You mean this monster was drawn in the Wuming Zhisashu (Nameless Exorcist Book)?
The two of us looked at each other in surprise, unsure of what to say despite having much to discuss. I was the first to speak.
"I went to that village right before the fire broke out at Jingjiang. And there, I saw this monster."
"You actually saw it? That sounds absurd..."
"Would I have made it up if I hadn't seen it?"
"......"
Mangliang seemed reluctant to deny it but couldn't. After all, the probability of me coincidentally drawing something that matched the illustrations in the Wuming Zhisashu was incredibly low. And the chance that I had seen the Wuming Zhisashu and was deliberately teasing him was even lower. Mangliang had no choice but to believe me.
"Tell me what happened then."
"Alright."
I explained to Mangliang the incident of the human sacrifice, the fanatics, and my encounter with the monster. Of course, I had to mention the Xiantian Daoist. Although it was an event that ultimately led to my death, I changed the ending to make it sound like I had narrowly escaped.
After listening to my story for a while, Mangliang let out a sigh as if he were exhausted.
"Ha, I can't help but believe you... It's truly hard to believe."
"What do you think?"
I wanted to gain some wisdom from Mangliang.
"Please wait a moment. I need to organize my thoughts."
Sigh
"Ugh..."
Mangliang, after saying this, placed his finger on his temple and frowned, as if an old man needed to relieve himself. His expression changed rapidly as he desperately tried to think. After about half an hour, he finally spoke to me.
"Baixiong, what do you plan to do now?"
"I intend to join the Jinyiwei this time. If I get lucky, I might obtain the Wuming Zhisashu, but even if I don't, it's fine. There's no need to rush, anyway."
"Interesting... I like you for some reason."
Mangliang muttered something and then continued.
"If my guess is correct, the fire at Jingjiang, the human sacrifice, and the monster... all point to a massive conspiracy. One that might shake the entire Central Plains..."
"You know something?"
"It's not the right time to talk about it yet. This is such an absurd matter that if we're not careful, both of us could be destroyed. Now is not the time to confirm anything; we need to think harder and gather more clues."
Mangliang's face was unusually serious. When I had cooperated with him to obtain the Wuming Zhisashu in the past, it seemed like a refreshing change from his monotonous life. But now, his expression was one of determination, as if he was risking his life. He had definitely realized something important from my story, but he was hesitant to share it without being certain.
After a moment, Mangliang spoke.
"Do you have any allies in Luoyang?"
"A few."
The master of Taijian Gate, one of the two major gates in Luoyang, might help me. After all, he was a friend of my teacher and had even recommended me to the Jinyiwei through correspondence. Of course, if I were in a dangerous situation, Taijian Gate would likely abandon me, but as long as I didn't show any unusual behavior, I could still rely on their help.
Mangliang shook his head.
"A few won't be enough. I will go with you."
"What?"
"I will persuade the most skilled person I know to assist you in secret. Otherwise, you will surely die."
"Die? I won't approach the Wuming Zhisashu directly. I plan to wait for years to find the right opportunity. You're being too pessimistic."
Mangliang chuckled.
"Ha ha... It's not about that. Do you understand what it means if the monster and the Wuming Zhisashu are connected? It means the imperial court is also involved in this."
"I had guessed as much."
"Guessed? Do you understand what that means?"
I fell silent at his words.
"It means there's a possibility that the imperial court has already deciphered the Wuming Zhisashu."
"......!!"
I had felt something was off, but I hadn't thought it was this serious. I was momentarily flustered.
"Then, surely..."
"Shut up."
Just as I was about to speak, Mangliang quickly placed his index finger on my lips.
"We can't think or speculate recklessly. We need more solid clues. Until then, consider every move a potential death sentence. This is a massive conspiracy."
"......"
Mangliang was indeed a man of great wisdom. He had quickly grasped the situation and firmly decided on the next steps. I had many thoughts, but the most certain one was that the imperial court itself could be the enemy. Not just because of the theft of the Wuming Zhisashu, but because it might be at the core of a vast conspiracy.
Of course, every step could lead to death. If I showed any suspicious behavior, the imperial palace would become my grave. Thinking about this, my light and cheerful mood on the way to Luoyang turned heavy and somber.
But after a moment, I spoke.
"Mangliang, if it's that dangerous, do you think it's necessary to uncover this conspiracy?"
"What do you mean...?"
Mangliang looked at me in disbelief. I crossed my arms and slowly continued.
