Rendong is a place located about 400 li northwest of Luoyang. Needless to say, it was a distance that couldn't be covered in a single night. For about four days, Liu Qianhu and I took turns riding horses and slept at inns as we headed toward our destination. As we approached within about 50 li of the Rendong border, Liu Qianhu said,
"Do you know what kind of place Tielian Village is?"
"It must be a place that is easily cut off from the outside world."
At this, Liu Qianhu seemed surprised.
"Wow. You're quite smart. You understood the meaning of my words without any explanation."
"Well, to maintain secrecy, a place with active exchanges with other regions can't be chosen."
"That's right. It's a place that can be completely isolated by just cutting off two bridges. It's the perfect location for this mission."
Clippety-clop...
We had just galloped down a major road, so now it was time to rest a bit. I slowly led my horse forward and said,
"I have a question. Who is this Great Sorcerer? Is he also a member of the royal family?"
"Hmm... I shouldn't be telling you this, but you're a special case. Since the timing overlapped, you were deployed without going through the new recruit training... Absolutely don't reveal what I tell you to anyone else."
Originally, during the new recruit training, one would receive enhanced mental conditioning or learn about the overall secrets of the Jin Yi Wei. Given the overlapping timing, it seemed they were short-handed and urgent, so I was immediately placed in the Six Ministries upon recommendation by the Jin Yi Wei.
"Yes."
"He is an indispensable part of this plan. He suppresses the villagers' minds and plays the flute for four days and nights to put them in a state of tranquility. Then, he spreads the teachings to the awakened ones, turning them into loyal followers. After that, the process of offering sacrifices to summon enough demons is repeated."
His tone was very matter-of-fact and detached. Liu Qianhu had seen bloody human sacrifices for years, so his lack of guilt or hesitation was evident. I pretended to know nothing and asked further,
"Where did he learn such mysterious sorcery? Is he one of those legendary sorcerers we've only heard about?"
"Well... I doubt it. He doesn't say anything, but the incantations and rituals he performs are very alien. Also, his appearance..."
"......?"
"Don't be shocked by his appearance. It's grotesque."
A look of disgust briefly crossed Liu Qianhu's face. If someone who could talk about human sacrifices and massacres so calmly could show such an expression, the appearance of the Great Sorcerer, the Flute Demon, must be the most hideous thing in the world.
I asked again,
"But demons are summoned... Do they just appear out of nowhere?"
"Tsk. You really have a lot of questions. Well, everyone did, but..."
"I'm sorry."
"No, it's fine. Hmm... The demons suddenly emerge from the ground."
"... What?"
"Exactly as I said. They don't just pop out of nowhere; they dig up from the ground. From this, I assume the Great Sorcerer is summoning them during the ritual."
"......"
I felt my mouth slightly agape.
If what he said was true, then these monsters were not from another world but had been living somewhere in this world all along. Moreover, they seemed to move by burrowing deep into the ground. The thought of such monsters hunting prey somewhere was truly terrifying. I honestly expressed my feelings to him.
"Is the power of these demons meant to eliminate the White Lotus Sect? I don't understand why they are being summoned."
"You don't need to understand. We just follow orders."
"......"
"But... I doubt it. The demons play an important role in the second ritual, so they aren't directly used for combat. Only the Great Sorcerer and His Majesty know the exact details."
Liu Qianhu freely shared high-level information. Perhaps he didn't find it strange that I was asking questions and was confident that I was being brainwashed. Additionally, he seemed to believe that I wouldn't betray the Jin Yi Wei.
'If I ask too many questions, he might get suspicious.'
I decided to act appropriately.
"I understand. My mission is to guard this sorcerer, right?"
"Guard? That could be... Anyway, with your level of martial arts, you shouldn't have any trouble with whatever you do."
He seemed to be assessing my skills, recognizing me as a peak expert, and even a top-tier one.
"You flatter me."
"Not at all. It's been a while since we've had such a talented recruit. This will certainly smooth my path, won't it? Hahaha."
"Hahaha..."
I laughed weakly.
While we exchanged jokes, there was no sign of evil or malice on Liu Qianhu's face. He seemed to take pride in his role and tried to build a human relationship with his subordinates. From his tone, I could tell he wasn't fundamentally evil.
Yet, he had a record of driving thousands of people to their deaths for the royal family, motivated by a twisted sense of patriotism. It was an atrocity that would justify calling him a demon and killing him on the spot. No demon lord or great demon of the martial world could have done as much evil as Liu Qianhu.
'Who turned Liu Qianhu into a demon?'
"We're almost there. Once we cross this mountain, we'll see the bridge leading to Tielian Village."
"Hasn't the vanguard cut it off?"
