Wife is hell

Chapter 98 Gan Yuanyuan Dies, Consort Yue Appears (8400 words)
When I got home, the light in the main room was still on.

Jiang Mu told An Chenghu in detail about his desire to formally join the Patrol Division and be under Tang Jinxian's command.

An Chenghu remained silent for a while, then raised his eyelids and smiled:
"Since you've made up your mind, go for it. Remember, a man should stand tall like a pine tree, never betraying his principles."

"That……"

Jiang Mu tentatively asked, "Uncle An, why don't you come with me? With your skills..."

"I?"

An Chenghu shook his head and chuckled, "These old bones of mine can't move anymore."

He sighed and said slowly:
"Fine gold and beautiful jade, if placed in a different location, may not shine brighter. Stubborn stones and unpolished jade, if content with their original place, will find their true value."

"Uncle An, speak like a human being."

"Your aunt won't allow it."

"..."

-

late at night.

Inside the room, a single lamp cast a dim light, and all was silent.

Jiang Mu sat at the table, summarizing, recording, and analyzing the clues he had extracted from Tong Ergou.

The painting of his wife lay open on the table.

On the corner of the table, the Ghost God Spear leaned quietly, its shaft gleaming dimly in the candlelight.

The Donghuang Taichu Bell was placed aside.

The woman in green was quietly nurturing her soul inside the bell.

"Boom...boom...boom..."

As the sound of a clapper at midnight reached the window, Jiang Mu put down his pen.

He got up, changed into a night outfit, stuffed the bell into his pocket, took the Ghost God Gun, and traced the words "Ghost God" with his fingertips, his killing intent spreading silently like mercury.

"The more you tolerate future troubles, the harder they are to eliminate."

Jiang Mu murmured, "Then kill!"

squeak-

The door opened a crack, and moonlight pierced through like a thin blade.

Jiang Mu looked up at the deep night and silently disappeared into the darkness.

-

Inside, the candlelight was dim.

Gan Yuanyuan stood by the window, the moonlight shining on her face, which was slightly distorted by anger.

"boom!"

She swept the tea set off the table to the ground with one hand.

Porcelain chips flew everywhere.

"Ke Linyue!"

Gan Yuanyuan gritted her teeth, her chest heaving violently, "How dare you send me back to headquarters? On what grounds!"

She was furious when she heard that the other party told her to set off back to headquarters the next morning.

The injustice she suffered and the humiliation she lost were not only not redressed by Ke Linyue, but Ke Linyue also humiliated her in this way in order to please that bitch Tang Jinxian!
"Tang Jinxian... Mu Jiang..."

The woman chewed the two names between her teeth as if she wanted to crush bones.

At this moment, her hatred for the two men reached its peak.

They even plotted how to retaliate.

Tang Jinxian, she really can't move.

That woman has a powerful background; she's the daughter of a military family, and her father-in-law is a former prime minister.

Even her "godfather" wouldn't openly provoke her for something like this.

But Jiang Mu can!

"Just a lowly yamen runner and a dog owned by Tang Jinxian."

Gan Yuanyuan's eyes were filled with murderous intent.

She didn't believe that if Jiang Mu were dead, Tang Jinxian would really break ties with the Chief Executive over a dead man.

So what if we completely break off relations?
As long as she can't find any fault with her, Tang Jinxian won't act blindly against her.

Of course, we can't retaliate right now.

Taking action now would be too obvious.

Once we return to headquarters, after some time... we'll make sure he dies a horrible death!
Just as Gan Yuanyuan was pondering how to take revenge, the candlelight in front of her suddenly flickered.

"Who?!"

Gan Yuanyuan was, after all, the Chief Envoy of the Mysterious Realm, and her vigilance was far beyond that of ordinary martial artists.

Almost in the instant the candlelight flickered, she flipped her wrist, and the crescent-shaped scimitar appeared in her hand.

Sensing a burning danger coming from behind, she instinctively twisted her body and rolled to the side.

"boom!"

