The twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month, in the twenty-third year of jiajing (era).
Early morning.
Wang Hai and Xiao Si walked out of the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) prison.
Several Baihu under Li Miao had already arrested some Ming Cult disciples and brought them back; the two of them had interrogated them all night and had just finished.
The Ming Cult, in fact, was not difficult to find.
The Ming Cult's previous actions clearly conveyed one message: “I don't want to live anymore; I just want to give your Zhu family a brutal One Slash before I die.”
Under this premise, the Ming Cult naturally came out in full force, with all available personnel.
When there are many people, the consumption of food and drink increases, and larger spaces are needed. Shuntian Prefecture was already crowded and full of diverse people, so a group of reclusive strangers suddenly appearing next door would be extremely conspicuous. With the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards)'s many years of cultivation in Shuntian Prefecture, it was not difficult to capture a few of them.
However, the results of the interrogation were not ideal.
These disciples could not say anything.
Because they didn't even know what they were supposed to do; the Ming Cult hadn't even told them the exact meeting point. After conquering Shaolin Temple, they only received one order: “Go to Shuntian Prefecture, hide yourselves, and wait for the opportune moment.”
Where to hide, how long to hide, what to do, and whose orders to follow—they knew nothing.
Wang Hai instantly understood that all the lower-level and even mid-level Ming Cult disciples were pawns meant to confuse and distract.
Ji Tianrui was hidden among the Ming Cult disciples, and the Ming Cult, in turn, was hidden among the populace. There were probably hundreds of scattered groups, but only two or three of them were the true executors of the Ming Cult's plan. No matter how capable the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) were, they couldn't pick out the true Ming Cult high-level members from these hundreds of groups in the short four or five days before the new year.
Moreover, the Ming Cult high-level members could also disguise themselves.
It was no longer possible to rely on following clues to uncover the Ming Cult's high-level members.
The matter still had to fall to Xiao Si.
Xiao Si had reviewed the Miao King's notes and, combining them with the two Great Witches' Gu techniques, had resolved the hidden dangers left in Tai'an City.
She also discovered a method in the Miao King's notes.
The original Ji Tianrui was a “furnace” specifically cultivated by Yang Lixuan to absorb the Celestial Human Realm. It was precisely because of this that Ji Tianrui and Yang Lixuan turned against each other. Taking advantage of the Five Great Factions' siege on the Ming Cult, Ji Tianrui poisoned Yang Lixuan, leading to his death.
However, let's look at this matter in reverse—since Yang Lixuan had no feelings for Ji Tianrui from the beginning, how could he not leave a contingency plan to guard against Ji Tianrui?
The Miao King's notes recorded a method.
The offspring cultivated by the Miao King as “furnaces” all contained a Gu worm similar to a “love Gu” within their bodies.
Through some rather bloody methods, one could refine a Gu worm capable of sensing the traces of these Gu worms.
Although Ji Tianrui was not a descendant of the first Miao King, it was still unknown who her father was and why the second Miao King gave birth to her.
But, treating a dead horse as if it were alive, they still had to try.
What if she was like Ji Tianrui, both being “furnaces”? What if she hadn't removed this Gu worm yet?
Xiao Si immediately began to refine this Gu worm.
By the time it was refined, the sun had already set.
Xiao Si walked out of the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) prison, her face pale, clearly indicating that refining this Gu worm was no small drain on her.
Wang Hai quickly went to meet her.
“Fourth Sister, how is it?”
“It's refined, but only halfway.”
Xiao Si raised her arm and opened her right hand.
On her right hand, a large butterfly rested, its wings multicolored, with four patterns resembling human eyes, looking extremely strange. However, one of its antennae was broken, and the edges of its wings were also incomplete, making it look listless and as if it didn't have long to live.
Xiao Si said.
“This thing can only be refined by the Miao King herself. Even a Great Witch cannot refine it.”
“If I weren't a human Gu with a special constitution, and my blood couldn't play some role, I wouldn't even be able to refine this half-dead one.”
Wang Hai gently took the butterfly and examined it carefully.
“Then, can this still be useful?”
Xiao Si shook her head.
“It will probably only be half as effective.”
“Moreover, its lifespan isn't long; it will probably die after one use. If I try to refine another one, I'm afraid I won't be able to bear it.”
Wang Hai pondered for a moment.
“So, we only have one chance.”
“Yes.”
Xiao Si nodded, but then frowned.
“Hai Gege, I have something I want to ask you.”
Wang Hai nodded.
“I know what you want to ask.”
“You want to ask why I must investigate Ji Tianrui before the Commander returns, right?”
“Yes.”
Xiao Si spread her hands.
“Others may not understand, but I do. You and I only care about the Commander. We don't care about Great Shuo or the Emperor. In this world, only the three of us are family. And only the lives of the three of us will you care about.”
“Both of us are insidious people. It's because the Commander accepted us that we can pretend to be normal, laugh and play, and live normal lives. Without the Commander, even if I had survived back then, I would have become a Great Witch who recognized no one. You, I estimate, would have eventually been stabbed by your enemy and died in the streets.”
At this point, Xiao Si let out a chuckle.
“The Commander constantly says he's not a good person, but he spends all his time saving this one and that one, making it seem like we've become good people too.”
Xiao Si's smile faded, and she looked earnestly into Wang Hai's eyes.
“But, if we just follow the Commander's wishes and don't harm people, why should we put ourselves in danger?”
“Anyway, Ji Tianrui can't do anything to the Commander no matter what. If she wants to kill the Emperor, let her kill him. If she wants to overthrow the court, let her do it. Why should we investigate in advance?”
“If we both die, the Commander would truly be heartbroken, wouldn't he?”
These words were disloyal and treasonous.
But they were the true feelings of the two.
Wang Hai smiled slightly after hearing them.
“Of course, I know all that you've said.”
“That's why I must investigate.”
“Because I don't want the Commander to get involved in this matter.”
“So, I need to find out Ji Tianrui's scheme and location before the Commander returns, then hand it over to the court, and let the court deal with her. It would be best if the court could kill Ji Tianrui before the Commander returns.”
With that, Wang Hai activated his inner energy and poured it into the butterfly's body.
The butterfly trembled and woke up.
Wang Hai looked at the butterfly and slowly said.
“Fourth Sister, haven't you noticed yet?”
“Ji Tianrui is clearly calculating against the Commander, trying to drag him into her scheme. And this scheme is aimed at the court, at the Zhu family, at—the Emperor!”
“'Tianren Realm', three paths merged into one. If the Commander's realm were exposed to the court's eyes, perhaps the Commander could mediate. But what if it gets involved in the Ming Cult's scheme against the Emperor? The court has been able to firmly rule the world, suppressing Tianren for hundreds of years, preventing them from appearing. This is absolutely not just by relying on elite soldiers and capable generals; there must be Tianren hidden among them who can rival the Commander!”
“The Commander himself might not care. He wants to kill Ji Tianrui because of the blood debt in Tai'an City and because he fears the Ming Cult will harm the common people of Shuntian Prefecture.”
“But, I cannot allow Ji Tianrui to drag the Commander into her scheme.”
“In my eyes, your life is more important than mine. But the Commander's safety is even more important than both our lives.”
The butterfly flew high, circled once in the air, and then fluttered weakly towards outside the courtyard.
“I'll go find Miss Mei and Elder Gao.”
Wang Hai said.
“Let's go together and see where Ji Tianrui is truly hiding.”