Chapter 160 Uncontrollable Heart Fire

Chen Mu listened to what Liu Ziming said, his eyes growing increasingly deep and inscrutable.

Liu Ziming's dissuasion did not make him retreat; instead, it added fuel to his restless heart fire.

The more dangerous and powerful it was, the more Lifespan it meant, and the better it could vent the emotions that were on the verge of exploding within him.

He tugged at the corner of his mouth, revealing a smile devoid of any warmth.

"Discuss long-term plans? Will Xu Changze give us time to discuss long-term plans? Will Wen Jingxing's revenge wait for us to slowly prepare?"

He then turned his head to look at that pile of headache-inducing documents.

"You handle these things as you see fit. Thank you for your trouble, but I have more urgent matters to attend to."

"Chen Mu!" Liu Ziming grew anxious and grabbed his sleeve.

"Calm down. I know you are holding back anger inside, and Xu Changze is no good, but the Yangu Pit really cannot be entered. Escaping from there once was just luck; do you think we can have such good luck every time? Have you forgotten the ghost claw that chased us out? That aura was definitely not just the Early Stage of the Heart-Awakening Realm!"

Chen Mu's arm vibrated slightly, and a burst of Protective Aura flicked Liu Ziming's hand away. His control over his power was fine and subtle at this moment, neither injuring Liu Ziming nor failing to clearly express his refusal.

"I have my own sense of proportion regarding my affairs. I will leave these official duties to you. If Xu Changze asks, just say I went to investigate a case."

Having said that, he no longer paid attention to the pale-faced Liu Ziming and walked straight back into the room. A moment later, he emerged, having changed into a sharp, agile outfit. He tucked his demon-slaying blade into his sleeve, secured the ancient demon seal close to his body, and his eyes were sharp, like an unsheathed vicious blade.

Liu Ziming stood where he was, watching Chen Mu's determined demeanor, knowing that further persuasion was useless. Worry welled up in his heart, and he opened his mouth, but in the end, he only said dejectedly.

"Take care in everything... As for these files... I will do my best."

Chen Mu nodded slightly, lifted his leg to step out of the courtyard gate, isolating the pile of files, the dissuasion, and the worry inside.

The cold wind brushed against his face, but instead of calming him, it only made the evil fire burning through his internal organs burn even more fiercely.

He needed slaughter, he needed plunder, he needed to feel the pleasure of power surging out from the edge of his blade, and he needed that cold System notification sound to ring out over and over again, confirming his existence and strength.

But he was no reckless brute. The battle at the City God Temple and the death of Nie Feng had both made him understand that the waters of this world were always deeper than one could imagine.

Since the Yangu Pit was a dead zone, there must be a reason. He was confident that his strength had greatly increased, but he also needed more trump cards.

Qi Huan.

Chen Mu's footsteps paused, and he turned toward the direction of Yuelai Inn.

This Prefecture Banner Officer seemed carefree, but in reality, everything about him was unusual.

His forbearance when first meeting Xu Changze, his life-and-death struggle in Qinglin Town, and especially those Five Cloud Hands and the city gods order, were definitely not things an ordinary Demon Suppression Division Banner Officer could possess.

He was like a walking mystery, always able to pull out something surprising at critical moments.

Now, killing desire and greed were intertwined in Chen Mu's heart. Although he had not completely lost his reason, he was too lazy to beat around the bush and test him further. Since he had decided to brave that dragon's pool and tiger's den, dragging along a guy with unknown trump cards would at least provide a bit more assurance.

More importantly, he wanted to see how much real ability Qi Huan would reveal when truly facing a dead zone of the Yangu Pit's level.

...

Yuelai Inn, Qi Huan's room.

Qi Huan was not recuperating; instead, he was sitting cross-legged on the couch with his brows tightly locked.

The scene at Xu Changze's banquet, and the naked threats and inducements during the closed-door discussions later, were also circling repeatedly in his mind.

Unlike Chen Mu, who was tempted by longevity and power, Qi Huan felt more of the cold reality and heavy pressure.

How much room for maneuver was left in the Prefecture? In what form would Wen Jingxing's revenge come? When would it arrive? What tricks would that insatiable jackal, Xu Changze, play next?

