Chapter 341: Snowflakes Drift Across the City

Yin Jun looked at Li Weiyi, his eyes twinkling with a smile. "I know you have many questions! This Vice Commander Zhou in front of you is an undercover agent of the Hidden Gate from the last sixty-year cycle, responsible for infiltrating the imperial court."

Li Weiyi felt completely relaxed, cupped his fists, and smiled, "Greetings, Elder Zhou!"

Hidden agents from the previous sixty-year cycle were all considered Hidden Agent Elders. Those from the cycle before that were referred to as Grand Elders.

Zhou Bida forced a stiff smile, clearly a serious person by nature.

Li Weiyi asked, "Did my disguise technique have a flaw? How did Yin Jun know it was me?"

Yin Jun simply smiled at him.

Li Weiyi understood. "So, she told you?"

He was naturally referring to Yao Qingxuan.

With Yin Jun appearing here, Yao Qingxuan's identity was already obvious.

"She didn't dare to speak openly; I merely guessed it."

Yin Jun sighed, "In her position, the slightest mistake could lead to her complete annihilation. She placed the Death Spirit Fire within you. But to gain the trust of the Daocult's high-ranking members, she also has a more mysterious restraint within her body, meaning every word she speaks and every action she takes could potentially be detected."

Li Weiyi finally understood why Yao Qingxuan, despite being a Hidden Agent Elder, had always been cold towards him and could only protect him in an obscure way.

At the Daocult's main stronghold, Li Weiyi had her as a backer.

She, however, had no one to rely on, only herself. She was walking on thin ice, facing even more formidable enemies.

"Then isn't she in great danger?" Li Weiyi asked, very worried.

If not for Yao Qingxuan's care, after being trapped by the Twin-Lotus Daocult, there's no telling how much torment he would have suffered. He wouldn't have fared much better than Tuoba Butuo and the others, even with his value in cultivating Golden Rice.

Yin Jun said, "Who isn't in danger? Am I not taking a huge risk by personally coming to Nanyan Pass? The Daocult's ambitions are vast; they aim to overthrow the entire Lingxiao Life Realm. At that time, hiding anywhere will be a dead end. If the powerful don't proactively take responsibility, take risks, and seek a way out, but instead rely on others, then everyone will ultimately be destroyed by their own selfishness."

"It can't be helped! Actually, she should have been Yin Jun, and I should have gone to the Daocult; it was all decided back then... Ah..."

As he spoke, Yin Jun's emotions became difficult to suppress. He paused to compose himself before asking, "Where is the item?"

Li Weiyi took out the foot-square iron box and placed it on the long table in the corridor pavilion.

Yin Jun unsealed the runes on the iron box, opened the lid, and a red glow emanated from within.

The first layer contained a fist-sized fruit, with a strong fruity aroma and a crystalline brilliance.

"A Vermilion Cloud Fruit, a miraculous treasure that can extend one's life by thirty years," Li Weiyi recognized.

Zhou Bida said, "This was a request I made to the Twin-Lotus Daocult. With an extra thirty years of life, the chance of breaking through to the Longevity Realm increases significantly."

Yin Jun didn't even glance at the Vermilion Cloud Fruit and quickly opened the second layer.

It radiated golden light; it was a peanut-sized Longevity Golden Core, with countless scriptures floating upon its surface.

A Longevity Golden Core is not a Longevity Pill; it is a Golden Core cultivated by a martial cultivator in the Longevity Realm.

Melding the Dao Fruit into a Golden Core is what defines the Longevity Realm.

Yin Jun tossed the Longevity Golden Core aside and frantically searched, even peeling back the layers of the iron box. "It's not here. Why isn't it here?"

"What are you looking for, Yin Jun?" Li Weiyi asked.

Yin Jun said, "She sent you to Nanyan Pass for two reasons: first, to get you out of the main stronghold and grant you freedom. Second, there must be something extremely important that we desperately need for you to bring out. Did she give you anything else?"

"No, when I left, she only gave me this iron box... If there's anything else..."

Li Weiyi took out the golden smiling Buddha mask and handed it to Yin Jun. "But she had given me this mask a long time ago!"

Yin Jun took the mask and immediately activated it with spirit light. Immediately, the mask erupted with blinding brilliance. Upon closer inspection, array diagrams and texts appeared within the mask, dense and profoundly intricate.

