59
Morning light streamed through the window, casting dappled shadows on the study floor. Zhan Zhao, Bao Zheng, and Gongsun Ce sat around the desk, their faces grave. The evidence seized from Baihua Pavilion the previous night had been carefully examined. Besides the strange "Dream of Nanke" incense pills, there were several secret letters written with a special potion that required heating to reveal their true form.
Gongsun Ce spread the silk paper, now showing writing after baking, on the table and pointed to the twisted, snake-like characters on it, saying, "My lord, Guardian Zhan, this is a secret script unique to the Black Witch Cult of the Southern Frontier. The letter mentions words like 'sacred artifact,' 'revival,' and 'blood sacrifice.' Although the wording is vague, judging from the meaning, the Black Witch Cult seems to be searching for some ancient artifact to perform some kind of evil ritual."
“The Black Witch Cult…” Bao Zheng pondered, tapping his knuckles lightly on the table. “I once read a few words about it in ancient books. It is said that this sect is entrenched deep in the Ailao Mountains of southern Xinjiang, worships demon gods, acts in a mysterious and insidious manner, often using poisonous witchcraft to harm people, and frequently using the essence and soul of living people to cultivate evil arts. Hundreds of years ago, it wreaked havoc in the region, but was severely damaged by the Xuanyuan clan and the martial arts world of the Central Plains at that time, and went into hiding. I never expected that it would rise from the ashes and even extend its tentacles to Bianjing.”
Zhan Zhao's sharp gaze fell on a recurring mark on the silk paper—a twisted flame totem that seemed to be entwined with countless poisonous insects: "According to the Qian merchant's confession, the 'Venerable One' who met with him also had this tattoo on his arm. It seems that the 'Dream of Nanke' and the mind control of the missing woman were both the work of the Black Witch Cult. They used sleeping incense to control the woman and extract fragmented information from both inside and outside the court, probably to filter and locate clues about the so-called 'sacred artifact,' or to find a suitable person to be used as a 'blood sacrifice.'"
He paused, recalling Xuan Yuan Tianyi's reminder from yesterday, and continued, "Tianyi once said that 'Bewitching Grass' is often used by remnants of the demonic path or corrupt sects. The Black Witch Cult's actions this time are probably not limited to a magic artifact; their underlying intentions may be related to breaching the barrier between the human and demonic realms."
These words made the atmosphere in the study even more somber. The Demon Realm... to mortals, it was a distant and terrifying legend. If the Black Witch Cult was truly involved, it would no longer be an ordinary criminal case, but a calamity concerning the survival of all living beings.
Bao Zheng stood up abruptly, his brows furrowed with righteous indignation: "Regardless of their purpose, using evil magic to harm people and disrupt Bianjing is a heinous crime! Guard Zhan, this case is of great importance. You must investigate it thoroughly, root out all the remnants of the Black Witch Cult hiding in Bianjing, cut off their intelligence network, and never allow them to continue their evil deeds!"
"Your subordinate obeys!" Zhan Zhao replied solemnly.
Meanwhile, inside Xiaoyou's villa.
Xuanyuan Tian dismissed Yin'er and stood alone under the plum tree in a corner of the courtyard. Her eyes were slightly closed, and her aura was restrained, as if she had merged with her surroundings. Since becoming pregnant, her sensitivity to the spiritual energy of heaven and earth had become increasingly acute, especially to the demonic energy lurking in the dark corners of the world.
At this moment, she was intently sensing the distance. An extremely faint, yet inherently chilling and malevolent, fluctuation was faintly emanating from the distant southwest, its source pointing directly to the Ailao Mountains in Southern Xinjiang. The fluctuation was like the snoring of a sleeping behemoth, carrying a chilling ominousness.
Leng Moyan appeared silently behind her, still with her light blue hair and bewitching beauty, but her usually playful peach blossom eyes were now unusually calm.
"You felt it too?" Xuan Yuan Tianyi didn't turn around, his voice was cold.
“Hmm.” Leng Moyan responded, walked to her side, his gaze seemingly piercing through thousands of mountains and rivers, landing on the mountain range shrouded in miasma and mystery, “The seal of Ailao Mountain… has loosened. Although extremely subtle, it is undeniable. Something is trying to impact it from the inside, or there is an external force continuously corroding it.”
