Yinlan City, part 12

They never expected that Gu Zimou’s guess would be right; a simple pattern actually got them entangled in something much bigger.

Su Qing was still thinking about the Lotus Fire Cult and the Old Temple.

Since the ruffian drew an ‘X’, it meant that the people who killed him were not the ones from the Old Temple who gave him the task.

She guessed that the people from the Lotus Fire Cult were attracted by the marks in the city, and seeing someone falsely using their name, they decided to strike with deadly force.

If it weren’t for the ruffian identifying the Old Temple people by the incense smell on them, everyone would probably think that everything was the Lotus Fire Cult’s doing.

But what was the Old Temple’s purpose in pushing out the Lotus Fire Cult?

It couldn’t possibly be a different way of punishing evil and promoting good, could it?

She, however, felt it was more like a diversion tactic to fish in troubled waters.

Gu Zimou was heartlessly shouting from behind, “Doesn’t this count as a great achievement for us? Good heavens, we even found a demonic cult!”

Bai Ying couldn’t help but retort, “Give it a rest. It’s more like we’ve stirred up big trouble. I think things are more complicated than we imagine.”

Jiang Shuyi yelled, “Complicated is complicated! It’s better than dealing with petty matters every day.”

Hua Ling sighed, “At least everyone’s unharmed. That’s a good thing.”

Gu Zimou said defiantly, “You all say, why did City Lord Yan insist on keeping us in Yinlan City? There are so many students in the Sword School, high and low, why only us six? It must be because we have extraordinary qualities!”

No one spoke, only Jiang Xiaocao’s eyes lit up, “Really? What extraordinary qualities do we have?”

Having been an ordinary little grass for so long, he had long wanted to know what made him different.

Gu Zimou grinned proudly, “Naturally, we’re particularly quick-witted, particularly perceptive, and particularly brave.”

Su Qing shook her head and said, “Although it might discourage you to hear it, I personally think this is a completely random event.”

Su Qing really couldn’t see a single commonality among the six of them. If she had to force it, it was that they were all quite idle, all quite warm-hearted, and also, they all loved to stir up trouble; when trouble came, they really went for it.

Hua Ling had the same feeling. She nodded and said, “Completely agree.”

The Golden Peng bird on her shoulder also chirped in agreement, indicating it also agreed.

[Open Jinjiang App and scan to read]

Bai Ying nodded slightly, “Agree.”

Jiang Shuyi admitted it with a bit of difficulty, “Although I don’t want to admit it, I completely agree.”

Gu Zimou shook his head sagely, “The most important thing in life is confidence. Trust me, there must be some fate at play here. I have a premonition that we’ll be put to good use very soon.”

Su Qing thought about it and felt he wasn’t wrong. Yinlan City was short-staffed. If Yan Yan didn’t put these six idle people to work, she herself would find it hard to watch.

After a peaceful night, the next morning, the residents of Yinlan City began another day of busy work as usual.

Everything was no different from the day before, but a girl quietly disappeared from an Old Temple.

This girl was an orphan adopted by the temple, without a father or mother.

Her usual personality was quiet and docile, like a drop of water falling into a bowl among a crowd of noisy children.

Aside from a birthmark at the corner of her eye that hinted at ill fortune, there was nothing particularly special about her.

It must be said, the first to discover the girl’s disappearance was actually Blood Thorns.

Granny Alan deeply understood the nature of evil cultivators. To conceal little Bayin, she hadn’t told Blood Thorns how she discovered the Demonic Breath Grass in the blessed sachets; she only told her about the matter and asked her to investigate the Old Temple.

But what kind of person was Blood Thorns? She was an evil cultivator with ruthless methods and cunning thoughts. She wouldn’t waste her energy.

So she simply used a small trick and extracted from the shop assistant’s mouth that a little girl with a birthmark from the Old Temple had once visited there.

This little girl was Bayin.

After Blood Thorns sorted out the situation, she confidently prepared to go to the Old Temple to capture the little girl and interrogate her thoroughly.

Unfortunately, things did not go as planned; she found nothing.

Overnight, the little girl had vanished without a trace, as if she had evaporated like a bubble.

The second and third people to discover Bayin’s disappearance were Big Mouth and Scarface.

They were Bayin’s usual playmates. Seeing that she didn’t come out for breakfast in the morning, they knew something was wrong.

Originally, they just thought she was sick, had a fever, and couldn’t get up.

