When he left the prison, night had already fallen.
When Fang Mu arrived at the Demon Slayer Division's main hall, only seven or eight people were scattered around. Everyone else had gone back to sleep.
Tu Qing, Wen Xuan, and the others had already left as well.
He greeted the seven or eight people in the main hall, then set out with his clone for Mortal Prison to find the bald master Huihai.
What made Fang Mu frown was that he could not find Huihai in Mortal Prison's one-star dungeon. The man really was plotting something.
He had probably sent Fang Mu away earlier so he could investigate some place.
This inevitably made Fang Mu think of Shen Shi, and he began to suspect Huihai's identity.
"Amitabha. Sorry for the trouble, everyone. I truly feel terrible for making you wait here."
At that moment, Huihai walked over from afar, leaning on his Buddhist staff. He pressed his palms together, chanted a Buddhist invocation, and apologized.
"Master, you're too kind. Why didn't you rest a little longer?"
Fang Mu led everyone forward and asked with a smile.
"No matter! I've mostly recovered. I was a little bored doing nothing, so I took a walk around."
Fang Mu sneered at Huihai's explanation. Earlier, the man had still been pretending to be half-dead, looking as though anyone could stab him to death.
Yet it had only been a short while since they last parted, and the man was already lively as a dragon and vigorous as a tiger. He really was an old fox.
"Envoy Fang, why are there only this few of you? Are the others unavailable?"
"Master, it's already deep into the night. The others were tired after a full day and went back to rest. I couldn't very well disturb them."
"These people who remain are all newcomers summoned from Qingliu Town. It's just right for them to learn more Buddhist teachings from you and be steeped in their influence."
Hearing Huihai's question, Fang Mu answered truthfully without hiding anything.
Afterward, he deliberately ran out toward Qingliu Town, wanting to see whether Huihai would react.
But he was disappointed. Huihai seemed perfectly calm, without the slightest abnormality showing on his face.
Huihai led everyone to an empty dungeon cell in Mortal Prison. After having Fang Mu and the others sit down, he began explaining some basic Buddhist teachings.
Just as Fang Mu was listening raptly, Huihai suddenly paused and patted the pockets of his robe, as though he had lost something.
"Envoy Fang, I've lost my storage pouch. I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you to help me look for it."
"Of course, I won't have you help for nothing. There are Essence Pills in my storage pouch. When the time comes, I'll give you one as a token of my gratitude."
"Master, you're too kind. I'll go help you retrieve the storage pouch right now. Please wait here, Master. I'll be right back!"
Fang Mu hurriedly stood, bowed to Huihai, and headed outside the dungeon.
Huihai had clearly intended to send him away. He did not want Fang Mu to see or hear something.
As for the fallen storage pouch, Huihai had very likely dropped it deliberately, leaving it behind as bait.
Fang Mu sneered inwardly, growing even more suspicious of the man's identity.
Until he figured out the other party's purpose, Fang Mu still had to pretend he knew nothing and cooperate with him.
Fang Mu searched through the entire one-star dungeon but found no trace of the storage pouch.
He searched the two-star and three-star dungeons as well, but still saw nothing. In the end, he found the storage pouch in an empty four-star cell.
After finding the storage pouch, Fang Mu did not delay. He hurried back toward the one-star dungeon.
He was curious about what was inside the storage pouch, but he did not rashly open it.
Soon, Fang Mu returned to the one-star dungeon. Huihai was still concentrating on his Buddhist lecture.
"Master! Your storage pouch!" Fang Mu stepped forward and handed it to Huihai.
"Thank you! I forgot to warn you earlier that I had tampered with the storage pouch a little. Fortunately, nothing happened to you, Envoy Fang."
Looking at Huihai's mild smile, which resembled an old chrysanthemum in full bloom, Fang Mu felt a chill run down his spine. Damn, he really is an old fox. Fortunately, I didn't fiddle with the storage pouch.
"Envoy Fang, there's no need to be afraid. They're only some poison needles, bone-melting powder, and a few little curse-related knickknacks."
