"What did you say?!"

"The ore is gone?"

Li Jinghong shot to his feet, his face a mask of disbelief. But soon, that disbelief melted away into sheer terror.

"So much... so much ore. How could it just disappear?"

"How is that possible? How?!"

His tone was part question, part reprimand, yet it held no conviction.

Li Jinghong’s already pale face had drained of all color. He trembled and staggered back a few steps before collapsing into his chair, unable to stay on his feet.

"Help me up!"

Li Jinghong roared. An Inspector at his side rushed to support him. After just a few steps, Li Jinghong shoved the Inspector away and ran like a madman toward the mines.

Hearing is one thing, but seeing is another. When the completely empty space came into view, Li Jinghong collapsed to the ground.

A look of both terror and despair.

"Thousand Households..."

A nearby Inspector couldn’t help but step forward to help him up.

"Get away from me!"

His hair disheveled, Li Jinghong had lost all trace of his usual authority. He shoved aside the Inspector who had tried to help, staggered to his feet, and bolted back the way he came, a frantic and pathetic sight.

...

The commotion at the Inspection Office and Li Jinghong’s strange behavior were hardly a secret in Nanshan Town, with Inspectors currently posted on every street and alley.

Soon, the streets were filled with the sound of discussion.

The disappearance of the mysterious Ore Materials from the mines was the main topic of conversation.

"Brother Mu!"

The voices were all around them. Hearing their suspicions confirmed, Xu Yuan couldn’t hide his shock and immediately looked at Chu Mu.

Chu Mu gave a subtle nod, then turned to the Inspectors chatting animatedly beside him. "You guys continue your patrol. I’m heading back for a bit."

An Inspector immediately replied, "Sure, team leader. Don’t worry, I’ll come get you if anything happens!"

Chu Mu beckoned to Xu Yuan, signaling for him to follow.

Once they were alone, Chu Mu turned to Xu Yuan, his tone serious. "Have you made up your mind?"

"Strictly speaking, this matter has nothing to do with you, and not much to do with me either."

"I’m leaving just in case. The chances of you getting dragged into this aren’t high."

Xu Yuan looked conflicted. After a long silence, he looked at Chu Mu. "I’ll go with you, Brother Mu!"

Chu Mu nodded, not asking any further questions.

The answer didn’t surprise him.

Although Xu Yuan always followed his lead, Chu Mu had seen how diligently the kid practiced after being taught the Body Refining Technique. It was clear he wasn’t someone content with an ordinary life.

Especially since he had revealed the existence of the Cultivation Immortal Realm to him.

’How many people could resist such a temptation?’

’Following me, he’d at least have someone to rely on, a sliver of hope. If he doesn’t follow, the chances of him remaining ordinary in Nanshan Town are very, very high.’

It wasn’t a difficult choice to make.

"Alright. No need to go home. We’ll head straight for the Northern part of town. We’re not taking the main road; we’ll go through the mountains."

Chu Mu’s thoughts were crystal clear. It had been several months from his initial suspicion to his near certainty, and now this. How could he not have a detailed plan after all that time?

Chu Mu had even considered the possibility of being hunted by a Cultivator.

Although that possibility was minuscule.

But Chu Mu had still factored it into his plans.

However, judging by the current situation, his meticulous planning seemed a bit excessive.

’If I wasn’t worried about the "what if," I might not even have to leave.’

After all, if that white-robed man truly went berserk, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to slaughter everyone in Nanshan Town with his Cultivator methods.

As for whether the white-robed man would face any consequences afterward, that had nothing to do with the dead.

Chu Mu wasn’t about to bet his own life on the whim of that white-robed man.

The two walked down the street. In the wake of these sudden changes, the Inspectors they saw along the way were all whispering amongst themselves, their anxiety palpable.

"The Thousand Households ran away!"

"What? How is that possible?"

"It’s true! I saw it with my own eyes!"

"Just now, at mine number nineteen! After the Thousand Households saw that pile of weird Ore Materials was gone, he went crazy, ran into the mountains, and disappeared!"

"The ore is gone, and the Thousand Households has fled... That god of death isn’t going to take it out on us, is he?"

"No, no, I have to go home and check on things..."

Before they even reached the Northern part of town, the voices of the Inspectors on the street brought even more explosive news to Chu Mu’s ears.

Chu Mu’s heart tightened. He had suspected it, but with Li Jinghong having fled...

’In this Nanshan Town, is there anyone who doesn’t fear that white-robed man who treats human life like dirt?’

He, Chu Mu, didn’t dare bet his life on the man’s mercy... would the other Inspectors?

The secular order of Nanshan Town had weathered so many storms and managed to hold on, but only because Li Jinghong was there.

The white-robed man was able to act so wantonly because he used Li Jinghong to carry out his will.

Otherwise, the town’s secular order would have likely collapsed long ago under the white-robed man’s repeated massacres.

Now, even Li Jinghong had run...

Reaching the Northern part of town, Chu Mu stopped and looked back at Nanshan Town before him.

News of Li Jinghong’s flight had clearly spread. The order that had barely been holding on was already visibly descending into chaos.

It was predictable that with no one in charge, this chaos would continue to spread until the white-robed man returned...

Untying the cords of his Inspector Armor, Chu Mu took it off. Beneath it, a full set of green robes was revealed.

Chu Mu clutched the still-warm Inspector Armor, a complex look in his eyes.