A ball of crimson flame exploded where she had been sitting.

The heatwave hit us, overturning all the tables and chairs.

Gan Yuanyuan steadied herself and scanned her surroundings with sharp eyes.

A figure dressed in black was seen standing by the window, his face covered with a black cloth, revealing only a pair of cold eyes.

Mujiang?

The name came to her mind immediately, but she quickly rejected it.

wrong!

He doesn't have the guts.

He's a smart man; he wouldn't be stupid enough to come and kill me tonight.

Jiang Mu stood in the shadows, like a ghost.

He lightly flicked his fingertips, and the sound of the Eastern Emperor's Primordial Bell rang out.

The sound waves were like needles, piercing straight into the soul.

Gan Yuanyuan's mind exploded with a "buzz," as if hundreds of steel needles were piercing her simultaneously.

She screamed in pain, and the scimitar almost slipped from her hand.

The excruciating pain caused her to temporarily lose control of her body.

It's now!

Jiang Mu sprang up and charged like a cheetah.

"Go away!"

Gan Yuanyuan, after all, possessed profound skills. She bit her tongue hard, temporarily suppressing the roar in her mind. Without even looking, she gripped the curved blade in her backhand and slashed it backward.

Jiang Mu paused, sidestepping to avoid the attack.

He shook the bell again.

At the same time, the slender fingers of the woman in green floating inside the house flicked, and another transparent fireball roared in.

"Are you a member of the Spirit Cult?"

Gan Yuanyuan was struggling to stay afloat. She couldn't see the fireball, but the scorching sense of danger terrified her.

This is clearly an attack by a fire-type spirit.

Jiang Mu, too lazy to waste words, continued his attack.

Gan Yuanyuan rolled over to avoid it.

She quickly took out two yellow talismans from her bosom, folded them into paper balls, and stuffed them into her ears, instantly reducing the sonic attack of the bell by more than half.

Although it still made her dizzy, it was no longer the unbearable pain.

Jiang Mu frowned slightly.

This woman reacted quickly; no wonder she's a Xuan Envoy.

"Go to hell!"

Gan Yuanyuan let out a sharp cry, and the curved blade in her hand suddenly split into three.

Three gleaming moon-shaped blades spun and slashed at Jiang Mu's head, waist, and legs from different angles.

Jiang Mu remained wary and did not use the Ghost God Gun.

Assassination requires a single, decisive strike.

If he were to use a symbolic magical weapon like the Ghost God Spear and the assassination attempt failed, he would be completely exposed, with no chance of redemption.

He tried to stay as close to Gan Yuanyuan as possible, hoping to use his energy absorption technique.

Shifting Heaven and Earth!

Jiang Mu's figure blurred, and before the afterimage faded, he was already right next to Gan Yuanyuan's left side.

Gan Yuanyuan was terrified.

What kind of movement technique is that?!

Before Jiang Mu could strike, Gan Yuanyuan reacted swiftly, twisting her waist and spinning her body. The knife followed her movement, slicing through Jiang Mu's ear and severing a strand of his black hair, which then floated to the ground.

She took advantage of the momentum to leap backward, her toes lightly touching the table, leaving a trail of deep and shallow footprints.

"Who the hell are you?!"

Gan Yuanyuan was filled with shock and anger, and for the first time, panic flashed in her eyes.

Jiang Mu teleported closer once more.

The woman in green kept throwing fireballs, cutting off the woman's escape route.

Although Gan Yuanyuan didn't understand why the other person insisted on getting close to her, her intuition told her that she absolutely couldn't let the other person get too close.

She desperately brandished her crescent-shaped blade, creating a net around herself to keep her distance.

In an instant, the room was filled with flashing swords and shadowy figures, and a strong wind swept through.

Jiang Mu was somewhat surprised.

At the critical moment of life and death, Gan Yuanyuan's combat power far exceeded expectations.

No wonder Tang Jinxian once said that this woman was not easy to deal with.

No more delay!
With a thought, Jiang Mu forcibly summoned his wife's severed hand.

