Chapter 82: Chapter 79 The Wicked

Not until Chen Mu rose and left the private room did his figure disappear.

Shen Qi and Ren Naifei, among others, still had deep fear in their eyes, each staring at the corpse of Sha Xiangtian on the floor, as well as the iron ball that had been forcibly squeezed out onto the table.

"Copper-Steel Skin, Fine Iron Pure Body…"

Shen Qi felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

To knead a knife into this state with bare hands wasn't something that could be done with mere strength. Both the epidermis and muscles had to be extraordinarily strong, such a Copper Skin Pure Body was simply too terrifying.

Even three or five individuals who had achieved Body Refinement Perfection would have trouble dealing with it, not to mention how much more fearsome it was to be fearless in group fights, rampaging through crowds like a ferocious beast.

Years ago, he had seen such a figure, who hadn't even stepped into Tendon Changing, but with a fearsome physique alone, had dominated and fought over a hundred men single-handedly.

No wonder the Zheng Family collapsed overnight. It wasn't because Chen Mu had used some sneaky tricks. It was his terrifying physique that almost made him invincible under Tendon Changing.

"His Blade Technique... is not just Single Momentum."

Ren Naifei also spoke with a dry tone.

Just now, in that instant when Chen Mu turned hostile, he had even subconsciously thought about stepping forward to stop it. However, Sha Xiangtian, whose strength was comparable to his, didn't even manage to take a single move!

That strike had at least combined Dual Momentum, and it might even have been Triple!

A physique refined to the limit, coupled with Blade Momentum of two or three layers, what kind of monster was this new Prefecture Chief? This was probably enough to contend with ordinary Tendon Changing beings.

No wonder there were rumors that he was highly valued by Chief Constable Xu. With such an exaggerated physique and Blade Technique at this age, even if he stopped progressing at Tendon Changing, he would still be a figure of significance.

"Old Liu, what do you think..."

Ren Naifei looked towards the leader of the Black Water Gang not far away.

The gang leader of the Black Water Gang said irritably, "What do I think? We should go back and give up our Silver! I still want to live for a few more years!"

With that said,

he paid no further attention to the others and turned to walk out directly.

Seeing this, the others exchanged glances and laughed bitterly at each other.

With such a formidable Prefecture Chief looming over them, life was likely to become more difficult. However, with such skills, he wouldn't always be serving as a Prefecture Chief in Wutong Grove. Sooner or later, he was bound to be promoted.

Thinking this, Shen Qi and the others felt a bit better and shook their heads as they walked out.

...

"Sir, should we take this opportunity to eliminate the Quicksand Gang?"

Shang Qinglai followed beside Chen Mu, heading back towards the City Defense Division, and asked with caution.

He looked at Chen Mu with full respect. Although he wasn't in that room just now, he had been quite close by and generally knew what had happened based on the commotion.

Just like that night when Chen Mu resolved Zheng Yong with a single strike, Sha Xiangtian, the long-standing leader of the Quicksand Gang, couldn't withstand a single blow from Chen Mu either.

However, compared to the previous time, they had finally caught a fleeting glimpse of Chen Mu's techniques this time. It was a fierce Copper Skin Pure Body and a Mysterious Golden Physique, equipped with Blade Momentum of two or three layers, killing individuals who had reached Body Refinement Perfection almost as if slaughtering chickens.

"No need,"

Chen Mu shook his head and said, "The disaster is severe. Focus on disaster relief first. Don't waste manpower. Without Sha Xiangtian, the Quicksand Gang will disintegrate on its own soon enough. We don't need to bother with it."

"Yes,"

Shang Qinglai responded, with a tone of reverence, "With the sir's strength, I doubt anyone would dare stir up any trouble now."

Chen Mu neither confirmed nor denied, and continued to walk forward.

In truth, even though he had deliberately shown off his Triple Blade Momentum and a Pure Gold Body that had achieved Major Achievement today, it was still far from a tenth of his full strength.

A few days ago, his Tendon Changing had crossed the 30% threshold, and now when he flexed his tendons, there was a buzzing sound, solidly reaching Tendon Changing Minor Achievement.

With the realm of Tendon Changing Minor Achievement harnessing a Physique of Copper Skin Steel Flesh Pure Gold Body, coupled with the Artistic Conception of a thousand winds... if he were to exert his full strength, not just one Sha Xiangtian but a whole group of them would fall far short to bear the brunt, as it was a completely different level.

Once he stepped into Tendon Changing Major Achievement and even Perfection, challenging those in the Bone Tempering Realm was not out of the question.

In Yu City,

the Bone Tempering Realm was already the level of individuals who stood at the pinnacle of a city. Even the heads of the four major families were only at Bone Tempering Realm.

As for the individuals at the Viscera Realm, the foundational pillars and reliance of the four major families, they were not often in Yu City. More often, they worked on behalf of the Seven Profound Sect.

The Seven Profound Sect.

This sect, which governed the entire State, including seven prefectures like Yu County and Yu City, was also a genuinely massive force established across the entirety of the Da Xuan Dynasty.

The reason why the Da Xuan Dynasty Court wielded little influence in this State was not unrelated to the Seven Profound Sect, since the court's edicts couldn't get past the Sect. Officially, the Seven Prefectures of Yu State were under the court's jurisdiction, but in reality, whether it be taxes or tributes, they were all intercepted by the Seven Profound Sect.

The four major families in Yu City, with the Xue Family at the forefront, were all subsidiary forces of the Seven Profound Sect. The uppermost pillars of each family all came from the Seven Profound Sect.

These were all things Chen Mu had heard of before, but he hadn't deliberately delved into the details. After all, a place encompassing a whole State was still somewhat distant for him, and the Seven Profound Sect was a level he couldn't reach for the time being.

