Evil Cultivator Gang

Yuan Xi's smile completely vanished after that remark.

"She practices Tai Chi Swordplay, so how can she comprehend such a potent Slaughter Sword Intent? And have you ever seen any righteous cultivator practice Slaughter Sword Intent?"

It was precisely because Yuan Xi had sensed Mu Jin's intense killing intent in the small courtyard that she had instinctively felt he wasn't a good person.

"Why can't righteous cultivators practice Slaughter Sword Intent?!" Lin Qi looked up at Senior Sister Yuan Xi, her eyes filled with determination.

When they left Zonglei Peak, it coincided with the time the seal at the bottom of Lübing Abyss was being reinforced. All the Nascent Soul True Lords who weren't in seclusion had descended into the abyss.

Lin Qi knew that resolving this issue back at Tianyi Sect would be more troublesome and time-consuming than she imagined.

She also didn't want to delay Senior Sister Yuan Xi's mission because of this.

She tightly gripped Senior Sister Yuan Xi's hand, "Senior Sister, I believe I can do it!"

This wasn't blind confidence.

Lin Qi suspected that the moment she had touched the threshold of Sword Intent during her rest at the inn the previous day was why she was so easily affected by that Slaughter Sword Intent today.

Since she had already reached the threshold, absorbing a single Sword Intent shouldn't be that difficult, right?

She asked the physician beside her, "With your help to suppress it, how much time do I have to comprehend the Sword Intent?"

The physician stroked his beard and chuckled, "You have great courage, young lady. Since you're not afraid, this old man won't hold back either. I have a unique set of acupuncture techniques that can help stabilize the spiritual energy within your body for a month."

A month?!

"That's enough!"

Lin Qi said confidently, "Senior Sister, if I can't comprehend the Sword Intent within a month, my master should be out of Lübing Abyss by then, and your mission should also be nearing completion. We can return to the Sect together."

Senior Sister Yuan Xi felt it was inappropriate and was about to refuse when she met Lin Qi's clear, discerning eyes.

In Lin Qi's eyes, which were as clear as a bottomless pool, Yuan Xi saw a familiar stubbornness and eagerness to try.

She pondered for a long time before finally uttering a single word: "Okay..."

Lin Qi let out a huge sigh of relief.

Then she heard Senior Sister Yuan Xi say, "Then let's set three rules first."

Lin Qi nodded, "No problem!"

"First, I will immediately write to Master about this matter to ask for his opinion. If Master wants you to return to the Sect, you must depart."

"Second, you are not allowed to interfere with the investigation of the Dao Ming Beast anymore. You need to recuperate during this period."

"Third... you need to be more obedient!"

Yuan Xi used to think Luo Ci might be a bit difficult to handle, but after coming out, she realized Lin Qi was the one with a mind of her own.

She was usually well-behaved and obedient, but when she set her mind on something, not even eight horses could pull her back.

Luo Ci could at least be fooled to some extent, but Lin Qi required even more careful handling to avoid being tricked.

After hearing Senior Sister Yuan Xi's three rules, Lin Qi was practically ready to swear an oath that she would be obedient.

The group had been busy for a long time, and by the time they returned to Anding Street, two hours had passed.

The City Lord's Mansion had already sent people to cordon off the courtyard.

As Lin Qi followed Senior Sister Yuan Xi into the courtyard, she saw a row of bodies covered with white cloths, with two coroners examining them in the middle.

She walked up to the senior brother from the Affairs Hall, "Senior Brother, what's the situation?"

The senior brother from the Affairs Hall shook his head, "It's the same as before. Besides some large demonic beast footprints at the scene, there are no other clues. We still came too late!"

Senior Sister Yuan Xi glanced at the children's corpses, "What's going on with these beast children?"

Someone from the Ming City Lord's side explained, "Dao Ming Beasts don't kill children under five years old, but these children eventually turn into highly aggressive beast children for some reason. Many cultivators have fallen prey to them in the past."

"Turn into beast children for some reason?"

