Chapter 65: Examiner

Lu Yang held Qin Yuanhao's storage ring, shaking his head in regret after a few failed attempts.

"What a pity, this storage ring can only be opened by Qin Yuanhao himself. It's useless to us now; forcing it open would only banish its internal space into the void, making it nearly impossible to retrieve."

"Let's check out his house, we might find something there." Lu Yang gestured for the other two to leave.

The ghost servant who had tricked Qin Yuanhao into coming followed closely behind. Mangu thought the ghost had done a fine job and decided to reward him with two skewers of mutton—theoretically, if he burned the mutton skewers to a crisp, the ghost would be able to consume them.

As for whether the ghost would eat perfectly roasted mutton or charred remnants, that remained to be proven through practical application.

Qin Yuanhao's residence lacked adornment; living there alone, it appeared hollow and devoid of vitality.

The three entered the training room, where, apart from a jade statue, there were only two rows of bookshelves packed with various cultivation manuals and secret techniques.

The jade statue had blurred features and wore a long robe, making it impossible to discern its gender.

"This must be the Immortal of Immortality, the deity worshipped by the Immortal Cult." Meng Jingzhou circled the statue twice; its material was far superior to ordinary stone, but the craftsmanship left much to be desired.

What proper artisan wouldn't strive for lifelike precision in a deity's likeness?

"Introduction to Water-Warding Arrays, Countering Sword Strikes... these are all rather common manuals, the kind we could easily find on the first floor of our own library." Lu Yang's hand brushed along the spines of the books, enjoying the tactile sensation of the uneven covers.

"Common Ways to Flatter Your Superior, The Art of Workplace Scheming... what a load of rubbish."

Lu Yang casually picked up a volume, which happened to be Common Ways to Flatter Your Superior. The corners of the pages were heavily creased, indicating that Qin Yuanhao had pored over it many times.

"Method One: Become part of your superior's family. Depending on your age and capability, you may target either your superior or their children."

Qin Yuanhao had scribbled a note in the margin: The Chief never removes his mask. Identity unknown, gender unknown, cannot get close, cannot marry.

"Method Two: Presenting gifts. Flamboyant treasures make the giver seem ostentatious and unlikable. It is advised to present your superior with low-key yet expensive gifts."

Qin Yuanhao's marginal note read: Took out a loan to buy a jade chair for the Chief, hope it works.

"Method Three: Cultivating shared interests. Pay close attention to your superior's hobbies and develop the same ones."

Qin Yuanhao's marginal note read: The Chief's hobby is fishing. I went fishing with him by the river. I caught more fish than the Chief did, I hope he doesn't envy my natural talent.

"Method Four..."

"Method Five..."

Qin Yuanhao had clearly put immense effort into flattering the Chief, though the rewards seemed meager.

"It seems life inside a demonic cult isn't easy either," Lu Yang remarked with a wry chuckle.

However, thanks to Qin Yuanhao's diligent notes, Lu Yang now possessed a basic understanding of the Chief and the various deacons.

"Within the Yanjiang Branch, the hierarchy from bottom to top goes from ordinary cultists, to deacons, to the Chief. Ordinary cultists are numerous, ranging from the Qi Condensation stage to the Foundation Establishment stage, and they rarely gain access to the Immortal Cult's secrets."

"Only those in the Foundation Establishment stage who pass the examinations can become deacons. The entire Yanjiang Branch has twelve deacons; now that Qin Yuanhao is dead, eleven remain."

"The Chief's identity is unknown, a Golden Core cultivator, exact cultivation level uncertain, fond of fishing."

Aside from this, the three also uncovered scattered spirit stones and several spellbooks that clearly belonged to unorthodox paths—such as hypnotism and the art of the bedchamber, beneath notice.

"Let's go, it's time to prepare for the demonic cult's trial in nine days."

...

At the border of Yanjiang County, countless taciturn cultivators moved through the depths of the dense forest, the dappled sunlight falling upon their expressionless faces, creating a sinister atmosphere.

Each cultivator kept a wide distance from the others, remaining highly vigilant and secretly ready to strike. The moment they spotted a rival letting their guard down, they would launch a sneak attack, aiming to eliminate the competition.

