Evil Cultivator Gang

It would have been better if she had said nothing. The moment she finished speaking, the smile vanished completely from Yuan Xi's face.

"She cultivates Tai Chi Swordplay. How could she comprehend Slaughter Sword Intent so steeped in killing aura? And which righteous cultivator have you ever seen cultivate Slaughter Sword Intent?"

It was precisely because she had seen the dense killing aura around Mu Jin in the small courtyard that Yuan Xi had instinctively decided he was no good person.

"Why can't righteous cultivators cultivate Slaughter Sword Intent?!" Lin Qi raised her head to look at Senior Sister Yuan Xi, her eyes filled with resolve.

When they had left Zonglei Peak, it had happened to be the time to reinforce the seal at the bottom of Lübing Abyss, and all the Nascent Soul True Lords in the sect who were not in seclusion had gone down into Lübing Abyss.

If Lin Qi wanted to return to Tianyi Sect to resolve this problem, it would be more troublesome and take more time than she had imagined.

She did not want to delay Senior Sister Yuan Xi's mission because of this, either.

She tightly grasped Senior Sister Yuan Xi's hand. "Senior Sister, I think I can do it!"

This was not blind confidence.

Lin Qi guessed that she had touched upon the threshold of sword intent on the day she rested at the inn, which was why she had been so easily affected by that strand of Slaughter Sword Intent today.

Since she had already touched the threshold, absorbing a single strand of sword intent should not be that difficult, right?

She asked the physician beside her, "If you help suppress it, how long would I have to comprehend the sword intent?"

The physician stroked his beard and smiled. "Young friend, you have courage. Since you are not afraid, this old man will not hide anything from you. I have a unique needle technique that can help keep the spiritual energy in your body stable for one month."

One month?!

"That's enough!"

Lin Qi said confidently, "Senior Sister, if I still cannot comprehend the sword intent after a month, Master should be out of Lübing Abyss by then, and your mission should be nearly dealt with as well. Then we can return to the sect together."

Senior Sister Yuan Xi felt it was inappropriate and was just about to refuse when she met Lin Qi's clear black-and-white eyes.

In Lin Qi's crystal-clear eyes, Yuan Xi saw familiar stubbornness and eager anticipation.

She pondered for a long while before uttering one word. "Alright..."

Lin Qi let out a huge sigh of relief.

Then she heard Senior Sister Yuan Xi say, "Then let us first establish three rules."

Lin Qi nodded. "No problem!"

"First, I will immediately write to Master and ask for Master's opinion. If Master wants you to return to the sect, you must set off."

"Second, you are not allowed to interfere in the investigation of the Dao Ming Beast any further. Rest peacefully during this time."

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

Yuan Xi had once thought Luo Ci might be somewhat difficult to handle, but after coming out, she discovered that Lin Qi was the one with the biggest ideas.

Normally, she was well-behaved and obedient, but whenever she encountered something she wanted to do, not even eight horses could pull her back.

Luo Ci could at least be muddled through somehow, but with Lin Qi, one had to be careful not to be muddled through by her instead.

After hearing Senior Sister Yuan Xi's three rules, Lin Qi was just short of raising her hand and swearing that she would definitely behave.

After the group had fussed about for half the day, it was already two hours later when they returned to Anding Street.

The City Lord's Manor had long since sent people to surround the courtyard.

The moment Lin Qi followed Senior Sister Yuan Xi into the courtyard, she saw a row of corpses covered with white cloth, with two coroners examining them in the middle.

She walked over to the senior brother from the Affairs Hall. "Senior Brother, is there any news?"

The Affairs Hall senior brother shook his head. "Same as before. Other than some large demonic beast footprints, there are no clues at the scene. We still came too late!"

Senior Sister Yuan Xi swept her gaze over the child's corpse. "What is going on with this Beast Child?"

