Chapter 194: Vortex

Lu Bai remained silent.

This matter was too big.

If what this man said was true, it meant that most of the major powers in Jingzhou City were involved.

The First-Grade Jingzhong Marquis, the Governor of Jingzhou, the Demon Suppression Bureau, the Fujiao Gang...

These factions held absolute power in Jingzhou City.

To these powerful figures, a mere Evil Exterminator Guard like him was probably no different from an ant.

Two years. Thousands of lives lost. And not a single word had gotten out.

Xue Chen had just discovered the truth when he was silenced.

These people even dared to kill a Morning Bell Ringer!

"Who are you? Why are Martial Artists from the Shi Country and Cultivators from the Corpse Refining Sect hunting you?"

Lu Bai asked.

The porter hesitated, then spoke after a moment of silence. "To be honest with you, my name is Shi Tianlei. My late father was the Seventh Prince of the Shi Country. During a civil war, he was killed by his own kin who had colluded with the Corpse Refining Sect. Nearly all the royal descendants of my father’s line were slaughtered."

"For years, I’ve lived in hiding in the Shi Country, but my identity was still exposed. Thanks to the sacrifice of my guards, I was given a chance to escape."

"This Immortal Vine is something my ancestors obtained while warring against the Celestials."

After a pause, Shi Tianlei added, "My ancestors studied this Immortal Vine for many years. It truly has no other function, but it is incredibly tough. Neither Weapons nor Magical Treasures can harm it in the slightest. It was later passed down to my late father, who then gave it to me."

Lu Bai shook his head slightly. "I can’t accept this Immortal Vine. This matter is too involved. Even if I wanted to help, there’s nothing I could do."

"Of course, I can report this to the Morning Bell Ringer of the Evil Extermination Bureau and ask her to relay it to the Capital City. But whether the message will actually get through, and what the reaction from the capital might be, is impossible to know."

If he took this on, his opponents would be the high officials of the Wu Country, a First-Grade Marquis who had earned great military merit and controlled Jing State for centuries, and a Demon Suppression Envoy...

And he was just an Evil Exterminator Guard.

"Don’t."

Shi Tianlei seemed wary. He shook his head. "It’s better not to tell the Morning Bell Ringer."

He had been observing Lu Bai in secret for a long time, inquiring about him, which is why he trusted him.

But he didn’t trust anyone else in the Wu Country Court.

After all, Xue Chen’s fate was a cautionary tale.

Shi Tianlei asked, "Lord Lu, I saw that you’re acquainted with the Daoists from Danding Temple. Could you help me contact them? Daoist Xue Chen was a Cultivator from Danding Temple, after all, and it seems the temple thought highly of him."

"I can."

Lu Bai nodded. "The Cultivators from Danding Temple have been searching for Daoist Xue Chen for days. Why haven’t you contacted them yourself?"

Shi Tianlei sighed. "I tried to approach them a few times, but I was always turned away."

Seeking justice through Danding Temple was indeed a viable option.

Cultivation Sects operated independently of the Court, and as a major Cultivation Sect in Jing State, Danding Temple had far fewer restrictions.

Lu Bai said, "Then let’s do this: I’ll ask True Master Dan Ding to come here at the third watch tomorrow. You two can meet then."

"Thank you, my lord."

Shi Tianlei thanked him profusely. "My lord, please, take this Immortal Vine."

Lu Bai shook his head. "I cannot accept a reward for something I haven’t earned. I haven’t really helped you with anything."

"My lord, I understand your hesitation."

Shi Tianlei said, "I’m already immensely grateful that you’re willing to help me contact True Master Dan Ding."

In truth, when he arranged to meet Lu Bai, he hadn’t expected Lu Bai to be able to help him directly.

After all, Lu Bai was only an Evil Exterminator Guard with limited power.

His true purpose for this meeting was to use Lu Bai as a channel to contact True Master Dan Ding.

