This was just as if he had told someone, “Here there be ghosts,” and when that person had turned away, a ghost’s face had popped up and asked him, “Where?” 

Had Xu Rucheng not been young and vigorous, his heart might have split open on the spot. 

All the blood in his body whizzed towards his limbs, his liver went cold, and his pupils dilated enormously. Then he heard Tai Sui say in an extremely weary voice, “You can’t write the name of a person with a higher level of cultivation than you on an open-eyed grade immortal tool, hasn’t anyone taught you?” 

Of course Xu Rucheng knew that, but while the Luwu’s communication tools were open-eyed grade, having undergone special modification through inscriptions, while they perhaps couldn’t match up to a Heavenly Question, as long as you didn’t get too close, you could even mention the full name of an ascended spirit cultivator directly. But this Tai Sui could easily spy on it and could even simply erase what he had written without saying a word. What must his cultivation level be? 

Xu Rucheng had never heard of such a thing. 

Besides, he had been burning incense and calling to him every day, and Tai Sui had barely given him a response—it wasn’t that he had heard him and ignored him, it was that the reincarnation wood divine image had seemed to be dead, as if his consciousness wasn’t there at all. That was why Xu Rucheng had let down his guard. 

But there seemed to be something wrong with this evil god. He wouldn’t come if you called him to his face, but if you discussed him behind his back, he would show up at once! 

Moreover, the Tai Sui divine image wasn’t even next to him now. What was the evil god attaching himself to in order to speak? Was he omnipresent? 

If this kind of unfathomable entity had found the Snake King unpleasant, why hadn’t he gotten rid of that evil cultivator long ago? 

“I had no intention to offend,” Xu Rucheng answered cautiously. “I am merely inexperienced and lacking in knowledge. I have many doubts. After speaking to me that day, you vanished from sight, senior, and I only wanted to ask my companions for advice because I truly couldn’t think of anything else to do. I didn’t know I would violate your taboo, senior. Forgive me. After this, I certainly won’t mention your name to others without permission.” 

Tai Sui didn’t speak for a long time. Then he gave a weary “sure.” “If you do say something, it won’t matter. You won’t be able to say it aloud, anyway.” 

Xu Rucheng thought: What does he mean I won’t be able to say it aloud?

How could this Tai Sui also simply keep him silent? 

But he acutely sensed that he wasn’t angry. The sluggishness and indifference in his voice didn’t sound like bad temper on being woken up; rather, there was a sense of exhausted weakness. 

Tai Sui was once again silent for a long time. Then his voice became a little clearer than before. “What do you mean my moods are fickle? That wasn’t aimed at you, last time.” 

Then who had it been aimed at? Who else was there? 

Xu Rucheng was just about to ask when his spiritual sense was suddenly touched. He heard faint footsteps and had to restrain himself for the moment. After a while, Misty Willow quietly opened the door and came in. As soon as he appeared in the doorway, he gave a very flirtatious smile, making Xu Rucheng break out in gooseflesh. 

Raising his voice a little high, Misty Willow gently said, “Immortal, it’s time to change your medicine.” 

“Put it there.” Xu Rucheng felt awkward as soon as he saw him. He put on the Snake King’s voice, which sounded like a broken gong, and coldly said, “Leave.” 

Misty Willow’s smile froze. He didn’t dare to say anything else. All he could do was give a sinuous bow and shuffle out. 

Xu Rucheng was watching Misty Willow in bewilderment: were there that many bendy places in a human body? 

Then he heard Tai Sui unexpectedly say, “He’s already noticed that you’re an imposter.” 

Xu Rucheng: “…” 

His heart stuttered. He was afraid that sooner or later this evil god who wouldn’t be content unless he was saying something shocking would scare him to death. 

Xu Rucheng automatically blurted out, “Stop.” 

Misty Willow stiffly stopped in his tracks. Xu Rucheng’s gaze became grave. He saw that this man’s legs were shaking so hard that it was visible through his robes—he was afraid. 

