Chapter 781: Sir

Jian Gutou watched, terror-stricken, his entire frame of bones trembling.

What is this little ancestor doing?!

Was the supremely majestic ram-skull head worshipped by Ten Thousand Demon Valley something one could casually sit one's backside on?

He's truly courting death without limit.

"I must get away at once, absolutely cannot stay by this little ancestor's side. Otherwise, one day he'll recklessly court death, draw heavenly retribution, and a bolt of heavenly lightning will strike him dead — and I'll be dragged down with him."

Jian Gutou fretted inwardly.

Mo Hua, however, paid no heed.

The ram-skull wasn't exactly comfortable to sit on — cold, chilly, with a hint of yin energy — but at least it was smooth, good enough to make do.

Conditions were limited; one couldn't be too picky.

So Mo Hua took the ram-skull worshipped by Ten Thousand Demon Valley as a little stool, sitting on it to eavesdrop on the black-clothed leader and Jin Gui's discussion.

At this moment, Jin Gui was respectfully reporting something.

"Leader, please forgive me… that old artifact-refining master, for some unknown reason, suddenly went mad, killed the demon cultivators on guard, detonated the evil artifact chamber, and perished by his own hand. Fortunately, that boy from the Ouyang family is unharmed…"

"But that old artifact-refining master is dead, and for now there is no demon cultivator within the valley who can pass on the evil sword-forging method. The Young Master's plan is likely to be delayed for a while…"

"Furthermore, outside the gates of Ten Thousand Demon Prison, demon cultivators have suddenly dropped dead and gone berserk…"

"This is already the seventh occurrence."

"Also, for some unknown reason, I occasionally sense that something is watching me — even watching… the entire Ten Thousand Demon Prison."

"I suspect…"

Jin Gui paused, not continuing.

The black-clothed leader's gaze sharpened slightly, and in a low voice he said: "You suspect… that perhaps someone has secretly infiltrated?"

"Not necessarily a person," Jin Gui said. "It's possible… that something from within the Demon Refining Diagram has escaped…"

The black-clothed leader's eyes darkened.

Jin Gui hurriedly explained: "I've thought it through. If these incidents occurred naturally, the probability is far too small. And saying that some 'person' is behind them is also unlikely."

"Setting aside whether anyone could even enter, given how heavily guarded Ten Thousand Demon Valley is."

"Even if someone truly could enter Ten Thousand Demon Valley, it would be absolutely impossible for them to do all this under our very noses without leaving a trace."

"Especially the matter of driving demon cultivators out of control."

"The only possibility is… the Demon Refining Diagram!"

Jin Gui raised his eyes, glanced at the black-clothed leader, his expression very solemn, "So I suspect that those terrifying things within the Demon Refining Diagram… have escaped. Because they are formless and intangible, whatever chaos they cause is hard to detect."

The black-clothed leader's pupils contracted slightly, and he gave a small nod.

Mo Hua, hiding behind the ram-horn statue, also couldn't help but nod.

This Jin Gui is actually quite clever.

His explanation does sound reasonably plausible.

The black-clothed leader pondered for a moment, then said slowly:

"Alright, I understand. I'll take responsibility for this matter; you needn't worry about it. Since it concerns the Demon Refining Diagram, the danger is unfathomable — it's beyond what you can handle."

Jin Gui lowered his head and cupped his fists: "Yes."

His face betrayed nothing, but inwardly he let out a long sigh of relief.

This "blame" had finally been passed off…

Everything in Ten Thousand Demon Prison had gone awry today, with troubles cropping up one after another. As the steward, he could hardly escape responsibility.

If he kept trying to cover it up, the blame would only grow larger, and one day the paper wouldn't be able to contain the fire — he would face the Young Master's punishment.

If he didn't cover it up, he had to pass the blame.

And the target of the blame required careful consideration.

First, rule out the demon cultivators within Ten Thousand Demon Valley.

