Chapter 38: The Thirty-Eighth Day as Cult Leader (Part 2)

Qin Ming did not know what the specific truth was, but he intuitively felt that the man’s words were prejudiced. His tone was therefore not especially polite. “Hearing is false, seeing is true. If you have no evidence, sir, it would be better not to slander people.”

After speaking, he ignored the villager, who instantly became so angry he started hopping mad. Following the other party’s directions, he finally found a small, shabby thatched hut standing all alone. A woman in pink was drawing water by the well in a daze, but she was quite alert and heard Qin Ming and Chen Lue’s footsteps. As soon as she saw two strangers arrive, she panicked and tried to run.

“Wait.” Qin Ming hurriedly stopped her. “We only have something we want to ask you.”

Unexpectedly, when his steps subconsciously quickened by a couple of paces, the woman’s expression grew even more terrified. She actually trembled all over and shrank against the corner of the wall, crying continuously as she collapsed. “No... no!!”

Seeing her so frightened, Qin Ming instantly froze and did not dare take even one step forward.

Had he already become so terrifying that he could scare people to this extent even while wearing a mask?

Qin Ming simply began doubting his life.

Fortunately, at this moment, Auntie Wang from next door saw the scene and hurried over to support You Rui. While soothingly patting her back, she angrily scolded Qin Ming and Chen Lue. “Oh my, Madam You can’t take fright right now! What are you doing here? She only just barely escaped. Are you still trying to rub salt in her wounds?”

“...” Qin Ming felt a wave of helplessness. Chen Lue, beside him, calmly observed for a moment, then concluded, “She must have developed hysteria from fright.”

As he spoke, he casually took out a bottle of pills and handed it to Auntie Wang. “Have her take this pill, and it will calm her mood and restore her to normal.”

Auntie Wang looked at the bottle of pills in surprise, then examined Chen Lue’s face from left to right. Seeing that he truly did not seem to harbor any malice, she finally half-believed him and gave You Rui the pill.

The pill melted as soon as it entered her mouth, and after only a few breaths, You Rui, who had still been trembling a moment ago, gradually recovered her calm, though her breathing remained somewhat rapid.

Watching this scene, forget Auntie Wang— even Qin Ming was a little stunned. Good grief, Chen Lue had even said his art of pill refinement was nothing impressive. This pill was way too miraculous!

So he had been modest after all!

“All right, all right! This pill is really strong. Even the pills sold by Yantian Sect aren’t as effective as yours!” Auntie Wang praised him happily, but Chen Lue only inclined his head slightly to express his thanks.

Qin Ming did not dare step forward and speak with You Rui, afraid that the other party would be frightened again upon seeing his face. He therefore used his eyes to signal Chen Lue to state their purpose.

Chen Lue indeed understood his meaning. He took the initiative to address the listless You Rui. “Miss, could you hear me out? We have come from a thousand li away solely to meet you.”

You Rui’s eyes shifted slightly, but she still shrank fearfully in Auntie Wang’s arms without saying a word. It seemed her previous disappearance had become an eternal psychological shadow.

Seeing this, Chen Lue still persuaded her. “Perhaps you do not wish to mention your past experiences, miss. But right now, there are still over a dozen people missing with unknown whereabouts, and their families are also hoping for their return... As long as you can provide even a little information, they may yet have a thread of hope. Would you be willing to lend us a hand, miss?”

You Rui seemed somewhat conflicted. Her thin arm moved uneasily inside her sleeve, and that strange right arm, which looked as though it were only skin and bones, instantly drew Qin Ming’s attention. There seemed to be crisscrossing knife marks on her right arm, as though... someone had cut it open... to draw blood?

After figuring this out, the anger surging up in Qin Ming’s chest became even more intense. He took a deep breath but still could not help saying to the conflicted You Rui, “Whether you speak or not is your right. We will not force you to reveal your wounds. I know you must have suffered unimaginable pain before, so it is all right if you do not wish to speak.”

“But I can promise you this. If you are willing to tell us the villains’ identities, I will make them pay the price they deserve and avenge you. Are you willing to trust us?”

Such considerate words made You Rui unable to help raising her eyes and staring blankly at Qin Ming. Even Chen Lue subconsciously turned his head to look at the Cult Leader.

At the same time, they saw earnestness and resolve on that face. They saw determination that would never compromise. Even Chen Lue almost fell into a daze and lost himself in those clear eyes. You Rui, meanwhile, stopped trembling. A line of clear tears merely slid from the corner of her eye, and she could not stop herself from sobbing aloud. “I’m scared... I’m really so scared, Auntie Wang...”

Auntie Wang hurriedly hugged the child in distress. You Rui had not had a mother since she was little. Ever since she disappeared and returned to the village, rumors and gossip had been everywhere, and her father no longer acknowledged her either. Only Auntie Wang felt sorry for this girl and took care of her at every turn. Hearing You Rui cry now made her heart ache even more, and she comforted her again and again. “Good girl, don’t be scared, don’t be scared. If you don’t want to say it, then don’t say it, Madam You. Let’s just live our own life well. It’s enough that you came back!”

“...No. I want to say it.” But after crying for a long time, You Rui wiped away her tears and said firmly, “They locked me in that iron prison where the sun never shines. Beside me were many women and children like me. They were not as lucky as I was. Right now, only I can save them. I’ll speak. I’m willing to speak!”

With tear-filled eyes, You Rui looked at Qin Ming. “Thank you, young master. If I tell you, please be sure to rescue those innocent people who were abducted!”

