CHAPTER 164: CHAPTER 32: ARRANGEMENTS

"Let’s wait and see what news the others gather." Yue Zhao, although frowning, was much more patient than Nan Hua. He tapped his fingers on the table and spoke.

With no other options, they could only nod helplessly.

Half an hour later, Qi Yu and Qin An returned from outside, surprised to see Yue Zhao and the others still there.

"Yue Zhao, did you gather any news?" Qi Yu, being fellow disciples with Yue Zhao, spoke more casually.

Yue Zhao briefly explained the information they had gathered and then asked Qi Yu, "What about the two of you? Did you find anything?"

"We found similar information to yours. Additionally, we visited those whose family members disappeared. They said they have no idea what happened. They claimed everything was fine the night before, but the next morning, the people were gone without making a sound. It’s likely the same person or demon beast responsible as what Junior Sister Gu and her team encountered." Qi Yu and Qin An exchanged glances and shared their findings with the others.

"Just as I suspected, thank you both. Have a rest now, and we’ll call you when others return." Yue Zhao guessed the two had put in a lot of effort, speaking kindly.

Qi Yu and Qin An didn’t stand on ceremony, heading straight to their rooms.

About half an hour later, Cheng Hao and Qu Ye returned. They had gathered similar intelligence, and after discussing, Yue Zhao allowed them to rest too.

Another quarter of an hour passed before Lin Xian’er and Zhao Yan returned, having found no other information, and went to rest as well.

Gu Qingqing and Si Lin were the last to return. Fortunately, they arrived in the afternoon while it was still bright, giving them ample time to discuss.

"Let’s hear what you discovered." Si Lin handed a bottle of Spiritual Dew to himself and Gu Qingqing, then turned to Yue Zhao.

"Around half a month ago, a large pit appeared outside the west gate of Wuyun City, where a stone tablet and a statue were found. The City Lord took them, and soon after, people started disappearing. Nan Hua and Jun Wu checked the pit but found nothing. Qi Yu and Qin An visited the homes of the missing people, who disappeared silently, likely related to door opening at night. That’s all." Yue Zhao succinctly recapped their collected information for Si Lin. "What about you two?"

Si Lin and Gu Qingqing exchanged a glance, and Gu Qingqing began to speak.

"Senior Brother, I went to the City Lord Mansion, discovering that the servants there had the aura of death, appearing not to be alive, while the City Lord showed no such aura, which is peculiar. We also saw the stone tablet and statue; the tablet identifies the statue as a type of demon beast from the Demon Clan, called the Soul-devouring Beast. It knocks on doors at midnight and devours souls if the door is opened.

Moreover, we found out that the sect members who disappeared did so together. We located the inn they stayed in and questioned the owner and staff. They saw them the night before, but the next morning, they had vanished.

We suspect this is related to the Soul-devouring Beast, and there might be an elder-level demon behind it," Gu Qingqing summarized their findings.

Silence fell over the room when she finished speaking.

The information was significant—not just the Soul-devouring Beast, but also her suspicion of an elder-level demon startled them!

Dealing with a Demon General-level demon was manageable for them, but an elder-level demon was a different story, with some formidable elders surpassing the ninth level, stepping into the Half-step Immortal Rank, comparable to Wen Guiyun’s level!

If such a demon appeared here, none of them would likely escape!

"If it’s truly an elder-level demon, with its cultivation, capturing people should be easy. Why go to all this trouble?" Lin Xian’er, most dissatisfied with Gu Qingqing, always had immense potential for criticism and immediately identified a problem.

"I discussed this with Geng Geng, suspecting it might be injured. The barrier of the Sub-immortal Realm is very firm; entering it with its cultivation isn’t easy, so getting injured is normal!" Si Lin explained, casting a glance at Lin Xian’er, defending Gu Qingqing.

This speculation was reasonable, considering an elder-level demon passing through the Sub-immortal Realm’s barrier from the Demon Realm was much harder compared to a Demon Soldier. The Heavenly Dao of the Sub-immortal Realm isn’t as weak as the previous Xuantian Continent’s Heavenly Dao!

Lin Xian’er did not expect Si Lin to speak up for Gu Qingqing. Those who knew Si Lin were aware he was a man of few words, usually using the fewest words for explanations. Yet, for Gu Qingqing, he spoke at length, indicating the importance he placed on her.

