Chapter 216: Soul Binding

In the stockade, Qin Mu turned his head, saw Wei Yong, and paused slightly before a smile bloomed on his face. He waved, saying, "Ah, it's Brother Wei and Duke Wei. Why are you standing outside? Come in quickly."

Wei Yong quickly winked and gestured, urging, "Come out quickly, I need to talk to you! Come over here, something big has happened at the Imperial Academy!"

Concerned for Qin Mu's safety, he was determined to pull him out of this dangerous situation. He thought, "Brother Qin probably just came out for a stroll and doesn't know this is where the Demonic Cult is seeking revenge. How dangerous is it to stumble in here by mistake? These ruthless villains of the Demonic Cult even killed a high-ranking official like Sun Nantuo, a sect leader-level figure, in an instant. Brother Qin's small physique would probably be squeezed dry, even his bone marrow!"

Duke Wei saw the two elderly gatekeepers, a man and a woman, blocking their escape route. Veins pulsed on his forehead and his eye twitched. "That scoundrel Wei Yong, he causes more trouble than I do! Now, I'm afraid we can't leave even if we wanted to!"

Qin Mu raised a hand, and the old woman standing behind Duke Wei immediately stepped forward. Qin Mu leaned in and spoke a few words to her.

The old woman then returned, grinning, "Duke, young Brother Wei from the Wei family, please come inside and have a seat."

Duke Wei's eye twitched again. He took a long, deep look at Qin Mu, then sighed and said to Wei Yong, "Let's go in."

As the two entered the stockade, they saw that it must have been recently erected; everything was new, and they could still smell the scent of fresh wood.

Duke Wei and Wei Yong watched Qin Mu walk further into the stockade and braced themselves to follow him. Duke Wei whispered, "Yong'er, what's your relationship with young Brother Qin Mu?"

"A bond forged by life and death!"

Wei Yong solemnly declared, "He saved me when the Dragon Herding Gate attacked the scholars' boat!"

Duke Wei felt a headache coming on. "Have you ever saved him?" he asked.

Wei Yong shook his head.

"He saved you, but you haven't saved him. So that 'life-and-death bond' is utterly useless!"

Duke Wei's heart was filled with apprehension. He thought to himself, "Now we can only take one step at a time. This scoundrel has truly ruined me. I wonder if my past acquaintance with Li Tianxing will be of any use..."

They arrived at the center of the stockade, where they saw a wooden platform, raised about a foot off the ground.

The platform was not large, measuring about nine meters across.

The cult members in the stockade sat on the ground below the platform. The old woman beside Duke Wei chuckled, "National Preceptor, young Brother Wei, please just sit down. Don't worry, the ground has just been swept, it's very clean."

Wei Yong looked down and saw dark red bloodstains on the ground. He muttered to himself, "I wonder if they cleaned up properly. What if there's still a severed head somewhere..."

The Demonic Cult had annihilated Nantuo Villa and its high-ranking official, Sun Nantuo, in an instant. Their power was truly outrageous. Though Duke Wei was a seasoned veteran, he dared not act rashly here. He thought, "Although the Demonic Cult is operating openly this time, the powerful figures in the capital surely won't be alarmed. They strike too quickly; they'll probably kill us two, father and son, just as fast..."

Below the platform, hundreds of people sat upright and silent, quietly awaiting the Holy Master's instructions.

Wei Yong looked around, then suddenly spotted Qin Mu and eagerly waved, exclaiming, "Brother Qin, Brother Qin! Come over here!"

Duke Wei wished he could press the chubby young man into the ground and stuff a few stinky socks into his mouth to stop him from babbling nonsense.

Fortunately, the surrounding Demonic Cult members seemed completely oblivious to Wei Yong's shouting and yelling, remaining seated upright and still.

Qin Mu smiled at Wei Yong, then lifted his robes and walked towards the platform.

Wei Yong was startled. He quickly lowered his voice and urged, "Don't go onto the platform, don't go up there, that's where their Holy Master gives instructions..."

Duke Wei snapped angrily, "You brat, shut your mouth!"

Wei Yong immediately shut his mouth. Duke Wei fumed, "How tight-lipped am I? How could I have a descendant with a loose tongue like yours? Haven't you figured it out yet?"

Wei Yong stood stunned. He watched as Qin Mu reached the platform and turned around. The Demonic Cult members below stood up, bowed respectfully, and chanted, "Cult Master, Holy Master!"

Qin Mu nodded. "Please, no need for formalities. Be seated."

