Chu Xingchen ignored the look Xu Jin cast his way, and decided against using the Bai Qing Technique that he'd originally planned to deploy upon meeting.
Although he couldn't yet determine the Buddhist Sect's true intentions, at least he could confirm that the Buddhist Sect had connections with demons.
Whether others believed it or not was uncertain, but at least the Xuantian Qing Sect and the Tianyan Sect believed it, which meant they were now somewhat guarded against the Buddhist Sect.
However, there was another matter that could roughly help calculate the timing of the great tribulation.
That would be his second disciple.
Before his second disciple was reborn, she had spent over a hundred years cultivating to the Nascent Soul realm. At least when Li Xingtian was drained dry by the demoness, the world had not yet descended into complete chaos at the level of a great tribulation.
Otherwise, his second disciple would have long ago told him about these matters.
This meant that the words "great tribulation approaches" did not follow the timeline Chu Xingchen had assumed.
Perhaps the incident of Li Xingtian being drained dry occurred right on the eve of the great tribulation's arrival.
And this timeframe, for Chu Xingchen currently, might still be a considerable period away.
So the choice to alert the enemy might sometimes be a good option, forcing them to reveal themselves before they were fully prepared.
But everything had its pros and cons.
At the very least, he should discuss this matter with Lu Xuan and Bai Xuanling.
"Does the young master wish for this servant to warm your bed?"
Meng Li's expression showed slight surprise, then she batted her eyes and said, "That would be this servant's honor. May I ask, young master... do you want it now, or shall we wait for tonight?"
Both of them had steady auras, and even Meng Li at the Nascent Soul realm couldn't see through them in the slightest.
Without a doubt, these had to be cultivators from the Xuantian Qing Sect at the Deity Transformation realm or above.
However...
Openly displaying their cultivation without concealment—this kind of self-incriminating behavior seemed strange no matter how you looked at it.
But no matter how strange, no one could currently see through her true identity.
Peel away her heart, and it was purely a human heart.
This outer shell, every drop of blood flowing through her body, was all human blood.
For survival, even the proudest creatures would bow their heads and learn to disguise themselves.
Even if there was suspicion, so what? Even if the power of faith was being used by her, so what? She was now a pure-blooded human.
Otherwise, how could the Buddhist Sect possibly release them? That would be throwing evidence right out the door.
Meng Li reached out her delicate hand toward the foolishly grinning Xu Jin, her gaze hazy as if she had taken a fancy to this Xu Jin who only knew how to smile stupidly.
"Furthermore... both of you are top-tier cultivators. This servant was being presumptuous."
Those who could cultivate to the Deity Transformation realm were no fools—this one simply wasn't good at playing dumb.
Xu Jin's foolish smile instantly vanished upon hearing this, and he directly pushed away Meng Li who was trying to approach. His expression suddenly turned serious as he looked at Chu Xingchen.
He wasn't some rookie cultivator, so naturally he could sense that Meng Li before him had cultivation around the Nascent Soul realm.
He had been playing dumb because he thought Chu Xingchen was up to his usual tricks, using illusion arts to conceal both of their cultivations upon entering.
As for other details, naturally the less concealed the better, since the more things hidden by illusion arts, the easier it would be to detect.
Moreover, the Buddhist Sect had their own insights regarding illusion arts. Concealing cultivation could also conceal identity.
Chu Xingchen casually ignored Xu Jin's questioning gaze, reached out and hooked his arm around Xu Jin's shoulder, patted it lightly a few times, then spoke:
"Knowing you were being presumptuous, you still wanted to follow through? Are we the kind of goods for someone like you to covet?"
Meng Li's expression retracted, and her tone also calmed somewhat. "Then what guidance do the two seniors have? This place is under the direct jurisdiction of the Central Plains Buddhist Sect. Please think thrice before either of you decides to do anything."
"Wow, it really has to be the Central Plains Buddhist Sect—they break through the lower limits faster than other immortal sects."
Chu Xingchen lightly patted Xu Jin's shoulder as a form of comfort, then continued speaking.
"The Buddhist Sect, which has always preached asceticism, was actually the first to open a brothel. That really is an eye-opener."
Meng Li didn't care in the slightest about what Chu Xingchen said. What did the Buddhist Sect's reputation have to do with her?
