82: Chapter 82 Elder Qian, there's a mole among you!

Just as dawn was breaking, Zhao Ruoan brought Qiuyin and Xiamo and went straight to Qian Kun's residence.

Outside the pavilion, the guarding Disciple saw that it was Zhao Ruoan and did not dare to delay, hurriedly going inside to report.

Soon, Qian Kun came out to greet them personally, still wearing a sleepy expression on his face.

"Junior Fellow Apprentice Ruoan, coming over so early, is there any urgent matter?" Qian Kun yawned and asked amiably.

"Elder Qian, there is indeed an extremely urgent matter that must be reported to you immediately." Zhao Ruoan's expression was exceptionally solemn, without a shred of polite pleasantries.

Seeing his expression, Qian Kun's heart skipped a beat, and his sleepiness instantly dissipated by more than half.

He invited the three of Zhao Ruoan into the pavilion, waved away his attendants, and closed the door personally.

"Speak, what on earth has happened?"

Zhao Ruoan did not beat around the bush and got straight to the point: "Elder Qian, in this mining area, there is a mole, and not only are there quite a few, but their positions are not low!"

"A mole?" Qian Kun's brows furrowed. "Junior Fellow Apprentice Ruoan, such words cannot be spoken carelessly. The mining area Disciples have all undergone strict screening by the Sect; how could there be a mole?"

His first reaction was disbelief, even feeling that this junior fellow apprentice was perhaps a bit too sensitive. Young people who had just experienced an ambush being suspicious was normal.

"I am not speaking carelessly." Zhao Ruoan's tone was very heavy. "Elder, do you still remember Li Gui, the Inner Sect Disciple who took me to the Transmission Cliff yesterday?"

"Li Gui? I remember. He has stayed in the mining area for over a decade and is a very diligent Disciple. What is wrong?" Qian Kun was somewhat puzzled.

"He is the mole of the Nether Cult!" Zhao Ruoan said word by word.

"What?!" Qian Kun was truly shocked this time. He stood up and stared at Zhao Ruoan. "Junior Fellow Apprentice, do you have evidence? Accusing an Inner Sect Disciple of being a mole is a matter of heaven-shaking importance! If you make a mistake, it will also cause massive damage to your reputation!"

"I do not have direct evidence," Zhao Ruoan said candidly.

Qian Kun's brows furrowed even deeper, a trace of displeasure revealing itself on his face. Without evidence, you ran over to tell me this? Isn't this sheer nonsense?

Zhao Ruoan saw through his thoughts and continued: "But I dare to use my identity as a Personal Disciple and the reputation of my Revered Master Yun Qinghan to guarantee that Li Gui definitely has a problem!"

He directly brought out his Revered Master's name.

Sure enough, upon hearing the three words "Yun Qinghan", Qian Kun's Aura weakened by three points.

That was the unquestioned God of Slaughter in the Sect; the words spoken by her Disciple naturally carried a different weight.

"This..." Qian Kun hesitated slightly.

Zhao Ruoan struck while the iron was hot, beginning to bluff half-truthfully: "Elder Qian, before my Revered Master let me down the mountain to train, she once passed down a secret technique to me that can perceive an extremely obscure Demonic Path Qi. This kind of Qi cannot be discovered at all by ordinary investigative methods."

"Yesterday, when I saw that Li Gui, I perceived that illusory Devilish Qi on his body. Although he hid it extremely well, I would never feel wrong!"

These words sounded much more reliable.

What kind of figure was Peak Master Yun? It was completely normal for her to have some unfathomable methods. Passing down one or two ultimate secret techniques to her Personal Disciple was entirely reasonable.

The look of suspicion on Qian Kun's face gradually faded, replaced by solemnity.

"You mean... Li Gui has been eroded by the Demonic Path Cultivation Technique?"

