After sending her family away, Nan Zhi knew that every move she made would surely be watched.
Since entering the territory of the Northwest Circuit Demon Suppression Monastery, the pursuit by the hungry ghosts seemed to have vanished overnight.
Either Huiyuan feared Daoist Qinglong and did not dare to act recklessly, or she had already walked into the tiger's den, making it unnecessary to send more people to hunt her down.
“It’s not a big deal. Even if it’s the worst-case scenario—Foundation Establishment versus Nascent Soul Great Circle—the advantage still lies with me.
If I lose, I just lose a life and reload. If he loses, he loses face and will be mocked by the entire cultivation world.”
Nan Zhi was quite composed. She found the young Daoist boy she had met yesterday to lead the way and took a brief tour of the entire Demon Suppression Monastery.
—It was chaos personified.
Every demon suppressor of the third class or higher in the monastery had been sent out by Shen Luohe, either to guard subordinate counties or to reinforce other regional monasteries.
Even the low-ranking third and fourth-class demon suppressors were not spared. They were overwhelmed with tasks, and the three divisions—Records, Supervisory, and Arrest—were in total disarray, with dozens of people running around like headless chickens. The place had practically ceased to function normally.
Shen Luohe, a second-class supervisory officer, was juggling multiple roles. He had to organize the distress letters sent from various county offices, dispatch suitable personnel, and handle all the miscellaneous affairs of the monastery. He was incredibly busy.
In contrast, Nan Zhi was far more leisurely.
—Her current status was quite awkward. Since there had been no reply from Bianjing yet, she was still technically a “fugitive of the Demon Suppression Division.”
She could neither interfere in the division’s affairs nor leave the monastery at will.
“By right, the four officials of each regional monastery—Records, Supervisory, Arrest, and Judicial—should be appointed by Bianjing or at least undergo an assessment before joining.
These four classes of demon suppressors are meant to monitor each other, support one another, and perform their respective duties. Above them are the four commissioners, who report directly to Bianjing.
This ensures that even if the commissioner positions are temporarily vacant, the monastery can still operate normally.”
Nan Zhi sat on the roof of the Records Tower, watching the courtyard below. It was desolate and quiet, and she couldn't help but ask:
“Since there is a Nascent Soul powerhouse guarding this place, how could it fall into such complete chaos just because a disaster struck?”
Beside her sat a young Daoist boy. He was the one who had complained that if Shen Luohe returned late, he would go hungry. His secular name was A-sheng.
“You’re asking the wrong person. I’m just a crane boy who looks after the birds.”
A-sheng held a sweet melon in his hands and took a heavy bite with his gap-toothed mouth, leaving two distinct holes in the fruit.
“I don’t know what other branches of the Demon Suppression Division are like, but in our monastery, ever since Master Mo of the Arrest Division went into seclusion three years ago, Senior Brother Shen has been handling everything.”
“That doesn't sound like the way a government office works; it sounds more like a cultivation sect. Have you seen Hua Xijian lately? She and I are both arrest officers, so technically we should both be working under this Master Mo.”
Nan Zhi felt no shame in pumping a child for information. she took some snacks from her sleeve and gave them to him.
“Where did you hear that Master Mo was in seclusion? That news might be fake. I heard someone say that during the recent sect selections in the cultivation world, Master Mo went back to the Qingjing Sect.”
The Great Song was located in one of the four provinces, and its territory happened to be where the major cultivation sects, the Qingjing Sect and the Wuwei Sect, bordered each other.
Therefore, the disciples of these two sects often chose the Great Song's Demon Suppression Division as the ideal place to temper their hearts in the mortal world.
Mo Chenghuai was a cultivator dispatched from the Qingjing Sect. It was said his cultivation was around the mid-stage Golden Core, and he was extremely skilled in various killing formations. He was known for his intense killing intent, advocating for the absolute elimination of all demons. His formidable reputation was well-known.
“Sister Hua is also in seclusion.”
A-sheng swung his legs, rebutting her with some annoyance. “Who said my news was fake? There isn't a thing in this entire monastery that I don't know.
Master Mo went into seclusion three years ago to study a new formation and hasn't come out since. As for the sect trials, those only happen once every ten years by the rules. Only senior brothers and sisters at the Foundation Establishment stage or higher are eligible to participate. What does that have to do with Master Mo?”
“My apologies, I must have remembered it wrong.”
Nan Zhi apologized with a smile. “Then do you know where Master Mo is in seclusion?”
“There, isn't it just at Mount Maodie, ten miles outside the monastery?”
A-sheng pointed casually in a certain direction.
“However, Master Mo is a master of formations. The entire Mount Maodie is covered in countless killing formations. Even Uncle Crane wouldn't dare fly over there easily.