"These are the things!"

Yin Jun let out a long breath, quickly memorizing the patterns and imprinting them into his consciousness. "Some of the things on here can only be deciphered by the one from the Zuoqiu Sect. Without these array diagrams and texts, attacking the Daocult's main stronghold would result in a casualty ratio of at least five to one. No faction could endure such losses."

After memorizing everything, Yin Jun erased the array diagrams and texts from inside the mask and returned it to Li Weiyi. "Did she send any message with you?"

Li Weiyi really didn't want to say it. Saying it meant that Yao Qingxuan might die at the Daocult's main stronghold. But there was no doubt it was her own choice, and he couldn't help but feel incredibly pained.

Li Weiyi sat down, looking somber. "The 'Yin Corpse Rice Cultivation' is real."

Yao Qingxuan hadn't explicitly said so, but that was the implication.

Both Yin Jun and Zhou Bida's expressions changed dramatically. Even though various factions had long suspected it, having it truly confirmed was another matter entirely.

One must understand that this wasn't the first time Yin Corpse Rice Cultivation had happened. The last time it occurred, it directly led to the extinction of humanity in an entire life realm, transforming it into a world of 'Rice-people'.

Yin Jun's voice was dry as he asked, "When will the rice flowers fill the world?"

"In three months... but she said that shouldn't be taken as definite, as the Daocult would try to delay it as much as possible," Li Weiyi quickly added. "Oh, and! At that time, the Daocult and the Demon Clan will join forces to attack Lingxiao City."

Immediately after, Li Weiyi recounted what he had seen and heard in Leiling City, telling them that the Demon Clan had also allied with some forces from the Realm of the Departed.

Yin Jun and Zhou Bida had both weathered many storms, but they were stunned by each piece of information Li Weiyi revealed, holding their breath, their hearts pounding like thunder.

"Three months... Is time already so pressing?" Zhou Bida asked.

Yin Jun clenched his fists. "All forces in the world wish for the Demon Clan to tear Yu Yaozi into a thousand pieces, and for Yu Yaozi to annihilate the Demon Clan. The Demon Clan and the Daocult are very clever in their strategy. If they attack Lingxiao City, everyone in the world will cheer and stand idly by, waiting for both sides to suffer heavy losses."

"I suspect that if I relay this information back to the Zuoqiu Sect, it might backfire."

Li Weiyi asked, "Will the Zuoqiu Sect also sit back and watch the tigers fight?"

"Who knows?"

Yin Jun became emotional. "Currently, the Zuoqiu Sect and the Snow Sword Tang Court have already united various factions with the intention of attacking the underground Immortal Abode. However, their hearts are not aligned, and all fear casualties. If this news gets back, the various factions will likely pull back their forces and let the Demon Clan, the Daocult, and the imperial court fight first. Never mind, let's just go back for now."

Zhou Bida said, "Hand over the thirty imperial cultivators controlled by Luan Sheng Lin You to me. I will report it to Luan Terrace."

"Oh, right, there's also something else. Yang Shenjing and Xu Fodu are two Vice Temple Masters of the Daocult. Is there a chance to take down Suizong first?" Li Weiyi asked.

Yin Jun said, "Easier said than done? Suizong is incredibly powerful now, having earned the deep trust of the Second Palace Master. Furthermore, they hail from the Jiuli Clan's household retainers, and their backgrounds are utterly clean."

"The imperial court is terribly corrupt right now, rife with internal accusations and chaos," Zhou Bida said. "Any news that leaks out will be seen as merely a factional dispute."

Yin Jun took Li Weiyi by the arm, preparing to take him back to Lizhou, far from the eye of the storm.

Li Weiyi suddenly thought of something. "Are Elder Zhou's family members in the hands of the Twin-Lotus Daocult?"

A pained expression appeared in Zhou Bida's eyes. "Rest assured, when faced with major right and wrong, I can distinguish between them; I will not be controlled by them. If my family were harmed, I would certainly go to join them."

Yin Jun said, "Old Zhou, the Hidden Gate will do everything in its power to rescue them."

Li Weiyi quickly explained, "That's not what I meant! Elder Zhou, I believe a man's responsibility extends to his country and the world, and also to his children and family. Who is controlling them, and where are they?"

