Chapter 103 Imprinting Martial Arts

The man was dressed in a black martial outfit, his face covered by a black cloth, revealing only his eyes.

His build was average, seemingly ordinary, but just by standing there, he was like an invisible wall, sealing off the entire exit.

Chen Mu's footsteps faltered.

This person's Aura was steady, his breathing long and deep; standing there without assuming any stance, he was nevertheless perfectly integrated with his surroundings.

This was a sign that his Martial Dao had reached the Transcendent level—at the very least, he was in the Late Stage of the Dao Entry Realm, perhaps even higher.

Moreover, the timing and location of this person's appearance were too precise; clearly, he had been waiting here for a long time, waiting for him to walk right into the trap.

The man in black laughed and slowly raised his right hand, making a gesture for him to go back.

"Causing trouble at the Peony Pavilion and injuring my people, do you really think you can just walk away like this?"

The man in black's voice was hoarse and low, as if he had deliberately altered his tone.

"Move!"

Chen Mu's expression turned cold, his voice icy.

The man in black shook his head, his voice tinged with mockery.

"Young man, don't be so hot-headed. Since you've come to the Peony Pavilion, you must follow the rules of the Peony Pavilion. You..."

Chen Mu stopped wasting words. He suddenly activated the Divine Void Step, his figure transforming into three afterimages, rushing toward the man in black from three directions simultaneously.

However, the man in black seemed well-prepared. He did not dodge or evade, but instead opened the five fingers of his right hand and grabbed through the air toward the middle afterimage.

"Hum..."

A low hum sounded in the air. Chen Mu felt an invisible, immense force lock onto his true form, and all three afterimages dissipated instantly.

Startled, he quickly drew his sword, retaliating with the Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique. His Protective Aura condensed at the tip of the blade, thrusting straight at the man in black's throat.

This strike was as fast as lightning, ruthless and decisive, showing no mercy.

However, instead of retreating, the man in black advanced, and in a flash, he also transformed into three afterimages.

Before Chen Mu could be surprised, the several afterimages struck out with their palms simultaneously. Golden light shimmered on their palms as they met the blade with their Physical Body.

Chen Mu felt his blade pierce into the Void Realm; it had been an illusion of the opponent, yet it tightly gripped his blade and would not let go.

Meanwhile, the opponent's true body had launched a surprise attack from behind, so he quickly abandoned his sword and retaliated with his palm.

"Bang!"

The two palms collided, and Protective Aura erupted.

Chen Mu felt a powerful, overbearing force rush into his body along his arm, causing his Qi and blood to churn. Not daring to be careless, he used the recoil force to spin his body.

His left leg swept out like a whip, aiming straight for the opponent's waist and abdomen.

The opponent reacted quite quickly, snorting coldly. His body shifted slightly to the side, narrowly dodging the leg, while his right hand transformed from a palm into a claw, his five fingers like hooks, aiming directly to lock onto Chen Mu's ankle.

This Move was insidious and tricky; if it connected firmly, broken tendons and fractured bones would be the least of his worries.

Chen Mu paused his movement, his left leg twisting at an eerie angle in mid-air, avoiding the range of the claw's lock.

The two exchanged blows, and in an instant, they had traded over ten Moves.

The tables and chairs in the hall were shattered, with wood splinters flying everywhere. The onlookers had long since fled in terror, leaving only a few bold ones huddled in the distance, peeking.

Yet the more they fought, the heavier the suspicion in Chen Mu's heart grew.

He felt that the style of the man in black's Moves was somewhat familiar.

Although the footwork had been deliberately altered, certain habits during his movements and turns, especially the way he shifted his center of gravity, were of the same origin as his own Divine Void Step.

Especially one of the finishing Moves the opponent occasionally revealed—pressing his right hand down while slightly raising his left, as if adjusting the front of an official robe that didn't exist.

A flash of inspiration struck Chen Mu's mind, and he suddenly thought of one person.

Xu Changze!

That was it. That day in the county office hall, Xu Changze had personally stopped him from killing Squad Leader Wang using a similar style.

Furthermore, the Divine Void Step was originally Xu Changze's Secret Manual; it was perfectly reasonable that he could wield the Divine Void Step.

But wasn't Xu Changze supposed to take Liu Ziming to Qinglin Town tomorrow morning?

Chen Mu's heart was greatly shocked. How could he appear here? And even attack personally?

In the blink of an eye, thoughts raced through his mind.

That was it; this was another trap.

