Chapter 34: The Thirty-Fourth Day as Cult Leader (Part 1)

You are harboring undercover agents within the cult. Who do you think they are?

It was only a short sentence, yet the instant Shen Fubai opened the secret letter, cold sweat burst out all over him.

Even when facing the most dangerous of powerful enemies, he had never once lost his composure. But now, his arm was trembling faintly, and his mind went blank for an instant.

Fortunately, the figure behind him, whose mere presence brought him immense pressure, quickly brought him back to his senses. After letting out a long breath deep inside, his sluggish mind began thinking through the current situation.

Someone knew the cult was harboring spies and had passed the intelligence to the Cult Leader.

Had one of the spies among them been unable to withstand the pressure and turned traitor? Or had an informant planted by the Cult Leader found some clue?

Also, this secret letter had been piled together with Qian Xiaodou’s letters, and it did not seem to have been opened. Had the Cult Leader not yet seen this letter?

If he secretly took the letter away now, then this secret letter would never reach the Cult Leader’s eyes, right?

A dangerous thought rose uncontrollably in Shen Fubai’s mind. His slightly trembling right hand slowly tightened around the letter. Out of the corner of his eye, he swept a glance at the Cult Leader, who seemed completely unaware with his back turned to him. His heartbeat sped up, and he was about to stuff the letter into his sleeve, take it out, and destroy it.

Time seemed never to have moved so slowly before. Just reaching out made him sweat all over, his vigilance raised to the extreme.

But at a certain moment, he suddenly forced himself to stop this impulse.

No! What if the Cult Leader had actually seen the contents of the letter but did not know who the so-called undercover agent was, so he had deliberately placed the letter out in the open to secretly observe his reaction?

If he truly destroyed this letter… would that not prove that he was the undercover agent?

At the thought of the Cult Leader’s dangerous style of planning a hundred steps ahead with every single step he took, Shen Fubai’s mind kept sounding the alarm. He felt as if the Cult Leader were looming over him like a mountain, looking down on his every movement, watching him step by step fall into a meticulously planned trap. He could not help but shudder.

In the end, he decided not to touch the letter and to leave while pretending nothing had happened.

Even if the Cult Leader really knew there were undercover agents within the cult, as long as he was careful and did not expose himself, what did it matter?

Shen Fubai let out a breath of relief. After quickly putting the letter back into place, he restored his usual petty smile, though this smile now held a few extra traces of fawning. “Cult Leader, all the secret letters have been put away. Are there any other important matters you wish to entrust to this subordinate?”

Qin Ming was immersed in cultivation and casually waved a hand. “Nothing. You’ve worked hard lately too. Go rest.”

Unexpectedly, Shen Fubai refused to leave for a long time and said with righteous conviction, “Serving the Cult Leader is this subordinate’s duty. How could that be called hard work? The fact that the Cult Leader is willing to entrust matters to this subordinate is this subordinate’s honor! Please, Cult Leader, do not pity this subordinate. Any matter at all may be handed over for this subordinate to handle!”

Qin Ming was amused. How could there be someone who did not want to rest and insisted on working instead? But when he lifted his eyes and met Shen Fubai’s urgently expectant gaze, Qin Ming knew this fellow was definitely telling the truth.

In view of how much he liked working, Qin Ming waved his hand grandly and instructed, “Chen Lue is currently calculating everyone’s merit points within the cult. You can go help. Also, properly settle the people brought back during this trip. As for the two heavily injured Qingyue Sect disciples, once they have recovered more or less, come tell me. The rest includes miscellaneous tasks like taking inventory of supplies. If you want to help, you may do as you please.”

After being assigned so many things by Qin Ming all at once, Shen Fubai was instead in an excellent mood. He repeatedly thanked the Cult Leader for his favor before finally walking out of the study.

The moment he left Qin Ming’s sight, Shen Fubai’s expression abruptly turned solemn. He quickened his pace and strode toward the disciples’ quarters. Head-on, he happened to meet Chen Lue, who seemed to be coming over to report something.

The two came face-to-face. Shen Fubai’s expression did not change, and he likewise said nothing. He merely cast Chen Lue a look and strode forward with great steps. Chen Lue seemed to understand something and thoughtfully stopped in place, then followed at a distance behind him, slowly walking forward.

