Sealing it inside his body seemed like a good choice. There was no better way for now, Su Ye thought to himself.
The red glow that had been pulsing vanished right before Big Black's eyes.
Su Ye didn't feel any discomfort. Still, the red glow that had suddenly appeared in his heart reminded him that the incomplete stone stele was floating quietly inside him.
"Boss, where did the red light go?"
After thinking it over, Su Ye didn't explain the stele's origins. The system's "divine artifact" prefix alone was enough to show how precious it was.
Even a mere fragment had made the Corpse Demon Cult covet it enough to pay a steep price. He had to be extra careful.
He answered casually, "I've refined it. As for what it does, I'll have to test it later to find out."
"By the way, where did you get this thing?"
"Boss, didn't you tell me to investigate how Magistrate Chen and his people reacted?"
As he recounted what had happened, Big Black grinned from beak to ear, looking smug. "I stole this treasure from them."
It had all started when Big Black left the county office. Magistrate Chen wasn't there, so after searching in vain, Big Black had hurried straight to the Qin family estate.
Following the route he'd scouted earlier, Big Black used his innate ability to conceal his presence. This time, he landed directly in a bamboo grove in the Qin family's back courtyard, where he looked around. The lingering scent of the Corpse Demon Cult was strongest there.
Before long, Magistrate Chen and the Qin brothers hurried toward the place Big Black was watching. Just then, voices reached his ears.
"We've blood-sacrificed a thousand people in a single day. The villages and towns outside the county will soon be thrown into chaos. We can't keep this under wraps; people from the Demon Suppression Division will be here soon.
"And Zombie Mountain has been destroyed by someone we don't know. When will we be able to retrieve the treasure? We can't keep waiting around." Qin Ganghu looked anxious.
Magistrate Chen stroked his beard and reassured him. "Don't panic, second brother. We'll be able to retrieve it by tonight at the latest.
"This place is remote. Besides, the cult has already contacted many allied forces to keep watch on every side. The Howling Moon Demon King himself is holding the Yunzhou Demon Suppression Division at bay. Even if a few small fry slip through, a Core Formation great demon can deal with them. There's no need to panic."
The moment the Qin brothers heard the name Howling Moon Demon King, fear showed on their faces.
He had faced off against the Yunzhou Demon Suppression Division for a thousand years and killed several Prefectural Commanders. They didn't know exactly how powerful he was.
But rumor had it that if the Yunzhou Garrison Commander hadn't broken through to the True Martial Mirror at the last moment and held the Howling Moon Demon King in check, the whole of Yunzhou would have fallen into the hands of the Demonic Beasts. Perhaps the Great Xia court would eventually have found time to take it back—but who knew how many people in Yunzhou would still be alive by then?
Qin Ganglong pressed him. "Brother-in-law, what exactly did we blood-sacrifice? The cult actually managed to summon the Howling Moon Demon King himself to hold the Demon Suppression Division at bay."
"This matter is of great importance. You don't need to know what it is. The turmoil across Yunzhou is all cover for us.
"There's no room for carelessness when the stakes are this high."
Magistrate Chen's expression turned grave as he looked from one man to the other. "We must put caution first. Once this is over, our time to soar will have come. Let's go in and check again."
As he spoke, Qin Ganghu stepped forward and twisted an unremarkable stone. With a rumble, a massive rock on the face of the artificial hill swung open.
A faint red glow flickered inside the cave. The smooth stone walls on either side shimmered with distorted shadows. Once all three men had entered, the massive rock slammed shut behind them.
Big Black grew solemn. He had heard every word. Magistrate Chen and the Qin brothers had blood-sacrificed a thousand people, but for what? From what they'd said, it wasn't just the Corpse Demon Cult involved this time—many great demons had joined in too.
Magistrate Chen and the Qin brothers were only at the Meridian Opening realm, yet they were at the root of this turmoil in Yunzhou. Could there be experts lurking in the shadows as well?
