"Taboo?"
The moment he heard the word,
Wen Jiu grew even more curious.
But as an adult, Wen Jiu knew there were things he shouldn't ask about. He couldn't let his curiosity cause trouble for someone else.
Wen Jiu cupped his fists and said gratefully, "Thank you, Brother Wang."
"Thank me for what? I didn't say anything." Wang Nian quickly played dumb.
Wen Jiu understood.
After putting away the things in his hands, Wang Nian changed the subject and asked, "Brother Wen, what kind of talisman are you drawing?"
As he spoke,
Wang Nian picked one up and examined it closely.
The more he looked, the more uneasy he became.
A faint sense of foreboding crept over him.
Wen Jiu answered, "A Soul Seizing Talisman."
"Holy crap!"
Wang Nian dropped the talisman.
He didn't dare touch it again.
"You... of all things, you had to pick the most sinister one?" Among Yin Talisman Masters and Yin Talismans, the Soul Seizing Talisman was the most infamous and most cruel in the eyes of early-stage Qi Refining cultivators.
One talisman could seize a soul.
It was a taboo among Qi Refining cultivators.
Countless early-stage Qi Refining cultivators had died beneath the Soul Seizing Talismans of Unorthodox Path cultivators.
"Good thing you're not a Rogue Cultivator, and you've got Mu Canglong as your backer." Wang Nian sighed. "If you were a Rogue Cultivator, with a Soul Seizing Talisman like that, who knows how many people would want you dead?"
Wen Jiu deeply agreed with Wang Nian. Then he quickly added, "Brother Wang, once I can draw top-grade, low-tier Soul Seizing Talismans, I'll give you some."
Wang Nian nodded.
He was looking forward to it.
The Soul Seizing Talisman was infamous.
But there was no denying that it was powerful.
Yet they weren't sold at Corpse Peak.
Only Unorthodox Path Rogue Cultivators had them.
If he could keep a few Soul Seizing Talismans on hand, then the next time he encountered a Wicked Heretic, he could let them taste the talisman's might for themselves!
"But whatever you do, don't let anyone know you can draw Soul Seizing Talismans. Only show Steward Mu."
Wang Nian reminded him again.
A moment later,
Wang Nian left.
Since Wen Jiu had become an Apprentice Disciple, his elder sister Wen Ya had stopped bringing him food.
After all, Wen Jiu wasn't going to run short of low-grade Spirit Rice or non-spirit-beast meat now.
Wen Jiu had planned to head to Dead Corpse Land to cultivate. But just as he was about to leave, a Night Patrol Division disciple hurried over to find him.
It seemed urgent.
"Daoist Wen, Manager Liu has ordered us to gather at the Night Patrol Division. He has an important assignment for us."
An important assignment?
Wen Jiu's heart tightened.
He changed his clothes and headed for the Night Patrol Division on Flying Immortal Peak.
When he reached the foot of the mountain, Wen Jiu saw that quite a few Night Patrol Division disciples had gathered—at least a hundred, if not two. All seventeen Night Patrol Division disciples under Liu Xiao had gathered there as well.
A tense atmosphere hung over the entire Night Patrol Division. Few people spoke, and those who did kept their voices low,
as if afraid of disturbing someone.
Wen Jiu couldn't help wondering what had happened.
Had there been another murder?
As they waited, plenty of people gave him strange looks. But they only looked at him curiously; nobody stood up to mock him like a madman or an idiot for being an Unorthodox Path cultivator.
Still, Wen Jiu could feel them keeping their distance.
When people chatted in small groups, no one paid him any attention.
Only the Night Patrol Division disciples who often patrolled with him would occasionally exchange a word or two.
But they never said much.
This lonely feeling made Wen Jiu feel as if he'd been ostracized.
Some young people fresh out of the gate might not have been able to stand this atmosphere, or even realized they were being excluded.
But Wen Jiu had lived two lives.
He didn't care.
His heart didn't stir in the slightest.
A moment later,
the Ancient Tower's main doors slowly opened.
It seemed the twelve Night Patrol Division managers had been waiting inside for some time; they filed out one after another.
Two figures also appeared in the corridor on the second floor.
One of them was Mu Canglong.
The other man's aura was somewhat weaker than Mu Canglong's, but his gaze was razor-sharp, as if it could see straight through a person. He scanned the nearly two hundred Night Patrol Division disciples in front of the Ancient Tower, Wen Jiu included.
When that gaze swept over him, Wen Jiu felt as if some monster had set its sights on him.