He paused, then looked at Xuan Yuan Tianyi: "Moreover, this fluctuation contains an aura of the same origin as the 'Bewitching Heart Grass,' which is filthy yet alluring. The Black Witch Cult is probably not only active in Bianjing, but also on a larger scale in the Southern Frontier. The 'sacred artifact' they are looking for is most likely the key to weakening or even destroying the seal."
Xuanyuan Tianyi slowly opened her eyes, a hint of worry flashing deep within them. She touched her noticeably protruding belly, feeling the strong movements of the little life within. The child was seven months along, a crucial time. However, protecting the seal was a mission etched into the blood of the Xuanyuan clan.
"How long can the seal last?" she asked.
Leng Moyan focused his senses for a moment, then shook his head: "It's hard to say. If no one reinforces it, at this rate, the crack will widen in a year at most, or a few months at least, and the demonic energy will leak out. At that time, it will be extremely difficult to repair it. If the Black Witch Cult really finds that 'sacred artifact' and activates it with a blood sacrifice, this process may be drastically shortened."
A gust of cold wind blew by, swirling up a few withered leaves. Xuan Yuan Tian pulled her sleeves tighter. In the late stages of her pregnancy, although her spiritual power remained profound, her body was indeed more prone to fatigue and chills than before. She was silent for a moment, then said, "After the child is born, I need to personally make a trip to Ailao Mountain."
Leng Moyan frowned as he looked at her pregnant belly, which was still difficult to conceal beneath her wide robes: "Your body..."
“It’s alright.” Xuan Yuantian interrupted him, his tone calm but unquestionable. “By then the child will be full-term, and with Yin’er taking care of him, you can rest assured. Repairing the seal is something only I can do.” This is a responsibility, and also destiny.
Leng Moyan knew that once she made up her mind, no one could change it, so he said no more, only "Okay".
In Kaifeng Prefecture, the investigation is still proceeding intensively.
Based on the testimony of the merchant surnamed Qian and the clues in the secret letter, Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang followed the trail and finally found another, more hidden stronghold of the Black Witch Cult in a seemingly ordinary medicine shop called "Jishetang" in the West Market of Bianjing.
This time, Zhan Zhao learned from his mistakes and did not launch a rash attack. Instead, he joined forces with the Imperial City Guard to lay a trap and launch a surprise attack in the dead of night.
The battle remained fierce. Although the Black Witch Cult members who remained at the stronghold were not as skilled as the "Venerable One," they were all fearless and used bizarre methods, such as controlling poisonous insects, spraying poisonous powder, and some even attempted to detonate the Gu worms nurtured in their bodies to perish together with everyone else when they were on the verge of death.
Fortunately, Zhan Zhao was prepared and worked seamlessly with Bai Yutang, their swordplay and fan movements weaving a net that neutralized most of the threat. The Imperial City Guards were also well-trained, using powerful bows and crossbows to suppress the enemy from a distance. Ultimately, with minimal losses, they captured all seven Black Witch Cult members alive and seized a large quantity of "Bewitching Grass" raw materials, semi-finished "Dream of Nanke" incense pills, and numerous secret letters containing internal Black Witch Cult directives and lists of personnel from various regions.
After an overnight interrogation, combined with the seized secret letters, a clearer picture emerged. The Black Witch Cult's activities in Bianjing were led by an elder known as the "Crimson Nightmare Venerable," who had several "envoys" responsible for intelligence gathering in different areas and controlling specific targets. They were indeed using "Dream of the Southern Dream" to screen women with specific birth dates or whose families had come into contact with certain ancient artifacts. It seemed that the souls or bloodlines of these women had a special effect on the so-called "sacred artifact."
Even more alarming, from a highly encrypted letter, Gongsun Ce deciphered a crucial piece of information—the Black Witch Cult had made contact with Yelü Zongzhen's forces in the Liao Kingdom of the Northern Frontier! The two sides seemed to have reached some kind of agreement: the Black Witch Cult would assist the Liao Kingdom in creating chaos within Song territory and disrupting border dragon vein nodes, while the Liao Kingdom would use its grassland passages to supply the Black Witch Cult with forbidden materials that were difficult to obtain in the Central Plains, possibly even including living people for blood sacrifices!
