297: The Netherworld Cult's Ledger

The bronze lamp in the underground palace flickered, illuminating the Spiritual Power circulating on Jun Xiaoyao’s fingertips. The water mirror before him was displaying three disassembled secret reports, the handwriting floating on the light screen, much like the hidden eyes of a Luowang Assassins.

“Young Lord, Xuan Zhen’s Testimony has been recorded.” Zhao Gao walked in softly, placing a bamboo slip on the desk, his voice quieter than the sputtering lamp wick. “He confessed the locations of the Wanfa Holy Land’s three granaries in Qingzhou, as well as the ledger detailing their collusion with the Prefect of Qingzhou—it turns out the Cloud Brocade stolen from our cloth shop last month was tacitly approved by the Prefect.”

Jun Xiaoyao tapped his finger on the words “Prefect of Qingzhou,” and the light screen immediately displayed the person’s profile:

[Name: Wang Qinian]

[Identity: Prefect of Qingzhou]

[Realm: Acquired Peak]

[Associated Faction: Wanfa Holy Land Outer Gate Deacon]

[Evidence of Crimes: Colluded with Xuan Zhen to seize merchant assets in seventeen instances, privately released nine serious offenders]

“Acquired Peak?” Jun Xiaoyao raised an eyebrow, tapping his finger on the desk. “The Net’s ‘Thorn Group’ works in the yamen, and they didn’t detect this movement?”

Sweat beaded on Zhao Gao’s forehead. He quickly explained, “Wang Qinian is extremely meticulous. The ledgers are all encrypted, and the brothers in the ‘Thorn Group’ couldn’t decipher the Official Document Cipher...”

“Have the Marshal of the Unruly take the ‘Bone Group’ to retrieve the ledgers,” Jun Xiaoyao interrupted him, his voice devoid of anger, yet causing Zhao Gao’s back to stiffen. “Tell the Marshal of the Unruly not to harm anyone, just bring the ledgers back intact.”

“Yes!” Zhao Gao was about to retreat but was called back.

“Also, send the ‘Blood Group’ to ‘visit’ Wang Qinian’s study,” Jun Xiaoyao added. “Have them retrieve the treasonous jade pendant hidden in his inkstone—Xuan Zhen mentioned during his confession that it was a token given by the Wanfa Holy Land.”

Zhao Gao acknowledged and withdrew, and the underground palace returned to silence. Jun Xiaoyao turned toward the summoning array, where the Spiritual Light at the center was slowly gathering, a sign that a new summon was about to be completed. He had previously seen a mention in Xuan Zhen’s Testimony that “the Wanfa Holy Land has a Protector skilled in Disguise,” so he attempted a random summon. The Spiritual Power fluctuations swirling in the array now carried a slightly bizarre aura.

“Buzz—”

The light at the array’s core flared, and a figure materialized in the halo: clad in a green robe with wide sleeves, holding a folding fan, a subtle smile playing on his lips, and a jade pendant swaying at his waist. It was Star Plucker, known in the Jianghu as the “Thousand-Faced Fox.”

[Name: Star Plucker]

[Origin: legend of lu xiaofeng World]

[Realm: Mid-stage Grandmaster]

[Martial Skill: Hundred Transformations Disguise Technique (Perfection), Treading Snow Without a Trace (Major Achievement), Empty Handed Skill (Perfection)]

[Loyalty: 85%]

“Young Master of Tianwaitian?” Star Plucker snapped his folding fan shut, tapping it against his palm. “You are younger than rumored. I hear you are looking for someone skilled in Disguise?”

Jun Xiaoyao drew Wang Qinian’s portrait on the light screen. “Can you transform into his appearance?”

Star Plucker glanced at it, opening his fan to cover half his face, revealing only his cunning eyes. “Disguise is not difficult; imitating his demeanor is the hard part—this old fox likes to stroke his beard when speaking, and he lifts his left foot when nervous. You’ll have to teach me these details.”

“The ‘Thorn Group’ has records of his movements for the past half year.” Jun Xiaoyao pulled up a video feed. In the footage, Wang Qinian was presiding over a court case, indeed stroking his chin occasionally, and his left foot subtly lifted when the gavel was slammed down. “Is this enough for you to learn?”

Star Plucker’s eyes lit up, and he leaned closer to the light screen for a careful look. “Enough, enough! But...” He suddenly leaned close to Jun Xiaoyao, lowering his voice. “I heard you have a map of the Wanfa Holy Land’s secret tunnels? How about I help you in exchange?”

Jun Xiaoyao tapped the edge of the summoning array, and a sheepskin map floated out of the array. “Deal. But you must help me first—tomorrow at Mao Hour, go to the Wanfa Holy Land Qingzhou Branch as Wang Qinian and deliver this letter to the Branch Master.”

He handed over a letter sealed with fire lacquer. Star Plucker took it and weighed it, raising an eyebrow. “What’s inside? You’re not sending me to my death, are you?”

“It’s just instructing the Branch Master to deliver a batch of medicinal materials to the ruined temple outside the city, as agreed,” Jun Xiaoyao said flatly. “You’ll be carrying Wang Qinian’s token, so he won’t be suspicious.”

Star Plucker opened the letter and glanced at it, suddenly laughing aloud. “The list of medicinal materials in your letter is entirely ingredients for refining ‘muscle-softening powder’—quite ruthless, Young Lord.”

“They weren’t merciful when they injured my Net personnel with the Heaven Burning Palm.” Jun Xiaoyao lightly tapped the desk. “Do this well, and the secret tunnel map is yours. Mess it up...”