She sat down gracefully in a chair with a smile on her face, then lightly pointed at the teapot on the table.
"Two distinguished guests, would you care for a cup?"
Chu Xingchen naturally moved to sit down, but before taking his seat, he knocked several times on Xu Jin's shoulder with the hand that had been resting there.
Xu Jin seemed completely oblivious, just somewhat unhappily shrugging his shoulder to shake off Chu Xingchen's hand, as if he still harbored dissatisfaction toward Chu Xingchen.
Chu Xingchen's expression showed slight awkwardness as he glanced at Xu Jin, then turned his gaze toward Meng Li.
"No need for tea. I just have a few questions I want to ask you."
Meng Li lowered her gaze slightly. "Both of you are seniors, presumably disciples of the Eighteen Immortal Sects. Whatever you wish to ask, this servant will tell you whatever she can."
Chu Xingchen smiled. "Then do you know what improper things the Buddhist Sect is raising?"
"That is not something this servant should know, nor is it something this servant can know."
Although Chu Xingchen said no tea was needed, Meng Li still began brewing tea with elegant movements as she continued:
"If the two of you find it strange that the Buddhist Sect runs a brothel, then by all means investigate. You can investigate me, or investigate this entire brothel."
Chu Xingchen nodded as if satisfied upon hearing this, then said:
"Those are your words."
Meng Li's eyes trembled slightly, and her expression took on a pitiful look.
"Then I must ask the two seniors to be gentle. If you're too forceful, this servant gets scared."
Chu Xingchen turned his gaze toward Xu Jin, then raised an eyebrow.
Xu Jin wore a look of disdain, his brow furrowed.
Meng Li carefully observed this scene, still wondering if there was some rift between the two that she could exploit.
In the next moment, the longsword in Xu Jin's hand was already drawn. Vast spiritual energy instantly surged forth, locking Meng Li in place so she couldn't move.
Almost simultaneously, pale purple spiritual energy bloomed from Chu Xingchen's body, completely sealing off the entire room.
Before Meng Li could even blink, she felt a destructive aura at her throat, and the fear of imminent death washed over her.
At this moment, the entire room fell deathly silent.
Meng Li took two deep breaths, barely managing to force a smile as she said:
"Senior... even if the Buddhist Sect runs a brothel, that surely isn't a crime punishable by death, is it?"
Chu Xingchen spoke sternly, "I ask, you answer. If I sense anyone—including people from the Buddhist Sect—approaching, I guarantee your head will hit the ground first."
"You... you ask..." Meng Li's voice trembled violently.
"What is the Buddhist Sect's purpose in raising you demons?!"
Chu Xingchen's tone was sharp. "Is the Buddhist Sect planning to personally trigger the Era of the Great Tribulation?"
"I don't know what the senior is talking about! What demons?"
Chu Xingchen sneered upon hearing this, then retrieved a bronze mirror from his spatial ring and placed it directly in front of Meng Li.
Meng Li looked at the mirror before her.
In the mirror, it was no longer Meng Li's beautiful face, but one with four drooping eyes, the entire face somewhat oval-shaped, with features that were indescribably bizarre.
A face that was attractive yet somehow not quite attractive—a strange countenance.
Chu Xingchen sternly demanded, "The Demon-Revealing Mirror jointly developed by the Eighteen Immortal Sects—do you still want to keep making excuses?"
Meng Li looked at the bizarre face in the mirror, her expression agitated but her heart calm.
Because the creature in the mirror was a charm demon, but she was not.
This was a bluff, an attempt to trick her into confessing.
Meng Li had been able to detect the tainted power of faith precisely because the Buddhist Sect had notified Wanfo Temple about the situation.
A cultivator at the Deity Transformation realm or above, proficient in illusion arts.
Truly formidable illusion arts—there wasn't a single flaw to detect.
Chu Xingchen's expression was fierce, but his heart was also calm. His current purpose wasn't to corner Meng Li and then forcefully expose the Buddhist Sect.
Since the Buddhist Sect could release these demons, they naturally had methods they believed to be foolproof.
Chu Xingchen also couldn't say he had a system that could see attribute tags—that this Meng Li was an Iron Demon, and the Buddhist Sect was rotten to the core. If he said this, few would believe him.