But who knew, after pushing open the door, they found that she wasn’t even curled up on that straw bed.

“It’s over! Was she captured by Azamu and his gang?!”

“Possibly, he’s the nastiest!”

Soon, Amma, who was in charge of caring for the children at the Old Temple, learned of the matter.

She immediately reported it to the Yan family’s garrison.

Yan Yan took the matter very seriously, ordering a city-wide investigation to find this poor little girl.

But the patrolling guards in the city at night had never seen such a little girl, and the city guards also said that no little girl with a birthmark had gone missing.

In short, overnight, Bayin vanished into thin air.

Many people lodged at the Old Temple, but most only used it as a temporary resting spot. After resting, they would pack their bags again and set off for the beast tide front lines to seek their own opportunities.

Therefore, some suspected that one of the lodgers might have secretly taken Bayin away.

The disappearance of a child, normally, was neither a big nor a small matter.

But if it was related to a demonic cult, it was extremely hateful.

General Yan took the matter very seriously, extensively searching for Bayin’s whereabouts in the city.

She was both searching for the child and taking the opportunity to look for the undercurrents hidden beneath the calm surface of the Old Temple.

Three days later, although Bayin was still not found, General Yan discovered a clue in an Old Temple in the south of the city, thereby apprehending a group of suspicious individuals.

Su Qing received the deputy general’s order to meet her.

Yan Yan got straight to the point, “Do you know how many Old Temples there are in Yinlan City?”

Su Qing replied, “One hundred and twenty-six.”

“Correct.”

Yan Yan was surprised that Su Qing also knew so much, but considering she was a Sword School student, it wasn’t strange.

She continued, “The Old Temple has a history of over three hundred years here. Because Yinlan City has been plagued by continuous warfare, with many people bleeding and sacrificing, the city residents needed some spiritual comfort. When the Old Temple first established itself in Yinlan City, it took in orphans and elderly, assisted the poor, and led everyone in chanting scriptures and meditating, calming the killing intent and resentment. Therefore, the previous City Lord did not hinder the Old Temple’s expansion, to the extent that now, almost every street in the city has a presence of the Old Temple.”

Su Qing mused, “You mean that the Old Temple’s reach is much wider than we imagined?”

“Exactly.” Yan Yan nodded, “According to the intelligence currently received, the Old Temple is very likely backed by the Demonic Cult Abyssal Void. We need more eyes and ears to find out what they are plotting.”

“I believe the City Lord specifically left you all in this city, presumably also with this daring intention.”

Yan Yan needed someone to act as an undercover agent, to infiltrate the demonic cult and gather more information.

The city’s forces were complex, and the Abyssal Void had been entrenched there for many years. Even within the Yan family army, it was hard to guarantee there weren’t already planted pieces.

From this perspective, this Sword School team, coming from the outside, was the most suitable choice.

Moreover, one of them possessed a strange talent, reportedly intelligent and highly skilled in concealing their aura and covert infiltration, making them an excellent candidate for undercover work.

If they could cooperate, they might achieve surprising results.

Su Qing listened silently, murmuring inwardly: ‘Could this excellent candidate for undercover work be Xiaocao?’

If he really heard that, he might actually believe it.

Yan Yan said, “We have secretly apprehended several members of the demonic cult in the Old Temple, but unfortunately, before we could fully interrogate them, they died from poison. Presumably, they had already been implanted with a蛊 within their bodies. But I have also received some other information.”

She looked at Su Qing, performing a solemn bow, “You are originally Sword School disciples, with no previous connection to my Yinlan City. Now, in this critical moment, that you all can come to assist, Yan is truly grateful. This mission also requires you to take risks. Regardless of success or failure, I will certainly report it to the City Lord, and you will all be rewarded.”

It was right to get paid for working. Su Qing did not decline, also bowing, and said, “We will do our utmost.”

She couldn’t help but ask, “General Yan, how many of us do you need?”

Yan Yan said, “Naturally, the more the better. With mutual concealment, it’s not easy to be exposed.”

Su Qing understood; this meant all six of them.

Inside Ci’an Herb Hall.

Blood Thorns said with a joyful smile, “I have identified the members of the demonic cult; these people all come from the Abyssal Void. However, I need you, Hall Master, to lend me more people, otherwise, if so many people are suddenly missing from the Old Temple, it will be difficult to explain.”

Granny Alan frowned, “Missing people? What do you mean?”

“If I were to search for them one by one, it would be too troublesome. Besides, I’m new here and unfamiliar with the place.”

