551: Chapter 61 The Trail of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect

While Meng Li, using the persona of the Black-Hearted Old Man, dealt with Old Nian, Bi Yao, and You Ji, Tian Linger and Lu Xueqi encountered a new situation.

After returning to Yudu City, they didn't dally and went straight to the City Lord's Manor to find Zeng Shushu and Lin Jingyu. Unexpectedly, as soon as they reached the entrance, they saw Zeng Shushu facing off against a strange young man dressed in fiery red brocade.

Lin Jingyu stood by, clutching his sword, with a somewhat helpless expression.

This struck Lu Xueqi and Tian Linger as strange.

After going over to greet them and getting an explanation, they understood the reason.

After Zeng Shushu, Lin Jingyu, and Kuong A Xiang were taken away by the City Guard, the initial situation was much like what Lu Xueqi and Tian Linger had expected: once Zeng Shushu met with Wei Qiong, his identity was confirmed, he explained the situation, and everything was immediately settled.

But in an instant, Zeng Shushu was saddled with a new matter—running for City Lord!

Wei Qiong was getting old, and recent events in Yudu City had made him feel overwhelmed.

Therefore, he had the idea of passing on his position.

Wei Qiong had no sons, and his two daughters were both married off and had their own lives; it was impossible for them to return and take up this burden. Thus, he intended to choose one of his grandsons, Zeng Shushu or Li Xun, to inherit the position of City Lord.

To this end, Wei Qiong even pretended to be seriously ill to summon Zeng Shushu and Li Xun together.

Zeng Shushu was very conflicted about becoming the City Lord.

He felt he was still young and hadn't had enough fun yet; he was unwilling to be trapped in a single city, so he felt a sense of resistance toward becoming City Lord.

However, if he let his cousin Li Xun become the City Lord, he wouldn't feel at ease.

Because he and Li Xun had never gotten along since childhood. In his impression, the other was an arrogant and supercilious person. For such a person to become the City Lord of Yudu City would easily cause problems; it would not be a good thing for the city.

Coincidentally, just as Wei Qiong finished talking about selecting a successor, Li Xun arrived; he was the young man arguing with Zeng Shushu.

These cousins, who had been at odds since they were kids, were at each other's throats the moment they met.

Although Lin Jingyu was closer to Zeng Shushu, he was an outsider in the dispute between him and Li Xun, so he couldn't intervene and could only watch from the side.

Kuong A Xiang and that Eastern Guard—who was actually Azure Dragon—each had their own business and left once Zeng Shushu's identity was confirmed and everything was fine.

After learning the ins and outs of the matter, Lu Xueqi and Tian Linger couldn't help but frown.

One moment they had discovered people from the Blood Refining Hall and someone suspected to be from the Hehuan Sect, and before they could figure out the situation, the matter of Zeng Shushu and Li Xun's election for City Lord popped up.

It was truly one wave after another.

At this moment, only Zeng Shushu, Lin Jingyu, Lu Xueqi, and Tian Linger were present.

Zeng Shushu finished explaining his side of things and picked up some tea to moisten his throat.

Lin Jingyu asked Tian Linger and Lu Xueqi, "Senior Sister, did you find anything on your end?"

Tian Linger replied, "Yes, and it's a major discovery."

Then, she briefly recounted how she and Lu Xueqi had accidentally discovered the Blood Refining Hall members and their suspicion that Jinxiu Workshop was related to the Hehuan Sect.

As soon as she finished, Zeng Shushu slapped the table and said, "No wonder that Jin Binger hid A Xiang's fiancée. So she's a member of the Demonic Cult; that explains everything."

Lin Jingyu frowned and said, "Regarding Jinxiu Workshop, Senior Brother Zeng and I heard A Xiang and that Eastern Guard mention it before. It was established by Jin Binger when she came to Yudu City a few years ago. If Jin Binger really is from the Hehuan Sect, she's been lurking in Yudu City for years; her goals must be quite significant."

"Exactly," Zeng Shushu agreed.

Then, as if remembering something, he added, "People from the Wandu Sect have also shown their traces."

People from the Wandu Sect?

