And so the leaders gathered for a brief meeting and quickly settled the arrangements with a few words.
However, since they were only probing Huang Shuangxi’s background today, they traveled light with few people—just Song Miaoling, Liu Qiao’e, and Di Chong.
With the One Line Pull on him, Mu Daoying followed wherever Liu Qiao’e went, as usual.
The carpenter lived in a small alley in Fogveil City called Osmanthus Alley.
The alley was not deep. Mention Huang Shuangxi, and the nearby residents knew at once. They pointed to the grandest, neatest courtyard at the end. That was the Huang residence.
Huang Shuangxi had originally been a poor carpenter. No one knew how he struck it rich, but he built this impressive large courtyard!
Liu Qiao’e sneered inwardly. How could a cult leader not have money? Never mind distant examples—right nearby, the Immortal Alliance’s major families colluded to control the entire spirit vein of Fogveil Mountain! The residents of Fogveil City settled down only by mining for the Immortal Alliance.
Not to mention, over a century, all the spirit vein’s wealth ended up with those Immortal Alliance families. Even in the mortal world, those bald-headed monks were the richest, owning vast fertile lands without taxes or levies. Fat and bloated, they fooled the poor into donating half their fortunes for some illusory afterlife!
Born a village woman, she had hated such tax-squeezers and bully folk since childhood. Her first act upon becoming leader of the Joyous Union Sect was to reduce taxes for the commoners near Joyous Union Palace.
Huang Shuangxi lived off his followers’ offerings daily. After building his grand home, he passed his days in drunken indolence.
That day, he lounged at home with two or three concubines, enjoying the cool shade. When several immortals burst in, his legs shook with terror, and he soon confessed everything.
He did not know much.
They asked when he had connected with the Bone Devouring Sect.
Huang Shuangxi said. “There used to be an immortal family—”
Under Di Chong’s icy gaze, Huang Shuangxi shuddered and quickly changed his tune. “There were a few demonic heads who propagated the doctrines of the Bone Devouring Sect on a small scale in the city. They said that every thousand years, the celestial cycle turns once, pure yang sinks, turbid yin rises, the end days were near, and at that time the world would be the Demonic Sect’s domain. Joining the Demonic Sect in time could count as pioneering merit in the mortal realm.”
At that time, his business had been sluggish, and he was destitute and down-and-out. After listening a few times, he naturally came to believe it.
From then on, he began working for the Bone Devouring Sect.
Song Miaoling frowned. “Then how did you all usually keep in contact?”
Huang Shuangxi said, “Only those demonic heads contacted me; I could not contact them.”
“There are three other minor hall masters like me in Fogveil City. Those demonic heads had us propagate the doctrines on ordinary days and occasionally hold gatherings to win over hearts.”
“If… if the immortal seniors wish to investigate thoroughly,” Huang Shuangxi gritted his teeth, wiped his sweat, and said, “There will be another gathering in the ruined temple on the eastern outskirts of the city three days from now.”
“The immortal seniors can go and see for yourselves.”
“As for anything else,” Huang Shuangxi wailed and kowtowed loudly on the ground several times in a row. “This little one truly does not know!!”
“This little one has confessed everything. If those demonic heads come back for revenge, the immortal seniors must protect this little one’s life!”
Di Chong said in disgust, “You fear death too? Working for the Demonic Sect, you deserve death.”
Song Miaoling hurriedly stopped him and said to Huang Shuangxi, “That is natural. You need not worry.”
She then ordered two disciples to stay behind, escort the man to the inn, and guard him strictly.
Having obtained this information, the group decided to head to the ruined temple on the eastern outskirts three days later to investigate.
On the way back, Mu Daoying paid no attention to the trip three days hence. He only pondered repeatedly over the intent behind the three words Ling Yuan had left him.
He knew in his heart that the direction the others were investigating was wrong.
The only thing he did not understand was why his master had left only the words Fogveil Mountain. He had thought it meant his master had arranged to meet him there, but Yange had gone on his behalf, yet there was no trace of him.
What exactly was his master’s intent? What exactly was hidden in Fogveil Mountain?
The sunset dyed the sky red, and the evening breeze blew gently. These past two days had been warm in the daytime but cool at dusk. The flowers on the streets and alleys could not withstand the chill evening wind and fell from the branches one after another.
Liu Qiao’e crushed a ground full of fallen flowers underfoot and suddenly stopped. Her brows furrowed tightly. “I keep feeling something is off.”
Mu Daoying snapped out of his daze. “What insight does Old Mother have?”
Liu Qiao’e furrowed her brows and said nothing. “I just feel that all this is too simple, too easy. I sense there’s something fishy about it.”
What she did not say was this.
If the Bone Devouring Sect was truly related to the Soul-Returning Lamp, there was no way Luo Naji would show no movement.
Mu Daoying was secretly startled by Liu Qiao’e’s sharpness, but to protect his master’s safety, he maintained silence and did not echo or reveal it.
Song Miaoling and the others now seemed convinced that Ling Yuan was deeply involved with the Bone Devouring Sect.
