Midnight Bell 4

On the way to the yamen, Xiao Congzhi walked quickly and spoke rapidly: "If this matter cannot be resolved before the Mid-Autumn Festival, I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to help you much."

Xie Mowen put his arm around Xiao Congzhi's waist: "Don't worry."

He understood Xiao Congzhi's meaning. As an emperor, Xiao Congzhi would not let his people off lightly when they were murdered without explanation; he would have to find out the truth, and he probably wouldn't be able to attend to Xie Mowen's case while doing so.

As they passed through a deserted alley, Xiao Congzhi pulled Xie Mowen into the alley and hugged him tightly in his arms: "I'm sorry."

Xie Mowen peeked out from Xiao Congzhi's embrace and kissed the man's neck. Although he had always believed that Xiao Congzhi was alright, he would not feel at ease until he saw him. "I also hope that this matter can be resolved before the Mid-Autumn Festival, through my hands."

Xiao Congzhi stroked Xie Mowen's hair and snorted through his nose, "Hmm?"

"After the Qian Lin case, learning from the lessons of the Diancang Sect, the leaders of the Kongtong Sect and the Qingcheng Sect intended to let Yang Yanshu and Jiang Xu take charge of things on their own as soon as possible."

"No wonder..." Xiao Congzhi pondered, "Was it you who handled the Diancang Sect matter?"

"It was Shao Cheng who was stirring things up behind the scenes."

Xiao Congzhi nodded knowingly, wondering if Xie Mowen knew that Yun Shaocheng was about to be forced to become a live-in son-in-law because he had stood out too much.

Unfortunately, the timing wasn't right, so Xiao Congzhi simply rubbed his forehead against Xie Mowen's.

Xie Mowen thoroughly enjoyed the intimacy, let out a sigh, and said, "Regarding the matter of the Demonic Sect, I predict that Yang Yanshu and Jiang Xu will be the ones to speak last."

Xiao Congzhi roughly understood: "Kongtong and Qingcheng have no motive to attack the Demonic Sect. The leaders of the two sects will most likely follow the lead of Yang Yanshu and Jiang Xu."

"yes."

"Therefore, the Midnight Bell case is your opportunity to get in touch with the two of them."

"Yes, so you don't need to worry. I will do my best in this matter."

Xiao Congzhi felt much relieved. He released Xie Mowen, kissed the man's forehead, and said softly, "Alright, let's go then."

As expected, the Anling government office was very cooperative. After hearing the purpose of Xiao Congzhi and his companion's visit, they immediately agreed to borrow the case files. The yamen runner who led the way even said, "This case has troubled us for more than three months. If you can help us solve it, Lord Xing will definitely reward you handsomely."

Xing... Xing Haoyu, the top scholar four years ago. Xiao Congzhi remembered him. During the palace examination, he answered questions fluently with the Empress Dowager and the Prime Minister. However, after passing the examination, he recommended himself to go to Anling, giving up the promising path to success that was right in front of him, which puzzled everyone.

Xiao Congzhi: "Allowing outsiders or江湖人士 (jianghu figures) to borrow case files is actually a violation of the law."

The constable laughed: "I didn't expect that you, young hero, would know about the law. According to the law, it is indeed inappropriate, but our magistrate said that if there is a legitimate path outside the law, then it is a matter of the law. As long as justice can be served for the deceased, there is nothing that cannot be compromised."

Xiao Congzhi smiled faintly and shook his head, sighing, "I was being too rigid."

"Young hero, you are too modest." The constable said as he opened a door. "This is the place. You may read it on your own, but you may not take it out of the yamen. If you have any questions, you may come and find me."

Xiao Congzhi nodded in gratitude.

The room where the case files were stored was not large, with several rows of bookshelves filled with case files, but they were clearly marked, and Xiao Congzhi could see the case file of Midnight Bell at a glance.

The place was dusty and smelled strongly of paper and ink. Xie Mowen wrinkled his nose and said, "I've never liked reading since I was a child."

“Then we can make up for it today.” Xiao Congzhi picked up a case file and began to read it.

Focused on the case files, time flew by, and before they knew it, the sun was setting. Xiao Congzhi and Xie Mowen had just finished reading through the twenty-three volumes of files.

Because he hadn't spoken for a long time and had stayed in a dusty place for a while, Xiao Congzhi's voice was slightly hoarse when he spoke: "They are not wrong. All the victims have nothing in common except for the cause of death."

Xie Mowen responded: "There is no periodicity either; the intervals range from three or four days to more than half a month."

