Scripture of Days Past

All the villagers nodded eagerly, their faces flushed with excitement.

A boy attending one of these gatherings for the first time asked, "Will things really get better if we follow the Immortal Dao, Master Heavenly Secrets?"

"Of course!" the old man, known as Master Heavenly Secrets replied. "Da Niu, come here."

A brawny man stepped forward expressionlessly. Master Heavenly Secrets pulled out a knife and stabbed him twice, once in the chest and once in the abdomen. Da Niu showed no sign of pain, and no blood flowed from the wounds.

"Ever since Da Niu took the Immortal Dao's elixir of undying, he no longer fears pain and injury, nor does he need to eat or drink! This is ultimate freedom! Freedom from all suffering and pain!"

The excitement in the eyes of the villagers burned even brighter at the sight.

***

Chu Qiguang and Hao Yongtai were standing on a nearby hill, accompanied by Daoist Master Law Origin.

The Heavenly Master Religion had always hunted cult members, and Daoist Master Law Origin was naturally eager to do his part. He had received a payment from the Hao Clan for his efforts, and if he could pull this off, then he would also be rewarded by the Daoist temple.

Behind them stood over thirty guards from the Wu and Hao Clans. Two of them were second-state martial artists, while the rest were first-state martial artists. All of them were armed and raring to go.

This operation was very important to Hao Wen and Wu Wei, so they had sent all their most capable guards.

What's going on with that guy, Master Qiao? Chu Qiguang asked telepathically as he observed the scene below.

Qiao Zhi was hiding in a nearby shrub. He had accompanied Chu Qiguang to Inkstone Village, managing to avoid detection from Hao Yongtai and Daoist Master Law Origin.

Da Niu's injuries haven't healed at all, Qiao Zhi explained grimly. He must be one of the failed consumers of the elixir of undying. He's already starting to lose his senses. In half a month at most, he'll turn into a living corpse.

To prevent the cult members from escaping, Daoist Master Law Origin ordered everyone to surround the area.

Chu Qiguang and Hao Yongtai watched from a distance as the cult members brought out a large vat of water that gave off a strange fragrance.

Master Heavenly Secrets raised a bowl and declared, "This is the elixir of undying! Drink a bowl and you will attain immortality! The heavens will bow at your feet!"

The villagers immediately fell into a frenzy, scrambling to drink the elixir. Some women even pushed their young children forward, hoping they would be the first to drink.

That's not even a complete version of the elixir of undying. Anyone who drinks the elixir in this form will definitely become a living corpse, Qiao Zhi sighed.

Hao Yongtai gritted his teeth as he watched the elixir of undying being distributed, and he urged, "We can't keep waiting—"

Suddenly, a commotion broke out nearby.

Chu Qiguang and Qiao Zhi had sent out White Rice, Lulu, and the other cat fiends to hide in the surrounding forest. They had been instructed to shout in human voices from different directions to create the illusion that a huge crowd had gathered.

"The Immortal Dao is incredible! I once saw Master Heavenly Secrets jump down from a two-story building and only break both legs and a few ribs!"

"That's nothing! I once saw Master Heavenly Secrets eat three pounds of shit in one sitting!"

The scene instantly descended into chaos, and the villagers turned toward Master Heavenly Secrets with puzzled expressions.

"Who's there?! Capture whoever's spouting this nonsense at once!" Master Heavenly Secrets ordered furiously.

As the cult members began to disperse and search the surrounding forest, Chu Qiguang declared, "Now's the time to strike!"

Hao Yongtai, Daoist Master Law Origin, and the guards from the Wu and Hao Clans immediately heeded his call, charging toward the crowd like a pack of wolves entering a sheep pen. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"These people are here to steal the elixir of undying! Stop them!" Master Heavenly Secrets shrieked in an inhuman voice.

The villagers immediately gathered to stand against Hao Yongtai and the others.

"We are here on behalf of the county office and the Heavenly Master Religion to capture these cult members! All unrelated individuals are to leave right away! Otherwise, you will be killed!" Chu Qiguang yelled.

Hesitation appeared on the villagers' faces. Upon seeing the Heavenly Master Religion Daoist robe worn by Daoist Master Law Origin, they gave up all resistance.

Deserted by his followers, Master Heavenly Secrets began flailing wildly, a twisted, inhuman expression appearing on his hideous face.

As he chanted a strange incantation, five men, including Da Niu, let loose animalistic roars in unison and charged at Hao Yongtai and the others.

The five men feared no injury. Even with all their limbs broken, they were still fighting with all their might, trying to sink their teeth into their assailants.

"These are living corpses of the Immortal Dao! Make sure you don't get bitten!"

As the martial artists retreated to safety, Daoist Master Law Origin poured a crimson pill out of a vial and swallowed it. His entire body instantly turned bright red, like a cooked lobster.

Immediately afterward, he drew the purple elm wood Daoist sword on his back and launched himself at the five living corpses with such force that the dirt beneath his feet exploded with a loud thump.

The living corpses instantly stiffened when struck by the tip of his sword, and Daoist Master Law Origin took advantage of their immobilization to decapitate them one by one, putting an end to their undead lives.

Master Qiao, how did he do that? Chu Qiguang asked.

He appears to have taken the Heavenly Master Religion's Bloodbath Pill, a pill that temporarily enhances one's physical strength, Qiao Zhi explained. As for that sword of his, it's a Daoist sword crafted from purple elm wood. The Daoist swords of the Heavenly Master Religion are special weapons, and different Daoist swords are effective against different targets. In this case, purple elm wood Daoist swords are especially useful against living corpses.

With the living corpses killed, the warriors received a significant morale boost and swarmed around Master Heavenly Secrets.

Master Heavenly Secrets was just a third-state martial artist, and he was no match for dozens of assailants at once. It didn't take long before all of his limbs were broken, and he was dragged over to Chu Qiguang.

During the subsequent interrogation, he revealed how he had killed the xiucai in Azure Sun County and turned him into a living corpse. He also confirmed that it had nothing to do with the fiend tax case.

"All we have to do is hand him over to the Demon Vanquishing Department to prove that the fiend tax case has nothing to do with the corpse reanimation case!" Hao Yongtai declared excitedly. "That way, the Demon Vanquishing Department will have no reason to keep interfering in the county's affairs!"

Thus, Master Heavenly Secrets was taken to the county office.

After hearing the news, Wu Wei was worried that He Wenyan would play some tricks to foil the investigation. Therefore, he sent Daoist Master Law Origin, the assistant county magistrate, the official registrar, and even a judicial officer from Northern Mountain Manor to interrogate Master Heavenly Secrets together.

He was doing this to ensure that the fiend tax case and the corpse reanimation case would be clearly separated from each other, thereby undermining the Demon Vanquishing Department's investigation.

***

Outside the interrogation room, Hao Yongtai was pacing back and forth in agitation, while a servant reassured him, "Don't worry, Young Master. He Wenyan is only a county magistrate. There's no way he can manipulate the situation with so many people here."

At that moment, the sound of footsteps rang out, and Li Changqing barged straight into the county office.

"What're you doing here?" Hao Yongtai exclaimed in alarm.

Li Changqing gave a cold harrumph as he sent Hao Yongtai flying with a casual swat, then stormed straight into the interrogation room and declared, "Both the corpse reanimation case and the fiend tax case are currently under the Demon Vanquishing Department's jurisdiction, so I'll be the one to interrogate this cult member!"