North of the Pacification Office was the prison designated for holding convicts.
Within it was a subterranean dungeon, grim and icy cold.
July was sweltering, so the corpses of Zhang Banshan and Zhang Yunfeng had both been placed in the dungeon.
Zhihe, abbot of the Lower Court, and the monk Xinjue, abbot of Golden Leaf Temple, had no choice but to go down into the dungeon to inspect the bodies.
Numerous candles were lit inside the dungeon, producing heavy smoke.
The two corpses rested on crude wooden beds. Though dead for some time, their bodies still emanated a ghastly chill.
Their clothes had been stripped and set aside, laying bare the wounds on both corpses.
On Zhang Yunfeng's back was a single massive, blackish-green handprint, whereas Zhang Banshan had two massive, blackish-green handprints across his chest.
The handprints bulged high, exuding a sinister, ghostly aura.
Abbot Xinjue knitted his brows in contemplation as he looked. He reached out and pressed lightly against Zhang Banshan's chest, which caved in deeply beneath his fingertips.
Withdrawing his hand, he looked toward Zhihe. "What is your assessment, Master?"
Xinjue had met this new abbot of the Lower Court once before. In his view, though Zhihe appeared mild-mannered, he possessed a conscientious and rigorous disposition, making him far more troublesome to deal with than Zhiyuan, who had always preferred to smooth things over.
Zhihe replied directly, "In my view, this is the Dark Yin Ghost Claw of the Heavenly Ghost Sect. By channeling ghosts to corrode the viscera and drain the essence and blood, the internal organs should have rotted to mush by now..."
Xinjue nodded. "The ghostly aura is palpable, and the essence and blood are thoroughly drained. The perpetrator must be an expert of the Heavenly Ghost Sect."
Though he said so aloud, he harbored doubts in his heart. Zhang Shiheng had only just departed, yet Zhang Banshan and Zhang Yunfeng were already dead.
The Zhang family was wealthy and powerful, with ties to every faction; any sect would show them some measure of deference.
Striking straight to kill was excessively ruthless.
Crucially, killing them brought no tangible benefits, only gratuitously offending the Zhang family.
If this was a coincidence, it was far too coincidental.
The deaths of these two benefited both the Lower Court and Zhai Jun immensely.
'Could the two of them have colluded with demonic cultivators to do this...?'
At that thought, Xinjue felt a shiver in his heart. With vital interests at stake, it would hardly be surprising if they truly had made the move.
Yet a moment later, he dismissed it as impossible. A hundred-household officer was dead; how could Zhai Jun account for that?
Even if Zhihe had an unyielding disposition, he would not dare secretly murder a hundred-household officer of the Pacification Office!
Demonic sects might seem completely unrestrained, but in truth, they too had rules to observe.
Killing an imperial court official was a grave taboo, let alone a hundred-household officer of the Pacification Office, which would inevitably bring down the full fury of the authorities.
Demonic cultivators would only act so ruthlessly if there were tremendous benefits to be gained.
'This matter is truly bizarre...' Try as he might, the monk Xinjue could not fathom who was running amok in Yunyang City.
Zhai Jun nodded. With these two masters having delivered their judgment, there could hardly be any doubt.
Next would be the coroner dissecting the bodies for autopsy, an ordeal too bloody for the others to remain and watch.
Emerging from the dungeon, the trio—Zhai Jun, Zhihe, and Xinjue—headed to the western district of the city.
The Pacification Office had kept guards stationed there, so the scene remained largely undisturbed.
Xinjue and Zhihe inspected the charred fences and examined the marks on the ground.
Both concluded that an expert of the Yin-Yang Dao had engaged in battle here.
The Scarlet Yang Hand Seal of the Yin-Yang Dao was blazing yet wildly violent, distinct from the arts of Daoist and Buddhist sects.
They also discovered lingering traces of yin qi, indicating the presence of another demonic cultivator. As to whether that person belonged to the Heavenly Ghost Sect, no one could say for certain.
"The Five Dragons Gang's matter remains unresolved, trouble has broken out in Wu Family Village, and now the chaos has spilled into the city itself!"
With a solemn expression, Zhai Jun cupped his hands to Zhihe and Xinjue. "Yunyang has become a vortex of turmoil. I must ask both masters to help maintain order so Yunyang does not descend into chaos."