"There are many doubts at the moment. First, was this a random killing? Regardless, what was the killer's motive? Second, what was the killer's method? Dried-up essence and blood is not as simple as just draining blood. Even you and I would need to use a lot of internal energy to do that. Finally, why was there a midnight bell, and why did the body appear out of nowhere on the Meridian Bridge at the hour of Mao (5-7 AM)?"

Xie Mowen nodded in agreement and asked, "Do you have any directions for your investigation?"

Xiao Congzhi shook his head: "No. It's late today, let's go back to the inn to rest first, and then go to Ji Buyu and the others to discuss it tomorrow."

This time, they returned to the same inn where Xiao Congzhi had stayed the previous night. After washing up, the two lay in bed. Xiao Congzhi stroked Xie Mowen's slightly tired face and asked softly, "Why did you have to rush like this?"

Xie Mowen, his hand nestled under the covers, wrapped around Xiao Congzhi's waist and gently rubbed it. His tone softened and became very gentle: "I always worry about you."

Xiao Congzhi silently tugged at the corners of his mouth, a hint of heartache showing in his eyes.

Upon seeing this, Xie Mowen took advantage of the situation and said, "If you feel sorry for her, then let your husband give you a good hug."

Xiao Congzhi chuckled: "Don't try to take advantage of me with your words."

Xie Mowen's hand, which was resting on Xiao Congzhi's waist, stroked it meaningfully twice, teasingly asking, "You only got the verbal advantage?"

Xiao Congzhi, feeling aroused by the teasing, leaned over and kissed Xie Mowen for a while before changing the subject: "After I left Weiyang Palace, did you discover the problem between Xiaohua and Dongjing?"

“Of course.” Xie Mowen hugged Xiao Congzhi tighter. He liked the feeling of being snuggled together in such a warm and cozy way. “After the dungeon fire was extinguished, three charred skeletons were brought out. Just then, Haojun arrived and said that Xiaohua and Dongjing were missing from the sermon. Elder Qingfeng almost fainted on the spot. He had watched those two children grow up.”

"Were they all ordered by Elder Qingfeng?"

"Yes, don't let Elder Qingfeng's talkativeness fool you, he's actually quite easygoing. He picked up Xiaohua and Dongjing near Youheng Mountain."

"Why is it another child we picked up from the street?"

Xie Mowen paused for a moment, then raised an eyebrow: "What did those two say to you?"

"Hmm... hold me tighter."

"Why are you acting all cute and affectionate after just a few days?"

“I missed you,” Xiao Congzhi said bluntly. “They told me how you became the leader of the Demonic Sect.”

Xie Mowen was silent for a while, then hugged Xiao Congzhi tighter. After a long time, he said, "Qingfeng is one of the three elders who survived after that incident. He is quite similar to Master, but he is more protective of his own. Because of this, we made a mistake with his subordinates."

"Have you told him the problem?"

"Not yet. First, there is no evidence. Second, he is currently glaring at me and insisting that it was because I brought you back to Youheng Mountain. If I speak up for you again, the consequences will be unimaginable. Right now is a critical time, so it's better to avoid trouble."

"Mmm." Xiao Congzhi was a little sleepy and snuggled against Xie Mowen's chest affectionately.

"Although I knew that Xiaohua and Dongjing were naive and innocent, I never thought that they would be convinced by your plan."

"Yes... they flattered me all the way and called me 'hero' countless times. My conscience is not at peace with me."

"Once everything is over, I'll just have to endure their glares."

Xiao Congzhi peeked out and nuzzled against him again: "However, there is something I don't understand."

"ask."

"Xiaohua said that you killed seven elders and the usurper that day, but even you today might not be able to kill seven elders. You were just over eighteen back then."

Xie Mowen stroked Xiao Congzhi's loose hair for a while, pondering his words, and replied leisurely: "The three of you worked together to kill the traitor. Who will sit on the position of sect leader afterward?"

Xiao Congzhi suddenly realized, a smile appearing on his face as he said self-deprecatingly, "I was underthinking it."

"Shao Cheng is skilled in Gu magic, and Hao Jun is skilled in illusion magic. Together, we avenged our master."

Xiao Congzhi reached out and touched Xie Mowen's back to comfort him.

“Master… is not without a plan. The Demonic Sect needs to recuperate before it can return to the Central Plains. This matter cannot involve bloodshed, otherwise, with the condemnation of ten thousand people, how can it stand?”

"So those hidden agents?"

"I have my own plans."

