Da Xuan Martial Saint

Northwest corner of the Inner City.

A square-shaped pavilion stood tall, with each tier hanging a golden bell on the eaves, occasionally emitting a crisp tinkling sound in the cold wind.

In one of the floors of the pavilion, a wooden plaque was suspended in the center with the words "Commanding the Mysterious Court, Wonderful Speeches of Heavenly Mandate".

Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion!

At this moment, in a very simply arranged room at the top of the pavilion, several figures in mysterious robes were gathered together.

"How is it?"

"A glimpse of heavenly mandate indeed reveals no error, the extermination of the He Family was decreed by fate."

Han Guang said indifferently.

Cheng Houhua smirked and said, "Heavenly mandate and fate cannot be defied. Often it's too vague and difficult to perceive clearly, sometimes it even leads to misconceptions, not only failing to comply with the heavenly timing but actually going against the Heavenly Mandate."

Han Guang chuckled and said, "That's what they call the mischief of heavenly will. If we could see all of heaven's designs and mandates clearly, then we wouldn't need to be called Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion, it would be better to change our name to Destiny Pavilion, wouldn't it?"

Speaking of which,

he looked towards another figure and said, "Steward Liu, how are things at the Purple Mist Mountains?"

Then, the third mysterious-robed figure, his face full of wrinkles and clearly much older, said solemnly, "Yan Jingqing is not so easily fooled. He tampered with the people and horses of the He Family. Although our men responded in time, the casualty was still heavy, and even He Wuyou was seriously injured."

"As expected."

Cheng Houhua leaned back against the wall and said, "If Yan Jingqing were so easy to manipulate, he wouldn't be Yan Jingqing. It's just a pity that the He Family is too inept, they couldn't even probe out Yan Jingqing's contingency."

"Hmm."

Steward Liu nodded slightly and said, "For now, we only know that Meng Danyun from Seven Profound Sect's Spirit Profound Peak has arrived in Yu County, and the one who took action against the He Family was her. We don't know if there are others."

Han Guang leaned against a wooden table and did not speak at this time, but showed a contemplative expression. After a while, he said, "Let's not discuss Meng Danyun for the time being. This Chen Mu is indeed somewhat mysterious.

According to intelligence, his rise was very unusual, how he cultivated is unknown, and he has reached his current realm, even the He Family using the Blood Fiend Blazing Flame Arrow this time couldn't kill him."

Hearing this, Cheng Houhua couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Are you worried that this person will affect the future situation? But haven't we divined his fate before, divined three times, and found nothing unusual?"

Han Guang said gravely, "Divination of fate is inherently vague. When it comes to an individual, especially when he hasn't actively sought divination, it's even more unpredictable. Initially, this was intended to clear some potential factors that might affect heavenly designs, but the result was still unexpected. I always feel somewhat restless."

"Then let's divine it again."

Steward Liu said indifferently, "This time I will use my blood to divine and see what fate and heavenly designs hold."

Although Chen Mu was only a figure from a minor place, he was indeed the most eye-catching figure in Yu County, and his path to rise was indeed strange. Virtually worthless before the age of twenty, he suddenly started practicing martial arts, displaying a talent almost akin to that of a sect's true teachings, and reached his current status in a very short time.

This situation could not escape the attention of the Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion. Despite divining Chen Mu's fate several times, they could not divine any 'Heavenly Mandate' related to him, nor were they countered, suggesting that Chen Mu's fate was very ordinary and not one likely to impact the grand scheme.

However, heavenly design is ultimately elusive, and based on these alone, it's impossible to be fully certain.

"Is this... necessary?"

Cheng Houhua looked at Steward Liu.

Using blood for divination meant sacrificing his own lifespan; he didn't think Chen Mu was worth such an act by Steward Liu. Although his talent was indeed remarkable, comparable to a sect's true teachings, let's not discuss the present Chen Mu for now, even if he really became a true disciple of the Seven Profound Sect in the future, and what then?

The Seven Profound Sect has long been uneventful, its disciples weak; only a true disciple from the Great Profound Peak has anything noteworthy, others hardly matter, like Meng Danyun, he never really regarded them."

Even looking at the divination of the grand scheme from the sect's elders, the entire future fate of the Seven Profound Sect is very bleak.

"To confirm it would be more reassuring."

Steward Liu slowly took out a stack of divination turtle shells, then closed his eyes, gradually connecting with the universe, as an invisible Qi merged into the surroundings.

In just a short time, another wrinkle visibly formed on his face.

In a moment,

Steward Liu cast the turtle shells and opened his eyes again, shaking his head, "The divination still shows nothing unusual about this man, but his life is indeed prolonged, not a short-lived one."

Cheng Houhua and Han Guang glanced at each other, then both shook their heads slightly.

"Is it the 'fate not to end' type? No wonder he could escape crises time after time."

Long-lasting lives are actually quite common.

Any beggar by the roadside might be a person of prolonged life. If someone attempts to kill him, various accidents may always disrupt the attempt, but that doesn't mean he can't be killed; with a little inducement, letting the person mess up his own fate makes it easy to settle him, or forcing a hard kill is fine too, it's just that the cost and reward often don't match.