"No way. The operation starts only after I arrive. The bridge will be the last thing to be cut."
As he said, the bridge was intact, creaking slightly but otherwise fine. We could cross it on horseback without any issues.
Liu Qianhu stood in front of the sky bridge. Below the bridge, which spanned a perilous gap between cliffs, was empty air. He squinted and muttered something.
"Hmm. I was going to use explosives, but if it's this flimsy, we can just cut it... The fewer traces, the better..."
I felt a chill run down my spine as I crossed the bridge, hearing his muttering. He seemed to be focusing on the plan to massacre the villagers, which contradicted his earlier friendly demeanor.
Liu Qianhu and I arrived at the base in front of Tielian Village about half an hour later. It was a small hut hidden in the middle of a field, camouflaged to avoid detection. There, a Jin Yi Wei officer from the Six Ministries, who had arrived earlier, was waiting for us.
"Sir, you've arrived!"
"Yes. What's the situation? Are you alone?"
There was only one officer in the hut. He reported to Liu Qianhu.
"We just arrived. Currently, the rest of the team is infiltrating the village to gather information on the key figures and their whereabouts."
"When will they return?"
"About three hours."
"Alright. We'll start the village suppression operation as soon as they return."
I looked around the hut and said,
"Sir Qianhu, the Great Sorcerer isn't here, is he?"
"Don't worry. He's probably already in the village. He uses mysterious sorcery, so there's no need for us to worry."
"Hmm..."
"The operation will end, and he will come to us."
I realized this was important information.
' The Great Sorcerer and the Jin Yi Wei don't always move together. Their relationship seems more about mutual benefit... And this guy has special sorcery besides playing the flute.'
If I could subdue either the Jin Yi Wei or the Great Sorcerer, could I invalidate the plan in advance? I saw a way to develop a strategy. I was lost in thought when I said to Liu Qianhu,
"Sir Qianhu, I will also infiltrate the village. I want to help the seniors."
"No. You don't know disguise techniques or the art of shrinking tendons. If you're suspected by the villagers, the plan will be compromised. Stay here and wait."
"Yes, sir."
I felt the need to learn disguise techniques and the art of shrinking tendons. Not only would they be useful here, but they would likely be useful in the future. The problem was who could teach me, especially the art of shrinking tendons, which required special qigong techniques and was known only to a select few.
Liu Qianhu said,
"If you're restless, guard the area within one li around here. Keep an eye out for any suspicious individuals."
"Yes, sir."
I thought it was for the best. I was reaching my limit in maintaining my composure in front of Liu Qianhu, and I needed a place to gather my thoughts. I left the hut and climbed a tall tree to survey the surroundings. Of course, no one would wander aimlessly in the forest of such a remote village.
But my thoughts were interrupted when I spotted a figure about seventy zhang away. I leaped toward it like lightning. It didn't take long to reach the person.
"Ah!"
It was a high-pitched scream. I quickly covered the person's mouth to prevent any sound. I signaled for silence to the girl, who was looking at me with fear. It would have been easy to kill her, but I couldn't do that.
"Be quiet."
She was a young rural girl, probably in her mid-teens. She struggled for a moment with my hand over her mouth but then gave up and stayed still. I spoke calmly to her,
"Don't scream. Do you understand?"
"......"
I noticed she was licking my palm and spitting on it.
"Hey, that's disgusting."
I removed my hand from her mouth and muttered. She smiled playfully and said,
"Big brother, why are you here? Are you from another village?"
"Yes. I got lost and ended up here."
"Come to our village! I'll give you something to eat."
Her innocent smile was endearing. She was a sweet child.
"......"
I felt a heavy heart as I lied to the child. If the plan went ahead, would this innocent child be torn apart and violated by fanatics? And would the simple villagers be slaughtered and sacrificed, with the village eventually burning to the ground? The blood-soaked altar where the Great Sorcerer performed human sacrifices still haunted me. I thought I had been indifferent at the time, but reflecting on it, I had been quite shaken.
'An officer is coming out.'
Perhaps to relieve himself, one of the Jin Yi Wei officers walked out of the hut. He seemed to have come out to talk to me.
"Hey, new recruit. Nice to meet you."
"Senior?"
He was tall and handsome, probably a few years older than me. He might be older, but he looked younger due to his good looks. He smiled and said,
"Yes. I'm also from Taijian Sect. I was a promising disciple in Luoyang in the past."
"I see."
Zhang Xian suddenly had a strange look on his face.
"But I heard you're from Guanzhong Qinglong Martial Hall, yet you entered through Taijian Sect's recommendation."
"......"
It seemed Liu Qianhu had already told Zhang Xian about me. I thought Liu Qianhu was quite talkative and said,
"It was the decision of the Taijian Sect leader."
