The Demon Cult's Inside Man

"Haha, it's best if someone's treating! I, Red-Haired Ghost Li Tang, love making friends the most, let's go!"

Since Liu Chengzong dared to brazenly block his way at the entrance of the Shenzhen Palace, he must have come prepared. Li Fan guessed that while Penglai appeared peaceful on the surface, there were undercurrents surging beneath the surface, and countless people were secretly watching them. Of course, he couldn't break his facade, so he readily agreed to Liu Chengzong's invitation and followed him to the Daoist palace of the Taishang Taizhen Palace on Penglai Mountain.

Currently, most of the Outer Sect Disciple of the Taizhen Palace are cultivating in Yingzhou, which is considered to be close to the Xuanzhen Palace lineage. Apart from a few palace guards, there is hardly anyone left in the Taizhen Palace in Penglai.

Liu Chengzong then specially hosted a banquet for Li Fan in the main hall. The servant boys were indeed professional service staff of the Xuanmen sect. At Liu Chengzong's command, they used some kind of magic to shuttle back and forth. In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a full table of wine and delicacies was set out, with a dazzling array of fine wines and dishes.

"I've already inquired about Derun and Dezai, but Brother Li was out patrolling the sea a few days ago and missed them. It's fortunate that we found each other today. You truly are a fine man. Come, let me toast you first."

"Haha, you're too kind, sir. I'm just a rough man and not good with words, so please feel free to ask me anything."

As Li Fan spoke, he and the man toasted each other, then Li Fan unceremoniously tore off a chicken leg and started eating. Yes, it really was a chicken leg, not some magical illusion. But was it really a chicken? Surely it wasn't a phoenix...?

"Very well, Elder Li, you are very helpful," Liu Chengzong said with a smile. "I heard that you came with the Spirit Race. Could you please briefly recount what happened?"

"That's easy to explain! That day, I was circling the mountain looking for someone to duel with when I suddenly saw a group of Demon Race passing by. I followed them to the scene, and wow! You wouldn't believe it! The scene was truly... a bloodbath..."

Just as Li Fan was about to start improvising, he looked up and suddenly saw the Manifestation Dao Lord appear behind Liu Chengzong. In his empty eye sockets, two bright blue eyes were staring at him. Li Fan immediately shut his mouth and almost bit his tongue.

Holy crap, what the hell! This just popped up out of nowhere and ruined my mood...

He abruptly shut his mouth, and Liu Chengzong frowned, turned his head, followed Li Fan's gaze to look at the Manifestation Dao Lord behind him, then turned back to Li Fan with a smile, "Elder Li, what's wrong? What were you going to say just now?"

Manifestation Dao Lord raised his index finger and made a 'shh' gesture to Li Fan.

Instantly, Li Fan felt a chill run through him. "Ugh, blood, blood, snowflakes fluttering, the north wind howling, the sky and earth a vast expanse of desolation... Oh, oh oh..."

Master Liu stared at him with a surprised expression. Manifestation Dao Lord, on the other hand, stroked his beard and nodded.

Li Fan quickly picked up his wine cup and took a sip to calm his nerves. "I'm sorry, it's rare to drink such a fine wine, and I just felt like singing a song. Please don't mind, Master."

"... I see, Brother Li is truly a man of character..."

Just then, six fairies in sheer, revealing skirts entered from outside. It was unclear whether they were preparing a song and dance performance or were there to keep customers company.

Li Fan was watching intently as one problem after another arose as someone walked towards him.

Liu Chengzong noticed Li Fan's gaze, suddenly realized something, and clapped his hands, "You don't need to serve me today, you can all leave."

"Yes, it's a real person." Then, the various beauties, some plump and some slender, circled the stage, showing off their peach-like, jade-like, camel-like toes, before leaving the stage.

Li Fan turned his face away, staring expressionlessly at Liu Chengzong, who picked up the wine pot and personally came over to pour him wine.

The guy even winked at him, "Now that there's no one else around, Brother Li, please feel free to speak your mind."

You big-headed devil, that thing is still standing there!

Li Fan took a deep breath, and under the watchful eyes of Liu Chengzong and Manifestation Dao Lord, he spoke expressionlessly in a completely flat voice, "That day, I was sparring with my friends from the Spirit Race, trying to improve together, when suddenly I heard someone was casting a talisman for help. So I went to see what was going on—I mean, to rescue people. Then, as soon as I entered, I saw Laifu beating Chang Wei, and the entire Qi family was dead. Cough cough cough! Sorry, I misspoke. I meant that when I arrived at the scene, I found everyone was dead, so I rushed into the warehouse to rescue them..."