He hadn't used his wife's severed hand before because the fight with the tree demon woman at Mu Qingshan's house had greatly depleted the hand's strength, and forcing its use would have limited power.

But I can't worry about that now.

Under Jiang Mu's mental command, a pale, slender hand quietly pressed against the shadows of the wall.

He was holding a dagger in his hand.

Jiang Mu stopped dodging and instead channeled all his strength into his arms, facing the blade's light, and forcefully smashed towards Gan Yuanyuan with an incomparably fierce "Five Animal Fist Tiger Roar".

The punches were delivered with a gust of wind, as if accompanied by the roar of a tiger.

Gan Yuanyuan did not expect her opponent to suddenly fight head-on, and hastily parried with her sword.

"boom!"

Jiang Mu was protected by a golden amulet, so he was not afraid of the opponent's blade. Instead, he could reflect the force back.

Gan Yuanyuan was so shaken that she slid back several feet and her back slammed hard against the wall.

"Pfft!"

A dull thud as a sharp weapon pierced flesh.

Gan Yuanyuan's upward flight suddenly came to a halt.

She coughed up a mouthful of blood, her eyes wide with disbelief.

On the wall... when did someone appear?!

She doesn't understand.

But Jiang Mu wouldn't give her a chance to understand.

Jiang Mu's figure flashed over instantly, grabbing her shoulder.

Great method of absorbing power!

In an instant, Gan Yuanyuan felt as if her dantian was being sucked dry by a giant whale, her inner strength surging outwards, which horrified her.

"What kind of evil skill is this..."

She tried to break free, but found that she didn't even have the strength to lift a finger.

As her power was absorbed, the woman's struggles weakened, and her eyes gradually lost their luster.

The skin dries out at a rate visible to the naked eye.

Just then, the guard in blue suddenly shouted:

"Mu Jiang, watch out!"

Before the words were even finished, a tremendous force, like a tsunami, crashed down upon them.

Jiang Mu felt as if a ten-thousand-pound hammer had struck his chest; his body was thrown backward, crashing through the earthen wall and falling into the courtyard.

In the instant he was sent flying backward, Jiang Mu mustered his last bit of strength to activate the severed hand on the wall.

"puff!"

He drew his dagger and slashed with a backhand!
Gan Yuanyuan's throat was completely slit open.

Blood gushed out like a fountain.

Jiang Mu steadied himself and looked up.

Within the leveled courtyard wall, a figure bathed in moonlight slowly descended.

He wore a white robe, spotless.

It was Ke Linyue!
Ke Linyue glanced at the corpse in the corner of the ruins, its throat cut and its body shriveled like a zombie, and her effeminate peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly.

He raised his head, his gaze piercing through the smoke and dust, locking onto Jiang Mu.

"Who are you, sir?"

Without saying a word, Jiang Mu suppressed his injuries and turned to disappear into the darkness.

"Want to go?"

Ke Linyue's lips curled into a cold smile. Without making any move, he simply stomped his foot lightly.

With his position as the center, the ground cracked inch by inch.

Crimson flames burst forth from the crack, their fiery blades like thin wings, yet curved into arcs, encircling Jiang Mu from all directions.

Jiang Mu immediately used "Qiankun Shift" to dodge.

Seeing this, the woman in green standing to the side flicked her jade-like hand, sending several invisible, transparent fireballs flying towards Ke Linyue.

However, Ke Linyue seems to have an extremely keen sense of energy.

His movements were unpredictable, swaying left and right as if he were drunk, dodging all the fireballs.

Then he struck Jiang Mu with a palm.

Ke Linyue's palm technique was strange; it was light and soft, like a piece of paper fluttering in the wind.

But Jiang Mu felt a tidal wave crashing down on him.

"boom!"

The palm print was pressed onto Jiang Mu's chest.

The golden amulet in Jiang Mu's arms shattered with a crack, releasing a blinding golden light that protected him.

Even so, he was struck as if by lightning and sent flying backward once more.

