The scorching heat on her back made Xian Erjiu's body stiffen abruptly. With disbelief in her eyes, she managed to stammer, "You... you didn't pass out!"
Xu Mu slowly dismounted from Xian Erjiu's back, the thunder in his right hand still pressed against her back. He turned sideways and smiled faintly, "Clearly, I did not."
Xian Erjiu turned her head to gaze at Xu Mu, her voice tinged with incredulity, "This is impossible. Even a fourth-stage lord cannot be immune to my abilities!"
"Enough with the useless talk."
Xu Mu's expression was calm as he looked at Xian Erjiu, the drunken stupor completely gone from his face. "To tell you the truth, I was ordered to investigate the Zhi Tian Pavilion. I heard everything you and the Seventh Prince said just now."
"Tell me everything you know, and I can spare your life."
Xian Erjiu remained silent, her eyes cold. A transparent, slightly grayish energy surged from her, enveloping Xu Mu. She had no intention of surrendering so easily.
But Xu Mu reacted instantly. The thunder in his palm erupted violently, and with a loud bang, the terrifying lightning elemental energy surged forth, invading Xian Erjiu's limbs and veins, disintegrating the countless gray-black elemental abilities.
"—Ugh!"
Xian Erjiu let out a muffled groan, her entire body going limp. She collapsed into Xu Mu's arms, and the restless elemental energy in the space vanished.
Xu Mu extended his right hand and gripped Xian Erjiu's neck. With a slight squeeze, her eyes widened in panic, as if she were suffocating. Her slender legs kicked frantically.
"I'm giving you one last chance."
"Tell me everything you know!"
Xu Mu's right hand tightened, pressing Xian Erjiu forcefully onto the bed. He snarled in a low,殺意 filled voice.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Xian Erjiu's face turned crimson, tears involuntarily streaming down her face. "You... you have to let go of me... before I can speak..."
Hearing this, Xu Mu's expression turned indifferent as he loosened his grip. After the previous test, he had gained a general understanding of Xian Erjiu's strength. She was unlikely to escape his grasp, so there was no need to be so anxious.
"Cough, cough, cough, cough..." Xian Erjiu lay on the bed, coughing violently, then weakly sat up, looking at Xu Mu with a face full of terror. She couldn't understand why her abilities were ineffective against this man!
"I..."
"—Splash, splash, splash!"
The sound of footsteps on the lake outside reached them. Xian Erjiu hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping herself. Xu Mu's expression sharpened, and they exchanged a glance. Before they could react, the Seventh Prince's voice echoed from the lake:
"Almost forgot about important matters. Miss Jiu, have you heard anything about Lord Qi Xuan of the Prison Department?"
"—Whoosh!"
The Seventh Prince's figure appeared on the flower boat in an instant. However, he didn't enter, merely standing by the window. Moonlight streamed down, and through the thin parchment paper, a noble figure could be seen standing proudly.
"He no longer has the jade pendant," Xu Mu reacted quickly, feigning unconsciousness and lying down on the bed. He looked at the stunning girl beside him and whispered, "Answer her honestly. Don't play any tricks."
"Otherwise, I'll kill both of you."
Xian Erjiu glanced at Xu Mu, then at the shadow standing outside the flower boat. She swallowed with hesitation and replied, "The specific details have already been written down and sent to your manor. Why are you asking me again?"
Outside the window, the Seventh Prince heard this and let out an "Oh," surprised. He clicked his tongue and said, "Alright, I forgot you have people at my manor too."
Xian Erjiu offered no reply to this. The Seventh Prince stood by the window, his gaze lingering on Xian Erjiu's alluring figure, a flame of desire igniting within him. He placed his hand on the curtain and asked with a smile, "After this parting, who knows when I'll see Miss Jiu again. Don't you truly not want me to stay?"
"I don't," Xian Erjiu's voice was hoarse and cold as she directly refused. "Your brothers in the Imperial City are more eager to see you than I am. I hope Your Highness can distinguish between what's important."
