Blessed Life Cult

White Snake Martial School, training grounds.

Lin Nan was instructing Yu Qianqian in martial arts. He held up her fair little hand and taught her, move by move, the techniques for exerting force with Serpent Flow Force.

A blush spread across Yu Qianqian's face. Whether from the heat or something else, tiny beads of sweat seeped across her forehead.

Before long, the two of them withdrew their moves at the same time.

Lin Nan smiled. "Your Serpent Flow Force has improved greatly. Practice it a few more times, and you'll probably soon reach the hidden-force level of Tongue-Thrust Baleful Intent."

"It's because Brother Lin teaches so well. There were many things I couldn't figure out no matter how hard I thought, but while sparring with Brother Lin, I suddenly understood them."

Of course you understood. The proficiency given by the Creation Furnace never disappoints.

Lin Nan muttered inwardly.

"At this rate, I feel that by next spring at the latest, I should be able to break through to the third level of qi and blood."

Yu Qianqian felt the surging qi and blood within her and looked full of anticipation.

"So soon?" Lin Nan was startled. By age, Yu Qianqian was even half a year younger than Zhong Jing.

He had not expected her to be so close to the third level of qi and blood already.

He glanced at the information on the furnace:

[Technique: Spirit Serpent Stance (Beginner 10/200)]

Ever since [Spirit Serpent Stance] had reached the Beginner stage, the words [White Snake Stance], which came from the same source as [Spirit Serpent Stance], had vanished, seemingly merging completely into the Spirit Serpent Stance.

Unfortunately, without demon flesh to assist him, his skin-tempering progress was agonizingly slow.

At this rate, who knew when he would reach the first level of the skin-and-flesh realm.

Just as the two were sparring.

A rapid string of footsteps suddenly came from outside.

Liu Feng hurried in from the doorway, a delighted grin on his face.

"What news did you dig up this time?" Lin Nan knew something had happened the moment he saw him like this.

"No one knows me like Brother Lin!" A mysterious smile curled across Liu Feng's lips.

"I'm sure you'll like this news. Last night, a mysterious expert broke into the Execution Hall of the Blood Blade Sect and severely wounded Hall Master Tu Kui with a single move!"

A mysterious expert had broken into the Execution Hall of the Blood Blade Sect... and severely wounded Hall Master Tu Kui with one move...

Li Nianru made her move?!

The thought flashed through Lin Nan's mind instinctively.

"The three hall masters of the Blood Blade Sect have always tyrannized others. Now that Tu Kui has been severely wounded, I heard he'll have to lie in bed for at least half a year. What a satisfying turn of events. Once the other two gangs hear about this, there'll definitely be a scramble for territory."

Liu Feng seemed immensely pleased as well. A Qing from his Far Army Escort Bureau had also been killed by men secretly sent by Tu Kui, costing his household a capable hand.

Although Tu Kui was not dead, this still counted as venting some of their anger.

"Looking at it this way, the Execution Hall probably won't be able to trouble Brother Lin anytime soon."

Lin Nan nodded, letting out a long breath of relief.

The outer city had more than just the Blood Blade Sect.

Black Dragon Outer City had three gangs and three martial schools.

The three gangs were the Wild Sand Sect, Red Lion Gang, and Blood Blade Sect.

The three factions fought openly and covertly for power almost every day.

Now that Tu Kui would be recovering for half a year, the other two gangs certainly would not let the matter rest. A major reshuffling of territory was inevitable.

For the next year, Tu Kui would probably be too busy to look after himself. How could he have the time to trouble Lin Nan?

A year...

Hmph. As long as I'm given time to grow, in one year I'll show Tu Kui what it means for the Dragon King to return!

The three chatted for a while, then casually exchanged moves and sparred for some time. Before they knew it, afternoon had arrived.

Lin Nan returned to his room. The moment he entered, his gaze froze.

A line of writing in charcoal ash was visible on the floor:

[Tomorrow at noon, meet in private in Room No. 2 of the Drunken Spring Pavilion]

"Are Martial Alliance people always this brazen?"

"And where else could we not meet? Why did it have to be the Drunken Spring Pavilion?"

Before Liu Feng entered, Lin Nan hurriedly wiped away the writing on the floor with his foot.

"What are you standing at the door for?" Liu Feng walked in with a yawn.

The next day, noon.

After putting on a simple disguise, Lin Nan arrived before a tall building.

The signboard above bore the three words Drunken Spring Pavilion.

The moment he stepped inside, a familiar faint scent of powder and perfume washed over him.

"Welcome inside, sir." The madam stationed in the entrance hall had sharp eyes and immediately came forward with a smile.

"Do you have any girls I know?"

"Number Two."

"Number Two is off duty today."

"No, I meant Room No. 2." The corner of Lin Nan's mouth twitched twice.