With a heavy heart, Lin Xian’er simply turned her head, stayed silent, no longer looking at Si Lin and Gu Qingqing.

"The demons are in the shadows while we are exposed. We searched Wuyun City the entire day and found no trace of the Demon Clan. What should we do next?" Qi Yu asked.

"Wait." Si Lin looked at the sky outside and said.

"Waiting for what?" Qi Yu also glanced outside and asked with some confusion.

"Waiting for the night." Yue Zhao continued for Si Lin, explaining, "The Soul-devouring Beast came for Geng Geng and Yun Ran last night, but it failed. It might come again tonight. The innkeeper advised us not to go out at night, so we can try going out tonight and see what happens."

"Also, there’s something strange about the City Lord of Wuyun City. Someone needs to keep an eye on him," Si Lin added.

"The City Lord of Wuyun City’s cultivation should only be at the eighth rank, right? Who should go?" Qi Yu looked at the others and asked.

"Nan Hua," Si Lin’s gaze fell on Nan Hua, "You and Jun Wu go, City Lord Lou is probably not simple, so be careful."

Nan Hua and Jun Wu exchanged a glance and nodded, "We will."

"Geng Geng, Yue Zhao and I will guard outside your door tonight. If the Soul-devouring Beast comes again, find a way to adapt to the situation." Si Lin then turned to Gu Qingqing and said.

"I understand, Senior Brother, I’ll be careful." Gu Qingqing nodded, eyes flashing with excitement.

"Yue Zhao and I will stay in the corridor. If the Soul-devouring Beast appears, we will notify everyone. Do not rest tonight, and if it knocks on your door, adapt to the situation and avoid getting hurt." Si Lin looked at the others and instructed again.

"Understood." Everyone realized the danger this time and nodded solemnly.

Afterwards, everyone ate something casually and returned to their rooms early to conserve energy. After all, there might be a tough battle to fight tonight!

Soon, night fell, and the lights of Wuyun City dimmed one by one until everything plunged into darkness.

...

Jun Wu and Nan Hua had set off before dark and arrived at the City Lord Mansion. There weren’t any particularly powerful individuals there, and they easily found where City Lord Lou lived, hiding and staying close by.

While there were quite a few people in the City Lord Mansion, it was very quiet, and as darkness fell, fewer people moved about. When the entire mansion fell into darkness, everyone, including City Lord Lou, returned to their rooms.

Unlike others, City Lord Lou’s room was lit!

Hiding in the dark, Jun Wu and Nan Hua exchanged surprised glances.

Then, they saw City Lord Lou’s body transform under their watchful eyes, turning into a strong middle-aged man. The man looked about forty years old, with above-average looks, blue skin, dark red patterns on his face, black horns on his head, and a bare upper body covered in dark red tattoos.

Those patterns seemed mysterious; staring at them too long gave a sense of dizziness.

He turned around, and Nan Hua and Jun Wu saw a wound about twenty centimeters long on his back, with the flesh split open, even exposing white bone!

He took out a Jade Bottle, drank the liquid inside, and although there was some distance between them, Nan Hua and Jun Wu still felt a strong surge of Demonic Qi, albeit compressed within a certain range.

The wound on his back suddenly contracted a bit. Subsequently, he approached a pre-prepared tub, removed his outer pants, and sat inside.

The tub wasn’t filled with water, but a combination of herbs and blood, with a pungent odor. However, the man seemed unaffected, sitting in the tub with his eyes closed, seemingly cultivating.

Nan Hua and Jun Wu observed as the blood in the tub flew to the man’s wound, being absorbed. The wound seemed slightly better but was quickly disrupted by something, causing fresh blood to pour out again. His face twitched, revealing a trace of pain.

Nonetheless, he didn’t stop and continued cultivating, causing the blood in the tub to fly to his wound bit by bit, with the wound healing and tearing repeatedly, appearing extremely painful!

As time passed, the blood in the tub decreased, but the wound on his back had only healed about a centimeter!

When the blood was entirely absorbed, and the tub became dry, his wound still only recovered about a centimeter, with other parts trapped in a cycle of healing and breaking open, as if a powerful force was preventing his wound from healing!

He opened his eyes, sensing the situation, a chill flickered in his eyes, evidently displeased with the speed of the wound’s recovery.