Chapter 416 - 246: Purpose

Chapter 416: Chapter 246: Purpose

"We were too late to assist you, my lord. Please forgive us!"

A group of Taiping Captains rushed over, and upon seeing the scene, they all gasped in shock.

Only when they saw Su Mu standing there, unharmed, did they finally let out a collective sigh of relief.

"Search a five-li radius from here!"

Su Mu said in a deep voice.

’Taishi Tianbi escaped with severe injuries. He’s at his weakest right now. It would be for the best if we could find him.’

Although Su Mu didn’t hold out much hope, he still gave the order.

Everyone answered in unison and then sprang into action.

Su Mu slowly sat down and let out a long breath.

He looked completely healed, but in reality, the toll had been immense.

The recovery of the Undying Golden Body also consumed his qi and blood.

Right now, Su Mu was strong in appearance only; on the inside, he was completely drained.

In truth, he was not much better off than Taishi Tianbi.

However, it was for this very reason that he dared to send his men to search for Taishi Tianbi.

’A shame about my Wind and Thunder Wings!’

Su Mu opened his palm, revealing a pair of small wings. A clear crack was visible upon them.

When he had been attacked by the Divine Weapon moments ago, Su Mu had subconsciously used the Wind and Thunder Wings to block the blow.

The wings were ruined in that single exchange. If he hadn’t pulled them back so quickly, they would have been completely destroyed.

’I wonder if they can even be repaired.’

Su Mu sighed internally. The Wind and Thunder Wings gave him the ability to fly, which was incredibly convenient for both his operations and for saving his own life.

And now, they had been destroyed by Taishi Tianbi.

This made Su Mu grind his teeth in frustration.

’That Divine Weapon of yours is as good as mine. Just you wait!’

The men of the Songjiang Prefecture Taiping Bureau searched for two full days.

Once Yang Yungzhong and the others had recovered some of their strength, they also joined the search parties.

In the end, there was still no sign of Taishi Tianbi.

Only after confirming that Taishi Tianbi had already escaped could Su Mu helplessly call back his teams.

...

Within Songjiang Prefecture, Su Mu summoned Zhang Zhongmei, Huo Zhen Court, and Wu Yiqi.

He told them about his encounter with Taishi Tianbi.

"You really encountered Taishi Tianbi?"

Huo Zhen Court asked, "And he really has a Divine Weapon?"

"He does."

Su Mu nodded. "None of you ever mentioned that a Divine Weapon could be this powerful. I came within an inch of being killed by it."

"We’ve never seen a true Divine Weapon either."

Zhang Zhongmei said gravely, "Lord Su, the fact that you could escape from a Divine Weapon with your life is astonishing. If word of this got out, it would shock the world.

Taishi Tianbi once used his Divine Weapon in the Daxing Mountains, and he nearly slew a Core Formation Realm Martial Artist on the spot."

Su Mu shook his head inwardly.

’I hardly escaped unscathed.’

’If it weren’t for the Undying Golden Body, I would already be dead.’

’I suffered what should have been a fatal injury; it was only because my Physical Divine Technique is so heaven-defying that I recovered at all.’

"You said Taishi Tianbi was using Mountain and River Vein Qi to nurture his weapon. It now seems that there might be an issue with the Divine Weapon, which is why he needs to use that method."

Huo Zhen Court mused.

"I sensed that as well. That Divine Weapon must not be in its complete form. Otherwise, I doubt I would have been able to withstand it."

Su Mu nodded.

"The number one criminal on the wanted list, now in possession of a Divine Weapon... why would he come to Songjiang Prefecture?"

Wu Yiqi asked curiously.

"That is precisely why I’ve gathered you all here."

Su Mu said gravely, "We can’t be sure why Taishi Tianbi came to Songjiang Prefecture after leaving the Daxing Mountains. However, he is very likely still lingering nearby.

It is no exaggeration to say that no one in Songjiang Prefecture is his match.

I’ve injured him for now, but once he recovers, we’re going to have a serious problem on our hands."

"So, you want to find him before he recovers?"

Wu Yiqi mused.

"Exactly."

Su Mu nodded. "But a man like him won’t be easy to find.

Right now, we first need to figure out why Taishi Tianbi came to Songjiang Prefecture."

Su Mu glanced at the three of them and said, "It will be very difficult to uncover Taishi Tianbi’s origins and motives with the strength of the Taiping Bureau alone, so I need your help."

The three people before him represented the Inspection Bureau and the Shennong Hundred Herbs Sect, the imperial court, and the Divine Weapon Pavilion, respectively.

These were arguably some of the most powerful factions in all of Da Xuan.

Adding Su Mu, a Taiping Bureau Governor, to the mix created a lineup that would be nearly impossible to gather anywhere else.

Su Mu later recalled the details of his fight with Taishi Tianbi.

At the time, Taishi Tianbi had said some strange things that Su Mu still couldn’t understand.

That was why he had gathered them together. Even if they couldn’t find Taishi Tianbi, they had to investigate his background and his reasons for coming to Songjiang Prefecture.

"I’ve looked into Taishi Tianbi before."

Wu Yiqi said pensively, "The man is like he was born from a stone. His name was completely unheard of in the Jianghu, and then one day, he just appeared. He rose with incredible speed to become the number one criminal on the wanted list, and his position hasn’t wavered since."

He gave Su Mu a peculiar look. "Come to think of it, he’s somewhat similar to you."

Both of you went from complete obscurity to being famous throughout the land.

Su Mu was originally just a refugee, but in a few short years, he became a Governor of the Taiping Bureau.

After all, even for prodigies like them from prestigious backgrounds, achieving their current status had required immense effort and years of cultivation.