Chapter 111 First Remove the Wings

Chen Mu's question successfully made Jiang Xiong silent for a moment. He slowly stood up, walked to the window, and gazed in the direction of the distant City God Temple.

"Personally take action?"

"Chen Mu, do you know, the heaviest things in this world are not mountains or rivers and seas, but Karma."

His voice carried a rare solemnity, and his eyes, which were usually filled with a smile, were now cold as frost.

"The City God is the righteous deity of the underworld for a region, ordained by the imperial court and enjoying the incense of the masses. To slay the City God and seize his divine treasury is a Heaven-Defying act, and furthermore, it is to make an enemy of the entire Great Wu divine System."

"If I were to take action personally, even if I could easily crush that clay evil god, the Karma I would incur would directly implicate the Jiang Family. At that time, even if my Jiang Family of the North has a deep foundation, we would inevitably suffer significant damage."

"All I want is the divine treasury, not to stir up massive waves. This matter must be done cleanly, without a trace. At the very least, on the surface, it must not have the slightest connection to the Jiang Family or myself."

He smiled slightly, his gaze sharp, piercing straight at Chen Mu.

"But you are different. You are originally from Yunmeng and have already had conflicts with that City God. If you kill him, in the eyes of outsiders, it could be seen as private revenge, an accidental conflict, or even that the City God brought about his own destruction due to his numerous evil deeds."

"This layer of Karma, this burden of Karma, will only fall upon you alone."

Chen Mu twitched the corner of his mouth; he understood.

He was not just a chess piece, but a scapegoat and a shield.

He was the perfect executor for the Jiang Family to obtain the divine treasury without wanting to get involved in trouble.

He, this blade, was sharp and handy; even if it were damaged after use, discarding it would not cause the slightest heartache.

Silence.

Standing to the side, Qi Huan held his breath, feeling a tightness in his chest.

This naked calculation and exploitation were more chilling than the flashing of swords and blades.

"So, not only do I have to pull chestnuts from the fire for you, but I also have to bear all the backlash and risks for you."

Chen Mu looked up at Jiang Xiong.

Jiang Xiong did not deny it; instead, he nodded calmly.

"You can understand it that way, but I will provide sufficient compensation."

"In this world, there is no logic where you want the horse to run without letting it graze. I said before, you can propose your conditions."

Chen Mu did not dwell too much on this point. The matter was already a foregone conclusion, so he simply nodded calmly.

"Fine, I agree."

Jiang Xiong nodded, a hint of satisfaction appearing on his face. Before he could speak, Chen Mu continued.

"However, the conditions must change."

Jiang Xiong raised an eyebrow: "Oh? Tell me about it."

"The Cultivation Technique must be given to me first."

"I will naturally go and take the divine treasury you want, but before I take action, I must receive the Cultivation Technique you promised."

Jiang Xiong was slightly stunned, then laughed.

"Chen Mu, are you too impatient?"

"That Cultivation Technique is extremely dangerous. Even if I give it to you now, you won't be able to comprehend it in a short time, let alone use it in actual combat."

"Being overly eager for success will only be counterproductive, and may even lead to Qi Deviation."

Chen Mu, however, remained unmoved, his tone allowing for no negotiation.

"That is my business; you just need to give it to me."

He calculated in his heart that as long as he had the Cultivation Technique, he could instantly master it by pouring in Lifespan. This was not just compensation, but also a crucial guarantee for him to increase his strength and cope with the dangers to come.

Before dealing with an existence of the City God's level, any increase in strength was of vital importance.

Jiang Xiong looked deeply at Chen Mu, seemingly wanting to find the impatience of one eager for success on his face, but all he got was indifference.

After pondering for a moment, he finally nodded.

"Fine, I can give you the Cultivation Technique first."

"However, accessing the clan's secret collection requires procedures and processes. The fastest will be this time tomorrow, still at this location; I will bring a copy of the Cultivation Technique."

Chen Mu cupped his hands.

"Then it is a deal."

Jiang Xiong waved his hand and looked at Qi Huan, who had a complex expression on the side.

"Officer Qi has been frightened tonight. Although this matter has nothing to do with you, since you are already involved, I presume you will not stay out of it."

"If Chen Mu needs any assistance, I hope Officer Qi can lend a hand."

Qi Huan took a deep breath, suppressed the many questions in his heart, and replied in a deep voice.

"Xu Changze colluded with evil entities and harmed the common people; it should have been investigated, and I will naturally do my best."

Jiang Xiong nodded with satisfaction, then waved his hand.

"That is very good."

The side door slid open again, and the previously seen black-clothed guard bowed and entered.

"Send Song Rui out through the back door, and be sure to be discreet."

Jiang Xiong ordered, and then added a sentence to Chen Mu.

"Xu Changze has suffered a setback today and will surely not let it rest. You must be very careful on the way back."

Chen Mu nodded, said no more, and together with Qi Huan, quietly left the Peony Pavilion.

The night wind brushed against their faces, carrying a chill. The two walked one after the other, the atmosphere somewhat heavy.

Qi Huan's expression still did not look good; there was the exhaustion of surviving a disaster, as well as the humiliation of being treated like a commodity. More than that, there was worry about the future situation.

"Chen Mu." Qi Huan could not help but speak, his voice hoarse.

"Do you really intend to go kill the City God for that Jiang Xiong? That is killing a god. Once exposed, neither of us will have a place to be buried."

Chen Mu's footsteps paused, but he did not turn back to look at him, instead staring straight into the darkness ahead.

"We have no choice at all. From the moment we stepped into the Peony Pavilion and uncovered the collusion between Xu Changze and the City God, there was already no turning back."

"Xu Changze can ruin our reputation today, and he could take our lives tomorrow. As for the City God, we are already mortal enemies with him; he will not let go of those who know his secrets."

As he spoke, he turned back to look at Qi Huan.

"Moreover, Jiang Xiong is not discussing this with us; he is issuing an order."

"If we agree, we are chess pieces; if we don't agree, we are discarded pieces."

Qi Huan felt a tightness in his chest as he heard this.

He knew that what Chen Mu said was the truth. In front of a behemoth like the Jiang Family, small local figures like them had no qualifications to bargain.

And after tonight, it was a life-or-death situation between them and Xu Changze. That evil god in the City God Temple was an even more bone-eating Devil Head.

"Then what do we do now? Wait until tomorrow to get the Cultivation Technique, and then go directly to the City God Temple?" Qi Huan asked.

Chen Mu shook his head; his train of thought was exceptionally clear at this moment.

"No, the depth of the City God evil god is unknown, and he is closely colluding with Xu Changze. Although Xu Changze's cultivation may not be very high, he holds the official seal and can mobilize official fortune."

"You saw it tonight; the power of that official seal is extraordinary. If he joins forces with the City God, our chances of winning are not high."

Qi Huan frowned.

"Then you mean..."

"Defeat them one by one."

A cold light flashed in Chen Mu's eyes.

"First, clip their wings and break their claws."

"Xu Changze's greatest reliance is nothing more than his identity as a county magistrate and the official seal. If we can take him down when he and the City God are separated and seize the official seal, at least he won't be able to use it easily. Then, dealing with the City God will have much less resistance."

Qi Huan suddenly realized, his spirits lifting.

"That makes sense. But Xu Changze must be like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bow string right now, and his whereabouts are hard to find. Where are we going to find him?"

Chen Mu pondered slightly, the corners of his mouth curling into an arc.

"Have you forgotten? Before he left, he said it himself."

"He is taking Liu Ziming to Qinglin Town first thing tomorrow morning."