Chapter 138: Night Raid

Because of Gu Yu's disruption, the auction came to an abrupt end. After chatting for a brief moment, the crowd dispersed.

While the auction had its flaws, both Li Mu and Madam Wang were ultimately satisfied, each achieving the outcome they had hoped for. Yet, the one person even more gratified than them was Tu Xi.

By now, night had fallen, and the entire venue was completely deserted, save for Tu Xi, who still sat upon the raised platform. Hesitating to leave, he cast a pleading look toward Madam Wang.

Madam Wang naturally understood his intent and offered a reassuring smile. "Master Tu may rest here in Deyang City for the night. Tomorrow, guards will escort you safely on your way."

"Thank you, Mansion Master."

This was precisely what Tu Xi had been hoping for. He lived in fear of being eliminated by Gu Yu; if not for his disciple Gu Rong, he probably would have been forced to return the acquired Soul-Departing Artifact.

He hurriedly stood up to express his gratitude, then departed with a beaming expression.

A trace of disdain flickered across Madam Wang's face. Turning back to look at Li Mu, she teased, "Master Li, what about you? Do you require an escort as well?"

Li Mu was momentarily distracted as he sorted through some materials. Hearing Madam Wang's words, he chuckled softly, shook his head, and replied, "No need, I shall return on my own. Surely nothing untoward could happen within the bounds of Deyang City? Madam Wang, I shall take my leave now."

"I will forgo thanking you today. Come to my residence tomorrow; I have something to discuss with you."

Madam Wang gazed directly into Li Mu's eyes, her expression exceptionally sincere.

"No need for thanks. It was what I ought to have done in the first place." Li Mu nodded with a smile and began to walk away.

Watching Li Mu depart, Madam Wang's expression suddenly turned cold. "Mu Tongfeng."

A figure emerged from the shadows nearby. "This subordinate is here."

"Send people to investigate thoroughly. Find out who was guarding the gates on these past few days. Every single one of them must be scrutinized, and not a single person is to be missed." Madam Wang's demeanor was stern, and her voice carried an unyielding authority.

"Understood." Mu Tongfeng replied softly, bowed, and withdrew.

"A sense of unease lingers. What on earth is happening lately?"

Watching Mu Tongfeng leave, Madam Wang gently massaged her brow, her mind weighed down with heavy thoughts.

Meanwhile, Li Mu had exited the venue and was walking down a nearly deserted street when four cultivators dressed in blue robes stepped out from the shadows ahead and approached him.

"You are..." Li Mu sensed something amiss.

The leader of the blue-robed cultivators bowed respectfully and said, "Madam Wang is concerned for Master Li's safety and has instructed us to escort you back."

Li Mu nodded. The four cultivators immediately fell into formation, flanking him on all four sides as they headed toward Pavilion 42.

After walking barely a few dozen steps, Li Mu felt a prickle of danger.

None of the four was Mu Tongfeng. This was rather unusual; every time Li Mu visited the mansion, Mu Tongfeng had personally accompanied him. Yet right now, two of these four seemed completely unfamiliar to him.

Li Mu swept them with his spiritual sense.

Using spiritual sense to probe nearby cultivators was generally considered impolite and provocative. Li Mu rarely initiated such actions, but the moment he sensed a threat, he refused to hesitate or be indecisive.

All four were late-stage Spirit Building experts. They appeared to be carrying no visible magical treasures, yet their hands remained tightly clenched, never once opening. Though one could not detect any spiritual energy emanating from their palms, an unspoken wave of danger washed over Li Mu.

Pondering for a fraction of a second, Li Mu abruptly came to a halt.

"Master Li, is something the matter?" The cultivator asked with a hint of hesitation, his body slowly closing the distance toward Li Mu.

Swish!

Almost simultaneously, four yellowish nets, each spanning more than ten yards, lunged toward Li Mu from all directions.

At a distance of merely dozens of yards, evasion was practically impossible.

The nets shimmered with a harsh, glaring silver light, clearly embedded with sharp barbs. If Li Mu's judgment was correct, these were the quills of Water-Piercing Beasts; once pierced by them, one's true energy would drain away instantly, making defense exceedingly difficult.

With a flash of the Void-Evasion Technique, Li Mu's figure instantly reappeared a hundred yards away. His bright eyes fixed coldly on the four figures, radiating a chilly gleam.

