Ghost Corpse Sect

Fifteen minutes later.

Wei Qing returned to the Inn and headed straight for the secret chamber.

Inside the secret chamber.

"Lord Wei."

At the sight of Wei Qing's arrival, Zhang Zhidong immediately rose and bowed.

"Brother Zhang, there's no need for such courtesy between us." Wei Qing raised a hand to stop him. "Tell me first what you've found."

"Yes."

After taking his seat, Zhang Zhidong did not relax as he had verbally agreed to do. He still retained a measure of deference in his bearing.

Seeing this, Wei Qing said nothing further.

"After a day and night of investigation by the Night Owl Guard, we really did uncover something unusual in Qingcheng. It's just..."

Seeing his hesitant expression, Wei Qing guessed part of it. "Speak. Which family?"

"The Yan Family."

"One of the Night Owl Guard brothers said that two days before the Fang Family matter came to light, he happened to see a black-robed man enter the Yan Family. He did not think much of it at the time."

"It was only after I issued the order yesterday that he reported it to me."

"Afterward, I sent one of the Night Owl Guard brothers with the best movement technique to infiltrate the Yan Family."

"In a well in the Yan Family's rear courtyard, he discovered the bones of a large number of young men and women."

"Moreover, the Yan Family's movements had recently become increasingly secretive, and they had gradually faded from the sight of Qingcheng's people."

The Yan Family was the foremost of Qingcheng's three great families.

The Yan Family's former patriarch had once been one of the Jizhou Prefecture Governor's early teachers. With that connection, no one had been able to shake the Yan Family's position as Qingcheng's number one family.

No wonder Zhang Zhidong had been speaking in such a halting manner.

If it had merely been a provincial governor, it would not have been enough to make the Night Owl Guard shrink back.

The crucial point was that the Jizhou Prefecture Governor had an elder sister who was an Imperial Noble Consort.

As one of Emperor Ming Xing's most favored consorts, Consort Xia had brought the Xia Family into imperial favor as well. Their power had swelled at astonishing speed, vaulting them from a third-rate aristocratic family to a first-rate family in the Imperial City.

"So what if it is the Xia Family?"

"If they are colluding with demons, the first person who will not spare the Xia Family will be His Majesty himself."

Great Zhou's previous emperor, Emperor Jin Kang, had died in a great battle against demons.

Emperor Ming Xing had accepted the mandate amid crisis and forcefully dragged Great Zhou back from the brink of fragmentation.

Great Zhou, reborn from the ashes, showed not the slightest decline. Instead, under Emperor Ming Xing's wise rule, it climbed another level.

The demons that had killed the old emperor had become the targets of his frenzied suppression.

However, few knew the true reason behind the old emperor's death.

Wei Qing only knew because his father, Wei Yuan, had been one of those who participated in Emperor Ming Xing's "war of vengeance."

"Have any other families or factions shown abnormalities?"

"None have been discovered for now."

Seeing that Wei Qing did not seem to be speaking falsely, Zhang Zhidong's faint apprehension toward the Xia Family unknowingly lessened by several degrees.

"Continue monitoring the Yan Family."

"Have you identified the black-robed man?"

"Judging from the condition of the dead, the method resembles the Ghost Corpse Sect's Corpse Refining Technique."

When he mentioned the name "Ghost Corpse Sect," a flicker of fear passed through Zhang Zhidong's eyes.

The Ghost Corpse Sect was a heretical sect within Great Zhou. It specialized in stealing corpses everywhere and cultivating powerful corpse puppets.

It later aroused public outrage and was jointly exterminated by righteous sects, vanishing without a trace twenty years ago.

Yet the power and terror of those corpse puppets had left shadows in many people's hearts.

"As expected."

Wei Qing's heart sank. The trace of speculation in his mind had now been confirmed.

The eighteen missing corpses Zhu Huan had mentioned had most likely been stolen by people from the Ghost Corpse Sect.

"?"

Zhang Zhidong frowned slightly, not understanding what he meant.