If you admire the master, just wait in this monastery for eight or ten years. When he finishes his seclusion, you might get a glimpse of his grand presence!”
Nan Zhi noted these words one by one. Just as she was about to ask more, she saw a white crane flapping its wings in the distance. In the blink of an eye, its two long avian legs landed beside them.
The white crane stood gracefully. The black marks left by the lightning strike on its body had faded significantly, and a layer of fine, dense down had grown back on its wings.
It looked down at Nan Zhi from its height and let out a long cry.
“Gaa! Gaaaa!”
【The master wants to see you.】
After saying this, the white crane nudged its crane boy, A-sheng, with its head, flapped its wings, and quickly flew off.
Daoist Qinglong wanted to see her?
At this time?
Nan Zhi pursed her lips and glanced toward Mount Maodie. Then she turned, threw out a charred and miserable-looking red-skinned gourd, and pretended to ride it as she followed the white crane toward the Demon Suppression Tower.
...
...
Meanwhile, on the other side...
The carriage had traveled over thirty li, and as the town grew closer, Nan Ye remembered her eldest sister's instructions. Her breathing grew rapid.
Even the prayer beads she clutched in her hand seemed to have become scorching hot.
“Squeak, squeak...”
Something moved in her sleeve, and a red hedgehog crawled out.
Seeing Nan Ye's tension, the little beast offered a few words of comfort in its own way. It then used its mouth to pull out a packet of medicinal powder wrapped in oil paper and gestured quietly.
“Squeak, squeak... squeak...”
“Miss Nan, is something the matter?”
The cultivator driving the carriage heard the noise, reined in the horses, and lifted the curtain to check. To his surprise, a packet of medicinal powder was suddenly thrown in his face. He immediately went limp and slumped to the side as the wheels slowly ground to a halt.
It worked!
The instructions in her sister's letter were correct; this Spirit Swallowing Grass was indeed effective against cultivators!
Nan Ye suppressed her excitement, lifted her skirt, and pushed the cultivator into the bushes by the roadside to hide him. When she turned back, she saw that the red hedgehog had already transformed into a young girl, skillfully taking over the carriage seat.
“Second Miss, I am Hongluo. Sister Zhi instructed me to escort the master and madam to Bianjing first; she will follow later.
Quick, get in! If we take the land route to Bianjing, it will take quite some time!”
“Th-thank you.”
Nan Ye was startled to see a demon, but she quickly suppressed her fear and nodded.
Climbing into the carriage, she saw her parents were still in a deep sleep. Just as she let out a small sigh of relief, she was startled by a sound in the next second.
“Thump!”
A muffled sound came from the box of local gifts at the back of the carriage.
To the highly stressed Nan Ye, the sound was as loud as a thunderclap on a clear day!
Nan Ye forced back a scream, clutched her medicinal powder, and braved her fear to open the box!
Inside were not the local gifts Shen Luohe had prepared, but a drowsy young woman with a small red mole between her eyebrows and a face as serene as a Guanyin!
Who else could it be but the long-missing Hua Xijian?!
The shock in Nan Ye's heart was overwhelming.
Hua Xijian looked as if she had been drugged. She was bound by a gold silk rope, her eyes tightly shut. Her wrists were wrapped in cloth to prevent chafing, and the steady rise and fall of her chest proved she was still alive.
—Nan Ye recognized the rope; it was the gold silk rope the Demon Suppression Division used to bind small demons. She had heard it was woven from the hair of demon beasts and was impossible to break easily.
There were other things in the box: a long sword, four pouches, several sets of fresh clothes smelling of soap, some packets of snacks, and four glittering large gold ingots.
There was no need to think; these gifts had been personally ordered onto the carriage by Shen Luohe, so the person must have been bound on his orders as well.
Just what kind of major event had occurred in the Demon Suppression Monastery?
Why would Shen Luohe drug Hua Xijian and secretly send her away?
What exactly did her eldest sister know?
It had forced her to send her entire family away to escape disaster!
They couldn't even stay in Dingyuan and had to flee to the capital overnight!
Unless... her sister was afraid that someone in the Demon Suppression Division would target them.
If she left today, and if the Demon Suppression Monastery truly was a den of wolves and tigers, her eldest sister and eldest brother might be in mortal danger.
Nan Ye trembled all over. She wanted to cry but didn't dare make a sound for fear of waking her parents. Her tear-filled eyes blinked rapidly before a flash of determination crossed them.
Since her sister had told her to do this, there must be a reason.
She must not hold her sister back!
Nan Ye gently closed the wooden box, her gaze becoming even more resolute.
To Bianjing, to find Nun Miaoyun!
Since the letter said the nun was a good person, then she would surely be able to save her sister!
...
Nan Zhi was currently drinking tea in the newly rebuilt bamboo pavilion.
Opposite her sat the now-awake Daoist Qinglong.
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