Da Xuan Martial Saint

Xu Hongyu stood still, only gazing at him with a pair of clear, elegant eyes, which held a trace of confusion, seemingly unaware of how she should react at this moment.

Watching Xu Hongyu's naive, confused, and somewhat helpless appearance, Chen Mu felt a slight stir in his heart and, curious to see the reaction of a piece of Cold Jade, he leaned in closer, tentatively lowered his head, and gently captured her soft, tender lips.

The touch was still cool, but now it carried a hint of moistness.

He distinctly felt the pretty person before him stiffen for a moment, but her demeanor remained largely unreactive; her eyes widened slightly more, still conveying a sense of helplessness and incomprehension, like a piece of jade without any movement.

Chen Mu gently probed, feeling that although the pretty person before him had no reaction, she also showed no sign of repulsion or resistance. Facing his advances, she almost offered no resistance, letting him take the lead.

Years ago, he was just a minor official in the South City District, knowing of Xu Hongyu only through hearsay.

Years later, he was able to win her affection, savoring this piece of jade gently, a scene not from a dream but a result of his concrete steps—practicing martial arts, battling the He Family, providing disaster relief, rescuing others, suppressing rebellion, slaying demons, protecting, instructing, and finally arriving at this moment.

A moment later,

Chen Mu lifted his head again, looking at the beauty in his arms. He saw that her eyes remained clear and elegant, not the least bit hazy, and she even blinked at him twice, "What...what's wrong?"

"Um... nothing."

Chen Mu watched Xu Hongyu, feeling an urge to scratch his head. White Jade was indeed very white and smooth, but trying to turn White Jade red seemed to really require some thought.

However, this was not the right place for other actions.

Chen Mu gently let go of the beauty in his arms and reached out to touch her head, met again with those clear, large eyes blinking twice.

"Come out, no need to hide."

Chen Mu glanced at the small mound not far away.

A figure emerged from behind the small mound, with small hands covering her face and eyes tightly shut, saying, "Deputy Governor is asking for you, I just came to deliver the message, I just arrived, I didn't see anything."

Chen Mu, looking at Xiao He's demeanor, said with annoyance, "Little maid, you're too easily distracted. Go reflect against the wall for three days when you return."

Xiao He's face fell, and then she looked pitifully towards Xu Hongyu, saying,

"Miss..."

"Yes, that's appropriate, three days it is."

Xu Hongyu nodded slightly.

Xiao He ran off crying.

But thinking back to the scene she had inadvertently spied on, it didn't seem so bad after all. Although Chen Mu had finally made a move, her own mistress's reaction was a bit... still, observing Chen Mu's demeanor, he didn't seem displeased.

Maybe she should think of a way to help?

...

Lin'an River was not far from the county government.

The group quickly returned to An Yu County Government.

"You've arrived."

Deputy Governor Yu Jun looked at Chen Mu and Xu Hongyu as they walked into the courtyard and smiled, saying, "Chen Mu, for this monstrous chaos, I have tallied the merit you've gained and reported it to the Demon-Slay office. The total is 67,500 merit. After the Demon-Slay office's review, even if there's some fluctuation, it should still be around 65,000."

67,500 merit.

This was not far off from what Chen Mu had previously estimated.

"Thank you for your troubles, my lord."

Chen Mu gave a fist and palm salute to Yu Jun.

Yu Jun chuckled and said, "There's no need for such formality. You and Hongyu support each other; we're all family. I'm several years your senior, so if you don't mind, just calling me 'Uncle Jun' is fine. With your battle achievements this time, once you return, the new appointment from the Demon-Slay office should be issued.

There's no vacancy for a Deputy Governor at the moment, so you'll likely need to continue acting as a member of the White-Clothed Guard for a while."

Chen Mu was not surprised by Yu Jun's words. Although the Demon-Slaying Office was different from other yamens, the positions of Deputy Governor and even the Governor could be temporarily increased, but the strength he had previously shown was only between that of the White-Clothed Guard and the Deputy Governor.

It indeed seemed unlikely to step directly into the position of Deputy Governor.

Unless he revealed the extreme limit of Tendon Changing, the Body Tempering Realm of Tiger and Leopard Thunder Sound, or the Artistic Conception of Wind and Thunder Attributes, he could indeed skip the White-Clothed Guard stage altogether. Even if there was no vacancy for a Deputy Governor, an additional position could be temporarily created.

However, for him, there wasn't much difference between serving as a White-Clothed Guard or a Deputy Governor. After all, in today's world, where order had collapsed, position and authority were far less important than personal strength. He now only wished to obtain the Bone Tempering Pill smoothly, cultivate quietly for a period, and step into the Bone Tempering Realm as soon as possible.

"With the monstrous turmoil ended, may we return to Yu City now?"

Xu Hongyu looked at Chen Mu, then spoke up from the side.

She knew that what Chen Mu wanted now was probably an environment where he could cultivate steadily for a while. Although staying in An Yu County was an option, it was still safer to return to Yu County to prevent the He Family from stirring up trouble.

"Hmm, you can return in the next few days. There's no harm in you two going back today," Yu Jun said with a slight nod. However, his expression became serious immediately after, as he solemnly stated, "But upon returning to Yu County, you must act with caution. Any conflict with the He Family must also be set aside for now; in extraordinary times, prudence is paramount."

Seeing Yu Jun's grave demeanor, Xu Hongyu was momentarily taken aback before she asked,

"Has something happened?"

"According to recent news, in Qing State, Han State, and other states adjacent to Yu State, the true disciples from the Heavenly Sword, Hehuan, Blood Concealment, and Mysterious Heavenly Sects based there have visited the Seven Profound Sect to challenge the border covenant by proposing their sects' settlement in Yu State.

Using Yu County as the boundary, they emerged victorious in all four challenges. The forces of these four sects will soon be entering Yu County."

Yu Jun spoke with a grave tone.

Upon hearing this.

Not only did Xu Hongyu pause for a moment, but Chen Mu also showed a flash of surprise.

Heavenly Sword, Hehuan, Blood Concealment, Mysterious Heavenly... He had heard of these four sects, and although they had never before encroached upon Yu State's territory, they were nevertheless major sects based in the states neighboring Yu State, with influence not inferior to the Seven Profound Sect.

What surprised him was that these four sects' true disciples had come to challenge the Seven Profound Sect and had won all four battles. However, upon reflection, it seemed to make sense.

After all, in contrast to the continuous conflicts that had started outside years ago, the Seven Profound Sect had always adopted a policy of 'seclusion', closing off its borders and avoiding any contact with other states without taking the initiative to step out, only seeking development within the territory of Yu State.

While this strategy undoubtedly allowed the sect to flourish overall, accumulating considerable foundation, the true disciples that grew up in such a stable environment could not be expected to match those from the Outer States who had experienced battles all over. This was not difficult to comprehend.

Thinking this way.

The decision of the Seven Profound Sect to close its doors might not be considered correct, but it was precisely such a decision that kept the seven prefectures of Yu State, including Yu County, at peace for over a decade.

If Yu County had been drawn into sectarian strife over ten years ago, in those even more chaotic times, he might not even be alive today, and Chen Yue might not have been born.