Chapter 159 The Bewitching Heart of Immortality

Returning from Zuixian Tower, it was already late at night.

Chen Mu pushed open his creaking courtyard gate. His steps were unsteady—not from physical exhaustion, but from an indescribable restlessness and burning heat.

Jiang Huoyu had probably taken that black cat to forage for food somewhere, and Qi Huan was likely recuperating at the inn. It felt as if he were the only person left in the world, accompanied only by the increasingly loud, seductive whispers in his mind.

He recalled the cold notification sound of stealing Lifespan when he slew Li Feiyu, the surging vitality when the White Tiger Demon Beast fell, and the massive amount of Lifespan that had swelled his Meridians when the City God's golden body shattered...

Every time he plundered, every time he infused, his strength grew tangibly. That sensation was like the sweetest poison; once tasted, it could never be forgotten.

"To survive, to grow stronger, to control one's own destiny—that is the fundamental truth..."

"I grant you the position of Deputy Envoy of the Demon Suppression Division, and you may use the resources within Yunmeng as you please..."

"The method of Power Of Will leads directly to the path of longevity and prosperity..."

Every word was hooked, probing into his deepest, most secret desires.

Longevity, strength, control...

These words echoed repeatedly in his mind, intertwining with the powerful aura of Xu Changze—a mix of public grievance and official authority—to form a hazy, ethereal illusion.

In the illusion, he stood on high, holding power in his hands, with endless Lifespan and overwhelming strength. He was unconstrained, no longer needing to look up to others or cater to anyone's whims.

"Bang!"

He punched the stone table in the courtyard. The sudden sharp pain in his fingers caused the evil fire in his heart to falter slightly.

No.

Chen Mu took a deep breath, the cool air filling his lungs, trying to calm himself down.

What was Xu Changze? A parasite who stole public grievances, colluded with evil gods, and cultivated blood-food evil arts. Could his words be trusted? Could his path be followed?

But another voice in the depths of his heart sneered.

So what? Which path in this world is clean? Is the Demon Suppression Division clean? Is the Imperial Court clean? Strength is strength, and longevity is longevity!

You use the System to infuse Lifespan, plundering others' cultivation years; how are you any nobler than Xu Changze? It is merely a difference in methods. If there truly is a secret art that leads directly to longevity, why not take it?

Do you intend to spend your whole life trapped in the Dao Entry Realm and Heart-Awakening Realm, eventually becoming a handful of yellow soil after a hundred years like those Mortals?

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"

Chen Mu let out a low roar, the veins on his forehead throbbing. Gasping for air, he closed his eyes, attempting to stabilize his mind.

He knew this was a Heart Demon, the greed and delusions stirred up by Xu Changze.

Since slaying the City God and clashing with Nie Feng, although his Hunyuan Wuji Calamity Body had truly reached Perfection, the Evil Qi accumulated from successive life-and-death battles, the sense of emptiness brought by plundering massive amounts of Lifespan, and the craving for higher levels after a sudden surge in strength had long since sown seeds in his heart.

Xu Changze's bait was merely a fuse.

"I need... more."

Chen Mu snapped his eyes open. Deep within his pupils, a flash of golden light flickered, carrying the restless, destructive aura characteristic of Calamity Power.

He needed more Lifespan, needed to grow stronger faster, and needed the strength to crush all threats and break free from all shackles.

The threat of Xu Changze, the shadow of Wen Jingxing, the potential rejection of the Prefecture System, and even the seemingly gentle but actually guarded attitude of Jiang Xiong—all of these were like invisible chains binding him.

Only absolute strength could sever everything.

And where did strength come from?

Slaughter, plundering.

The soul-slaying blade seemed to sense its master's emotional turmoil, humming within his sleeve.

He thought of that place, the Yangu Pit.

There, there were endless Ghostly Creatures to kill, and a constant stream of Lifespan to plunder. More importantly, it was dangerous enough, violent enough—perfect for the uncontainable killing intent currently filling him.

He recalled his brief glimpse while saving Liu Ziming last time; he knew he was a true brother. Now that his strength had greatly increased, it was the right time to go in and brave it.

Once the thought arose, he could no longer suppress it. He turned to walk out of the courtyard, but the gate was knocked upon once again.

