Da Xuan Martial Saint

"My lord, what has happened?"

Liu Song and the others saw Chen Mu come out of the courtyard, his expression unusually grave, and they all gathered around him.

Chen Mu, however, did not say much, only shaking his head, and led the people back to the City Defense Division, while sending someone to find Min Baoyi.

Fortunately.

Min Baoyi had not been drinking with anyone today, he was listening to music at a teahouse on the back street. When he learned that Chen Mu was looking for him, he smiled, casually threw a few copper coins on the table, and followed the messenger back to the City Defense Division.

Upon reaching the City Defense Division, Min Baoyi saw Chen Mu waiting for him at the entrance, with a somber face. Min slightly stunned, realizing that there must be some serious matter, gave Chen Mu a slight nod. Without asking anything right at the entrance, he directly led Chen Mu into the Hall Office.

Very soon.

In the most interior part of the City Defense Division's Hall Office, after dismissing everyone else, Min Baoyi asked Chen Mu:

"What has happened."

"It's like this…"

Chen Mu quickly reported his successive investigations, as well as various situations.

After hearing this, Min Baoyi's expression also turned grave, "The protector deity…"

In fact, whether it was the disappearance case or the sightings of the grey-skinned rats, he was fully aware of them. After all, his eyes and ears permeated the Ninth District. Yet, the disappearance of over a hundred people in a few months, in his view, did not constitute a big deal, so he had not paid attention to it, and as for the grey-skinned rats, he had paid even less mind.

However, now from Chen Mu's information, both the grey-skinned rats and the disappearance case might very well be related to the Black Crow Sect, and that insinuated an ominous feeling.

After a brief moment of contemplation.

Min Baoyi stood up, his voice deep, "This matter is indeed out of the ordinary, I must first report this to Prefecture Chief Xu, you stay here at the City Defense Division and wait for news."

Having said that, he hurriedly left.

All sorts of clues pointing to the Black Crow Sect meant that this was not a decision he, the Prefecture Chief, could make alone. After all, the reach of the Black Crow Sect extended through several districts and was not a local gang exclusive to the Ninth District.

If it were just a matter of mobilizing some people to investigate the Black Crow Sect, it would be nothing serious, but if a large-scale operation was to be launched, reporting up the chain of command was absolutely necessary.

Once Min Baoyi left, Chen Mu sat alone and quietly in the Hall Office. His eyes, however, were sharper than usual. Ordinary matters he could disregard, but if the Black Crow Sect really harbored some perverse and vicious scheme, then it must be nipped in the bud.

After all, just preemptively considering a few scenarios was quite terrifying, and if one of them should occur, it could potentially turn the entire Outer City into a living hell.

After waiting for half a day.

Min Baoyi finally returned to the City Defense Division.

The news he brought to Chen Mu was that Xu Hongyu took this matter very seriously, but instructed the Ninth District to not make any big moves for the time being. It was best to keep an eye on the Black Crow Sect in secret, as she would send more people to thoroughly investigate.

With this directive received, Chen Mu also breathed a sigh of relief. His biggest concern was that Xu Hongyu might disregard the matter, which was something people in this world might do in the face of such a disaster—they wouldn't necessarily react as strongly as he did.

Even though Xu Hongyu did not immediately order the Ninth District City Defense Division to take action and chose to send people for further investigation instead, as long as there was attention paid to the matter, it wasn't ignored.

This matter was no longer just about Zhang Youying's simple disappearance.

Chen Mu's level of concern was much higher than usual.

"Rest assured, a mere Black Crow Sect cannot cause too much turmoil," Min Baoyi said, seeing that Chen Mu still maintained a solemn face, and patted his shoulder with a laugh, "And about your distant cousin, I've also had my people help you look into it. As long as she's within the bounds of the Ninth District, she can't just vanish without a trace."

Upon hearing this, Chen Mu bowed to thank Min Baoyi. Min Baoyi waved his hand, not minding, and said, "There's no need to thank me between us—simply invite me for a drink when you're free."

Seeing that it was getting late, Min Baoyi stood up, spoke with Chen Mu for a while, and then they both left the City Defense Division together.