"A friend invited me."

"Oh, so you really came to listen to music."

The smile on the madam's face melted away like an iceberg. Expressionless, she led him through the corridor to the door of a secluded private room.

"Here it is."

With that, the madam left without looking back.

"So realistic. Too realistic."

Lin Nan sighed softly, unable to help feeling the coldness of the world.

Back then, his predecessor had been a VIP customer here. Yet after not visiting for a little over half a year, everything had changed in the blink of an eye.

Lin Nan raised a hand and gently pushed open the wooden door. A familiar fruity floral fragrance greeted him from within the private room.

Li Nianru was seated in the center of the room. She had changed into men's clothing and tied up her hair, looking every bit the heroic swordswoman.

Not far before her, two dancers took light, lotus-like steps as they sang a well-known tune from Black Dragon Outer City.

"My heart is no stone, it cannot be turned~"

Li Nianru cracked sunflower seeds with one hand while watching the dancers' performance with great interest.

"You're here. Come sit!"

She warmly called Lin Nan over.

"Why choose this place? Aren't you worried there are too many eyes and ears?"

Lin Nan sat down without ceremony, poured himself a cup of hot tea, and drank it.

"On the contrary. A small hermit hides in the wild, while a great hermit hides in the city. The more crowded a place is, the easier it is to be overlooked."

Li Nianru chuckled, wearing an expression that said he did not know quality when he saw it.

Before long, the song ended. Li Nianru waved her hand, and the two dancers withdrew, closing the door behind them. The room immediately fell silent.

"Was Tu Kui's matter your doing?" Lin Nan spoke first.

"That's right, but I didn't kill him."

Li Nianru smiled. "I merely made him lie in bed for a year or so. If you still can't solve even this little trouble after a year, then it only means I misjudged you."

Lin Nan fell silent for a moment before continuing, "What do you want me to do?"

When they got down to business.

Li Nianru's expression turned solemn. "Do you know about the recent cases of women disappearing in the outer city?"

Cases of missing women...

Lin Nan searched through his memories.

At last, he recalled Liu Feng, the information expert, mentioning the missing women cases while chatting with him about half a year ago. It was said that even a female martial artist at the third level of qi and blood from Gale Martial Hall had gone missing.

"First it was the east side of the city, then the north side, and finally the entire outer city. Even women from some merchant families in the inner city have disappeared. By today, there are nearly twenty people."

Li Nianru slowly explained.

"It's this serious?"

Lin Nan had taken it as mere dinner-table gossip. He had not expected it to spread to the inner city.

"We suspect it is connected to a cult called the Blessed Life Cult. I need you to infiltrate this cult and help us uncover the truth behind the disappearances."

"Blessed Life Cult?" Lin Nan thought about it. It seemed to be a cult that had only recently emerged in the outer city, setting up charitable halls everywhere and distributing money and grain, winning quite a bit of goodwill from the common people.

"If it really has something to do with the Blessed Life Cult, why not report it directly to the authorities and send constables to investigate?"

"And are those constables necessarily trustworthy?"

Li Nianru shot him a glance.

Lin Nan froze, instantly recalling Peng Huo, the leader of the Withered Locust Village mission.

Though the man had been a constable, he had massacred an entire village just to test the abilities of a cup unearthed from an ancient tomb.

"Besides, do you think those so-called important people in the inner city are free of problems too?" Li Nianru revealed a cold smile.

"The inner city... what do you mean by that?"

Lin Nan was suddenly alarmed.

In an instant, many thoughts came to him. The entire outer city's stability came from the jade talismans provided by the inner city. If even the inner city had problems, then... it was simply unthinkable.

Li Nianru shook her head and did not continue on that subject.

"In ten days, I'll tell you about one of the Blessed Life Cult's hidden strongholds. You only need to go there as instructed."

Li Nianru said softly, "Of course, you may refuse. Our Martial Alliance is not unreasonable. If you refuse, we'll arrange for someone to use a secret technique to erase your memories of the past few days."

"That sounds great." Lin Nan's face lit up.

"But there's one drawback to having your memories erased."

"What drawback?"

"You'll become an idiot."

"..."

"So there's no choice?"

"What do you think?" A sweet smile bloomed on Li Nianru's face.

"But don't worry. I'll teach you an unrivaled martial art."

With that, she took a thick blue-green book from her sleeve. It was more than ten times thicker than the White Snake Fist Lin Nan had seen.

"An unrivaled martial art?!"

"That's right. The Primordial Vitality Art I cultivate was passed down from Dawn Guardian, one of the Martial Alliance's three great guardians. When cultivated to its peak, its aura is as vigorous as the morning sun. It specializes in countering sinister and unorthodox arts, and its rank is far beyond that of your White Snake Fist."

"Rank?"