Chapter 1984: Warning

Fantasy Novel

"Xiaoyao Tower?" Zu An was utterly surprised that the Xiaoyao Tower was also a branch of the Demonic Cult.

He couldn't help but feel puzzled. "Huh, but back then in Yunzhong Commandery, the Flying Horse Merchant Guild and the Zhenyuan Merchant Guild seemed to be fiercely competing, both openly and secretly." One was backed by the Xiaoyao Tower, and the other by the Demonic Cult. They nearly tore each other apart, wishing to put the other party to death, and it turns out they're all one family?

Yan Xuehen was unconcerned. "I told you before, the Demonic Cult is no longer what it once was. After its split over a hundred years ago, the Three Sects and Six Paths largely went their separate ways. Moreover, due to the Demonic Cult's brutality, their relationships are even worse than those between ordinary sects."

Zu An secretly nodded. Even close relatives who separated easily become strangers after two or three generations, let alone those who have been split for over a hundred years.

"Today's Demonic Cult is primarily led by the Heavenly Demon Sect, along with some elders and remnants from other factions. Powerful forces like the Shadowy Tower and Xiaoyao Tower have long since forged their own paths and would never listen to the Demonic Cult Master." Yan Xuehen showed no hint of joy when she spoke of this; in this regard, she and Yun Jianyue shared a similar plight. If the Demonic Cult split, the Daoist sects were no different. It's just that the Daoist side, after all, walked the righteous path, and everyone still had some degree of camaraderie, unlike the various factions of the Demonic Cult, whose relationships were so strained.

"What about the other factions?" Zu An asked.

Just then, Chu Chuyan brought over a cup of tea. "Master, wet your throat." At the same time, she smiled at Zu An. "I've never seen Master talk so much to a man before."

Yan Xuehen felt a pang of guilt. She used drinking tea to cover it up, saying, "In the end, aren't I doing this to help your man?"

"Yes, yes, yes, your disciple thanks Master on behalf of Ah Zu here." Chu Chuyan smiled sweetly, patting her shoulder, looking very well-behaved.

Noticing Zu An watching them with a half-smile, Yan Xuehen was aware of their relationship and found it a bit strange. She quickly pushed her away, saying, "Alright, alright, don't interrupt the important business. The Video Mirror consumes a lot of energy."

She immediately returned to her usual detached demeanor and continued explaining. "'Tomb-Plundering Path,' as the name suggests, its founding patriarch was a master of geomancy – though of course, that's their embellished version; he was actually a grave robber. People from this faction primarily engage in grave robbing, particularly keen on excavating ancient grand tombs or the mausoleums of contemporary nobles, searching for various natural treasures and cultivation legacies within."

Hearing this, Zu An couldn't help but sigh. No wonder the Demonic Cult had such a bad reputation; it would be impossible for those in such professions not to attract hatred.

"The Tomb-Plundering Path also seems to have several sub-factions, though I'm not entirely clear on the specifics. However, because they offended too many powerful figures, as well as descendants of some deceased powerhouses, they've been severely targeted and suppressed. Consequently, they are basically the most weakened among the Demonic Cult factions today; it's even difficult for them to find a few successors." She added, "Oh, right, I heard they also have a branch among the demon race. I wonder how they're developing now."

Zu An's expression became strange. The fatty Wu Liang he met among the demon race seemed to come from a grave-robbing family. Could he be from the demon race branch of the Tomb-Plundering Sect? Their family's experiences were similar to those of the Tomb-Plundering Path among humans. Indeed, digging up ancestors' graves easily invites misfortune.

"Then there's the Yin-Yang Path," Yan Xuehen said, her face suddenly flushing slightly, a look of distaste on her face as she spoke of it. "The principle of their path is to balance Yin and Yang. The original idea was sound, but they seem to have gone astray in the end. Most of them started researching... researching sexual cultivation techniques."

Zu An wondered what was wrong with sexual cultivation techniques. Isn't love between men and women a universal truth? If he were alone with Chu Chuyan, or alone with Yan Xuehen, he would certainly have to defend it a bit. But with both women present, he wisely abandoned that idea.

Seeing Yan Xuehen remain silent, Chu Chuyan assumed her master's usually detached nature made her too embarrassed to continue, so she helped explain. "The people of the Yin-Yang Path claim it's for Yin-Yang harmony, but many have long been addicted to the most superficial physical desires. Many of them cultivate together with disciples of the Heavenly Demon Sect... But the female disciples of the Heavenly Demon Sect are all very powerful and have high standards, not easily controlled by them. So they often go out and abduct innocent women to use as human cauldrons. A large part of the Demonic Cult's current bad reputation comes from them."

Zu An's face darkened. "Then these guys truly deserve to die a thousand deaths." If it were consensual, that would naturally be beyond reproach, but this kind of behavior is simply intolerable. Speaking of which, why did Yun Jianyue tolerate such scum in the cult?

