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Chapter 174: Bad News from the Frontlines

However, this person, as the black glove of the Flame Departing Palace cultivators, might have connections with the higher-ups in the sect, and the possibility of there being other means of detecting his death could not be ruled out.

At the very least, Senior Brother Zhuo couldn’t die at this particular time. It would be better for him to reappear in the future, in a different context, before meeting his end. This way, any connection between his death and Wuqi Mountain or Lan Chang\'an could be severed.

As for finding someone else to take the blame, that could be left to chance—there was no need to force it, as that might make things worse.

"Six months from now," Lan Chang\'an decided. He set a deadline for Zhuo\'s death—at least six months later, or maybe even a year.

The spoils from Senior Brother Zhuo were valuable, but few were of immediate use to Lan Chang\'an.

The golden magical treasure prototype, for example, was clearly stolen goods and couldn’t be used openly. Lan Chang\'an already possessed a magical treasure prototype he had nurtured and refined for many years, which suited him better and consumed less of his resources.

Generally, only those with the deep mana reserves of a late Foundation Establishment cultivator or an exceptional spiritual sense could effectively wield a magical treasure prototype.

The two quasi-third-rank talismans—one offensive and one for escape—were valuable additions to Lan Chang\'an’s collection of talisman treasures. However, these types of quasi-third-rank talismans were not suitable for nurturing due to the different methods and materials used in their creation.

Quasi-third-rank talismans, which correspond to Fake-Dan, are typically created in two ways.

One is through lacking craftsmanship, where third-rank materials are used to forcefully create a downgraded quasi-third-rank talisman.

The other is through proper craftsmanship using the hide or fur of a pseudo-third-rank demonic beast.

The promotion of a demonic beast to the third rank was similar to a human\'s formation of the core, where the inner core had to be condensed within the body.

If the inner core is of inferior quality, the beast is considered a pseudo-third-rank demonic beast, much like a human Fake-Dan human cultivator.

"As for the materials for the Crystal Condensation Pill, if I ever get the chance to refine the pill, I might consider giving any extra pills to the Earth Burrowing Rat," Lan Chang\'an mused.

Demonic beasts advance to the third rank by forming an inner core, much like human cultivators forming a core. Therefore, the Crystal Condensation Pill could also be useful for the Earth Burrowing Rat.

Although the Crystal Condensation Pill is specifically tailored for human cultivators, it would be less effective for demonic beasts. The closer a demonic beast’s physiology is to that of humans, the more effective the pill.

Given that many human medicines are tested on mice, the Earth Burrowing Rat would likely benefit significantly from the Crystal Condensation Pill.

In the past, Lan Chang\'an hadn’t considered his own prospects of forming a core, and the Earth Burrowing Rat was only expected to reach the pseudo-third rank.

However, if there were enough Crystal Condensation Pills in the future, the Earth Burrowing Rat could secure a pseudo-core at the very least, with a slight chance of becoming a true third-rank great demon.

...

Currently, Senior Brother Zhuo was bound in an underground chamber near the northern edge of Wuqi Mountain.

The underground rock provided strong isolation from spiritual sense detection. Without knowledge of the exact location, even a Core Formation Immortal flying nearby would be unable to detect him.

The Earth Burrowing Rat was in charge of guarding Zhuo, keeping him nourished with Fasting Pills. With the restrictions placed on him, Zhuo couldn’t even commit suicide.

Lan Chang\'an considered interrogating Zhuo, but given that the "Night Fisherman" had recently been sighted, and Flame Departing Palace cultivators might visit soon, he decided to postpone the interrogation.

Three days later, Song Wenshu arrived at Wuqi Mountain with two other Flame Departing Palace cultivators to gather information and track the "Night Fisherman."

The three peak masters of Wuqi Mountain cooperated fully, providing any clues they had.

Lan Chang\'an and Fairy Shi truthfully recounted the events of that night, though Lan Chang\'an omitted the part where he captured and killed Senior Brother Zhuo.

