Chapter 78: Still the Evil Path Professional

Nanjiangwu Alliance, Luojing Office!

At midnight, Bu Hanying, cloaked in black, sat in a lightless dark room.

Surrounding him were several other chairs, occupied by liaisons from the major sects of the Wu Alliance.

As a direct member of Queyue Manor, Bu Hanying held the second seat in the hall, second only to the ancestral court of the Gu Du Pai, the Chilong Cave; at this moment, he was delivering a passionate speech:

"The alliance of all sects is for the revival of the Wu Sect and a return to the Central Plains.

"Our Gu Du Pai was originally a righteous sect; it was only due to the involvement of the Corpse Wu Sect and the treachery of the Three Sects that we were exiled to the Southern Border.

"After years of traveling and spreading our teachings, the Jianghu and even the northern and southern imperial courts have begun to change their views on the Gu Du Pai; the Northern Zhou has even started to accept Gu Du Pai witch doctors.

"But just three days ago!

"The fine disciple your Chilong Cave trained slaughtered hundreds of civilians above Huai River!

"Had it not been for my Queyue Manor disciples sensing the danger early and turning the tide, the casualties would have reached a staggering six hundred!

"This matter is enough to stir public outrage and destroy years of our hard work in a single pill... Tai Shu Dan's pill!"

The Wu Sect is a complex mix of schools; the Zhuji Sect, which sings, dances, and summons great immortals, belongs to the righteous path.

The Corpse Wu and Ghost Wu, who play with corpses, are standard evil paths.

The Gu Du Pai stands between the two; call them evil, yet they do not rely on killing to cultivate, and they even cure diseases.

But call them righteous, yet they spend all day playing with poison, raising gu, and casting curses, and their witch-maids are each more seductive than the last...

Before the Wu Sect Uprising, the Gu Du Pai could still walk the Central Plains, at most facing disdain.

Now, they are all driven to the barren lands of desolate mountains and evil waters, fighting wits and courage with demonic beasts, and they certainly do not accept it.

To return to the fertile lands, the Gu Du Pai's methods are the same as the Three Sects and Hundred Schools: spreading branches and leaves to proselytize everywhere.

As long as there are enough believers and high enough status, even if the imperial court despises them, they must hold their noses and acknowledge them; the Buddhist sect rose this way in the past, standing firm despite several persecutions.

As the capital of the Great Qian Dynasty, Luojing is naturally a key target for the Wu Sect; every major sect has 'missionaries' here.

And when witches slaughter civilians in large numbers, it will obviously create a negative impression of the Gu Du Pai among the people, hindering proselytization.

For this reason, all sects have been holding meetings these past few days to discuss how to handle public relations.

However, the Wu Alliance is not a monolith; during the discussions, it has been nothing but sarcastic arguments.

The ancestor of the Chilong Cave, who is also the Zhang Sect of the Gu Du Pai, Master Sikong Tianyuan, sits in the first seat as the head of the Wu Alliance; his tone is displeased:

"Tai Shu Dan, this rebellious disciple, was expelled from the sect thirty years ago. The Ancestor also wishes to clean house, but this person is too slippery and cunning; we simply cannot find him..."

"That proves Tai Shu Dan received the true transmission of the Chilong Cave!"

"Pah! According to the reports, it was a disciple of the Hidden Immortal Sect of the Daoist Path who turned the tide; what gold are you Queyue Manor trying to paste on your own face?"

The Queyue Manor dreams of replacing the Chilong Cave to become the leader of the Wu Alliance; facing this doubt now, Bu Hanying remains enigmatic:

"The Manor Master plans deeply and far; you need not ask for details on this matter. Anyway, if the Chilong Cave causes trouble again in the future, the Manor Master will not clean up your messes anymore."

The crowd was half-skeptical; the Chilong Cave liaison cursed:

"When it comes to causing trouble, where can anyone compare to your Queyue Manor? Your Manor Master cast a gu on the 'Number One Beauty of the Daoist Path'..."

"This is a Jianghu matter!"