Lu Bai mulled it over for a moment, then accepted the Immortal Vine. He took the Mountain Demon Hat from his robes and handed it to Shi Tianlei. "Borrow this hat for now. As long as you wear it, it will conceal your presence. No one below the Nascent Soul Realm will be able to find you."

’No matter what, this Shi Tianlei is an extremely important and crucial person.’

’Liu Liangxin of the Fujiao Gang has been silenced.’

If Shi Tianlei’s identity were exposed, he wouldn’t be safe anywhere in Jingzhou City.

’Giving him the Mountain Demon Hat will at least provide him with another way to protect himself.’

’There’s another reason, too. As long as he wears the Mountain Demon Hat, I can find him anytime with Black Dog’s sense of smell.’

"Ah!"

Shi Tianlei’s eyes lit up. He took the Mountain Demon Hat with both hands and thanked Lu Bai repeatedly.

Lu Bai glanced around, then lingered no longer. He picked up the Immortal Vine and turned to leave.

Shi Tianlei placed the Mountain Demon Hat on the ground, went to a nearby pool of water to wash his hands, and only then picked it up again.

He gently caressed the strangely shaped hat. A flicker of tenderness crossed his eyes as if he had remembered something.

In the shadows not far away, a figure lay in wait.

A moment later, the figure gradually faded and disappeared.

Not long after, this person appeared outside Jingzhou City and let out a soft whistle.

A carrier pigeon heard the call and flew over from the distance, landing on the person’s arm.

The person carefully tied a small bamboo tube to the pigeon’s leg. With a gentle release, the pigeon soared into the air, flying toward the Capital City.

-----------------

Lu Bai returned to the Evil Extermination Bureau, his heart unsettled for a long time.

He had thought that by coming to Jingzhou City, becoming an Evil Exterminator Guard, catching a few ghosts now and then, and cultivating the Martial Dao, he could live a peaceful and stable life.

But he never expected to learn such a shocking secret just now.

The slightest misstep could plunge him into this bottomless vortex.

A vortex that could easily tear him to shreds!

’Or rather, I may already have one foot in it.’

’At the very least, that brocade-robed young man from the other day has already targeted me!’

Previously, while dining with Li Qian at Wangjiang Tower, Lu Bai had asked about the man’s identity.

According to Li Qian, the brocade-robed young man was likely Wu Ziyan, son of the Marquis Jingzhong’s heir—which made him the Marquis’s grandson.

In Lu Bai’s opinion, the best way to handle this was to inform the Morning Bell Ringer, Mo Tang.

She could then send a report to the Capital City.

This was no longer just a case of kidnapping; it was a conspiracy between multiple factions in Jingzhou City and the Demon Sect’s Corpse Refining Sect to slaughter innocent people.

But he also understood Shi Tianlei’s reservations.

Even if Mo Tang relayed the matter to the Capital City, with the First-Grade Jingzhong Marquis’s power and far-reaching connections in the Wu Dynasty, would the message even reach the Imperial Palace? Would it ever be laid before King Wu?

And even if it were presented to him, what would King Wu’s attitude be?

On one side, you had a veteran minister of the Wu Country, a man who had performed great deeds and been enfeoffed as Marquis Jingzhong by the Late King.

On the other, you had mere refugees from the Shi and Mo Countries.

Then there was the Demon Suppression Bureau.

Was it just the Jingzhou Demon Suppression Bureau, or was the entire Demon Suppression Bureau of the Wu Dynasty involved?

’The Shi Country once allied with the Demon Sect’s Corpse Refining Sect.’

’Could the Wu Country be harboring similar intentions?’

Everything was unknown.

Lu Bai knew nothing about the Wu Dynasty or King Wu. Reporting this matter was fraught with too much uncertainty.

An Evil Exterminator Guard was utterly insignificant before the behemoth that was the Wu Country Court.

’I’ll just have to see how Danding Temple handles this.’

’Perhaps, with the power of a Cultivation Sect, they can seek justice for Xue Chen and the refugees from the Shi and Mo Countries.’

Lu Bai took a deep breath, temporarily setting aside his worries to examine the Immortal Vine.