Everyone promptly sat down.

Wei Yong's mouth hung open, his expression one of shock and disbelief. It took him a long time to recover.

Duke Wei sighed and muttered, "I always said Ban Gongcuo was problematic, that the Sorcerer's Scripture of the Loulan Gold Palace was not quite right, and indeed, there was an issue. Now it seems the Holy Master of the Demonic Cult himself came in person. The Demonic Cult, to choose a mere youth as their Cult Master, they have considerable audacity..."

On the platform, Qin Mu also took his seat and asked, "Who among you is skilled in soul-searching or spirit-extracting techniques?"

A woman stood up, bowed, and replied, "Reporting to the Holy Master, I have some proficiency."

Qin Mu nodded. Suddenly, he unleashed a Soul-Luring spell. Behind him, a grim, shadowy portal appeared, from which black mist billowed forth, dimming even the light emanating from the burning oil in the iron cauldrons.

At that moment, everyone saw the souls of Sun Nantuo and a group of monks standing within the grim black mist.

Qin Mu said, "Hall Master, I need to know what accomplices Sun Nantuo had, and who he conspired with to harm two of our cult's Heavenly Kings."

"As you command."

The female Hall Master stepped forward, took out a shimmering mirror, and cast a secret technique, directing its light towards Sun Nantuo.

The mirror's light shone upon Sun Nantuo's soul, penetrating it and reflecting into the air behind him. Within the mirror's glow, various scenes from Sun Nantuo's life flashed by in quick succession, like a fleeting glimpse. The images rapidly rewound from the moment of his death, soon reaching the memory of the siege on Heavenly King Lu.

"Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, Yun Boshan; Grand Guardian of the Crown Prince, Ting Yanjuan; Junior Mentor of the Crown Prince, Cui Mingzhi; Junior Guardian of the Crown Prince, He Qianqiu; and..."

Xue Bie, the Right Protector, recorded the figures appearing in Sun Nantuo's memories. Her gaze fell on the last person, and her pupils contracted slightly as she said, "And also Ling Yuxia, the Crown Prince of the Yan Kang Kingdom."

Qin Mu nodded. "Note them down. Find an opportune moment, and send them on their way."

The Right Protector noted down the Yan Kang Crown Prince's name.

Duke Wei's heart was greatly shaken. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

The Demonic Cult was truly too audacious. They even planned to 'send the Crown Prince on his way'—that was the Crown Prince of the Yan Kang Kingdom!

However, he found himself unable to say anything. Although the Yan Kang Kingdom was currently flourishing, its prosperity in history was only a recent phenomenon of the past two hundred years, coinciding with the rise of the Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor.

In contrast, the Demonic Cult was a truly ancient and immense power, with a long history spanning countless periods of national prosperity and dynastic changes. The killing of a Demonic Cult Heavenly King was not just a deep-seated hatred but also a profound humiliation; this vengeance had to be exacted.

Duke Wei could barely protect himself at the moment, so how could he speak up for the Crown Prince?

The female Hall Master continued to rewind Sun Nantuo's memories, tracing back to the moment of the siege on Heavenly King Qian. This time, in addition to the Crown Prince and others, there was also Junior Guardian of the Crown Prince, Master Ruopiao.

The Junior Guardian of the Crown Prince this generation was not Gu Lihuan; Gu Lihuan had been missing for two hundred years, so the Emperor had bestowed the position upon Master Ruopiao.

Master Ruopiao also hailed from Buddhism, his monastic name Ruopiao, derived from the saying "Of three thousand measures of weak water, I take but one scoop."

Yun Boshan and Cui Mingzhi were both sect leader-level figures from Daoist backgrounds, while Ting Yanjuan and He Qianqiu came from influential aristocratic families who had helped Emperor Taizu conquer the realm.

These five, along with the deceased Sun Nantuo, were all part of the Crown Prince's faction and had all served as tutors to the Crown Prince at some point.

Out of the sixteen high-ranking officials in the imperial court, the Crown Prince's faction accounted for six.

"Note down Master Ruopiao's name as well."

Qin Mu said, "The New Year is approaching. Let them have a peaceful year, eat their last great meal. Sun Nantuo is dead, Nantuo Villa has been destroyed, but Nantuo Temple still stands. Protector Elders, go and level Nantuo Temple, leave no trace."

The Protector Elders assented.