Yuan Xi repeated the words. How did she feel that the formation of these beast children was related to the scent Chen Yun had mentioned?

She asked the senior brother from the Affairs Hall, "Did any of you smell a fragrance at the scene?"

Everyone looked at each other and shook their heads.

As Yuan Xi frowned, she suddenly felt her sleeve being tugged.

"Xiao Qi, what's wrong?"

Senior Sister Yuan Xi thought Lin Qi was in distress and quickly asked as she looked down.

Lin Qi closed her eyes, tugged Senior Sister Yuan Xi's hand, and walked in a certain direction.

Finally, the two of them reached a large tree. Lin Qi, with her eyes closed, felt a small patch of soil and handed it to Senior Sister Yuan Xi.

"This thing has a scent!"

Yuan Xi squeezed the soil in her hand, full of doubt, "Xiao Qi, are you sure?"

Lin Qi nodded affirmatively, "It's very faint, but I'm sure the scent is coming from here! I feel very uncomfortable smelling it, a bit agitated..."

"What?!"

Senior Sister Yuan Xi took out a handkerchief from her bosom and quickly wrapped the item up, "Xiao Qi, you should go rest for a bit!"

"Okay."

Lin Qi nodded obediently and reminded Yuan Xi, "Senior Sister, you could find a Pill Master to ask what this is."

Things from demonic beasts could generally be used for alchemy, and Pill Masters were knowledgeable. They might be able to recognize this fragrance at a glance.

Heeding Lin Qi's reminder, Yuan Xi immediately went to discuss with the senior brother from the Affairs Hall and the City Lord of Ming City.

The City Lord of Ming City had always been diligent about this matter and quickly received information from a Pill Master.

"This is musk produced by the Ghost Face Musk Deer. Its killing intent is extremely strong and can bewitch the mind, causing people to die in illusions. Children under five years old who smell it will develop beastly natures and attack people indiscriminately, but people over five years old cannot detect its scent."

The City Lord of Ming City was overjoyed. "Ghost Face Musk Deer?! The symptoms all match. Could the Dao Ming Beast be it?!"

The Pill Master had also heard about the Dao Ming Beast and shook his head definitively.

"Ghost Face Musk Deer are naturally suspicious and enjoy eating delicacies. They are not aggressive themselves; the musk is merely a tool for self-preservation, and they have no appetite for devouring heads."

Senior Sister Yuan Xi seemed to realize something. "What if someone used the Ghost Face Musk Deer to kill people?"

"With the Ghost Face Musk Deer assisting, they could kill people and decapitate them silently, then blame everything on the demonic beasts, misleading everyone into thinking it was all the work of demonic beasts. This is why the culprit has never been found."

Most importantly, there was the fragrance.

People over five years old couldn't smell it, falling silently under illusions, only to be decapitated.

Those under five would turn into Beast Children after smelling it, unable to speak even if they knew what happened.

No wonder they hadn't found any clues after investigating for so long!

The City Lord of Ming City clapped his hands, suddenly enlightened. "It really is like that!"

After saying this, his face instantly turned grim.

He gritted his teeth, "This matter must be reported to Luo City as soon as possible. Ming City is in for big trouble!"

Everyone's mood became exceptionally heavy in that instant.

If demonic beasts were killing and eating heads, it would merely be a simple case, and the demonic beasts could be dealt with.

But if someone was behind it, then it was very serious.

Why would the mastermind take away the heads after killing people?

The brutality and ruthlessness of their actions made one's mind involuntarily turn to evil cultivators.

Having committed so many crimes without being discovered, it was highly likely to be an Evil Cultivator Gang.

Ming City, a second-class city, being infiltrated by an Evil Cultivator Gang so silently could cause unrest throughout the Southern Continent if word got out.

Yuan Xi hadn't expected that by accepting a simple mission, she would uncover such a major issue.

However... evil cultivators?

Thinking of those two words, her eyes turned cold, and she tightened her grip on the long sword in her hand.