"This is not something you should ask!"
Yun Qing's expression turns menacing as her eyes exuded a hint of ruthlessness.
"I've been managing the logistics and serving the cult for many years! Yet you're trying to hide from me when the cult master is entering the capital to execute his grand plans?"
Zhou Wen suppressed his voice. The fury in his heart burned as he stared intently at the beauty seated across him.
"Left Messenger, you're placed quite a few spies in the fish market of Huaian Street. There are also the two pawn shops on Tongde Street… Do you really think the Black Dragon Altar wouldn't find out?"
"If not for me constantly covering up and hide their tracks by substituting them with others, those messengers, spies, and outposts would've long been wiped out!"
The elegant atmosphere immediately transformed into one filled with killing intent.
The place for indulgence had suddenly turned gloomy and still like the jail of the Black Dragon Altar.
"Heh. Mr. Zhou. Commander Zhou!"
Yun Qing seemed to not take notice. She chuckled, then rolled her eyes and asked softly, "Did your stay in the Black Dragon Altar make you forget your true identity after putting on that black koi uniform for such a long time?"
One was the Shadow Guardian Commander. The other was the famous virgin courtesan of Tianjing City.
At that moment, their status seemed to have reversed.
Yun Qing blinked. Her watery and passionate gaze suddenly turned vicious as they were aimed at Zhou Wen.
"You're right. I shouldn't have too many questions."
In just a moment, the Shadow Guardian Commander slowly lowered his head and turned subservient.
Yun Qing, however, merely scoffed and continued, "Mr. Zhou, you need to remember well.
"You're able to become an expert of the fifth Mortal Stage of Foundation Establishment at the age of thirty-four and seated firmly at the position of a commander in the Black Dragon Altar with your mundane root bone. Who do you think you're relying on?
"You have neither the true heritage of the Ten Great Sects, nor the legacy of the four great families. In terms of background, you're not even worthy of being a local lord.
"You're merely the son of a butcher from a small district town in the Luo Province. Without the support of the cult to supply you with various elixirs, cultivation techniques, and even help you eliminate the rebels of Panyun Camp, the twelve bandit groups of Bewitching Bay…do you think you would be where you are today?"
Each of the things listed struck straight to his heart.
Zhou Wen's face twitched, but remained silent, as though agreeing in silence.
"Forget it. I'll not hide this from you."
After Yun Qing was done dissing him, her eyes seem to carry a hint of smugness.
"This time, not only the cult master will be here. The sect masters of Blood Soul Sect, Deathless Hall, Nether Sect, Hidden Bone Mountain, and Nascent Spirit Palace will all be here in Tianjing City for a grand meeting!"
Zhou Wen's head snapped up in surprise.
Being in too much of a shock, he lost control over the true Qi within his body and accidentally crumbled the teacup in his hand.
"What's is happening for the Sacred Sects to gather?"
The Shadow Guardian Commander asked subconsciously.
He was utterly confused.
Some time ago, the Demonic Sect split apart and formed six individual sects.
They never worked together or talked to each other.
Not impressed with their counterparts, there would often be conflicts between them.
Right then, they somehow planned to gather in Tianjing City!
"This is something you don't need to know," Yun Qing replied calmly.
"You just need to serve the cult with utmost loyalty. We won't be mistreating you."
Zhou Wen lowered his stance and nodded in silence.
He knew that there would be no chance for him to turn back after joining this band of thieves.
Back when he was just a guard of the Black Dragon Altar, he tried to find ways to infiltrate the salt smugglers of Qing Province in hopes of solving a huge case and rise in the ranks.
Unexpectedly, he ran into an elder of the Scarlet Heart Cult.
He initially thought he would lose his life in glorious service, but he had somehow turned into a spy placed by the demonic sect within the Black Dragon Altar.
Finally, he climbed up the ranks and managed to take the seat of a commander.
The miraculous fortune felt like a dream.
"The reason I seek your audience today is to find out about the situation with the Grand Commander Guardian."
Qing Yun did not push him too and mellowed her demeanor, moving back to their official business.
"The Grand Commander only made one appearance in the communication token. He managed to oppress Eagle Guardian Ji Liang and Wolf Guardian Jiang Gong to the point of submission with merely a shred of his martial will," Zhou Wen said in a low voice.
"However, he did not seek an audience with the emperor in the imperial city, nor did he move back into Black Dragon Altar. Even with the recent visit of the Yuanmeng ambassador envoy causing such a scene went unnoticed.