After the formalities were over, Song Wenshu stayed as a guest at Little Turtle Peak, accompanied by the three peak masters.

"Fellow Daoist Lan, the \'Night Fisherman\' has struck again near Wuqi Mountain, nearly harming your junior. This is my fault!" In private conversation, Song Wenshu expressed his apology, lowering his tone slightly.

Lan Chang\'an had previously provided him with spirit stones to improve the security around Wuqi Mountain, so they had a bit of a rapport.

Song Wenshu’s humble demeanor earned him some goodwill from Fairy Shi and Ye Fei. Flame Departing Palace cultivators usually held themselves above loose cultivators, rarely showing them such courtesy.

"Fellow Daoist Song, you’re being too hard on yourself. These are unusual times, and your sect’s manpower is limited," Lan Chang\'an replied politely.

Had he not known the truth, he might have been swayed by Song Wenshu’s words for a moment.

"Rest assured, three peak masters, I will further strengthen the patrols around Wuqi Mountain..." Song Wenshu assured them.

"By the way, Flame Departing Palace plans to increase the bounty on the \'Night Fisherman.\' Are any of you interested in participating?" he added casually after some idle chat.

Only Lan Chang\'an understood that Song Wenshu had come to test the waters with these words.

"Sigh, I don’t have the confidence to capture such a notorious bandit. That night, when we lured out the rogue cultivators, we had no idea who he was. Now, I’ll be lucky if he doesn’t seek revenge," Lan Chang\'an replied with a wry smile.

Fairy Shi added regretfully, "We missed our chance that night when he escaped severely injured. Now that he’s on guard, capturing him will be even more difficult..."

Song Wenshu kept his expression neutral, noting that the three peak masters had no intention of pursuing the matter further.

After sitting at Little Turtle Peak for another quarter-hour, Song Wenshu rose to take his leave.

The three peak masters escorted him out of the cave.

Ye Fei remarked, "This Fellow Daoist Song is truly a refined and amiable man, not at all haughty despite his status. He’s someone worth befriending."

Lan Chang\'an nodded with a smile but didn’t continue the conversation.

Fairy Shi, who had a deeper relationship with him, had a vague feeling that something was different. Although Lan Chang\'an remained as courteous as ever, he seemed less interested in fostering a friendship with Song Wenshu than before.

...

Half a month after the Flame Departing Palace cultivators left, Lan Chang\'an finally visited the underground chamber north of Wuqi Mountain to interrogate Senior Brother Zhuo.

In the dark underground cave, Senior Brother Zhuo looked pale, with sunken eyes and a vacant stare. When he saw Lan Chang\'an, his pupils contracted, but he didn’t show any surprise.

Over the past few days, while being guarded by the Earth Burrowing Rat, Zhuo had speculated about this possibility.

Lan Chang\'an released some of the restrictions on him, allowing him to speak.

"Brother Zhuo, if you answer my questions honestly, I’ll give you a quick death," Lan Chang\'an said bluntly.

"Lan Chang\'an, do you know who I am? If you have any guts, kill me! When you do, the entire Wuqi Mountain will be buried with me!" Zhuo sneered, his expression cold and menacing.

"Quite the bold statement," Lan Chang\'an remarked, slightly surprised. Did this man really have such powerful backing?

"Ha! If you had that kind of power, why would you be hiding and drifting around as a rogue cultivator?"

"Hmph! I am the descendant of a Flame Departing Palace elder. If you don’t believe me, ask Song Wenshu," Zhuo retorted mockingly.

"The descendant of a Flame Departing Palace elder? I haven’t heard of any elder with the surname Zhuo," Lan Chang\'an replied skeptically.

Flame Departing Palace elders, who were at least Core Formation Immortals, mostly served as either ordinary or outer sect elders. The core elders were few and far between, and Lan Chang\'an, after a century of cultivation in the Liang Kingdom, was familiar with most of these figures.

Zhuo fell silent, either due to some unspeakable secret or because he was deliberately trying to create an air of mystery. He didn’t elaborate on his background.