Zhou Bida shook his head, his eyes reddened. "I don't know! The one who orchestrated this wasn't the person from our Hidden Gate, but another faction within the Daocult—perhaps the Yang Shenjing you mentioned."

Li Weiyi looked at Yin Jun. "When I left, she said that once I reached Nanyan Pass, I should find Elder Fu, as Elder Fu is in charge of all matters here. I think she was implying that Elder Zhou's family could be found through Elder Fu. I want to try!"

Yin Jun stared intently at Li Weiyi. "Do you think the cult hides things from her and guards against her for no reason? Do you think you are safe? Ah, fine, fine, I've never been able to dissuade you. I'll wait for you outside the city for half a day at most. Old Zhou, do you think our Divine Hidden Agent is qualified?"

"As a Divine Hidden Agent, he is not qualified."

Zhou Bida's face was filled with gratitude. He put the Vermilion Cloud Fruit and the Longevity Golden Core back into the box and handed it to Li Weiyi. "But a Divine Hidden Agent with human kindness makes people even more willing to brave any danger. You must accept this, don't refuse, please!"

Li Weiyi wasn't one to be indecisive. He accepted the iron box and made a promise to him, "The Hidden Gate will not abandon any hidden agent, including their families."

Yin Jun, carrying a great secret concerning the lives and deaths of countless people, was unwilling to take risks and immediately left the city.

Li Weiyi, meanwhile, disguised himself again and headed towards the Twin-Lotus Daocult's base in Nanyan Pass.

The Guanlan Pavilion, a brothel.

Many beautiful Rice-people women were trafficked to brothels, facing tragic fates. This, in turn, perfectly facilitated brothels becoming prime locations for Daocult cultivators to gather intelligence and establish bases.

Li Weiyi had just located the Guanlan Pavilion, gazing at the magnificent and imposing garden architecture before him.

"Boom!"

The entire Nanyan Pass shook violently. A surge of Dharma energy spread throughout the city, activating the layers of defensive light barriers.

It contained the Dharma energy fluctuations of a Longevity Realm practitioner.

Snowflakes, each as large as a goose feather, blanketed the entire city.

Li Weiyi looked up at the fourth-tier city above and discerned that the combat fluctuations were coming from the direction of the Zhou Residence.

This battle sound, like a bolt from the blue, made Li Weiyi's heart momentarily stop. His mind was filled with "why."

Without a moment's hesitation, he immediately turned and hurried towards the city gate.

Inside the Zhou Residence, buildings had largely collapsed, and the defensive array had burst apart, having been breached from the outside.

"Too late!"

Yao Qian, in his Shaoqing official robes, stood tall and upright, as handsome as jade. He enveloped the entire Nanyan Pass within his Dao Heart Manifestation, carefully sensing every pedestrian, with particular attention to the direction of the city gate.

His spiritual sense was not yet strong enough to pinpoint every individual, requiring luck.

Around him stood two rows of female officials from Luan Terrace, each possessing a Pure Immortal Body and formidable cultivation.

On the other side, Zhou Bida's chest had been pierced through, forming a bowl-sized bloodied hole, with blood oozing from his seven orifices. Despite his powerful vitality, he was not yet dead, convulsing in agony.

The Old Ancestor of the Sheng Family released threads of spiritual light from his glabella, which drilled into Zhou Bida's skull, intending to extract his soul and search his memories.

"You... don't even think about it!"

Zhou Bida roared hoarsely, gathering the last of his strength, and angrily burst out from the bottom of the crater. He punched towards the Old Ancestor of the Sheng Family. His fist glow was domineering and potent, causing the Dharma energy of the entire Zhou Residence to boil.

The Old Ancestor of the Sheng Family's expression drastically changed, and he immediately retreated.

"Boom!"

Yao Qian descended from the sky and with one foot, crushed Zhou Bida's head into a bloody pulp. A new crater appeared on the ground. His voice, booming, echoed: "Close the city gates, and impose a city-wide lockdown."

A Luan Terrace female official asked, "What if that high-ranking cult figure, who was supposed to meet them, has already left the city?"

"Suizong's Sect Master will personally take action," Yao Qian said indifferently. "Even if it's a Longevity Realm practitioner, they will certainly die."