Chapter 83: Lan Ting's Secret Mission

Lu Yang complained from the side, "This invisible force is everywhere. Why don't we call it universal gravitation?"

Lanting felt the voice sounded familiar. She looked up and saw Lu Yang. "Oh, so it's you."

"Come inside to talk," Lu Yang said, worried that Lanting might reveal their true identities.

Lanting was exceptionally beautiful, and standing so prettily at the doorway was highly conspicuous, making it easy for nosy people to eavesdrop on their conversation.

As soon as Lanting walked in, she saw the ghost of the tiger's victim diligently skewering meat, realizing this was the ghost left behind by the tiger demon.

Seeing Lu Yang and Lanting walk in together, the two ghosts silently picked up the basin containing meat and the skewers, sat down at a corner table, and continued skewering.

Watching their adept movements, Lanting almost thought the ghosts had done this for a living when they were alive.

Hearing the commotion in the backyard, Mangu stopped his cultivation and came to the main hall.

Meng Jingzhou finished his day of wandering and shouted as he entered the door, "Have you heard? Yanjiang County has a festival unique to itself called the Spring-Plucking Festival, happening in half a month. People pluck spring greenery, hike, and enjoy the scenery. At night, there is a poetry grand gathering where people recite poems and enjoy themselves. It's incredibly lively, and people from nearby counties will all come over."

"Local residents of Yanjiang County even get a three-day holiday."

"I also found out that brothels raise their prices during those days and make a fortune. Should we take this opportunity to run a major promotion, celebrating a two-month store opening grand sale or something?"

Meng Jingzhou proved that he hadn't gone out purely to play; he had also been scouting for information, except this information wasn't of much help to the three of them.

Mangu's eyes lit up. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Lu Yang's devoid-of-emotion gaze and silently shut his mouth.

Meng Jingzhou noticed Lanting and was also surprised. "I remember you. Aren't you Lanting from the Laurel Fairy Palace?"

In order to open a barbecue shop—no, wait, in order to infiltrate the demonic cult, they had stayed here for over a month without leaving. What was Lanting here for?

"Indeed I am," Lanting said in a soft, gentle voice.

Lanting also found the three of them interesting. She had stayed in Yanjiang County for over a month and had heard of the famous reputation of this barbecue shop, but she was naturally fond of quietness and disliked noisy places, so she had never visited.

Passing by today by chance, she finally realized this barbecue shop was opened by people she knew, who were furthermore fellow disciples of the immortal sects.

It seemed these three were truly settling down to achieve a great career in Yanjiang County.

Could it be that the missions of the Wendao Sect included opening a shop to make money, in addition to vanquishing demons and exorcising ghosts?

Considering the reputation of the Wendao Sect, it was not impossible.

Lanting had heard from her senior sisters that among the rewards redeemable with contribution points in the Wendao Sect, there was a "One-Day Tour as the Sect Master." The other four immortal sects had no such reward.

"Staying in Yanjiang County for so long, are you on a mission? If you need anything, just say the word. We have familiar constables in Yanjiang County, and we have connections in the jail as well," Lu Yang said enthusiastically.

As members of the five great immortal sects, they ought to help one another.

Presently, it would not be an exaggeration to say the three of them ruled the roost in Yanjiang County. On the surface, they were enthusiastic residents who had helped Constable Wei catch criminals, and the constables often came here for group meals. In the shadows, they were demonic seeds highly valued by the Yanjiang Branch Leader, while their true identities were core disciples of the Wendao Sect.

In terms of background, who could possibly compete with them?

Lanting fell silent. She had come here for a secret mission and was not supposed to contact outsiders. Otherwise, after helping Lu Yang fight the tiger previously, she would not have left after merely taking two tiger pelts symbolically.

Now that over a month had passed and things had made no progress, she was also anxious in her heart.

The three people before her were an opportunity; perhaps they could help her!