Lu Xueqi and Tian Linger looked surprised.

Then, Lu Xueqi asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Zeng Shushu replied with a smile, "Didn't my grandfather want Li Xun and me to compete for the City Lord position? This competition naturally requires us to do something to demonstrate our abilities."

"Recently, people died in the Herb Fields in the north of Yudu City. The truth couldn't be uncovered for a while, so my grandfather moved the commoners out of there and put it under lockdown. According to the Eastern Guard, those commoners believed there was a blood-sucking monster upstream before they moved."

"Because the deceased had bite marks on their necks, and their blood was completely drained."

"Later, the City Guard investigated for many days and caught a maddened Wandu Sect Disciple there."

"Where is that Wandu Sect Disciple now?" Tian Linger asked.

Zeng Shushu replied, "In the dungeon."

"Then let's go take a look," Lu Xueqi said.

Zeng Shushu immediately grinned. "I had the same idea. Xueqi, we really are of one mind."

Lu Xueqi glanced at him, didn't respond, and stood up to leave.

Zeng Shushu hurriedly followed.

Shortly after, the four of them arrived at the dungeon. Using the token Wei Qiong had given them, they successfully saw the captured Wandu Sect Disciple.

This person was indeed just as Zeng Shushu had described, appearing to be insane: his eyes were clouded with Chaos, dark circles hung under them, his lips were purple, and his expression was fierce. He was tied to a pillar, struggling occasionally but weakly, while low growls like the whimpering of a beast came from his mouth.

This situation caused Tian Linger, Lu Xueqi, Lin Jingyu, and Zeng Shushu to frown in unison.

Then, Zeng Shushu said, "He looks incoherent; we probably won't be able to get anything out of him."

"Incoherent?" Tian Linger rubbed her chin and then said, "I'll try using the Purifying Heart Mantra."

With that, she circulated her cultivation base and began to chant the mantra to condense the Purifying Heart Spiritual Light.

"Supreme Celestial Stars, transforming without end."

"Expel evil and bind demons, protecting life and body."

"Wisdom clear and bright, mind and spirit at peace."

"The three souls eternal, the po-souls never lost."

As she finished the incantation, Tian Linger tapped the Purifying Heart Spiritual Light condensed at her fingertip into the Wandu Sect Disciple's brow.

Instantly, the ferocity in the other's expression dissipated, replaced by calm. The Chaos in his gaze receded, replaced by a sense of clarity.

Seeing this change, Zeng Shushu, Lin Jingyu, and Lu Xueqi were greatly surprised.

After a moment, the Wandu Sect Disciple regained his senses and said with a dazed look, "Where am I? Who are you?"

Zeng Shushu put his hands on his hips and said, "This is the Yudu City dungeon, and we are your interrogators. Confess honestly, what is your Wandu Sect's plot for coming to Yudu City and committing these secret murders! Otherwise, don't blame us for being impolite."

As he spoke, he shot a glance at Lin Jingyu beside him.

Lin Jingyu understood and drew his treasured sword with a 'shring', pressing it against the Wandu Sect Disciple's neck.

Seeing this, the Wandu Sect Disciple didn't hesitate to confess everything he knew.

It turned out that people from the Wandu Sect had also come to Yudu, and they had arrived several years ago. However, they didn't enter the city but instead built a secret base deep within the nearby Kong Sang Mountain.

The Poison God of the Wandu Sect had been injured in the previous Righteous-Demonic War. The Spiritual Qi deep within Kong Sang Mountain was denser than in other places, which could help him heal and recover his strength. Furthermore, the Poison God was secretly developing a bizarre poison and had selected many Disciples from the sect to serve as test subjects.

This Wandu Sect Disciple was one of the unlucky ones chosen.

After being poisoned, he found life worse than death. Eventually, he fell into a violent frenzy and lost his reason. By the time his consciousness returned, he was here.

He was completely unaware of what had happened in the interim.

However, he harbored deep resentment toward the Wandu Sect for using him as a test subject, which was why he confessed without hesitation.

All at once, the clues pointed toward Kong Sang Mountain.

...