As Jiang Mu flew backwards in the air, he frantically shook the bell and activated "Universe Shift," instantly teleporting dozens of feet away.

"Ok?"

Ke Linyue was somewhat surprised.

He looked at his pale palm, initially thinking Jiang Mu was wearing some kind of golden armor, but then he felt something was off about that explosive power just now.

"jingle--"

Jiang Mu dared not linger and shook the bell again.

A piercing sound wave came from afar.

Ke Linyue swayed slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

He then made a sweeping motion with both hands in front of his body.

An invisible barrier instantly opened, completely isolating the sonic attack.

His gaze fell on the bell in Jiang Mu's hand, and he frowned slightly: "That should be the bell that Zhao Ling's disciple lost, right? It seems that you really are a remnant of the Spirit Cult."

Jiang Mu suppressed his surging bloodlust and turned to flee into the night.

Ke Linyue snorted coldly, her white robe fluttering without wind, like a wisp of green smoke, as she drifted after him.

At this moment, Jiang Mu's figure disappeared again.

The next moment, he appeared behind Ke Linyue.

The Absorption Technique was operating at full speed.

It spun like a black hole in the palm of my hand.

Just as Jiang Mu's fingertips were about to touch the white robe, a chilling sense of crisis exploded within him.

Ke Linyue's body suddenly transformed into a volcano about to erupt, with red flames dancing beneath her skin and streaks of crimson light emanating from her pores.

Jiang Mu stopped without hesitation and retreated rapidly.

boom!
As the heatwave swept in, half of Jiang Mu's sleeve turned to ash in an instant, and his skin broke out in a series of blisters.

"The response has been good."

Ke Linyue chuckled softly and continued to press closer.

Jiang Mu had no choice but to continue dodging.

With the help of the sonic interference from the Donghuang Taichu Bell, the fireball attacks from Qingyi, and the occasional sneak attacks from that severed hand, she narrowly escaped Ke Linyue's attacks several times.

But when they tried to escape, they were constantly suppressed by their opponents.

"They certainly have a lot of tricks up their sleeves."

The series of failures seemed to have caused Ke Linyue to lose patience.

He suddenly stopped, picked up a small paper figure cut out from his fingertips, and gently blew on it.

The little paper figure grows taller as the wind blows.

Upon landing, it changed direction with a series of "whoosh" sounds.

One becomes two, two becomes four...

In the blink of an eye, eighteen white paper figures resembling Ke Linyue, adorned with red decorations and eyes, floated in the air and surrounded Jiang Mu, constantly compressing his space to move!
No matter how Jiang Mu moved, the paper figures followed him like a shadow, always maintaining a perfect circular formation.

"Oops!"

Jiang Mu's heart sank; this was an array!

He gritted his teeth and forcefully squeezed out the last bit of energy from his wife's severed hand.

The severed hand received the instruction.

The cursed butterfly on the back of her hand instantly ignited, and her slender fingers formed a mysterious hand seal in the air.

A giant golden hand, about ten feet in size, materialized out of thin air.

The palm lines were clearly visible, exuding a majestic divine power, and pressed down on Ke Linyue and his eighteen paper figures below.

For the first time, Ke Linyue showed a look of surprise.

"What kind of magical creature is this?"

Without time to think, he spread his arms, and the eighteen paper doll clones instantly merged into one.

His body swelled up several times in an instant, as if being inflated.

He transformed from a slender, effeminate man into a round, fleshy ball.

The white robe she wore wasn't torn, it just stretched open. "Boom—"

The giant golden hand crashed down.

Ke Linyue was pressed hard into the palm of his hand, and golden light scattered everywhere.

However, when the golden light faded, Ke Linyue was still standing in the same spot, except for some wrinkles in her clothes.

"Damn, that's too strong."

Jiang Mu finally understood the significance of the "Nine Grandmasters" that Tang Jinxian had mentioned.

If Ke Linyue, who was ranked last, was already so unfathomably powerful, he couldn't imagine how terrifying the other eight grandmasters in the palace must be.

