Chapter 133 Temporarily Avoiding the Edge

Hearing the summons, the guard known as Nie Feng immediately stepped forward, his movements light and silent.

Although his features were ordinary, his eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, with faint golden light flashing when they opened and closed. Though he deliberately restrained his aura, the sense of danger belonging to a top-tier Martial Artist followed him like a shadow.

Xu Changze vaguely felt that this person's cultivation was definitely above Chen Mu's.

"Subordinate is here!"

"From this moment on, you will temporarily follow Magistrate Xu. Leave this person, Chen Mu, to you to deal with. You must handle it cleanly and efficiently. Do not leave any loose ends, and do not implicate this official or Magistrate Xu."

"As for the timing, you decide for yourself."

A cruel light flashed in Nie Feng's eyes, like a shark that had caught the scent of blood, and he bowed in response.

"Subordinate accepts the order. I will certainly not let you down, my lord."

Xu Changze was stunned at first, then overjoyed.

He had been worrying about how to deal with the increasingly uncontrollable Chen Mu, and Wen Jingxing had sent such a formidable guard to him; this was truly help in a time of need.

No, it was more like being sent the sharpest blade.

He hurriedly cupped his hands toward Nie Feng.

"With Guard Nie's assistance, this official is like a tiger that has grown wings. Everything will be left to you, Guard Nie."

Nie Feng merely nodded slightly as a response, but his gaze had already cast outside the hall, his disdain and killing intent undisguised.

Wen Jingxing watched Nie Feng's reaction quietly and gave a cold smile; he understood his subordinate's temperament all too well.

Arrogant, bloodthirsty, and conceited, he loved nothing more than to torture so-called Geniuses. Handing Chen Mu over to Nie Feng could not be more appropriate.

"Nie Feng, Chen Mu and Qi Huan were able to defeat three Beimang demon foxes in a row; perhaps they have some tricks up their sleeves. Do not underestimate your enemy."

Wen Jingxing instructed indifferently.

Upon hearing this, Nie Feng curled his lips into a slightly sinister smile.

Just now in the hall, while he appeared to be looking at his nose and heart, he had actually already locked onto Chen Mu and Qi Huan. He had perceived Chen Mu most carefully of all.

"My lord is overthinking. Qi Huan's severe injuries have not yet healed; his internal Qi is chaotic, his internal organs are damaged, and he has less than thirty percent of his full strength remaining. He is merely an ant."

Nie Feng's voice carried undisguised contempt, but then his tone shifted, the contempt receding slightly to be replaced by deeper interest.

"As for that Chen Mu, he is somewhat interesting."

"His blood and Qi are exceptionally vigorous, far exceeding that of Martial Artists in the same Realm. His Foundation is solid, and his Protective Aura is pure and condensed. When it circulates, there is a faint momentum of wind and thunder. He has indeed put in hard work."

"Unfortunately, his Realm is ultimately too low. Although his aura is solid, he has yet to break out of the Dao Entry Realm category. At best, he is at the Peak of the Late Stage. Perhaps he has touched the threshold of the Heart-Awakening Realm, but that is all."

Nie Feng turned around to face Wen Jingxing and Xu Changze.

"My lord, rest assured. Magistrate, set your mind at ease."

"This child may have had some fortuitous encounters and practiced a few decent Cultivation Techniques, but the chasm of cultivation cannot be bridged by mere tricks."

"Since he dares to defy your kindness, my lord, and repeatedly acts against the Magistrate, he is seeking his own death. This subordinate has a ten-tenths guarantee that I will not let him live past tonight."

Not live past tonight.

Upon hearing this, Xu Changze felt wild joy in his heart, but it did not show on his face.

"Guard Nie's martial arts are peerless. With you taking action, it will naturally be easy. It is just that this child is exceptionally cunning, and he is staying at the relay station with that Qi Huan. If you attack him publicly, I fear it might cause controversy..."

Nie Feng glanced at Xu Changze as if looking at a fool.

"Magistrate Xu need not worry. This subordinate will not kill him in front of everyone; I will only let him die silently."

As the words fell, the hall was silent.

Wen Jingxing closed his eyes to rest, as if everything was under his control.

Xu Changze only felt a chill shoot up from his tailbone, mixed with extreme pleasure.