Blood Thorns’ tone was extremely friendly, “But we evil cultivators and the demonic cult are essentially of the same ilk. We also have some understanding of them. Presumably, no one trusts anyone, and loyalty is maintained solely through vows and curses.”

“You know that a vow or curse spoken means instant death.” She blinked, “So, I simply found an Old Temple, cast an illusion, and had them slowly reveal in the illusion—those who died are naturally the ones I was looking for.”

Blood Thorns sighed, “It’s a pity. In one small Old Temple, there were five disciples of the Abyssal Void. Hall Master, you’ll need to lend me four more people to make up the shortfall.”

Granny Alan said nothing, coldly staring at her, “Truly cunning methods.”

“You flatter me.”

Blood Thorns covered her face and chuckled, “If the Hall Master could speak a few good words for me in front of the Alliance Leader, it would be Blood Thorns’ good fortune.”

If it weren’t for the Heavenly Secret Alliance Leader having planted the Thread of Control within her, Blood Thorns would have already defected.

Alas, before this Thread of Control could be deciphered, she had to obediently act as a blade in their hands, unless she wanted to die and become a puppet!

And that Thread of Control, which manipulated people, was planted in her bone marrow.

A cold glint flashed in Blood Thorns’ eyes as she once again recalled the once-in-a-lifetime naturally formed demonic bone she encountered in the Dragon Boat Secret Realm.

If she could exchange bones, she would not only regain her freedom but also greatly increase her cultivation!

She secretly made up her mind: once this matter was resolved, she would definitely seek out that female cultivator’s whereabouts.

This time, she certainly wouldn’t have the good luck of a heaven-sent savior.

According to the communication talisman, the Abyssal Void would hold an important meeting under the old locust tree in the city on the night of the full moon.

Therefore, the Sword School’s auxiliary team had long since prepared.

It was at this time that Su Qing couldn’t help but say, “I finally understand why the City Lord specifically wanted us to stay.”

Gu Zimou asked gracefully, “Benefactor, why do you say that?”

Hua Ling almost laughed but held it in, feigning solemnity, “This humble monk does not understand.”

Jiang Shuyi said sagely, “Benefactor’s words, if one can calm their mind, they will surely grasp their meaning. Otherwise, they are but empty words.”

Bai Ying slowly sighed, “Indeed. The Dharma is boundless; let go and find freedom.”

Even Xiaocao lowered his head, his eyelashes downcast, quietly twirling the Buddhist beads in his hand, a serene expression on his face, as if he were an enlightened monk.

At this moment, all six of them had transformed into Old Temple monks, speaking only of Buddhist teachings. Although these Buddhist scriptures were hastily memorized at the last minute, at first glance, they were quite effective at bluffing people.

Yan Yan’s words were quite reasonable: if a stronghold only had one undercover agent, they would certainly be easily discovered. But if a stronghold was entirely made up of undercover agents, how could they be called undercover agents? They were their own people.

That being said, their acting skills were perhaps too good. How could they get into character so quickly?

Their own people certainly wouldn’t be exposed. Su Qing’s only concern was whether the outside strongholds had anyone familiar with this stronghold. Otherwise, blending in should not be difficult for them.

The Abyssal Void had been hidden in Yinlan City for over three hundred years.

The moment they realized the Demon Lord’s demonic bone had fallen into Yinlan City, they began preparations.

Unfortunately, Yinlan City was one of the thirty-six major cities under the Sword School’s jurisdiction.

The atmosphere of eradicating evil here was extremely strong. After being besieged several times, the Abyssal Void, as a demonic cult, finally learned its lesson and hid itself by leveraging the Old Temple.

This strategy, seemingly cunning, was in fact extremely painful.

The Old Temple’s main business was charity. They didn’t even dare to charge money for a bowl of vegetarian noodles.

The number of orphans, widows, and impoverished elderly housed in the 126 Old Temples in Yinlan City was countless, and coupled with the annual rituals and gatherings, the expenses were terrifying.

The people here were dirt poor; they couldn’t even attract a few sponsors.

Moreover, the City Lord’s Mansion explicitly forbade temples from doing business and prohibited them from acquiring and merging land; the land they stood on was rented.

As a result, they suffered astronomical losses every year, barely surviving thanks to the outside Abyssal Void strongholds grudgingly allocating funds to them.

Why did they endure such hardship? Wasn’t it all for the demonic bone?