"This is an Essence Pill. You must accept it, Envoy."
Looking at the smiling Huihai as he opened the storage pouch and offered him a pill, Fang Mu's scalp prickled. He hesitantly accepted it.
"Thank you for the gift, Master!" Fang Mu offered his thanks.
At that moment, Huihai said that he was feeling a little tired and that they would end things for today. He then beckoned everyone to leave with him.
Those Demon Slayer Envoys who knew nothing of the truth truly regarded Huihai as a living Buddha and enthusiastically surrounded him as they departed.
After returning to the Demon Slayer Division's main hall, everyone went their separate ways.
After Huihai returned to his quarters in the guest building, Fang Mu secretly met with his clone.
From his clone's memories, Fang Mu learned that after he left, Huihai had seemingly let slip a line: "Outside Green Mountain Gate, facing the sky."
The clone had promptly replied, "Guests from a thousand miles enter through the gate."
Huihai had laughed heartily, praised the clone's literary talent and Buddhist affinity, then exchanged a glance with him. After that, he had not spoken to the clone again.
Those two lines—"Outside Green Mountain Gate, facing the sky. Guests from a thousand miles enter through the gate."—were the contact code Shen Shi had told Jiang Hai.
In other words, Huihai was Shen Shi.
This left Fang Mu feeling that things were rather troublesome. That old fox Huihai was not only sinister but also cautious and careful, and he was powerful to boot.
Killing him would be no easy task. Fang Mu was not yet confident he could deal with him. This matter would have to be considered carefully.
After giving his clone instructions and explaining how to respond to Huihai's questions, Fang Mu parted ways with the clone.
Fang Mu left the County Office and headed toward the Slums.
After being busy all day, he was somewhat worried about Fang Jing's safety.
When Fang Mu arrived at the Slums, he entered a dark alley.
As he passed the mouth of the alley, a black shadow suddenly sprang out and attacked him.
The instant the black shadow pounced, Fang Mu swung his sword to defend himself, slashing out with one stroke.
Amid the clanging of metal, Fang Mu was sent flying by the black shadow's tremendous blow.
He flipped and landed, having suffered no serious injury. His face filled with alarm and doubt as he stared at the Snake person in the darkness.
With an irrational howl, the Snake person pounced again.
This Snake person definitely possessed third-grade strength, perhaps even second-grade. Fang Mu had gone all out, yet he still could not defeat it.
It was far too fast, and the scales covering its body were practically impervious to blades and spears.
Fang Mu had even hacked his sword crooked, yet he still could not cut off a single snake scale.
The bloody aura around the Snake person had grown much denser. It seemed to have devoured a great deal of blood and energy, evolving into such a powerful and terrifying creature.
Fang Mu wanted to draw the Golden Sword and kill the Snake person with one strike, but he feared that the Golden Sword's dazzling brilliance would attract unwanted attention.
His Bone Spur pierced through the air and struck the Snake person, blinding one of its eyes, yet it still failed to injure it.
Fang Mu no longer lingered in battle. He charged into a dark alley to one side and sprinted away.
For some unknown reason, the Snake person could firmly lock onto his position.
Even after he transformed into the void and concealed his figure, the Snake person still found him easily and attacked.
"Damn it. Snake people aren't supposed to have any intelligence. How did it discover me?"
Fang Mu fled for his life, thinking in alarm.
Then a flash of inspiration suddenly crossed his mind. He took the pill Huihai had given him from his pocket.
Without the slightest hesitation, he tossed the pill into a dark corner across the way.
Fang Mu hid in the darkness to one side and saw the pursuing Snake person pounce at the pill without hesitation.
After swallowing the pill, the Snake person seemed to go berserk and began wantonly destroying the surrounding buildings.
"Your sister, that old fox really is sinister!" Fang Mu cursed under his breath.
He could not help feeling a lingering fear and counting his blessings, thinking, Thank goodness I didn't rashly swallow that obviously suspicious pill.
At that moment, the sound of something tearing through the air came from afar. Fang Mu did not dare linger, and hurriedly sped away along the dark alley.
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