The ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven in Hexi was held as scheduled, with loud drums and music, curling smoke, and a grand scene.
At the same time, the Changsheng Sect's ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven in the capital was much more low-key.
As night fell, the dilapidated temple in the western suburbs of the capital, which was once bustling with incense, now looked eerie and dark, with only a few dim oil lamps flickering like ghostly lights.
He Sheng was wearing armor, with a sword hanging from his waist, and his eyes were as sharp as torches. Behind him was a large crowd of garrison troops from the capital, all of whom held their breath and were filled with murderous intent.
"Be smart, everyone!"
He Sheng lowered his voice and ordered in a gruff voice, "Have you understood everything that His Majesty has instructed?"
"If anyone leaks the news, I'll skin him alive!"
The soldiers responded in unison, their voices deep and powerful, sounding particularly solemn in the night.
He Sheng nodded with satisfaction and waved his hand, "Action!"
At the same time, inside the ruined temple, Tiezhu and Zhao Sheng were groping their way forward.
The dilapidated temple had been in disrepair for many years, with cobwebs and dust everywhere, and a musty smell in the air.
"This damn place is so fucking weird."
Although Tiezhu had seen the gloomy mass graves in Hexi, this dilapidated temple was no less eerie than those grave circles.
He started to complain because he felt a little cramped in this low, dilapidated temple because of his tall stature.
Zhao Sheng was thin but extremely agile. He observed his surroundings carefully, not missing any clues.
"Shh, be careful not to disturb the rats inside."
Based on the information Zhao Sheng had previously obtained, the two found a hidden mechanism behind the statue.
The iron pillar pushed hard, and the statue slowly moved, revealing a dark hole.
“There really is a secret passage!”
Tiezhu exclaimed.
Zhao Sheng jumped down first, followed closely by Tie Zhu.
The secret passage was pitch black, and one could not see one's hand in front of one's face. The two men lit a tinder and walked down carefully in the faint light.
The secret passage was winding and after walking for a long time, I finally reached the end.
Suddenly, the view in front of them became clear, and a huge underground space appeared in front of them.
The place is brightly lit and bustling with people, forming a sharp contrast with the gloomy atmosphere of the dilapidated temple.
In the center was a huge altar, filled with offerings, incense smoke, and a strange fragrance filled the air.
Around the altar, people were kneeling densely. Most of them were elderly people from the capital and surrounding counties. They kowtowed devoutly and muttered to themselves.
"Eternal Heaven bless me and grant me eternal life..."
Tiezhu and Zhao Sheng were stunned. This was not a ceremony to worship the heaven, it was clearly a cult gathering!
At this moment, a man in a black robe and a mask walked up to the altar. He raised his hands high and said in a hoarse and alluring voice, "Believe in Changshengtian and you will gain eternal life..."
"This bastard is playing tricks!"
Tiezhu couldn't help but curse.
Zhao Sheng quickly covered his mouth and said, "Don't make any sound. Let's see what's going on first."
The underground ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven was in full swing, but He Sheng on the ground encountered trouble.
An army appeared silently around the ruined temple and surrounded He Sheng's army.
"Who is coming?!"
He Sheng shouted sternly, his hand already on the hilt of the sword.
The leader was wearing silver armor and riding a strong warhorse. He was the commander of Prince Gong Cheng Qitian's personal guards, named Cao Meng.
He sneered, as if he had planned it in advance.
"General He, why are you bringing your troops here so late at night?"
He Sheng thought to himself, Cheng Qitian had indeed sent someone.
But his expression remained calm. "He was patrolling under the emperor's orders, but Commander Cao brought his troops here so late at night. Could he be plotting something nefarious?"
Cao Meng was outmaneuvered by He Sheng and his face froze, but he quickly reacted.
"General He, you're joking. There's been some unusual activity in the west of the city, and I'm here to investigate on the orders of the prince. But General, this whole situation looks like you're going to confiscate our property and exterminate our clan."
He Sheng laughed and didn't take Cao Meng's words seriously at all.
"Commander Cao, you're worrying too much. This is just a routine patrol. What's going on? Commander Cao, are you trying to stop me from doing my job?"
Cao Meng's face darkened. The two sides were on the verge of a fight and the atmosphere was extremely tense.
He knew in his heart that He Sheng had brought his troops here late at night to investigate the Changsheng Sect in the ruined temple.
Cao Meng was originally ordered by Cheng Qitian to come and check whether Li Chengfeng had any unusual movements. Now that his goal has been achieved, it is not a good idea to continue to dwell on it.
What's more, He Shenghuang has his life on his shoulders, so there is no reason to attack him.
"Since General He is acting on the emperor's orders, Cao naturally dares not stop him."
Cao Meng said with a forced smile, "Goodbye!"
After saying that, he waved his hand and quickly evacuated with his army.
He Sheng looked at their departing backs, his eyes extremely dark. This old fox was testing him!
In the secret passage under the ruined temple, Tiezhu and Zhao Sheng witnessed the sacrificial ceremony of the "Changshengtian" sect with their own eyes.
The strange scene and the fanatical believers made them shudder.
Zhao Sheng whispered to Tie Zhu, "My dear, I think all the old men and women from the capital and surrounding counties are here. We must hurry back to report to His Majesty."
"If we can gather so many people and let these elderly people and their families spread the word, the influence will be huge."
At this moment, the man in black on the altar suddenly stopped. He seemed to have noticed something and turned his head sharply to look at where Tiezhu and Zhao Sheng were hiding.
The eyes under the mask of the man in black were as sharp as an eagle, staring straight at where Tiezhu and Zhao Sheng were hiding.
The two were shocked and thought to themselves, oh no, they’re exposed!
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