CHAPTER 162: CHAPTER 138 FELLOW DISCIPLES (4K)_2

"Just by activating the talisman, you could summon the Judges of the Town Suppressing Office or an Academic Palace Doctor from within Chang’an City. But standing here are just two of my doppelgangers. By the time they figure out a way to sever my connection with them, or find my main body and eradicate me, I’d already have enough time to kill your loved ones repeatedly.

To verify the truth of my words: in the corner of Song Dalang’s house, there’s a water vat with lotus plants. Their household utensils are Yue Kiln green porcelain, and the bowls and dishes are Xing Porcelain. And that manager of Lansheng Building? He has already sent out the third letter, which contains one thousand five hundred strings of coins meant for you. Am I right? If this still does not persuade you... then I will have no choice but to write a letter and inform the Academic Palace that you have been hiding Mutated Objects obtained from the Tomb of the Sword Immortal."

"..."

Li Ang slowly exhaled and asked indifferently, "What do you want? Money? The secret recipe for Allicin? The secret materials hidden by Jiao Cheng? Or do you want me to be an insider within the Academic Palace?"

"I just want to chat with you, my junior brother, and meet in person properly." The two Judges slightly turned, revealing a carriage behind them. "Junior brother, shall we talk outside the city?"

"Okay."

Li Ang didn’t waste any words. He stepped out of the courtyard, closed the door with Telekinesis, and boarded the carriage. One of the Judges from the Town Suppressing Office drove the carriage toward the city gate. The other sat opposite Li Ang in the carriage, smiled, and said, "Junior brother, I heard that your admission process to the Academic Palace was rather turbulent; you almost got eliminated by Xi Yangyu."

"That’s alright," Li Ang said indifferently, rapidly contemplating.

Both of them hold genuine waist tokens of Judges of the Town Suppressing Office. All Judges from the Town Suppressing Office are at least Postnatal Martial Artists or Rain Listening Realm cultivators. To manipulate them like puppets, effortlessly, one must at least be a Cloud Patrol Realm Cultivator. The silver needles on their bodies are definitely Mutated Objects. Documents within the Academic Palace Book Collection Pavilion mention a similar magic. Some Sects during the Former Sui period used thin needles to insert into others’ bodies, block their minds, and control their bodies, causing severe disasters. Those Sects eventually perished amid Sect conflicts, and their evil magic and demon arts became lost...

Li Ang silently gazed at the Judge across from him in the carriage. The man behind the puppet, claiming to be his senior brother, must be a cultivator of at least the Cloud Patrol Realm. He must also be extremely confident and unafraid of being tracked by the Academic Palace. Could it be a disciple of Pu Liuxuan? No, it doesn’t seem likely. Before leaving Yizhou City, Pu Liuxuan never mentioned such a thing, nor did Cheng Juxiu. A traitor from the Academic Palace? There have been cases of defection before, but what was their motive? I always carry a talisman, so I retain the ability to call in the Academic Palace and the Town Suppressing Office at any moment. Even if it means mutual destruction, my life wouldn’t be at risk. Furthermore, it’s one thing for them to know the arrangements in Song Shaoyuan’s house, but is Aunt Song from Lansheng Building in Yizhou City under their surveillance as well? Chang’an City is a thousand miles from Yizhou City. Only a few special items in the world can achieve real-time communication, such as the level-one demon "Nearby Worm," or the Communication Copper Plate issued only to the Academic Palace Patrol.

The carriage rumbled on. Outside the windows, a bustling scene unfolded with crowds of pedestrians and processions of carriages, all headed to watch the debate at the temple. Soon, the carriage reached the Golden Light Gate, waiting for the city guard soldiers to conduct their inspection.

"Put this on."

The Judge in the carriage drew a leather face mask from his bosom and tossed it into Li Ang’s lap. Li Ang caught the mask; its eerie, smooth touch sent shivers down his spine. He glanced at the Judge opposite him, silently summoned Mo Si for protection, put on the mask, and transformed into a middle-aged man in his forties.

"Next one!" shouted the City Gate Guard after searching the previous flatbed truck.

