78: Chapter 78 Members of the Demonic Cult

Constable Lie Ming clutched the blood-red "red blood pill" in his possession, like a flame of redemption and vengeance, and hurried back to Liehuo Martial Arts Hall.

He could not even wait to return to his room. In a secluded stone cave for training behind the martial arts hall, he impatiently sat cross-legged and carefully took out the Medicinal Pill.

Under the dim light, the pill emitted a seductive blood-red glow, and the strange medicinal fragrance caused the Qi and blood in his body to boil uncontrollably.

He did not hesitate, tilted his head back, and placed the Medicinal Pill into his mouth.

The pill melted upon contact, transforming into a scorching, violent, yet incredibly pure torrent that instantly rushed into his abdomen, then exploded with a boom, dispersing into his limbs and bones!

That power was so majestic and fierce, as if thousands of tiny fire snakes were crazily darting through his Meridians.

The intense pain, accompanied by an indescribable sense of power, made him unable to help letting out a low roar. The veins on his forehead bulged, and a faint red glow shone from beneath his skin.

He did not dare to be negligent and quickly circulated the "Red Flame Technique" inherited from Liehuo Martial Arts Hall to guide and refine this violent medicinal power.

He could clearly feel that his Qi and blood, which had been stuck at the Second Grade Early Stage for a long time, were like cracked earth meeting sweet rain under the impact of this medicinal power.

It greedily absorbed every bit of energy, growing, strengthening, and condensing at a speed visible to the naked eye!

There was no conversation all night, only the uncontrollable roar of surging Qi and blood in the stone cave, and the low groans of Constable Lie Ming, sometimes painful, sometimes pleasant.

The next day, at the first light of dawn.

Constable Lie Ming slowly opened his eyes. A flash of red light flickered in his pupils before fading, returning to clarity.

He exhaled a long breath of turbid air, which actually carried a faint sensation of scorching heat.

He slowly stood up, clenched his fist slightly, and felt the majestic Qi and blood in his body, which was now several times more vigorous and condensed than yesterday.

His face showed disbelief first, then turned into wild joy!

"I broke through! I really broke through! Second Grade Middle Stage!" He could not help but laugh loudly, his laughter echoing in the stone cave.

In just one night, the Bottleneck that had troubled him for a long time was broken through like bamboo being split, thanks to the miraculous effect of this "red blood pill"!

He felt that his strength had increased by at least fifty percent, and his Qi and blood were far more vigorous than an ordinary Second Grade Middle Stage Martial Artist!

More importantly, the Medicinal Pill seemed to have slightly refined his Meridians, making the operation of his "Red Flame Technique" even smoother!

"It really is a treasure pill! A Divine Pill! One thousand taels... it is not expensive at all! No, it is simply worth it!" Constable Lie Ming trembled with excitement.

This Medicinal Pill not only allowed him to break through but also opened the door of hope for him to quickly improve his strength, take revenge on Lin Tian, and even help his brother Lie Yun recover!

"If one has such a miraculous effect, what if I take a few more..." A crazier thought sprouted in his heart. He immediately left the stone cave and found Hall Master Lie Fentian.

"Revered Master! I have an urgent matter to ask of you!" Constable Lie Ming went straight to the point, his face still flushed with the excitement of his Breakthrough.

Hall Master Lie Fentian was handling affairs for the martial arts hall. Seeing Constable Lie Ming's vigorous aura and Qi and blood far superior to yesterday, he was stunned at first, then carefully sensed it, and his expression changed suddenly.

He stood up abruptly: "Your cultivation... broke through?!"

"Exactly!" Constable Lie Ming could not hide his excitement. "Disciple had an Opportunity last night and took a 'red blood pill'. This morning, I broke through to the Second Grade Middle Stage! Revered Master, that Medicinal Pill has extraordinary effects. Disciple wants to buy a few more and implores Revered Master to lend me some silver!"

"Red blood pill?" Hall Master Lie Fentian frowned deeply, filled with suspicion. What kind of Medicinal Pill could have such a miraculous effect that it could allow a Martial Artist stuck at a Bottleneck to break through overnight? And it is called "red blood pill"?

How similar it was to the lost "red blood vermilion fruit"! "What exactly is going on? Tell me in detail! Where did that Medicinal Pill come from? Who sold it? How much did it cost?"