Hearing this, the Seventh Prince's expression turned grim once more. "You are quite loyal." After hesitating for a long time, the royal illegitimate son ultimately did not lift the curtain to force his way in. He merely let out a cold snort and left, stepping on the water.
...
Inside the flower boat.
Xu Mu moved his right hand away from the hilt of the hunting knife. The girl noticed this action and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Just moments ago, she had clearly sensed a terrifying power emanating from Xu Mu, like a primordial beast. If she had truly sought help from the Seventh Prince, or if the Seventh Prince had tried something, causing Xu Mu to be exposed, then both of them might have truly died here!
"If you cooperate actively, I can plead for leniency and not hold you accountable."
Inside the flower boat, Xu Mu calmly stood up from the bed and sat in a chair. A hint of vulnerability flickered across his exquisite face.
Xian Erjiu met Xu Mu's gaze for a long time, then said in a hoarse voice, "I am the branch leader of the Zhi Tian Pavilion in the Imperial City. I can tell you anything you want to know."
"But I have only one request."
Xian Erjiu looked at Xu Mu with a serious expression. "I have a younger brother who was kidnapped in Xiyuan City. You must promise me you will rescue him."
Upon hearing this, Xu Mu raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised. "You didn't join the Zhi Tian Pavilion willingly?"
Xian Erjiu nodded silently. Xu Mu looked somewhat surprised. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Your brother's matter requires specific planning. I don't know if we can achieve it, but I won't lie to you. We will definitely do our best."
"That's good then." Xian Erjiu nodded, then looked at him again and asked, "What do you want to know?"
Xu Mu asked indifferently, "Who is the pavilion master of the Zhi Tian Pavilion?"
Hearing this, Xian Erjiu's lips curved into a smile. "Do you believe me if I say it's the Crown Prince? But the problem is, you have no evidence. What's the use of asking this question?"
"For so many years, His Highness has always controlled the Zhi Tian Pavilion through his confidantes, never appearing in person. Many elders can guess who is behind him, but no one has evidence, including myself."
"I am in the Imperial City, deeply trusted by the pavilion master, and hold great power. But I have only met him once from a distance."
Xu Mu frowned upon hearing this but quickly relaxed. He continued, "That's why I need to know your specific withdrawal plan."
Xu Mu chuckled softly. "If we can capture all the members of the Zhi Tian Pavilion's branches in the Imperial City in one sweep, and trace the clues, he, Zhou Wuji, will definitely not be able to escape responsibility."
"Capture them all in one sweep." Xian Erjiu repeated the words, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"It's quite simple. Our withdrawal operation this time is divided into three batches. Tomorrow morning at five o'clock, when the city gates just open, they will withdraw from the east, south, and north city gates respectively."
"Five o'clock!" Xu Mu's eyes narrowed. It was already late at night. If the members of the Zhi Tian Pavilion were to withdraw at five in the morning, there was very little time left for preparation!
"What about the specific deployments?"
Xian Erjiu pondered for a moment, then looked at Xu Mu and said, "The withdrawal team from the East Gate has the strongest overall strength and carries the most classified information. There should be one peak fourth-stage cultivator, four peak third-stage cultivators, and dozens of second-stage miscellaneous servants."
"The people withdrawing from the North Gate are mostly carrying large items that cannot be transported in spatial bags. There will be one fourth-stage elder, two third-stage cultivators, and five second-stage miscellaneous servants accompanying them."
"The South Gate is the weakest, consisting mostly of cultivators responsible for communication in the Zhi Tian Pavilion, with only four third-stage individuals and some unimportant miscellaneous servants."
"Is that all?"
"That's all."
Xu Mu looked into Xian Erjiu's eyes. Her charming eyes, like those of a docile cat, were now as calm as a lake. He narrowed his eyes and asked suspiciously, "You just said that the Imperial City branch of the Zhi Tian Pavilion is the strongest among all branches. Yet, you only have two lords in total?"
Xian Erjiu was stunned for a moment, then looked at Xu Mu and laughed speechlessly. "I'm really curious which power sent you. Do you think two lords and dozens of third-stage cultivators are not strong enough? In the martial world, this is enough to establish dominance over a region!"