These demon cultivators were bound by demon patterns and wouldn't dare the slightest defiance. Moreover, they stayed within the valley all day, so many things could be verified with a single check — they simply couldn't lie.

Second, claiming an "outsider" had infiltrated wasn't great either.

As everyone knew, since Ten Thousand Demon Valley was built, for several hundred years, no "outsider" had ever entered.

What a coincidence it would be — the moment he became steward, an "outsider" just happened to get in?

That excuse was too obvious.

And it couldn't be verified.

Given this, the only explanation was those terrifying things within the Demon Refining Diagram.

This excuse, too, had taken him a great deal of thought to come up with.

If it truly was so, then he'd happened to guess right.

If it wasn't, then amid such perplexing circumstances, no one could say for certain.

Either way, the blame couldn't be pinned on him.

Demon calamities are formless; disasters show no sign.

The matter of the Demon Refining Diagram was bizarre and unfathomable — these things were simply beyond his capacity to handle.

And so the blame was naturally passed off.

Not only would the leader not blame him, he'd even think him meticulous and prudent.

In this day and age, whether one was a sect disciple or a demonic-path demon cultivator, one had to know how to handle things.

Personal ability was one aspect; knowing how to "report" was another.

As expected, the black-clothed leader no longer dwelled on Jin Gui's matter, focusing all his attention on the Demon Refining Diagram.

Jin Gui might have been shirking somewhat, but his guess was indeed not without reason. The Demon Refining Diagram was the core of all Ten Thousand Demon Valley; under no circumstances could anything go wrong with it.

The black-cloaked leader frowned in thought.

At that moment, Jin Gui's heart stirred slightly, and he added:

"Leader, wasn't there once a surveillance array in the Ten Thousand Demons Prison? If we reactivate such an array, might we learn what happened inside the Ten Thousand Demons Prison?"

The black-cloaked leader shook his head: "No, those arrays can no longer be used."

Jin Gui was puzzled. "Why?"

The black-cloaked leader spoke gravely: "You don't yet understand the reason… About two years ago, just as a demonic lair in Bishan City of the second-grade prefecture was about to be completed, Dao Ting Si raided it—and a Venerable perished because of it."

"Afterward, we learned that the Spirit-Sight Repeating Array used for surveillance within the heavily guarded Bishan demonic lair had been infiltrated and exploited, giving Dao Ting Si's hounds the opening they needed."

"Master Tu feared the Ten Thousand Demons Valley might suffer the same fate, so he temporarily dismantled the entire Magnetic Array and sealed it away completely to prevent future trouble."

"So our own 'eyes' won't be seeing for others…"

said the black-cloaked leader.

Mo Hua was stunned.

So that's why…

He had previously wondered why the Magnetic Spirit-Sight Repeating Array had been entirely dismantled and completely sealed.

It was because of the 'sin' I myself created!

Jin Gui still didn't understand. "The Magnetic Array is an extremely obscure technique. The Magnetic Spirit-Sight Repeating Array is an advanced repeating array—no sect would teach it, and Dao Ting Si's officials are negligent; they shouldn't even have specialists in such arrays… Who could possibly have infiltrated and turned the Magnetic Array against us?"

The black-cloaked leader spoke with a solemn expression: "I don't know either, but according to Master Tu's estimation, this person must be an array master of profound knowledge and extraordinary skill."

Mo Hua nodded.

Master Tu is right!

The black-cloaked leader added: "Be careful. Watch those three brats closely…"

"With the Ouyang boy, find a way to make him forge a Demonic Sword—then we'll have a younger brother forging Demonic Swords for us, and his hypocritical elder brother will have no choice but to serve us…"

"The sword prodigy from Chongxu Gate—the Young Master has high hopes for him. Bring him aboard, drown him in luxury and earthly pleasures, and soon he'll be just another earthly Young Master."

"As for the Song boy… see if his parents behave. If not, just sacrifice him outright—he's useless otherwise."

The black-cloaked leader repeated his instructions.