"Chen Mu, oh Chen Mu, no matter how gifted you are, no matter how cunning you are, in the face of absolute power, you are ultimately just a slightly larger ant."

He seemed to already see that after tonight, Qinglin Town would have two more unclaimed corpses, and all threats, all variables, would be buried in the yellow earth along with these two bodies.

...

Returning to the relay station, Qi Huan closed the door behind him and leaned against it to catch his breath, but his face was even paler than before.

"Chen Mu, did you see those two behind Wen Jingxing clearly just now?"

Chen Mu nodded upon hearing this.

"Those two are definitely not good people, especially the one on the right. His gaze is like a knife; just looking at him makes my Divine Soul sting."

Chen Mu walked to the window and pushed it open a crack. The cold morning wind blew in, making their heads clearer.

"The one on the left has reached the Transcendent state in external martial arts, while the one on the right has a more restrained aura and is even more dangerous."

He paused, his fingers rubbing the hilt of his soul-slaying blade.

"Just now in the hall, I secretly sensed that those two are not weak; they are at least in the Middle Stage of the Heart-Awakening Realm, and definitely not just having entered this Realm."

Qi Huan's fists clenched quietly.

Middle Stage of the Heart-Awakening Realm—this was no longer a gap that could be bridged by courage and resourcefulness.

In martial arts cultivation, the gap between every Realm is a chasm. There is already a gulf between the Dao Entry Realm and the Heart-Awakening Realm, and within the Heart-Awakening Realm, the difference in strength between the Early Stage and the Middle Stage is equally vast.

"That old dog, Magistrate Xu, since he couldn't do anything to us himself, he brought people from the Prefecture!"

"That Wen Jingxing looks impartial, but he actually harbors malicious intentions. All that talk about inspections and criminal justice—I'm afraid he's here specifically to clean up his mess and deal with us along the way."

Qi Huan said through gritted teeth.

Chen Mu turned around, his gaze falling on Qi Huan. His injuries were even heavier than expected. Last night, he had forcibly activated the Five Cloud Hands and was struck by the fox demon's illusion technique; both his Divine Soul and internal organs were severely damaged.

At this moment, let alone facing a Heart-Awakening Realm expert, he would struggle even to protect himself.

"Magistrate Xu has that fifth-grade official seal in his hand; you have seen its power. Now there are two more Heart-Awakening Realm guards..."

Chen Mu's voice was slow, as if he were weighing the options.

"In a head-on collision, we have no chance of winning."

This was not about boosting others' morale and dampening his own, but the cruel reality.

Last night, being able to kill the three foxes relied on restraining the illusion technique and taking them by surprise. But facing a Prefecture expert who crushed him in Realm, was experienced, and had pure killing intent, any trickery could become a path to self-destruction.

Chen Mu walked to the table, picked up the kettle, and poured a bowl of water for himself and Qi Huan. The cold liquid slid down his throat, allowing his mind to calm down slightly.

"Chief Qi, your condition prevents you from exerting your full strength. Although I have some confidence in maneuvering, if the two of them join forces, and with Magistrate Xu suppressing us with the official seal, we will definitely die."

"Wen Jingxing's recruitment today was on the surface, but it was actually an ultimatum. If we refuse him, he will definitely kill us. Magistrate Xu will certainly not let go of this opportunity to borrow a knife to kill someone."

Qi Huan opened his mouth to retort, but it aggravated his internal injuries, leading to another fit of violent coughing. After a long while, he gasped for air and spoke dejectedly.

"What do you suggest we do?"

A trace of determination flashed in Chen Mu's eyes.

"Wen Jingxing cannot stay in Qinglin Town for long. Since he carries the responsibility of inspection, he must go to other places. Magistrate Xu's official seal is damaged and needs time to recover. And as for us..."

He paused, lowering his voice further.

"The Cultivation Technique promised by Jiang Xiong will be here tonight. It is an ancient Cultivation Technique listed as a forbidden art by the Jiang Family. Although it is dangerous, its power must be heaven-shaking. As long as we get it, we will have the capital to turn the tables."

"As long as the green hills remain, there is no need to worry about firewood. Let's first return to Yunmeng City, get the Cultivation Technique, heal your injuries, and then plan for the long term."