Xiao Congzhi drifted off to sleep in Xie Mowen's arms, and when he woke up again, he heard a clear, melodious bell ringing out.

Xiao Congzhi and Xie Mowen opened their eyes instantly, exchanged a glance, and then sat up.

“Two rings, it’s the midnight bell,” Xie Mowen said in a deep voice.

Without saying a word, the two changed their clothes and went out immediately, using their lightness skills to head to the Meridian Bridge located on the west side of Anling.

When they arrived, there were already some people on the Ziwu Bridge, mostly residents from the neighborhood who had come to watch the spectacle. Xiao Congzhi and Xie Mowen did not strike up a conversation with them, but instead observed them silently.

According to the case file, the body would appear under the first stone statue on the south side of the Meridian Bridge.

“If I’m not mistaken, it’s just an ordinary stone statue,” Xie Mowen said.

Xiao Congzhi nodded with a deep gaze and echoed, "It's still the most common stone lion."

"Hey! You're from out of town, right?" a talkative voice chimed in.

Xiao Congzhi nodded in agreement.

"These stone lions are no ordinary stone lions. There are sixteen lion statues on each side of the Meridian Bridge, each with a different expression. Legend has it that a thousand years ago, the Wind God placed these statues here to prevent storms and sandstorms from crossing the bridge and disturbing the people."

Xie Mowen laughed and joked, "So this bridge has stood for a thousand years."

Indeed.

“How can it stand for a thousand years?” Another voice came from afar, sounding very calm. The words were a rebuttal but not aggressive. “This bridge was only completed four years ago when I took office.”

Xiao Congzhi turned his head and saw that the person who came was indeed Xing Haoyu, followed by a large group of people, including the familiar Yun Shaocheng and Ji Buyu and his group whom he had just separated from.

The magistrate immediately refuted the rumor, but the man still looked defiant: "Although the bridge was built at that time, there was a cross bridge here before, and the thirty-two stone statues were moved from there."

"That's true," a passerby chimed in.

Xing Haoyu wasn't there to refute the rumors, so he didn't get entangled with the man. Once he got close, he waved his hand, ordering the constables to clear the area.

Although the onlookers complained a little, they did not refute the magistrate and mostly left grumbling.

Xiao Congzhi also pulled Xie Mowen back down to the bottom of the bridge.

"how?"

"Xing Haoyu, the top scholar four years ago, met me briefly during the palace examination. Although my appearance has changed a lot in the past two years, but..."

Xie Mowen understood Xiao Congzhi's concerns, but with Ji Buyu and the others present, it was indeed strange that Xiao Congzhi had suddenly put on a mask, and he couldn't find a suitable reason for it.

"Why did you two retreat to this place?" Sure enough, Ji Buyu came with Yang Yanshu and Jiang Xu.

Yang Yanshu said, "Young Master Yun visited Lord Xing earlier, and now that the bell has rung, Lord Xing has invited him to help. We don't need to back down."

Having said all that, even Xiao Congzhi couldn't find a reason to refuse, so he could only pretend to be calm and walk back to the bridge with Ji Buyu and the others.

Xie Mowen pressed close to Xiao Congzhi and, in the shadows where no one could see him, took Xiao Congzhi's hand.

It was warm, as if it could soothe all worries.

"Lord Xing, allow me to introduce you." Yun Shaocheng was quite shrewd and tactful. He flipped his hand and said, "Young Master Xiao and Young Master Mo are both outstanding figures in the martial arts world, and they also care about this midnight bell."

Xing Haoyu remained calm, nodded to Xie Mowen and Xiao Congzhi, and said amicably, "It's a pleasure to meet you. If you can help me solve this case, I will be very grateful."

Xiao Congzhi breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this. On the day of the palace examination, he sat in a high place and did not utter a word. Xing Haoyu probably did not even look at him properly. "No need to be polite. I did not know that the magistrate would personally come to the site to keep watch."

Xing Haoyu chuckled twice and waved his hand, "Not so. I had been sending people over before, but we hadn't gotten anything. Now that so many righteous martial artists are helping us, I shouldn't stay in my residence and reap the benefits. It's time for me to take this opportunity."

A hint of approval flashed in Xiao Congzhi's eyes, but he quickly concealed it and changed the subject to flattery: "Lord Xing is indeed a worthy official; this will take three hours."

Xing Haoyu smiled but remained silent.

Yun Shaocheng stepped forward with a smile, his words laced with amusement: "I didn't know Brother Xiao was so eloquent."