Liu Chengzong raised his hand to stop him, "Brother Li, didn't you say everyone at the scene was dead? How do you know there are still survivors in the warehouse who need to be rescued?"

"Uh..." Li Fan felt immense pressure under the gaze of the Manifestation Dao Lord. "I just scanned it with my Divine Sense..."

Liu Chengzong looked at him curiously, "Everyone at the scene was dead, but there are still people alive in the warehouse. Aren't you worried that the murderer might still be there? How dare you just go in?"

The Manifestation Dao Lord also turned to look at Li Fan.

Li Fan broke out in a cold sweat, "... What you said makes a lot of sense, I didn't even notice. But it doesn't matter if he's the murderer, just do it! I bumped into him and cracked his head off!"

Liu Chengzong looked at Li Fan's appearance and thought about it; it made sense. He smiled at him and said, "Concern can cloud judgment. Elder Li's concern for his fellow disciples is sincere and admirable. Please continue."

Li Fan spread his hands, "That's all. When I went in, I saw several young girls. One of them had an eye injury and was... rescued by the sect. I wonder if Master Liu knows their whereabouts? How are their injuries?"

Liu Chengzong nodded. "I see. You all agree. Elder, please don't mind. Since I'm in charge of investigating this matter, I have to follow the proper procedures and ask questions. However, everyone else asked me if I had any guesses about the murderer, but you asked about the injuries of those girls? Don't you know their identities?"

Seeing that the Manifestation Dao Lord was still standing there and wouldn't leave, Li Fan decided to go all out and downed the wine in his cup in one gulp. "I'm new here, so I don't care who the murderer is. I don't know him anyway. As long as I know that any demonic cultivator who dares to kill my fellow disciples in Penglai has only one path: death!"

As for those girls, well, I've heard about them too. I heard they're remnants of some demonic cult, but to be frank, they all look like ordinary people who have just reached the Qi Refining stage. I don't believe they could be members of a demonic cult.

"Penglai is one of the Nine Great Xuan Sects, a prestigious and revered sect throughout the world. It's not worth arguing with these juniors, is it?"

Li Fan knew he had made the right bet, because the Manifestation Dao Lord stroked his beard and nodded again, and Liu Chengzong wasn't angry; instead, he poured Li Fan another cup of wine.

"That's right. At most, they are the relatives of remnants of the Demonic Cult. They were involved but know nothing about the Demonic Cult. We have already investigated and found out, which is why we sent them to Benshan."

Their injuries have healed now. After some time, once we've caught the thief and settled things here, we'll send them to the Outer Sect... Brother Li, would you like to take a few with you?"

Li Fan didn't care whether the other party was deliberately testing him or not, and readily agreed, "That's perfect! You probably know that I just took a concubine, but she is, after all, a princess of the Xiao Family, the daughter of a noble family, and it's not good to make her work too hard. If these girls have nowhere to go, why not give them to my family as maids!"

Liu Chengzong looked at Li Fan for a while, then smiled and said, "... Alright, I'll speak to the sect leader on your behalf."

Needless to say, that damn thing next to me has already nodded. So what are you still standing there for? Go and seek enlightenment!

Li Fan was filled with secrets, and having an old ghost watching him made him incredibly nervous. He drank another cup, forcing a smile, and said, "Since you've asked everything you wanted to ask, I won't disturb your investigation any longer. Farewell..."

But Liu Chengzong waved his hand and pulled him back, "We've only had two drinks, it's still early. Elder Li, don't be in such a hurry to find your beautiful wife. Please sit down. I invited you here today not just for these trivial matters."

Li Fan, "?"

Liu Chengzong flipped his hand and took out a small bronze bell, about the size of a wine cup and small enough to be held in one's hand. He placed it on the table and then tapped it with his jade chopsticks.

Li Fan clearly saw the bronze bell fly up, grow larger in the air, and then fall down, trapping him, Liu Chengzong, and Manifestation Dao Lord inside!

The bronze bell gradually became transparent, turning into a faint, glass-like protective shield. Liu Chengzong smiled, "Now it's easier to talk."

The Manifestation Dao Lord stroked his beard and nodded.

Li Fan, "..."

"Elder Li is exceptionally skilled. I heard that you patrolled the seas and vanquished demons as soon as you joined the sect, making great contributions to Penglai. You are truly a rare talent. I wonder how Senior Brother Zhou managed to recruit such an expert as you?"

Li Fan understood a little. "Oh, so you're trying to win me over?"

