As a Bronze Badge constable, Wei Yuefu was assigned five Iron Ruler constables by Tian Muchuan, who told him not to feel any pressure. To this, Wei Yuefu merely indicated that he could only do his best.
Afterward, he headed to the Windwhisper Bureau to consult records and intelligence. If he wanted to find the Lotus Fragrance Cult, he first had to know what it was.
After reading through the dossiers, Wei Yuefu felt his blood boiling slightly. He had initially assumed the Lotus Fragrance Cult was an organization similar to the White Lotus Cult or the Way of Peace, but after reading the files, he realized it was just a goddamn cult through and through. Fraud and extortion were the mildest of its deeds; there were also all manner of inhumane rituals and horrors. However, its brainwashing capability and contagion were extraordinarily strong, so it was no wonder it had infiltrated every corner of the Great Jing Dynasty.
Then, he discovered an intriguing detail: the Lotus Fragrance Cult also possessed its own martial arts. It was not merely an evil cult; it was also intertwined with the ways of the jianghu. Within the cult was a martial art known as the Pure Lotus Precious Scroll, which, like the Eight Treasures Golden Body, was a special type of martial art. Ordinarily, lesser factions had no means of possessing such a rare art, though no one knew where the Lotus Fragrance Cult's headquarters was located. Consequently, people only knew that such a manual existed.
Wei Yuefu, meanwhile, pondered: if Shen Qianjun was indeed the protagonist, could it be that this martial art had arrived in Dingyuan City by coincidence precisely because of him? After all, the Eight Treasures Golden Body inheritance originally destined for him had been destroyed by Wei Yuefu, so the narrative would surely have to compensate him with a new art. He suspected that Shen Qianjun's Layered Tower Art, Pagoda Stance, and Bright Hall Force were nearing perfection, so he needed a new discipline to fill the gap and allow his cultivation to progress further. Otherwise, such coincidences could hardly occur twice in a row.
If Wei Yuefu's guess was right, he might be able to use this opportunity to divert attention. Wei Yuefu was not an insatiable man; to him, his sole objective was the Dragon Marrow Blood-Tempering Pill. Nor could he destroy or intercept every single fortunate encounter or miracle that came Shen Qianjun's way. The risk was immense; one misstep and he would doom himself. Given what he had already done, he was practically pitting himself against the protagonist—and it was precisely why he hadn't dared to stick his neck out until now. He relied entirely on Tian Muchuan and the others to take the heat in front; he dared not target Shen Qianjun directly, lest he get obliterated the moment he showed his face.
Of course, if a genuine opportunity presented itself, Wei Yuefu would not sit idly by either.
"Chief Clerk Deng." Wei Yuefu set down the intelligence reports, rubbed his temples, and asked, "Regarding the Wind Messengers, would it be convenient to ask where they've been stationed?"
He had gone through all the intelligence dossiers on the Lotus Fragrance Cult and grasped the general picture.
"Bronze Badge Wei, forgive this old man, but I cannot divulge that," the elderly Chief Clerk Deng of the Windwhisper Bureau replied, stroking his goatee. "This is confidential, concerning the personal safety of our Wind Messengers. If Bronze Badge Wei wishes to know, you must obtain a written authorization from the two Silver Robes."
Hearing this, Wei Yuefu did not press the matter, merely saying, "No matter. But as a word of caution, given the Lotus Fragrance Cult's methods, it would be wise to deploy more people to the temples and brothels."
"That has already been arranged, though it will take time." Having served in the Windwhisper Bureau for so many years and risen through the ranks from an intelligence operative to chief clerk, Chief Clerk Deng was naturally adept at analyzing intelligence. Even so, uncovering real leads was by no means that simple. If the Lotus Fragrance Cult truly followed fixed avenues of dissemination, Six Doors would have tracked the clues and uprooted it long ago.
"Very well. Please inform us as soon as there is any word," Wei Yuefu said with a cupped fist, then took his leave.
