Chapter 96 Night Threshold Battle of Enchantresses

Night fell, and Yunmeng gradually grew quiet.

Chen Mu had been meditating in his room for several hours; his condition had recovered significantly, and his mind was once again clear and sharp.

The night deepened, and all was silent.

However, amidst this silence, an argument suddenly erupted outside the door.

"What are you doing! Creeping around someone's doorstep in the middle of the night, what do you want? Trying to be a thief?"

The voice was crisp and imperious, laced with anger—it was Jiang Huoyu.

Immediately after, another male voice, slightly weak yet stubbornly holding on, replied.

"This is clearly Chen Mu's residence, and who are you? Being here in the dead of night, could it be that you are a spy sent by Xu Changze?"

It was Qi Huan.

"You're the spy, your whole family is spies! Who I am is none of your damn business! Running around sneakily in the middle of the night—if you aren't a rapist, you're a thief. I'm not letting you in, and that's that!"

Qi Huan clearly hadn't expected to run into such an obstacle here, and since this woman had emerged from Chen Mu's house, their relationship seemed unusual.

He was already irritable due to his injuries, and now he was even more impatient.

"I have an appointment with Chen Mu. Move aside!"

"An appointment? How come I don't know about it? He didn't tell me anything."

Jiang Huoyu didn't yield an inch, that imperious streak of hers flaring up again.

"This is my doorstep. If you dare to take another step forward, see if I don't make your injuries even worse!"

These two—one severely injured but still carrying the authority of an official, the other delicate but fierce—were arguing in hushed tones at Chen Mu's doorstep. The tension grew, and soon, dull thuds of slight impact echoed.

The two had actually started fighting.

Inside the bedroom, Chen Mu slowly opened his eyes but did not get up immediately.

The sounds of arguing and fighting outside drifted clearly into his ears; instead, he restrained his Qi, listened intently, and quietly extended his perception outside the courtyard.

Jiang Huoyu's movements were as agile as a cat; she didn't clash head-on with Qi Huan but instead circled him repeatedly.

Her footwork was strange, at times ethereal, at others sudden, always managing to barely dodge Qi Huan's attacks.

Her Moves were even more bizarre; they weren't forceful, but the angles were tricky and the speed was extraordinary. She constantly attacked the gaps in Qi Huan's Move transitions. Although not fatal, it left Qi Huan feeling incredibly stifled.

"Damn it! Who exactly are you? This kind of footwork..."

Qi Huan had not yet recovered from his severe injuries, and now, entangled by Jiang Huoyu's slippery fighting style, he couldn't exert his strength. He could feel that this woman's cultivation didn't seem higher than his own at his peak; it was just that her footwork was too bizarre, as if it were specifically designed to counter opponents like him who relied on brute strength.

"None of your business who I am!"

Jiang Huoyu snorted softly. Taking advantage of a moment when Qi Huan's palm struck empty air, she glided to his side like a phantom, her hand moving like lightning to snatch at the Demon Suppression Division token hanging from his waist!

"How bold!"

Qi Huan was shocked and hurriedly tried to defend, but this aggravated his injuries, causing his movements to falter.

Jiang Huoyu hooked her finger, pulling up the silk cord of the token, but she didn't rip it off; she simply caught a clear look at the characters on the waist token.

"Oh, so it's Lord Qi from the Prefecture Demon Suppression Division. What great official authority you have!"

"It's just a pity that no matter how great that authority is, it's useless if you can't hit anyone."

Qi Huan was so angry he almost vomited blood. His Qi and blood roiled in his chest, and his vision went black for an instant. Forcing himself to gather his breath, he shouted sternly.

"I am an official of the imperial court. If you dare to be presumptuous again, it will be considered an attack on a superior, and tantamount to treason!"

Jiang Huoyu was not the least bit afraid; instead, she giggled and circled Qi Huan another half-turn, her tone mocking.

"Treason? That's quite a heavy accusation; how could a young girl like me handle that?"

"However, the way you act as an official—you can't even handle me. If that gets out, wouldn't people laugh their heads off!"

She kept talking, her hands moving even faster, leaving Qi Huan flustered and irritated.