Liu Chengzong also spoke frankly, "That's right, perhaps the elders already know that although Shenzhen Palace was ranked among the top three in the Nine Truth Sect back then, the group of old men in the palace had limited talents and wasted all the spiritual pills and elixirs accumulated over the generations. As a result, not a single one of them had any hope of breaking through. They were stuck at the Divine Transformation stage and waiting to die."

As for the younger generation in the Nascent Soul stage, without the support of the Dao Palace, they are destined not to go far. For the next few generations, they will likely have to work hard to accumulate resources for the lineage, hoping to cultivate outstanding Dao children in the next generation. Elder Li, the offerings you can receive in such a sect are quite limited. I heard you and Senior Brother Zhou went to refine pills today? Hehe, I'm afraid you provided the pill ingredients yourself, right? How many pills did he refine?"

Moreover, it wasn't just Liu Chengzong who said this; the Manifestation Dao Lord was also nodding in agreement.

Holy crap, where did you come from?!

Li Fan's expression was complicated. "It's not finished refining yet, who knows... How can I get more pills if I join the Taizhen Palace...?"

Liu Chengzong chuckled for a while, "My Taizhen lineage has a shallow foundation. I'm not even good enough myself. Elder Li is a master who can exchange blows with that Cheng Chengzhi. I can't afford to support a protector like you. I'm just acting as a go-between for someone else."

As he spoke, he reached into his robes and pulled out a large jade gourd with dragon patterns. "Here are two hundred Donghua Changchun Pill, which Disciple Xu just refined. Consider it a small gift."

Li Fan stared blankly, utterly dumbfounded. "Wait, is throwing two hundred Nine-Turn Immortal Pills at people the orthodox tradition of the Xuanmen sect?"

"Hahaha! Brother Li is truly fascinating," Liu Chengzong placed the gourd in front of Li Fan, flicked his sleeves, and said, "Disciple Xu is a rare Dao Seed, a master of the Five Arts. Once he reaches the Divine Transformation and comprehends the Dao, what magical treasures and immortal pills wouldn't he have? A mere two hundred Donghua Changchun Pill are nothing to him. He is the only genius who will bring glory to our Penglai Sect in the future. Brother Li, you will benefit from being his protector far more than this."

The Manifestation Dao Lord stroked his beard and actually nodded again!

Li Fan was genuinely puzzled. "This... Master Liu, Brother Liu, I'm just a country bumpkin, I don't understand the inner workings of Penglai. Please forgive any offense I may have caused. But why are you forming cliques like this? Real Person Xu, as Dao Seed of Yingzhou, does he really need a martial artist like me as a protector?"

Liu Chengzong was truly uninhibited. His smile faded as he said, "Brother Li, although you come from a humble background, reaching the Nascent Soul Realm means you must be a shrewd person. True, we wouldn't normally take one or two Outer Sect protectors seriously. But if we knew that in a few years the sect would split, with two factions fighting for the new sect leader, and that those we couldn't win over today would become enemies tomorrow, then what's a few hundred immortal pills to us?"

After finishing the ball, Manifestation Dao Lord nodded again...

Li Fan frowned, forcing a smile, "Brother Liu, that's not quite right. I've heard that everyone in Penglai is part of a family, and fighting and killing each other is too discordant. Besides, isn't the position of sect leader chosen by the sect leader and palace masters? What's the point of killing each other? Please explain in more detail."

Liu Chengzong was impressed by Li Fan's calmness at this moment. "Actually, it's simple. Originally, everyone was following the rules. But this sect leader is a biased, petty, protective, blind old madman."

Wo--Blanching--!

Li Fan's smile vanished. "Brother Liu! Don't speak carelessly!"

And Daojun was nodding kindly!

That fool Liu Chengzong continued to speak ill of others, saying, "Brother Li, don't worry, I borrowed this magic weapon from the Palace Master, so there's no way he could have overheard it."

Actually, I don't want to discuss the rights and wrongs of the predecessors, but the current Manifestation Dao Lord is really unethical. He is biased, protective of his own, and backstabbing. It goes without saying that he favors the most genuine disciples. He also seized the position of sect leader through despicable means, which is truly despicable to all the mountains and palaces!

Holy crap, that's enough! And why are you still nodding?!

Li Fan's expression was now blank. "Brother Liu, you've gone too far."

"Heh, if it were just this, it wouldn't be so bad. It's just a bit of an ugly display of greed. But there's one thing that's intolerable!" Liu Chengzong downed his cup of wine in one gulp and smashed the cup. "He also colluded with the Demonic Sect! He's ruining the millennia-old foundation of Penglai!"

