221: investigation

Under the lead of this Elder, Ye Hao and his companion left the Arena Stage and headed towards the nearby Demon Suppressing Tower.

The green-robed Elder walked with steady steps and raised his hand to push open the heavy ebony doors of the Demon Suppressing Tower.

Inside the doors, there was no expected scent of blood or malevolent energy; instead, it was filled with the faint scent of calming sandalwood. The corridor pillars were all made of ink jade and engraved with fine runes.

The corridor pillars on every floor of the Demon Suppressing Tower were like this, as they were part of the Formation's structure.

The corridors on both sides were clean and tidy.

Every fifty paces, Disciples dressed in uniform stood silently on guard.

Ye Hao and his companion followed behind the Elder, observing the surrounding scenery and layout.

“Why don't I see any imprisoned Yao Race?” Li Pingan asked curiously.

“This tower has thirteen floors in total. The Yao Race are imprisoned on different floors according to their Realm, maintaining an orderly system,” the Elder explained while continuing to lead the way.

He paused and continued, “No Yao Race are imprisoned below the fifth floor. Small demons below the Golden Core Realm are on the sixth and seventh floors, guarded by ordinary Disciples on rotation.

The eighth floor holds Nascent Soul Realm Yao Race; their malevolent energy is heavier, requiring an Elder to preside over it.

The ninth floor is for the Soul Emergence stage, where every single one must be bound by chains by a specialist; as for the tenth floor, those are Soul Transformation Realm Demonic Beasts.”

Ye Hao asked tentatively, “What about those above the Soul Transformation Realm?”

The Elder only smiled and shook his head, saying nothing.

Arriving at the fifth floor, a carved wooden door appeared before them!

The Elder pushed it open gently. Inside, the aroma of tea curled in the air, and Daoist Yunche was already seated by a pear-wood table.

Ye Hao's gaze swept over the person before him inconspicuously, taking in his demeanor and presence. He naturally wouldn't be so foolish as to rashly use Spiritual Qi to probe a master of such cultivation base, lest he provoke resentment.

“My Lord, the honored guests from the Dao Seeking Sect have arrived,” the Elder reported with a bow.

Daoist Yunche waved his hand, his voice flat and calm: “You may leave.”

After his subordinate left, he then greeted Ye Hao and his companion.

Once the Elder had withdrawn and the door gently closed, he raised his hand and gestured to Ye Hao and his companion: “Please sit, both of you. Taste this Jade Dew Tea unique to the Demon Suppressing Tower.”

The teacups were passed gently. Amidst the rising steam, both sides exchanged a few casual pleasantries and mutual compliments.

Daoist Yunche changed the subject, getting straight to the point: “The ten thousand demon blood quenching pool will open in three days. I presume he has already introduced the relevant matters to you both.”

Ye Hao's hand holding the teacup paused slightly. He raised his eyes to look directly at the other man: “He has... it's just that this Junior has a doubt. May I ask Senior, since the spots for the ten thousand demon blood quenching pool are so rare, why would you give them for free to two strangers like us?”

Daoist Yunche laughed heartily upon hearing this and took a sip from his teacup.

“There is no such thing as a free lunch; that saying is indeed true.” He nodded slightly, his tone softening a bit.

“The more a gift seems free, the more one worries about the price behind it. It is not surprising that you two have such concerns. Since you've asked, I won't keep you in suspense.”

“To tell you the truth, I invited you both here today because I do indeed have something I'd like your help with. Once it's done, I will grant you both spots for the ten thousand demon blood quenching pool.”

Ye Hao's heart stirred. He leaned forward and pressed: “Senior might as well speak plainly. What exactly is the matter? If it is within our power, we naturally have no reason to refuse.”

Daoist Yunche's smile faded slightly, his expression turning solemn: “Recently, several mortal villages near the Demon Suppressing Tower have been attacked in succession.”