"court death!"

Ke Linyue shouted angrily.

Its round body shot out like a cannonball.

Before the palm strike even arrived, the wind from it was already as powerful as a collapsing mountain.

Jiang Mu felt as if all the air around him had been sucked out, and even his breathing had stopped. The ground beneath his feet was cracking inch by inch.

He instinctively crossed his arms in front of his chest, preparing to take the blow head-on.

Just then, a dark shadow suddenly appeared.

A dark figure appeared behind Jiang Mu and slapped him on the back.

My palms were burning hot, like branding irons.

Jiang Mu instinctively froze, but found that he felt no pain. Instead, a powerful and pure surge of vital energy rushed into him.

Jiang Mu was suddenly inspired and, taking advantage of this external force, unleashed both palms simultaneously!
"boom--"

The two powerful palm strikes collided violently in mid-air.

This time, it was Ke Linyue who was sent flying backward by the shock, her feet carving two terrifying trenches half a foot deep into the ground, crashing through half of the courtyard wall.

The man in black flipped over Jiang Mu's head, grabbed Jiang Mu's shoulder, and threw him far away.

"roll!"

His voice was low and deliberately suppressed.

Without any hesitation, Jiang Mu used the force to turn and run.

After running several meters, he suddenly stopped, as if he had thought of something. A plan formed in his mind, and he turned back, lowered his voice, and shouted with all his might:
"The murderer is Mu Jiang!"

After shouting, he didn't linger. With a few flashes, he completely disappeared into the deep night.

Ke Linyue emerged from the ruins.

At this moment, he has returned to his previous slender and effeminate appearance.

He raised his hand, pressed his fist to his lips, and coughed lightly a few times, a trace of blood staining between his fingers.

"Your Excellency is..."

Ke Linyue tilted her head slightly, looking at the man in black standing under the moonlight with great interest.

The man in black did not speak.

Suddenly his arms began to tremble, soft and boneless, like noodles.

Then, he suddenly slammed his hands down.

"Rumble--"

The ground trembled violently.

Ke Linyue's expression suddenly changed, and she quickly leaped into the air.

The moment he left the ground, the ground where he had been standing exploded, and two ferocious earth dragons made of mud and rubble roared and soared into the sky, heading straight for Ke Linyue in mid-air.

A small white jade scissor, no longer than the palm of a hand, slid out from Ke Linyue's sleeve.

The scissors opened, a flash of cold light.

The small scissors flew out of my hand, transforming into two intersecting white rainbows.

Where the rainbow light passed, the earth dragon's body broke apart inch by inch, turning into a rain of broken stones and soil.

When the smoke and dust cleared, the man in black had vanished without a trace.

"Lord Ke!"

At this moment, Zhao Ke and several other Xuan Envoys hurriedly arrived.

Seeing the mess in the courtyard, everyone was horrified and stood frozen in place.

Ke Linyue gazed at the night sky where the man in black had disappeared, her expression shifting: "Such agility is almost comparable to those in the imperial palace... Could it be the Holy Mother of the Spirit Sect?"

"Gan...Master Gan?"

Zhao Ke saw Gan Yuanyuan's corpse again, stared blankly for a long time, and then shouted angrily.
"It must have been Mu Jiang who did it! Today in the prison cell, he said to us in person that he wanted to kill Lord Gan!"

"Yes, that's right!"

The other envoys echoed this sentiment.

"We heard the assassin announce his identity when he fled."

Ke Linyue recalled Jiang Mu's last words before leaving, lowered her eyes and pondered for a moment, then shook her head and said:
"It's hard to say whether he is or not. Do you think a mere yamen runner has such courage and ability?"

"This……"

Zhao Ke and the others looked at each other in bewilderment.

Thinking about it again, something still felt off.

Even if Jiang Mu is stupid, he wouldn't be so stupid as to actually come and kill someone right after making a threat in prison, would he?

Are they even afraid that others won't know, so they deliberately call out their own names?