"Naturally."
"It is our bounden duty."
Both Zhihe and Xinjue voiced their stance, firmly pledging their support to Zhai Jun.
The three conferred briefly and agreed to stand united through these tribulations. Should an external demonic master be discovered, all three parties would join forces to eliminate them.
Leaving the Pacification Office yamen, Yuan'an watched Zhihe and his companions depart in the distance and could not resist whispering, "Abbot, could this have been done by Zhou Wuji?"
Abbot Xinjue glared at Yuan'an. "In a matter of such gravity, do not speak recklessly without evidence!"
He was somewhat angry. A Rank Seven hundred-household officer of the Pacification Office had been killed; Zhai Jun would have to submit a report to the imperial court explaining the circumstances.
If the case remained unsolved, it would severely reflect on Zhai Jun.
Even if Zhou Wuji had advanced to Rank Six, as a successor to the orthodox teachings of the Arctic Sect, there was no way he could know the Dark Yin Ghost Claw.
For a Rank Six cultivator to slay Zhang Banshan in a direct confrontation was even more of a fantasy!
No matter how one stretched it, this matter could not be pinned on Zhou Wuji.
Xinjue saw through Yuan'an's petty scheming, but such crude tactics were utterly futile and would only bring harm to himself...
Upon returning to Heart Inquest Hall, Zhihe sent for Zhou Wuji.
Hearing footsteps outside, Zhihe looked up to see Zhou Wuji cupping his hands at the doorway.
The young man wore a Daoist robe of star-gold cloud brocade and had a hair ribbon tied around his head. His eyes were exceptionally bright and spirited, his handsome face calm and composed, and the aura about him was pure, without the slightest impurity.
Zhihe used a secret art to scrutinize him and saw no trace of yin qi, after which he waved for Zhou Wuji to take a seat.
"Zhang Yunfeng and Zhang Banshan were murdered last night."
Zhihe asked gently, "Did you know?"
Zhou Wuji shook his head. "I did not."
He paused before adding, "Though their deaths cannot be considered a bad thing."
As abbot, Zhihe held sway over the Heart Inquest Mirror. This powerful magic implement could discern the truth or falsehood of spoken words, yet it produced no reaction to Zhou Wuji's response.
In truth, Zhihe harbored only the faintest sliver of suspicion; after all, Zhou Wuji's cultivation level was plain to see—there was simply no way he could kill Zhang Banshan, much less have mastered the Dark Yin Ghost Claw.
Having confirmed the matter had nothing to do with Zhou Wuji, Zhihe set his mind at ease.
He cautioned, "Yunyang has seen much unrest lately. Exercise caution whenever you come and go."
"Thank you for the reminder, Abbot. This disciple will keep it in mind."
Zhihe added, "The canal will soon be finished. In a few days, you will accompany me on a trip to Wu Family Village."
"It was your idea, after all, so you ought to see the fruits of it."
"Understood."
Zhou Wuji softly complied, bowed, and departed Heart Inquest Hall.
The Heart Inquest Mirror could see through lies, but it had no effect on him.
The Heart Inquest Mirror was merely a formidable magic implement, not possessed of divine powers; its lie detection likely operated by probing a cultivator's physical state and spiritual sense to draw its conclusions.
Protected by the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment, he was beyond what the Heart Inquest Mirror could pry into.
He had cleaned up every loose end cleanly and thoroughly this time; if they could still trace it back to him, he would have nothing to say.
Returning to the stone cottage, Daoist Yiping inquired with concern about the situation, and Zhou Wuji explained what had transpired.
Hearing that Zhang Banshan and Zhang Yunfeng were dead, Daoist Yiping cast a suspicious glance at Zhou Wuji, but said nothing.
If this matter had nothing to do with Zhou Wuji, so much the better; if it did, then all the more reason he should not ask.
After eating lunch, Zhou Wuji sat in the shade beneath the eaves reading a book, lightly waving a folding fan in his hand.
Nearby, Yang Tieying nudged Shangxing and whispered, "Master is in a very good mood today. Didn't you want to ask him for guidance? If you go now, it will definitely work."
Shangxing looked at Yang Tieying with surprise. "How can you tell?"
