I Can Devour Spirits

The person finished speaking and then laughed heartily.

Xu Dongyang also laughed and said, ”Under the peony flower, to die and be a romantic ghost. How could I miss it? I recently got some tonics and just started taking them, the effects haven’t shown yet. Just wait, once the effects kick in, don’t look at me as old; I might be more vigorous than you young lad.”

”Is that so? I think you might be too weak to take the supplements.”

”You lad, why do you keep jinxing me? Bring your daughter here, and see if I’m too weak for the supplements?”

”You...”

The chubby middle-aged man was on the verge of getting angry when a thin, sullen-faced person sitting next to Xu Dongyang suddenly said in a deep voice, ”Enough! How did you two end up arguing?”

Xu Dongyang let out a cold snort and turned his face away.

The thin, sullen-faced person glanced at Xu Dongyang and asked, ”Old Xu, you’re well-informed. Isn’t Wei Yutian’s mandala here not much in use anymore? Why is tonight’s banquet being held here again? Has something happened?”

This old courtyard of Wei Yutian was confiscated by the government while in Shen Yanliu’s hands, but it had been abandoned ever since.

After Sun Qian took over as County Magistrate, he reopened this place. It was originally a house confiscated by the government, so he directly used governmental power to designate it a forbidden area and refurbished it inside.

After all, he wanted to make Xianggu County a base for the Filthy Blood Sect. Thus, it naturally required a large influx of Filthy Blood Sect followers to enter Xianggu County secretly.

He had to solve the cultivation issues for these followers, otherwise, how could he retain people? And how could he gain a reputation to attract others to Xianggu County?

As a result, Wei Yutian’s mandala became a gathering and cultivation place for the Filthy Blood Sect followers.

However, as more and more Filthy Blood Sect followers entered Xianggu County, Wei Yutian’s mandala became a bit small, not quite sufficient.

Therefore, Sun Qian discussed with Ruan Fengshan to build a larger mandala next to the Sealed Warehouse of Yuan Shun Escort Agency to solve everyone’s cultivation problems.

Temple Priest Xu Dongyang, upon hearing the question, just coldly replied that he didn’t know and stopped speaking.

The person gave Xu Dongyang a glance, clearly somewhat displeased.

Actually, Xu Dongyang had some clues.

Before dawn today, a secret agent came looking for him, asking him to send a secret message to Yuan Yang Hall through a carrier pigeon.

Xu Dongyang read the contents of the secret message, which was requesting the hall to help check from the Prefecture Government Office regarding the identities of Duan Rong and Xiao Yu, whether they were registered disciples or outer disciples.

Additionally, more than half a month ago, Xiao Yu’s father caused a big incident at Yuan Shun Escort Agency.

Xu Dongyang understood the implication behind the secret message as soon as he saw it.

But he was a tight-lipped person; he wouldn’t spill a word he shouldn’t.

At that moment, a rumbling sound suddenly came from the rockery, and then a stone gate opened.

As soon as the stone gate opened, several people in black came out from inside.

The people in black were carrying a bulging sack on their shoulders.

Upon seeing the sack, those around them were instantly filled with fervor. They were well aware of what was inside those sacks.

Behind the group of people in black, two people walked out slowly. They were Sun Qian and Ruan Fengshan.

Upon seeing the two come out, everyone gathered around from all sides, cupping their fists, and said, ”Big brother, second brother!”

”Brothers, I hope you have been well!” Sun Qian and Ruan Fengshan also smiled and returned the gesture.

Ruan Fengshan suddenly saw Xu Dongyang in the crowd, his eyes flickered slightly, and said, ”Old Xu, did you send out the secret message to Yuan Yang Hall?”

Xu Dongyang replied, ”It was sent before dawn.”

Ruan Fengshan nodded upon hearing this.

Xu Dongyang was originally under his command, but when Sun Qian was reorganizing the team, he kept Xu to continue being responsible for the communication between Xianggu County and various Filthy Blood Sect organizations.

This task was quite important. Xu Dongyang had been doing well in it, and his sharp, strict nature and controlled speech made him a great fit for the role.