Constable Lie Ming did not dare to hide anything. He told the whole story about encountering The Black-Robed Man in the black market last night, how the other party sold the "red blood pill", claiming it was refined from the "red blood vermilion fruit" and had ten or a hundred times the effect of qi-blood powder, how he bought one on credit, broke through after taking it, and wanted to buy more today.

He only omitted his own self-introduction and the strange reaction when the other party mentioned his Revered Master's name.

The more Hall Master Lie Fentian listened, the more solemn his expression became.

A mysterious expert, selling in the black market, red blood pill, refined from red blood vermilion fruit... Connecting all this, it seemed to point to one possibility:

The red blood vermilion fruit stolen from Magistrate Zhou Wenhai might not have fallen into the hands of Lin Tian, but was obtained by another more mysterious and powerful expert, who refined it into a Medicinal Pill and sold it in the black market!

If that were true, then Lin Tian's talent would be even more terrifying, and Constable Lie Ming obtaining the red blood pill... was perhaps truly an Opportunity?

He looked at Constable Lie Ming, whose face was glowing with health and whose aura was heavy and condensed due to the Breakthrough, and his doubts lessened slightly.

Regardless of the origin of the Medicinal Pill, its effect was real.

Being able to let Constable Lie Ming break through overnight, its value far exceeded a thousand taels. If he could buy a few more, not only would Constable Lie Ming's strength improve, but perhaps other Disciples in the martial arts hall stuck at a Bottleneck, or even himself... could benefit!

"Fine, since it is your Opportunity, I will help you." Hall Master Lie Fentian pondered for a moment, took out a thick stack of silver notes from his bosom, counted out three thousand taels, and handed it to Constable Lie Ming. "Here are three thousand taels. Take it. If you can buy more, that would be best. However, be careful. That person in the black market has an unknown background. Be extremely vigilant during the transaction and do not fall into a trap."

"Thank you, Revered Master!" Constable Lie Ming was overjoyed. He took the silver notes, feeling them heavy and full of hope.

He originally only intended to borrow one or two thousand taels; he did not expect his Revered Master to be so generous! Three thousand taels, enough to buy three pills! If he added some of his own savings, maybe he could buy four!

"By the way," Hall Master Lie Fentian called him again, a glimmer in his eyes, "If that The Black-Robed Man has more Medicinal Pills, or has other requests... you can test him a bit to see if a longer-term trade can be established. The price... can be negotiated."

He thought further ahead. If there could be a stable channel providing such miraculous Medicinal Pills, it would be of great significance to Liehuo Martial Arts Hall.

"Disciple understands!" Constable Lie Ming nodded heavily, greed and ambition flashing in his eyes.

That night, the moon was hidden and the stars were sparse, and the black market was still full of ghosts.

Constable Lie Ming, carrying five thousand taels of huge wealth, came to that secluded corner again.

From afar, he saw The Black-Robed Man still sitting quietly on the broken stone as he was yesterday,

with a few items of unknown origin scattered on the black cloth in front of him, as if he had never left.

The surroundings were still desolate, as if no one was interested in this corner stall, or rather... dared not be interested.

Constable Lie Ming took a deep breath, suppressed the excitement and a trace of inexplicable anxiety in his heart, and walked over quickly.

"Senior, I am here." Constable Lie Ming lowered his voice and first handed over a silver note with a denomination of one thousand taels. "This is the one thousand taels I owed you yesterday."

The Black-Robed Man slowly raised his head. His deep gaze from behind the pale mask swept over the silver note, but he did not take it, only saying hoarsely: "You ate it."

It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes! Junior has already taken it, luckily broke through, reaching the Second Grade Middle Stage!" Constable Lie Ming's tone was filled with gratitude and excitement, and he quickly took out the other four thousand-tael silver notes from his bosom, offering them with both hands. "Senior's Divine Pill has shocking effects! Junior is here today specifically to buy four more! This is four thousand taels, please take a look, Senior!"

He stared intensely at The Black-Robed Man, full of anticipation.

Four pills! If he could take them all, he might be able to rush directly to the Second Grade Late Stage, or even touch the threshold of the Rank 3 Martial Artist!

At that time, whatever Lin Tian, whatever Imperial Guard sub-centurion, would all have to kneel at his feet!