Tai Sui continued: “Think about it yourself, how many days have you been here? All this time, you haven’t used him or hit him, and you haven’t passed him on to anyone else. Is that normal behavior?” 

Xu Rucheng thought to himself, What kind of people are these that they’d think not being humiliated was abnormal? Then he lowered his voice and asked, “Why are you shaking?” 

It was all right before he asked. As soon as he spoke, Misty Willow’s legs went weak, and he fell straight to his knees. His knees hit the stone floor so heavily that Xu Rucheng also became alarmed. Xu Rucheng was afraid he would cry out and quickly sealed his mouth with a talisman and tied him up. Misty Willow’s eyes rolled up, and he lost consciousness. 

Tai Sui said, “The Snake King’s evil cultivator confidants will also be thinking it’s unusual that there haven’t been any wounds on Misty Willow for several days. If you have other companions, I think you’d be better off taking care of all those evil cultivators at once.” 

Xu Rucheng went blank. When Tai Sui said the words “evil cultivators,” his tone was so natural he simply seemed like one of Heaven’s Design Pavilion’s walkers in the mortal world; but at the same time, he made killing people sound even simpler than killing chickens. Hearing it made Xu Rucheng, a cultivator who came from a good family, feel a chill go up his spine. 

Tai Sui changed the subject: “Though you can spare Misty Willow. Give him something to eat, he won’t give you away.” 

“This is a seducer kept by the evil cultivator.” Xu Rucheng raised his eyebrows and examined Misty Willow. “This person is evidently a well-grown man, but he relies on sexual wiles, flatters and fawns. He’s unfilial and undutiful…” 

“His problem isn’t contagious,” Tai Sui interrupted him impatiently. “That father wasn’t his birth father, either. He was the head of a theatrical troupe who bought him when he was little and sold him a hundred eighty times in all. Truly a small investment that brought ten-thousand fold returns. You want him to be filial? If it had been me in his place, I’d have cut that asshole to pieces and fed him to the dogs long ago.” 

Having heard this, Xu Rucheng was even more disbelieving. How could this evil god know even the full history of an insignificant male favorite? 

Tai Sui seemed to notice that he had let his words get away from him. He deliberately softened his vicious tone, saying, “Don’t mind him for now. Reckoning the date, I think the Great Market is coming up soon. In the next few days, the Snake King’s major customers ought to all be arriving in Wild Fox Village one by one. You certainly won’t be able to pretend to be injured to get out of seeing them.” 

In fact, Xu Rucheng had just been worrying about this matter. He quickly said, “Please direct me, senior.” 

“Easy enough. He has a secret account book. Without that, you won’t be able to handle those old customers,” Tai Sui said. “Tell me your background and your purpose in coming, and I’ll tell you where the account book is… I suppose your elders have taught you not to try lying to those whose cultivation is higher than yours?” 

Xu Rucheng was silent. 

“A half-immortal with no eye-opening wound on you. Clearly you had plenty of spiritual stones when you opened your spiritual eyes. You use immortal tools and talismans casually. The financial resources behind you are nothing to sneeze at,” Tai Sui said unhurriedly. “No one so rich would mobilize such forces just to scheme against Wild Fox Country, where the birds don’t even come to shit. I suppose you’ve come for that legendary monster Qiu Sha? All kinds of evil cultivators avoid her like the plague. They wouldn’t rush to get close to her. Are you…a spy sent from Great Wan?” 

In a few words, he had guessed pretty much right about Xu Rucheng. Xu Rucheng’s eyelid twitched. 

“Fine, I won’t ask about anything else. I’m only curious about how you opened your spiritual eyes,” Tai Sui said. “You don’t seem like an evil…like a ‘common cultivator.’ Has Great Wan’s immortal sect started enlisting from among the common people?” 