"Chen Mu, Chen Mu, are you there?"

It was Liu Ziming's voice, carrying a hint of exhaustion and caution.

Chen Mu furrowed his brows, suppressing his impatience, and went up to pull open the door.

Outside the door, Liu Ziming was covered in dust, his eyes dark with fatigue, holding a thick stack of documents and case files that reached almost to his chin.

"It's so late, what is it?"

Chen Mu's voice was cold.

As the door was yanked open, Liu Ziming saw Chen Mu standing in the darkness. He was startled at first, then let out a sigh of relief.

"Chen Mu, you're home. You scared me to death. Why didn't you light a lamp?"

As he spoke, he squeezed in sideways, hooked the door shut with his foot, and placed the large stack of files onto the stone table in the courtyard with a thud.

"Lord Xu had me bring these over. He said there's a backlog of old cases, along with reports of suspicious incidents and missing persons from various districts over the past few days. The Demon Suppression Division needs to re-examine and sort through all of them, and provide handling recommendations."

"Here, this is just the first batch; he said there's more tomorrow."

Liu Ziming rubbed his sore arms as he spoke, his tone bitter. He looked at Chen Mu and found him standing in the shadows, expressionlessly staring at the pile of files. His heart couldn't help but skip a beat.

"Lord Xu also said... ahem."

Liu Ziming lowered his voice, imitating Xu Changze's tone—seemingly gentle, but actually oppressive.

"Squad Leader Chen has been working hard recently and should be resting well, but Yunmeng is beset by troubles and the people rely on us. A little bit of paperwork is also a way to hone one's Heart-Nature. He must personally review these, and I want to see the proposals within three days."

After speaking, even Liu Ziming felt the words sounded grating.

How was this entrusting him with a heavy responsibility? It was clearly a way to bind him tightly with endless trivialities, draining his energy and grinding down his sharpness.

Chen Mu glanced at the official documents. The evil fire in his heart flared up a bit, but his face remained expressionless. He tossed the documents back onto the pile of files, his voice revealing neither joy nor anger.

"I know. Leave them here."

Seeing his indifferent reaction, Liu Ziming felt somewhat uneasy.

He had shared life-and-death moments with Chen Mu and vaguely felt that Chen Mu was not right at this moment. Beneath that calm expression seemed to be suppressed something extremely dangerous, like a volcano on the verge of eruption.

"Chen Mu, you... are you okay? Tonight at Zuixian Tower, Xu Changze he..."

"I'm fine."

Chen Mu interrupted him, his tone cold and hard. Then, suddenly remembering something, he asked.

"How much do you know about the Yangu Pit?"

"The Yangu Pit? Why do you ask about that?"

Liu Ziming's expression changed. He immediately recalled being thrown in there by Head Constable Wang last time; if not for Chen Mu risking his life to save him, he would have been long dead. A chill crept up his back.

"Just asking. I heard it's an ancient battlefield, accumulating grievances for hundreds of years, teeming with Ghostly Creatures, and extremely dangerous."

Chen Mu's tone remained calm.

Liu Ziming's voice couldn't help but rise a few octaves, trembling with lingering fear.

"Dangerous? That is the number one forbidden zone in the Yunmeng region!"

"I heard that hundreds of years ago, the former dynasty's army and local rebels fought a decisive battle in that valley. Countless died, corpses piled up like mountains, and blood flowed like rivers. Later, rebels massacred tens of thousands of surrendered soldiers and civilians there. Yin Qi gathered, Death Qi refused to disperse, and it became what it is today."

"Inside, there are not only countless skeletons and vengeful spirits of those who died unjustly, but also the fierce souls of generals who died in battle, and mutated monsters infected by Blood Evil. What we encountered last time probably didn't even count as the cannon fodder on the perimeter."

He spoke more and more urgently, stepping forward, his tone almost pleading.

"Chen Mu, you aren't thinking of going there, are you? You absolutely must not! That place is extremely evil. It is said that the deeper you go, the stronger the Ghostly Creatures are, and the grievances can erode one's sanity. If you stay too long, you'll go mad."

"Even if your cultivation has greatly improved, there's no need to risk your life in such a place. Right now, we should stabilize the situation and plan for the long term; that is the right course of action."