Xu Changze pretended to take Liu Ziming away, but in reality, he secretly turned back to personally oversee the Peony Pavilion, ensuring this trap was foolproof.

By disguising himself as the man in black to attack, he could test Chen Mu's strength and, if necessary, finish him off personally.

What a clever ruse.

The chill in Chen Mu's heart deepened, and his attacks became increasingly violent.

Since he had confirmed the opponent's identity, he could not hold back today. If he let Xu Changze leave alive, he and Qi Huan would never have a day of peace.

Stepping with the Divine Void Step, Chen Mu dodged left and right while simultaneously striking with both hands, weaving palm winds that constantly collided with his opponent.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

The sound of Qi clashing was endless. Fine cracks began to appear on the walls, and the gauze curtains were torn to shreds by the strong winds.

After another ten Moves, Chen Mu caught a slight opening in his opponent. With a roll, he picked up the long sword that had fallen to the ground, pointing it straight at his opponent like a venomous snake flicking its tongue.

Xu Changze retreated hurriedly, while simultaneously wiping his left hand across his waist. A black light flashed—it was actually a soft sword, which coiled around Chen Mu's long sword like a spirit snake, while his other hand reached out, striking seven major acupuncture points on Chen Mu's chest.

Chen Mu was not alarmed but overjoyed; the opponent had finally revealed his weapon, and his defenses were almost completely wide open.

He decisively released the sword hilt, flipped his right hand, and the soul-slaying blade slid out from his sleeve, stabbing straight at his opponent.

"Swish!"

A wound was slashed across Xu Changze's chest, and a look of horror appeared in his eyes. The soul-slaying blade was specialized in countering ghostly entities and evil spirits, and it also had a miraculous effect in suppressing Protective Aura.

With that one strike, he actually felt that thirty percent of his Protective Aura had been devoured by that strange short blade.

Chen Mu, having gained the upper hand, did not let up. The soul-slaying blade turned into a sheet of black light, and combined with the eerie footwork of the Divine Void Step, every strike aimed straight for the opponent's vitals.

Xu Changze could only struggle to parry, retreating step by step, as it looked like he was about to be forced into a dead end.

Just then, a ruthless look flashed in Xu Changze's eyes, and he suddenly pulled an object from his bosom, holding it high above his head.

It was actually a golden official seal!

The body of the seal was square, completely gilded. The knob of the seal was carved into a coiled exotic beast, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws, looking lifelike.

A magnificent pressure caused the air in the entire room to congeal.

Chen Mu's movements paused instantly.

An official seal of the Great Wu Dynasty! And an official seal of a very high rank at that!

The official seal of the Great Wu Dynasty was not only a symbol of power but also carried the Luck of the Dynasty.

The higher the rank of the official, the stronger the Luck contained within their official seal. It was said that the official seals of high-ranking officials of the third rank or above could even mobilize the mountains, rivers, and earth veins of a region to suppress demons and evil.

Seeing that this golden official seal had such an extraordinary Aura, it was definitely a weighty item that only high-ranking officials of the fifth rank or above could possess.

How could Xu Changze, a seventh-rank county magistrate, have such a thing?

Unless he had the support of someone at a higher level behind him.

Thoughts raced through his mind, but there was no time to think carefully. Xu Changze held the golden official seal, chanting words, and the light grew brighter. A force as heavy as a mountain surged out from the seal, instantly shrouding the entire room.

Chen Mu felt his whole body stiffen, as if an invisible mountain were pressing down on him, making even breathing difficult.

He desperately circulated his Protective Aura, wanting to break free from the restraint, but the power of Luck was like a quagmire; the more he struggled, the deeper he sank.

Was this the power of the imperial court's laws?

Was this the might of authority?

A sense of powerlessness he had never felt before welled up in Chen Mu's heart.

The enemies he had encountered before, whether it was Li Feiyu, the White Tiger Demon Beast, or the Ghostly Creature of the Zhao Manor, could all be confronted head-on with Martial Dao cultivation.

But the official seal before him represented the order and legal system of the entire Great Wu Dynasty, the Foundation of rule accumulated over thousands of years.

Before such a behemoth, individual strength seemed so insignificant.

What was even more terrifying was that he felt his consciousness beginning to blur, and a majestic voice kept ringing in his mind.

"Failing to bow before an official is disrespect!"

"Drawing a blade in the hall is insubordination!"

"Killing a colleague without authorization is a violation of the law!"

"Investigating cases across jurisdictions is an abuse of power!"

"Being arrogant due to one's achievements is a breach of decorum!"