“Don’t worry!” Star Plucker flicked his fan, and his form began to shift. The green robe gradually changed into an official’s gown, and his face visibly transformed to resemble Wang Qinian, down to the fine lines around the eyes. “By Mao Hour tomorrow morning, I guarantee the Wanfa Holy Land Branch Master will obediently prepare the medicine.” Before his voice faded, he had completely transformed into Wang Qinian’s likeness, stroking a non-existent beard and lifting his left foot, the spitting image of a corrupt Prefect.

Jun Xiaoyao watched his retreating figure disappear at the entrance of the underground palace and turned back to the water mirror—the Marshal of the Unruly had already led the “Bone Group” into the Prefect’s yamen. In the footage, the Marshal of the Unruly used his pipe to pry open the study window latch, his movement as light as a falling leaf. The assassins behind him followed closely, their sacks open, clearly ready to hold the ledgers.

The captain of the “Bone Group” suddenly made a gesture, and the Marshal of the Unruly immediately stopped. The water mirror zoomed in, revealing a Man in Black standing in the dark corner of the study, holding a dagger aimed at the Hidden Compartment behind the bookshelf, his actions identical to the “Bone Group”—it was actually someone from the Wanfa Holy Land, trying to steal the ledgers!

The Marshal of the Unruly signaled “surround,” and the assassins quietly spread out, forming a semi-circle. Just as the Man in Black reached for the Hidden Compartment, the Marshal of the Unruly pressed his pipe against the man’s throat from behind. The hot pipe bowl made the man flinch. Before he could struggle, he was thoroughly covered by a sack.

“How unlucky,” the Marshal of the Unruly tore off the token hanging from the Man in Black’s waist, which was engraved with “Wanfa Inner Gate.” “I thought we could retrieve the ledgers smoothly, but now we have another live captive.”

He signaled his subordinates to tie the man up and then walked toward the Hidden Compartment. He reached in, but paused—the Hidden Compartment was empty.

“Young Lord, something is wrong!” The Marshal of the Unruly’s voice came through the message talisman, filled with doubt. “The Hidden Compartment was tampered with, and the ledgers are gone!”

Jun Xiaoyao frowned slightly. Just as he was about to speak, the water mirror suddenly switched to another scene: Star Plucker, transformed into “Wang Qinian,” was walking into the Myriad Dharma Branch. The Branch Master greeted him with a smile, “Lord Wang, why did you come personally? Xuan Zhen’s matter...”

“Don’t mention him yet,” Star Plucker, imitating Wang Qinian’s tone, stroked his beard. “I heard you prepared a batch of medicinal materials? Let me see them first.”

The Branch Master, without suspicion, led him toward the pharmacy. In the footage, the shelves were indeed stocked with many medicinal materials, labeled “Angelica Sinensis” and “Licorice,” but Star Plucker lightly tapped a shelf with his folding fan and suddenly said, “The space behind this is empty, isn’t it?”

The Branch Master’s face changed slightly. “Lord Wang must be joking...”

“Stop pretending,” Star Plucker put away his fan, his tone suddenly turning cold. “Xuan Zhen confessed everything. You hid the ledgers in the Hidden Compartment of the medicine cabinet, did you think I wouldn’t know?”

The Branch Master immediately backed away, raising his hand to fire a Signal Flare. “It’s a trick! Seize him!”

Over a dozen guards rushed out instantly in the water mirror, but Star Plucker remained calm. His figure flickered, turning into a wisp of green smoke, and in plain sight, he transformed into the Branch Master’s likeness, shouting at the guards, “Are you blind? You dare to attack even me!”

The guards were momentarily stunned, unable to distinguish the real Branch Master. Taking advantage of this pause, Star Plucker touched the medicine cabinet, flicked his finger to open the Hidden Compartment, and found several account books inside. He grabbed the ledgers, his form shifting again, turning into a Gray Pigeon that flapped its wings and flew out the window.

“Chase him!” The real Branch Master roared in anger, but could only watch the “Gray Pigeon” disappear into the clouds.

Jun Xiaoyao watched Star Plucker revert to his original form, sitting on the roof and flipping through the ledgers, a faint smile playing on his lips. Just then, the message talisman vibrated—it was the Marshal of the Unruly’s voice:

“Young Lord, we found the ledgers! The ‘Blood Group’ searched under Wang Qinian’s bed and found them, along with that jade pendant—and guess what? The jade pendant isn’t engraved with the Wanfa Holy Land crest, but the Netherworld Cult’s Skull Pattern!”

A cold light flashed in Jun Xiaoyao’s eyes. The Netherworld Cult, a wicked faction suppressed by the major Holy Lands three years ago, was rumored to have been annihilated. Could it still be hiding in Qingzhou?

He looked toward the summoning array. Star Plucker had just tucked the account books into his robe and was grinning at the water mirror. “Young Lord, this ledger records the Wanfa Holy Land’s supply of materials to the Netherworld Cult. Should I deliver it now?”

“No need,” Jun Xiaoyao circled the Netherworld Cult’s mark on the light screen. “Hide the ledgers for now. We’ll settle the score together when The Net closes in.”

The lamp wick in the underground palace sputtered again, reflecting the coldness in his eyes. The Wanfa Holy Land, the Netherworld Cult, the corrupt Prefect... these intertwined threads were finally about to tighten in his hand.

In the distance, the sky was turning white, signaling the approach of Mao Hour. A new chess game awaited his move.