They were all figures of the demonic path who had learned of the trial location through various channels and hastened toward the Yanjiang Branch ahead of schedule.

Under the righteous factions' suppression, their living space was constantly shrinking. To secure more resources, they had to align themselves with a major organization, making the Yanjiang Branch their primary target.

In the past, one needed a deacon's recommendation to join the cult, which required heavy bribing.

This time was different; everyone had a chance. It was a golden opportunity to join the demonic cult, the likes of which had not been seen in thirty years.

An hour before the trial was set to begin, the rogue demonic cultivators had largely assembled.

"Look, isn't that Chi Xulong? The one who slaughtered an entire household overnight without sparing even a mouse, and then drifted away right before everyone's eyes!"

A burly man held the leg bone of an unknown beast like a savage. His skin was bronze, his muscles bulged, his arms were scarred, and he grinned to reveal two wolf-like fangs.

Chi Xulong enjoyed a formidable reputation among rogue demonic cultivators. He acted with arrogant defiance, surviving numerous deadly encounters, and had even broken through to higher realms mid-battle. He was the epitome of a warrior who grew stronger with every conflict, surviving a hundred battles without falling!

"Chi Xulong, to think you would show your face here as well." A pale-faced scholar waved a paper fan, teasing Chi Xulong.

Chi Xulong snorted coldly, "Heh, Shen Jinyi. You're a schoolteacher; shouldn't you be teaching in a classroom instead of running over here? No one here needs your lessons!"

"What? He's Shen Jinyi, the one who runs a school specifically to teach people how to murder?!" Hearing Chi Xulong address the pale scholar by that name, someone whispered in shock and quickly backed away.

Shen Jinyi was indeed a teacher, but he taught neither the classics nor the histories of Confucian scholars; he taught efficient, clandestine methods of killing.

He had trained an untold number of assassins, making him a terrifying figure whose very name struck dread into rogue cultivators.

Despite Shen Jinyi's smiling, frail appearance, anyone who truly provoked him would find themselves dead without ever knowing how it happened!

"Assassins? Merely a pack of cowards who dare not show their faces." A bladesman bearing a broadsword as tall and wide as a man curled his lip into a cruel smile, holding the assassin Shen Jinyi in utter contempt.

Shen Jinyi was about to retort, but upon recognizing the bladesman's face, he forced the words back down his throat, muttering through gritted teeth, "Yizhanghong!"

"Why are you calling for your grandfather?" Facing Shen Jinyi's murderous gaze, Yizhanghong showed nothing but disdain, spitting on the ground.

A rogue demonic cultivator widened his eyes; the arrivals now were all notorious figures of the underworld. "It's actually Yizhanghong, whose blade guarantees blood within a single zhang! Rumor has it his physical combat is unrivaled; even half-step Golden Core experts are reluctant to cross blades with him!"

Aside from these three, many other prominent villains had gathered. They were featured on government bounty listings with staggering rewards, yet none dared provoke them for fear of being slaughtered instead.

With these villains clustered together, the other cultivators, deemed lacking in strength, stood far off, lacking even the courage to speak aloud.

Suddenly, the arrival of three individuals drew everyone's attention. One walked in the center with a sword slung across his back, the one to his left resembled a Confucian scholar holding the words of the sages, while the one on the right bore a radiant smile, looking like a madman.

The trio remained silent, staring straight ahead, looking past everyone as if these rogue demonic cultivators were utterly beneath their notice. Their presence was immensely imposing.

"Who are they? Do you recognize them?"

"No idea, but they look like they have a formidable background."

The three walked straight through the crowd to the very front. Muttering something about the "Immortal of Immortality," they opened a stone wall, pretending to retrieve tables and chairs from the other side, though they were actually drawing them from a jade pendant.

Chi Xulong and the others pondered, "Being able to open the stone wall, they must be members of the demonic cult."

Once seated, the man with the sword coughed twice, drawing everyone's attention.

He spoke in a clear, ringing voice, "My name is Lu Yang. These two are Meng Jingzhou and Mangu. The three of us are the examiners for this selection. The Immortal Cult recruitment trial begins now. Line up and report your personal details."