The Old Oak Tavern

Inside the abandoned warehouse, the pungent smell of blood mingled with the scent of dust.

Time ticked by, and for Bill, every second felt longer than a century.

Under Jiang Lin’s torture, Bill’s mental defenses completely collapsed, and he began to pour out information incoherently.

His confession largely matched what Jason had said, confirming the existence of the Pleasure Cult’s vast and secretive network in Emerald City.

At the same time, it exposed even more unsettling details.

For instance, the cult’s strongholds numbered far more than twenty!

Several more hours passed.

Jiang Lin and the Big Guy had finally completed their information gathering.

Bill, tortured to the point where he could no longer speak, rasped, "Can I... be released now?"

Jiang Lin frowned and directly ended him with a single sword strike.

At the same time, they released Jason from the spatial pouch.

Jiang Lin similarly ended his sinful life with a single strike.

Then, the two began to discuss their follow-up plan.

"Big Brother, tomorrow we’ll head out from the cheap inn first. I’ll take on Jason’s identity and carry out his daily routine. You’ll take on the little girl’s identity and go back to her house first. Tell her to hide; she shouldn't show herself during this period."

The Big Guy nodded. "That’s exactly what I was thinking. Next, I’ll disguise myself as this guy named Bill and move according to his daily patterns. Finally, we’ll meet up at the cult stronghold tonight."

"Then we’ll act according to the situation and see if we can get in touch with higher-ranking figures in their cult."

Jiang Lin nodded in approval.

Afterward, the two began to discuss certain details and potential follow-up issues.

Soon, dawn arrived.

Jiang Lin and the Big Guy cleaned up the "relics" in the abandoned warehouse and rushed back toward the cheap inn.

Returning to the inn, they skillfully flipped through the window and began their disguises.

The 10-hour limit had completely passed, so Jiang Lin felt free to use all of his abilities.

Facing the mottled mirror, his appearance began to change under the effect of Slaughter Disguise.

A layer of blood-red aura emerged from his body.

However, under the effect of his Holy Arbiter title, this layer of blood aura appeared as a hazy holy light in the eyes of the Big Guy.

As expected of a paladin with such firm faith; the holy light outside his body is so pure and divine! the Big Guy thought to himself.

Subsequently, the layer of blood aura transformed into startlingly small tentacles of flesh that wrapped around Jiang Lin. In almost an instant, these tiny tentacles shifted into Jason’s appearance.

Jiang Lin felt as though he hadn't changed much, as if he had simply put on a set of clothes, but he had now taken on Jason’s form.

The Big Guy was initially curious about the other’s disguise technique, but he hadn't expected it to be so simple and crude.

Is this transformation magic? If it’s magic, it’s usually easy to detect, right?

The Big Guy stepped forward and began to inspect and probe Jiang Lin’s aura.

Hiss... what is going on?! How can I not sense even a hint of magic aura?!!

His eyes widened.

No, this wasn't how disguise techniques worked!

You were supposed to spend a long time observing the target's appearance, their daily habits, and familiarizing yourself with which muscles they used for every expression. Then, you would slowly control and adjust your own muscles to match!

That was how you performed a disguise technique without leaking any aura!

It wasn't supposed to be a case of taking one look and completing the transformation in an instant, without even needing to change clothes!

At this moment, a subtle change occurred in the Big Guy’s psyche.

Meanwhile, Jiang Lin looked into the mirror at his current face.

It was a face with a hint of hypocritical handsomeness.

The person in the mirror had slightly pale skin, dark circles under the eyes from overindulgence, and a habitual, frivolous smirk at the corners of the mouth.

He was directly wearing Jason’s faded velvet jacket, and the scent of cheap perfume rushed into his nose.

He was somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected the effect of Slaughter Disguise to be so thorough.

Next, it was the Big Guy’s turn to disguise himself.

Thus, Jiang Lin began to watch the Big Guy’s performance.

To prevent any magical effects from being seen through, normal disguise techniques took much longer than Jiang Lin’s Slaughter Disguise.

Jiang Lin witnessed a disguise process that left him dumbfounded.

The Big Guy’s height, which was nearly two meters, was somehow compressed until he became a little girl only 1.5 meters tall.

His bulging muscles disappeared, replaced by the smooth and soft skin of a young girl.

Jiang Lin even stepped forward curiously to poke him, finding the flesh was loose and soft, with none of the original muscle density detectable.

Jiang Lin was greatly shocked.