Xie Mowen gave Yun Shaocheng a barely perceptible glare, but Yun Shaocheng was completely oblivious and continued, "I heard that you all went to borrow the case files earlier?"

"Yes." Xiao Congzhi quietly patted Xie Mowen's hand and responded good-naturedly, while also summarizing the main contents of the case file and the current doubts.

As soon as Xiao Congzhi finished speaking, Xing Haoyu was the most excited, his face showing surprise and joy. He said urgently, "What Young Hero Xiao said is exactly what we are puzzled about. Although Anling does not often have major cases, I am quite good at this. But this case of the midnight bell is really strange."

Yun Shaocheng had not paid attention to this case since arriving in Anling. Today, he was ordered by the troublesome sect leader to visit Xing Haoyu with a righteous expression. Now, after learning the ins and outs from Xiao Congzhi, he began to ponder: "Ordinary cases have a motive and a method. If it is a series of cases, you can always find a pattern. But this case is impossible to solve."

Xing Haoyu sighed, his gaze falling on Xiao Congzhi, seemingly with great appreciation: "On the way here, Young Hero Ji told me that they went to the victim's house today, but found nothing."

Xiao Congzhi replied, "Could you explain in detail? Waiting is boring."

Ji Buyu took two steps forward, flicking his whisk on his arm, and leaned lazily against the bridge railing. He said, "We visited that纨绔's family today. After all, he has the most conflicts with people. His name is Liu Jin, and he is twenty-three years old. He was spoiled by his family in his younger years and has a terrible temper, making enemies everywhere. But these enemies are all minor matters, such as breaking someone's inkstone today or slapping someone tomorrow. We have also found all those who have grudges against him, and they don't seem to have a motive for murder."

Xie Mowen asked curiously, "Who else is in his family? Would they kill someone over their family fortune?"

"He was an only child, and he never married or took a concubine. Apart from his parents, there was no one else in his family."

Xiao Congzhi began to think, his fingers unconsciously groping for the folding fan in his hand. The atmosphere froze for a moment; the case was progressing too poorly, making people increasingly less interested.

"What if this involves black magic?"

The voice was unfamiliar, and Xiao Congzhi looked up to see it. Sure enough, it was a stranger.

Yun Shaocheng quickly introduced, "This is Ji Zhou of the Kunlun Sect, the third disciple under the sect leader."

Xiao Congzhi remembered that he had a quarrel with the eldest disciple of the Kunlun Sect in Xiacheng. According to the situation at that time, the eldest disciple should be the leader of the Kunlun Sect. However, the third disciple was the one who came with Yun Shaocheng today, which was a bit strange.

Xie Mowen gently patted Xiao Congzhi's fan, indicating that there was no need to dwell on the matter, as he would inform him himself.

Xiao Congzhi, feeling helpless, bowed to Ji Zhou with a composed expression and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Ji Zhou was very polite, even performing the junior's bow before speaking: "The case of the missing persons in Xiacheng, although the case has been suppressed and not investigated, if investigated, there is no connection between the victims and no motive can be found. Looking at this case, the midnight bell is extremely strange, and the state in which the corpse appeared is also unusual. If someone is practicing evil magic, it would make sense."

After he finished speaking, the people present looked at each other, but no one said a word.

Ji Zhou panicked and hurriedly said, "It was I who was showing off."

“No,” Xiao Congzhi reassured him. “If the investigation still yields no progress, then we can only assume it’s some kind of evil magic. But that’s the last thing we want to see.”

"If this continuous series of murders is an evil spell that prevents the culprit from being caught, then what have the people done to deserve this!" Xing Haoyu shouted angrily.

Ji Zhou suddenly realized that he had indeed been showing off. These people had long suspected that the magic was evil, but they wanted to investigate thoroughly to see if they could make a breakthrough. If they really couldn't, they would have to admit that it was something that ordinary people could not achieve.

Xing Haoyu stepped forward and patted Ji Zhou on the shoulder heavily: "Don't worry about it. As the county magistrate, I should not believe in any evil spirits and should give the people justice."

Xiao Congzhi nodded slightly to show his approval, and said, "The evil magic that appeared in Qian Lin's case is really rare, but even so, it was Qian Lin himself who kidnapped people. If this case also involves evil magic, then someone must have used evil magic, and it is not impossible to catch them."

Xing Haoyu nodded with his brows furrowed, clearly not optimistic.

The atmosphere took another sharp turn for the worse, even more so than before Ji Zhou spoke. As the night deepened, everyone tacitly stopped talking and waited for time to pass slowly, approaching dawn.