There were fourteen people here, each in charge of one faction in Xianggu County, mostly strong ones in the True Qi Realm, except for Xu Dongyang, whose martial arts were average. However, his Filthy Blood Divine Skill had reached the Second Level, enough for self-preservation in ordinary battles.

In a dark shadow not far away, as soon as Ruan Fengshan appeared, Duan Rong furrowed his brow slightly.

After three years, Ruan Fengshan hadn’t changed much.

In the darkness, Duan Rong muttered, ”Proprietor, I didn’t expect that upon meeting again, we would become mortal enemies!”

Not only did Duan Rong focus on Ruan Fengshan, but he also carefully scanned Sun Qian beside him with his Divine Sense.

Sun Qian’s small build and deep gaze seemed to gradually awaken a vague image in Duan Rong’s mind.

The group, seeing everyone was present, headed towards the Secret Chamber Mandala together.

After everyone had gone far, Duan Rong used his Divine Sense to carefully survey the surroundings before following them.

The entrance to the secret chamber was still in the same wing room.

There were only two people in black, holding lanterns, guarding outside the door.

With the strength of Duan Rong’s Divine Soul from three years ago, he would have had to circle behind the wing room and probe down with his Divine Sense to see into the Secret Chamber Mandala.

But now it was different; he could ”see” everything from a distance, hidden among the shadows of the trees, in the secret chamber beneath the wing room.

This Secret Chamber Mandala of Wei Yutian had been cleaned and tidied by Sun Qian three years ago, but the basic layout remained unchanged.

The group walked slowly into the mandala. Sun Qian and Ruan Fengshan walked at the front.

As soon as they entered the mandala, many’s breath slightly halted, a surge of heat rising from their lower abdomens.

Temple Priest Xu Dongyang suddenly widened his eyes, staring intently at the altar in the center, unable to look away.

At this time, there were fourteen naked women lying motionless on the altar.

These women, completely bare, were unconscious on the altar.

They were the ones carried in the sacks by the people in black just now.

Among the crowd, there was one person with a distinctly unpleasant expression, as if he had swallowed a fly.

This person was Bai Rong, who walked at the end of the crowd. As someone who fancied men, he felt sick every time he was with a woman. But to cultivate the Filthy Blood Divine Skill, he had to do this.

Though many were inflamed with desire, cultivating the Filthy Blood Divine Skill involved the strict and intricate process of worshiping the Five Tongue Gods that had to be followed meticulously.

The worship, smoke offering, and use of magic artifacts couldn’t be done out of order.

Soon, the secret room was filled with dense smoke, almost obscuring everyone’s sight. It was only when it reached this level that the smoke offering was considered complete.

Xu Dongyang saw the altar vaguely appear and disappear amidst the thick smoke, feeling a twinge of regret. Every time it reached this most exhilarating moment, the smoke would obscure his view, and once the smoke cleared, those vibrant women would all turn into dry corpses.

After every ritual, he would feel confused, questioning if those women he engaged with were already these piles of dry corpses in the first place.

Amidst the swirling mist, all present made their way from different directions towards the altar.

Soon, echoes of numerous shrieks emerged from the altar...

The screams mingling sounded shrill and dire, like tearing silk.

This was what they called the evening banquet!

In the tree shadows shrouded in darkness, Duan Rong had a grim expression. While the secret chamber mandala was filled with smoke, making it impossible for those inside to see, he could ”see” everything clearly under his Divine Sense.

Such filthy and eerie evil scenes somewhat breached Duan Rong’s mental defenses, causing waves of nausea to surge within him.

If it weren’t for the fear of missing important information, he would have withdrawn his Divine Sense.

The question Ruan Fengshan asked Xu Dongyang by the rockery earlier heightened Duan Rong’s vigilance.

What exactly was in the secret message sent to Yuan Yang Hall?

Moreover, it was sent before dawn today, but he and Xiao Yu entered Xianggu County yesterday afternoon.

Given such a tight timeline, Duan Rong faintly felt that the secret message was likely related to him and Xiao Yu.