However, since this was a fantasy world, such methods weren't entirely surprising.

Soon, the Big Guy finished his disguise, turning back into that weak and frail little girl.

Wrapping himself in a thin bedsheet, he gave Jiang Lin a sidelong glance. "Idiot, I need to change. Turn around and don't look."

Jiang Lin was speechless and silently turned his head away.

At the same time, he focused his mind, forcing himself into Jason’s perspective and trying not to remember that the little girl in front of him was actually a two-meter-tall, rough-looking man.

Soon, the dawn light was faint, and the wooden window frame of the cheap inn captured a patch of gray sky.

With a "creak" of the door, the two walked out of the room.

The Big Guy’s hair was now messy, his clothes were somewhat untidy, and his eyes were red and swollen as if he had just finished a bout of crying.

Jiang Lin, on the other hand, looked satisfied and smug, walking unsteadily down the creaking stairs with an air of sated greed.

The yawning old man at the front desk looked up at the two, sighed, and muttered, "Jason, keep the noise down."

Jiang Lin gave a vague grunt in response and pushed the door open, blending into the cool, dust-filled morning air of Emerald City.

Following the clues provided by Jason, he headed toward the Old Oak Tavern in the west of the city.

The morning light was stingy as it spilled onto the potholed stone roads of Emerald City, carrying the damp, cold moisture that hadn't dispersed from the night.

On both sides of the street, early-rising vendors pushed creaking carts. When they saw "Jason" approaching, they instinctively shrunk their necks, their eyes flickering as they hurried their movements.

A few idlers leaning against the walls with shifting gazes lazily raised their hands as a greeting upon seeing him.

"Hey, Jason! Had some fun last night? That chick looked pretty tender!" a thug with a scar on his face shouted with a lewd smile.

Jiang Lin didn't stop. He mimicked Jason’s careless yet slightly boastful tone, giving a vague "mm" and pulling his lips into a hypocritical smirk.

He didn't dare say much—excessive words lead to slips, especially in front of people who might actually know Jason.

He asked Little Black in his pocket if these people were cultists.

He received a negative answer.

However, during the walk, he had already encountered five or six individuals carrying the aura of an evil god.

Soon, a weather-beaten wooden sign carved with the image of a twisted oak tree appeared in his sight.

The Old Oak Tavern—the place where Jason usually handled his business and met with his cultist associates.

It wasn't yet official business hours; the heavy wooden door was ajar, revealing dim yellow light and the murky smell of cheap ale mixed with sweat.

Jiang Lin took a deep breath and pushed open the creaking wooden door.

An even stronger scent hit him—a mixture of alcohol, sweat, cheap tobacco, and an... indescribable, sickly sweet stench.

The interior was dimly lit, with only an oil lamp behind the bar and the dying embers in the fireplace providing illumination.

A few rough wooden tables were scattered about, and empty barrels and wood shavings were strewn across the floor.

Behind the bar, a bloated, bald bartender wearing a greasy leather apron was slowly wiping glasses.

Seeing "Jason" enter, the bartender lifted his eyelids and greeted in a low, raspy voice, "Jason, you're early today. The usual?"

"Yeah."

Jiang Lin nodded and naturally sat on a high stool at the bar.

He quietly observed the situation inside the tavern.

Besides the bartender, there were a few other figures sitting in the corners.

Little Black sent him a telepathic message: "Kid, everyone in this room is a cult member."

Jiang Lin understood. He took the malt beer handed to him by the bartender.

A suspicious layer of foam floated on the surface of the murky liquid.

Jiang Lin endured his discomfort, picked it up, and after a moment’s hesitation, took a gulp.

Compared to the restaurant he had visited before, the malt beer here was much harder to drink.

It was spicy, bitter, and even carried an indescribable, foul fermented taste.

Jiang Lin put down the ale and began chatting with the bartender.

Mimicking Jason’s slightly frivolous tone, he said, "Had good luck last night. Got a fresh one."

The bartender continued wiping glasses, his murky eyes not even glancing at Jiang Lin as he replied with a weird laugh, "Only you would have that kind of taste."

After a pause, the bartender added, "Once you're done playing, are you planning to use her as a sacrificial offering?"

Jiang Lin shook his head, mimicking Jason’s lewd smile. "Hehe, no rush. Let me play for a few more days. It’s hard to find such an obedient little lamb."

"At first she struggled, but as soon as I mentioned her old man's debt, she became obedient instantly..."

