West Lake Plum Manor.
The manor's four masters called themselves the Four Friends of Plum Manor. They all looked like men of letters, but anyone truly versed in the martial world would recognize that all four were Martial Arts Masters, qualified to serve as elders even in the great, prestigious sects.
Even the gatekeeper, the servants who swept the floors, and the kitchen cooks knew martial arts.
Yet this manor kept an extremely low profile, its name scarcely known in the martial world.
"Eldest Brother, let me take the food down to the dungeon today." Hei Baizi looked at Huang Zhonggong.
All these years, Dongfang Bubai had paid no attention to Ren Woxing in the dungeon. Perhaps he had already forgotten him.
They could easily force Ren Woxing to hand over the Holy Cult's supreme technique, the Star-Sucking Great Skill. But when he had brought it up last time, the other three had all said it was inappropriate.
You don't want it, but I do!
Learning the Star-Sucking Great Skill in secret would mean betraying the Holy Cult and being hunted down by it, but once he had the skill, whom would he fear unless Dongfang Bubai came after him personally?
Even Dongfang Bubai might not be his match by then. After all, Dongfang Bubai had only succeeded in ambushing Ren Woxing because something had gone wrong with Ren Woxing's cultivation.
Huang Zhonggong glanced at Hei Baizi. "Second Brother, we'll follow the rules and send two people together. Don't entertain any other ideas. You know what will happen to us if Ren Woxing escapes."
The four of them had once served under Ren Woxing. Despite being distinguished Martial Arts Masters, they had suffered no shortage of humiliation at his hands. That was why, after Ren Woxing was captured, they had volunteered to guard him, seizing the opportunity to humiliate him in return and vent their pent-up resentment.
If Ren Woxing escaped now, their lives would become worse than death.
Though his intentions had been seen through, Hei Baizi still protested, "What other ideas could I possibly have? Eldest Brother, you're worrying too much."
Tu Biweng and Dan Qingsheng exchanged a glance without saying a word. They both knew what their second brother was thinking, but neither supported him.
After the four finished their meal together, Hei Baizi was just about to pick up the food carrier when he suddenly frowned. "Eldest Brother, wait a moment. I need to use the privy."
Huang Zhonggong snapped, "Then I'll wait here. Hurry back."
He was very satisfied with his current life. Every day, he played his zither and practiced martial arts. He no longer had to fight and kill, nor worry about food or drink. His life was free of cares.
Even if someone offered him a position as a Holy Cult elder now, he would refuse.
A little while after Hei Baizi left, Huang Zhonggong suddenly felt pain in his abdomen too. "Third Brother, I need to use the privy as well. You and Fourth Brother take the food down."
Tu Biweng stood up. "Fourth Brother, I need to use the privy too."
An hour later, the four brothers looked at one another, their legs weak beneath them. All of them realized something was wrong.
"There was something wrong with the food. We've been poisoned, haven't we?" Hei Baizi's face was drawn with weakness.
"Impossible," Huang Zhonggong said. "If someone wanted to poison us, they would kill us. Why use a laxative?"
"Because we need you conscious to lead us to the dungeon, and we can't have you dying yet."
The Four Friends of Plum Manor were startled by the unfamiliar voice that suddenly rang out. They instantly grabbed their weapons and stared warily toward the door.
"Even a stout hero can't withstand three bouts of the runs. Left Emissary Xiang, wasn't I right? Isn't my method much simpler?"
Lin Lang and his three companions walked in. The faces of the Four Friends of Plum Manor changed drastically when they saw Xiang Wentian.
"Xiang Wentian, how did you find this place?!" Huang Zhonggong exclaimed.
From the two women's attire, they could guess that they were Ren Yingying and Lan Fenghuang. But who was that young man, and why did he seem to be the leader of the four?
Xiang Wentian sneered. "Brother Lin was right after all. It really was you. Don't bother looking outside. I've already sealed everyone else's acupoints."
"Now take me to the cult leader and await his judgment."
Huang Zhonggong snorted. "Isn't the cult leader at Blackwood Cliff?"
"I'm not talking about that traitor Dongfang Bubai. I mean Cult Leader Ren," Xiang Wentian said with a cold snort.
Back then, he and Dongfang Bubai had been brothers too. He had been the Left Emissary, and Dongfang Bubai the Right Emissary. After becoming cult leader, Dongfang Bubai had not treated him poorly.
But once he confirmed that Dongfang Bubai had harmed Cult Leader Ren, they were brothers no longer. Brothers did not stab each other in the back.
"Ren Woxing? He died long ago!" Huang Zhonggong shouted. "Xiang Wentian, are you still dreaming?"
Xiang Wentian flew into a rage. If these four had nothing to hide, they would never have looked at him that way when they saw him. He was about to put his saber to their throats when Lin Lang stopped him.
"Left Emissary Xiang, there's no need to get angry with them. Let me talk to them."
Lin Lang looked at the Four Friends of Plum Manor. "Since we're here, we already know that Cult Leader Ren is imprisoned in the dungeon beneath West Lake. The food in that carrier is for him, isn't it?"
"As you can see, killing you now would be effortless. But Cult Leader Ren needs to recuperate at Plum Manor for a while, so we're giving you a chance to live."
"Sister Phoenix, the pills."
Lin Lang held out his hand, and Lan Fenghuang passed him a medicine bottle.
When Lin Lang poured out the red pills, all four men's faces changed drastically.
The Three Corpse Brain Spirit Pill was one of the Sun Moon Holy Cult's cruelest poisons-or, more precisely, a gu parasite.
Once swallowed, the parasite inside would burrow into the brain. Unless the victim regularly took medicine to keep it dormant, it would devour their brain, turning them into a mindless lunatic, like a walking corpse.
"There's no need to be afraid. As long as you remain loyal to Cult Leader Ren, you'll receive the antidote regularly and be no different from anyone else in everyday life. Come on, help yourselves. Don't be shy."
Lin Lang extended his hand as though he were offering the four of them candy.
Huang Zhonggong's face was filled with terror. "I would rather die than take that pill."
He did not want to be controlled by others again, much less suffer Ren Woxing's humiliation and torment once more.
Lin Lang suddenly struck, driving his sword through Huang Zhonggong's throat.
"If you want to die, I'll grant your wish. In fact, even if all of you die, I can find people to impersonate you, and Blackwood Cliff will still never know."
Disbelief lingered on Huang Zhonggong's face. He had never imagined that Lin Lang would kill him so decisively.
Lin Lang turned a savage gaze on the other three. "Are you making the same choice as him?"
"Don't kill me! I'll take it! I'll take it!" Hei Baizi dropped straight to his knees.
Lin Lang's sword had been far too fast. Even if he had not been weakened, he would have been no match for him.
Tu Biweng and Dan Qingsheng closed their eyes, then reached out to accept the Three Corpse Brain Spirit Pills Lin Lang offered and swallowed them.
"Sister Phoenix, give them the antidote."
After all three took the antidote, their abdominal pain finally stopped.
Carrying the keys, the three led Lin Lang and his companions to an artificial hill in the manor and opened a door.
"Sister Phoenix, stand guard out here. We'll go in and bring Cult Leader Ren out."
Entering the passage, the six of them walked for a long time before reaching an open space that reeked of a foul stench.
By the faint light of an oil lamp, they saw an iron cage in the middle of the dungeon. Inside sat a man with disheveled hair, his hands and feet shackled with refined steel chains.
Lin Lang called out, "Cult Leader Ren, we've come to rescue you!"
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