"What a despicable act of collusion!" Bao Zheng slammed his fist on the table, his face contorted with rage. "Faced with internal and external troubles, they've actually gone to such lengths! Guard Zhan, gather all the evidence immediately. I need to see the Emperor right now! This case requires the coordination of all forces to thoroughly eradicate them!"
"Yes!" Zhan Zhao accepted the order, but felt no relief whatsoever. The Black Witch Cult's collusion with the remnants of the Liao Kingdom meant that the opponent's strength and danger far exceeded expectations. And the seal on Mount Ailao was like a sword hanging over his head, ready to fall at any moment.
When he dragged his increasingly heavy steps back to Xiaoyou Villa, it was already dusk the next day.
Xuan Yuan Tianyi was resting on a soft couch, a half-read medical book clutched in her hand. The afterglow of the setting sun bathed her in a warm glow, making her appear serene and beautiful. Zhan Zhao tiptoed to the couch, carefully took the medical book from her hand, and covered her with the thin blanket that had slipped down.
The movement was gentle, but it still woke her. When Xuan Yuan Tian opened his eyes and saw him, a hint of confusion flashed in his eyes before his gaze cleared.
"You're back?" Her voice was still languid and hoarse from just waking up, her gaze sweeping over his tired face. "Any progress in the case?"
Zhan Zhao sat down beside her bed and briefly recounted the clues they had uncovered that day, as well as the collusion between the Black Witch Cult and the remnants of the Liao Kingdom. Finally, he said in a deep voice, "The situation is more complicated than we expected. The Black Witch Cult has grand ambitions and is colluding with foreign enemies. I'm afraid our peaceful days are numbered."
Xuan Yuan Tianyi listened quietly, her face showing little surprise, as if she had expected it. She reached out and gently brushed her fingertips across Zhan Zhao's furrowed brow, trying to smooth out the wrinkles there: "When soldiers come, we'll meet them; when water comes, we'll dam it. You've done your best, there's no need to be too anxious."
Her fingertips were warm, carrying a faint herbal scent. Zhan Zhao took her hand and pressed it against his cheek, feeling the warmth soothe his anxiety. He looked down at her pregnant belly, where their hope was growing, and where he felt his deepest vulnerability and longing.
"I'm just worried about you," he whispered, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly. He could face the turmoil of the court and the dangers of the martial world with equanimity. But his wife and children were a burden he could not bear.
Xuanyuan Tianyi grasped Zhan Zhao's broad hand and guided it to his belly. Just then, the child in his womb seemed to sense it and kicked forcefully, the sound clearly transmitted to Zhan Zhao's palm through the fabric.
Zhan Zhao was jolted, his eyes instantly brimming with surprise and indescribable emotion. This was his flesh and blood, the continuation of his and Tianyi's lives.
"Can you feel it?" Xuan Yuantian's lips curved slightly, revealing a faint but genuine smile. "He's telling you that he will be strong, and that we will all be fine."
She looked at Zhan Zhao with clear and firm eyes: "Zhan Zhao, remember, you are the master of Juque, the imperial cat of Kaifeng Prefecture, and the Southern Hero in the eyes of the people. You have your own path to walk and your own responsibilities to bear. You don't need to look back all the time. I, Xuan Yuan Tianyi, have never been a vine that needs to cling to a tall tree."
Her voice was not loud, but every word was clear, carrying a pride and strength that came from the bottom of her heart: "Whether the road ahead is stormy or smooth, I will advance and retreat with you."
Zhan Zhao gazed at his wife, his chest filled with a surge of warmth. He leaned down and gently embraced her, his movements careful, as if holding a priceless treasure. He spoke not a word; all his gratitude, promises, and boundless love were contained in this silent embrace.
Outside the window, dusk was settling in, and the last rays of the setting sun disappeared below the horizon. Night was approaching, but in this small courtyard, warmth and faith were enough to illuminate their path forward.
However, both Zhan Zhao and Xuan Yuan Tianyi knew in their hearts that the illusion of peace was about to be shattered. The seal on the Ailao Mountains in the Southern Frontier was like a constantly leaking hourglass, while the conspiracy of the Black Witch Cult and the remnants of the Liao Kingdom, like vines sprouting in the dark night, was quietly spreading. An even greater storm was gathering on the horizon.
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