Chapter 109 The Pact to Slay the Gods

His words were clear and logical, stripping away the schemes hidden beneath the other party's help and goodwill, exposing them nakedly and drawing a clear line.

He would not accept the favor, he would not owe a debt, and he certainly would not be obedient.

For a moment, the private room became so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

Qi Huan stood to the side, staring dumbfounded at Chen Mu's back, feeling his throat go dry and a chill run down his spine.

This kid really dared to speak. Was this a refusal? It was practically brandishing a knife at the other person's heart and slowly analyzing the angle of the strike.

Chen Mu himself, however, remained unfazed.

He wasn't being reckless; he was gambling. He gambled that the other party's plans were so grand that they wouldn't easily discard him as a pawn just because of a momentary verbal offense.

From the apparent rescue at the city gate that actually caused more trouble, to the gift of the bear paw gloves to intervene in Sangye Village, to tonight at the Peony Pavilion where he paid a high price for himself and Qi Huan, even going as far as to directly conflict with Xu Changze, who held a fifth-rank official seal.

Every single one of these incidents was interlinked; it was definitely not a mere whim or appreciation for a Junior.

Chen Mu didn't consider himself some world-toppling male fox spirit who could bewitch such a powerful figure into losing their senses at any cost. There had to be a massive profit motive behind this, a goal the other party absolutely had to achieve.

And he was merely a somewhat sharp pawn on the opponent's chessboard that happened to be in a key position.

He was waiting for the other party to weigh the pros and cons and then offer the real price and... sincerity.

After a long time, the voice of Zhao Xiong—or rather, it should be Jiang Xiong—slowly rang out. The previous heroic teasing was gone, replaced by a sense of helplessness at being seen through, and an undisguised frustration of "this kid is really difficult to handle."

"What you said is a bit too direct and quite unpleasant to hear."

Jiang Xiong's tone carried a hint of complaint, like an elder facing an overly sharp Junior.

"In some matters, one should see the truth but not speak it. Whether in the Jianghu or the imperial court, there's an emphasis on tacit understanding; one must maintain appearances."

"By flipping the table so nakedly like this, you've made me... lose a lot of Face."

Hearing this, Chen Mu felt certain. He had won the first step of the gamble; the other party hadn't immediately turned hostile.

His Face remained expressionless as he simply shrugged his shoulders practically, his tone flat.

"Brother Jiang, since we both know what's going on, why beat around the bush?"

"You can tell me directly what you want me to do, but whether I agree or not depends on your sincerity. I'll consider if it's worth it, and..."

Chen Mu paused.

"Since I'm doing something for you and not repaying some fictitious favor, then the payment must be calculated separately."

He specifically emphasized the words 'sincerity' and 'payment'.

Since the relationship of mutual exploitation had been made clear, they might as well follow the rules of a transaction.

Debts of gratitude were ethereal and vague; hard currency and tangible benefits were the foundations for survival in these chaotic times.

Qi Huan's eyes twitched as he listened from the side, nearly choking on his breath.

Jiang Xiong fell silent for another moment, followed by a very faint sigh that seemed to carry a hint of being stuck between laughter and tears.

"What a 'sincerity', what a 'payment calculated separately'."

"Chen Mu, I'm appreciating you more and more. This courage and clarity are truly rare among the younger generation."

"Since you like to speak openly, then let's talk business."

Jiang Xiong stood up and looked directly at Chen Mu, his tone becoming clear and direct.

"I want you to make a trip to the City God Temple."

Chen Mu's eyes narrowed slightly. He immediately thought of the lewd, evil deity he had just seen inside the City God Temple.

"To kill the City God?"

Jiang Xiong shook his head and corrected him.

"To be precise, I want the divine cache hidden within the City God's clay-molded golden body."

The city gods divine treasury?

Chen Mu frowned slightly; this was the first time he had heard this term.

"What is a divine cache?"

Jiang Xiong waved his hand, signaling him to be patient, and then slowly explained.

