Chapter 98 The Demons Within the Temple

Chen Mu and Qi Huan lay in ambush outside the hall, taking in the absurd scene within.

The two held their breath, their Qi restrained, fearing that even the slightest leak might alert the evil god inside the hall.

They saw the wandering soul that had drifted all the way there enter the hall; instead of dissipating, it seemed drawn by an invisible force, floating straight toward the City God on the main throne.

Drifting in a daze to the City God's seat, it involuntarily buckled at the knees, prostrating itself on the ground in a posture of devout worship.

Yet its eyes were dull and hollow, its posture mechanical and stiff, clearly the result of being forcibly controlled by some power.

The City God, surrounded by several beautiful male prostitutes, one arm around a slender waist and the other holding a wine cup, seemed accustomed to the arrival of the soul. He waved his left hand casually, and the crowd laughing beside him tacitly made space on either side.

The City God did not even stop flirting with the person in his embrace; his right hand pinched the waist of the youth, whose eyes were filled with longing, causing the youth to let out a coquettish cry and take the opportunity to feed him a peeled grape.

"My Lord, the supplement has arrived; consume it while it is fresh."

Snuggled on the other side of the City God, a man with an even more delicate and charming appearance cast a glance at the soul on the ground, urging in a soft, familiar tone.

Only then did the City God lower his head to glance at the soul, a look of distaste appearing on his face as he curled his lip.

"Tsk, this kind of goods again."

"The turbid Qi has not dissipated, the soul light is dim; a defective product."

After speaking, he raised his right hand and grabbed at the air.

The soul did not even have the strength to struggle, transforming into a wisp of grayish-white Qi, which he swallowed whole.

"Truly tasteless to eat, yet a pity to discard."

After speaking, the City God smacked his lips, his brows furrowing deeper. He shifted his gaze to a guest sitting on his right.

This person was entirely shrouded in a large black hooded cloak, hiding his entire face, and had been sitting quietly, entirely out of place with the surrounding revelry.

"Mr. Zhao."

The City God spoke coldly, his voice laced with dissatisfaction, as he slammed his wine cup onto the table, causing the wine to splash out.

"The quantity of supplements delivered lately is becoming fewer, and the quality is deteriorating even further."

"Last time you said the supply was tight, and I was understanding. What about this time? You're trying to fool me with this kind of remnant soul? This is vastly different from what Mr. Zhao promised, and what your Lord agreed to."

"This old man saved you from fire and water, helped you extend your life and achieve longevity; is this how you repay your savior?"

The figure under the black hood did not get angry upon hearing this; instead, he let out a low laugh.

"Please calm your anger, City God."

When that voice emerged, Chen Mu and Qi Huan outside the window were both shocked.

They were all too familiar with this voice—low and hoarse, carrying the slickness and calculation peculiar to a merchant.

It was actually Zhao Qinghe, the master of the Zhao residence who should have already been executed.

He was currently sitting brazenly in the City God Temple, chatting and laughing with this evil god.

Zhao Qinghe's voice continued, carrying just the right amount of respect and apology.

"The wind has been blowing hard lately, and Lord Xu is under a lot of pressure as well. It took quite some effort to clean up the loose ends, so the source of these souls has indeed been affected."

"However, my Lord, please rest assured. My master expresses his deepest apologies and has ordered me to resolve this matter as soon as possible; we will definitely not keep you waiting long."

"Next time, we will certainly offer you top-quality goods that satisfy you."

The City God snorted coldly, his expression easing slightly, though clearly not entirely satisfied.

Seeing the other party's displeasure, Zhao Qinghe paused, lowered his voice even further, and spoke with a fawning tone, as if presenting a treasure.

"To show our sincerity, my Lord has already made arrangements. Tomorrow, I will personally deliver the new peerless courtesan from the Peony Pavilion to apologize and provide entertainment for you."

"She was carefully selected and has never revealed her true face. It is said that her beauty is peerless, and what is even more rare is..."

He built some suspense before continuing.

"This person has a Pure Yin birth chart. Such an offering is a true, powerful supplement, far superior to these remnant souls."

Upon hearing this, the City God's eyes brightened slightly; he hugged the youth in his embrace tighter and kissed his face hard.

"The courtesan from the Peony Pavilion? I wonder, how does she compare to the beauty offered at the last wedding?"

Zhao Qinghe answered immediately.

"Those from last time were merely common, vulgar powder; how could they compare to her?"

Meanwhile, Chen Mu and Qi Huan outside the window exchanged looks, cold light appearing in both their eyes.

This Zhao Qinghe was not only alive and hiding in the City God Temple, but it also appeared he was the key liaison between this City God and a certain Lord.

Chen Mu frowned slightly; he could almost conclude that the Lord in Zhao Qinghe's mouth was Xu Changze.

No wonder Xu Changze had gone to such great lengths to create the illusion that Zhao Qinghe was dead and to close the case in such a rush.

He not only wanted to protect Zhao Qinghe, a partner who knew too many secrets, but also to preserve this secret channel for transporting offerings to the City God.

And that Peony Pavilion was likely not a simple brothel, but a nest where Zhao Qinghe and Xu Changze kept special offerings.

The male courtesans and prostitutes who died miserably last time were likely victims on this evil chain.

Inside the hall, the City God nodded with satisfaction after hearing Zhao Qinghe's words and waved his hand.

"Fine, I assume you wouldn't dare to fool me again. You must bring the person tomorrow; if you dare to delay again..."

Zhao Qinghe bowed and replied quickly.

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. I am willing to stake my life on it."

The City God sneered, stopped looking at him, and turned to hug the youth in his arms tighter, continuing to drink and make merry.

Zhao Qinghe was not embarrassed; he returned to his seat quietly, his face under the hood still unclear, only occasionally raising his cup to sip.

Qi Huan and Chen Mu exchanged looks, knowing that continuing to listen would unlikely yield more information and would instead increase the risk.

Chen Mu concentrated quietly, attempting to probe the depth of the evil City God in the hall.

However, as soon as his consciousness extended to the threshold of the hall, it felt as if it had struck an invisible barrier, which gently but firmly blocked his probe.

Chen Mu immediately withdrew, a thin layer of cold sweat already seeping from his forehead.

This barrier was highly sophisticated; it was not composed purely of Yin Qi or ghost energy, but was mixed with incense, resentment, and some kind of foul contractual power.

If his Soul-Loss Art had not reached Perfection, making him extremely sensitive to fluctuations in Soul Power, that probe just now would likely have triggered a reaction from the barrier.

At the same time, Qi Huan tugged sharply on Chen Mu's sleeve, signaling with his eyes.

The barrier here is strict, the City God's strength is unknown, and Zhao Qinghe is here; this is definitely not a good time to act, retreat quickly.

Chen Mu nodded slightly.

The two then silently retreated along the path they had come, leaving the vicinity of the City God Temple, and only breathed a sigh of relief once they were far from the temple.

"That old fox Zhao Qinghe is actually hiding in the City God Temple. The most dangerous place is the safest—he really knows how to play this game."

Qi Huan suppressed his anger and cursed in a low voice.

Chen Mu was a bit calmer, crossing his arms as he analyzed.

"He's not just hiding; he's a middleman responsible for gathering offerings for the City God. The Lord above him is almost certainly Xu Changze."

Qi Huan nodded in agreement, though his expression was extremely grim.

"Using living souls and men with special Physiques as resources to Cultivate."

"These animals! What do they take Yunmeng to be? Their hunting ground?"