Ge Hong

When Jing Wen stepped out of the main hall, the horizon had just turned fish-belly white. A few rays of dawn pierced the thin mist and spilled into Still Garden's courtyard.

The members of the Reconnaissance Squad had already gathered in the courtyard, whispering among themselves.

"Jing Wen's luck is downright heaven-defying!" a shrill voice suddenly rang out, its tone brimming with undisguised envy.

"With all those contribution points he earned this time, he might be able to reach the sixth layer of Qi Refining directly with Blood Pills! He could join the Hunting Squad right away!"

"Hmph!" Another voice dripped with jealousy. "Who knows what really happened? Maybe he secretly rigged things and got his two companions killed so he could claim all the credit. Nothing but dogshit luck!"

"Don't go spouting nonsense!" a steadier voice interjected. "If not for Jing Wen, our Blood Sacrifice mission would have gone down the drain. How many of us would have suffered when the higher-ups came looking for someone to blame?"

They deliberately lowered their voices, whispering to one another while occasionally glancing at Jing Wen.

Jing Wen heard every word, but his expression remained calm, as though he had heard nothing.

In his eyes, these people were merely walking ingredients for Blood Pills. It was only a matter of sooner or later.

The Black Fiend Cult was a world where the strong devoured the weak and might reigned supreme. He had no need to care what these ants thought.

Jing Wen was about to leave when Ge Hong hurried over, his face wreathed in smiles.

"Brother Jing Wen, you've rendered such a great service this time. You're our hero!" Ge Hong's lively eyes gleamed with shrewdness. "I've arranged food and wine at the Gathering Immortals Tower today. Let's celebrate properly!"

Jing Wen's interest stirred. He had been hoping to learn more about the Black Fiend Cult's inner workings from Ge Hong.

As a member of the Reconnaissance Squad, Ge Hong spent his days gathering intelligence and was bound to know plenty of secrets.

He smiled and nodded. "With such a generous invitation, Brother Ge Hong, refusing would only make us seem like strangers."

The two walked out of Still Garden side by side. The street lamps were burning low, and pedestrians were few and far between.

Before long, they arrived at the Gathering Immortals Tower.

Inside the restaurant, drinkers played finger-guessing games and drinking games amid a lively din.

Jing Wen could not help marveling at how vibrant the Capital's nightlife was. It felt like a city that never slept.

Ge Hong led Jing Wen to a quiet corner and sat down. Soon, food and wine covered the table.

"Come, Brother Jing Wen, let's start with a toast!" Ge Hong raised his cup and drained it.

Jing Wen took a sip as well. After setting down his cup, he asked with seeming casualness, "Brother Ge Hong, you've been in the cult for quite some time. Do you know how many bases the Black Fiend Cult has?"

Ge Hong wiped the wine from the corner of his mouth and answered without hesitation, "Eight, including ours. Each base has its own duties and sphere of influence. We usually cooperate, though there's some rivalry behind the scenes too."

Jing Wen nodded slightly and poured another cup for himself and Ge Hong before asking, "I heard the cult holds a Blood Sacrifice every three months. Who usually presides over it?"

This question was crucial to Jing Wen. If a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator presided over the Blood Sacrifice, the slightest carelessness could expose his hidden strength, given his current cultivation.

Ge Hong swallowed a large mouthful of wine, his face faintly flushed. "It used to be presided over by the Four Blood Attendants.

"Every one of them is a Foundation Establishment Stage expert. Their ruthless methods make people's blood run cold.

"But starting two years ago, the Young Prince took over."

"The Young Prince?" Jing Wen feigned surprise. "What's his background?"

Ge Hong lowered his voice mysteriously. "The Young Prince is the cult leader's newest disciple. They say he's extraordinarily gifted and deeply favored by the cult leader."

Jing Wen's heart tightened, and he pressed further. "What's the Young Prince's cultivation now?"

"Probably the eleventh layer of Qi Refining. I'm not entirely sure." Ge Hong scratched his head. "But even if he's only at the eleventh layer, with the cult leader protecting him, he can swagger around the cult however he pleases."

Jing Wen pondered for a moment, then asked, "Do the Four Blood Attendants still attend the Blood Sacrifice?"

Ge Hong shook his head. "They haven't attended any Blood Sacrifices these past two years. I suppose the cult leader has other arrangements for them."

Jing Wen inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. If the Four Blood Attendants presided over the Blood Sacrifice, their Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation would let them detect the slightest abnormality in him.

With the Young Prince, who was at the eleventh layer of Qi Refining, presiding instead, the risk was considerably lower. Even so, Jing Wen decided to find an excuse to avoid it.

After all, in a place as dangerous as the Black Fiend Cult, every measure of caution meant another measure of hope for survival.

"Brother Ge Hong, thank you for telling me all this." A rare glimmer of warmth flashed through Jing Wen's eyes as he raised his cup high in both hands to toast Ge Hong.

"I'm new to the Black Fiend Cult and know little of how things work here. I'll be relying on your guidance from now on."

