Lianshan Xin found it somewhat hard to believe.
He doubted there could be so many cultists around. It seemed far more likely that Qi Wenbin had exaggerated the report simply to excuse his own blunders.
After all, everything Qi Wenbin and Du Jiu had said amounted to mere speculation, without a shred of concrete evidence proving that anyone in the Dai household belonged to the Demon Cult.
Of course, it was second nature for members of the Nine Heavens to operate on a presumption of guilt, and there was nothing wrong with that.
This was Great Yu, not his previous life, and Lianshan Xin was fully capable of doing as the locals did.
So he kept his doubts to himself, merely nodding instead. "In that case, Brother Qi, Brother Jiu, let us pay another visit to the Dai household together."
"Understood. I will lead the way."
Qi Wenbin took the lead, not daring to slack off in the slightest.
Losing Dai Yueying earlier had already cast doubt on his competence.
If he made another blunder this time, Qi Wenbin felt his future prospects would be thoroughly doomed.
"Wait. We had better inform the others first," Du Jiu cautioned. "If the Dai household is another hidden cult den just like the Qu household, the three of us might be walking straight into a tiger's den."
Lianshan Xin glanced at Du Jiu, once again marveling at Qi Shiyun's keen eye.
Du Jiu was indeed far more capable than Qi Wenbin.
Not only was his martial talent superior, but his mind was also sharper and far more attentive.
Yet Qi Wenbin had his own uses.
For now, Qi Wenbin seemed a bit duller. But among all the qualities a subordinate might possess, as long as Qi Wenbin held firmly to loyalty, he would always have a place at Lianshan Xin's side.
Only children believed that sheer ability was enough to rise to the top.
Adults understood just how vital loyalty truly was.
Before Lianshan Xin could speak, Qi Wenbin piped up, "No need. I can guarantee there is no ambush at the Dai home."
*And just how can you guarantee that?* Du Jiu thought to himself. *If someone stronger than you is lurking in the shadows, how could you possibly detect them?*
Even so, Lianshan Xin backed Qi Wenbin's judgment. "Brother Qi is right. The demonic cultists are currently in hiding and would not dare clash head-on with the Nine Heavens. Even if they spot us, their only thought will be to flee. More importantly, if we bring too many people and end up empty-handed, it will put both you and Brother Qi in an awkward spot. And even if we do uncover traces of the Demon Cult, if they turn out to be nothing more than small fry, there won't be enough credit to go around."
With Lianshan Xin having put it that way, Du Jiu naturally had no rebuttal. "Then we shall do as you say, my lord."
Lianshan Xin nodded.
In truth, whether Master Dai was a cultist mattered very little to him.
What truly mattered was Dai Yueying.
As for an ambush...
Achieving great things always required taking a few risks.
Whether he ended up marrying the princess or slaying her, it was best not to let too many people know beforehand.
Besides, he had studied under Master Dai for years. While he might not know every single detail of the Dai household, he was certainly no stranger to the place, making it difficult to feel any real sense of danger.
Soon enough, however, Lianshan Xin realized he had still been too naive.
"Master Dai isn't home."
"Dai Yueying isn't here either."
"Just as well. Let us thoroughly search the Dai household's rear courtyard, paying special attention to any hidden chambers, and be sure to check the cellars as well."
"Look for correspondence too, especially blank sheets of paper."
"Blank sheets?"
Lianshan Xin soon felt the gulf between an amateur and a professional.
Du Jiu promptly demonstrated his expertise.
Inside Master Dai's bedroom, Du Jiu found an envelope.
On the desk, he also spotted several blank sheets of paper with not a single word written on them.
Du Jiu brought a sheet to his face, his nose twitching as he caught a distinct scent, and then smiled with absolute confidence.
"My lord, we can be certain now. The Dai household is indeed tied to the Demon Cult."
"How can you be sure? Is there something on the blank paper?"
From Du Jiu's actions, Lianshan Xin caught on to a hint.
"My lord, sniff this paper. Do you detect a peculiar odor?"
Lianshan Xin indeed caught an unpleasant, pungent scent.
What was more, the smell seemed oddly familiar.
Once he identified that familiar sensation, his expression turned deeply bizarre.
"Could this be..."
"Your guess is correct, my lord. It is none other than the specialty essence of men. When secret letters are written with a man's essence, the ink vanishes once it dries on the paper. Only through heating or roasting can the characters gradually appear, showing up in a brownish hue."
Du Jiu lit a fire striker, holding the paper above the flame to warm it while explaining to Lianshan Xin.
"This was a method devised by the demonic cultists, and when it first appeared, it caught us entirely off guard. Fortunately, our Nine Heavens had our own experts who stumbled onto the same technique by accident, allowing us to root out several deep-cover cultist spies."
Lianshan Xin was speechless.
He couldn't fathom it, yet he was profoundly shaken.
He also recalled reading a similar piece of trivia in his previous life—hadn't that been invented by Britain's MI6? Supposedly, quite a few men in MI6 had ended up thoroughly drained because of it...
Different worlds, yet the exact same brand of perversion.
Both sides truly had their "experts."
And Master Dai had turned out to be an "expert" as well.
Looking back, the fact that Lianshan Xin had managed to bounce around safe and sound for the past eighteen years really had not been easy!
While Lianshan Xin was still reeling from retroactive dread, Du Jiu had already brought out the characters on the paper.
Then, Du Jiu's expression turned bizarre as well.
"So that's how it is."
"What is it?"
Du Jiu held the sheet out toward Lianshan Xin.
Lianshan Xin, however, made no move to take it.
"Brother Jiu, just hold it there. My eyesight is excellent."
He didn't want to dirty his hands.
A man might not mind his own descendants, but he found someone else's thoroughly repulsive.
Lianshan Xin focused his gaze, and before long, his own expression grew strange as well.
The letter read as follows:
*Your letter has been noted.*
*Dai Yongzhen, do not always ask what the Sacred Cult has given you; ask what you have done for the Sacred Cult.*
*"Seek rank and wealth elsewhere; enter not if you fear death." This was the lesson drilled into you on your first day entering the Sacred Cult. Have you regressed with age?*
*Could it be that you have harbored treacherous thoughts of betraying your master for personal glory?*
*If you truly hold so many grievances against the Sacred Cult, we will not stop you. The gates of the Jiangzhou Prefectural Estate are always open to you—feel free to report us to the authorities.*
*If you still possess an ounce of loyalty to the Sacred Cult, do not mention raising your stipend again. In these trying times, the entire cult must pull together to weather hardship. Your stipend was merely delayed by six months, yet you harbor such endless complaints. Dai Yongzhen, you are an utter disgrace to our Sacred Cult.*
*The Sacred Cult granted you a foothold and never demanded regular tribute from you; for that alone, you should be grateful. As a disciple of the Sacred Cult, can you not even feed yourself?*
*Wealth is merely a worldly distraction. Disciples of our Sacred Cult must keep our sights on the cult's grand cause. Keep a low profile, bide your time, and wait for the right moment!*
*P.S. Take good care of Yueying. If anything happens to her, you will answer for it. Spare me excuses about difficulties; I care only for results.*
...
Du Jiu marveled from the bottom of his heart, "The Demon Cult is truly the Demon Cult. Utterly shameless! They don't even treat disciples like Dai Yongzhen as human beings."
Lianshan Xin also marveled from the bottom of his heart, "Fortunately, I knew from the start that if you want rank and wealth, you have to join the imperial court."
Chapter 28