Chapter 2232 - 1198:

Upon hearing this, Yang Xiao’s heart trembled. He instinctively thought the secret of the Hundred Demons Coffin Clothes had been exposed, but then reconsidered: if that were the case, a mere elder of the Forbidden Army wouldn’t have come.

This elder is at most at the peak of Ghost Level; If they really fought, Yang Xiao would surely kill him within thirty moves.

Moreover, Dean Sheng had mentioned that the High Priest Cannibal Buddha wasn’t particularly skilled with Spiritual Magical Artifacts. Logically, he shouldn’t be able to discover the secrets of the Hundred Demons Coffin Clothes.

Yang Xiao immediately realized the problem lay elsewhere; it was the Martyr. He must have sensed something in the previous illusion.

To be precise, it was through the resentful spirit on him.

The High Priest Cannibal Buddha might treat him well, but this was the territory of the Esoteric Sect. Once the Hundred Demons Coffin Clothes is recognized, the thin father-son bond with the High Priest won’t suffice; they’ll stop at nothing to seize it.

Yang Xiao was the chicken, while the Hundred Demons Coffin Clothes were the egg.

Yang Xiao could even guess that the Esoteric Sect would later shift the blame for his death onto their arch-enemy, the Dharma Sect, and then go back in peace.

And with Cannibal Buddha’s skills, once he completely mastered the Hundred Demons Coffin Clothes, another peak expert would emerge in the world.

Yang Xiao’s thoughts moved quickly; the most important thing now was to remain calm. He deduced that even if the Martyr sensed something, he might not be certain it was the Hundred Demons Coffin Clothes. Without hard evidence, Cannibal Buddha wouldn’t act against him.

It wasn’t just a matter of father-son ties but also the multiple interests he represented, including those of the Patrol General Bureau and Yiling Academy.

Though he thought a lot, in reality, it was no more than a brief moment. Yang Xiao showed no trace of anxiety on his face but instead asked the messenger with a doubtful look, "Red clothing? What does my adoptive father want me to bring the clothes for?"

"That, I don’t know; I ask the young priest to follow me to see the High Priest immediately," the Forbidden Army elder replied, showing no extra emotion in his business-like demeanor.

This was the Esoteric Sect’s territory; no matter what Yang Xiao did, there was no way to escape. Even joining forces with Dean Sheng would be futile. The plan was to act skillfully, put on a good show, and meet with Cannibal Buddha to see what was happening.

Yang Xiao then packed his backpack before the Forbidden Army elder, and inside the backpack was the Innate Treasure, the Hundred Demons Coffin Clothes.

Following the Forbidden Army, they walked a distance and arrived at Cannibal Buddha’s residence. Upon entering, he saw not only the High Priest but also the Martyr and Elder Kunpa on either side.

As Yang Xiao entered, he keenly sensed the atmosphere was off. The Martyr still wore that expressionless face, Elder Kunpa looked at Yang Xiao with a very subtle expression, and Cannibal Buddha, sitting at the head, appeared somber.

Suppressing his inner unease, Yang Xiao approached and greeted Cannibal Buddha with due etiquette:

"Adoptive father, is there something you wish to instruct me on?"

"Did you bring what I asked you to bring?" Cannibal Buddha inquired.

"I brought it; it’s right here," Yang Xiao replied as he pulled out the Hundred Demons Coffin Clothes.

As Cannibal Buddha glanced at Elder Kunpa, Elder Kunpa approached Yang Xiao, took the Hundred Demons Coffin Clothes, and handed them to the Martyr.

The latter seemed to take no action, just holding it for a moment before turning to Cannibal Buddha and nodding.

An ominous premonition arose in Yang Xiao’s heart; evidently, the issue lay with the Martyr.

"Where did you acquire this clothing?" Cannibal Buddha asked, his voice heavy, echoing throughout the building.

"I obtained it after successfully completing a nightmare task," Yang Xiao knew he had to be truthful now; it seemed the scene indicated the other side still wasn’t sure.

"Dachaya, let’s keep this thing with me from now on. I have several protective magical artifacts in the Royal City’s treasury; Kunpa will take you to choose one later," Cannibal Buddha was giving orders, not inviting a negotiation.

"That’d be agreeable, but...why?" Yang Xiao’s tension tightened to the extreme, yet his expression remained unchanged, simply displaying reasonable doubt.

"Don’t you already understand why?" At this moment, the usually silent Martyr spoke, his slightly muddled eyes seemingly seeing through everything.

This moment dealt Yang Xiao an unprecedented blow; the Martyr’s Mandarin was not standard, laced with a thick Myanmar and Thailand accent. Yang Xiao realized he could speak Chinese.

Now it wasn’t about the Hundred Demons Coffin Clothes but whether he could leave the Esoteric Sect safely. Yang Xiao knew he couldn’t back down now, retorting, "What do you mean by that? What should I be clear about? Please be explicit."

Noticing the ire in Yang Xiao’s tone, Cannibal Buddha also spoke: "Dachaya, let’s not inquire further into this matter; the Martyr does it for your own good."

Feeling Cannibal Buddha’s tone softened slightly, Yang Xiao realized things didn’t seem utterly hopeless yet; it appeared they still couldn’t confirm the artifact—it was all the Martyr’s one-sided assertion.

Yang Xiao regretted his choices, realizing he shouldn’t have saved that ingrate. It would have been better if the High Priest eliminated him early.

"Adoptive father, I don’t understand what you need to keep from me. Do you think Yang Xiao isn’t trustworthy?"

Yang Xiao pulled out a golden token from his pocket, pressing his case: "If that’s how it is, then please take back the golden token, and reconsider the young priest’s position. Henceforth, I will never set foot in the Esoteric Sect."