Chen Mu quickly returned home.

Chen Hong was still waiting at his house, and upon seeing him return, she hurried forward to ask about the news.

Finding it unsuitable to say too much about the Black Crow Sect, Chen Mu only mentioned that there was some progress, and he had asked the Prefecture Chief to order an investigation. Now they had to wait for news. After reassuring Chen Hong for a while, he sent her home.

…

That night.

Darkness enveloped, the moon's glow faint.

The Black Crow Sect's quarters were shrouded in pitch darkness, not a single candlelight visible—it seemed as though everyone had gone to sleep.

A silent shadow appeared on the outskirts of the buildings, its traces nearly invisible against the night, the figure's movements were swift, navigating the eaves and corners with ease, scrutinizing every building in the area.

"Strange."

Chen Mu stopped on a rooftop, looking down at the dark expanse of the Black Crow Sect's quarters, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.

To him, with his strength, the most reliable thing was himself; after nightfall, he had stealthily made his way to the Black Crow Sect's quarters to investigate, but after a full round, he detected no signs of abnormality.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Xu Hongyu's actions; rather, the Black Crow Sect had territory in several districts and was quite entangled. He was unclear which part Xu Hongyu was investigating. It seemed better to conduct his own covert investigation.

The whole area was dim, as if everyone had long since gone to bed. Compared to gangs active at night, the Black Crow Sect even lacked sentries, as if they truly were just an ordinary sect that prayed during the daytime.

Chen Mu, with his acute senses, could hear even the slightest noise. Lying at the edge of the roof, he could almost hear the breathing of someone deeply asleep in the room below.

After a brief contemplation.

Chen Mu moved swiftly, finding a secluded room. With a slight exertion of his palm, he shook open the window and flipped inside. There was only a bed inside, where a follower of the Black Crow Sect was sleeping.

Chen Mu immediately grabbed the person's throat, startling him awake but rendering him unable to make a sound.

Then, without asking questions, he lifted the person, flipped back out the window, and quickly left the Black Crow Sect's quarters until he reached a deserted alley. Only then did he throw the person down and said coldly, "Answer my questions, or die."

The Black Crow Sect follower was already sweating profusely and ashen-faced from fear. Having seen how Chen Mu effortlessly moved from rooftop to rooftop, he knew that the individual before him was at least a Martial Man of the Body Refinement level, and within the Black Crow Sect, he must be a leader or possibly even a Vice Sect Hierarch. There was no chance of resistance.

"Yes... Yes..."

His voice trembled as he quietly responded.

Chen Mu asked gravely, "The people you caught, where have they been taken?"

"What... What people?"

The follower answered, trembling and seemingly confused.

Chen Mu's eyebrows knitted, seeing that he wasn't pretending to be dumb, and continued, "What are you planning to do with all these grey-skinned rats you've rounded up?"

"Grey-skinned rats?"

The follower was even more confused, his face blank, and he said with a shaky voice, "These days, we've seen a lot of grey-skinned rats around, Wang Liu from next door even caught and ate one."

Hearing this, Chen Mu calmed down and continued, "I heard that your Black Crow Sect, in addition to worshipping the Black Crow deity, also reveres some kind of protector deity?"

Upon hearing Chen Mu's question, the follower appeared even more bewildered, as if completely in the dark, not knowing anything about any protector deity.

As expected, the average follower knew nothing.

Chen Mu looked at his reaction and was not very surprised; it was impossible for Yin Hong to make up a protector deity—after all, it was meaningless. Since such information had been disclosed, it must be true.

And now that the ordinary followers of the Black Crow Sect had no idea, it suggested that matters involving the so-called protector deity were a closely hidden secret within the Sect, which only made it all the more suspicious.

"This, esteemed sir, I—uh."

The follower shakily looked at Chen Mu but abruptly stopped speaking, his throat already crushed.

Chen Mu indifferently tossed the body aside.

The ditch now harbored one more nameless corpse.

There was a time when his daily task was to deal with such corpses, but now he had also become a creator of nameless bodies, unaware of who would come to clean up and dispose of them the next morning.

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