At that moment, Mu Canglong spoke. "The Peak Master has issued an order. Starting today, the Night Patrol Division will increase its night patrols. The Monster Slaying Division and Demon Suppressing Division will also join in. They'll patrol by day, and we'll patrol by night. We must ensure that the disgrace of infiltrators murdering people never happens again. Remember, if even one more incident occurs, the entire Night Patrol Division will have its pay withheld for a year!"
Mu Canglong's voice commanded authority without needing to rise, and many Night Patrol Division disciples' expressions changed.
A year without pay.
That was no small matter.
And the Monster Slaying Division and Demon Suppressing Division would be joining them.
That left them even more stunned.
Why the sudden change?
Wen Jiu was just as curious. He wondered if the Night Patrol Division had learned anything from the captive they'd taken that night. After what had happened last time, could those people still refuse to give up and keep their eyes on Dead Corpse Land?
Just as Wen Jiu was wondering whether he should find a more secluded place to hide that corpse, the steward standing beside Mu Canglong spoke.
His words shocked everyone.
Even Mu Canglong looked surprised.
"Everyone, stay where you are. There's one more matter to attend to!"
As soon as he finished speaking,
the formations surrounding the Night Patrol Division activated one after another,
cutting off everyone's retreat.
They boxed in the many Night Patrol Division disciples in front of the Ancient Tower.
Wen Jiu could feel the formation's intense killing intent. He had a feeling that if he took even one step outside, it would activate.
"Si Kongbai, what are you doing?" Mu Canglong asked in surprise.
Si Kongbai answered honestly, "Daoist Mu, please forgive me. I received a secret, direct order from the Peak Master, so I had no choice but to keep this from you... Once this is over, I'll treat you to a drink and apologize."
His words were full of remorse.
But in the next moment, he spoke in a solemn voice. "Li Ye, take out all the Illusion Pills. We're beginning..."
Mu Canglong's expression darkened, and a killing intent slowly spread from him. "You still haven't answered my question!"
Si Kongbai stiffened, then gave an ingratiating smile. "Daoist Mu, please calm down. I was only following the Peak Master's secret instructions. To uncover the infiltrator among us, everyone here must take an Illusion Pill and undergo questioning. Anyone who refuses, or puts up a fight, will die!"
Si Kongbai put heavy emphasis on the words "will die."
As if he meant to.
Mu Canglong's expression remained displeased, but he said nothing more.
He might be the Night Patrol Division's First Steward, but Si Kongbai had received his orders from the Peak Master. He could only comply.
He just didn't understand why the Peak Master had gone around the elder in charge of the Night Patrol Division and given Si Kongbai the order directly.
Had Si Kongbai's Soul Searching of the infiltrator uncovered some shocking secret?
Was it something they couldn't disclose?
Or did the Peak Master distrust the elder—and him as well?
Seeing that Mu Canglong said no more, Si Kongbai's lips curved into a smug smile. Then he signaled to Li Ye.
Li Ye and the others immediately began handing out Illusion Pills.
Every pill was a top-grade, low-tier Illusion Pill.
They were expensive.
When Li Ye handed an Illusion Pill to Wen Jiu, a vicious glint flashed in his eyes.
That made Wen Jiu uneasy.
Then he learned what the Illusion Pill did from the hushed conversations around him.
It was used for interrogation.
After taking one, you answered whatever you were asked.
If someone was an infiltrator,
one question would be enough to tell.
It was nearly impossible to resist the effects of an Illusion Pill. Low-level Qi Refining cultivators simply didn't have strong enough mental power.
At that, Wen Jiu immediately understood the vicious glint in Li Ye's eyes.
That bastard wanted to use this chance to question him about Fang Zheng and the others!
That damned dog!
If he got through today unscathed, then once he reached the third layer of Qi Refining, he'd kill him!
Just then,
Si Kongbai's cold voice rang out.
"Take them!"
Soon,
the Night Patrol Division disciples swallowed the pills one after another.
Afterward, their eyes grew hazy, and their expressions turned vacant and wooden.
Wen Jiu held the Illusion Pill, hesitating,
his heart uneasy.
Li Ye was delighted.
Seeing the smug look in Li Ye's eyes as he stared at him, Wen Jiu swallowed the Illusion Pill, intending to see whether the mental power he'd gained from living two lives could withstand it. But the instant the Illusion Pill entered his stomach, the Yin cultivation method inside him suddenly went berserk.
The Yin cultivation method seemed to have spotted an enemy. It pounced, corroding the entire Illusion Pill before it even had a chance to dissolve.
What was going on?
Wen Jiu was baffled.
And confused.
But there was no time to think it through. He slowly imitated the others, pretending to be dazed and stupid, bit by bit.
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