At night, the mountain air was especially fresh after the rain. Kong Wu stood before a dilapidated Daoist temple, looking up at its peeling signboard.
"White Cloud Temple"
It had existed within Qingshan County for quite some time and had once been a flourishing temple with incense burning in abundance.
It was just that over the past twenty years, it had gradually declined until it became what it was now.
Some time ago, villagers from the foot of the mountain had gone up to gather firewood but were chased and lost by a wild beast. They had accidentally stumbled upon White Cloud Temple and were just about to enter and rest for the night when they heard screams coming from inside. They had then hurried down the mountain and informed the yamen at the first opportunity.
The Qingshan County yamen had taken this very seriously, so it sent Constable Li Xiang and his men up the mountain to investigate.
One important reason for White Cloud Temple's decline was that after White Cloud True Person had died twenty years ago, the authorities discovered that the highly respected White Cloud True Person had actually been a bandit, using the temple as cover while robbing homes and waylaying travelers.
Although all the Daoist disciples who had participated in the robberies had later been arrested, the temple's former reputation remained, so the county office naturally kept a closer eye on it.
"Constable Kong, why is it so quiet in here? We haven't seen Captain Li or the others this whole way..."
Skinny Monkey swallowed, speaking somewhat timidly.
Kong Wu did not answer and walked straight inside.
Once they passed through the courtyard gate, they found a large stretch of desolate ground.
Weeds grew everywhere. It was obvious at a glance that no one had tended the place for a long time.
As far as Kong Wu knew, White Cloud Temple still had three Daoists.
Yet judging from the ground, there was not the slightest sign that anyone lived here.
The courtyard was desolate, and nothing seemed amiss, so Kong Wu headed toward the front hall.
There was not a trace of lamplight in the front hall. Fortunately, the sky after the rain was clear, and moonlight shone straight through several gaps in the roof.
Kong Wu entered and frowned at the tall statues of the Three Pure Ones.
"Fuck..."
Following behind Kong Wu, Skinny Monkey could not help cursing when he saw the statues of the Three Pure Ones.
There were no cracks on the statues, and they looked to have been maintained fairly well.
However, the statues of the Three Pure Ones had nothing on their shoulders.
On that silent night, the three headless divine statues stood quietly in the dim hall, sending a chill down Skinny Monkey's spine.
Clang~
The sudden sound of a metal object hitting the ground startled Skinny Monkey badly.
Kong Wu's face remained expressionless as he continued observing his surroundings.
The agility granted by his 11 points of Strength had sharpened his senses, and he had already known that several little cuties were lurking in the hall before he even stepped inside.
A rat darted from the shadows. It sniffed around in the moonlight before raising its little head, seemingly curious about the two newcomers.
Seeing this, Skinny Monkey patted his chest and let out a long breath of relief. But when he looked toward Kong Wu, he saw the man's ears twitch before he walked around the statues toward the rear courtyard.
"Kong..."
He had just opened his mouth when he instinctively lowered his voice and hurried after him.
Beyond the main hall lay the temple's rear courtyard, which appeared to be the Daoists' living quarters.
Kong Wu crossed the well in the middle and strode toward a small room before pushing open the door.
The moment the door opened, he twitched his nose.
There was no moonlight in the room, leaving it pitch-black.
Yet in Kong Wu's eyes, he could clearly make out the outlines of many objects.
Including the figure on the meditation cushion in the center, twisted as though it were sitting in meditation.
Looking at that familiar face and familiar posture, Kong Wu's expression grew complicated.
Captain Li of Qingshan County lay there with his blood dried up, the terror on his face still vivid.
"Another Evil God Cultist?"
Kong Wu thought.
The cruel and bizarre scene before him was exactly the same as the one he had previously witnessed at the Bai residence.
"This... Captain Li..."
Skinny Monkey did not know where he had found a candlestick. By its light, he saw the situation inside the room clearly, and his voice trembled.
But before he could say anything, Kong Wu suddenly turned around and kicked him in the chest.
Skinny Monkey flew straight out. After landing, he rolled once and immediately got back to his feet.
Kong Wu had not used much force, so Skinny Monkey was not injured.
At the spot where he had been standing, a streak of red light descended and ignited a crimson ball of flame.
"Heretical Daoist! How dare you take lives here?"
A clear voice rang out. Skinny Monkey followed the sound and saw a figure standing on the roof.
The man wore a blue Daoist robe, carried a longsword on his back, and held a talisman between his fingers.
"Qingshan County constables are handling a case. Who are you, to dare attack government officers?"
Seeing that the man had a handsome face and did not look like some demon or monster, Skinny Monkey's courage swelled. He stood up, planted his hands on his hips, and demanded this.
"Government officers?"
The young Daoist froze for a moment. After taking another careful look, he found no fluctuations of magical power coming from either of them.
"Oh, then it was a misunderstanding."
He jumped down from the roof and casually replied to Skinny Monkey.
Although there were no fluctuations of magical power on either man, the broad-shouldered leader's abundant yang energy faintly exerted an inexplicable pressure on him, a disciple of Qingfeng Mountain's inner sect.
He cupped his fists toward Kong Wu and said in a resonant voice, "I am Feng Yang, an Inner Disciple of Qingfeng Mountain. Might Your Excellency be a body cultivator from some sect?"
Kong Wu shook his head. "Kong Wu, a constable of Qingshan County. I have never cultivated."
Feng Yang froze when he heard this.
He had thought Kong Wu was a disciple of some sect specializing in body cultivation.
"Daoist, why have you come here in the dead of night?"
Kong Wu had once yearned for these cultivators, but now that he had truly encountered one, he was unexpectedly calm.
Feng Yang Life: 102 Strength: 9 Skills: Qingfeng Swordplay, Qingfeng Heart Method First impression of you: Surprised (There are actually body cultivators with such strength among the Evil Cultists?).
This cultivator, who looked so imposing... was that all?
The Evil God Cultist before had been one thing. It was obvious at a glance that he had no proper cultivation method.
But judging from the way Feng Yang had introduced himself, he was apparently a disciple of a prestigious orthodox sect.
He was still young, true, but with only 9 points of Strength...
Well... not bad.
Although Kong Wu's Strength was only 2 points higher than Feng Yang's, he had undergone only two attribute enhancements.
It seemed that he grew stronger far faster than these cultivators.
"This poor Daoist came down the mountain on business and happened to pass by this place. I sensed evil energy faintly rising from this temple, so I came to investigate."
Feng Yang put away the talisman, then suddenly noticed the scene inside the room behind Kong Wu. His expression changed at once.
"This is... an Evil God..."
His face darkened. Clearly, he found this extremely repugnant.
Only then did he remember the headless statues of the Three Pure Ones in the front hall.
In this pure and tranquil Daoist sanctuary, an Evil God Cultist had actually conducted a sacrificial ritual.
"You two, an Evil God Cultist has been spotted here. You should go down the mountain as soon as possible. These people who worship evil entities are far too dangerous for ordinary mortals like you."
Hearing this, Skinny Monkey curled his lip in disdain. "What Evil God Cultist? He was killed by Constable Kong earlier all the same. What's so great about him?"
Before you continue