Using this unique form of eye contact between spies, Shen Fubai continued passing the message on to Yang Xu, Zhang Daniu, Xu Sheng, and Qian Xiaodou, who happened to have just rushed back.

However, these people’s comprehension was far inferior to Chen Lue’s. Almost all of them stared at Shen Fubai’s back with question marks written all over their faces, revealing looks of confusion. Zhang Daniu was even more direct. “What’s wrong? Are your eyes cramping? Why’re you looking at me like that?”

“…”

This filled Shen Fubai’s stomach with pent-up anger. If it was this group of people, then they really might reveal some flaw and be caught by the Cult Leader’s informants!

When everyone finally gathered in the familiar little grove, Shen Fubai announced the greatest crisis in history under everyone’s puzzled gazes. “The Cult Leader has obtained a piece of intelligence, and its contents are precisely a warning to him that undercover agents exist within the cult!”

Sure enough, the moment these words came out, the people on both sides instantly exploded into commotion.

“What?! We’ve been discovered?!”

“How is that possible? How could we have been discovered?”

Shen Fubai’s gaze swept carefully across everyone. Yang Xu’s face was full of shock. Qian Xiaodou was so frightened that his face had gone pale. Zhang Daniu was as blank as ever, frozen in place. Chen Lue frowned slightly. Xu Sheng… did not have much of an expression.

Judging from their expressions alone, none of them seemed to have any flaws. Only then did Shen Fubai continue, “I don’t know whether the Cult Leader’s informants noticed something or someone among us turned traitor… In any case, why don’t you all first tell me what you have been doing during this period of time?”

Yang Xu was the first to cry injustice. “From beginning to end, I followed the Demonic Cult’s main force in attacking the Blood Blade Sect. There wasn’t the slightest problem with me. Besides, I’ve infiltrated the cult for twenty years already. How could I only be suspected now? It must be you juniors who exposed some flaw!”

Shen Fubai felt this made sense, then looked toward Qian Xiaodou. Qian Xiaodou also felt very wronged. “I’ve been working as the manager in the restaurant the whole time. The restaurant and intelligence matters have already left me utterly overwhelmed. Where would I have the time to do anything else?”

Shen Fubai furrowed his brows. “You should have sent letters to the other sects according to my plan, correct? Did you discover anything unusual?”

“Absolutely not.” Qian Xiaodou nearly swore to the heavens. “The ones responsible for sending the letters this time were all our own people. They did not pass through the hands of any Demonic Cult disciples. I was watching over everything with a hundred and twenty percent caution.”

That was true. Qian Xiaodou feared death the most, and his personality was slick and clever. For such a dangerous matter, he would definitely keep watch in every possible way and would not dare allow the slightest mistake.

Shen Fubai then turned his gaze to Zhang Daniu, only to see Zhang Daniu standing there like a wooden chicken as he listened to them speak, as if he still had not reacted to what had happened. So Shen Fubai skipped directly to the next person. “Forget it. This fool couldn’t possibly have exposed us. Next.”

Xu Sheng, who was being watched, stood in place coldly and arrogantly. Although he was also a spy who had come to attend the gathering, his identity was out in the open. “What do you think?”

Did information as obvious as the fact that he was a spy even need someone to pass it on?

Shen Fubai decisively looked toward the final person, Chen Lue. His eyes narrowed slightly. He had always found Chen Lue displeasing to the eye, and at this moment, he could not help suspecting him even more. “Don’t tell me you did something while guarding the rear logistics?”

“Naturally impossible,” Chen Lue said lightly. “I never take the initiative to do anything, nor have I ever participated in any dangerous operation. Compared to me, you would be better off thinking about yourself.”

What he said was not wrong either. Chen Lue was like a turtle withdrawn into its shell. He never took the initiative to do anything. Even if he came up with a strategy, he handed the entire thing over to others to carry out, while he himself stayed aloof and acted as if it had nothing to do with him. Because of that, no one could catch even a single handle on him, and they would not even know what he had done.

It was precisely because of this that Shen Fubai was deeply wary of him. Hearing him throw the topic back at him, Shen Fubai immediately revealed a disdainful expression. “Impossible. I am forever loyal and devoted to the Cult Leader! Throughout this journey, I have never had the slightest disloyal thought. The Cult Leader does not have enough time to trust me, so how could he possibly suspect me?”

Looking at his smug face, the others could not help rolling their eyes.