"It is not just as simple as erosion." Zhao Ruoan shook his head, tossing out an even more hair-raising conclusion: "I suspect that his Divine Soul has already been replaced by the wicked people of the Nether Cult! The current Li Gui is merely an evil ghost draped in human skin!"

Possession!

Qian Kun gasped a breath of cold air, a layer of cold sweat instantly breaking out on his back.

If it was truly as Zhao Ruoan said, then the problem was far too severe. A possessed mole lurking in the mining area for over a decade—during this period, how much intelligence had he transmitted to the Nether Cult? The defense layout of the mining area, the rotation of Disciples, the production of Spirit Stones... Thinking about it sent chills down his spine!

"This matter... this matter is no small affair!" Qian Kun paced back and forth in the room, his mind obviously in disarray.

He still somewhat dared not fully believe it. After all, this was all just Zhao Ruoan's unilateral word.

Zhao Ruoan knew that the timing was still slightly lacking.

He continued to add weight: "Elder Qian, I know it is difficult for you to believe me immediately. But concerning the safety of the entire mining area, we cannot afford to gamble. I have a very simple verification method."

"What method?" Qian Kun asked immediately.

"Right now, you immediately send someone to summon Li Gui here. Just say there is an urgent task to give him. When he comes, you do not need to say anything; directly use the power of your Divine Soul to launch a surprise investigation into his Sea of Consciousness!"

Zhao Ruoan's gaze turned sharp: "For a normal Cultivator, when their Sea of Consciousness is investigated by an Elder, the first reaction will be shock and incomprehension. But for a possessed mole, deep within his Sea of Consciousness, there is bound to be hidden another Soul that does not belong to himself! At the moment of your Divine Soul surprise attack, that alien Soul will definitely put up resistance in order to protect itself! By then, whether he is human or a ghost will be known at a glance!"

This method was simple and crude, but effective.

The only risk was that if Li Gui was innocent, then Qian Kun's action would be equivalent to openly humiliating and harming an Inner Sect Disciple, which would cause public criticism if word got out.

Qian Kun fell into a fierce internal struggle.

On one side was the safety of the Sect, and on the other side was the massive mistake he might commit.

"Elder!" Zhao Ruoan intensified his tone. "What are you still hesitating for? That I encountered an ambush and my whereabouts were leaked in itself proves there is a mole in the Sect! And Li Gui was the first person to actively approach me after I came to the mining area and had the opportunity to detect my movements! Do you think this is really just a coincidence?"

"Furthermore, I suspect that there is more than one mole! The Nether Cult plots on a grand scale, and they likely have already allied with other Demonic Path factions, such as the Blood Sea Sect, preparing to make a move on our mining area! The time left for us is not much!"

Blood Sea Sect!

These three words were like a heavy hammer, fiercely smashing into Qian Kun's heart.

As the guarding Elder, he naturally knew that the Blood Sea Sect was nearby and had always been eyeing Qingxuan Sect's Spirit Stone mine with covetous eyes. If the two great Demonic Cults joined hands... the consequences would be unimaginable!

"Fine!" Qian Kun grit his teeth fiercely, making up his mind. "I will trust you once!"

He looked at Zhao Ruoan, his gaze complex: "Junior Fellow Apprentice Ruoan, I hope you are right. Otherwise, for today's matter, both you and I will have to bear a heaven-shaking responsibility!"

"Elder, rest assured, if it is wrong, all responsibility will be borne by me, Zhao Ruoan, alone!" Zhao Ruoan said decisively.

"Someone come!" Qian Kun shouted toward outside the door.

A trusted Disciple walked in quickly.

"Go, call the Inner Sect Disciple Li Gui over, and just say I have an important matter to instruct him on!"

"Yes, Elder!"

The trusted Disciple acknowledged the order and left.

The atmosphere inside the pavilion instantly became tense.

Qiuyin and Xiamo stood behind Zhao Ruoan, their palms full of sweat. They knew that the Young Lord's plan had already begun its most crucial step.

Success or failure hung on this single action!