It was early autumn, and as dawn approached, the sky gradually brightened. As everyone looked at the sky, their expressions grew increasingly solemn, and they all stared intently at the area beneath the stone statue, ready for battle.

Suddenly, Xiao Congzhi felt a gust of wind pass by his ear, and his vision blurred for a moment. He then struggled to regulate his breathing and circulate his internal energy until his vision cleared again...

!!! !!! !!! !!!

In the blink of an eye, a corpse appeared out of thin air beneath the stone statue.

Xiao Congzhi was about to walk towards the corpse when Xie Mowen stopped him. Xiao Congzhi turned around and looked at him with a puzzled expression. Xie Mowen shook his head slightly and said softly, "Wait a little longer."

Xiao Congxia knew exactly how long to wait in an instant, because an exclamation came from Xing Haoyu's direction.

"What!!"

Xie Mowen then released Xiao Congzhi.

Everyone snapped out of their shock at Xing Haoyu's exclamation and rushed to the body.

They were supposed to discuss the sudden appearance of the corpse, but when they saw it, their shock immediately turned their attention to the body.

"This is…."

"How could it be him?"

"Dongxu?!"

"Dong..." Xiao Congzhi quickly shut his mouth, opened his eyes wide and looked at Xie Mowen, mouthing two words - Dong Jing?

Xie Mowen frowned and slowly nodded.

“It’s not Dongxu, it’s Dongjing.” Kunlun’s Jizhou squatted down, looked at the corpse, his pupils dilated, but he said decisively, “Dongxu has a mole under his left eye, Dongjing has one under his right eye.”

"Who is this person? Do you know him?" Xing Haoyu asked, his head filled with three question marks, after a long pause.

Yun Shaocheng, who was the first to regain his composure, glanced almost imperceptibly at Xie Mowen, then turned to Xing Haoyu and said in a deep voice, "According to Ji Zhou, this person should be Dong Jing, a disciple of the Kunlun Sect, but..."

"But Dongjing was sent to the Demonic Sect in his early years and has not been heard from for many years."

"What!" Jiang Xu had only met Kunlun Dongxu once and was unaware of such details. He exclaimed in surprise, "Could this really be the evil magic of the Demonic Sect!"

Ji Buyu glanced at Xie Mowen silently, his face unusually expressionless, his white hair rising and falling in the wind, making him unreadable.

Xie Mowen sighed: "Let's put aside whether it has anything to do with the Demonic Sect for now. Before this corpse appeared, did you sense anything?"

Xing Haoyu, who cared least about whether it was a demonic sect or not, replied first: "I didn't feel anything, it's just that a corpse suddenly appeared in front of me, out of thin air!"

Xiao Congzhi frowned, and his Adam's apple bobbed.

Jiang Xu looked puzzled and said loudly, "It wasn't sudden; my vision blurred for a moment."

Upon hearing this, Yang Yanshu temporarily set aside the topic of the Demonic Sect and replied, "My internal energy stagnated at that moment."

“This is a rare cultivation method.” Ji Buyu stepped forward, his eyes fixed on Xie Mowen, unblinking. “It is a secret technique of the Demonic Sect.”

Xiao Congzhi's pupils constricted instantly. He controlled himself not to look at Xie Mowen, but turned to Ji Buyu, wondering if he could break through with Xie Mowen without exposing Yun Shaocheng if Ji Buyu made his move here.

"What?!" Jiang Xu had never heard of such a thing. "It's really related to the Demonic Sect?"

Ji Buyu bit his lip, closed his eyes for a moment, and then turned his gaze to Jiang Xu: "As we all know, the martial arts and mental techniques of the Demonic Sect are not of the same origin as those of other sects. Therefore, the Demonic Sect has many secret techniques that can only be learned by members of the Demonic Sect. One of them is the interference technique we just saw. The medium for casting the spell is the wind. If the person being cast has no internal energy, they will not notice anything and will only feel that the scenery in front of them changes instantly. If they have internal energy, they will have different degrees of perception. The stronger the internal energy, the more they will perceive. Such as tinnitus, blurred vision, and stagnation of internal energy are all typical sensory reactions."

Jiang Xu slammed his fist on the bridge railing: "If it really is a demonic sect, then it must be evil magic!"

Ji Zhou stood up, head down, not saying a word, but his eyes were deep and his fists were clenched tightly.

The atmosphere made Xing Haoyu realize he shouldn't have spoken, but the body should be sent to the yamen for an autopsy...