Duke Wei breathed a sigh of relief. This young Cult Master of the Demonic Cult still possessed some rationality. Otherwise, if things escalated, and the imperial court lost six high-ranking officials and the Crown Prince all at once, the Emperor's investigation would undoubtedly lead straight to the Demonic Cult!

After all, the Yan Kang imperial court was the legitimate authority. Opposing the court would leave the Demonic Cult with nowhere to hide. Furthermore, the Daoist sects and Great Thunderclap Temple would surely seize the opportunity to inflict further damage, putting the Demonic Cult in grave danger.

Killing one every now and then would minimize the risk.

For instance, in this instance of killing Sun Nantuo and destroying Nantuo Temple, Qin Mu appeared as a representative of the Loulan Gold Palace, bringing the Nantuo Temple's most precious treasure to lure the monks of Nantuo Villa. He then forced Sun Nantuo to reveal himself, drawing him out of the capital and to this location.

Although Sun Nantuo was a sect leader-level figure, his death and the destruction of Nantuo Villa occurred in an instant. Furthermore, the action took place outside the capital, leaving no trace whatsoever. It was a tightly coordinated and extremely formidable plan.

Even if the Emperor wished to investigate, he would find no clues, no lead pointing to the Demonic Cult.

After Sun Nantuo's death, the Crown Prince would surely become vigilant, making it difficult to target him. A rash move might even lead to a trap, so it was better to wait out this period.

At that moment, Qin Mu looked at Wei Yong and Duke Wei and smiled. Duke Wei's heart went cold. He chuckled, "Cult Master, I have a very loud voice."

"I know,"

Qin Mu said with a smile, "If the Duke were to shout, I'm afraid everyone in the capital would hear it clearly. Duke, do you think my Holy Cult's methods were clean and swift when we killed Sun Nantuo?"

Duke Wei's heart skipped a beat. Qin Mu was implying that they could be eliminated before he could even utter a single shout!

Duke Wei took a long breath. "I once had a considerable acquaintance with your previous Cult Master Li!"

Qin Mu turned his head to look at the Protectors beside him. Xue Bie said, "The former Cult Master met him a few times, but their acquaintance wasn't deep."

Duke Wei's face darkened. He subtly glanced around, checking for any chance of escape.

Qin Mu said solemnly, "Duke, our cult has lost two Heavenly Kings, and now there are two vacant Heavenly King positions. As a duke and not affiliated with any particular sect, becoming one of our cult's Guardian Heavenly Kings should not present any obstacles, correct?"

Duke Wei let out two dry laughs, looking around nervously. He saw the twenty powerful individuals who had jointly killed Sun Nantuo now standing up, causing his eye to twitch involuntarily. He said, "I am Duke Wei, and I hold an official position. How could I possibly have time to be your Guardian Heavenly King? Why not give me a less demanding assignment..."

Qin Mu smiled gently. "Don't worry, my Holy Cult is quite relaxed. We'd only bother the Duke when there's a fight; you'd just be a nominal figure. Not only are the Guardian Heavenly Kings relatively leisurely, even I, as the Cult Master, am quite free. If not for this incident, I wouldn't have come here myself. If the Duke is unwilling, we won't make things difficult for you. As long as you swear not to reveal what you've seen today, you may leave. The world has too many misunderstandings about our Holy Cult; they still think we are bloodthirsty devils who kill without batting an eye. Wouldn't you agree?" With that, he burst into laughter.

The Demonic Cult members below the platform also laughed along, but their smiles didn't reach their eyes, looking ready to turn hostile and eliminate witnesses at any moment.

"I'd be delighted!" Duke Wei quickly declared.

Wei Yong hesitated. "Duke..."

"Shut up!"

Duke Wei turned his head and rebuked him, "You've completely ruined me! My lifelong reputation is utterly destroyed by you, you little rascal! If you hadn't called out 'Brother Qin,' we two, father and son, might have escaped unharmed!"

Wei Yong pouted and said, "Old Master, they said they'd let us leave, so why are you so insistent on joining the cult? Brother Qin is good-hearted, not a truly wicked person."

Duke Wei blinked. "Do you really think he's not a truly wicked person? If he weren't, how could he become the Demonic Cult Master?"

Qin Mu cleared his throat. "Heavenly King Wei, we generally refer to ourselves as the Sacred Cult, not the Demonic Cult. And I am not a Demonic Cult Master, but the Holy Cult Master. Please remember that, Heavenly King Wei."

Wei Yong exclaimed excitedly, "Old man, the title of Heavenly King is much more prestigious than Duke! Brother Qin, assign me a task too!"