Lanting remained silent for a moment, took two deep breaths to steady her breathing, and said solemnly to the three of them, "I am executing a secret mission. You must absolutely not spread what I am about to say today, as it concerns my safety! Do not be shocked after you hear it!"

Seeing Lanting so solemn, the three of them straightened their backs.

"I intend to infiltrate the Undying Sect as a mole!"

The three of them blinked their eyes in unison, thinking they were experiencing auditory hallucinations.

Lanting continued, "This is reliable news our Laurel Fairy Palace obtained from a special channel. Recently, all four major demonic cults plan to recruit followers on a large scale. The Sun-Shining Cult has already finished recruiting, and the remaining three demonic cults are currently recruiting."

"There is a branch of the Undying Sect in Yanjiang County called the Yanjiang Branch. The branch leader is mysterious, their identity is unknown, and no one even knows their surname."

"Among all the branches of the Undying Sect, the Yanjiang Branch ranks relatively low, and the overall cultivation level of its members is on the lower side. It is just suitable for a Foundation Establishment stage disciple like me to slip into. If planned properly, it is even possible to mix into the upper echelons of the Yanjiang Branch."

"My senior sisters' cultivation levels are too high, making them too conspicuous, and they are highly famous in the outside world, which is unfavorable for infiltration. After some discussion, this mission fell upon my shoulders."

Lanting's mention of her senior sisters being highly famous referred to them being too beautiful, having appeared in certain forbidden books used to satisfy the fantasies of some men.

Lanting sighed, "However, I have stayed in Yanjiang County for over a month and have never found the location of the Yanjiang Branch. I also don't know if the trials have ended by now. I hope everything is still in time!"

Lanting looked at the three of them with hopeful eyes, especially toward the highly reliable Lu Yang, hoping they could provide assistance.

The three of them silently took out the waist tokens given by the branch leader, where the two large characters for "Deacon" were exceptionally conspicuous.

"Sorry about that, we are already members of the Undying Sect."

Lanting: "!!!"

"Oh, don't be nervous. What we mean is that we have successfully infiltrated the Undying Sect," Lu Yang added.

Lanting relaxed. She had thought the three of them had defected, so it turned out they were just moles... wait, that wasn't right either.

"How did you enter the Undying Sect!"

Lu Yang felt a bit put out. How should he phrase it? It was just taking a very ordinary trial and passing it smoothly.

Meng Jingzhou said proudly, "We performed excellently in the cultist selection. The Undying Sect saw that we were extremely suitable for entering a demonic cult, so they chose us."

Mangu didn't understand where Brother Meng's pride came from.

Lu Yang explained in plain language how they went to the tiger demon's lair, found Qin Yuanhao's letter, located Qin Yuanhao based on the letter, and thereby learned about the recruitment of cultists and the location of the Yanjiang Branch.

Lanting was filled with regret. Had she known earlier, she would have moved together with Lu Yang back then. Now she had wasted over a month for nothing, failing to find even the entrance to the Yanjiang Branch, while others had already mixed into its upper echelons.

"You should be able to recruit ordinary cultists just like Qin Yuanhao, right? Can you recruit me into it?"

Lu Yang shook his head. "Ordinary cultists cannot gain access to the secrets of the Undying Sect. You must undergo the trials organized by the Undying Sect headquarters. To be honest, I don't think you can pass the trial, and the probability of exposing your identity is quite high."

Lanting lowered her eyes, somewhat disappointed. Lu Yang then said, "However, we can forge an identity for you, saying you are a distant relative of mine or something, coming to seek refuge with me. You can stay by our side, working in the barbecue shop on the surface, and assist us from the side when we take action. This can also count as completing a part of your mission."

"Is that really possible?" Lanting had not expected such a good thing.

Mangu had also not expected that the barbecue shop would finally recruit a new member.

Lu Yang nodded. "Of course it is. As a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator, you are a considerably strong combat asset and will be of great help to us. It's just that you look too conspicuous and need some disguise. By the way, do you know transformation techniques? If not, I can teach you."