Scripture of Days Past

Following Ning Chigong’s departure, the two platoon commanders sat in silence.

Meanwhile, Chu Qiguang was thinking about what he had just seen.

Disguised double agent, eh? What does the disguise refer to? Is he hiding his power, or is he hiding his true identity? In any case, he’s definitely hiding some secrets. I wonder if the Demon Vanquishing Department knows about them.

Chu Qiguang turned his gaze to the two platoon commanders, and the text that drifted out of their bodies read ”brainless platoon commander” and ”unhappy platoon commander.”

”Summon everyone in the fort. I’m going to do a head count,” Chu Qiguang ordered. ”Find me the accountants as well. I’m sure they’ll know where I can find the account books.”

The two platoon commanders exchanged a glance, then mumbled an affirmative response before shuffling their way out of the room together.

Upon arriving on the training ground outside, the brainless platoon commander remarked, ”It seems our new hundred-man commander is quite a nosy character.”

”Let him do whatever he wants,” the unhappy platoon commander sneered. ”Without Master Ning’s orders, no one in this entire fort would dare cooperate with him!”

Two hours later, Chu Qiguang began digging into the fort’s archives, which contained records of past cases in the Ba Manor and even a few Demon Vanquishing Department martial arts manuals.

Meanwhile, Zhang Jitian was sent to conduct a head count, while Chen Gang was responsible for tallying the fort’s food and money.

***

Chen Gang stood before the completely empty granary with a furious look on his face.

”Where’s all the food?!”

”The granary has been empty for two years,” the granary custodian replied with his head lowered.

”Then what do you all eat?” Chen Gang asked with a stunned expression. ”Are you surviving solely off what’s grown in the fields outside?”

”There’s nowhere near enough food in those fields to feed us all,” the granary custodian said. ”Our food rations are subsidized by donations from the prominent clans of the Ba Manor.”

”Where’s all the donated food then?” Chen Gang asked.

”That ran out a few days ago as well,” the granary custodian replied. ”We’re all hoping that the new hundred-man commander can think of a way to get food for everyone. Otherwise, we’re all going to starve to death.”

***

Zhang Jitian stared speechlessly at the people gathered on the training ground. They were all either elderly, children, or disabled.

”That’s everyone?”

The unhappy platoon commander nodded. ”Conditions are harsh in the fort. All of the young, fit, and capable men have left to make a living elsewhere, so these are the only ones left.”

”I saw a few young men just now. Why aren’t they here?” Zhang Jitian asked skeptically.

”Those are Master Ning’s personal servants,” the unhappy platoon commander replied with a roll of his eyes. ”He pays them out of his own pocket, and they only come here to help out. They don’t actually belong to the fort.”

***

Over the past year, Ning Chigong had ruled the fort with an iron fist, and even though Chu Qiguang had been instated as the new hundred-man commander, Ning Chigong was still the one in power as far as everyone in the fort was concerned.

Hence, no one was optimistic about Chu Qiguang’s tenure, some people were already placing bets on how long he would last before quitting.

The very next day, an astonishing piece of news spread throughout the Ba Manor.

A large number of fiend and demon bodies had been discovered on the official road. It was said that that entire stretch of road had been stained red with blood, and it appeared an extremely severe demonic tainting incident had taken place there.

***

”Even the Supreme Elder’s body was found there?!” Ning Chigong roared in a furious voice. ”What the hell were those fiend bastards thinking? They tried to perform a ritual on the official road of all places?!”

In his eyes, such a severe demonic tainting incident could only have resulted from a Tribulation Religion ritual.

The subordinate standing before Ning Chigong was a very tall and imposing man, but at this moment, he looked as timid as a frightened dog.

”What about the Chaotic Heavens King and the Yaksha Wraith? Were their bodies found?” Ning Chigong asked.

”Not yet, but the search is still ongoing,” the subordinate replied.

”What about the rest of the fiends?” Ning Chigong asked.

”We’ve already sent out five capable warriors to pursue them.”