"Even the Great Zhou Imperial Court cannot ignore fourth-stage lords. Not long ago, you must have heard about the Sword Pavilion incident. Those two spies from Great Xia were fourth-stage. Do you still dare to say my Zhi Tian Pavilion is not strong?"
Xu Mu's disguised face showed a hint of embarrassment. Xian Erjiu's words did seem to have some truth. For a martial sect, a branch of the Zhi Tian Pavilion possessing such a foundation was already extremely terrifying. One had to know that even in their Great Xia dynasty, strong branches of the Demon Subjugation Department were mostly guarded by only a scattered few domain lords!
"The specific roster, who cultivates what techniques, and their weaknesses, I have all imprinted them with my soul. You can look at it yourself."
Xian Erjiu said, handing over a divine soul jade slip. Xu Mu heard this and directly crushed the jade slip. Instantly, a string of information flowed into his mind.
"Di Qiu, peak fourth-stage, core elder of Zhi Tian Pavilion, holding thirteen transaction clues of court officials. His weapon is a brown knife. His weakness is..."
The information in the jade slip was extensive. Xu Mu read for a long time, and only after memorizing every detail did he use his will to dispel all the black and gray soul energy from his sea of consciousness.
"Buzz..."
Puffs of divine soul power dissipated in the space. Xian Erjiu watched Xu Mu's casual action, a sense of frustration welling up within her. Even her enhanced ability of mental erosion could be resisted. Moreover, Xu Mu hadn't even resisted; his expression was calm and natural, clearly not feeling any aggression from that energy!
"What stage is your divine soul?"
Xu Mu paused. He truly didn't know the answer to this question. His vast sea of consciousness could even defeat the Heavenly Tree, but he couldn't control that energy at will.
"Does it have anything to do with you?"
"No."
Xian Erjiu instinctively dodged Xu Mu's gaze, lowered her head, and asked, "I've told you everything now. Can you let me go?"
"Of course not. What if you lied to me?"
"I won't lie to you! I still need to save my brother!" Xian Erjiu seemed a bit anxious, clinging to Xu Mu's arm. "Since you could find me directly, you must have investigated my information. I was forced to join the Zhi Tian Pavilion. You must believe me!"
"This..." Xu Mu's eyebrows rose slightly. The information Zhou Yuan had given them did seem to mention that Xian Erjiu had a younger brother. He was her only relative, but it didn't say she was forced to join the Zhi Tian Pavilion.
"Still no."
Xu Mu shook his head and took out a Great Dao contract. "I still don't believe you unless you swear to the Heavenly Dao with this."
A trace of fear appeared in Xian Erjiu's eyes. If she signed the Heavenly Dao contract and lied to Xu Mu, she would face the punishment of the Three Thousand Great Daos, suffering eternal torment and being cast into a Samsara hell in another dimension. However, if she refused to sign, Xu Mu could send her to true hell the next second.
"I, Xian Erjiu, hereby make a Heavenly Dao oath. Everything I have told this young master tonight is absolutely true..."
"—Buzz!"
The Heavenly Dao oath took effect. The Great Dao scroll disappeared.
"You stay here to avoid alerting the enemy," Xu Mu stood up, tidied his clothes, and looked at the courtesan with a calm expression. "After tomorrow morning's events are concluded, we will send someone to find you."
"You have contributed. You will not be mistreated."
"Okay." Xian Erjiu nodded and obediently agreed.
Xu Mu did not linger. He simply finished the tea in his cup, lifted the curtain of the flower boat, and vanished into the night in the blink of an eye.
The sound of water gradually faded.
The courtesan of the Bi Hai Chao Sheng Pavilion watched in the direction Xu Mu had disappeared. Her pitiful expression gradually vanished, and pure black elemental energy surged throughout her body, as if from anger. Yes, she was angry, angry that she couldn't unleash her full power just now, otherwise, how could she have been pushed to this point by Xu Mu!
"An interesting human."
"Good luck to you."
Xian Erjiu vanished into the darkness in an instant, like a sprite in the night!
...