However, The Black-Robed Man did not take the four silver notes.

He did not even look at the silver notes, but just looked at Constable Lie Ming quietly with those deep eyes. A hoarse voice rang out in the quiet corner, but it made Constable Lie Ming feel like he had fallen into an ice cellar:

"This time, I do not want silver notes."

The excitement on Constable Lie Ming's face froze instantly, his outstretched hand hanging in mid-air, somewhat at a loss. "No... no silver notes? Then... what does Senior want? Gold? Or... other treasures? As long as Junior can provide it, I will definitely offer it!"

He thought the other party wanted to raise the price on the spot. Although he was unhappy, he was willing to endure it for the sake of the Medicinal Pill.

After all, the effect of the red blood pill was worth the price.

The Black-Robed Man shook his head slowly, the look behind the mask seeming to carry a hint of unspeakable mockery: "I do not want gold, nor do I want treasures."

"Then... what exactly does Senior want?" Constable Lie Ming felt even more uneasy.

The Black-Robed Man leaned forward slightly, his hoarse voice lowered even more, but it was like a viper's tongue, drilling directly into Constable Lie Ming's eardrums: "I want you... to kill someone."

"Kill someone?" Constable Lie Ming was stunned, then breathed a sigh of relief. Just killing someone; although troublesome, it might not be impossible to negotiate.

"Kill whom? As long as it is not an imperial official, a high-level official of the Imperial Guard, or a core figure of other major forces, with my current strength, plus the help of Senior's Divine Pill, I might be able to give it a try."

He was confident that his strength had greatly increased after the Breakthrough, and he no longer looked down on ordinary Second Grade Middle Stage Martial Artists.

The Black-Robed Man slowly spat out a name, as if thunder had exploded in Constable Lie Ming's ears:

"Imperial Guard, Centurion, Centurion Shen Lian."

"Wh... what?!" Constable Lie Ming's pupils shrank to pinpoints, his hair standing on end, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He bounced back several steps, the blood drained from his face, and his voice changed due to extreme horror. "Sen... Senior! Do not joke! Kill an Imperial Guard Centurion?! I... how could I have that ability?!"

His heart pounded, almost jumping out of his throat. Kill Centurion Shen Lian? What a joke!

Centurion Shen Lian was the highest-ranking official of the Imperial Guard in Heishan City, an outstanding figure among Rank 3 Martial Artists. It was said that he had already touched the threshold of "Dark Energy" and his strength was unfathomable!

Not to mention him, Constable Lie Ming, even if his Revered Master, Hall Master Lie Fentian, took action personally, he might not have full confidence!

Moreover, attacking and killing an imperial official, especially an Imperial Guard Centurion, was a capital crime that would result in the extermination of one's nine clans!

Once the incident occurred, let alone him, Constable Lie Ming, the entire Liehuo Martial Arts Hall would be uprooted, leaving not even a chicken or dog alive!

"Senior, this joke cannot be made! Junior does not have that ability, nor do I have the guts!"

Constable Lie Ming waved his hands repeatedly, cold sweat streaming down his forehead, just wanting to escape this eerie place immediately.

"You, of course, do not have that ability." The Black-Robed Man laughed hoarsely, his laughter like an owl crying at night. "And you do not need to have that ability. You only need to do one thing—lure Imperial Guard Centurion, Centurion Shen Lian, out to a specific place. The rest... will be handled by us."

Constable Lie Ming was stunned again, stopping his retreating steps. His expression was uncertain, staring fixedly at The Black-Robed Man, his eyes full of vigilance, suspicion, and a trace of anger at being fooled.

He was not so stupid now; he understood that things were definitely not simple!

This The Black-Robed Man was not an ordinary black market merchant at all!

Letting him break through and selling him the Medicinal Pill on credit was simply a carefully designed trap!

The target was actually aimed directly at Imperial Guard Centurion, Centurion Shen Lian!

"You... who exactly are you? What do you want to do?" Constable Lie Ming's voice turned cold, his hand already quietly pressed on the hilt of his sword at his waist.

Although he craved the Medicinal Pill and wanted to improve his strength, he was definitely not stupid enough to be used as a gun by others to provoke such a behemoth as an Imperial Guard Centurion!