“Many commoners have vanished into thin air, with no survivors. The enemy comes and goes mysteriously and suddenly. The Demon Suppressing Tower has sent people to investigate many times, but we haven't been able to capture even a single clue.”

“Though Cultivators on the mountains might feel that the lives and deaths of some commoners below need not be too concerning,” he paused, his tone becoming grave, “the foundation of my Demon Suppressing Tower is built on the four words 'Suppress Demons, Protect People.' If we cannot even protect the people right on our doorstep, what is the meaning of us practicing Daoist arts and presiding over the Demon Suppressing Tower?”

Ye Hao was somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected the person before him to say such things.

Li Pingan took a few extra looks at this Daoist Yunche.

“There really aren't many people who share Senior's mindset!”

“Was it an attack by the Yao Race?”

Although saying this was somewhat disrespectful to the Demon Suppressing Tower, Ye Hao and his companion remembered their experience when they first arrived in the Rain God Continent and asked tentatively.

Daoist Yunche sighed softly and shook his head: “That will only be known after an investigation.”

“The Demon Suppressing Tower has also sent Disciples to investigate this matter, but without exception, they all returned empty-handed. For such a result to occur, there is only one possibility.”

Although he didn't finish his sentence, Ye Hao and his companion already understood what he meant.

There was a traitor among the Disciples.

“The two of you possess significant cultivation, and you have no ties to my Demon Suppressing Tower. You can investigate the case without any encumbrances and won't be guarded against by an internal traitor.” Daoist Yunche's gaze was earnest. “If you can help us uncover the truth and prevent more commoners from suffering, then the spots for the ten thousand demon blood quenching pool shall be the Demon Suppressing Tower's thank-you gift.”

As his words fell, the elegant room fell into a brief silence, with only the aroma of tea drifting quietly in the air.

Daoist Yunche sat there, neither rushing nor disturbing them, giving the two young men enough time to consider.

Ye Hao and Li Pingan's eyes met, their gazes exchanging quickly as they used their internal team voice chat to communicate silently for a moment.

A second later, Ye Hao withdrew his gaze and cupped his hands to Daoist Yunche with a nod: “Senior cares for the common people; such responsibility is admirable. This matter concerns the lives of thousands of commoners; the two of us are willing to help.”

Daoist Yunche finally breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you both! With your help, we have a better chance of success.”

He then added: “According to my calculations of the attack patterns, the enemy's next target is very likely Pingquan Village, thirteen hundred miles east of the Demon Suppressing Tower. You two can go there first to lie in wait and investigate; perhaps you will find something.”

Upon hearing this, Ye Hao followed up with a question: “Then where was the last village that was attacked?”

“Bishui Village,” Daoist Yunche blurted out. “It's not far from Yunxi City, only a few hundred miles from here.”

The moment he finished speaking, Ye Hao and his companion's brows furrowed instantly. They couldn't help but think of that group of Chusheng Sect Disciples they had met.

After a few more lines of small talk, Ye Hao and his companion finally left the grand Demon Suppressing Tower.

Returning to the inn in Yunxi City, Li Pingan stepped into Ye Hao's room, closed the door behind him, and sat straight down at the table.

“Junior Brother, what's your take on this?”

Ye Hao was standing by the window. Hearing this, he turned around, his expression solemn: “The Chusheng Sect is one of the Three Great Sects of the Rain God Continent, standing as a tripod alongside the Tianque Sect and the Five Elders Gate; their power is immense. That Zhao Xu we met that day did indeed say he was going to the vicinity of Bishui Village to handle a Sect mission.”

“But if this really was done by the Chusheng Sect, what exactly is their goal?”

“Ordinary commoners are powerless; they have neither Spirit Stones nor treasures. What is the point of attacking them?”

Li Pingan rubbed his throbbing forehead: “Then what do you plan to do?”

Ye Hao said in a deep voice, “We can only go to Bishui Village tomorrow to see what's going on first. It's also possible it was the work of that Demoness we saw that day.”