Diverting Disaster Eastward, Hidden Treasure in the Book

Seeing the soldiers scatter and begin a thorough, inch-by-inch search, Chen Mu's heart tightened.

If someone discovered the stolen goods in the livestock shed, there would be no way out.

More importantly, Zhao Dong already knew that Ma San had visited Rubble Ward that afternoon.

All he needed to do was question a few more people, and he would learn that Ma San and Tiger Boy had clashed with Chen Mu.

By the time Zhao Dong found that out, it would be too late to say anything.

He could not sit and wait for death. That would only make him look guilty. He had to find a way to seize the initiative and divert the disaster eastward.

These thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.

Chen Mu made his decision without hesitation. Amid the shocked and baffled stares of the crowd, he stepped forward with clasped fists and called out loudly:

"Reporting to you, sir, this humble one has a clue to report!"

His voice was full and powerful.

Combined with Chen Mu's tall, burly build, he stood among the cringing poor of the lowly registers like a crane among chickens.

Before Zhao Dong could speak, the two saber-bearing guards at his sides shouted in unison:

"Impudent! Who is below the platform? State your name at once!"

For once, Chen Mu did not put on a timid act.

He knew groveling would not solve the problem now. He had to borrow a tiger's hide.

He immediately clasped his fists again and boomed out in self-aggrandizement:

"Reporting to you, sir, this humble one is Chen Mu, a registered disciple of the Azure Dragon Martial Academy in the eastern part of the city. I have my token as proof."

As he spoke, he removed the Azure Dragon Token from his waist, held it in his palm, and presented it with both hands.

"Please inspect it, sir."

Zhao Dong's originally indifferent gaze shifted slightly when he saw the token.

He narrowed his eyes at Chen Mu and waved for someone to retrieve it.

"It truly is an Azure Dragon Token."

He examined it once, then suddenly sneered. "Bold indeed! Men, seize this thief!"

"You have trained in martial arts, yet you leap out at a time like this. And you still claim you do not have a guilty conscience?!"

At the command, the remaining dozen or so soldiers immediately drew their sabers and stepped forward.

"Behave yourself! Kneel!"

"Talk! Did you kill Ma San?!"

Two men seized Chen Mu by the arms and shoved him forward, while another kicked at him from behind, trying to force him to his knees.

But Chen Mu's vitality and blood now exceeded 300. Even though he deliberately concealed himself and restrained his aura, his skin and flesh remained incomparably tough.

How could ordinary soldiers like these force him to kneel?

With a slight shake of his shoulders, Chen Mu threw off their restraint. Before the others could draw their blades and demand answers, he called out loudly:

"See clearly, sir! Please hear this humble one out!"

"I did indeed see Master Ma San this afternoon, but I have not even passed the martial academy's entrance examination. How could I possibly have the ability to kill someone?!"

"However, this humble one truly has a clue to offer. I beg you, sir, allow me to report it."

His words rang like stones striking the ground. Zhao Dong frowned slightly upon hearing them, then raised a hand to stop the surrounding soldiers.

"You say you have a clue? Speak, then. If even half a word is false, watch your head."

The moment Chen Mu heard that, he knew he had guessed right.

Zhao Dong's earlier words had already revealed the truth. He was not here to investigate the murderer at all; he was after some item in Ma San's possession.

Now that he had heard Chen Mu possessed a clue, even if he was suspicious, he would listen first.

With that judgment in mind, Chen Mu quickly composed his thoughts and began explaining steadily.

He erased the entire cause and course of Ma San's afternoon troublemaking, saying only that Ma San had come to collect a debt and sought out his brother, Wang Hu.

Chen Mu had stepped in to help resolve the situation, paid the interest, and sent Ma San and his men away.

Having lived two lives, Chen Mu had calmed down by now, and his account was logically seamless from beginning to end.

Moreover, after killing more people, the courage in his heart had grown stronger. There was not the slightest trace of guilt in his bearing.

And Ma San's gang, the only people who truly knew what had happened, were already all dead. Naturally, no one could expose Chen Mu's lies.

Sure enough, Zhao Dong detected no major flaw after listening.

Chen Mu struck while the iron was hot. Continuing his half-truth, half-lie account, he deliberately led Zhao Dong on:

"If you do not believe me, sir, you may call my brother Wang Hu out and question him."

"After Master Ma San took the money, he left Rubble Ward and headed toward the docks. From far away, I heard him seem to say that he was going to discuss some business with the Red Whale Gang, but I do not know the details."

Hearing Chen Mu speak so methodically, Zhao Dong had already believed him by thirty percent.

When Chen Mu casually mentioned the words "Red Whale Gang," a sharp gleam abruptly burst from Zhao Dong's eyes.

"You truly saw him go to the docks? Do you know the consequences of deceiving this official?!"

As he spoke, a trace of pressure leaked from his body. Chen Mu immediately felt an invisible force descend onto his shoulders.

Horror rose in his heart. His legs went weak, and he nearly could not stop himself from bending his knees and kneeling.

Zhao Dong had at least broken through Body Tempering Fifth Heaven. He was a true master who had cultivated inner force.