"Yes," Jin Gui bowed respectfully.

"You may go," the black-cloaked leader waved dismissively.

Jin Gui bowed and withdrew.

Within the great hall, only the black-cloaked leader remained. He sat down in the center and took up several scrolls of demonic hide paper, flipping through them alone.

Mo Hua desperately wanted to know what he was reading, but the distance was too great—he couldn't see a thing.

"Could what he's reading be the Divine Array techniques…?"

Mo Hua felt an unbearable itch of curiosity.

Thus passed half an hour, when movement sounded again outside the door.

The black-cloaked leader closed the demonic hide scrolls and said:

"Enter."

A figure in a black robe entered, but compared to the black-cloaked leader, Jin Gui, or other demonic cultivators, this figure appeared remarkably "slender and small."

More like an ordinary "human" than a demonic cultivator.

Mo Hua was puzzled.

At that moment, the figure in the black robe stepped into the hall, pulled back his hood, and complained:

"This damned place is so gloomy and stinking, Cousin—how can you stand staying here…?"

Cousin?

Mo Hua frowned, stared closely—and suddenly froze.

He recognized this person.

Jin Yicai!

The prominent scion of the Jin family from Duanjin Gate.

Mo Hua remembered clearly: Jin Yicai's great-grandfather was once the head of Duanjin Gate eight hundred years ago; his grandfather is now the Grand Elder; his father is the Deputy Head; his mother is a True Transmission Elder…

His entire family holds high positions in Duanjin Gate.

He was practically born with a golden spoon in his mouth.

Last time, by the Yan Shui River, Jin Yicai had been caught red-handed selling cultivators and smuggling Several Jin Dan—but the matter was suppressed from above.

Since then, he had appeared much more subdued.

Yet he was still stirring up trouble behind the scenes.

The black-cloaked leader glanced at Jin Yicai and asked: "Was your movement discreet?"

Jin Yicai replied: "Don't worry. My father has me under house arrest, but the ones watching me are all guest elders—they answer to me. Where I go, they dare not ask. If I complain to my mother that they're disrespectful and insubordinate, they'll never survive in Duanjin Gate."

Jin Yicai sneered. "That's the principle: distant relatives can't interfere with close kin."

"I treat them as guest elders, as seniors. Refuse to treat them with respect, and they're nothing but dogs my family keeps."

As he spoke, Jin Yicai walked over to the center of the hall and sat down with arrogant ease.

The black-cloaked leader frowned. "Watch your words. Show courtesy to guest elders—even if you despise them, at least pretend."

"I'm too lazy to pretend…" Jin Yicai shook his head, then his eyes brightened slightly as he asked:

"Cousin, you called me here—did you finally figure out that set of things?"

Mo Hua's brow furrowed at this.

That set of things? What set of things?

As he wondered, the black-cloaked leader said: "We've made progress. You may try it first."

Jin Yicai's face lit up with excitement, "Good!"

The black-cloaked leader hesitated a moment, then opened a scroll of demon hide parchment and said slowly:

"Originally, someone of your direct lineage, constantly under the eyes of the Ancestor and the Clan Lord, would never be marked with demon tattoos, to avoid exposing your trail."

"But after several recent Dao Debates, matters of critical importance could not be delayed… so even at the risk of discovery, we must take desperate measures."

Hearing this, Jin Yicai froze, his expression tense—he still feared the Ancestor and the Clan Lord—and he worriedly said:

"If we're discovered…"

The black-cloaked leader cut in: "Given the current situation, even if discovered, it won't matter."

Jin Yicai looked stunned. "Cousin, I don't understand…"

The black-cloaked leader glanced at him and asked with deep implication: "Are you doing all this for yourself?"

Isn't that obvious?

If a man does not serve himself, heaven and earth will destroy him.

Jin Yicai nodded, then suddenly froze, slowly realizing: "Not for myself…"

The black-cloaked leader nodded in agreement:

"Precisely. The Sword Debate is imminent. You're doing this for the sect, for the family—not for yourself!"