But it was also possible that Ling Yuan’s appearance at the Bone Devouring Sect’s site was purely a coincidence.
It might not be a coincidence either.
Ling Yuan had come to find them of his own accord—or rather, find him.
Rather than them tracking Ling Yuan’s trail to the Bone Devouring Sect.
The difference in their investigative directions was a hair’s breadth that led thousands of miles astray. Who could have thought Ling Yuan would throw himself into the net?
Fine then.
Mu Daoying pursed his dry lips, convincing himself.
He was of an upright and sincere nature. These past two days, he had deceived Liu Qiao’e and watched the others chase the wrong lead, which was truly a torment to his conscience. But the Demonic Sect had harmed people for a long time. If they could eradicate the Bone Devouring Sect’s forces here, it would benefit the city’s people.
On the night three days later, the group arrived at the ruined temple on the eastern outskirts of the city that Huang Shuangxi had mentioned.
The Joyous Union Sect and Jade Clarity Temple disciples had an unpleasant clash last time, and today they were forced to travel together. Along the way, they eyed each other coldly.
Liu Qiao’e had no patience to mediate for these children. It fell to Zhao Yange to painstakingly restrain his rowdy junior brothers and sisters, telling them not to make a scene or draw attention, much less cause trouble in front of Old Mother.
If they did, do not blame Senior Brother for failing to save them.
The Jade Clarity Temple disciples were indignant at Zhao Yange’s cowardice, but soon they could say nothing.
Because the moment they entered the area, even worldly veterans like Liu Qiao’e, Song Miaoling, Shen Chengyin, and Di Chong could not help but be slightly moved.
Layer upon layer of believers, holding short candles, nearly surrounded the ruined temple completely.
There were more people this night than the previous one, and what met the eye was a scattering of pale white bones all over the ground.
White bones—white bones everywhere.
Human bones, cow bones, chicken bones… and many more whose origins as animal or otherwise could not be identified, strewn across the ground like fallen snow.
The less experienced Immortal Alliance disciples had never seen such a sight and stood stunned in place.
“Senior Brother…” Zhang Suxin’s scalp went half-numb. “This…”
Zhao Yange was also shocked into speechlessness.
Some commoners held children’s skeletons in their hands; others in twos and threes carried human bones still fresh with mud.
The flesh on those bones had not even fully rotted. Liu Qiao’e suspected they had been directly dug from graves.
She asked a nearby believer.
That believer mumbled mysteriously that this was his mother’s remains. The immortals said this could help loved ones ascend to immortality!
The pungent rotten stench made Liu Qiao’e shudder with chill and extreme disapproval. Dancing a few circles with one’s mother’s ashes could lead to ascension? What logic was that?
Over there, some were gnawing on bones with cracking sounds. Others dismantled bones to swing them like magic tools.
Just as she frowned in disgust,
A familiar scent of white sandalwood drifted down.
Mu Daoying calmly raised his sleeve to block it for her.
Thanks to that day, she was now extremely sensitive to white sandalwood. As that faint yet distinct fragrance fell, she trembled all over and tensed up.
Moonlight moistened his jade-like brows and eyes. Mu Daoying glanced at her and said warmly from beneath his sleeve as he took out a handkerchief. “Old Mother, use this to cover for now.”
That handkerchief was his personal item, washed clean and folded neatly into a square, carrying a faint scent of white sandalwood.
Liu Qiao’e suspiciously clutched the handkerchief. As expected of an immortal lord from a scholarly background; he even carried a scented cloth.
Seeing her clutching his own handkerchief, Mu Daoying did not know why, but his heart skipped a beat, and his cheeks heated up.
It was as if it was he himself firmly grasped in her palm. Only afterward did he realize the impropriety of this act. How could such a personal intimate item be casually given to another?
The intimate distance was suddenly breached.
He naturally could not use the handkerchief for any nonsensical deed… Fine then…
His thoughts wandered wildly, his mind racing.
Just for dusting off some dirt… He could not ask for it back now. So be it.
His heart drummed lightly. He looked away no longer.
When Liu Qiao’e looked at him again, Mu Daoying had already raised his head, focusing intently on the ruined temple not far ahead.
Liu Qiao’e came back to herself and directed the group to split into three teams: one led by Di Chong to guard the outer perimeter, one led by Song Miaoling to stand by at a distance, and the last to enter the temple with her.
The people surged madly into the ruined temple, toppling the dilapidated idol. They raised their hands high, scrambling to pile into a small mountain, pushing the bones in their hands toward the altar.
A particularly skinny and agile one quickly climbed up along the human mountain, excitedly shouting something.
This fanatical scene made Mu Daoying furrow his brows slightly.
Just then, something seemed to stir in the crowd.
Liu Qiao’e’s expression changed, her eyes flashed, and she immediately sensed something wrong. She put away the handkerchief and shouted sharply.
Something was wrong! This was truly a trap!
“Ambush!”
The moment her words fell, a burst of screams erupted from the writhing crowd like long worms.
Dozens of assassins covered in bone spikes shot out from the crowd like arrows in an instant!