth Abyss failed, many Materials and semi-finished products have been transferred out; there can be no mistakes."

"Yes, Young Master!"

Lin Yunzhi waved his hand, dismissing his subordinate. He rose and walked to the window, looking at the night sky. "Li Dong... if you truly live and dare to ruin my Lin family's affairs, I, Lin Yunzhi, will make you wish you were dead."

Just then, another subordinate rushed in, his face filled with panic.

"Young Master Yunzhi! Something happened!"

"Why are you panicking? What is it?" Lin Yunzhi asked displeased.

"The scout team sent to the mine shaft stronghold outside the city to transfer Materials has lost contact! We sent people to check, and we only found... found their bodies..." the subordinate's voice trembled.

"Bodies?!" Lin Yunzhi spun around abruptly. "What happened? Which force did it? Outside Prefecture City, who dares to touch my Lin family's people?!"

"I don't know... No clues were left at the scene; the traces were cleaned very thoroughly. Those scouts were all killed with a single blow; the strength gap was very large..."

"Very large strength gap?" Lin Yunzhi narrowed his eyes. Although the scout team he sent out wasn't highly cultivated, they were well-trained loyal assassins, coordinating seamlessly. To kill them with a single blow would require at least a Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment Peak, or even a Late Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator.

"Could it be that Li Dong?" This thought flashed through his mind, but he quickly shook his head, denying it. Even if Li Dong was alive, severely injured, how could he recover so quickly and possess such strength? Moreover, as an outsider, how would he know about that secret stronghold?

"Hmph, it seems some hidden force is eyeing my Lin family's things," Lin Yunzhi's face was ashen. "Issue an order: full alert throughout the city! All strongholds are to immediately halt Materials transfers! Send more personnel to investigate that mine shaft; dig three feet deep if necessary to find the killer!"

"Yes!"

Lin Yunzhi watched his subordinate leave, then slammed his fist against the wall.

Damn it!

For something like this to happen at such a critical juncture!

However, he didn't connect this incident to Li Dong, simply assuming it was another influential family in Prefecture City or some mysterious organization targeting the Lin family.

This information gap temporarily saved Mu Feng's life.

Meanwhile, Mu Feng, far outside the city, didn't know he had already attracted Lin Yunzhi's attention, nor did he know the other party had misjudged the target.

He only knew that although he hadn't exposed his identity, this action would definitely make the Lin family vigilant and strengthen the defense of their secret strongholds.

"It seems I can't wait any longer."

Mu Feng was hidden in another secluded spot, looking at the map and list in his hand.

The names of the Materials on the list made the fire in his heart burn even brighter. These were the cornerstones of those inhumane experiments!

"Secret warehouse... Third Rank Late Stage Formation..." He stroked the map. "Since the map has been delivered to my hands, how can I not go and see?"

He now needed more direct, irrefutable evidence, and this secret warehouse likely contained such things. Whether it was more "demon-attracting incense" Materials, or deeper information about the "Soul-Devouring Demon Flower," or even the "Artificial Dao Body," it could all be there.

"Lin Yunzhi... Late Foundation Establishment Stage, right?" Mu Feng recalled the subordinate's address for the leading Cultivator. "And those big fish on the list, Deputy Commander Wang, Manager Zhang... even that Commander Zhou (reserve)..."

This muddy water was indeed deeper than he had imagined. But he had already jumped in, so there was no reason to retreat.

"Damn it, let's do it!" Mu Feng gritted his teeth, a flicker of madness in his eyes. He carefully put away the map and list.

Infiltrating the Lin family's secret warehouse was undoubtedly dancing on the edge of a knife. Once discovered, he would face the Lin family's full-scale pursuit, and possibly even draw out those more terrifying figures on the list.

But he held the map, the list, and the possibility of uncovering the truth.

"How can you catch a tiger cub without entering the tiger's den?" Mu Feng murmured to himself. He knew he couldn't continue to wander outside the city as "Mu Feng"; he had to act quickly.

He looked in the direction of Prefecture City. The city, shrouded in night, seemed to harbor countless unseen monsters.

"Lin family, just you wait." Mu Feng clenched his fists. "This muddy water, I'm stirring it up!"

He began to plan the route and strategy for infiltrating the secret warehouse. This night was destined not to be peaceful.