Chapter 84 Debt-for-Alliance

Qi Huan felt his vision go dark, and his chest suddenly hurt even more.

It was not that his injuries had relapsed; he was purely enraged and felt deeply aggrieved.

He raised a trembling hand, pointing at Chen Mu, his mouth twitching for a long time before he could barely squeeze out a sentence.

"Chen Mu... you damn... really are a..."

He held back the last few words, suppressing his urge to curse. Remembering Chen Mu's decisive and ruthless demeanor, he was genuinely a bit intimidated.

Chen Mu couldn't be bothered with him, as if the matter were already set in stone, and turned to walk toward Liu Ziming, who was unable to hold on any longer and had collapsed to the ground.

"Can you walk?"

Chen Mu asked, his tone slightly softer than when speaking to Qi Huan, though still devoid of any warmth.

Liu Ziming gritted his teeth and tried to move his legs, but the pain made cold sweat pour down his face, and he grinned bitterly.

"I'm afraid... that's unlikely. My bone might have dislocated again."

Chen Mu frowned slightly and was about to bend down to check when he heard Qi Huan behind him desperately trying to catch his breath, finally speaking in an annoyed tone.

"Fine... fine! I'll accept my defeat today!"

"How do you want me to repay the other half? You can't expect me to be your beast of burden for the rest of my life, can you?"

By the end, Qi Huan's voice carried a trace of resigned exhaustion.

He finally understood: this young, seemingly taciturn guy before him was not only ruthless and incredibly powerful but also meticulous and extremely skilled at settling accounts.

Bargaining with him, he wouldn't be able to gain any advantage at all.

A faint arc finally curled at the corner of Chen Mu's mouth, and he spoke without hesitation, his tone unreasonably matter-of-fact.

"I have just entered the path of martial arts, and my Foundation is shallow. What I lack most are superior Cultivation Techniques, rare Medicinal Pills, or Heaven And Earth Treasures that can rapidly increase my cultivation."

"As a lowly servant, I can't get these things, but you are different. You are an official from the Prefecture with extensive knowledge and wide connections. As for the remaining half... you have to repay it with something tangible, right?"

"Otherwise, wouldn't it be a laughingstock if it got out that your life, Banner Officer Qi... was worth so little?"

Qi Huan was dumbfounded, his mouth twitching, making it difficult for him to even speak clearly.

"You... you are blackmailing... this is blatant... robbery!"

Chen Mu shook his head, correcting him.

"It's a transaction. I saved your life, and you help me solve some problems I can't resolve myself. It's just an equal exchange!"

After speaking, Chen Mu didn't look at him, instead squatting down to focus on checking Liu Ziming's injuries.

Qi Huan stood frozen in place, looking at Chen Mu's back and then at the headless corpse of Head Constable Wang, his expression shifting uncertainly.

Gratitude? Yes!

Chen Mu had indeed saved him; without him, he would have long since entered the gates of hell. This debt of gratitude was real.

Helplessness? Even more so!

He was currently severely injured, his strength greatly diminished, and he had offended Xu Changze to the point of no return in Yunmeng. Although Head Constable Wang was dead, his cronies were deeply entrenched.

And Chen Mu, this powerful ally who didn't play by the rules, was his greatest reliance at the moment and the key to deterring Xu Changze.

It seemed that he had to repay this life-saving debt, whether he wanted to or not, and he had to do it according to Chen Mu's rules.

Thinking this, Qi Huan's chest hurt even more—it was even more uncomfortable than when he was hit by the Ghostly Creature's claws. He stared at Chen Mu, and after a long while, he managed to squeeze out a few words.

"You really are not one to take a loss."

Chen Mu didn't deny it, effectively tacitly agreeing.

Just then, Liu Ziming, who had been silently enduring the severe pain in his leg, saw the tension between the two subside slightly and carefully interjected.

"Chen Mu, Chief Qi... how should we handle... Head Constable Wang's body? We can't just leave it here, right?"

Chen Mu glanced sideways at Head Constable Wang's body, his brow slightly furrowed, clearly thinking about it as well.

Throwing it directly into the Yangu Pit would be easiest, but clearly, following the script they had just fabricated, the body needed a reasonable way to be disposed of; it couldn't just be left exposed in the wilderness.

But now there were only the three of them—who would carry it?

Chen Mu regretted letting those men go so early; at the very least, it would have been good to have them carry the body away.

Just as Chen Mu was pondering, Qi Huan, who was standing to the side, suddenly had his eyes light up.

He looked at Chen Mu, then at the body, and then thought of Xu Changze; a thought quickly formed in his mind.

"Handling the body is easy, and the Cultivation resources you want, I can also help you get."

Chen Mu turned his head, looking at him with a sharp gaze, waiting for the rest.

He knew that once the other party agreed, there would inevitably be additional conditions.

Sure enough, Qi Huan took a deep breath, stared at Chen Mu, and said word by word, his eyes filled with the seriousness of a transaction.

"However, I can't give you these things for nothing. If you want me to genuinely use my connections to help you get these precious items, just a life-saving debt isn't enough. You must also help me do one thing."

"What?" Chen Mu asked.

"Join me in bringing down Xu Changze."

Qi Huan's voice was very low, with a rather resolute tone.

Chen Mu pondered for a moment, then raised his eyes and asked.

"The reason? Just because he shielded his brother-in-law and tried to harm us?"

"This reason is far from enough to make a Banner Officer from the Prefecture go to such great lengths to want him dead."

Chen Mu remembered that when Qi Huan first arrived in Yunmeng, he hadn't shown any animosity toward Xu Changze or Head Constable Wang; he had even helped Head Constable Wang spar with him.

Could it be that this near-death experience intensified the conflict? Or was his purpose in coming here not simple from the start?

Qi Huan didn't answer immediately, but remained silent for a moment, seemingly weighing something, and ultimately just shook his head.

"You only need to know that Xu Changze must fall, and he must fall completely."

Chen Mu sneered, "It seems he is very important to you."

Qi Huan shook his head, a look of inscrutability appearing on his face.

"To be precise, his absence is important to me."

A flash of understanding crossed Chen Mu's eyes.

"You came to Yunmeng not for a routine inspection at all; you came specifically for Xu Changze."

This was not a question, but a statement.

Qi Huan neither admitted nor denied it. He had indeed come with a mission, but he hadn't expected to be accidentally drawn into the Ghostly Creature incident, nor had he expected to encounter a life-or-death crisis and owe Chen Mu such a large debt.

Chen Mu pondered for a moment and nodded.

Bringing down Xu Changze had only benefits and no drawbacks for him.

It was clear that Xu Changze already viewed him as a thorn in his side, and there was no room for maneuver between them. Instead of passively waiting for the other party's next, more vicious scheme, it was better to take the initiative and use Qi Huan's power to completely eliminate this threat.

Moreover, in the process of bringing down a figure like Xu Changze, he would inevitably be able to access more secrets and obtain more resources, which would be greatly beneficial for improving his own strength.

Within a few breaths, Chen Mu had made his decision.

"Fine."

"I will help you deal with Xu Changze."

Qi Huan felt a bit more at ease and was about to say something, but saw Chen Mu raise his hand to point at Head Constable Wang's headless corpse, demanding as a matter of course.

"Then, as the first item of cooperation as allies, you carry Head Constable Wang's body!"