Chapter 93 The Burden of Reputation

Xu Changze stepped forward a few paces, a cryptic smile still hanging on his face.

"Squad Leader Liu, I've just given it some thought. The matter in Qinglin Town brooks no delay. How about this: tomorrow morning, I shall accompany you there."

"Time is of the essence. Go back tonight, prepare yourself, and get some good rest."

He said this in a casual tone, but all three men frowned simultaneously.

Accompany him? Xu Changze going in person? And tomorrow morning?

This wasn't an assignment; it was a forced removal. And with the County Magistrate himself taking charge, it was perfectly legitimate, leaving no room for excuses or delays.

Liu Ziming's face went pale, his hand clutching the money bag stiffening. Xu Changze, ignoring Liu Ziming's reaction, turned to look at Chen Mu and Qi Huan.

"Squad Leader Chen, Banner Officer Qi, you two should also return and rest early. Especially you, Banner Officer Qi, take care of your health."

After speaking, he didn't even look at their reactions, but turned and walked away leisurely with his hands behind his back.

Liu Ziming was completely caught off guard. He looked at Chen Mu and Qi Huan, his voice trembling slightly.

"This... Chen Mu, Chief Qi, I... what should I do?"

Qi Huan clutched his chest, coughed twice, his expression grave.

"He is determined to transfer you away and is personally escorting you to prevent you from changing your mind or passing on messages midway."

"On the surface, this is your superior taking you along to handle a case. If you refuse, it's insubordination and defiance of authority; he could deal with you immediately."

Liu Ziming panicked even more.

"Then... then I..."

"Go!"

Chen Mu suddenly spoke, and both Liu Ziming and Qi Huan looked at him.

"Don't overthink it. Since you can't refuse, then go. Since he arranged for you to go, he won't do anything to harm you in the short term, and he might even give you some credit to make this 'guidance' look legitimate."

"Once you're there, act according to the situation. Watch more, listen more, and speak less. Qinglin Town may not necessarily be a den of tigers and dragons; perhaps he just wants to temporarily transfer you away from Yunmeng."

"Remember, you are a Squad Leader of Yunmeng, and you will return sooner or later."

Seeing both of them say the same thing, Liu Ziming felt slightly more settled and nodded firmly.

"Alright, since that's the case, I will go and prepare."

After speaking, he glanced at the two of them again, cupped his hands in a salute, turned, and limped away.

Watching Liu Ziming's gradually disappearing figure, Qi Huan opened his mouth, seeming to want to say something to Chen Mu.

He was filled with doubts. Xu Changze's move was both sudden and swift; Liu Ziming's fate on this trip was unpredictable, and in these chaotic times, human hearts were unfathomable.

However, before he could say more, Chen Mu had already turned and spoken first.

"He won't."

Three simple words, without beginning or end, firm and decisive.

Qi Huan was stunned. "What won't?"

Chen Mu did not answer, nor did he look at him, his gaze still fixed on the direction where Liu Ziming had disappeared.

Qi Huan inexplicably felt the surrounding air temperature drop sharply, causing him to shiver uncontrollably.

Killing Intent!

Although extremely faint and fleeting, Qi Huan was absolutely certain he hadn't misfelt it.

It was just that this chill was not directed at him; it seemed more like it had inadvertently leaked out during a moment of fluctuation in Chen Mu's mood.

Qi Huan's heart tightened. He had fought a Ghostly Creature last night and traveled while injured, so he was already mentally exhausted. Now, provoked by this sudden Killing Intent, his wounds throbbed with dull pain again.

The words on the tip of his tongue were completely swallowed back. He knew Chen Mu's attitude was set, and it was useless to say more.

"Fine, as long as you have a plan in mind. I need to go back and circulate my Qi to heal my wounds."

Chen Mu nodded, his gaze finally retracting, this time looking at Qi Huan.

"Tonight."

He only said one word, but Qi Huan immediately understood his meaning.

To go see Zhao Qinghe's corpse tonight.

"Alright, at the third quarter of the Xu hour, see you outside the mortuary."