The carriage quietly moved forward. The driving Judge took out a stack of pre-prepared exit papers from his bosom and handed them over. Ever since Huai Rui’s mutation, inspections for entering and exiting Chang’an City had become much stricter. However, these inspections were based on the city’s defense Array. The City Gate Guard found no issues and waved the carriage through.

"Junior Brother, your beard is crooked."

The Judge of the Town Suppressing Office chuckled and pointed at Li Ang’s cheek. Li Ang silently removed the human-face mask and tossed it onto the seat. This is definitely also a Mutated Object. While wearing it, I could hear faint screams and wails of agony.

Li Ang asked expressionlessly, "Where are we going?"

"To the temple."

The Judge inside the carriage replied, his tone still light and easygoing.

The carriage continued along the official road. As they turned past several intersections, the pedestrians and carriages on the road gradually grew sparse.

CLATTER.

The carriage rolled over a roadside stone and entered the wilderness, continuing forward.

The sun set behind the hills, and the sky gradually darkened as flocks of birds returned to the forest. The carriage curtains fluttered in the evening breeze, and a temple appeared on the horizon.

It was a long-abandoned Buddhist temple. Most of the brick and tile on its roof were broken. The doors and thresholds had not been maintained for a long time, with flakes of red paint peeling off. The outer walls were covered with dried vines, like the motionless blood vessels of the dead, exuding an air of decay.

Inside the temple, a dim light glowed. The wooden Buddha statues, weather-beaten by wind and rain, still maintained serene and gentle expressions under the illumination of the candles on the altar. Yet, one side of their wooden cheeks had grown green mold and fungi, giving them an evil aura.

A figure already stood in the temple—a young man about the same age as Cheng Juxiu, dressed in ordinary clothes, wearing a smile identical to those of the two Judges.

CREAK.

The carriage stopped in front of the ruined temple. The two Judges jumped down, entered the temple, and stood beside the young man.

Li Ang walked down from the carriage expressionlessly and approached the young man. "Is this also one of your doppelgangers?"

Unlike the two Judges, Mo Si perceived a slight emotional fluctuation in the young man. He isn’t like a completely unconscious walking corpse.

"Perhaps."

The young man smiled faintly, his tone gentle. "Allow me to introduce myself. I suppose I’m your senior brother. You can call me Ya Jiu."

Li Ang asked indifferently, "The swordsmith?" He was referring to Zhang Yajiu, a swordsmith in Yu Country from decades earlier whose treasure swords were exceptionally sharp. Bai Le Tian had even composed a New Yuefu Poetry piece for him titled "Ya Jiu’s Sword—Thoughts on Clearing Obstructions."

"Somewhat related."

The young man who called himself Ya Jiu raised his hand, flicked the Longsword tied at his waist, and slightly turned aside to reveal the temple’s main hall. "Junior Brother, please?"

Having come this far, Li Ang didn’t mind entering the temple for a look. He strode into the temple, his eyebrows unconsciously raised.

Behind the Buddha statue in the temple, a row of beautiful women was tied up. They were all dressed in silk clothes, their eyes, ears, and mouths covered with thick cloth, and their hands and feet bound. They were crying and struggling beneath the base of the Buddha statue.

"What is the meaning of this?" Li Ang turned and looked back at Ya Jiu.

Ya Jiu smiled lightly and said casually, "My sincerity. Haha, Junior Brother, you’ve been making a big splash in Chang’an City recently. In just half a year, you’ve achieved so many accomplishments, yet you’re just too soft-hearted, too kind. The masterminds behind Jiao Cheng involve three families: one Prince, and two Commanders of the General Staff. The reason the Town Suppressing Office and the Ministry of Justice haven’t continued to investigate Jiao Cheng’s case is that these three powerful figures have been secretly obstructing each other. They are preventing the investigation from clarifying the real cause of Jiao Cheng’s death or finding the documents he left behind. Once the balance among them is disrupted, if someone wishes to continue investigating, they will inevitably discover that Jiao Cheng and his associates died in the underground palace. This will lead them to the Sword Immortal Tomb, and eventually, the investigation will trace back to you, bringing you trouble. These women from Pingkang Square are the ones who saw your face on the painted boat that time, yet you didn’t investigate their identities afterward to silence them. That was not very thorough of you."