Yun Shaocheng dared not say anything before Xie Mowen spoke, and stood there with a serious expression.

Xiao Congzhi couldn't help but glance at the corpse lying on the ground again. Just two days ago, he was chatting and laughing with this child, and the night before, he was thinking about how Dong Jing would stab him in the eye later.

Dong Jing is only fourteen years old...

Xie Mowen was neither too nervous nor relaxed. He couldn't help but look at Dong Jing's corpse. Although he was a spy for Kunlun, he had been raised by the Demonic Sect for seven years. Elder Qingfeng had doted on him like a grandson, teaching him to be innocent and naive. Now, he was probably going to get a beating and scolding from Qingfeng.

"This technique..."

As soon as Xie Mowen spoke, Ji Buyu looked over, while Yun Shaocheng and Xiao Congzhi silently touched their weapons.

"...If it's a secret technique of the Demonic Cult, then let's think about the case from the perspective of the Demonic Cult."

Yang Yanshu: "What do you mean by that?"

Xie Mowen analyzed: "Assuming that the Demonic Sect is the instigator of the Midnight Bell, the murder of Dong Jing or the discovery of its undercover agents' identities, the arrival of the Mid-Autumn Festival is a deterrent."

Yang Yanshu nodded in agreement: "That makes sense."

"What about the previous cases? They couldn't have been committed without a purpose."

"What do you mean, Young Master Mo?" Yang Yanshu asked, frowning as he pondered, "From the Dong Jing case, we know that the Demonic Sect kills with a purpose, so perhaps the previous cases were as well."

"Yes. Of course, we cannot rule out the possibility that the Demonic Sect was practicing evil magic before, and that Dong Jing was only there to deter others, but we still need to investigate."

Xiao Congzhi echoed, "That's absolutely right. No matter what role the Demonic Sect plays in this, what we need to do will not change: to thoroughly investigate each victim."

Seeing that the topic had returned to the investigation, Xing Haoyu quickly said, "Yes, if any of you young heroes need my help, please feel free to ask. I only hope that when the real culprit is caught, I can send him to the yamen."

Yun Shaocheng adopted an official tone: "That's for sure."

Subsequently, Xing Haoyu took Dong Jing's body back to the yamen, followed closely by Ji Zhou and Yun Shaocheng. Yang Yanshu and Jiang Xu were instructed by Ji Buyu to go to the playboy's house to investigate again.

Only Ji Buyu, Xie Mowen, and Xiao Congzhi remained on the Ziwu Bridge.

"I didn't expect Brother Ji to know the secret techniques of the Demonic Sect." Xie Mowen gazed at the sliver of sunlight in the distance and spoke softly.

Ji Buyu pursed his lips and did not respond.

"I will investigate this matter thoroughly. Thank you for not saying more earlier, Brother Ji."

Ji Buyu took a deep breath and said coldly, "If these twenty-four lives were truly taken by the Demonic Sect, I will risk my life to take your head."

After saying that, Ji Buyu turned and left.

Xie Mowen watched Ji Buyu's retreating figure and slightly raised the corners of his mouth.

"What do you think of this matter?" Xiao Congzhi stood shoulder to shoulder with Xie Mowen, turned his head to look into Xie Mowen's eyes and asked.

“Although it is a secret technique of the Demonic Sect, it is not only for members of the Demonic Sect to learn. As long as the martial arts and mental cultivation methods are inherited from the same lineage, the interference technique is not difficult. However…” Xie Mowen looked at Xiao Congzhi, his tone unpleasant, “As far as I know, in the past three hundred years, no other sects inside or outside the Central Plains have practiced this mental cultivation method.”

"Has anyone in your Demonic Sect defected or left the sect?"

"Yes, but not many. I know the names of each one, and I also know the details of those in Anling. Although I could go and investigate, but... it's not that I look down on them, but the Midnight Bell, twenty-four lives, and their masterful interference techniques probably won't work."

"There's one more thing. I've already asked Shen Yan to make arrangements for Xiaohua and Dongjing. The Royal Shadow Department won't make any mistakes in its work. Dongjing couldn't possibly have come out from there, and it's impossible for anyone to go in there and kidnap her."

Xie Mowen raised his hand to his chin, pondered for a moment, and finally gave up: "Although what I just said was a temporary measure, the principle remains the same. Let's investigate the case! Now I am more eager than you to find out the truth. The Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching. If we cannot solve this case before then, our Demonic Sect's plan to relocate to the Central Plains will be postponed indefinitely."