"No matter what methods you use, as long as you truly secure a ranking in the Sword Debate, bringing glory to the sect and laying great merit for the upcoming sect reforms, even if the Ancestor learns of it, he'll turn a blind eye."

"In fact, they won't blame you—they'll think you're capable, worthy of great responsibility!"

"Whether your methods are dirty doesn't matter—as long as they work. Victory is king; in this world, the iron law is to spare no means."

"As long as you win, no matter how stained your record, how many crimes you've committed, how vile and corrupt you are, foolish fools will still admire you."

"Conversely, if you lose, no matter how noble your character, you'll only be mocked and spat upon."

Jin Yicai still had reservations: "But what if the matter is exposed…"

The black-cloaked leader's gaze darkened. "As long as you win, even if exposed, the Ancestor will cover for you."

"Don't forget—you're a direct heir of the Jin family, bound to the Jin family and the Duanjin Gate: one prospers, all prosper; one falls, all fall. Do you think the Ancestor doesn't know this?"

Jin Yicai suddenly understood, his worries fully dispelled.

"Alright, Cousin, I'll follow your lead."

The black-cloaked leader gave a slight nod, then opened the demon hide parchment and said:

"This set of techniques still requires a demon art or demonic cultivation as its foundation."

"In my opinion, it's best to tattoo the demon markings here—Wan Yao Valley has complete demon tattoos, and all the bone and blood materials are top-grade."

"The demon markings on this chart include fierce beasts like bears, boars, tigers, and leopards, or predatory birds like golden eagles and falcons—choose one, and I'll tattoo it on you…"

The black-cloaked leader unrolled the demon hide array diagram.

Jin Yicai examined each one, finding none quite to his liking.

His gaze swept downward, then suddenly brightened—he pointed to one demon marking: "Cousin, give me this dog tattoo."

The black-cloaked leader was visibly stunned. "What?"

"Dog tattoo."

Jin Yicai repeated it again.

The black-cloaked leader nearly thought he'd misheard.

Jin Yicai smiled, a sly, sinister twist to his lips:

"Cousin, to be honest, lately, too many female cultivators have been sneaking into my cave at midnight. Those worthless women are such a nuisance—but so young, so tender, so tantalizing. I've got to teach them a lesson."

"They say… dog demons…"

Jin Yicai wore an expression only understood in silence.

The black-cloaked leader stared, momentarily unable to believe it.

Then his face turned icy, filled with both contempt and fury.

Of course—indulgence breeds ruin!

Even a mere hound in this world has the heart of a tiger or wolf.

Yet this young master, raised with a golden spoon in his mouth, is nothing but a rutting wild dog at heart?!

The black-cloaked leader's temple throbbed as he suppressed his rage:

"Have you thought this through?"

Jin Yicai, completely unaware of the black-cloaked leader's contempt, still wore a smug grin:

"Cousin, I've thought it through. There are so many people willing to die for others—why should I risk myself in the front lines? I just want to live comfortably, enjoy myself."

The black-cloaked leader fell silent for a long while, then muttered:

"Fine."

Jin Yicai's face lit up with joy. "Thank you, Cousin!"

The black-cloaked leader showed no emotion, only said gravely: "This is your own choice."

"Of course."

Jin Yicai's eyes gleamed with anticipation—he could already picture himself indulging night after night, ceaselessly conquering.

"Good!"

The black-cloaked leader said coldly.

Then he silently took out ink and brush, tracing the "dog" pattern from the demon hide parchment, and tattooed a Four Symbols Dog Array onto Jin Yicai's back.

He used a bone pen, dipped in human blood, to draw the demon markings.

This was the ritual of a demonic array, accompanied by excruciating, unnatural pain.

Jin Yicai winced and gritted his teeth, struggling to rise several times, his throat raw with screams.