Someone beside the Ming City Lord explained, "The Dao Ming Beast does not kill children under five, but these children always somehow turn into highly aggressive Beast Children in the end. Quite a few cultivators have been caught off guard by them before."

"Somehow turn into Beast Children?"

Yuan Xi repeated those words. Why did she feel that the formation of Beast Children was inseparable from the fragrance Chen Yun had mentioned?

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

Everyone looked at one another and shook their heads.

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

"Little Qi, what is it?"

Thinking something had happened to Lin Qi, Senior Sister Yuan Xi lowered her head and hurriedly asked.

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

In the end, the two stopped beside a large tree. With her eyes still closed, Lin Qi felt around and found a small clump of dirt, then handed it to Senior Sister Yuan Xi.

"This has a fragrance!"

Yuan Xi pinched the dirt in her hand, full of doubt. "Little Qi, are you sure?"

Lin Qi nodded firmly. "It is very faint, but I am certain the fragrance is coming from inside it! It makes me feel very uncomfortable when I smell it, a little irritable..."

"What?!"

Senior Sister Yuan Xi took out a handkerchief from her robe and hurriedly wrapped the dirt up. "Little Qi, go out and rest first!"

"Alright."

Lin Qi nodded obediently, then reminded Yuan Xi, "Senior Sister, you can find an alchemist and ask what this is."

Things from demonic beasts could generally be used in alchemy. Alchemists were widely knowledgeable; perhaps one might recognize this fragrance at a glance.

After receiving Lin Qi's reminder, Yuan Xi immediately went to discuss it with the Affairs Hall senior brother and the Ming City Lord.

The Ming City Lord had always taken this matter seriously, and he quickly received news from an alchemist.

"This is musk produced by the Ghost Face Musk Deer. Its killing nature is extremely strong. It can bewilder the mind and cause people to die within illusions. Children under five will develop beastly natures after smelling it and attack people everywhere, while people over five cannot detect its fragrance at all."

The Ming City Lord was overjoyed. "Ghost Face Musk Deer?!! Every symptom matches. Could the Dao Ming Beast be one?!"

That alchemist had also heard of the Dao Ming Beast and shook his head with certainty.

"Ghost Face Musk Deer are naturally suspicious and enjoy fine food. They are not aggressive by nature. Their musk is merely a tool for self-defense; they have no habit of devouring human heads."

Senior Sister Yuan Xi seemed to realize something. "Then what if someone is using Ghost Face Musk Deer to murder people?"

"With a Ghost Face Musk Deer as assistance, they could silently kill people and sever their heads, then push everything onto demonic beasts, misleading everyone into believing it was all done by demonic beasts. That is why the true culprit has remained undiscovered."

Most importantly, there was this fragrance.

Those above five could not smell it and would silently collapse within illusions, only to have their heads cut off and their lives taken.

Those under five would turn into Beast Children after smelling it. Even if they knew something, they could not say it.

No wonder they had investigated for so long without finding even a single clue!

The Ming City Lord slapped his palm and suddenly understood. "So that is how it is!"

After saying that, his face immediately darkened.

Grinding his teeth, he said, "This must be reported to Luo City as soon as possible. Something major may be about to happen in Ming City!"

Everyone's mood became especially heavy in that instant.

If it had been a demonic beast killing people and eating heads, it would still have been a simple case. They only needed to deal with the demonic beast.

But if it was the work of people, then it was very serious.

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

The cruel, ruthless way of doing things inevitably made one think of evil cultivators.

After committing so many cases without being discovered, there was a great possibility that it was an Evil Cultivator Gang.

A second-rate city like Ming City had been silently infiltrated by an Evil Cultivator Gang. If word spread, it might throw the entire Southern Continent into turmoil.

Yuan Xi had not expected that merely accepting a simple mission would uncover something this enormous.

But... evil cultivators?

At the thought of those two words, her gaze turned cold, and she tightly gripped the longsword in her hand.

One chapter owed today.