”Five?!” Ning Chigong snapped. ”Do you know how many mountains there are in the Ba Manor? Do you know what’s going to happen if those fiends expose our secrets?”

”There have been some murmurings in the past, but the higher-ups haven’t really done anything,” the subordinate said.

”Has there ever been an incident as severe as this one?!” Ning Chigong snapped as he slammed a hand down on his desk, shattering it into pieces. ”Right now, the entire Ba Manor knows that those fiends encountered a demonic tainting, and the Daoist priests are already there performing an exorcism!

”In no more than a few days, news will reach Song Baoyi! Do you think they’re all as stupid as you? If they discover the connection between those fiends and the Tribulation Religion, all of us will be implicated! Send out everyone you can and find the Chaotic Heavens King at all cost!”

Right at that moment, a loud commotion rang out from outside, and Ning Chigong turned just in time to see the door being kicked open.

A young man with a stalk of grass between his teeth casually strolled into the room, leaving a trail of incapacitated martial artists in his wake.

Ning Chigong’s subordinate immediately stepped forward to confront the young man, but Ning Chigong raised a hand to stop him.

The young man had a very ordinary and forgettable face, the type that wouldn’t attract any attention in a crowd.

A shy smile appeared on his unremarkable face as he said, ”I didn’t want to come here, Master Ning, but things have gotten a little out of control. My uncle told me that you’re the most reliable person in the entire Ba Manor and that I should come to you if I ever need help.”

”Rest assured, I will find all the remaining fiends and make sure this incident doesn’t interfere with your plans,” Ning Chigong promised.

”I’m afraid our plans have already been affected,” the young man said coldly. ”I went to their lair to search for them this morning, but the entire cave has been burned down, and the ’cargo’ that we’re after has also been destroyed. Clearly, these fiends are following someone’s orders and trying to sever contact with us. Something is definitely amiss.”

Ning Chigong’s brows furrowed slightly upon hearing this.

They know where the Chaotic Heavens King’s lair is? It looks like the Tribulation Religion has an even deeper connection to those fiends than I imagined.

”I’m not very familiar with the Ba Manor, so I’d like you to help me find those fiends, Master Ning,” the young man continued.

”Of course, Gao Yi,” Ning Chigong replied with a smile. ”You are an esteemed guest of our Ba Manor. I’ve already sent out my people to search for the fiends, so all you have to do is wait here for further updates.”

Gao Yi spat out the stalk of grass in his mouth, and a cold look flashed through his eyes as he said, ”My uncle told me that you regard the Ba Manor as your territory and don’t allow anyone else to meddle in its affairs. It looks like he was right.”

Ning Chigong’s expression darkened upon hearing this, but Gao Yi merely smiled again and turned to leave.

However, just as he was about to step out of the room, he suddenly turned back and said, ”Oh, by the way, I hear that the new hundred-man commander has been a real pain these past couple of days. Do you need me to take him out of the picture for you?”

”Stay in your lane, Gao Yi!” Ning Chigong warned coldly. ”If you dare to fool around in the Ba Manor, I’ll chop off your arms!”

”Oh, so scary!” Gao Yi chuckled. His body then disintegrated into a pile of sludge that seeped into the ground and vanished.

That’s the Tribulation Religion’s Animitta Tribulation, Ning Chigong thought. Gao Yi must’ve caught the attention of some high-ranking member of the Tribulation Religion for them to use that Dao art on him.

The Dao Comprehension-state cultivators of the Heavenly Master Religion were capable of creating talismans that allowed those below the Dao Comprehension state to wield supernatural powers. Meanwhile the Dao Comprehension-state cultivators of the Tribulation Religion were capable of refining demons before bestowing supernatural powers upon others.

”What has Chu Qiguang been up to?” Ning Chigong asked.

”I... I’m not sure,” his subordinate replied. ”I’ve been too busy investigating the demonic tainting incident.”

”If you don’t know, then hurry up and find out!”

Shortly afterward, the subordinate returned and informed Ning Chigong that Earth Gate Fort’s two platoon commanders, ten captains, and all the personnel in the accounting office and storehouse had been forcibly replaced.