While he was feeling disturbed, the door was gently knocked, and before he could respond, it was pushed open.

Chen Mu stood at the doorway, his face slightly pale, but his eyes were startlingly bright, carrying a kind of sharpness that Qi Huan was not very familiar with, one that was almost paranoid.

"Chen Mu, why are you here?"

He noticed that Chen Mu's aura did not seem to be in any major trouble, but the restlessness between his brows was unsettling.

"It is fine."

Chen Mu walked into the room, closed the door behind him, and got straight to the point.

"I am going to the Yangu Pit. Now. Are you coming or not?"

"The Yangu Pit?" Qi Huan was stunned, almost thinking he had misheard. He was dumbfounded for a full three breaths before suddenly raising his volume.

"Chen Mu, are you fucking stupid from being angered by Xu Changze? Or have you suffered Qi Deviation from your training? The Yangu Pit? What kind of place is that? You know better than me!"

"That is a registered dead zone in the Yunmeng territory, an old ghost den for hundreds of years. What are you going there for? Sightseeing? If you want to seek death, pick a place with good scenery!"

Meeting his gaze, which was almost spitting fire, Chen Mu slowly said.

"I'm just holding back fire in my heart, and it feels clogged up. With those words from Xu Changze, and all these filthy matters inside and outside Yunmeng City, if I don't kill something, this energy won't dissipate."

This reason sounded willful, absurd, and even a bit childish; it was completely unlike words that the usually calm and rational Chen Mu would say.

Qi Huan looked at him with the eyes of someone looking at a madman.

"Just to vent? You could go to a gambling den and smash it up, go to a restaurant and get drunk, or even find some shady character to have a fight with! And you want to vent at the Yangu Pit?!"

Qi Huan was practically laughing with anger.

"Chen Mu, I know you have high talent and are bold, but you are courting death right now. That is something bred from the resentment accumulated over hundreds of years on an ancient battlefield; it cannot be judged by common sense at all. Even those in the Heart-Awakening Realm wouldn't dare say they could retreat unscathed after entering!"

Chen Mu's tone, however, had no fluctuation.

"That's why I'm asking you to come along. Your injuries are mostly healed, and your trump cards shouldn't just be the ones you've shown before, right? It's perfect; let's test our skills."

Qi Huan was choked up, and the anger in his heart suddenly dissipated by more than half, replaced by a complex emotion.

There was helplessness, worry, and a trace of guilt that he himself was not quite willing to admit.

His trump cards were indeed more than just these. The Qi family had been passed down for many years, and as a Disciple who could still be considered capable in this generation, how could he not have some life-saving and comeback items on him when he left home? It was just that those items had too high a price and involved too much; unless it was an absolute last resort, he would never dare use them easily.

Chen Mu's words seemed reckless, but they hit the mark by accident.

Moreover, Qi Huan suddenly realized that Chen Mu's current state was not quite right. That look of urgently seeking slaughter and danger was not just as simple as venting anger.

Are all Geniuses madmen? Or did Xu Changze's temptation regarding the power of longevity really plant something in Chen Mu's heart?

This was probably not just a momentary impulse, but a sign that a Heart Demon was gradually emerging.

He had served in the Prefecture for many years and had seen many exceptionally talented people who, either due to strange encounters or obsessions, eventually suffered Qi Deviation and became monsters who only knew how to kill or pursue power. Chen Mu's current state was extremely similar to those precursors.

He wanted to refuse, wanted to sternly rebuke Chen Mu to wake up, but the words swallowed back when they reached his lips.

On one hand, Chen Mu had saved his life; within the Zhao residence and in the City God Temple, if not for Chen Mu, he would have already died countless times. On the other hand...

Qi Huan looked at the determination in Chen Mu's eyes and knew that any dissuasion at this time would only provoke stronger resistance; Chen Mu could no longer listen.

Most importantly, his own situation was awkward; he could not return to the Prefecture, Yunmeng was fraught with crises, Xu Changze was eyeing him covetously, and Wen Jingxing was a mortal enemy.

Chen Mu was currently the only ally with the most potential that he could grasp. If Chen Mu really perished in the Yangu Pit because of a Heart Demon or some other reason, then he himself would likely be unable to stand alone in Yunmeng.