The black-cloaked leader paid no heed, pinning Jin Yicai to the table like a pig being slaughtered, his wrist steady, brush strokes sharp as knives, painting the Four Symbols Dog Pattern in blood until it was complete.

After finishing, Jin Yicai was drenched in cold sweat, collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath, his voice ragged:

"Cousin… it's just a pattern—why does it hurt so much? It's like flesh and blood are being forcibly stitched together with the array lines…"

The black-cloaked leader's expression didn't change, but his gaze grew even more contemptuous.

If you can't endure this much pain, what kind of cultivator are you?

What hope do you have of achieving anything?

But he didn't voice it aloud; instead, he said simply:

"This Four Symbols Pattern is unusual—it requires fusion between the array and flesh. You've neglected your body refinement too much, so of course it hurts. It'll get better after."

Jin Yicai's face turned pale. "Cousin, this pattern is only drawn once, right…?"

He had no intention of enduring this agony again.

The black-cloaked leader nodded. "Yes."

Jin Yicai exhaled in relief.

Then he remembered that once he'd painted the array, he'd soon be able to "show his prowess" and indulge freely—his displeasure vanished in an instant.

A little pain wasn't unbearable.

Jin Yicai asked again: "When can I leave the valley?"

Mo Hua, who had been eavesdropping, stirred at these words.

Leave the valley?

But the black-cloaked leader replied: "Not yet. We'll discuss it at the next opening."

Jin Yicai nodded.

Though he longed to return immediately to his cave in Duanjin Sect—no matter how cramped, it was still better than this Ten Thousand Demons Valley—

He knew priorities. He wasn't truly that foolish.

The black-cloaked leader said: "Go back now. When the Four Symbols Pattern fuses with your flesh, come again. That's when the real work begins."

Jin Yicai hesitated. "Then…"

The black-cloaked leader understood his concern, sneered inwardly, and said coldly: "The next patterns won't be this bloody or painful."

Jin Yicai relaxed, bowed, and said: "Then cousin, I'll leave you to your work. I won't disturb you further."

With that, he turned and left.

After Jin Yicai departed, the black-cloaked leader stared at his retreating back for a long while, then let out a cold laugh:

"To rely on a creature like this—only a miracle would keep Duanjin Sect from falling…"

"Chasing fame and fortune, drowning in honey, fed celestial treasures… what kind of trash have they raised generation after generation?"

The black-cloaked leader's gaze was cold.

Then he walked to the center of the hall, continuing to study the array on the demon hide paper, as if learning something.

The hall fell silent.

In the flickering lamplight, only the rustling of the hide paper could be heard.

With no one talking, Mo Hua had nothing to eavesdrop on.

Hiding behind the statue, he could do nothing else, and soon grew bored.

After an indeterminate time, just as Mo Hua felt utterly idle, the black-cloaked leader suddenly moved again.

He glanced at the sundial on the table, closed the demon hide paper, and murmured softly: "The hour has come…"

Mo Hua froze.

The hour has come?

What hour?

As he wondered, he saw the black-cloaked leader walking straight toward him.

Mo Hua's heart skipped a beat—but upon closer look, he realized the leader hadn't spotted him; he was walking directly to the ram-headed demon statue and slowly kneeling.

He knelt with profound reverence.

At the same time, he whispered softly: "Boundless Great Wilds, Supreme Divine Lord…"

"His life is immortal, his span endless…"

"I beg the Divine Lord to bestow blessings, grant me great divine insight…"

"I beg Mr. to guide me, grant me the mysteries of array arts."

…

Mo Hua grew more uneasy—then the black-cloaked leader bowed three times before the demon statue.

After the three bows, a mysterious, sinister divine aura rose from his body.

Slowly, a blood-red figure emerged above his shoulders and head.

The blood-red figure radiated an eerie, terrifying aura; its shape resembled a Mr., but its features were blurred in crimson mist.

Mo Hua's pupils shrank sharply.

A familiar name slowly surfaced in his mind:

"Mr. Tu!"

(End of Chapter)

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