Xu Rucheng could only say, “Yes, I am a Kaiming Cultivator. That so-called Snake King led the Chu across the border and killed hundreds of people in my hometown. Back then, I impulsively consumed a large quantity of spiritual stones and nearly died. But when I’d just managed to survive, before I’d had time to open my spiritual eyes, the immortal sect pacified the rebellion, and my enemy ran to Western Chu. Afterwards, the immortal sect took pity and registered Kaiming Cultivators in our town. Though I hadn’t yet opened my spiritual eyes then, having consumed the spiritual stones, my body was already different from an ordinary person’s, so I also ended up on the list. Later, with the guidance of an eminent person, I had the good fortune to enter the Way entirely intact. In fact, I am no evil cultivator.” 

For a time, Tai Sui was bewildered by his words. “…what kind of cultivator?” 

The Kaiming Cultivators weren’t any kind of secret. Everyone in Great Wan knew about them. So Xu Rucheng explained in detail.

After listening to him, Tai Sui didn’t speak for a long moment, so Xu Rucheng couldn’t resist saying, “I have answered you. Please instruct me, senior. Where is the account book you mentioned?” 

Tai Sui laughed. “Of course such an important thing has to be kept close—he sewed it into the skin of his belly.” 

Xu Rucheng said, “What!” 

He had used an immortal tool to disguise the corpse and to take on the Snake King’s identity. It was fine when he was wearing it, but placed on the corpse, the immortal tool would lack a supply of spiritual energy over time and would certainly fall off. If someone had seen the body then, they would immediately have known who was disguising himself as Wild Fox Country’s Snake King. 

For safety’s sake, Xu Rucheng had already had the body removed and burned! 

Had it really…

No…wait, that was wrong. 

Xu Rucheng quickly restrained himself. There was a faint warning in his heart, telling him to be wary of this lying evil creature. 

“Senior, I’m not a three-year-old child to be tricked just like that. That evil cultivator has been getting benefits from both sides in Wild Fox Country all these years. He’s collected countless spiritual stones and strange treasures. How could he sew something important into the skin of his belly like an ordinary person?” 

Anyway, his Luwu colleagues were all very careful. How could they not have closely inspected the body before burning it? 

Completely insincerely, Tai Sui said, laughing, “Pretty quick reaction there. Haha, I was teasing you.” 

Xu Rucheng: “…” 

He noticed that his mental state was unsteady and determined not to speak to this mysterious Tai Sui again. This thing was very strange, simply like a demon out of legend. If he let down his guard just a little, he would be dragged into a ditch. 

Xu Rucheng had already worked out that this Tai Sui was definitely bound by certain rules, and for some reason, Xu Rucheng was the only person he could even speak to—otherwise, given that his mouth alone was enough to kill, the Snake King certainly couldn’t have hung around in Wild Fox Country for so long. Xu Rucheng even suspected that his own inability to mention Tai Sui in a letter to his colleagues probably wasn’t because of Tai Sui’s magic powers, but because the rules that bound him meant he couldn’t be spoken of. 

As long as he didn’t listen and didn’t waver, even a heart demon couldn’t do anything to him. 

Tai Sui noticed his caution, laughed, and didn’t try again to disturb his intellect. 

Xu Rucheng concentrated, mentally recited a mind calming spell, and dragged the unconscious Misty Willow into the secret room. He wasn’t planning on killing him—though he was revolted, he in fact didn’t understand whether this little actor’s conduct had been good or evil; it wasn’t up to him to mete out extralegal punishment. 

But dealing with this person was still a problem, so Xu Rucheng called over a few reliable people hiding out in Wild Fox Country cooperating with him to discuss strategies for dealing with the situation. 

The lead Luwu was the most experienced person among them, called Lao Tian. Had Xu Rucheng not been impatient for revenge and simply gone in by a side door to carry out a large-scale attack, Lao Tian would have been the one making the greatest progress—his fake identity had already put down roots in Wild Fox Country. He was the most familiar with this place. 

As soon as Lao Tian walked into the secret room, his expression went blank. Pointing to the unconscious Misty Willow, he said, “Why have you tied him up?” 