After the two spoke, they said nothing more, each turned, and walked towards their respective residences.

Qi Huan's chest ached faintly, but his brain was racing.

Chen Mu's nearly blind trust in Liu Ziming.

That fleeting, icy Killing Intent just now.

And the appointment at the mortuary tonight.

What exactly was this young ally planning?

...

Chen Mu walked alone through the streets of Yunmeng. Passersby looked at his figure and whispered to each other.

The commendation order posted on the streets this morning had attracted many literate people to stop and point, and in just one day, Chen Mu's name had spread at an unprecedented speed.

Everyone looked at his blood-stained clothes and stern profile, their gazes mixed with awe and curiosity.

There was even a hint of inexplicable fanaticism.

Chen Mu ignored this and walked straight towards his simple, secluded courtyard.

After a night of bloody fighting, two battles, and half a day of prevaricating with Xu Changze, even though he was now in the Late Stage of the Dao Entry Realm and his energy far exceeded that of ordinary people, he felt a wave of exhaustion at this moment.

He needed a moment of quiet to clear his thoughts, restore the energy and mental focus consumed last night, and think about the countermeasures for what was to come.

However, when he was still a dozen steps away from his courtyard gate, his footsteps paused.

In front of his usually cold and quiet gate, there were actually twenty or thirty people gathered.

There were men and women, old and young, mostly dressed in the coarse cloth garments of ordinary commoners. They were holding baskets, carrying bundles, holding clay pots, and some were even holding chickens and ducks, stretching their necks to look, appearing quite lively.

"Look, Hero Chen is back!"

Someone with sharp eyes didn't know who it was, but they took the lead and shouted.

Suddenly, everyone's gaze turned towards Chen Mu in unison, and there was a commotion in the crowd.

"Hero Chen, you're finally back!"

"Hero Chen, thank you for eliminating the harm for the people!"

"Young Brother Chen, this is an egg laid by my family's old hen, take it to nourish your body."

"..."

The people surged forward, surrounding Chen Mu completely, chattering, and various local specialties and gifts were being shoved into his hands.

Chen Mu froze on the spot, holding the things everyone had stuffed into his hands, feeling the veins on his forehead throbbing.

Xu Changze's actions were much faster than he had expected. By posting the commendation order throughout the city and making his deeds known to all, the effect was immediately fed back to his doorstep.

He did not like this clamor, and he was even less capable of accepting this gratitude.

Slaying the Ghostly Creature was, for him, mostly for self-preservation, plundering Lifespan, and opposing Xu Changze, incidentally solving the crisis of Yunmeng City. But it was definitely not to be some hero, worshipped by others.

This simple yet blind gratitude only felt like trouble in his eyes.

Just as he was about to politely refuse, a short, fat woman in flashy clothes squeezed out of the crowd. Her face was piled with exaggerated smiles, she waved a red handkerchief in her hand, and her voice was greasy.

"Oh my, Hero Chen, I've finally seen you. You really are young, promising, and handsome."

The woman looked Chen Mu up and down, her eyes shining.

"I am Granny Wang from East Street. Hero Chen, at your age, it's time to settle down."

"Let me tell you, the daughter of Shopkeeper Li from the silk store on our street is sixteen years old, and she's as pretty as a picture; you two would be a match made in heaven."

"And the only daughter of Scholar Liu in the north of the city is well-read and sensible..."

Once the matchmaker started, a few older women nearby immediately got excited and joined the sales pitch.

"Warrior Chen, my niece is also good, big hips, easy to bear children!"

"Hey, if you're going to say that, my nephew's daughter is also diligent and capable."

"Hero Chen, consider my daughter..."

Chen Mu only felt a buzzing in his ears. He had always liked quiet, and he detested this kind of farce where he was being judged and forcibly matched.

Just at this moment, his courtyard gate, which had been tightly closed, was suddenly flung open from the inside.

An aggressive voice came from inside.

"What are you all clamoring about? Why are you all gathered here?"

"Giving gifts? Proposing marriage? Do you have any idea what kind of person he is? And you're just crowding around here!"