Moreover, this kind of intelligence wasn't meant to be used this way.
The enemy in the light while we remain in the dark—there's value in that.
At this moment, what Chu Xingchen needed to do was first feed the Buddhist Sect a reassurance, making them continue working cautiously with misgivings rather than preparing to completely tear off their disguise.
And Meng Li, for now, was an excellent reassurance.
A reassurance from one's own side was much less likely to arouse suspicion.
"My life is entirely in the senior's hands—life and death at your discretion! Why must you slander me further?"
Meng Li shed her fearful expression and spoke with indignation. "Whether I'm a demon or human, the senior can skin and bone me to see for himself."
Her tone was firm and resentful, as if a wrongly accused person had accepted their death sentence.
Xu Jin's expression remained calm, and the longsword in his hand didn't waver in the slightest due to Meng Li's genuine emotions.
He also didn't believe that Chu Xingchen, who could say "lychees' lives matter too," would take an innocent person's life based on mere suspicion.
Chu Xingchen pressed the mirror against Meng Li's face and sternly questioned:
"Then explain to me—what is that in the mirror?"
"It's the senior's desire to kill me!"
Meng Li answered without hesitation. "The senior has issues with the Buddhist Sect—what's the use of coming after me? I'm just a pitiful person, locked here doing things I don't want to do!"
Meng Li turned her gaze toward Xu Jin, but could only see his unwavering expression.
That useless Jiang Yuan had been so ferocious earlier—now that she was pinned here waiting to die, he didn't sense a thing?!
Were these two's cultivations through the heavens, or was Jiang Yuan also using this opportunity to get rid of her?
Chu Xingchen's expression was grim, but under the protection of his vast spiritual energy, he forcibly extended his divine sense into Meng Li's body.
Meng Li cried out in pain. A tearing sensation like her body being ripped apart struck directly at her sea of consciousness, with every inch of her skin feeding back the most extreme agony.
This kind of nearly despair-inducing pain, however, made Meng Li unable to hide her joy in her heart.
This meant... she could live.
Time seemed to stretch infinitely, as if her body and soul were being forcibly separated.
After an unknown period, that sensation of being pulled apart finally faded.
Like a drowning person finally breaking the surface at the last moment, able to take that most precious breath of air.
Meng Li opened her mouth wide, breathing with all her might.
As the breath entered her lungs, in the next moment her consciousness returned.
Her eyes quickly lifted, and seeing Chu Xingchen's calm and unruffled expression, Meng Li instinctively revealed a look of trepidation.
This person really was ruthless.
Chu Xingchen seemed to hesitate for a moment before slowly speaking, "My apologies... regarding this matter, our Evil Spirit Sect takes full responsibility."
Meng Li froze upon hearing this, momentarily unsure what expression to show.
Isn't that a bit too shameless? Even the excuse is so half-hearted?
Meng Li could be certain that if Chu Xingchen was really from the Evil Spirit Sect, there was no way she would survive.
With the Evil Spirit Sect, whether something was true or not had no conflict with whether someone lived or died.
But whether the excuse was good or not had no conflict with whether Meng Li wanted to live either.
She wore a look of grievance, neither speaking nor making any statement, just looking at the floor with an attitude of "whatever you say goes."
Meng Li waited for quite a while before realizing the room was still silent. Only then did she carefully raise her eyes, only to discover that the room was actually already empty.
All expression faded from her face as she gazed at the teacup still steaming with heat, seemingly deep in thought.
In the brothel's main hall, Xu Jin watched as Chu Xingchen not only didn't leave but had even spent silver notes to settle back into a private room.
While matters were being handled, Xu Jin naturally could ask nothing and simply focus on getting things done.
But now that the matter was concluded, Xu Jin realized he knew far too little.
Xu Jin frowned slightly. "What's the current situation? I re-traced the flow of the power of faith from within the room, and the result isn't within the room."
Chu Xingchen looked toward the stage where a different courtesan had come out to play music. This one was far more tactful than Shang Hua, playing with great charm and allure. He sighed:
"I don't have any evidence I can present, but I'm certain that manager is a demon. However, I don't know how she manages to evade divine sense inspection. Do you believe me or not?"