Xu Rucheng said, “I had to, Uncle Tian, he found me out. I called you over to discuss this matter, to see how…” 

“Slow down.” Lao Tian waved a hand and gravely said, “You say he found you out. How did he find you out? With the Snake King’s hot and cold temper, he might have a nightmare and wake up to drag the person in his bed out and bury him alive. There’s nothing surprising about him doing any kind of insane thing. Even if your behavior and manner in impersonating him is a little different from before, it still isn’t likely to make people suspect that you’re a replacement. A mortal like him naturally can’t see through an immortal tool… Don’t be hasty, tell me in detail, what is it that we’ve overlooked?” 

Xu Rucheng: “…” 

That was true. 

He suddenly remembered—he had been knocked a little silly by Tai Sui’s sudden statement and had automatically believed it when the evil god said “He’s already realized it.” 

As for Misty Willow trembling when he stopped him… That Snake King had beat him and tormented him for no reason; it was normal for him to tremble! 

Tai Sui’s hateful laughter sounded in his ear. No good, he’d been duped! 

Xu Rucheng’s expression changed abruptly. He took a step forward and quickly scanned Misty Willow with his consciousness. In the blink of an eye, he turned up three or four surveillance devices on the male favorite’s body. 

The Snake King’s subordinate evil cultivators, seeing that the Snake King was injured, had conceived evil intentions and had put surveillance devices on the Snake King’s favorite. The upshot was that he had taken fright and rashly knocked Misty Willow out, then called over his colleagues…that was giving himself away! 

“Who doesn’t want a gold mine like Wild Fox Country?” Tai Sui said softly. “When the wolf king is injured, of course all the crows who serve him will be itching to replace him. Only a little thief who’s stolen someone else’s nest will stupidly worry that others have realized he’s an imposter. Young man, let me give you a word of advice: whatever you fear will come to pass.” 

Lao Tian took one look and understood. He held down Xu Rucheng. “Don’t panic! We would have had to gradually replace these evil cultivators with our own people anyway. It’s no big deal to act early!” 

But Tai Sui said, laughing, “That’s optimistic. They’ve already run off! They must be nearly out of Wild Fox Country by now. I wonder who they wrote to before they left, hm?” 

Xu Rucheng was at the end of his tether. “What the hell do you want?!” 

Lao Tian only saw his lips moving. “What are you muttering about?” 

Only then did Xu Rucheng realize that the sentence he had shouted had been voiceless… That wasn’t right. He had been talking to this Tai Sui when he had killed the Snake King, and it had scared the Snake King witless. 

What was going on? 

Xu Rucheng’s scalp prickled. For a moment, he felt like an insect that had stepped into layer upon layer of spiderweb; all he could do was let himself get pushed around.  

“It’s simple. I need an errand runner. I want you to make a heart demon oath upon your spirit to carry out tasks for me in the future. Then I’ll tell you where those people are.” Tai Sui seemed to be able to see into his mind. “First, the tasks I give you won’t harm your colleagues and companions; second, they won’t harm your conscience; and third, they won’t spoil your lord’s plans. If something violates the preceding three conditions, you don’t have to do it.” 

As Xu Rucheng followed Lao Tian’s instructions in a muddle, he tightly clenched his teeth. The first thing Mr. Bai had taught them was to mind your blood and your birth characters and not let people easily obtain them, and also not to readily consent to any vow whose contents were the least unclear. 

Tai Sui said, “This is bad. I think someone’s already left Wild Fox Country.” 

Xu Rucheng’s temples pounded. 

Tai Sui said, “Oh no, he’s already contacted an accomplice outside. The earth is vast, how are you ever going to catch up with them…” 

Xu Rucheng said, “First, you can’t harm my colleagues and companions in the slightest. Second, you can’t go against my conscience in the least bit. Third, you can’t hinder my lord’s plans in any way. If your orders don’t violate the preceding three conditions, I swear on my spirit that I will carry them out. If I violate this oath, I will be annihilated body and spirit! All right?!” 