Until the very moment he took it off, this unremarkable Inspector Armor had been one of his mainstays.

When he first arrived, this armor could even be called his protective talisman!

Without this Inspector Armor, Chu Mu didn’t even dare to imagine how miserable his life would have been when he was new to Nanshan Town.

Perhaps a wisp of him would have been in the black smoke that burned all day at the mines; a piece of him among the withered bones buried in the unmarked graves.

Chu Mu wasn’t certain, but now, everything in Nanshan Town...

...would no longer have anything to do with him.

"Let’s go."

Chu Mu waved his hand and turned away without a shred of hesitation.

Xu Yuan followed silently behind him. The oblivious Wangcai trotted along at Chu Mu’s side, tail wagging.

Lacking Spiritual Wisdom, it couldn’t possibly understand the complexities of human emotion. Wangcai was quite energetic, darting here and there, but always staying close to Chu Mu.

The midday sun beat down mercilessly. Two men and a dog slowly disappeared into the mountain forest.

In a Nanshan Town filled with a thousand Inspectors, at a time of growing chaos, the disappearance of a mere two people was like a drop of water in the ocean. It caused no ripples, and no one had the time or inclination to care.

Panic gripped the whole of Nanshan Town; everyone lived in a state of constant fear.

Perhaps he had been too deeply influenced by Cultivators, for Chu Mu had overlooked the framework of secular order.

Although Li Jinghong had disappeared, the framework of secular rules remained. There were those who took advantage of the chaos to flee with their families, and those like Li Jinghong who simply vanished without a second thought...

But most people, bound by secular rules, waited in a state of panic.

After all, Qinghe County had more than just one Thousand Households.

And that white-robed man, strictly speaking, also held the secular official title of Inspector...

Likewise, what Chu Mu failed to notice was that as he left, on a ridge between the fields not far from him, two figures stood where the naked eye saw nothing.

One of them was none other than Elder Li of Mingxin Hall.

"Alright, the kid’s smart. He’s already slipped away, so you can rest easy. Shouldn’t we be taking off too?"

"The tricks I left behind won’t fool Li Chang for long. When he gets back, we won’t be afraid of him, but it will be a hassle..."

The man beside him looked impatiently at Elder Li. Then, the Qingyi man seemed to think of something and suddenly asked, "Old Li, since you care about this kid, why not just bring him directly into the Cultivation Immortal Realm?"

"Some things are best for him to experience himself."

"In the Cultivation Immortal Realm, I can’t help him with much. I’ve made quite a few enemies over the years. I might even end up dragging him down..."

After speaking, Elder Li seemed to lose his enthusiasm and waved his hand dismissively. "Enough. After this, these old bones of mine are going to retire."

"I’m too old to keep struggling in the Cultivation Immortal Realm."

The Qingyi man’s eyes lit up. "Old Li, you must have saved up a lot of Spirit Stones over the years, right?" 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"If you’re going to retire, you won’t need them anymore. Why not do me a favor and give them to me?"

Elder Li glanced at the Qingyi man, whose eyes were gleaming, but didn’t respond. Instead, he suddenly turned his head to look at the sky.

A streak of sword light suddenly tore across the once-empty sky, shooting straight toward the mines.

"He’s here."

Elder Li murmured, showing not the slightest hint of a guilty conscience.

The Qingyi man’s face was full of envy. "Clan Cultivators are just so much better off than us Loose Cultivators. That’s a Magical Artifact! I wonder if I’ll ever get my hands on one in this lifetime, just to try it out."

Elder Li said drily, "It’s simple. Just save all the Spirit Stones you use for your daily Cultivation. Don’t eat, don’t drink, save for a few years, and you’ll be able to buy a Magical Artifact."

"What kind of bullshit is that!"

The Qingyi man pursed his lips. "Then what’s the point of Cultivation Immortal? Wouldn’t it be more comfortable to just enjoy the pleasures of the secular world?"

Then, the Qingyi man suddenly burst out laughing and pointed toward the mines. "Hahaha, Old Li, look! Li Chang’s face is green with rage!"

"Hahahaha! I’ve had it with these Clan Cultivators for a long time! Every single one of them is so goddamn pretentious, always looking down their noses at everyone. Son of a bitch... he had it coming..."

"Tsk tsk, this Li Chang is far more ruthless than we are. These mortals are in for it now..."

The Qingyi man gloated, while down at the mines, another bloodbath began.

The enraged Cultivator once again blatantly displayed his disregard for human life.

Sword light flashed. Heads rolled. Fountains of blood erupted, staining the already blood-soaked ground of the mines.

"Who was it!"

"Who was it!"

"You skulking rat, get out here!"

"Die!"

Li Chang leaped into the air, surveyed his surroundings, and roared with fury!

The sword light crisscrossed through the air, driven by his burning rage, a wild release of the fury in Li Chang’s heart.

"Where is Li Jinghong?"

"Get out here!"

"Who’s in charge here? Where did Li Jinghong go?"

"Ran away?"

"That backstabbing traitor!"

"He dares to run?"

"Just die..."

Madness. Utter and complete madness. Beneath the onslaught of sword light, countless lives were caught in the crossfire.

Whether they were Inspectors or Forced Labor, in the face of his wrath, there was no difference.

From the mines to the town, and then to the town’s surroundings, wherever the sword light passed, it left only ruin... and a river of blood...

...