"Neither of us has a mission to uncover this conspiracy. If you had stayed here in seclusion, you wouldn't have risked your life by entering Luoyang. And I could have lived a comfortable life as a Jinyiwei without coveting the Wuming Zhisashu. Isn't that right?"
I don't want to die again.
I only wanted to obtain the Wuming Zhisashu because of a rare opportunity. If it involved such great danger, I didn't want to be obsessed with it. A conservative desire to preserve my newly acquired life as a martial artist held me back.
"......"
Mangliang looked dazed for a moment. Then he spoke in a gloomy voice.
"You only know one side of the story. Do you think I'm doing this because I feel sorry for the villagers I've never met? Do you think I'm risking my life to uphold justice in the martial world?"
"......"
"Baixiong, the tragedy you witnessed will inevitably strike the masses someday. On a scale far greater than the village's tragedy. Do you plan to run away and leave it to fate? Or do you plan to become a lackey for the powerful and carry out their dirty work?"
Mangliang's words were heartfelt and filled with passion.
From his perspective, I was the only one who could prevent the tragedy.
"I know no one better than myself about the nature of the imperial court. I learned this while working at the Tianwen Pavilion. They view the world as something trivial. If they are involved in this, a terrifying calamity will surely come. It's only natural to stop it while we can, isn't it?"
I was speechless at Mangliang's well-organized thoughts. His words were revealing aspects I hadn't considered. However, even so, it didn't immediately resonate with my current life.
After a moment, I shook my head.
"I don't want to suffer needlessly."
"...... You remind me of my teacher. I'm disappointed."
Mangliang bluntly expressed his disappointment.
"If that's the case, I have nothing more to say. I'll abandon my plans to go to Luoyang. Is there anything else you want to hear from me?"
I pondered for a moment and then asked.
"If you were me five years ago, how would you have prevented that tragedy? Or if I had sought your help five years ago, what would you have done?"
Mangliang laughed coldly.
"If I were you, I would have secretly poisoned the village well."
"Poison the well?"
Mangliang nodded.
"Fanatics, regardless of who they are, need water to survive. In a closed environment, the only sources of water would be wells, streams, or rivers. However, the village was quite far from Jingjiang and had no internal streams. They must have relied on a well that was brought in through a water channel. If I had poisoned the well, their plans would have been easily thwarted. Even if the fanatics could survive for a few days, they would eventually die of dehydration, and the human sacrifices would disappear. Moreover, their large-scale human sacrifice plan would have been difficult to carry out."
"......!!"
"Furthermore, if the black-robed man and the flute demon you mentioned are human, they would also need to drink water. If they were unlucky enough to ingest the poison, it would be a huge gain, wouldn't it?"
I was amazed by Mangliang's strategy. Myself and the Xiantian Daoist had only thought of sneaking in and assassinating them, but Mangliang's method offered a two-fold advantage. It would seal off the fanatics and, if we were lucky, eliminate the perpetrators of the plan. Moreover, we wouldn't have to fight the black-robed man directly.
"Remarkable."
"Of course, those obsessed and venomous people wouldn't give up their plans just because of a single poison. But while they are momentarily stunned, we could consistently report to the authorities and spread rumors among martial artists, forcing them to retreat. This doesn't require great martial skills."
Mangliang sighed briefly.
"However, this is all about a past event. It's too late to talk about countermeasures now. The villagers went mad, gave birth to the monster, and were all killed. No one can change the past, so what's the point of talking about it now?"
"......"
"Also, you must remember where that monster might be now."
"Ah...!!"
I gasped.
Indeed, where had all the monsters gone? A place to raise such large and ferocious monsters is not common. Even if they had burned down the village to cover their tracks, moving the monsters would have been too conspicuous. The fact that I hadn't heard any rumors of monster sightings meant they had disappeared without a trace.
'Damn it...'
I was tempted to investigate the imperial court's conspiracy based on Mangliang's words. The thought of the monsters lurking somewhere in the world made me feel like vomiting.
But I held back. No matter how right Mangliang's words were, and even if a great calamity was to come, the risk of me dying while trying to prevent it was too high. I preferred to turn a blind eye and live my life. I strongly desired to live peacefully as a martial artist in this life.
Instead, I changed the subject.
"You mentioned using poison. What kind of poison were you thinking of?"
"Fanatics retain only the level of rationality needed for daily life and can't feel pain, right? So, a poison that causes intense pain or stimulates the senses would be ineffective. What we need is a neurotoxin that can stop their movements and lead to death, regardless of their will. Neurotoxins can paralyze the entire body, causing respiratory failure and cardiac arrest."