As for the Howling Moon Demon King, Big Black knew of him, of course. He had entrenched himself beyond Yunzhou, watching the region like a tiger eyeing its prey, with countless great demons under his command. It could be said that every Demonic Beast in Yunzhou answered to him. For the Corpse Demon Cult to go to such lengths over whatever they were plotting, it had to be something momentous.
No, he had to tell Boss.
As Big Black muttered to himself, the massive rock opened again, and the three men strolled out of the cave.
Magistrate Chen said, "In less than two hours, this thing will settle down. Gang Hu, arrange our withdrawal so we don't waste time.
"Gang Long, come back to the county office with me. We'll prepare a few gifts for the Demon Suppression Division."
After Magistrate Chen and Qin Ganglong left, Qin Ganghu summoned the steward and demanded angrily, "Did the people I sent to Kaoshan Town find Hao'er?"
The steward hesitated. "Second Master, we didn't find Young Master Qin Hao at the house in Kaoshan Town.
"But there were signs that the bedding in his room had been disturbed."
Qin Ganghu's gaze turned menacing. "Are you saying something happened to Hao'er?"
"I—I can't be sure, sir."
Smack!
Qin Ganghu whipped out a slap. "Go investigate! I want news of Hao'er before dawn!"
Blood trickled from the steward's mouth as he repeatedly agreed.
Once the two men had left, Big Black hurried forward and twisted the stone. He slipped into the cave without trouble, but after going only a short distance, he suddenly beat his wings and dodged a set of claws swiping at him.
Ironclad Corpses—and four of them?
Big Black had visited the cave where the Corpse Demon Cult raised Ironclad Corpses. He recognized the attackers at a glance.
Ironclad Corpses were no stronger than ordinary Martial Artists at the Mid Body Tempering stage. They were no threat to Big Black. His claws flashed like knives, and he finished the fight in a dozen breaths.
The battle didn't last long, but it still made some noise. Big Black snatched the red orb from the stone wall and vanished into the night with a beat of his wings.
"Boss, the Corpse Demon Cult went to all this trouble for this treasure. What do you think they'll do when they find out it's gone?"
Big Black wore a mischievous grin.
Su Ye considered it. "Big Black, keep an eye on what's happening in the city tonight. If anything unusual happens, notify me at once."
"Got it, Boss."
The Corpse Demon Cult had paid such a steep price for the Blood Fiend Sky-Severing Stele now floating inside him. He didn't know where it had come from, but when Magistrate Chen and the Qin brothers learned it was missing, they'd surely turn the place upside down.
More than a thousand people outside the county had been killed or wounded. They wouldn't dare stick around. If he could just make it through tonight, he might finally sleep easy.
As the old saying went, treasures went to those with a destined connection to them. Su Ye felt that he and this treasure were fated to meet. For now, though, he needed to earn more Assistance Points and fuse with it as soon as possible.
He believed that by then, his strength would undergo a complete transformation.
At the county office, Magistrate Chen and Qin Ganglong received the news. The two men no longer bothered to conceal their strength and raced toward the Qin family estate.
Before they reached the artificial hill in the back courtyard, Qin Ganghu hurried up to them, his face stricken with worry.
"Brother-in-law! Big brother! The treasure's gone. I was away for only half a quarter-hour, and someone killed the four Ironclad Corpses guarding it!"
Qin Ganghu didn't know exactly what the treasure was, but he knew the cult had paid an enormous price for it.
If they couldn't get it back, not one of his family would survive. His voice turned choked as he added, "I suspect the Ironclad Corpses in the cave were killed by some featherless beast."
As he spoke, Qin Ganghu took out a jet-black feather.
Magistrate Chen's face turned livid. He took the feather, but for a long time, he said nothing. Qin Ganglong still couldn't believe the treasure was missing, so he hurried into the artificial hill to check.
Before long, Qin Ganglong returned to Magistrate Chen's side, his face just as stricken. "The Corpse Demon Cult planted a restriction inside us long ago. There's no chance we can run. What do we do now?"
Before you continue