Chapter 182 - 111: Luoxue’s Mentality Collapses
His gaze swept across the four of them. "Who’s willing to go?"
Yan Fenghuo immediately stuffed the half-eaten dry rations into his pack, wiped his mouth, and said, "I’ll go!"
Jiang Mu, however, was thinking more practically. He asked:
"Deputy Director, are there many Demons on White Deer Peak? Will it delay our main mission to Yan City?"
After the previous night’s ordeal at the Dao Mansion, the Demon Slot in his body had been utterly depleted, without a single drop of Demonic Qi remaining.
He was in desperate need of slaying Demons to "recharge."
Tian Wenjing glanced at him and explained:
"The hall that went missing in the Yan City area was originally sent to clear out what was suspected to be a demon nest on White Deer Peak. So, there will definitely be Demons."
"As for a delay... it won’t."
"The demon infestation within Yan City itself has been brought under preliminary control. The main threat now lies in the surrounding mountain forests. By going to White Deer Peak, you’ll be clearing out peripheral threats ahead of time."
"Then I’ll go too."
The moment Jiang Mu heard there were Demons, he immediately volunteered.
Tian Wenjing nodded. His gaze swept over the group, finally settling on Xu Fu.
"Jiang Mu, Xu Fu, your two halls will go. Xu Fu is experienced and level-headed. Jiang Mu, you’re stronger and quicker to adapt. The two of you as partners, watching each other’s backs, is the ideal arrangement."
Yan Fenghuo, who was standing to the side, opened his mouth, wanting to argue his case.
But when he saw Tian Wenjing’s gaze sweep toward him, he had no choice but to sullenly shut his mouth.
He really didn’t want to be stuck with that coward, Wen He.
Tian Wenjing took a rather crude map from within his robes and handed it to Jiang Mu.
"I’m only giving you three days. If you find them, bring them back to Yan City safely, and you will be handsomely rewarded."
"If you can’t find them, don’t push your luck. After three days, regardless of the outcome, head straight to Yan City and regroup with the main force."
He added with a solemn expression:
"Remember, your safety comes first! If you encounter a Great Demon that’s too powerful for you, don’t try to be a hero. Retreat when you have to."
"However, according to intelligence from the advance patrols, the strongest Demons spotted around White Deer Peak are only Tier Five. With the combined strength of your two halls, you should be able to handle them as long as you’re cautious."
"Understood!"
Jiang Mu and Xu Fu responded in unison.
After resting until midnight to recover their energy, Jiang Mu and Xu Fu led the men of their respective halls from the camp and sped toward White Deer Peak.
Just before dawn, they arrived at the foot of White Deer Peak.
A thick morning mist hung in the air, shrouding the entire mountain. Visibility was extremely low.
The surroundings were dead silent, giving off a deep, sinister feeling.
Using the faint morning light, Jiang Mu consulted the map, then pointed to a dilapidated temple hidden in the nearby mist and said:
"Master Xu, we’ll be more efficient if we split up here."
"You take your men and search up the mountain from this eastern path. I’ll take my men up this western path."
"One day from now, regardless of what we’ve found, we regroup at this Mountain God Temple. What do you say?"
Xu Fu looked at the surrounding mist, a little worried.
"The situation in these mountains is unclear. Won’t splitting up be too dangerous? What if we run into an ambush..."
Jiang Mu glanced at him and asked with a faint smile, "Are you worried for your safety, or for mine?"
Xu Fu choked on his words. He was suddenly reminded of this man’s incredible battle record and immediately fell silent.
’He had a point. This guy dared to take on a five-hundred-strong Demon Army by himself. Why would he be afraid of little old White Deer Peak?’
"Fine. You’re highly skilled and bold, so it’s good you’re not afraid. We’ll stick to the plan and split up. Just be careful."
Xu Fu said no more. He waved to his men and plunged into the forest on the eastern side.
Once they were a good distance away, Jiang Mu stretched his limbs and gave an order to the two brothers beside him, Zhang Daxie and Xiao Kui:
"Daxie, Xiao Kui, take the fork up ahead and search to the north. Keep an eye out for any signs along the path."
Zhang Daxie was taken aback. "Hall Master, aren’t you coming with us?"
Jiang Mu nodded. "Yes. This way we cover more ground and are more efficient. Remember, safety is the priority. If anything seems wrong, send a signal immediately or retreat toward the Mountain God Temple."
In truth, he had another plan.
He wanted to use himself as bait—a classic sting operation.
After breaking through to the Fourth Realm, Jiang Mu discovered that the realm of his Demon Shadow could be disguised at will.
It could either maintain the same Fourth Realm as his own.
Or it could be actively lowered to the Third Realm.
And once the Demon Shadow’s level was lowered, as long as he didn’t actively unleash his full power, the aura others sensed would match that lower realm.
’If there really are Demons in these mountains, when they see a lone, Third-Realm small fry like me, they definitely won’t be able to resist coming out for a snack.’
’It was the perfect "play the pig to eat the tiger" scenario. He couldn’t be more pleased.’
Seeing that his Hall Master had made up his mind, Zhang Daxie knew it was pointless to argue.
After all, he knew what Jiang Mu was capable of, so he took his brother and headed toward the fork in the road.
After watching the two brothers disappear into the distance, Jiang Mu synchronized his own Cultivation Level with his Number One Demon Shadow, suppressing it to the early stage of the Third Realm.
Then, saber in hand, he swaggered into the mist-shrouded forest.