"Do you have a neurotoxin?"
"I know how to make it. By adding special chemicals to snake venom, it can be made within a day. If made water-soluble, it would take a bit longer, but no more than two days."
Indeed, he was a man of great knowledge. The art of poisoning is a secret skill passed down in only a few families in the martial world, including the Sichuan Tangmen, but Mangliang had read so many books that he was well-versed in it.
I thought for a long time. Then I said.
"Mangliang, if that's the case, what about this?"
"What do you mean?"
"I'm not yet prepared to actively prevent the conspiracy as you suggest. I don't even have the intention to do so now."
"Hmm."
"But I really want to learn how to make the neurotoxin. So, how about we exchange the information I will obtain as a Jinyiwei for the neurotoxin formula? I promise to relay the information to you, even if I can't help you directly."
This wouldn't put my life in immediate danger. And since Mangliang was disappointed in me, he might not have wanted to teach me the neurotoxin formula. So, I proposed a compromise.
"... Alright! I will teach you, of course."
Mangliang readily agreed. He seemed willing to support me, even if only passively. After all, he was a man of righteousness.
Fortunately, there was plenty of time before I had to reach Luoyang. I had at least seven days, so I spent that time learning the basics of poisoning and the special neurotoxin formula from Mangliang. I had to memorize the entire formula without a single mistake, and the content was vast, so I couldn't even think about leaving the thatched cottage.
The reason for learning poisoning was simple. If I ever returned to the past, it could be useful, and if I didn't have the time to seek Mangliang's help, I would need to make it myself.
'Finally learned it...'
Four days later, the transmission of the neurotoxin formula was complete. After studying all night, both Mangliang and I were so exhausted that we collapsed. The mental fatigue was overwhelming.
After lying still for about half a day, Mangliang woke up and saw me off.
"If you change your mind in the future, go to the shrine of LĂź Dongbin, five li southwest of Luoyang City. If you have this signal, you can seek refuge there in case of danger."
The signal Mangliang gave me was a small curved jade. I looked at the curved jade intently.
"Don't go there needlessly. It will bring you harm."
"Thank you anyway."
"Take care."
I parted ways with Mangliang and headed to Luoyang.
It took about eight days to enter Luoyang City. I rode my horse through the outer gate of Luoyang and slowly made my way to Taijian Gate. It was broad daylight, and the number of disciples practicing at Taijian Gate was as numerous and bustling as at Xue Xue Gate. While the number of disciples seemed smaller than at Xue Xue Gate, their average level appeared higher.
I went to the main gate of Taijian Gate. The gatekeepers stopped me.
"Stop. What brings you to Taijian Gate?"
"My name is Baixiong, from Qinglong Martial Hall. Please deliver this letter to the master of Taijian Gate."
"Hmm."
After a moment, they went inside and came back out.
"Follow me."
I followed the gatekeepers to a neatly arranged reception room. The elegant and refined interior decoration gave a sense of the gate's prominence in Luoyang. Although there were no ostentatious items, the atmosphere alone revealed the master's character.
A short while later, a man walked into the reception room.
"I've heard the story. You are Baixiong, the instructor from Qinglong Martial Hall?"
I stood up and bowed respectfully.
"Yes. It's an honor to meet you, Master of Taijian Gate."
The man standing before me, with a gentle and refined appearance, dressed neatly in plain white, was none other than the leader of the two major gates in Luoyang and the possessor of supreme martial skills, who had defeated a Huashan Sect elder in 100 moves.
"Please, have a seat."
"Yes."
Clack
A servant carefully poured tea into the cups of the Taijian Gate master and me. The master's dignified manner of drinking tea reminded me of the master of Qinglong Martial Hall, making me think they had similar personalities. Both seemed calm and composed, but I imagined the Taijian Gate master would be as terrifying as a tiger in combat.
The Taijian Gate master spoke.
"You must have come to discuss your recommendation to the Jinyiwei, right?"
"Yes."
"However, I mentioned keeping it confidential, but unfortunately, a few of my disciples overheard the story. Of course, I have no intention of retracting my word, but they want to test your skills."
It was understandable. If a position in the Jinyiwei, which could have been theirs, was given to an instructor from another sect, I would have lost my mind and challenged them too. The disciples of Taijian Gate, however, seemed to want to vent their frustration on me due to the master's authority and reputation.
"Is it a sparring match?"
"Not that grand, just a practice session."
I felt that things were getting complicated as soon as I arrived. But since this was something I had anticipated, I nodded confidently.