"Who said what? I'm just a bit sad. Taijian Sect couldn't handle a country bumpkin like you. If I had been there, it wouldn't have happened."
"If you're mocking me, I won't listen anymore."
"Haha. I can't do anything about it. If we weren't on a mission, I would have shown you a thing or two."
I was already in a complicated mood, and Zhang Xian's provocations were annoying. I couldn't hold back and blurted out,
"You're barking too much. Wouldn't it be better to bark and then go? That way, you won't reveal how weak you are."
"What... What did you say!"
Zhang Xian was immediately provoked. His face turned red and blue, and he suddenly drew his sword.
Swoosh!
His sword draw was skilled, and I had to use my full strength and reflexes to dodge. It was a precise and fast technique, one that would have decapitated any ordinary martial artist.
Thud
"Ugh..."
But I dodged with some ease and then used Leiyin Step to strike his stomach. Zhang Xian, exposed to many weaknesses after his failed sword draw, could only stagger and say,
"You... You... What kind of speed... Too fast..."
Zhang Xian's face bent forward. I had hit him hard enough to rattle his internal organs, so losing consciousness was inevitable.
This guy was much stronger than the three top disciples of Taijian Sect I had faced, but he still fell short of my skills. I confirmed once again that I was stronger than the average Jin Yi Wei officer. Master Li Guang's evaluation of me as a deputy commander-level expert was almost accurate. I mocked Zhang Xian,
"Is this fast? You wouldn't last a second against Zhen Xiaoqing."
I dragged the unconscious Zhang Xian to the base of a tree and sat him down. I then thought about what to do next.
Should I actively step in to prevent the tragedy?
Or should I observe calmly?
Is there a third option?
After much deliberation, I reached a conclusion.
' I won't move until the full-scale massacre begins.'
This decision was thanks to Wang Liang. Even if I couldn't think of a solution, Wang Liang's wisdom might offer a different outcome. As Wang Liang said, it was better to gather more clues than to act rashly.
There were four days until the villagers were completely brainwashed. I needed to observe more about the Great Sorcerer and the Jin Yi Wei. Unexpected information could emerge at any time.
After a while, I pressed Zhang Xian's pressure points to wake him up. He looked at me with fear.
"Senior. I have no grudge or affection for Taijian Sect. If you keep pushing your inferiority complex on me, I, a simple country bumpkin, will only know how to solve it with my fists. Once we're in the Jin Yi Wei, what does the sect matter?"
"... Ugh..."
"Let's pretend this never happened and get along, Officer Zhang Xian."
"Ah, I understand."
Zhang Xian seemed to instinctively realize that I could kill him in three seconds and that I would likely do it without hesitation.
We walked together to avoid suspicion. Liu Qianhu, who was reading a book, didn't seem suspicious.
Thud thud
"We've returned!"
Exactly three hours later, as it was getting dark, the Jin Yi Wei officers who had scouted the village returned. They were all in disguise. They immediately bowed to Liu Qianhu and reported,
"We just arrived. Currently, the rest of the team is infiltrating the village to gather information on key figures and their locations."
"When will they return?"
"About three hours."
"Alright. We'll start the village suppression operation as soon as they return. Eliminate anyone who might interfere, and block all communication and transportation with the outside. Make sure the operation goes smoothly!"
"Yes, sir!"
The eerie and sinister flute sound came exactly one day later.
Ting ting ting -
Just after noon, a low, eerie, and strange flute sound echoed. I heard it first, and it seemed to have the effect of suppressing the mind, tickling the ears. Almost simultaneously, the other Jin Yi Wei officers prepared for battle.
It didn't take long to get ready. Liu Qianhu gave the order to the officers who were bowing.
"The suppression operation begins! Move out!"
I followed the other Jin Yi Wei officers into the village.
Soon, I could see from the rooftops that the villagers, who had been moving normally, were now clutching their heads and trembling, unable to move. The flute sound seemed to have a fatal effect on those without internal energy or weak mental strength. Some were still moving, albeit unsteadily, likely because they practiced martial arts or health-preserving breathing techniques.
A senior Jin Yi Wei officer said,
"Leave the ones who are still moving. They can't be a match for us. Focus on the assassination targets."
I suggested,
"We should find the Great Sorcerer first, shouldn't we?"
"That's true. Bai Xiong, you go find the source of the flute sound."
"Yes, sir."
It seemed he was giving me a task to keep me out of the way, as I was a new recruit and might interfere. It would be too heavy a burden to start with an assassination mission right away.
I moved away from the group and could act independently.
A low, simmering killing intent filled my eyes.
'I have to find him.'
I needed to find and isolate the Great Sorcerer first.