Chapter 38: The Thirty-Eighth Day as Cult Leader (Part 1)

“Where is Shen Fubai? Send someone to notify him that we are setting out immediately!”

Qin Ming was rarely this much of a man of action. First, staying in the cult for too long made his whole body feel uncomfortable. Second, this incident was so vile that he truly could not wait in peace.

But when he called for Shen Fubai, the little shadow who always followed his lead, Chen Lue informed him for the first time that Shen Fubai was not currently in the cult.

“Steward Shen flew into a rage after hearing about Zhao Tong’s matter. He took the sword you bestowed upon him and left, saying he was going to investigate the truth. His whereabouts are still unknown.”

Qin Ming: ...

Well, great. This guy had started acting on his own again.

Qin Ming felt quite the headache coming on, but what he feared even more was Shen Fubai getting hotheaded and going around causing trouble in every suspicious location. What if his strength was insufficient and someone threw a sack over him from behind or something? Wouldn’t Qin Ming lose yet another capable subordinate?

“Send people to look for him. Don’t let him act recklessly... The situation is urgent this time, so he won’t be coming with me. Hm, where is Zhang Daniu?”

Qin Ming immediately swapped to another candidate, only to be rejected by Chen Lue once again. “Zhang Daniu is currently studying the cultivation method the Cult Leader bestowed upon him. He still does not know about Zhao Tong’s matter, and he had a good relationship with Zhao Tong... so no one has taken the initiative to tell him.”

“...” Then forget it. If Zhang Daniu got so angry that he went to challenge the culprit one-on-one before he had even learned martial arts, would Qin Ming be the one saving Zhang Daniu, or would Zhang Daniu be the one saving him?

Qin Ming changed candidates once more. “Then Zhou Ji...”

By now, Chen Lue had already learned to answer first. “Right Protector Zhou Ji and Left Protector Fang Zheng each led a team along the Qi River to search for clues. They have not yet returned.”

Qin Ming fell silent. Counting it out, the people who could accompany him outside were all away from his side. Was he supposed to go by himself? He did not even know the road.

Just as he lowered his eyes in thought, Chen Lue, who had been standing there for ages, also began to lose patience. Helplessly, he volunteered himself. “If the Cult Leader does not mind, Lue is willing to accompany the Cult Leader!”

“...Are you sure?” Qin Ming was indeed very surprised by his offer. In Qin Ming’s mind, the option of going out with Chen Lue practically did not exist. He only asked, “Where I am going is farther than the Qi River. Even with qinggong, it will take two days. Will your body be all right?”

In his impression, Chen Lue’s martial arts were not especially good, and his body always had problems. Whenever something major happened, he easily fell ill, making it impossible for Qin Ming to entrust important matters to him.

Unexpectedly, Chen Lue’s attitude was very firm this time. “Thank you for your concern, Cult Leader. This subordinate is fine. Please rest assured, Cult Leader.”

...And so, the person accompanying Qin Ming on this trip was decided to be Chen Lue.

There was one great advantage to going out with Chen Lue: Qin Ming did not need to force himself to pretend that his qinggong was good, because Chen Lue’s qinggong was even weaker than his!

This time, Qin Ming finally enjoyed the feeling Shen Fubai had described: admiring beautiful scenery along the journey and feeling perfectly at ease. They would also pass through towns along the way, stay at inns, and eat delicious food. The only thing he feared was that the weather would turn cold at night and Chen Lue’s body would become unwell.

Compared with Shen Fubai, who was like a special forces soldier, this trip truly made Qin Ming feel very comfortable.

It also made Qin Ming’s originally somewhat heavy mood brighten quite a bit.

Good, good, good. He had never expected Chen Lue to have this sort of use too. Truly wonderful!

Chen Lue, however, did not know what he was thinking and even apologized to him with guilt. “This subordinate’s martial arts are lacking. I have delayed the Cult Leader’s journey.”

“It’s fine.” Qin Ming said this with utmost sincerity. “Your body is more important... After traveling all this way, how do you feel?”

Because the inn’s business was booming, Qin Ming had only booked one superior room. Fortunately, it had one main bedroom and one side bedroom. At this moment, Chen Lue was sitting at the table drinking tea, his face slightly pale. Even traveling this slowly seemed to be a hardship for him.

“This subordinate has been like this since childhood. It is no hindrance.” Chen Lue casually took a porcelain bottle from his sleeve, dissolved a pill into the tea, and then slowly drank it.

Seeing Qin Ming’s gaze turn toward him, he explained on his own initiative, “This pill can nourish this subordinate’s qi and blood. It must be taken on time every day.”

“Mm.” Qin Ming nodded. Suddenly remembering the purple intel he had once obtained, he asked offhandedly, “Is this a pill you refined yourself? I remember that you’re skilled at pill refinement?”

Chen Lue’s fingers, which were holding the teacup, suddenly trembled. A little tea spilled out, and his pupils contracted violently. Fortunately, he immediately steadied himself and covered up his abnormal reaction by pretending to cough, which was how he avoided exposing too great a flaw.

“Cough, cough... cough. Pardon my rudeness.” He stood and wiped the water stains from the tabletop, his lowered eyes filled with suspicion and confusion.

...He had never said that he was skilled at pill refinement. How had the Cult Leader learned of it?

And why had he suddenly said this to him?

Then, thinking again of how powerful the spies around the Cult Leader were, Chen Lue nearly held his breath as an uneasy thought arose in his mind: Could it be... that his identity as a disciple of Yantian Sect had already been exposed?

