The Music Bureau is Full of Undercover Agents!

Looking at the Faceless Man's shriveled appearance, Chen Mo felt he wasn't lying, so he squeezed his little heart with a forceful grip.

"Speak up, how did you track me down?"

The Faceless Man shivered, his face turning bitter.

He was only at the Fifth Grade and lacked the ability to project his soul; if his physical body were destroyed, he would truly cease to exist!

Logically, Ghost Cultivators were the natural bane of Martial Cultivators, and he was even a realm higher than his opponent, yet he had been pinned to the ground and rubbed into the dirt...

It was simply heaven-defying!

"I kicked an iron plate..."

The Faceless Man lost all fighting spirit and honestly confessed everything.

After listening to his account and combining it with the information he already possessed, Chen Mo managed to piece together the sequence of events.

The Faceless Man was known as Daoist You, hailing from the Ghost Devouring Sect in the Western Regions.

Three years ago, he had made a mistake during his closed-door cultivation, causing his cultivation base to plummet. Qin Wuxiang had seized the opportunity to steal his natal artifact, the Soul-Summoning Banner, and went into hiding in Tongling County.

As it turned out, she hadn't even finished refining the artifact before Chen Mo cut her down.

"...I happened to be tracking her nearby and sensed the fluctuations of the Soul-Summoning Banner, so I followed the trail all the way to Heaven Capital City."

"But the artifact's aura suddenly vanished for no reason, and I couldn't sense it at all..."

"I heard that Qin Wuxiang died by your hand, so I assumed you must have taken the artifact, which is why I followed you to the Music Bureau..."

Chen Mo's mouth twitched.

The Highness had already refined that Soul-Summoning Banner long ago, so of course he couldn't sense it.

He hadn't expected the news of him slaying the demon to spread so widely, leading the creditor right to his doorstep...

"This little... sir, I've said everything I know. You've already swallowed the ghost essence, and I've accepted that I won't get the artifact back. Can you please spare my life?"

Daoist You pleaded humbly.

Chen Mo countered, "Do I look like an idiot to you?"

Before Daoist You could react, a muffled thud echoed from within his chest, followed by black blood gushing from his nose and mouth.

"You..."

He stared fixedly at Chen Mo, then collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.

Chen Mo absorbed his soul, ensuring he was dead beyond any doubt, before finally relaxing.

He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the black blood and gore from his hands.

"I hope no one else from the Ghost Devouring Sect comes looking for me to avenge him. That would be truly endless," Chen Mo muttered to himself.

Just then, the little maid nearby heard him and spoke up, "The Ghost Devouring Sect was wiped out long ago. I suspect this Daoist You just obtained their legacy somewhere and decided to pass himself off as a member of the sect..."

Chen Mo glanced at her, "You certainly know a lot, Saintess Gu."

The little maid's eyes flickered as she shook her head, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Still playing dumb?

Between the system notification that had just popped up and that iconic Azure Jade Scripture... even a fool could see through her identity.

"You seem to have forgotten what I said last time. To think you'd dare stay in Heaven Capital City? Do you really think I won't kill you?"

Chen Mo said coldly.

Seeing her identity exposed, the "little maid" stopped pretending, her voice shifting into its uniquely soft and alluring tone, "I haven't forgotten. You said our grievances were settled and we owed each other nothing... Since I helped you kill Daoist You this time, doesn't that mean you owe me a favor?"

"..."

Chen Mo frowned.

What kind of logic was this?

He had nearly lost his life last time!

"I didn't know my master wanted to plant a gu-worm in you... When I retreated, I intentionally left the corpse of the gu-worm at the scene to confirm my identity. In a way, that counts as a merit for you..."

Bang!

As Gu Manzhi explained herself, she was suddenly lifted into the air before she could finish, slamming hard against the wall. Her face turned pale instantly.

Chen Mo gripped her slender, elegant neck, a flash of killing intent in his eyes.

Gu Manzhi didn't panic, her voice remaining as soft and charming as ever, "If you kill me, you will inevitably face my master's retaliation. Besides, even if I die, someone else will just take my place... and they will be far more ruthless than I am."

Chen Mo understood this logic perfectly well.

The Moon Radiance Sect would not let this go. Now that the plot had shifted, the future was unpredictable. By comparison, Gu Manzhi at least had a foundation of favorability...

But in the face of their opposing stances, how much could that little bit of favorability really do?

Thinking of how Gu Manzhi had helped him intercept Daoist You just moments ago, Chen Mo hesitated for a moment before loosening his grip.

Gu Manzhi caught her breath, rubbing her fair neck as she frowned, "How heartless. Last time, those few slaps bruised my chest, and it still aches faintly. This time, you almost choked me to death..."

Chen Mo stared straight at her, "Your injuries haven't healed yet. Risking your life to stay at the Music Bureau—what exactly are you trying to do?"

The previous incident had caused quite a stir, and the number of eyes planted here by various factions had at least doubled; if she were to leave even the slightest trail, it would spell total disaster for her.

What was the reason for doing this?

Gu Manzhi pursed her lips and whispered, "I have no skills other than playing the zither; where else could I go besides this place of pleasure? Besides, it is convenient for gathering information here, otherwise I wouldn't have known the Heir intended to target you..."

"The Heir? Targeting me?"

Chen Mo was stunned for a moment.

Gu Manzhi said, "Miss Yu'er is the daughter of the former Minister of War. After being relegated to the lowly register, she was used by the Heir as a tool to get close to you... If you don't believe me, go ask her yourself and you will know."

Chen Mo walked to the bedside, only to see Miss Yu'er's face was a ghastly black, her eyes wide open, and her chest showed no sign of movement; she had been dead for quite some time.

Her soul had dissipated; she must have died the moment Daoist You possessed her.

"What is it?"

Seeing him motionless, Gu Manzhi walked over.

She also fell into silence after seeing Yu'er's corpse.

"..."

Chen Mo's brows were tightly locked, and he did not doubt the truth of Gu Manzhi's words.

As long as one wanted to investigate, traces could always be found; she had no need to lie about such a matter.

"Is it worth spending so much effort on me just because of a Barbarian Slave case?"

"It seems this matter involves far more than just a few officials... I thought Centurion Shen would be there to take the fall, but I didn't expect to be targeted regardless..."

Chen Mo looked at the corpse on the bed, the heartless body of Daoist You on the floor, and Gu Manzhi disguised as a maid beside him... his head began to ache.

"I just came here for a bit of fun, why is this Music Bureau full of undercover agents?"

"Daoist You doesn't matter, but with Yu'er dead, I'm afraid there will be some trouble..."

Just then, Gu Manzhi took a paper doll from her bosom, dipped it into Yu'er's blood, and drew a talisman on its surface.

As green light was injected into it, the paper doll seemed to come alive; it leaped from Gu Manzhi's hand, approached Yu'er, pried open her mouth, and crawled inside.

After about half an incense stick's time, Yu'er's wide-open eyes suddenly blinked.

She turned her head to look at Chen Mo, her voice seductive:

"My lord, my body hasn't gone cold yet; how about it, shall we do it while it's still warm?"

Chen Mo: "..."