Tai Sui paused. For some reason, the irreverence and ridicule in his voice faded somewhat. “I thought you would add another condition, that I can’t harm your family or your life.” 

Xu Rucheng said angrily, “I have no more family, and you’re welcome to my life!” 

The evil god sighed softly. As if placing a stamp on his spirit, he said, “So be it.” 

Two days later, nighttime. 

Alone, Xu Rucheng disguised himself anew and silently left Wild Fox Country to go to a slaughterhouse in Tao County’s county seat. He suspected that Tai Sui was playing him again—last time, when he had forced him to swear the heart demon oath, Tai Sui had falsely led him to believe that the flames were about to burn up to his eyebrows, but the upshot had been that in fact the evil cultivators who had placed surveillance devices on Misty Willow had all still been in Wild Fox Country. 

They couldn’t hear Xu Rucheng’s conversation with Tai Sui. When they had “seen” him tie up Misty Willow and drag him into the secret room, they had simply thought he wanted to play some new game. When Xu Rucheng had brought Lao Tian and others into the secret room for a discussion, it had already been late at night. All those spying evil cultivators had already drunkenly gone to fool around. They hadn’t noticed what was happening! In less than two incense sticks, they had been quietly captured by his Luwu colleagues. 

Xu Rucheng was so wrathful that the roots of his teeth itched.  

He didn’t even know what Tai Sui was attached to that let him speak to him, but at any rate that male voice that kept him running around in circles always seemed to follow him like his shadow, deceiving him whenever he wanted to amuse himself! 

“…look out for the inscriptions on the ground.” 

Following instructions, Xu Rucheng drew back his foot and found that he had nearly stepped on a rather covert inscription—his expression became serious. Why would there be an inscription in a slaughterhouse? 

“They’re everywhere,” Tai Sui said languidly. “Don’t let your mind wander, keep yourself alive. Fifty steps forward, there's an array. When you activate it, there will be a secret passage under it. Watch out. If you’re discovered, you’ll be silenced at once.” 

Xu Rucheng couldn’t resist asking, “What kind of place is this?” 

Tai Sui said, “A slaughterhouse.” 

Xu Rucheng: “…” 

Obviously! 

But he walked forward in accordance with Tai Sui’s instructions. He hadn’t yet walked fifty steps when Tai Sui called him to a halt. “Why, you’ve passed it. Listen, Cheng-bao’er, why are you taking such long steps? Doing the splits?” 

Xu Rucheng had to back up a little. As expected, he found an array. 

He had studied this array in the Luwu. It really was a gateway. 

As Xu Rucheng carefully activated the array, he silently criticized: while he was fairly tall, he still didn’t exceed average height for an adult man. He was no giant, and his stride was naturally of ordinary length… Had this Tai Sui counted the steps wrong? Or was his original body a dwarf? 

After quietly prying open the array, Xu Rucheng stuck a stealth talisman onto himself and slipped inside like a fish. The smell of incense hit him in the face. 

The incense smell was mixed with a rancid reek, as well as the smell of grease. Breathing in a mouthful made you feel sick. Xu Rucheng’s spiritual sense sent frenzied warnings. He put his hand into his clothes and clutched his chopper. 

Tai Sui seemed to be very familiar with this place. He knew inside out where there were traps and where there were guards, as if he had been here countless times. 

Xu Rucheng snuck in with alarms but no danger, then heard Tai Sui sigh, practically with a touch of absolving himself. “It’s in there.” 

Xu Rucheng placed his spiritual sense in his eyes and, in the dark, looked in the direction he had indicated. He went blank. 

In this slaughterhouse for livestock, there turned out to be a deep prison. Inside were twenty or more emaciated boys and girls, from those who were twelve or thirteen to those who were fifteen or sixteen, all huddled together. 

In the center of the round prison was a stone platform. The bloodstains on the platform hadn’t dried yet. Beside cutting tools and ropes, there was…a pair of dismembered limbs.