Hekou Town, Daoist Mu's residence.
"Did you find it?" Daoist Mu sat in his chair, staring at the subordinates hurrying in below.
Several subordinates carried in a few large chests and reported, "Reporting to Elder, our two groups spent the entire night searching Elder Xiangyang's residence. As you instructed, we brought over every book suspected to contain Daoist cultivation methods."
Daoist Mu nodded and waved his hand. The books inside the chests immediately flew into the air and began flipping through their pages on their own.
"Rustle, rustle, rustle~"
Book after book flipped rapidly, while Daoist Mu merely closed his eyes and said nothing.
After a long while, Daoist Mu slowly opened his eyes.
"Nothing? It seems that the incomplete Thunderclap Art wasn't hidden in the residence. Daoist Xiangyang must have been carrying it on him."
"Did you find Elder Xiangyang's corpse?"
"This..." The subordinate hesitated. "We did find it, but when we went to search it, Elder Heifeng's people got there first."
"Hmph! A bunch of good-for-nothings!" Daoist Mu waved his hand. "Get out."
"Yes." The group of subordinates hurriedly withdrew.
"The Thunderclap Art on Daoist Xiangyang was obtained from the Nine Nether Ruins. I heard he bitterly cultivated it for years but still couldn't master the first layer. He showed off in front of me several times..." Daoist Mu shook his head regretfully. "Now that he's dead, I wonder whether the authorities searched it away or Heifeng got there first."
"Hm?" Just as Daoist Mu was lamenting the matter, another subordinate suddenly entered from outside to report.
"Elder, Elder Cang has arrived. He's currently outside the manor."
"Who? Cang Hai, the young master's teacher?"
"That's right."
Daoist Mu froze, then immediately recalled that Young Master Li Ming of the Li Family had two teachers: one a Qi Cultivation True Person, and the other a Xiantian Martial Artist.
The Qi Cultivation True Person's whereabouts were usually shrouded in mystery, but Cang Hai was constantly at Li Ming's side.
Why had he come?
"Quickly, invite him in... No, come with me to welcome him!" Daoist Mu did not dare be careless. He hurriedly led a group of subordinates forward to receive him.
As he walked, Daoist Mu felt somewhat puzzled.
"Why would Cang Hai come here? Could it be that the Family Head is worried something might happen to the Branch Shrine and sent a Xiantian Martial Artist to help me?"
Outside the manor, Shen Zhui, his entire body shrouded in a black robe, was somewhat apprehensive. Rong Zimo, standing beside him, also had sweat beading on his palms.
"Shen Zhui, how certain are you? Why don't we just force our way in?"
"Be patient." Shen Zhui, whose appearance and build were exactly the same as Cang Hai's, reminded him, "Once he takes the bait, follow my command and borrow divine power immediately. Give it everything you've got."
"Understood." Rong Zimo nodded.
I hope we can trick Daoist Mu into coming out. Shen Zhui waited expectantly.
This was the plan he had discussed with Han Mao and the others that morning. At present, only Rong Zimo and he could still borrow divine power among the five of them.
But if only the two of them borrowed divine power and forced their way in...
First, they would have difficulty confirming the Branch Shrine's location.
Second, even when Daoist Xiangyang's Branch Shrine had already been destroyed, he had still been astonishingly powerful with the aid of the grand formation. Daoist Mu probably had some trump cards as well, and killing him inside the manor would likely not be easy.
Moreover, Daoist Mu's stronghold had at least a dozen Ninth Stage of Acquired Realm, or even peak, martial artists. If they forced their way in and failed to complete their mission before the borrowed divine power ran out, they might not even be able to retreat.
Thus, Shen Zhui had been forced to come up with this plan and try to lure Daoist Mu out.
Once they reached outside the manor, Shen Zhui would have far more confidence.
"According to Captain Wang, Cang Hai is Li Ming's martial arts teacher and stays at Li Ming's side year-round. His status must be extraordinary. There should be a good chance of getting Daoist Mu to come out and welcome him."
"Unless Daoist Mu immediately sends messages to several parties for verification the moment he hears I've come. But Cang Hai is a Xiantian Martial Artist. How could his movements be casually disclosed? He'd have to ask someone on the level of the Li Family's Family Head."
Shen Zhui was gambling as well.
He was betting that Daoist Mu would come out to verify things himself first.