The group then carefully examined Gan Yuanyuan's body again, but found no gunshot wounds.

They had already witnessed that Jiang Mu's spiritual weapon was a long spear. Without the spear, his strength would be greatly reduced, and he would be no match for Gan Yuanyuan.

Furthermore, since he had already declared that "the murderer is Mu Jiang," why did he need to wear night clothes?

Why not just reveal your identity directly?

Isn't this unnecessary?

For a moment, everyone felt that the murderer might not be Jiang Mu.

Zhao Ke hesitated for a moment before stating his analysis:

"Lord Ke, I dare to speculate that this person might be deliberately framing you. He might be trying to sow discord between Chief Steward Tang and you, as well as... the person behind Lord Gan."

This suggests that this person is very likely one of our patrol officers, and is fully aware of these inside conflicts.

Ke Linyue rubbed the scraps of paper remaining between her fingers, her eyes deep and thoughtful.

He couldn't make a judgment at the moment.

"Perhaps you're right, perhaps... the murderer really is Mu Jiang. These seemingly contradictory actions are just a deliberate maze he set up to confuse us."

Of course, deep down, Ke Linyue didn't believe that Jiang Mu had such extraordinary abilities.

He was more inclined to believe that this was retaliation by the spiritual cult.

Looking at Gan Yuanyuan's shriveled corpse, Ke Linyue sighed softly, "A storm is brewing. Yancheng is about to be in turmoil."

Gan Yuanyuan's identity is too special.

Her "godfather" is a man who cares a lot about his image.

However, Ke Linyue seemed to remember something else, and a cold smile curled at the corner of her lips.

His palm strike towards Jiang Mu was full of hidden meaning.

That palm strike contained his unique "mark," which no ordinary person could detect except for him.

This mark cannot be removed within three days.

Perhaps we can go and see if Jiang Mu has this mark on his body tomorrow.

-

Meanwhile, Jiang Mu returned home.

Only when he closed the door did he dare to relax his tense nerves a little.

Ke Linyue's cultivation level is terrifying.

The names of the nine grandmasters are indeed well-deserved.

He took out his wife's severed hands, a kind of spiritual object, from his bosom.

The cursed butterfly mark on the back of her hands, which were originally as white as jade, had completely disappeared, leaving her hands dull and lifeless, as if they had lost all their spirituality.

Looking at the Donghuang Taichu Bell again, the patterns on the bell had been worn away, leaving only faint traces.

Even the illusory soul of the woman in green was limp and lifeless.

"Young man, in the future, can you please not be so reckless when killing people? Do you really think you're the best in the world?"

Looking at Jiang Mu's pale face, Qingyi said with a mixture of helplessness and lingering fear,

"You should first find a way to help your sister refine her true form. Once your sister's cultivation is stronger, she can accompany you in a fierce battle, and you won't be in such a sorry state."

"We were really careless this time."

Jiang Mu was extremely annoyed.

The internal energy within him was too complex, and the power absorbed by the Absorption Technique was impure and mixed, resulting in him having "quantity" but lacking "quality".

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so suppressed by Ke Linyue.

"Perhaps, I really should find a woman to practice dual cultivation with."

Jiang Mu muttered to himself, Tang Jinxian's cold and beautiful face appearing in his mind again.

"How about... I ask Big Soft Candy for help? Maybe she can use her power to help me find a suitable 'furnace'? I don't know if Big Soft Candy would be willing..."

While he was thinking, he looked up and saw that the woman in green was looking at him with a half-smile.

The woman in green said coquettishly:
"Why look for anyone else? Just refine my sister's true form, and then you can do whatever you want with her."

"You? You have nothing."

"Humph."

The woman in green snorted softly, turned into a wisp of green smoke and disappeared back into the bell, leaving behind a soft and charming reproach, "Then go find your Manager Tang, that woman is definitely a suitable vessel."

Manager Tang... it's not impossible.

It's just difficult to handle right now.

Jiang Mu shook his head, putting his thoughts aside for the time being.