The bartender laughed along and didn't ask further. He turned and pulled a small wooden box from under the counter, pushing it toward Jiang Lin.

"This is your stipend for this month. Count it."

"Also, there’s a meeting at the eastern stronghold tonight. Don't be late. I heard a High Lord is coming to issue an announcement."

Jiang Lin took the wooden box; it felt heavy in his hand.

He opened a crack and glimpsed dozens of silver coins shimmering inside.

There are actually extra perks?

At the same time, he recalled the eastern stronghold the bartender mentioned.

It was likely those abandoned warehouses, wasn't it?

He closed the lid and nodded. "Understood. I’ll be there on time."

Then, the bartender mentioned seemingly casually, "The debt from the widow on East Street—are you interested in collecting it?"

However, Jiang Lin clicked his tongue. "Too old. Not interested."

The bartender laughed weirdly again. "That's exactly like you."

Ending the conversation, he didn't leave immediately. He continued to sit for a while, slowly sipping the low-quality ale while his ears were perked up, catching fragments of conversation in the shop.

"...I heard things aren't peaceful lately. Seems like someone from the Temple is coming..."

"...What’s there to fear? Do they have any way to deal with us?..."

"...I heard a higher-level figure from above is coming to Emerald City..."

"...Whatever. Let’s just do our jobs and prepare enough sacrificial offerings..."

These fragmented pieces of information came together in Jiang Lin’s mind.

It seemed the Pleasure Cult’s network in Emerald City was indeed deeply entrenched; even the interior of the Temple was likely infiltrated.

And tonight’s gathering seemed like it would involve some high-level members of the cult.

Perhaps it was an opportunity to get in touch with the higher-ups and gather more intel.

He had to tell the Big Guy this news.

Once he had finished most of his drink, Jiang Lin stood up, tossed a few copper coins on the bar, and jerked his chin at the bartender. "I'm off."

The bartender waved him away without looking up.

Stepping out of the Old Oak, the cool morning breeze refreshed Jiang Lin’s spirit.

It helped him gradually forget the terrible taste of the cheap ale.

He followed the route memorized from the map and headed toward the west district of Emerald City.

At the same time, he deliberately walked in a direction that would pass by the Temple.

He wanted Little Black to sense if there was any aura of an evil god inside the Temple.

The scale of the Emerald City Temple was significantly smaller than those in Boulder City and Clearwater City.

The old white walls looked somewhat mottled.

Clearly, the daily maintenance wasn't as good as in the other two cities.

"Little Black, do you sense anything?" Jiang Lin asked.

However, after waiting for a long while, Little Black said, "No, I can't probe it. The aura of the righteous gods here is too strong. If I probe deeply, I might expose myself. Just probing the surface is useless because the presence of those righteous god statues completely disrupts the aura."

Hearing this, Jiang Lin left with some regret.

He then arrived in the west district of Emerald City for his "patrol."

This was one of Jason’s daily tasks—ostensibly collecting debts for a certain merchant guild, but in reality, he was scouting for suitable sacrificial targets.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

The Big Guy, having turned back into the little girl, returned to the door of the girl's house with red eyes.

He knocked on the door. It was pushed open by a man with messy hair and the smell of alcohol on his breath.

When the man saw the little girl with red and swollen eyes, he froze for a moment, then looked away from the girl's expression which looked like she was about to cry.

The Big Guy didn't say a word. Ignoring the man, he walked straight toward the little girl’s room.

With a "bang," the Big Guy slammed the door to the girl's room shut.

Clearly, the girl's father was actually aware of her situation.

In fact, he might have even played a part in Jason getting his hands on her.

Once the Big Guy entered the room, he pulled the curtains and raised his hand to set up a few simple soundproof arrays.

Afterward, he opened the little girl’s wardrobe.

Currently, a girl who looked exactly like him was lying inside the wardrobe, looking at him with bright eyes.

If someone who didn't know the inside story saw this, they might think it was a scene from a horror movie.

For example, a mother coming in at night to turn off her daughter's light, only for the daughter to say there was someone under the bed. When the mother crouches down, she finds her daughter still under the bed, and the girl under the bed terrifiedly says there's a monster on the bed. And the mother knows perfectly well her daughter isn't a twin...

However, the girl in the wardrobe didn't show any fear. Instead, she looked worriedly at the other "girl" with red eyes outside the wardrobe.

"Big sister, why are you crying?"