A Single Glance in the Crowd

Lin Xiangwen looked at the letter in Thousand Faces' hand. The tip-off had been sent by Blood Guanyin. Heavenly Sword did not know that yet, but Thousand Faces was already aware. And the intelligence had come straight from Shenjing. Evidently, right under the emperor's nose, the Demon Cult had already spread a massive web. It might be even larger than the one in Jiangzhou. At the thought, Lin Xiangwen's spirits lifted, and his future suddenly looked far brighter. Thousand Faces had been observing Lin Xiangwen's demeanor closely. Seeing his reaction, he nodded slightly. *When it comes to doing ideological work for the Sacred Cult, it still takes someone like me.* "Xiangwen, do you understand the power of our Sacred Cult now?" Lin Xiangwen nodded. Although the cult's internal strife had struck him as utterly unreliable before, the inside information Thousand Faces had just shared made the Demon Cult seem quite credible after all. Perhaps the cult didn't even need to be that dependable; maybe, as Thousand Faces said, the imperial court was simply worse. As long as they came out ahead in a contest of who was the lesser disaster, the Demon Cult would end up the victor. Framing it that way in his mind, Lin Xiangwen had completely convinced himself. "This disciple will do his utmost to assist the Sacred Cult in fulfilling its grand undertaking," Lin Xiangwen pledged his loyalty. Thousand Faces nodded. "As long as you perform well... Zhang Aniu can be given to you as a reward." Thousand Faces decided to yield a step. For the sake of their grand cause, a few personal eccentricities had to be tolerated. Lin Xiangwen's eyes lit up. "Thank you, Master!" Thousand Faces said, "...This also happens to be your chance to get close to Zhang Aniu. When dealing with Blood Guanyin's people, show no mercy. Remember: join Nine Heavens, strive to become Zhang Aniu's right-hand man, and climb as high as possible within their ranks. In the near future, Nine Heavens may well be the divine blade that pierces Great Yu's heart." Lin Xiangwen nodded. "This disciple understands. Master, I have one more matter to report." "Speak." "Kong Ningyuan recommended a newcomer named Lianshan Xin. He seems to have some skill; he uncovered the foul play at the Qu household and reported it to Heavenly Sword, thereby winning Heavenly Sword's favor. With him around, he will surely become a formidable rival of mine. May I frame him as one of Blood Guanyin's subordinates and eliminate him directly?" Lin Xiangwen held grudges. However, Thousand Faces did not back his idea. "I know of Lianshan Xin. I have already arranged for someone to approach him. Before long, he will be one of us as well. You need not bother with him." Thousand Faces was still unaware of Dai Yueying's death. After all, he was currently in hiding himself, and having met with her just yesterday, he would not reach out to her too frequently. Yet he was well aware that Dai Yueying possessed an innate internal charm physique. With such a constitution, coupled with his own grooming, bringing down an eighteen-year-old kid was an absolute certainty in Thousand Faces' eyes. Thus, he already considered Lianshan Xin one of their own. Lin Xiangwen had no idea who Dai Yueying was, let alone that she was dead. Hearing Thousand Faces say this, he merely felt a twinge of disappointment. Along with awe at his master's methods. "I never imagined Master would pay attention to such a minor figure," Lin Xiangwen remarked with regret. Thousand Faces gave Lin Xiangwen a half-smile, deliberately offering a word of caution. "When Lianshan Xin led Qi Shiyun to raid the Qu household, I was watching from a distance." Lin Xiangwen straightened with immediate solemnity. "Master's foresight is truly peerless. It was this disciple who acted petty, nursing a grudge because Lianshan Xin cost me face before Heavenly Sword yesterday. I will mend my ways. If Lianshan Xin truly joins the Sacred Cult, I will cooperate with him in all sincerity and serve our cult together." "That is well. With the two of you joining forces, I can rest easy here on Mount Kuang." Thousand Faces nodded. Lin Xiangwen voiced his concern. "Master, Mount Kuang is the Celestial Master's domain. Is it truly safe for you to hide here?" "Precisely because it is the Celestial Master's domain, Heavenly Sword will not investigate it. Of course, I will not stay on Mount Kuang indefinitely. Xiangwen, are you so certain that your master is truly your master?" Lin Xiangwen's face instantly went pale. He remembered his master's true moniker—Thousand Faces! "I am everywhere. Xiangwen, you may go." Watching Lin Xiangwen's retreating back, Thousand Faces curled his lips into a smirk once more. *Alternating between benevolence and authority—only I, Ji Lingfeng, can pull that off.* *If Heaven had not brought forth Ji Lingfeng, the Sacred Cult would be lost in eternal night.* *** Meanwhile, on the other side. Lianshan Xin felt his eyes growing somewhat tired. *What exactly is the trigger mechanism for my innate ability? I wonder if there are any records about it in the Nine Heavens archives in Shenjing.* *The main problem is that I don't dare ask Zhang Aniu, nor Qi Shiyun.* It wasn't that Lianshan Xin worried Zhang Aniu or Qi Shiyun would harm him, but his innate ability would undoubtedly invite mortal peril. One could never reveal their core technology to an outsider—nor to an insider, for that matter. Even with his own parents, Lianshan Xin had told them everything except about this ability. If word ever got out, Lianshan Xin had no doubt the emperor would execute him the very first chance he got. Everyone had secrets they wished to keep hidden, especially powerful figures. The more you knew, the faster you died. Therefore, Lianshan Xin could only explore the activation rules and usage of his ability on his own. For now, he dared not rely on any outside help. *Fortunately, I'm not someone who relies purely on talent anyway. I still have to bring my own initiative into play.* After wandering around the academy for half an hour without his ability activating again, he decided to give up. Self-reliance brought plenty. *Tomorrow the academy officially begins classes. I'll meet that Zeng Ningbing then.* *I also need to guard against Lin Xiangwen. Generous and broad-minded though I am, not everyone shares my magnanimity. If Lin Xiangwen is petty and seeks private vengeance, I have to be prepared.* *If both Zeng Ningbing and Lin Xiangwen know their place, that list Master Dai left behind might have to be put to use. But aside from Jiang Haoran, I don't recognize a single name on it. I'll have to act selectively—after all, the right to interpret who counts as a Demon Cult heretic belongs to me.* While running his own personal background checks around the grounds, Lianshan Xin let his thoughts wander, pondering how best to sniff out the cultists as quickly as possible. "Huh?" Lianshan Xin suddenly stopped and looked ahead at a woman in white walking toward him. Even from a distance, he could feel an icy chill radiating from her. Of course, that was not what mattered most. What mattered most was that after hearing about Zeng Ningbing from Luo Panlan, Lianshan Xin had asked Du Jiu for a portrait of her. He hadn't expected to run into Zeng Ningbing ahead of time. He wondered whether she had seen his portrait in advance too. Just as Lianshan Xin was thinking this, Zeng Ningbing, catching his gaze, suddenly knitted her slender brows and said to the man beside her, "Senior Brother He, the way this man looks at me is utterly filthy. It makes me deeply uncomfortable. I suspect he harbors improper intentions toward me." Senior Brother He glanced at Lianshan Xin and saw that he wasn't one of the untouchable figures he recognized. Relieved, he flew into a rage. "What insolence! How dare you lust after Junior Sister Zeng! Are you a hidden Demon Cult heretic?" Lianshan Xin blinked in surprise. Then, he began to chuckle.