Regardless, although this was a dangerous situation, we managed to kill Gan Yuanyuan and achieve our goal.

Jiang Mu began to think again about the mysterious expert who had saved him.

He inexplicably recalled the mysterious person who had given him the note in the mirage.

Could it be the same person?

Jiang Mu muttered to himself,

"If so, who is this person really? Why did they save me and help me?"

Jiang Mu couldn't understand it.

"Forget it, I'm not going to think about it anymore. Whoever it is, since they've made a move twice, they'll definitely meet with me again. I'll wait for them eventually."

Jiang Mu took out gold powder and set up a simple array on the ground. He placed the Donghuang Taichu Bell and his wife's severed hand at the array's core and began to slowly nourish the two spiritual objects.

Today's assassination attempt served as a wake-up call for him.

Ultimately, he was a bit arrogant.

If the cursed butterfly that caused his wife's hand to be severed had been fully charged earlier, he might have been able to escape unscathed from Ke Linyue today.

"It seems that next time I commit murder, I must be fully prepared."

Jiang Mu filled a basin with cold water, quickly washed his body, then sat cross-legged on the bed and began to practice the "Wushan Wonderful Golden Elixir Scripture" to regulate his internal energy.

But just as he was completing one cycle of his cultivation technique, he suddenly felt something strange. It seemed that he felt a faint burning sensation in a certain part of his chest.

Looking down, the skin was smooth and there was nothing unusual.

Jiang Mu thought carefully, his gaze suddenly sharpening:
"It was Ke Linyue's palm strike!"

He remembered that Ke Linyue's light palm strike seemed to have landed right on this spot.

"Qingyi!"

The woman in green floated out impatiently: "What is it now...?"

"Take a look at this place for me."

Jiang Mu pointed to his chest.

As the woman in green approached, a closer look revealed that her ethereal, alluring face had instantly changed:
“Young man, you have a palm print here.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Mu understood.

"As expected, it must be a kind of mark."

After Jiang Mu waited until his wife's severed hand had regained some energy within the formation, he pressed it onto the palm print.

As the Absorption Technique was activated, a chilling aura was slowly drawn out, and the palm print dissipated.

"call……"

Jiang Mu let out a long breath, thinking to himself, "That was close, we almost crashed."

-

The next morning, as the sun rose, it bathed the Anjia courtyard in a light golden light.

Jiang Mu and the Shi siblings practiced the Five Animal Frolics in the courtyard every day.

Jiang Mu was shirtless, his bronze skin covered with a thin layer of sweat, his muscle lines undulating with the movements of the Five Animal Fist, as explosive as a cheetah.

Before long, Ke Linyue arrived at the door.

"Master Mu is truly diligent; no wonder he is so skilled."

Ke Linyue waved a folding fan, a warm smile on his delicate and handsome face, as if he were just a neighbor who had come to visit.

Jiang Mu bowed and said, "Greetings, Lord Ke."

Ke Linyue's gaze immediately swept over Jiang Mu's bare chest.

No.

Nothing at all.

Smooth and flat, with only a thin layer of sweat.

A hint of disappointment flashed in Ke Linyue's eyes.

"I was unaware of Lord Ke's presence. What brings you here?"

Jiang Mu grabbed a towel and wiped his sweat.

Ke Linyue spoke directly: "Last night, Envoy Gan Xuan was assassinated at his residence."

As he spoke, he carefully observed Jiang Mu's expression.

Jiang Mu was stunned at first, his eyes filled with confusion, but then he reacted with shock:
"What?! He was assassinated?"

"good,"

Ke Linyue said calmly, "We are investigating. Our initial suspicion is that it is remnants of the Spirit Cult retaliating."

Jiang Mu exclaimed, "Ah! Why would the Spirit Cult retaliate against her?"

Seeing Ke Linyue staring intently at him, Jiang Mu seemed to only then come to his senses, taking a half step back with a wary expression:
"Lord Ke, you came to tell me this so early in the morning... You don't suspect me, do you?"