Li Fan's heart skipped a beat, and the hairs on his neck stood on end.

But at least out of the corner of his eye, he saw that the Manifestation Dao Lord had stopped nodding, but he didn't immediately turn hostile. Instead, he put his hands behind his back, walked over to the two of them, and actually leaned in to continue listening!

"Brother Li, did Senior Brother Zhou tell you that the Demonic Sect once infiltrated Penglai and even rose to a high position in the sect, almost taking away the position of sect leader?"

Li Fan's forehead was covered in sweat. "No, no, Brother Zhou warned me not to ask around and to just do my job for the sect honestly. The sect will naturally not treat me unfairly."

Liu Chengzong sneered, "That's right. Senior Brother Zhou has always been cautious and prudent, and he doesn't like to compete with others. It would be shameful for him to speak out about such things, so of course he wouldn't dare to say anything. But I'll tell you plainly, the sect leader's position is illegitimate!"

The most admired seed in the sect, the Daoist who ranked first on the leaderboard, was originally the Daoist of the Supreme True Sect, the Xiantong Lord!

Who would have thought that during the sect leader succession ceremony, Manifestation Dao Lord suddenly jumped out and accused Xiantong of being a spy for the Demonic Sect? This completely reversed the situation, allowing him, the runner-up, to regain the position of sect leader for the Zhenzhen Palace and even capture a spy from the Demonic Sect. He has truly made a great contribution to Penglai!

The Manifestation Dao Lord was standing to the side, even turned his head and nodded to Li Fan!

Sweat poured down Li Fan's back. "This... defeating the Demonic Sect, isn't this a good thing...?"

Liu Chengzong's smile vanished as he stared intently at Li Fan. "What if I told you that this was all a conspiracy! Xiantong Tongjun was actually framed! Someone else was pulling the strings behind the scenes, framing their rival, all for the position of sect leader!"

Fortunately, the Manifestation Dao Lord shook his head this time.

Alright, it seems his life isn't in danger. The pressure from this enlightenment master is too great; even the system hasn't made a sound, and he can't withstand it now.

Li Fan breathed a sigh of relief. "Brother Liu, you accuse the Sect Leader of being a spy for the Demonic Sect, but you must have solid evidence. Besides, so many seniors in Penglai have agreed on this matter, and it's been a settled matter for many years. Perhaps there's some misunderstanding?"

The Manifestation Dao Lord seemed to nod in agreement.

To everyone's surprise, Liu Chengzong sneered, "I'm not saying that the sect leader is an undercover agent. In fact, everyone knows what's going on. There's no undercover agent. He's just a good friend of Xiantong Xianhua who defected to the Demonic Sect for various reasons. As a result, Manifestation Dao Lord. The sect leaders of our Nine Great Xuan Sects naturally cannot have the stain of colluding with the Demonic Sect, which is why Xiantong Xianhua was forced to retire."

Using such despicable means to blackmail and deceive people for a while, do they really think they can win over the masses?

Uh, the Manifestation Dao Lord actually nodded in agreement.

It seems their collusion with the Demonic Sect is quite serious. Even the successor to the Daoist Master is forced into seclusion. While this matter is somewhat despicable, it shouldn't be this serious...

"But when he seized the throne, he was all righteous and awe-inspiring. Now, Xia Chengming, the Daoist disciple of the Zhenzhen Palace, is a true member of the Demonic Sect! There are witnesses and evidence to prove it! Yet, because Ling Chendao suddenly left, the sect leader deliberately condoned and protected Xia Chengming in order to ensure that Zhenzhen Palace could continue its Daoist Tradition. Isn't this for personal gain, colluding with the Demonic Sect, and ruining the millennia-old foundation of Penglai!"

Now, Lingzhen Zhang Chengxu has also been inexplicably murdered! The disciples of the six palaces of Fanghu Mountain in Yingzhou have united to protect Senior Brother Xu. We must not allow the demonic cult brats to usurp the foundation of our Nine Truth Sect built over many years!

Li Fan suddenly felt a tremor in the back of his neck and was speechless for a moment.

The Manifestation Dao Lord turned to look at Li Fan and gave him a wink.

Heaven knows how Li Fan could tell from those tiny, beady eyes, but he really understood, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and keep talking.

"Master Liu claims Xia Chengming belongs to the Demonic Sect, but is there any evidence?"

Liu Chengming laughed loudly, "Of course! The demonic brats we captured during our pursuit of the remnants of the Demonic Cult have already confessed!"