Upon exiting the Windwhisper Bureau, one of the Iron Ruler constables trailing behind him asked, "Lord Ding, where shall we head next?"
"To pay a visit to the city's prominent gentry clans," Wei Yuefu said at once.
At these words, an understanding look immediately appeared on the faces of the five Iron Ruler constables behind him. Their admiration for Wei Yuefu was boundless; no wonder he had risen from a commoner to the rank of Bronze Badge in less than a month. Rumor had it he was an honest, simple man, but now it seemed that was truly nothing more than hearsay.
Wei Yuefu glanced at their expressions and understood their thoughts. However, he did not bother to explain; doing so might only make things worse. The reason he had chosen the prominent gentry was that, aside from temples and brothels, the Lotus Fragrance Cult targeted influential households for infiltration, ultimately usurping the master's place like a cuckoo taking over a dove's nest. This had already happened on more than one or two occasions.
As for combing through neighborhoods and questioning residents, it was useful, but unlikely to yield major results. When proselytizing among commoners, the Lotus Fragrance Cult usually operated in remote hinterlands, villages, towns, or lesser counties. At the prefectural level, their main focus remained the wealthy gentry, who possessed money and provisions, even though the risk was considerably greater. The gentry were experienced and better educated, making them harder to brainwash. Therefore, the cult generally employed seduction and other stratagems—for instance, an outside mistress kept by some young dandy, or a secret lover meeting a sheltered noblewoman from time to time. The common thread was that these handsome men and lovely women could never see the light of day. Then, using such clandestine identities, they slowly lured the wolves into the fold until the victims were devoured down to the bone.
Still, it could not be ruled out that some realized what was happening in time, or that once brainwashed, they were propped up by the cult because of their value.
***
"Did they come looking for you?" Shen Qianjun asked in a low, heavy voice upon returning to his residence.
A tall, aloof woman nodded first, then shook her head. "To be precise, not just me, but also the cult's Pure Lotus Precious Scroll."
This woman was Hua Shirui, the Saintess of the Lotus Fragrance Cult. The reason she had betrayed the cult and fled was that she had come of age and was expected to sacrifice herself to the cult master. Driven to desperation, she had resolved to go all the way, fleeing with the Pure Lotus Precious Scroll. Yet the Lotus Fragrance Cult spanned the entire Great Jing Dynasty. Not long ago, severely wounded in their relentless pursuit, she had been rescued by Shen Qianjun. Now, she was recuperating in the official quarters of Shen Qianjun, a Bronze Badge constable.
The previous matter concerning the Eight Treasures Golden Body had also been her doing; she had urged Shen Qianjun to intercept it, only for the attempt to fail. As for the original contact, they had been eliminated long ago. With Hua Shirui's assistance, Shen Qianjun had posed as one of the Lotus Fragrance Cult's leaders in Dingyuan City.
Hearing her words, Shen Qianjun's expression shifted slightly, an ominous feeling rising in his chest.
"It seems you have already guessed," Hua Shirui said with a cold face. "Indeed. The nameless martial manual I gave you is the Pure Lotus Precious Scroll."
She had originally intended to give him the Eight Treasures Golden Body as a reward, but since they failed to obtain it, the Pure Lotus Precious Scroll served just as well. Although their attributes differed, in terms of efficacy, they were evenly matched.
"You've really... landed me in deep trouble," Shen Qianjun said helplessly. If word of this leaked out, not only might Six Doors hold him accountable, but the Lotus Fragrance Cult would also hunt him down.
"You've already cultivated it; it's too late to say anything now," Hua Shirui said in a deep voice. "However, I bear fault in this as well. How about this: I will help you uproot every trace of the Lotus Fragrance Cult in Dingyuan City."
She was, after all, the Saintess of the Lotus Fragrance Cult, and knew its inner workings inside and out. If she were alone, she could never achieve it, but with the might of Six Doors to draw upon, it would not be difficult at all.
Chapter 28