Chen Mu observed quietly, his estimation of Jiang Huoyu rising once again.

This woman's footwork was exquisite, and her grasp of combat opportunities was far from ordinary.

It was clear she wasn't using her full strength, merely toying with him and testing him. If Qi Huan weren't severely injured, he might have been able to suppress her with his Realm, but right now, he was completely restrained.

Seeing Qi Huan panting, his face growing increasingly ugly, Jiang Huoyu's playful side flared up. She produced a charcoal pencil from nowhere and, spotting a moment when Qi Huan's defenses were wide open due to his rage, prepared to draw on his face.

"Hey, Lord Qi, you look so ominous with your black forehead. This young lady is kind enough to add some flair to your face—how about I draw a little turtle to ward off the bad luck?"

Just as the tip of the pencil was about to land on Qi Huan's face.

"Enough!"

A cold voice rang out suddenly. Chen Mu had pushed open the door and stepped out, watching this farce expressionlessly.

Jiang Huoyu's movements came to an abrupt halt, the charcoal pencil stopping less than half an inch from Qi Huan's cheek.

She pouted, looking somewhat disappointed that her fun was spoiled, but she withdrew her hand and turned to look at Chen Mu with an aggrieved and innocent expression.

"Chen Mu, you've finally come out. This guy was creeping around the door in the middle of the night and even tried to force his way in. I was just helping you stop him."

Qi Huan finally managed to catch his breath. He took two steps back, clutching his chest, and glared fiercely at Jiang Huoyu, his face livid.

"Chen Mu, who exactly is this woman? Being here in the middle of the night and acting so presumptuously! She must be a spy sent by Xu Changze; how can you keep her by your side?!"

Chen Mu did not answer directly; he merely gave Jiang Huoyu a faint glance, warning her to stop while she was ahead.

Jiang Huoyu also pouted, crossed her arms, and turned her head away, not provoking anyone further.

Chen Mu then turned to Qi Huan, his tone calm.

"Chief Qi, calm down. She isn't one of Xu Changze's people. We can discuss this later; the important matter comes first."

Qi Huan's expression shifted. Although he was extremely stifled, he knew that this was not the time to dwell on it. Forcing down his anger, he whispered to Chen Mu.

"It's about time."

Chen Mu nodded and led the way out of the courtyard gate. Qi Huan clutched his chest, shot one last fierce glare at Jiang Huoyu, and then hurried to catch up.

Jiang Huoyu stood in the courtyard, watching the direction in which the two had disappeared, and muttered under her breath.

"All mysterious and secretive; it's bound to be nothing good."

She then turned around and slammed the courtyard gate shut with a loud clatter.

...

The Yunmeng City mortuary was located in a secluded corner in the west of the city. Usually, apart from Old Zhao, the caretaker, and the bailiffs delivering corpses, very few people ever came near.

Chen Mu and Qi Huan, both skilled in movement techniques, silently vaulted over the low wall, avoided the dozing Old Zhao, and slipped directly into the morgue.

The morgue was even colder and more chilling than the outside. By the faint moonlight, they could vaguely see several corpses covered in white cloth lying inside.

The two exchanged a glance and tacitly split up to search. Soon, Qi Huan beckoned to Chen Mu from in front of a mortuary slab in the corner.

The white cloth was lifted.

Lying underneath was a male corpse dressed in silk clothing, his physique and silhouette bearing a seven or eight-part resemblance to the Zhao Qinghe from their memories.

However, when they saw the corpse's face clearly, both their pupils constricted.

That face was already completely unrecognizable.

It wasn't the result of violent hacking or chopping; it looked more like it had been splashed with some kind of corrosive substance. The skin was extensively ulcerated, charred, and adhered, the facial features distorted, making it impossible to identify the original appearance.

"This..."

Qi Huan gasped, his voice kept extremely low.

"What a ruthless method; they were terrified of being recognized."

Chen Mu's eyes were cold as he carefully examined the body, responding in a low voice.

"Only the face was destroyed; the clothing on other parts of the body is intact."

The two exchanged a glance, both seeing the same conclusion in each other's eyes.

Destroying the body to cover up the evidence!