After all, revealing a flaw to kill an ordinary beggar, exposing oneself to an assassin from Blood Hidden Pavilion poised to strike with a sword, the price is too great; therefore, in such cases, they usually won't force it and instead let nature take its course.

"Since his fate itself shows nothing unusual, then let it be as it may."

Steward Liu packed away the turtle shells, his wrinkles accumulating together, and said, "When the day comes that heaven and earth overturn, anyone who tries to defy the heavenly mandate, whether it's Yan Jingqing or the Seven Profound Sect, will merely be like a mantis trying to stop a chariot."

...

Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion.

At the very top of the pavilion, beneath the eaves, unnoticed was a figure in tattered Taoist robes lying there, holding a wine gourd. When he drank, he revealed a mouthful of crooked, yellow teeth.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, he pulled out a stack of turtle shells with his right hand, glanced at them, and casually flicked one, making it spin. Then, he set it aside and continued drinking.

After a while,

He wiped his mouth and sat up.

"The things even an old Taoist doesn't have the chance to calculate, yet these youngsters want to seek answers."

"However, there really are quite a few people in Yu State whose fate cannot be determined, even more than in Xuan State, Qing State, and Han State. Who knows how many will become marquises, how many will be kings, inscrutable, unpredictable, unimaginable, and unclear... Hahaha, a chaotic era is coming, and the heavenly secrets are ultimately in disarray."

As he spoke,

the old Taoist took out a greasy, tattered booklet, licked a brush in his mouth, dabbed it with some saliva, made a few strokes, then put away the booklet, took a step forward, and disappeared into thin air above the eaves of Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion.

Throughout this process, whether it was the people in Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion below or the pedestrians on the distant streets, no one noticed.

...

Although Yu County had already been occupied by the Four Great Sects, it had become a battleground for both the Seven Profound Sect and the Four Great Sects, the He Family, one of the four great families that had dominated Yu County for a hundred years, ultimately caused quite a stir when it perished in a single day, affecting not only Yu City but also spreading to various county governments.

In fact, soon after the Four Great Sects moved in, many high-ranking individuals had predicted that troubles for the four great families were inevitable, as being caught in the conflict between the four sects and the Seven Profound Sect was not a good thing.

Only, it wasn't expected,

that the downfall of the He Family would come so quickly, so suddenly.

It wasn't just due to the Seven Profound Sect or the Yu Family; instead, it was largely because of Inspectorate Metropolitan Commander Chen Mu!

Earlier, when Chen Mu was appointed as Inspectorate Metropolitan Commander, many forces reliant on the He Family felt a dire situation brewing, and some were restless day and night. However, after Chen Mu took office, he remained quiet and did not specifically target the He Family, which eased many people's concerns.

Instead, the repeated crackdowns on the He Family by Yan Jingqing were more worrying to some.

...

South City District.

Inside a certain estate, Xu Feng, formerly the Head Constable of Wutong Grove District, was staring absently into the horizon.

"His way of handling things remains just as it was back in the old days..."

Years ago, under the direction of Xu Hongyu, when he handed over the position of Head Constable of Wutong Grove District to Chen Mu, he was skeptical of Chen Mu being able to hold that position securely, to smooth over the disputes involving the Zheng Family, the Nan Family, and various gangs.

Nonetheless, he followed Xu Hongyu's orders and did not set any traps, instead doing everything possible to clear obstacles for Chen Mu.

What he hadn't expected was that Chen Mu, upon taking office as Head Constable, would act with a thunderous blow on his first action, decisive beyond belief, and stunned countless people by completely taking down the Zheng Family, which had long dominated Wutong Grove District.

This surprised Xu Feng, and significantly changed his view of Chen Mu.

What followed goes without saying. Chen Mu, having served in Wutong Grove District for less than a year, managed everything from top to bottom in perfect order. The gangs that had once reigned with terror behaved themselves extremely well during Chen Mu's tenure, not daring to act rashly.

This time,

after Chen Mu took office as Inspectorate Metropolitan Commander, he remained quiet without making any moves, nor did he clash with the He Family. However, when he did take action, it was just like dealing with the Zheng Family back then: a lightning strike, uprooted from the roots!

What truly shocked Xu Feng was that it involved the He Family, who had dominated Yu County for a hundred years, far beyond the small local power of the Zheng Family. Yet, they were utterly eradicated by Chen Mu in a single day!

At one time,

when he gave up the position of Head Constable of Wutong Grove District to Chen Mu, who could have imagined that years later, the colossal He Family of Inner City, that seemed to overshadow everything, would crumble at Chen Mu's hands like this.

Even now, after hearing the news for so long, Xu Feng's heart still could not calm down.

...

Ninth District.

In a certain courtyard, Yin Hong, the Gang Leader of the Red Gold Gang, stood still, silent for a long time.

He could vaguely remember that young man, whose appearance was still somewhat youthful, wearing the uniform of a Head Constable, coming to the Red Gold Gang to inquire about the Black Crow Sect... it had only been a few years since then. Explore new worlds at empire

From being a Head Constable in Ninth District to Inspectorate Metropolitan Commander to the sudden collapse of the entire He Family, it felt almost dreamlike.

Luckily,

he had no grievances with Chen Mu back in the day.

In these years in Ninth District, he had also been stable, maintaining a tacit understanding with Min Baoyi, and living without conflict.