After waiting anxiously outside the tall walls for a long time, just as Shen Zhui was about to give up, a figure suddenly appeared atop the city wall.
He's here. Shen Zhui's heart tightened.
Daoist Mu was cautious too. He only landed on the city wall and sized up Shen Zhui and Rong Zimo.
After a long while, Daoist Mu said, "So it's Elder Cang. Forgive me for failing to welcome you."
Shen Zhui saw hidden troops and crossbows surrounding them, while faint formation radiance circulated atop the tall wall.
The other party looked fully prepared, as if facing a formidable enemy. He had only landed on the wall to exchange greetings and had not come any closer. Shen Zhui inwardly cursed him for being overly cautious and timid as a mouse.
"Elder Mu." Shen Zhui lowered his black robe, revealing his face. "Elder Mu, you're exceptionally clever. Can you tell what's different about me?"
"Hm?" Daoist Mu raised an eyebrow. From far away, he had immediately seen that although Shen Zhui looked like Cang Hai, his aura was that of an ordinary person, without the slightest fluctuation of spiritual power. He had instinctively assumed there was a trap and therefore had not approached.
But he had not expected the other party to reveal it first, exposing his own weakness.
Could it be that the Family Head used a special method to conceal his strength and deliberately sent him here to ambush the Branch Shrine? Daoist Mu hesitated at once. This was precisely the weakness of overly cautious people: they were prone to overthink.
Just as he was hesitating, Rong Zimo suddenly shouted, "You insolent Mu Haishan! How dare you slight Elder Cang like this? Who gave you the nerve?"
Seeing an ordinary Ninth Stage of Acquired Realm martial artist beside the other party dare to reprimand him, Daoist Mu's face flushed.
So arrogant. He really does seem like someone from the young master's side. This thought flashed through his mind, but he still said nothing.
"Very well!" Shen Zhui said indifferently. "Since Elder Mu is unwilling to disperse the formation, we'll take our leave. If anything happens, and the Family Head blames you, it will have nothing to do with us."
"Let's go." Shen Zhui gave Rong Zimo a glance and turned to retreat without the slightest hesitation.
Seeing Shen Zhui and Rong Zimo withdraw without any hesitation, covering a thousand meters in the blink of an eye and about to vanish around the street corner, Daoist Mu grew anxious.
"I sent a message to the Family Head for confirmation as soon as I received the news, but he still hasn't replied. Could this really be true?"
"Young Master Li is famously petty and vengeful, as well as extremely arrogant. I've offended his teacher. Once he emerges from seclusion in the ancestral hall, I'm afraid I won't fare well."
After wrestling with it again and again, Daoist Mu gritted his teeth, flew down from the city wall, and rapidly chased after Shen Zhui and Rong Zimo.
"Elder Cang, Elder Cang, please wait." Daoist Mu flew swiftly. In the blink of an eye, he reached a hundred meters behind Shen Zhui and Rong Zimo.
When he saw the two stop, Daoist Mu breathed a sigh of relief. He hurriedly put on a smile, cupping his hands as he walked over.
"Elder Cang, please don't take offense. Things haven't been peaceful these past few days. Elder Xiangyang's incident happened only yesterday, so we couldn't afford to be careless. We had no intention of offending you."
Shen Zhui turned around and snorted. As he paced closer, he pretended to be displeased and said, "We came here because of an important matter. If you delay it, can you bear the responsibility?"
"Yes, Elder Cang is right to reprimand me." Daoist Mu smiled obsequiously. "May I ask why Elder Cang has come..."
Before he could finish, a token in Daoist Mu's bosom trembled. At the same time, a message reached him, making his heart and guts split with terror.
The Family Head's message said that Cang Hai was meditating in seclusion at Li Mansion!
"Of course, I came to kill you!" Seeing Daoist Mu's expression change dramatically, Shen Zhui immediately realized that his identity had been exposed. He drew his saber at once, and primordial energy surged through his body.
The concealment effect of the Flowing Gold Mask immediately vanished, revealing Shen Zhui's original face.
"It's you!" Daoist Mu turned and ran. He recognized him now—the official who had chopped off Daoist Xiangyang's head with a single saber strike!
"Kill!" Shen Zhui swept his steel saber sideways. His speed surged instantly as he slashed toward Daoist Mu.
Beside him, Rong Zimo also erupted with dazzling golden radiance. Divine power entered his body, and he lunged forward with a savage expression.
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