As if guessing his thoughts, Yan Xuehen said, "You can't blame Yun Jianyue for this. Although she's a woman, she's first and foremost the leader of the cult. After the Demonic Cult split, the Yin-Yang Path was one of the few factions still supporting the Heavenly Demon Sect. If she were to act against the Yin-Yang Path, not only would the Heavenly Demon Sect lose its leadership, but the entire Demonic Cult would also fall into utter disarray."

Chu Chuyan glanced at her master in surprise. She hadn't expected her to speak up for her great rival.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Yan Xuehen said irritably. "I'm just speaking the truth. Although Yun Jianyue and I are rivals, I do acknowledge her in some aspects."

Chu Chuyan smiled, pressing her lips together. "No one asked you, Master. Why are you so flustered?"

Yan Xuehen felt a bit helpless. Every time she tried to project her master's authority, she recalled the special relationship among them. Feeling guilty, how could she possibly get angry?

"What about the other Paths?" Zu An lightly coughed, coming to Yan Xuehen's rescue.

"'Path of Emotionlessness,' as the name implies, emphasizes emotionlessness..."

Yan Xuehen hadn't finished speaking when Zu An let out a sound of surprise. "Oh? That sounds a bit like the cultivation methods of your White Jade Capital."

"Of course it's different," Yan Xuehen said, a little annoyed. "We emphasize 'Supreme Forgetfulness of Emotion,' while they are utterly ruthless and heartless, disregarding even familial, friendly, or mentor-disciple bonds. Furthermore, people from their faction are often eccentric and extreme oddballs, who cannot be viewed with normal human thinking."

"What kind of livelihoods do people from this lineage primarily pursue?" Zu An, thinking of the origins of the other factions, couldn't help but ask.

"That's not certain. It seems they all pursue hobbies that are not tolerated by society, often obscure and niche interests. The more unpopular their pursuits are, the more they seem to regard themselves as 'non-mainstream' and truly enjoy that feeling," Yan Xuehen replied.

"'Non-mainstream'?" Hearing this somewhat familiar term, Zu An felt a sudden sense of unreality, as if from another lifetime. He even wondered if the founding patriarch of the Path of Emotionlessness might also be a transmigrator from his own world.

Yan Xuehen, however, didn't notice the profound impact that word had on him. She continued, "'Path of Arcane Concealment.' 'Arcane' refers to hidden prophecies. In its early days, it originated from historical prognostication and apocrypha. Some people made strange and bizarre prophecies that eventually came true, leading the world to regard them as miracles. Of course, more prophecies simply vanished into the river of history."

Zu An mused, wondering if these prophecies had anything in common with the divination methods in the *Baopu True Scripture* or Qi Yaoguang's astrological divination.

"This faction is regarded as charlatans by mainstream society. And indeed, they are rather mystical and eccentric. However, the current leader of the Path of Arcane Concealment is quite capable. Besides his primary skill in prophecy, he is also skilled in formations. The reason the Demonic Cult has been able to survive all these years is not only because Qiu Chi itself is extremely secluded deep within the mountains, but also because he set up a grand formation near Qiu Chi, concealing the Demonic Cult's main headquarters. There are even rumors that his mastery of formations is no less than that of Yan Xiangu from the Academy." Yan Xuehen's tone was full of admiration.

"So that's how it is!" Zu An suddenly understood. He had always wondered how the Demonic Cult, no matter how secretive, could remain undiscovered by the imperial court for so many years. It turned out there was such a top-tier formation master.

"I don't know if it requires very high aptitude, but the Path of Arcane Concealment is also thinly populated. Although their status within the Demonic Cult is transcendent, they don't wield much influence," Yan Xuehen continued. "Then there are the Path of Leisure and the Pear Garden. Members of the Path of Leisure are either painters or musicians, focusing most on elegance and refinement. Relatively speaking, they have the best reputation among the Demonic Cult."

"Painters?" Zu An mused, thinking these people should have a lot in common with Yu Yanluo and the old libationer.

"As for the Pear Garden, their patriarch was a world-renowned opera master, so this lineage has more actors and performers. Because of their low social status in the secular world, many of them feel dissatisfied and wish to change this situation." Yan Xuehen suddenly spoke sternly. "They are not as unworldly as the Path of Leisure. This faction now seems to be growing increasingly bizarre. Both their way of thinking and their cultivation methods are very strange, making them hard to guard against. You must be careful and avoid stumbling into a hidden trap."

Hearing her speak so solemnly, Zu An dared not be negligent. "What makes their cultivation methods so strange?"

"I don't know the specifics; I haven't directly fought them. But some from the Daoist sects have encountered them, and I heard that their opponents died without even knowing how they were attacked. Everyone who has dealt with them says they never want to meet them again in this lifetime." Yan Xuehen's voice made the room's temperature seem to drop by two degrees.