"Only now do you think of asking this, do you not think... it is already too late?" The Black-Robed Man slowly stood up.

His originally hunched figure seemed to suddenly straighten up a bit, and a cold, evil, and chilling aura slowly permeated like a tide, freezing the space within a few feet around him.

"However, since you asked, it does not matter if I tell you."

He paused, and the eyes behind the pale mask suddenly turned blood-red,

as if viscous blood was flowing in them, and his voice also carried a strange rhythm that seduced people's hearts:

"I am the envoy of the Sacred Sect—'Blood God Sect'."

"Blood God Sect?!" Constable Lie Ming's brain "buzzed", as if hit by a heavy hammer.

Demonic Path! It was actually the Demonic Path!

The legendary Blood God Sect that acted mysteriously, used cruel methods, and was incompatible with the imperial court and the Righteous Path Martial Forest!

They had actually sneaked into Heishan City and targeted the Imperial Guard Centurion!

"Now wanting to leave, it is already too late." The Black-Robed Man, or rather the Blood God Sect envoy, had a hoarse voice with the cruelty of a cat playing with a mouse.

"The Medicinal Pill you took was not some 'red blood pill', but the 'burning blood demonic pill' secretly made by my Sacred Sect!

It is refined with the blood essence of a Vicious Beast, supplemented by secret techniques, and it can indeed stimulate a Martial Artist's Qi and blood in a short time to help them break through. But..."

His tone changed, and his voice suddenly became harsh, like an ice awl piercing Constable Lie Ming's heart: "This pill has extremely strong 'addiction' and backlash! If you cannot take the second 'burning blood demonic pill' within five days to neutralize the medicinal properties and stabilize your Qi and blood,

the Qi and blood in your body that has been forcibly stimulated and raised will dissipate and fall like boiling water splashed on snow!

Not only will your Realm drop back to the Second Grade Early Stage, but due to the backlash of Qi and blood, your Foundation will be damaged, your Meridians will shrink, and your Qi and blood will constantly decay,

finally... completely becoming a useless person!

Moreover, the process is extremely painful, like ten thousand ants biting your heart, worse than death!"

"What?!" Constable Lie Ming was struck by lightning, standing stiffly in place, his face as pale as paper, his eyes full of endless fear and despair.

Demonic Pill! It was actually a Demonic Pill!

He had actually taken a Demonic Pill from the Demonic Path without knowing it!

And his life and death had been controlled by them!

"No... impossible! You are lying to me!" Constable Lie Ming roared hoarsely, his voice trembling with fear. He drew his sword from its sheath,

pointing the tip at The Black-Robed Man, threatening him fiercely, "Do you believe that if I shout now, the patrolling constables, or even the hidden Imperial Guards, will come over immediately and take down you, this Demonic Path evildoer?!"

"Shout?" The Black-Robed Man seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world, and the mockery in those blood-red eyes deepened. "You can try.

See if you shout faster, or if I crush you, this little ant, faster.

Besides... do you think that a 'quasi-demon' who has taken the 'burning blood demonic pill' and has the secret mark of my Sacred Sect in his aura will be believed by the imperial court's lackeys? Who will they catch first?

Will they catch me, this 'ordinary' black market stall owner,

or will they catch you, this 'Genius Disciple' of Liehuo Martial Arts Hall who is exuding the aura of the Demonic Path from head to toe?"

Constable Lie Ming's hand holding the sword trembled uncontrollably.

He could feel that the other party's cold and evil aura, like an invisible shackle, had faintly locked onto him.

What was even more terrifying was that the other party's words, like a viper, drilled into the most fearful corner of his heart.

Yes, he had taken the Demonic Pill, his aura had changed, and if he really attracted the government or the Imperial Guard, he would be the first one to be taken and interrogated!

By then, the matter of the Demonic Pill would be exposed, he would be disgraced, Liehuo Martial Arts Hall would be implicated, and his Revered Master would be the first one not to let him go!

And this Demonic Path evildoer in front of him, since he dared to appear in the black market, must have a way to escape...

Despair, like a cold tide, instantly submerged Constable Lie Ming.

He looked at the black-robed figure in front of him who seemed to be integrated with the darkness, as if he saw a devil waiting to devour people.

The sword in his hand was as heavy as a thousand pounds, and he could no longer lift it.