Chapter 141 Breaking the Deadlock Through the Gathering

It was Qi Huan.

He was still wearing the same coarse cloth garment, but his complexion was as ruddy as before, and his eyes shone with brilliance. Although not quite at his peak, he was certainly not in the state of being on the verge of collapse like yesterday.

Clearly, the Medicinal Pill gifted by Jiang Xiong had extraordinary potency.

Upon entering the courtyard, he first saw Jiang Huoyu teasing the black cat. He frowned slightly, and then his gaze locked onto Chen Mu.

"Chen Mu, you..."

Qi Huan was also a man who had licked blood from the edge of a blade and seen many storms. Although his perception was not as sharp as Jiang Huoyu's, he still sensed an unusual aura on Chen Mu, as if he had been reborn.

It was deep, heavy, and dense—not an effect that could be achieved by just one night of ordinary meditation.

Chen Mu turned to look at him and nodded.

"How did you find me?"

A wry smile appeared on Qi Huan's face as he patted his waist token.

"If a Banner Officer of the Prefecture Demon Suppression Division can't even figure out where his colleague is staying, then he has served in vain. Besides, don't I have a tracking treasure?"

Chen Mu looked at Qi Huan's waist token, recalling that Qi Huan had used it to track him and Liu Ziming before, and raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Chief Qi, it seems the Medicinal Pill worked well."

Qi Huan took a few quick steps forward and whispered,

"More than just well? It's practically a life-saving Immortal Pill."

"The dizziness and stinging pain in my Divine Soul have already subsided by seven or eight parts, and my internal injuries have stabilized. The rest just needs some time to heal."

He then swept his gaze over Jiang Huoyu, who was looking on with a strange expression, and lowered his voice further.

"That Cultivation Technique Secret Manual Jiang Xiong gave you, did you..."

Chen Mu knew he couldn't hide it from him and nodded.

"I've made some progress."

Upon hearing this, a flash of understanding crossed Qi Huan's eyes, followed by deep worry.

When Jiang Xiong brought out the Secret Manual yesterday, his earnest instructions were still ringing in his ears. He also knew that Cultivating this technique carried many risks. But seeing that Chen Mu did not want to talk more about it, he stopped asking and just patted Chen Mu's shoulder heavily. Everything was understood without words.

"You came at the right time. I was just about to discuss something with you. Let's go inside."

Chen Mu turned and walked toward his simple main room.

The room was simply furnished with only a bed, a table, and a chair. Qi Huan stood on no ceremony, sat down on the chair with a bold, unrestrained posture, and got straight to the point.

"Over in Qinglin Town, Wen Jingxing has already left. Before dawn, he took a large group of men and left, saying they needed to continue patrolling the next location."

"Although Xu Changze remained at the villa, I think he must have left behind a contingency plan. Wen Jingxing wouldn't just leave him here alone."

"The current plan should be to take advantage of the time while Xu Changze is still in Qinglin Town and unable to reach us, and cut the Gordian knot: eliminate that evil god."

Chen Mu was silent for a moment. What Qi Huan said coincided with his own thoughts, but...

"The City God is a legitimate deity of the underworld, ordained and enjoying incense offerings. His strength is unfathomable. Although Jiang Xiong said his cultivation is around the Late Stage of the Heart-Awakening Realm, his divine methods are strange and unpredictable. Furthermore, the temple is his home turf, he has the support of the earth veins, and he has Yin soldiers and ghost officials under his command."

"With just the two of us—Chief Qi, your injuries haven't fully healed, and while I have some insights and methods, my confidence... is at most fifty percent."

"Fifty percent?"

Qi Huan's brows locked tightly. Then, as if he really couldn't stand this passive state of being beaten, he gritted his teeth and slapped the table.

"Fifty percent is fifty percent. It's better than sitting here waiting for death. Chen Mu, when did you become so hesitant and indecisive?"

Chen Mu shook his head.

"It's not being hesitant; it's about planning before acting."

"Since we are going to make a move, we must know both ourselves and the enemy as much as possible. We are still in the dark about the internal layout of the City God Temple, the distribution of the Yin soldiers, and his daily routine. Since Jiang Xiong wants to take his divine cache, he must have more detailed intelligence in his hands, as well as the special container needed to collect the divine cache."