But he had always concealed it very well, exercising caution at every turn. There should not have been any evidence against him.

Unable to figure it out, Chen Lue could only inhale deeply and refrain from thinking recklessly, afraid that he would reveal himself first. Yet in his heart, he could not help developing an even deeper fear of the Cult Leader’s terror.

He could not catch the Cult Leader’s thoughts. He could not even guess the Cult Leader’s intentions, just like now.

The Cult Leader was a book, a book he could not read through. At certain moments, he felt that this sensation was quite wonderful. He played against him in secret, experiencing unprecedented amusement and feeling all sorts of emotions he had almost never felt before, such as tension, puzzlement, and even excitement. His long-dormant blood began to boil.

But the moment he thought of how the Cult Leader was the master of the demonic path, and that they were inevitably righteous and demonic, irreconcilably opposed, Chen Lue could not help feeling somewhat regretful again, not daring to let any thoughts stir.

He only calmed himself and explained, “This subordinate has always been in poor health, so I learned a little of the art of pill refinement. It is nothing impressive.”

Hearing this, Qin Ming did not suspect anything. His subordinates were each skilled in different things. Chen Lue’s martial arts were lacking, so it was normal for him to be skilled in some pill refinement.

However, he was still curious. “Since your qi and blood are insufficient, did cultivating my Breathing Method not improve anything?”

Wasn’t the most basic function of his Breathing Method to regulate qi and blood?

Unexpectedly, this one sentence left Chen Lue somewhat speechless. Everyone in the Demonic Cult was desperately practicing the Breathing Method. Only Chen Lue, being cautious, did not dare to take the initiative to learn it before he was certain whether the cultivation method had hidden dangers. Therefore, in the entire cult, perhaps only he and Zhang Daniu had not cultivated it.

He did not know whether the Cult Leader’s words were a probe, but the Cult Leader only needed to check his meridians to know that he had never cultivated the Breathing Method. So he could only tell the truth. “To be honest, this subordinate’s body is weak and cannot cultivate other methods. Though I was fortunate to receive the cultivation method through the Cult Leader’s great kindness, I did not dare to truly practice it...”

Facing his troubled expression, Qin Ming, whose heart had always been broad and magnanimous, did not think too much. He simply gave him a pointer. “This cultivation method is perfectly suited to you. Try it now. When you wake tomorrow, you should see results.”

Hearing this, Chen Lue could not help raising his eyes and meeting the gaze of the man in green before him. Those familiar black eyes, and the faint killing intent emanating from them, made him unable to lower his guard for even a single moment.

Chen Lue had always been meticulous in thought. Every sentence the Cult Leader spoke had to be pondered three layers deeper. Now, upon hearing these words, his heart jolted, and he felt more and more that the Cult Leader was probing him.

But he still had important matters to attend to. No matter what, he could not expose his identity at this moment... Therefore, without further hesitation, Chen Lue bowed to the Cult Leader. “Thank you for your guidance, Cult Leader. This subordinate will practice it now.”

Immediately afterward, he deliberately sat down and cultivated openly and aboveboard in Qin Ming’s room, using this to demonstrate that he had a clear conscience.

But Qin Ming really had not thought that much!

He looked at Chen Lue, who had very impolitely begun meditating on the couch, and ultimately swallowed back the words he had wanted to use to stop him...

No, wait. You’ve occupied the bed in my room. Then what am I supposed to use?

Fine. Looks like there would be no sleeping tonight.

Qin Ming choked on his silence, speechless. He could only helplessly give the bedroom to the frail, sickly Chen Lue, while he silently sat in a chair and went to practice his qinggong mental cultivation method.

The next day, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, Chen Lue opened his eyes feeling light and refreshed. He exhaled a breath of turbid air and actually felt an unprecedented comfort.

He looked at his hands and felt the abundant qi and blood within his body, unconsciously revealing a look of amazement. “This Breathing Method truly does nourish qi and blood. It is extraordinary.”

No wonder everyone who cultivated this martial art praised it endlessly. At this moment, Chen Lue could not help joining the ranks of its admirers. He even began to admire the Cult Leader for being able to create this kind of cultivation method at such a young age. He was truly formidable.

Noticing that the Cult Leader was watching him from nearby, Chen Lue quickly adjusted his emotions and returned to his indifferent expression. “Thank you for your concern, Cult Leader. This subordinate is already fine and can set out immediately.”

“Mm.” Qin Ming rose together with him, subtly squeezing his stiff back. Then, the instant Chen Lue looked over, he immediately straightened his back and strode forward. “Let’s go.”

They were delayed for a while on the road, causing Qin Ming and Chen Lue to arrive at Meikou Town later than expected.

With no time to delay any longer, Qin Ming immediately stopped a villager and asked, “May I ask whether there is a woman surnamed You in this town? She only just returned a few days ago, and it is said she suffered a great change.”

This was precisely the information Qian Xiaodou had written down. This woman named You Rui was the only person who had returned alive after disappearing. If they wanted to find any clues, they could only ask her.

Sure enough, as soon as he asked, the villager immediately showed an expression of distaste and casually pointed toward a remote part of the town. “You mean that unlucky Madam You, right? A few days ago, who knows who she eloped with, vanishing without a trace. Then she came back crying and wailing. Truly a disgrace to public morals.”

“Eloped?” Qin Ming’s brows furrowed slightly, uncomfortable with his description. “Wasn’t she abducted?”

“That’s just what they say to outsiders. Look at her fox-spirit face. She definitely ran off with a man.” The villager snorted coldly.

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