"From what I can see, the Grand Commander must have used some sort of secret technique to live on. His cultivation must be waning. Upon further speculations, he might even have lost his mobility."
Yun Qing frowned slightly and asked, "Are you sure?"
Zhou Wen shook his head and replied carefully, "From the various signs, I'm about fifty to sixty percent sure."
He knew full well why the Scarlet Heart Cult of the demonic sects would be so wary of the Grand Guardian Commander.
It was because generations of cult masters had always cultivated the Frozen Soul God Slaying Technique that was on the extreme Yin and cold spectrum.
Upon completion, one would be able to cultivate the extremely devious Evil Yin true Qi.
However, to proceed further in this martial art, one would have to comprehend the mysteries of Yang born from extreme Yin and nurturing Yin with Yang.
The Taiji Pure Yang coffin treasured by the Zhou Kingdom's imperial family would perfectly solve the issue faced with the Frozen Soul God Slaying Technique.
"This is the Yang Detection Needle. The cult master specifically looked for skilled craftsmen to refine this item."
Yun Qing took out a thin and long metal needle that was seemingly made of pure gold. She said in a soft voice, "This item has only one function, and it's to attract pure Yang Qi."
Zhou Wen's eyes flashed as he received the Yang Detection Needle. He then asked, "The cult master is trying to locate the Grand Commander's cultivation location, and then…obtain the Taiji Pure Yang Coffin?"
Yun Qing nodded lightly with a smile.
"Left Messenger, no matter what situation the Grand Commander is in now, he's still an Innate Grandmaster after all. A starving camel is still bigger than a horse…" Zhou Wen advised.
The Scarlet Heart Cult Master had been stuck at the eighth Mortal Stage of Spiritual Transformation for 10 long years.
If he were to face the Grand Commander Guardian without breaking through, it might not end well.
"That's not something for you to worry about."
Yun Qing made a mysterious smile and said calmly, "The cult master naturally has his reasons to give such instructions. You only need to follow them."
"You should move around more often, especially places like the Black Dragon Altar and the various courtrooms where regular people are barred from entering.
"As for the other places, the cult master has other plans."
Zhou Wen kept the Yang Detection Needle carefully and had nothing else to say.
The Scarlet Heart Cult's information network was the best in the world.
The members of the cult were experts in illusion, disguises, and stealth missions.
All the sects out there may contain their spies.
If they could push him up to the position of the Black Dragon Altar's commander, then they could naturally extend their reach to the other places.
For example, the imperial city.
Zhou Wen's heart trembled with that thought and grew slightly more fearful of the Scarlet Heart Cult.
…
"This Taiji Pure Yang Coffin is truly an awesome treasure."
Zhao Mu caressed the exquisite coffin carved from white jade. The extremely pure Primordial Yang Qi within his body surged.
In recent days, he would spend every day meditating within the Taiji Pure Yang Coffin.
It helped him strengthen his life force while he condensed the blood essence in his body.
His cultivation speed was rapid, making good progress.
"They say that the fifth Mortal Stage of Foundation Establishment is divided into three grades.
"It is mainly shown at the point of condensing blood essence. Fifteen for low-grade, thirty for mid-grade, and sixty for high-grade. Even the legendary perfect grade was only at ninety-nine."
Zhao Mu had a weird expression.
He felt that his cultivation path seemed to have some slight difference from the martial artists of this world.
"I've already condensed three hundred and sixty-five drops of blood essence. However, it doesn't seem to be reaching the limit yet."
Under his own observation, there were 365 droplets of jade-like blood essence floating about within his dantian filled with fire and water and surrounded by mystical lights.
They were like stars aligned at various locations.
"Could it be that I took a wrong turn on my martial path?"
Zhao Mu activated the mysterious stone dial within his sea of consciousness and observed the martial arts and true Qi of his body.
Lines of text manifested—
[Zhao Mu]
[Eight hundred years of true Qi]
[Tiger Demon Bone Refinement Fist, Presence Concealing Mantra, Divine Sun and Moom Scriptures, Frozen Heart Mantra, Sacred Heavenly Scripture, Thirty-Six Heaven Defying Miracles, Secret Tibetan Scriptures]
"All those martial arts stored within my mind. I shouldn't be taking the wrong path."
Zhao Mu felt reassured.
Maybe the effects of the Nine Aperture Golden Elixir were a little too terrifying and led to the number of blood essence he condensed to be far beyond normal.