"Every City God who has been enfeoffed by the imperial court and enjoys the local incense will naturally gather and precipitate a divine cache within their golden clay body. This object is formless and qualityless, yet it truly exists. It is the crystallization of the City God's divine authority and Power Of Will, with infinite miraculous uses."

"Only by completely killing the corresponding City God and severing the Divine Soul connection and incense channel with the clay golden body will this divine cache manifest and be able to be taken out."

"If the City God is not dead and the Divine Position still exists, protected by the laws of the Heavenly Dao, any attempt to forcibly seize the divine cache will trigger a backlash from the unseen."

He explained in great detail and pointed out the key: they had to first kill that sinister City God.

Chen Mu felt a chill in his heart. He remained silent for a moment before looking up again.

"Brother Jiang, what do you want this city gods divine treasury for?"

"This thing sounds extraordinary. It involves divine authority and is definitely not something a regular Martial Artist or a Great Family would need."

He asked directly. Since it was a transaction, he had to know the other party's purpose to assess the risk and his own value.

Jiang Xiong's reply was also exceptionally concise, his tone brook no dissent.

"That, I cannot tell you."

"This matter is deeply involved. It concerns not just my Jiang Family, but potentially even more. The more you know, the worse it will be for you; it will only invite lethal disaster."

"You only need to know that I have a reason why I must obtain that thing."

Chen Mu's brow furrowed. The City God was an orthodox deity of the local underworld, enfeoffed by the Dynasty. Killing a god to steal a treasury was a massive affair that would blow the lid off the heavens. Once leaked, he would surely become the mortal enemy of the imperial court and the entire divine System.

No wonder he needed Chen Mu to be his blade.

Chen Mu's strength was impressive, he acted decisively, and he had already formed a death grudge with Xu Changze and the City God in Yunmeng.

If he were to kill the City God and take the divine cache, to outsiders, it would look entirely like a revenge killing or an accident. It would be very difficult to link it to the Jiang Family far away in the North.

Thinking of this, Chen Mu's voice also turned cold.

"So Brother Jiang wants me to be the god-slaying executioner and pull your chestnuts out of the fire."

"But I have to bear the cost and risk all by myself?"

Jiang Xiong withdrew his smile, his tone carrying the bluntness of a trader.

"We can discuss the payment."

"Cultivation Techniques, Secret Manuals, divine weapons, Sharp Weapons, Heaven And Earth Treasures, gold, silver, and jewels. I can even promise that after you seize the divine cache, I will use the Jiang Family's power to help you completely topple Xu Changze."

"So that you can establish a firm foothold in Yunmeng City and even the Prefecture Demon Suppression Division, with a worry-free future. How about it?"

The terms sounded extremely generous. The collection and connections of the Jiang Family of the North were enough to tempt any Martial Artist.

But Chen Mu still shook his head, his attitude not wavering in the slightest.

"Not enough."

"Brother Jiang, you are hiding the most critical information. What exactly do you want these divine treasuries for? What is the secret behind this? If I do this for you without knowing why, I might very well die without knowing why in the future."

"I like to be open and honest. I want to know what I'm risking my life for. Otherwise, no matter how much payment you give, I cannot agree."

Chen Mu's mind raced. He needed to assess the worst-case scenario. If what Jiang Xiong sought was something that would incite heaven's wrath and people's resentment—a calamity enough to bring total destruction—then any amount of payment would just be a death warrant.

"Chen Mu!"

Jiang Xiong's voice suddenly turned cold.

"Knowing too many secrets is of no benefit to you. The payment I've offered is already generous enough. Why must you insist on getting to the bottom of it?"

Chen Mu didn't back down either, his just-settled blood and Qi surging once more.

"Because I don't want to die a fool's death."

"Jiang Xiong, cooperation requires trust. You won't even reveal a fraction of your goal. Why should I believe that after the deed is done, you won't kill me to keep the secret?"

"Or whether your so-called payment can truly be fulfilled?"