Ke Linyue remained silent.

Jiang Mu's face turned cold, and he said in a chilling voice:
"Just because I had a conflict with her yesterday? If that's the case, I'll go see Lord Tang right now. I'm afraid your Chief Inspector will use this opportunity to deliberately retaliate against me!"

As he spoke, he grabbed his outer garment, looking as if he was about to "go and complain right away."

Ke Linyue chuckled to herself:
"Lord Mu, you are overthinking it. I will not make any assumptions without evidence."

Fearing that this guy might actually go to find that tigress Tang Jinxian, Ke Linyue changed the subject:
"I've come today to thank you for your interrogation yesterday. Based on the information you provided, we've located five cult contact points."

Although two of them have been disbanded, the other three are still operating, and a number of members of the cult have been arrested as a result.

At this point, Ke Linyue felt quite emotional.

After arresting him last night, they also tried to re-interrogate Tong Geda.

The information they painstakingly obtained was far less detailed than what Jiang Mu had written on that piece of paper, and they didn't know how Jiang Mu had managed to do it.

This young yamen runner is indeed exceptional.

Thinking of this, Ke Linyue suddenly felt a strong desire to appreciate talent.

"Master Mizashi,"

He asked bluntly, "Would you like to join our Xuan Shi Guard? If you agree, I, Ke, am willing to personally introduce you."

"Wow, I've become a hot commodity."

Jiang Mu muttered to himself.

He scratched his head feigning difficulty and joked:

“I’m indecisive, but for something this big, I need to ask Manager Tang for his advice.”

Looking for Tang Jinxian?

Thinking of Tang Jinxian's possessive manner towards her food, Ke Linyue smiled bitterly to herself.

It seems we can't dig any deeper into this corner.

"That's all,"

Ke Linyue closed her folding fan and shook her head with a hint of regret.
"I apologize for my abruptness. If the Spirit Sect has any leads later, I will inform Chief Tang and you in a timely manner so that you can investigate the case."

"Then thank you very much, Lord Ke."

Jiang Mu bowed.

Ke Linyue chatted casually for a few more minutes before taking her leave.

Jiang Mu personally escorted him to the courtyard entrance, squinting as he watched until the other person's figure disappeared at the alleyway entrance. His smile vanished: "Do you think he's suspicious?"

Qingyi Piao, standing to the side, said, "The acting is a bit over the top."

“He only believes it if I overact.”

"..."

……

Ke Linyue turned out of the alley, her brows slightly furrowed.

"This kid is overacting. Could he really have killed the person? No, he's obviously very happy."

"That's right, Gan Yuanyuan is dead, he should be the happiest."

Ke Linyue shook her head and sighed.
"What a promising talent! It's a pity we didn't discover him sooner."

……

Not long after Ke Linyue left, Madam Yan arrived again.

Holding an exquisitely crafted letter in her hand.

"Young Master Mu,"

She smiled and handed over the letter, saying, "I've already secured a spot for you at tomorrow's 'Questioning the Dao Gathering'."

Jiang Mu then remembered that the other party had indeed mentioned this matter before.

"The Taoist gathering will begin tomorrow at noon at Chongtian Temple."

Madam Yan carefully instructed, "I will send a carriage to pick you up tomorrow morning. I heard that Consort Yue's carriage has arrived at Chongtian Temple, and she will preside over this Taoist gathering."

"Chongtian Temple?"

Jiang Mu was somewhat surprised.

Even without the letter, I can still get in based on my relationship with Master Hongyuan, right?

But since the other party meant well, Jiang Mu accepted it.

Looks like I'll be busy tomorrow.

To be honest, if Jiang Mu hadn't promised Madam Yan beforehand, he wouldn't have really wanted to go. After all, he had already secured Da Ruantang's affections, so there was no need for him to curry favor with other powerful figures.

The identity of "Big Soft Candy" is already impressive enough; who could be more powerful than her?

Unless you can get close to Consort Yue.

But can I hug him?
(End of this chapter)