He might even have touched the threshold of the Meridian-Penetrating Realm. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for mere presence alone to make ordinary martial artists unable to raise their heads!

Chen Mu forced himself to stand firm, gritted his teeth, and swore:

"I beg you to investigate clearly, sir! This humble one was born and raised in Everlasting Prosperity Town, with a clean background. I would never dare deceive you with my life!"

Just as Zhao Dong was about to say something, the soldiers who had gone to search returned one by one.

He immediately withdrew his pressure and shouted at them, "Speak! What did you find? Wu Yue, you first."

He pointed to an armored officer with a saber at his waist. It was none other than the man who had accepted Chen Mu's silver bribe earlier.

Wu Yue stepped forward with one hand on his saber and saluted first. His gaze swept past Chen Mu almost imperceptibly before he respectfully reported:

"Reporting to you, sir, the seven households searched by this subordinate showed nothing unusual."

After saying that, he retreated to the side with a hand on his saber.

Zhao Dong waved for the rest to step forward and report one by one, but unfortunately, none of them had found anything.

Chen Mu secretly let out a breath of relief.

Zhao Dong frowned deeply, then suddenly spoke. "Who is Wang Hu? Step forward and speak."

Ever since Chen Mu had stepped out, Wang Hu in the crowd had secretly clenched his fists.

Now that he had suddenly been named, he immediately pushed through the crowd and stepped to the front. "Sir, this humble one is Wang Hu."

"Oh?" Zhao Dong looked over coldly, his tone indifferent. "Were every word your brother said just now true? Did you personally see Ma San go to find the Red Whale Gang?"

Cold sweat broke out on Wang Hu's forehead. He had no idea such a thing had happened.

Just as he was about to follow along with the lie, a galloping horse suddenly raced down the long street outside the alley!

"Report! Quickly inform Lord Zhao, we found a clue!"

A rider leaped from the horse, rushed over, and presented a scroll of silk.

"Bring it here!" Zhao Dong temporarily spared Wang Hu from further questioning and took the silk scroll to inspect it.

Upon it were rubbings of two crooked, reversed characters written in blood: "Red Whale"!

"Speak! Where was it found?"

Zhao Dong flew into a rage, grabbed the messenger soldier, and demanded an answer.

The man did not dare conceal anything. He loudly reported that it had been rubbed from a stone slab in the ruins of Ma's residence, and was likely Ma San's final bloody writing left before his death.

The moment those words fell, Zhao Dong's face completely darkened. He sneered again and again:

"Good, good, good! What a Red Whale Gang! They have truly rebelled against heaven! They dare stretch their hands this far!"

"All of you, come with me! Tonight, we search the Red Whale Gang! Not a single one is to be spared!"

With that, he vaulted onto his horse, snapped his whip fiercely, and galloped toward the docks.

The remaining several dozen soldiers swiftly formed ranks, marched out in orderly steps, and charged toward the docks.

In no more than a dozen breaths, Rubble Ward, which had just been bristling with drawn swords and taut bows, was left with only lowly commoners sprawled on the ground in terror.

Seeing this, Chen Mu finally felt somewhat at ease.

The moment he saw the two blood-written characters "Red Whale" rubbed onto that silk scroll, he knew he was safe for the time being.

His arrangements after the killing had not been in vain after all.

With this clue leading them astray, no matter what Zhao Dong was looking for, he would surely suspect the Red Whale Gang first.

Chen Mu immediately pulled Wang Hu along, signaling him not to speak, and quickly brought him back to his own small courtyard.

Only after locking the doors and windows did Chen Mu speak to warn him:

"Tiger Boy, listen carefully. No matter who comes asking in the future, you heard exactly the story I told just now! Otherwise, both you and I will die. Do you understand?!"

Wang Hu also knew this matter was enormous. He did not dare ask more and merely nodded hard.

"Brother Mu, do not worry. Even if they beat me to death, that is what I'll say."

Seeing that he understood the gravity of it, Chen Mu patted his shoulder. "All right. Go back and rest properly. Stay indoors these next few days, and do not ask around everywhere."

After saying that, he personally saw Wang Hu out, gave him a few more instructions, then returned to his own room and shut the doors and windows.

Only once he was completely safe did Chen Mu finally let out a long breath.

He first went to inspect the livestock shed and found traces that someone had searched it.

But no one had touched the filthy corner or the large vat of wastewater.

Not minding the foulness, he took out the oilcloth bundle containing the stolen goods, washed away the blood with clean water, and returned to his room.

By lamplight, Chen Mu spread all the things he had taken from Ma San across the table and inspected them carefully once more.

Now, he desperately wanted to know what exactly he had accidentally taken that could make Zhao Dong attach such importance to it.

Unfortunately, after looking through everything, Chen Mu found nothing.

Several banknotes, two secret manuals, and aside from those, some mediocre boxing manuals.

Just as Chen Mu was unable to make sense of it, his hand suddenly stopped.

"Hmm?"

He noticed that the cover of the boxing manual in his hand did not feel right, as though it had an inner layer?!

Chen Mu's eyes immediately lit up. He directly tore open the cover, revealing the object hidden within the book.