Lan Chang\'an decided not to use force for now. Zhuo\'s injuries were severe, and with his cultivation crippled, he was essentially a mortal. His body couldn’t withstand torture.

But Lan Chang\'an had other ways to extract information from him other than torture.

Several days later, Lan Chang\'an stopped giving Zhuo Fasting Pills, allowing hunger and weakness to cloud his mind.

In this state, Lan Chang\'an used a "Soul Enchantment Spell" on Zhuo, which quickly took effect.

Whoosh!

Within moments, Zhuo awoke from the spell. Despite his weakened state, his willpower, honed through years as a peak late Foundation Establishment cultivator, allowed him to break free quickly.

"Who... who are you? A mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator with such a powerful spiritual sense..." Zhuo was drenched in cold sweat, staring at Lan Chang\'an in disbelief.

In Flame Departing Palace, only those for Golden Dan seeds could have such strong spiritual senses at the late Foundation Establishment stage.

Lan Chang\'an simply smiled without answering. He fed Zhuo another Fasting Pill, reapplying the restrictions to ensure nothing was missed.

In that brief moment, using the Soul Enchantment Spell, Lan Chang\'an extracted several crucial pieces of information from Zhuo.

...

Back at Little Turtle Peak, Lan Chang\'an spent a long time in deep thought.

Zhuo\'s real name was Zhuo Yangping, and he was indeed the great-grandson of a powerful Flame Departing Palace elder.

Many years ago, Zhuo had committed a serious crime within the sect. He had used threats and coercion to defile several female disciples, including a Fake-Dan inner disciple. When the scandal broke, Zhuo fled to escape punishment.

The elder, known for his strict adherence to justice, had declared that he would uphold the law even if it meant executing his own kin. Eventually, Flame Departing Palace’s law enforcement team claimed to have "killed" Zhuo, bringing the matter to a close.

Since then, Zhuo had been erased from Flame Departing Palace\'s records, living under assumed identities and operating in the gray areas, colluding with Flame Departing Palace cultivators as a black glove.

According to Zhuo, the elder never intended to protect him. Instead, it was a deputy hall master of the Law Enforcement Hall who, possibly to curry favor with the elder or for some other purpose, took it upon himself to secretly bail out Zhuo.

This deputy hall master happened to be a relative of Song Wenshu.

Over the years, Zhuo had funneled a significant portion of his plundered wealth and captured female cultivators as tributes to this deputy hall master.

"A Core Formation elder’s great-grandson... That’s a connection, but not an insurmountable one..." After learning the truth, Lan Chang\'an felt both apprehensive and reassured.

Zhuo\'s background was indeed significant but far from invincible. His status is far inferior to that of the personal disciples of the Flame Departing Palace Master, the Law Enforcement Elders, and the like.

The Nascent Soul True Monarch of the Flame Departing Palace, on the other hand, was a Supreme Elder who basically did not ask about the sect\'s mundane matters.

If Zhuo had been directly related to a Nascent Soul True Monarch or a personal disciple with connections beyond Lan Chang\'an\'s previous life\'s cultivation experience, he wouldn’t even think about it and just run away, possibly even abandon the Liang Kingdom altogether.

...

Two months passed in the blink of an eye.

There was no response from Flame Departing Palace regarding Zhuo, though Song Wenshu did indeed increase patrols around Wuqi Mountain, improving the security in the area.

One day, Lan Chang\'an received a letter from Jin Yun Valley.

Zhang Tieshan and Lin Lu were engaged in battle in a neighboring country, and the letter was from Zhao Siyao.

In her letter, Zhao Siyao hinted that the sect was preparing to draft a second batch of cultivators for the war effort in Feng Kingdom.

Lan Chang\'an guessed that Zhao Siyao was afraid that she would be on the list of cultivators to be drafted for the second batch.

At the same time, the letter also brought bad news—possibly even catastrophic news—from the frontlines of the Feng Kingdom.