"Master's leg is bobbing up and down over there, so he's definitely delighted..." Yang Tieying had not been with Zhou Wuji for long, yet he had developed a certain understanding of Zhou Wuji's habits.
In truth, he had never seen Zhou Wuji bob his leg before, but he knew that a dog wagging its tail meant it was happy; Master displaying such a frivolous gesture, so contrary to his usual poise and elegance, had to mean he was in high spirits inside.
Shangxing remained half-skeptical, yet he summoned his courage and went up to petition Zhou Wuji.
Zhou Wuji happened to be in wonderful spirits, promptly offering Shangxing copious instruction and even bestowing two Purple Qi Pills upon him.
Overjoyed to receive the pills, Shangxing hurriedly kowtowed in gratitude.
Back in their room, Shangxing saw Yang Tieying in a whole new light. He had always thought Yang Tieying was a bit dim, never imagining the boy possessed such keen observation.
Out of loyalty, he shared a Purple Qi Pill with Yang Tieying, who did not stand on ceremony. Having succeeded in his tip, Yang Tieying was thoroughly pleased with himself...
Zhou Wuji paid the two youngsters no heed. His mood was indeed exceptional, brimming with relief and comfort from the inside out.
The grudge forged at Canglong Temple was finally settled!
Once he dealt with Golden Leaf Temple in August, he could obtain the Seven Stars of the Big Dipper Steps—another wonderful prospect.
Finding time to make a trip to Old Dragon Island to look for the wealth left behind by Chen Dalu would resolve his financial predicament.
After passing another half year, he could head to the Upper Court to advance to Rank Six.
With Zhiyuan there to lend a hand, he would surely be able to establish a firm footing in the Upper Court.
Still, Yunyang did seem to hold deeper secrets... Should he take a gamble before leaving?
Zhou Wuji thought of the booklet found on Cui Wancheng. He had already read it last night; it was actually notes left behind by Tianji Shenjun.
Back when he killed the Cold-Blooded Twin Fiends of the Heavenly Ghost Sect, he had also obtained a volume of Tianji Shenjun's notes.
He had even checked Lingming Peak for that reason, but a terrifying malevolent spirit guarded the depths of the cave there, so he had not dared to venture deep inside.
The notes Cui Wancheng left behind were different. In them, Tianji Shenjun stated that Yunyang's earth veins were peculiar, capable of overturning after several centuries to transform into a flying dragon.
When the earth vein transformed into a dragon, it would alter the geomantic qi and heavenly mechanics.
All manner of divine treasures deeply concealed within heaven and earth would emerge alongside it. If one could seize the opportunity to capture a fraction of that providence, one could defy the heavens, change their fate, and soar to the skies...
Cui Wancheng's claims had all merely been a repetition of Tianji Shenjun's words.
While Cui Wancheng was merely a minor Rank Five and hardly worth mentioning, Zhou Wuji did not dare underestimate Tianji Shenjun.
If nothing else, that fellow's cave dwelling was extraordinary!
Together with the diary, there might have been a map, only it was not in Cui Wancheng's possession. Or could the disaster at Wu Family Village be the result of Yin-Yang Dao people excavating the earth vein, causing the ground to collapse?
Yet Xue Gui had clearly stated that Ghost Sword Xue Ying was stirring up trouble in Wu Family Village, had he not?
Were Cui Wancheng and Xue Ying in league?
Demonic cultivators belonged to numerous factions that harbored mutual animosity.
When it came down to specific individuals, however, matters were hard to predict.
For the moment, Zhou Wuji could not figure it out either.
However, beneath Canglong Temple lay a qi aperture, and his master's Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment had even been obtained from beneath Canglong Temple.
He thought again of the cave dwelling on Lingming Peak, and an itch of temptation stirred in his heart.
Yet he was also well aware that even with his significant progress in cultivation, he likely remained no match for that terrifying malevolent spirit.
Only a Rank Three Perfected Being would stand a chance of dealing with it.
Zhou Wuji could not help but think of Perfected Zhihua; perhaps turning over a cave dwelling he could not access for now to Perfected Zhihua would be a better choice.
Perfected Zhihua was rather generous, so trading a cave dwelling for a set of Seven Stars of the Big Dipper Swords should be feasible, right?
Yet he was somewhat reluctant to part with it. With the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment in hand, advancing to Rank Three within ten years should not be difficult...
Chapter 136