Qi Huan was stunned, then suddenly realized.

"You mean, go see Jiang Xiong again?"

"Correct."

Chen Mu stood up.

"Last night was hurried, and many details were not discussed in depth. Since I'm going to pull chestnuts from the fire for him, I naturally need to have the tools ready."

Qi Huan thought for a moment and nodded heavily.

"Fine, I'll go with you."

"No, your injuries still need to be nursed. It's not appropriate for you to use your Protective Aura right now. Besides, when I meet with Jiang Xiong, there will be too many eyes and ears. You should go back to the inn and continue to work on healing your injuries. If there are any unusual movements, be ready to adapt."

Although Qi Huan was reluctant, he knew that what Chen Mu said was reasonable; he was indeed more of a burden than a help at this moment, so he had to grit his teeth and agree.

After seeing Qi Huan off, Chen Mu tidied up a bit, changed into an inconspicuous gray cloth garment, and quietly went out.

He did not head straight to the Peony Pavilion but first circled around the streets and alleys a few times. After confirming that no one was following him, he turned toward that bustling place where the lights never went out all night.

During the day, the Peony Pavilion lacked some of the nighttime hustle and bustle. It had a bit more of a languid silence.

Chen Mu, familiar with the route, circled around to a side door in the back alley and knocked three long and two short times. A moment later, the door opened silently a crack, revealing a delicate face—it was the person who had guided him last night.

The youth was not surprised to see Chen Mu and bowed, whispering,

"Master Chen, the Master calculated that you would come and is still waiting in the old place."

Chen Mu nodded and followed him inside. The building was silent, with no music to be heard, only the sound of cleaning.

The two passed through corridors and courtyards, going straight up to the outside of the private room on the third floor.

"Brother Chen has arrived. Come in."

Jiang Xiong's voice came from inside, as calm as ever.

Chen Mu pushed the door open and entered. Jiang Xiong was leaning against a soft couch, with a pot of clear tea and two plates of snacks on the small table beside him, looking quite leisurely.

He looked up at Chen Mu, his gaze slightly fixed, and then smiled.

"It seems Brother Chen has gained something from that scroll last night; your aura is much more settled."

Chen Mu did not take up the topic and sat down directly opposite him.

"Brother Jiang, let's skip the small talk. Regarding the City God, I need more detailed intelligence, as well as the container for collecting the divine cache."

A flash of appreciation crossed Jiang Xiong's eyes as he straightened his body.

"Straightforward. After you left yesterday, I spent the night preparing everything needed."

He then clapped his hands, and the side door slid open. A servant held a flat iron box and placed it gently on the table.

"This is the spirit-absorbing mysterious iron box, specially crafted to seal intangible spiritual objects like a divine cache. It is quite simple to use. When the City God's form and spirit are destroyed and the divine cache manifests, aim this box at it, inject your Protective Aura, and activate the Formation to absorb it."

"Remember, the opportunity will be fleeting."

Chen Mu took the iron box and carefully put it away.

"As for the situation at the City God Temple..."

Jiang Xiong took a scroll of silk from his sleeve and spread it out on the table. The silk scroll used cinnabar to draw a detailed layout of the temple, with pavilions, halls, and courtyards all clearly marked.

"This map was obtained by my Jiang Family through multiple investigations. While I dare not say it is perfectly accurate, it is very close."

Jiang Xiong pointed his finger at the main hall on the map.

"The City God's golden statue is enshrined in the center of this hall. His true form usually Cultivates within the golden statue, absorbing incense and refining the Power Of Will. Around the hour of the Rat, he will patrol the temple once. At this time, the Yin soldiers gather, and the guard is the strictest."

He then pointed to several side halls nearby.

"The Day Patrol God is stationed here, and this is the residence of the Night Patrol God. Ox-Head and Horse-Face each lead a team of Yin soldiers, patrolling in shifts. Each team has 12 people, with cultivation roughly between the Early Stage and Middle Stage of the Dao Entry Realm."

"In addition, there are Mortals such as deacons and temple keepers in the temple, most of whom are spies planted by Xu Changze. Although they have no cultivation, they are well-informed, so you need to be careful to avoid them."