"Brother Zhang, you have probably heard about the eighteen corpses missing from the Mortuary. I suspect they were stolen by the Ghost Corpse Sect."

"I have heard..."

That was not right.

Zhang Zhidong seemed to have thought of something terrifying. He abruptly rose to his feet and hurriedly asked, "Lord Wei, have you checked the birth dates and times of the missing corpses?"

Wei Qing nodded. "It seems you thought of it as well. That's right. They were all Pure Yang Persons, born in a yang year, yang month, yang day, and yang hour."

"The Ghost Corpse Sect intends to refine a Yang Kui?"

At those words, Zhang Zhidong sucked in a cold breath.

A Yang Kui was one of the Ghost Corpse Sect's most difficult corpse puppets to refine, and one of the strongest in combat.

The corpse had to belong to a male born in a yang year, yang month, yang day, and yang hour. After being specially treated with medicinal substances, it would become a Quasi-Yang Kui.

After that, these Quasi-Yang Kui were allowed to slaughter and devour one another, until the strongest corpse puppet was selected.

A corpse puppet born through such slaughter would begin with the strength of the Seventh Grade Realm.

"Based on the information we currently have, that seems to be the case." Wei Qing nodded slightly, then changed the subject. "And don't you find it strange that so many Pure Yang Persons fitting the requirements for refining a Yang Kui appeared in one place all at once?"

"From Kai Yuan Year 19 to Jing Kang Year 3, eighteen Pure Yang Persons were born in succession over four years."

"When this many coincidences collide, they are no longer coincidences."

At those words, Zhang Zhidong's pupils suddenly contracted, and he cried out, "The Ghost Corpse Sect has turned Qingcheng into a Corpse Raising Ground."

"They gathered so many Pure Yang Persons, then after they reached adulthood, killed them all and refined them into corpse puppets."

"The Spiritual Stream Demonic Cat feeds on Mental Power. The Mental Power of Pure Yang Persons is purer than that of ordinary people."

"By cooperating with it, the Ghost Corpse Sect could not only gain benefits, but also perfectly conceal its own tracks and direct the clues pointing to the 'murderer' onto the demons."

"If so, Fang Xiang was also one of their chess pieces."

"Mm." Wei Qing nodded slightly. "Fang Xiang was the lure floating on the surface of this corpse-raising scheme."

Zhang Zhidong said gravely, "In that case, Qingcheng's current strength will likely be unable to withstand retaliation from the Yan Family, the Ghost Corpse Sect, and the demons."

From the moment the Spiritual Stream Demonic Cat died.

This killing game had already drawn back its curtain!

"Immediately send the intelligence back to the Heavenly Realm Division in the Imperial City at the fastest speed possible. At the same time, request aid from the Jizhou Heavenly Realm Division."

"I hope there is still time."

"Yes."

Zhang Zhidong also realized the gravity of the matter. He did not dare delay in the slightest and hurriedly turned to make the arrangements.

At the same time, inside the Yan Family's secret chamber.

Yan Qingshan, the Yan Family patriarch, knelt respectfully before a mysterious man clad in black robes. "Master, the final batch of Blood Food you required has arrived."

"Very good." A somewhat hoarse voice came from within the black robes. "At midnight tonight, take them to the Old Place West of the City."

"Yes."

Yan Qingshan answered respectfully.

"Next, your Yan Family must immediately arrange to relocate to Jizhou City. This place will likely be exposed before long."

"The Heavenly Realm Division's pack of mad dogs have very sharp noses."

"Yes. Today, I will arrange for my son to lead part of the Lineage to Jizhou City."

"After tonight, there will no longer be anyone from the Yan Family in Qingcheng."

The mysterious man continued, "Has there been any new news from that Spiritual Resonance Demonic Cat on Yandang Mountain?"

Since two days ago, contact between both sides had suddenly been cut off, giving him a faint sense of unease.

He had even personally gone to Yandang Mountain, yet failed to find any trace of the other party.

This further deepened the trace of suspicion in his heart.