Bu Hanying said with deep feeling:

"Nangong Ye and our Manor Master both encountered the Phoenix Feather Grass at the same time; a heavenly creation belongs to the capable; if the Buddhist Sect and the Daoist Path had collided, they would have fought just the same.

"Nangong Ye failed to snatch it; can you blame our Manor Master? If our Manor Master had not cast a gu, would he have fought her with thunder techniques?"

While everyone was exchanging words so 'amicably', a red-eyed black snake suddenly emerged from the sleeve of the Chilong Cave liaison, raising its head to flick its tongue upward:

"Hiss~"

Everyone fell silent in solemnity.

Bu Hanying lifted his hood and looked at the roof:

"Someone up there?"

Step...

Whoosh—

The sound of breaking wind rose from the roof, and in a blink, the figure moved far away.

The liaisons present truly did not expect that a gathering at Xiaoyao Cave in the dead of night could be infiltrated!

To avoid being wiped out by the imperial court in one go, the many wealthy liaisons immediately displayed the professional characteristics of poison masters—scrambling like rats with heads bowed!

In the blink of an eye, several people displayed their unique arts and vanished into the dark room.

Fearful of exposure, Bu Hanying also leaped from the back window of the fur shop into a dark alley, fleeing wildly toward the outskirts.

But unfortunately, before he had run far, he discovered a figure flying over his head from above, landing in front of the alley!

Step—

The figure was tall and straight, with two weapons hanging at the waist; the light made the face unclear, but the momentum was comparable to the life-snatching Wuchang!

Whoosh~

The cold moon was like frost, and the alley fell into deathly silence.

Seeing this scene, Bu Hanying knew his life was over and faced the enemy as if it were a great crisis:

"There are many Daoist friends in the hall; yet you specifically block me. Is my luck just that bad, or do you have other designs?"

Xie Jinhuan sought to open his heart to a Daoist friend, only to stumble into the rat nest of the Nanjiangwu Alliance; his heart was truly in anguish!

After all, he still needed these people; if he killed them all clean now, there would be no medicinal materials or pill masters left!

"If I wanted to kill, you would all be dead already; there would be no need to wait until now."

For a fragile poison master, having a martial artist sneak onto the roof before being noticed is indeed equivalent to having a blade at the throat.

Bu Hanying's eyes were wary: "What is your purpose, sir?"

Xie Jinhuan asked straight to the point:

"Refining Blood Essence requires vast quantities of beasts. To sustain long-term supply, it cannot be produced within the Great Qian; it must all flow in from beyond the borders. Does Queyue Manor also supply it?"

Bu Hanying's brows knitted tightly, but a figure in the distance promptly reminded:

"Best put away the magic bell in your sleeve; it's useless. The three Gu insects hidden in your chest are quite formidable, but at this distance, they cannot harm me."

?!

Bu Hanying, entirely shrouded in a cloak, trembled upon hearing this. Knowing his strength was far inferior to the other's, he quietly retrieved the magic bell and honestly replied:

"To establish roots in Jingcheng, one must have some self-sustaining revenue.

"Blood Essence has high medicinal value, and its source is merely beasts. The Imperial Medicine Bureau and the Grand Imperial Hospital both possess it; it is only because it is the main ingredient of 'Hua Yao Dan' that the imperial court strictly bans it from entering the common markets.

"Although we also sold it, we only sold it to those seeking to preserve their complexion and replenish blood..."

Xie Jinhuan was not here to investigate drug peddlers. He spoke coldly:

"The Wu Sect is famous for having many tricks up its sleeve. You selling such a hot potato, you could not have failed to check the buyers' backgrounds.

"Among the buyers in the Ghost Market, are there any experts whose identities you could not ascertain? This person comes frequently, and the purchase volume must be considerable."

"Experts..."

Bu Hanying thought seriously: "Regarding those whose roots we could not trace, there must be at least a few with cultivation of Ranks 4–5. We were worried about trouble and investigated, but our capabilities were limited, and we could not uncover their backgrounds."

Xie Jinhuan knew these people were most likely Demon Path loose cultivators and asked:

"When do these people usually come?"

"They definitely come once every ten days or half a month, but those with a bit of sense won't be too regular."