As an undercover agent, you are loyal and devoted to the demon lord? And you’re actually proud of it?

In short, everyone discussed for a long time but still did not figure out who had given the game away, nor did they find anyone suspected of having turned traitor.

“No matter what, we must now be under the Cult Leader’s guard. Our every move may be monitored by the Cult Leader or his informants. Everyone, for the time being, it is better not to gather together. In addition, you must show even more loyalty and devotion to the Demonic Cult. Learn more from me,” Shen Fubai said solemnly. “More importantly, no matter whose identity is exposed, you must not give up the identities of the others. Remember this well!”

The undercover agents were all uneasy. Knowing this was probably the greatest crisis they had encountered since arriving at the Demonic Cult, they could not help nodding solemnly, recognizing the importance of the matter.

And in their hearts, they secretly swore that they absolutely could not let the Cult Leader discover their flaws.

It was precisely at the instant they made up their minds that a figure suddenly appeared from behind the forest. Everyone abruptly turned back in vigilance, then their eyes widened in shock at the same time.

“C-C-C-Cult Leader?!”

…

Qin Ming looked at the little group gathered before him and felt just as puzzled.

It was because he had gained some insight while cultivating the Myriad Swords as One sword art that he wanted to pick an empty grove and practice swordsmanship. He had not expected that this previously empty little grove would suddenly have a few people holding a gathering in it.

The few people before him were all familiar faces from within his cult, and each of them bore heavy responsibilities. But he had never seen them speak during meetings before. So it turned out their relationships were actually quite good?

“What are you doing here?”

So Qin Ming casually asked the question aloud.

This nearly made the hearts of the group of spies tremble. Good heavens, they had only just said that they needed to act cautiously and not gather together, and in the next instant they had been seen by the Cult Leader!

It was over, it was over. What were they supposed to do now?

For a moment, everyone panicked and subconsciously answered, “Reporting to the Cult Leader, we, we…”

The few of them glanced at each other, then answered at the same time.

“We’re practicing swordsmanship!”

“We met by chance!”

“We’re looking for the latrine!”

…

Several different answers blurted out of the spies’ mouths at the same time, successfully making their bodies stiffen.

“Haha, yes, actually, we are…”

“We met by chance!” “Looking for the latrine.” “Practicing swordsmanship!”

The same answers came from different people’s mouths, and the atmosphere froze once again.

The group of spies’ faces went rigid. They were so ashamed they almost wanted to bury their heads in the ground rather than face one another.

“…”

The corner of Qin Ming’s eye also twitched speechlessly. He thought, even if these people were making something up, could they at least make up a unified answer?

But then Shen Fubai suddenly drew his sword and pointed it at Chen Lue beside him, quite nimbly defending himself. “That is correct. Reporting to the Cult Leader, this subordinate was indeed practicing swordsmanship with Chen Lue.”

After saying this, he ignored everything else and suddenly stabbed toward Chen Lue. Chen Lue’s eyelid twitched. Realizing that this had to be Shen Fubai’s revenge, he pressed his lips together and, rarely, used lightness skill to dodge.

With the two of them starting things off, Qian Xiaodou also cleverly began pretending to search for the latrine, even clutching his stomach and crying out that it hurt. The others also each found something to do, acting as if they were very busy.

Qin Ming looked at this chaotic dance of demons and found it both funny and confusing. But everyone present was a capable official within the cult. If they wanted to stir up trouble, the Demonic Cult would have collapsed long ago, so Qin Ming did not think in any other direction.

Just as he was about to go somewhere else to secretly practice his swordsmanship, he suddenly remembered something and called out to Qian Xiaodou. “Right, speaking of which, has the intelligence pavilion you formed ever sent any intelligence outward?”

He was only asking casually, but a large number of beads of sweat abruptly appeared on Qian Xiaodou’s forehead.

At this moment, the undercover agents, who all knew one another’s backgrounds, realized one thing at the same time: before the attack on the Blood Blade Sect, Qian Xiaodou had indeed passed the matter of ambushing the Cult Leader on to the various righteous sects of the jianghu!

Could this be what the Cult Leader was hinting at?

Could it be that this matter had exposed the secret that the Demonic Cult was harboring undercover agents?

For a time, everyone’s thoughts differed, but all of them felt that things were not good. Perhaps the words Qian Xiaodou said next would decide whether they lived or died.

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