Soon.

Chen Mu and Shang Qinglai returned to the City Defense Division.

They could see a large, open space behind the City Defense Division where many people were clearing snow, moving bricks and tiles, and preparing to erect temporary shelters.

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Upon seeing Chen Mu, whether it was the constables or some of the civilians helping out, they all bowed respectfully.

This respect was not solely due to Chen Mu's power and influence; it now included a sincerity that had never been seen from the City Defense Division in the past during disaster relief efforts.

The constables did not complain about the extra work, as their salary had increased significantly this year, with no deductions; furthermore, they received additional allowances for tasks such as building temporary shelters.

Chen Mu inspected the progress of the construction of the huts and, upon returning to the main hall of the City Defense Division, found someone already waiting for him.

It was Nan Hui, the old steward of the Nan Family.

"This humble one pays respects to the Prefecture Chief,"

With his head bowed, Nan Hui greeted him with utmost respect, his tone filled with deep reverence, "The old master heard about last night's severe snow disaster and was very concerned. He ordered me to deliver one thousand taels of silver, along with thirty sacks of rice and two hundred bundles of firewood, to lend a hand to Wutong Grove District."

The idea that a family would volunteer to donate money upon hearing about the disaster is something to be taken with a grain of salt. The appearance of the Nan family's steward here could only be due to the news of Sha Xiangtian being slashed with a single blow.

"Good, please convey my thanks to Old Master Nan. This deed will be remembered as a meritorious contribution from the Nan family. I shall visit personally to express my gratitude another day,"

Chen Mu said calmly.

The reason he did not specially invite the Nan Family was that they were quite discerning. Besides, the Heavenly Arrival Restaurant was originally their property, so there was no need for a formal summons.

As for the Nan Family not reacting at all, he might indeed have to visit them in a few days.

"Yes, I will surely relay your words. The old master said he would welcome you with open arms should you visit,"

The old steward Nan Hui responded meticulously.

After Chen Mu nodded slightly, he watched Nan Hui depart and then proceeded into the main building, heading to the innermost part, his own hall office.

"My lord."

Liu Song and Li Tie were already waiting for him inside his hall office. As he entered, they both bowed.

Chen Mu took a seat in the hall office, poured himself a cup of hot tea, and then asked, "How goes the investigation?"

"Reporting back to you, my lord, the disaster victims from a few days ago all came from the west. The moat to the west is frozen solid, allowing people to walk right over from City West,"

Liu Song reported from the side.

A few days ago, unexpectedly, a large number of disaster victims appeared in Wutong Grove District, pushing their way towards the City Defense Division. Although they were admitted in small groups, the influx was eventually discovered, prompting Chen Mu to order an investigation.

Since Wutong Grove was well-managed under his supervision, it was natural for refugees from other jurisdictions to come, and though they were not directly turned away, it was necessary to ascertain the specifics of the situation instead of disregarding it.

"The west?"

Chen Mu paused briefly.

Extending westward from Wutong Grove is the moat, and across that is City West.

That area is a different jurisdiction from South City District and is, indeed, completely outside his authority; even Xu Hongyu, the Chief Constable of South City District, has no jurisdiction over the western territories.

"Yes, the investigation reveals that the Black Crow Sect seems to have deliberately driven the disaster victims away, and some here were driven to our district."

"Additionally, Black Crow Sect has apparently conspired with several groups to inflate the prices of firewood during the snow calamity, which is also related to the surge in prices in Wutong Grove District,"

Liu Song continued.

Chen Mu sipped his tea, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Black Crow Sect...

This name, though from a distant past, was still very clear in his memory, as he had once been ambushed by members of the Black Crow Sect in Ninth District. Fortunately, no truly skilled individuals were involved that time, just common thugs, otherwise, it would have certainly been a life-threatening crisis for him.

After the incident, Xu Hongyu told him to temporarily forget about it. He roughly understood her meaning and didn't follow up. However, once he became Prefecture Chief of Wutong Grove, he made sure to learn more.

The Black Crow Sect is a major gang lurking in City West, establishing their rule over several districts, larger than gangs like the Flowing Sand Gang, with complex underlying connections. They even tried to extend their reach to South City District but were unabashedly driven back by Xu Hongyu.

As a result, the Black Crow Sect developed a grudge against Xu Hongyu, leading to the attempt to assassinate him in retaliation against her.

Nowadays.

This power had again surfaced.

But he was no longer the same man as before; with the Artistic Conception achieved and stepping into Tendon Changing, he was now strong enough to dominate the Outer City and even most of Yu City, with few capable of threatening him.

"During years of disaster, with continuous and prolonged heavy snowfall, firewood becomes naturally scarce and expensive. Now to hoard and inflate the price of firewood to seize money, they truly live up to the name 'Black Crow Sect'." Continue reading stories on m|v-l'-NovelFire.net

"All right, I am now aware of this situation, and there is no need for you two to continue the investigation,"

Chen Mu waved his hand dismissively.

Since it was the work of the Black Crow Sect, it was no longer appropriate for Liu Song, an ordinary constable, to continue investigating, especially as this was a matter for the western side, outside not only his jurisdiction but also outside that of South City.

Yet, he would not let this matter slide easily.

Setting aside old grudges, the fact that they wanted to extend their reach to Wutong Grove, exploiting the snow calamity to inflate prices and extract silver, showed how little regard they had for him.

Additionally, given the vast power of Black Crow Sect, stationed on the western side and not in the scope of South City District, even Xu Hongyu wouldn't intimidate them, let alone him, a mere Prefecture Chief of Wutong Grove.