Ge Hong's smile grew even brighter. He hurriedly waved a hand and laughed heartily. "Brother Jing Wen, you're too polite! With such a great achievement to your name, you're sure to soar straight into the clouds. I'll be counting on you to help me along in the future!"

With that, he raised his cup, clinked it against Jing Wen's, and drained it.

After several rounds of drinks, Ge Hong seemed to remember something. He leaned forward and lowered his voice. "Brother Jing Wen, there's something I should warn you about. Red Rose has an enemy at another base, someone called Madam Green."

Jing Wen's curiosity was immediately piqued. "Madam Green? That's an unusual name. Could you tell me more, Brother Ge Hong?"

Pleased with Jing Wen's reaction, Ge Hong cleared his throat and began recounting the story with relish. "Madam Green is deeply scheming and ruthless. She's made something of a name for herself in the Black Fiend Cult.

"Seven or eight years ago, she and Red Rose fell out during a mission. Ever since, they've fought both openly and in secret, and their feud has only deepened..."

"Brother Ge Hong, what exactly is Madam Green's cultivation?"

A trace of embarrassment crossed Ge Hong's face. He scratched his head. "I don't really know.

"But our Black Fiend Cult has a strict hierarchy. Steward Li is in charge of our base, and even he is only at the tenth layer of Qi Refining. However formidable Madam Green might be, she's just an ordinary member. Her cultivation can't be higher than the tenth layer."

Jing Wen nodded thoughtfully. Ge Hong's analysis was not without merit.

Within the Black Fiend Cult, its rigid hierarchy was like an invisible chain, firmly restricting its members' advancement and growth.

Once they finished discussing Madam Green, the image of the pockmarked cultivator surfaced in Jing Wen's mind. He asked, "By the way, Brother Ge Hong, there's something else I wanted to ask. I ran into a pockmarked cultivator before. Who is he?"

"You must mean Wang Zheng," Ge Hong answered without hesitation. "He's an old hand at our base, at the peak of the ninth layer of Qi Refining. Around here, his strength is second only to Steward Li's."

After a brief pause, Ge Hong added, as though afraid Jing Wen might misunderstand, "Wang Zheng isn't bad at heart. He just has a sharp tongue and likes mocking people. Did he take a jab at you? Don't take it to heart. That's just his rotten temper. He won't go out of his way to trouble you."

Jing Wen smiled faintly. "So that's how it is. Now that you've explained it, I know where things stand."

They drank several more cups. Feeling the wine go to his head, Jing Wen pretended he could drink no more and rose. "Brother Ge Hong, I've really had too much today. I should head back and rest. Thank you for treating me. Next time, it'll be my turn."

Ge Hong stood as well and patted Jing Wen on the shoulder with a smile. "Brother Jing Wen, you're treating me like an outsider! We'll have plenty of chances to get together. Take care on your way back!"

After bidding Ge Hong farewell, Jing Wen walked back to Still Garden alone.

The cool morning breeze sharpened his mind.

Had Ge Hong casually revealed all that information today, or was there something hidden beneath it?

Had he sought me out because he truly believed in my prospects, or did he have some other purpose?

Jing Wen strolled along Bluestone Road on his way home, his soles striking the paving stones with a steady tap, tap.

Steward Li's figure kept surfacing in his mind. The man was a crucial piece on his chessboard.

As he recalled his various dealings with Steward Li, the corners of Jing Wen's mouth rose involuntarily.

From his first gifts of pills to presenting Steward Li with a Storage Bag,

From the "meek and timid newcomer" he had initially been to the "loyal and capable right-hand man" he was now,

Jing Wen felt he had put on a fairly good performance.

Steward Li's protection was the best umbrella he could shelter beneath at this stage.

Looking up at the sky, Jing Wen already had a long-term plan in mind.

He intended to keep giving Steward Li "gifts" to help him reach Foundation Establishment.

From what Jing Wen knew, at least two of the Four Blood Attendants appeared to be External Incarnations of the Yue Emperor.

As for the other two, Jing Wen suspected they probably were as well.

Within the Black Fiend Cult, which seemed calm but was in truth full of treacherous currents, the Yue Emperor's power spread like an enormous invisible net, enveloping everything.

In such a complex and dangerous environment, an outsider without any roots who rashly reached Foundation Establishment would be like a boulder hurled into a still lake. It would inevitably stir up a thousand waves and might even plunge him beyond all hope of recovery.

Jing Wen dared not act rashly. He knew the risk was immense.

There was still much he had yet to uncover about the Black Fiend Cult and the arrangement of the Yue Emperor's forces.

A single misjudgment could bring death upon him.

That was precisely why he had turned his attention to Steward Li.

As a key figure at one of the Black Fiend Cult's bases, Steward Li had long-standing roots within the cult, extensive connections, and a thorough understanding of its rules and distribution of power.

Having Steward Li cast a stone to test the road ahead was a sound choice.

Whether he could openly reach Foundation Establishment within the Black Fiend Cult would determine Jing Wen's subsequent strategy.