Had he not adapted on the spot and dodged the trap, the consequences of being snared by those nets would have been unimaginable. The nets were not formal magical treasures, but they had clearly been tailored specifically to target him. In the hands of unprepared cultivators, they could rival a third-tier magical treasure.

The four blue-robed cultivators exchanged glances, deeply astonished. "He is clearly in the late stage of Spirit Building! How can he move so fast?!"

With a frigid expression, Li Mu remained silent. He flicked his sleeve, and a torrent of fine sand poured forth, instantly splitting into four streams of shifting sand that surged toward the spots where the attackers stood.

The sand slithered forward, rising and dipping unpredictably like four venomous serpents ready to swallow their prey alive.

Seeing the incoming dust, the four cried out in alarm and scattered in different directions.

Yet, fast as they were, the sand formation moved even faster. A sand serpent abruptly reared its head, spitting out an extremely thin thread that whipped around three of the figures, binding them tightly in a brutal grip.

The leader, however, proved agile enough to dart around a corner. Enveloped in a cloud of thick smoke, he immediately soared directly into the sky.

Li Mu ignored the fleeing man entirely, his gaze shifting instead to several figures approaching from the nearby distance.

A moment later, a streak of dark light plummeted from the sky at a terrifying, almost imperceptible speed. Simultaneously, a figure dropped heavily from the heavens, crashing straight down onto the ground.

That streak of dark light was naturally the Dark-Hooked Eagle.

When Li Mu had first left the venue, the Dark-Hooked Eagle had been hiding high in the sky above the city, ready to respond at a moment's notice. As a spirit beast bound to its master, as long as it remained within the range of Li Mu's spiritual sense, communication between them was instantaneous.

The battle had ended in the blink of an eye.

On the street, several passersby who witnessed the scene fled in panic, terrified of being implicated.

Li Mu slowly retracted the sand formation, pulling the three trapped cultivators closer to his side. But before they even reached him, wisps of pitch-black flames spontaneously erupted from their bodies, reducing the trio to ashes and turning them into nothingness within a breath.

Looking down at the ground, he saw that the spot where they had fallen had similarly been consumed by dark flames, leaving behind only a scattering of charred residue.

"Such ruthless methods."

Accompanied by several blue-robed guards, Mu Tongfeng rushed to Li Mu's side. Having sensed anomalies within Deyang City's barrier array, he had arrived in mere dozens of breaths, yet he was still slightly too late.

"I never imagined Master Li was such a formidable expert. I am thoroughly impressed." Mu Tongfeng looked at Li Mu, a trace of shock flickering in his eyes.

Li Mu replied indifferently, "A mere coincidence."

"Ordinary cultivators do not possess such methods," Mu Tongfeng said, eyeing the charred debris on the ground. "There are no traces of magical treasures or spirit crystals left behind. Aside from that net, nothing remains. This was clearly targeted assassination, and they must have laid the ambush a long time ago. Master Li, whom have you offended?"

Li Mu shook his head. "Unknown. Perhaps some sect simply wants me to refine treasures for them."

Mu Tongfeng flicked the silver-gleaming net and shook his head. "I think not. Such vicious methods do not befit a sect's work. Furthermore, the quills of Water-Piercing Beasts are poisonous; they not only drain spiritual energy but also impair one's cultivation foundation. If they wanted you to refine treasures, they would not cripple your cultivation."

"You talk too much. Who knows what goes through their minds? I am leaving."

Helplessly spreading his hands, Mu Tongfeng nodded and said, "Very well, be careful on your way."

With a wave of his hand and without looking back, Li Mu continued on his way toward Pavilion 42.

Regarding this ambush, a lingering doubt persisted in his mind. The style felt somewhat reminiscent of the Earth Eye Fang.

His grievances with the bright Jade Valley and Li Tian had only just begun; they shouldn't have moved against him so quickly. Moreover, this was inside Deyang City—such an act would openly provoke a conflict with the Iron Jade Sect, and Gu Yu couldn't possibly be that foolish. Yet, aside from them, Li Mu could find no other motive. Even though Li Tian was a hot potato, who would dare to court trouble within Deyang City?

It seemed only the Earth Eye Fang, driven by the desire for the Presumptuous Art, had sufficient reason to target him.

Moreover, powerful organizations with great reputations often resorted to untraceable, underhanded tactics in the shadows. Such occurrences were far too common.

After Li Mu returned, Mu Tongfeng meticulously searched the surrounding area. Mumbling to himself as though he had realized something, he eventually walked away with a thoughtful look in his eyes.