Xu Jin turned his gaze toward Chu Xingchen, and after a moment, he said with certainty:
"I believe you."
Chu Xingchen turned to look at Xu Jin's unwavering expression, which didn't seem like he was just humoring him, and asked with confusion:
"You believe that too?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
"You... you don't happen to have some other preferences, do you?"
Xu Jin spoke with great seriousness:
"You'll understand. When I have time, I'll personally invite you to visit the Xuanqing Tian Sect."
Chu Xingchen nodded, accepting Xu Jin's explanation, then turned to ask:
"In that case, how does the Xuanqing Tian Sect plan to handle relations with the Buddhist Sect?"
Xu Jin looked at Chu Xingchen, then spoke earnestly. "Actually, besides investigating the Buddhist Sect, the Xuanqing Tian Sect is also investigating whether other sects have connections with demons—the Tianyan Sect included."
"Then you dare to handle matters together with me along the way?" Chu Xingchen asked curiously.
Xu Jin smiled lightly. "Naturally, I'm also investigating you, and investigating the Tianyan Sect. When an opportunity presents itself, we handle it together."
Chu Xingchen clicked his tongue twice. "You seem honest, but your heart is quite dark."
Xu Jin then asked, "Since you've determined the manager is a demon, how do you plan to pursue this further?"
Chu Xingchen shook his head slightly:
"I need to return to the Tianyan Sect first. There are some matters I must handle personally."
Xu Jin stood up upon hearing this. "In that case, I'll continue the investigation alone. I'll share any news with you as well."
"In that case, I'll await good news."
Chu Xingchen also stood up, then asked with a smile, "So where does Brother Xu plan to start investigating?"
Xu Jin turned his gaze toward the courtesan on stage. "Didn't Brother Chu already provide a lead?"
Chu Xingchen reached out and patted Xu Jin's shoulder. "Until we meet again."
"Until we meet again."
Wanhua Ridge.
Now the entire sect's construction had been fully completed, and all buildings within the sect had returned to normal use.
Aside from the locations being somewhat different, it was essentially the same as the sect back in Yuzhou City.
With just a bit of adjustment, the sect was still the same sect.
Li Yingling hurried toward the main hall. Although with the sect's construction completely finished, there were fewer matters to attend to.
But that didn't mean there was nothing to do at all.
For instance, the matter of the third junior sister deciding to go on a journey of experience on her own.
Fortunately, Lu Xuan had stated he would be responsible for the third junior sister's safety. Beyond that, Chen Baiqing would also regularly send letters to the sect, informing Li Yingling of her current location and where she planned to go next.
Chen Baiqing was indeed worry-free; traveling for experience was far less concerning than Li Xingtian, who would disappear as soon as she left.
However... saying there was no worry would still be a lie.
She also didn't know what matter their master needed to attend to.
Li Yingling quickly entered the main hall. At this moment, Zhang Miaoyu was already inside, having placed the most important letter on the table for Li Yingling.
She walked toward the table while simultaneously speaking to Zhang Miaoyu at the side:
"Now that matters have lessened, you don't need to come every day. I can handle things myself. You should focus on your cultivation—if you wait any longer, my fourth junior sister's cultivation is going to catch up to yours."
Zhang Miaoyu said quietly, "I just want to do what I can for the team leader."
"Didn't you used to always complain about the poor cultivation environment?"
Li Yingling opened the letter. "Now that the environment has improved, seize the cultivation time. Let me see how you, a great cultivation genius, will shock the cultivation world."
Zhang Miaoyu's expression showed a hint of grievance. "Team leader, please stop teasing me."
Li Yingling finished reading the letter and turned her gaze toward Zhang Miaoyu with a smile:
"Alright, alright, go cultivate..."
Before Li Yingling could finish speaking, a voice suddenly came from outside the hall, interrupting her.
"Alright, alright, then you go cultivate too. If you dally any longer, Xingtian's cultivation will catch up to yours as well."
Li Yingling heard the familiar voice and turned her gaze toward the hall entrance with a look of pleasant surprise.
She saw her master wearing a familiar smile, raising an eyebrow as he looked at her.
Li Yingling spoke with a tone of displeasure:
"If you don't come back soon, your junior brothers and sisters are going to jointly nominate me as sect master and kick you out of the sect."
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