Bu Hanying, having said this, asked:

"Does Your Excellency suspect there is a Demon Path expert purchasing Blood Essence on the black market for cultivation?"

Hearing these words, Xie Jinhuan's gaze grew a bit more serious:

"Yes. Do you have a theory?"

Bu Hanying was a Gu Du Pai witch, and his knowledge of medicines was not much inferior to that of pill refiners. To send off this pest, he analyzed seriously:

"The central plains are strictly controlled. People who can buy things on the black market have no connections; they will take whatever junk is offered. Even if Chilong Cave mixes half a bottle of pig blood into the jar, they treat it as a treasure.

"Therefore, no merchant would obtain high-grade Blood Essence to sell, and a proper Demon Path expert would not buy such things on the black market."

Xie Jinhuan knew orthodox Demon Path cultivators would not come to the black market, but he was looking for independent loose cultivators, so he asked:

"If one uses only inferior Blood Essence without adding living human blood and qi, is it possible to cultivate to Demon Path Rank 4?"

Bu Hanying hesitated for a moment regarding this question:

"It is possible. However, the foundation would definitely be unstable, and one would constantly need solid medicines to protect the meridians to neutralize the medicinal properties of Blood Essence. If Your Excellency is looking for such a demon bandit, you can actually investigate along the trail of 'Longyang Flower'."

"Oh?"

Xie Jinhuan became serious:

"Why do you say that?"

Bu Hanying explained seriously:

"Beast-made Blood Essence is difficult to compare with human blood and qi. Refining it into 'Hua Yao Dan' is precisely to add solid medicinal ingredients that protect the meridians, so as not to damage the physique.

"Normal Hua Yao Dan must be mixed with at least several parts human blood and qi. Cultivating with pure beast-made Blood Essence requires extra effort on the body-protecting medicinal materials.

"This person has already cultivated to Demon Path Rank 4 and uses a large amount of Blood Essence. In any formula capable of suppressing its medicinal properties, 'Longyang Flower' must be used. Following this trail will definitely lead to the person."

Xie Jinhuan nodded thoughtfully:

"Anyone can buy Longyang Flower; how can we investigate?"

Bu Hanying shook his head:

"Demon Path cultivators dare not kill people frequently; they must take Blood Essence long-term to relieve the 'thirst for blood' addiction. Naturally, they must also purchase Longyang Flower frequently.

"But Longyang Flower is extremely sought after, with almost no stable supply. To purchase it long-term, one can only make a reservation with a medicine merchant."

Hearing this, Xie Jinhuan understood the meaning—making a reservation requires leaving one's identity!

Longyang Flower is not a strictly forbidden item; buying it under a false name would only arouse suspicion. Moreover, nobles and high experts are eager to get it. For loose customers whose backgrounds are unclear, medicine merchants might not even sell to them, let alone provide long-term supplies.

Therefore, the reserved identity is mostly real, with at most a fabricated reasonable purpose.

As long as one investigates according to the reservation list, finding this loose cultivator friend should not be difficult...

Thinking of this, Xie Jinhuan nodded slightly:

"Truly a person of the Nanjiangwu Alliance; your insight into evil and unorthodox paths is indeed profound."

Bu Hanying clasped his hands: "Your Excellency overestimates me. In terms of evil and unorthodox paths, we are not even one ten-thousandth of Chilong Cave!"

Xie Jinhuan felt there was a reason Gu Du Pai could not rise; three sentences and they were insulting a friendly merchant. This internal strife was simply outrageous!

"Gu Du Pai uses many medicines and should know the channels in the city. Where do you think these demon bandits would order Longyang Flower?"

Bu Hanying thought for a moment: "Longyang Flower changes price daily. Second-hand dealers have no stable supply either. If one wants long-term supplies at a fair price, one of the four major pharmacies in the Eastern Market must have their name."

Xie Jinhuan had found the channel and no longer troubled the glasses-wearing lady's senior uncle, quietly retreating into the night.

The evening light was too dim for Bu Hanying to see clearly. After waiting a moment, he realized the person was gone. His heart felt a great relief, and he quickly vanished into the alley...

(End of this chapter)