As long as the demonic bone revived and manifested, Yinlan City would be theirs.

They would definitely recoup their initial sunk costs, and greatly!

Therefore, even though a significant part of Yinlan City’s current development was actually thanks to the Abyssal Void, they gritted their teeth and endured.

As long as Yinlan City didn’t hinder their core mission of finding the demonic bone, they could continue to endure.

Within three hundred years, the Abyssal Void stronghold in Yinlan City had gone through many leaders.

Some left because they couldn’t bear it anymore, some were killed by disciples who couldn’t bear it, and some even succumbed to cultivation deviation, going on a rampage in the city and being killed by the Yan family.

This current leader of the Abyssal Void was very different. Firstly, he was more tolerant; otherwise, he wouldn’t have risen to power. Secondly, he was very cautious in his actions.

It was only now that the demonic bone was about to appear and the operation was nearing its end that he began to make his move.

This ritual assembly was his first initiative.

During this gathering, he intended to use Demonic Breath Grass to incite tens of thousands of Yinlan City residents to kill each other, thereby using the murderous aura to pinpoint the location of the demonic bone.

If the lives of the innocent demon beasts at Zhenyao Pass and the people who died in the poisonous fog of the Inner Subsidiary City were not enough, then with the blood sacrifice of tens of thousands more lives, that should surely suffice.

This ritual assembly was a make-or-break situation. The leader attached great importance to it, and the preliminary preparations had long been arranged.

This internal meeting of the Abyssal Void was also for reviewing results, tracking progress, and ensuring alignment.

Therefore, the leader was very concerned about this internal meeting. To prevent undercover agents from other factions from infiltrating the meeting, the various internal strongholds were required to report on each other, and strongholds also had to serve as witnesses for two or three others.

This was considered the foolproof plan.

Soon, it was the night of the full moon.

On this day, the moon was like a jade disc, hanging high in the night sky. The silver moonlight spilled onto the snow and ice on the ground, making it feel even colder.

When Su Qing arrived at the old locust tree designated as the meeting point, she found no one there.

Following the instructions Yan Yan had given her, she drew the Abyssal Void’s mark on the tree trunk.

Sure enough, the locust tree emitted a white light, enveloping the six of them.

Inside the tree was a hidden world, a surprisingly spacious courtyard.

At this moment, nearly two hundred people had gathered there, all dressed in black, concealing their true faces with secret arts.

The six of them were dressed the same way.

Upon entry, they had to verify a slogan three times. Su Qing, following the intelligence received in advance, passed without incident.

The other five did likewise.

But soon, the first trial arrived. Their stronghold, this Old Temple, had to mutually verify with two other strongholds. One stronghold was larger, with five people, and the other was smaller, with two people.

Their three strongholds usually acted together, and the disciples were very familiar with each other. A single misstep could easily expose them.

Everyone involved with the demonic cult was difficult to deal with, how could they be easily tricked?

Su Qing’s heart instantly leaped to her throat, and Xiaocao and the others were also ready to escape on the spot if exposed.

Logically, there should be pre-arranged codes or signals between strongholds.

But their side was unexpectedly silent; no one wanted to speak first. It was only when the atmosphere became truly awkward that they inexplicably started talking.

They likely talked about some irrelevant Buddhist scriptures, then lamented the hardships and great achievements of the demonic cult, flattering each other profusely.

After the flattery came the pledge of loyalty.

Su Qing said, “We will certainly dedicate ourselves to the Abyssal Void until death.”

Ye Mingshi said, “Yes, yes, yes. Being utterly devoted to the Abyssal Void is nothing.”

“Pulled sinews and extracted bones…” Blood Thorns said with a false smile, “I mean, I am willing to be torn to pieces for the Abyssal Void.”

After this round of declarations, everyone cooperated well, and the atmosphere grew lively. Everyone relaxed, feeling that they had safely passed.

Su Qing thought: ‘Good luck. It just feels like the demonic cult isn’t very intelligent.’

Well, since they’re in a demonic cult, let’s not be too harsh on them.

Bayin thought: ‘That was terrifying. Good thing she crammed Buddhist scriptures with Ye Mingshi overnight, otherwise she probably wouldn’t have been able to say a single one.’

Although everything these demonic cult members said was wrong, it must be because their hearts weren’t sincere, and they didn’t study properly. It’s a demonic cult, so it’s not surprising.

Blood Thorns sneered inwardly: ‘A bunch of idiots, I’ll kill them all later.’