“Certainly.” Qin Ming could not help letting out a relieved breath. It seemed this matter would finally have a clue.

You Rui took a few deep breaths before slowly beginning to recount, “My family is poor. Ever since I was young, I would gather medicinal herbs in the mountains and sell them for money. Seven days ago, while I was gathering herbs as usual, someone suddenly knocked me unconscious. When I woke up, I had been locked inside a cage.”

As though recalling that period of the past, You Rui’s body trembled slightly once more. She hugged Auntie Wang beside her tightly and said with difficulty, “There were many people like me inside. They had all been knocked unconscious and brought in. I could hear wails coming from the prison doors not far away, and I also heard people whispering about using hearts as medicinal catalysts...”

She rolled up her sleeve, revealing an arm covered in scars. Auntie Wang sucked in a breath, only to hear You Rui choke out, “I was quite lucky. When it was my turn, they said they could try using fresh blood as the medicinal catalyst, as if they were going to refine some kind of Blood-Replenishing Pill? So they only drained my blood. Someone said blood could be used repeatedly, so they did not take my life.”

“But the others were not as fortunate as me. Some had both eyes dug out. Some had a piece of flesh carved away. Most could not be treated and died in agony... The ground was filled with wailing.”

Hearing this, even though Qin Ming had prepared himself, he could not help revealing a look of disgust and shock. Just from You Rui’s description, he could tell how vile those criminals were. They were actually using human bodies to refine pills.

...Wait, pill refinement?

He had been hearing that term rather frequently lately.

Qin Ming subconsciously looked toward Chen Lue, only to see that Chen Lue had also furrowed his brows gravely. He continued asking You Rui, “Then how did you escape?”

“I had hidden a hairpin. In my despair, I wanted to use the hairpin to escape the cage, but beneath the stone bricks in the corner, I actually discovered a hidden door that someone had dug out at some point! I escaped by following the hidden door and a small path. Although I woke some of the criminals too, their martial arts seemed not to be very good. I hid quietly in the grass until late at night, then seized the chance to run.”

When speaking of this, You Rui also felt fortunate and found it unbelievable.

Had someone not dug the secret passage in advance, she would never have been able to escape and tell others the whole truth. But who exactly was that person, and why had they dug the secret passage? Everything remained unknown.

Qin Ming could not help asking further, “Then, when you escaped along the way, did you learn those criminals’ identities?”

“This...” You Rui hesitated, then thought for a moment and shook her head. “I was too afraid at the time. I don’t remember.”

Qin Ming immediately felt greatly regretful, but after all, when people were frightened, they could not take in any information. He was not surprised.

Instead, Chen Lue suddenly stepped forward. He slowly toyed with the thumb ring on his left hand and added once more, “Think carefully. You should already have seen it. Along the route you escaped, you should have seen it many times. It could be someone’s face. It could be someone’s clothing. It could also be furnishings, or perhaps... some kind of pattern. As long as you recall it carefully, you will surely notice some traces.”

Chen Lue’s eyes grew deep, guiding You Rui’s thoughts as though leading the way.

Under his words, You Rui’s memories seemed to truly return to the night she escaped. She saw many men in gray robes coming after her, shouting, “We absolutely can’t let her get away! The secret of our sect must never get out!”

“Hurry, hurry! The medicinal catalyst escaped! Her blood still needs to be used to refine the Blood-Replenishing Pills required by Little Hong Sect! Without her, our deal will fall through!”

Her vision spun wildly. She seemed to see a stone lion, and she saw a banner symbolizing the seven stars. Seven stars were linked together, arranged into a beautiful pattern.

Listening to her fragmented account, Qin Ming’s expression changed involuntarily. Seven stars linked in a chain? A pill-refinement transaction?

It seemed... among today’s sects, only Yantian Sect, one of the Five Great Sects... used the Seven-Star Chain as its symbol!

That couldn’t be right... Yantian Sect was connected to the disappearance case? That was a famous orthodox sect of great renown!

Qin Ming’s mind nearly stopped turning. He felt a shock as though his entire worldview had been overturned. While he was finding the whole thing unbelievable, the corners of Chen Lue’s mouth curved upward ever so slightly, almost imperceptibly. Very quickly, he spoke again calmly. “This amount of evidence alone seems insufficient. Since you escaped, miss, you naturally also know where that underground prison is. Would you be able to act as our guide and lead us there to rescue people?”

“This...” You Rui showed hesitation. She could overcome the fear in her heart and speak of her experiences during this period of time, but she did not dare return to that nightmare-like place at all. Just thinking of it made her start breathing in great, rapid gasps like a drowning person, unable to free herself.

“You only need to lead us near the underground prison.” Chen Lue softened his tone. “It will not be now, either. We also need to gather manpower before going to the rescue. In addition, we will send people specifically to protect you. There is no need to worry about your safety.”

Seeing that You Rui was still somewhat hesitant, Chen Lue mentioned lightly, “There seem to be many rumors about you in the village, miss...”

This sentence made You Rui’s body suddenly tremble, and her complexion rapidly worsened. Clearly, she also knew very well how ugly the villagers’ rumors about her were, leaving her ashamed to face anyone.

“If you can lead us to the underground prison, then once the whole truth is revealed, the villagers will naturally understand what happened to you, won’t they?”

Therefore, when Chen Lue spoke to her as though tempting her, You Rui’s eyes instantly filled with hope, and she could not help nodding. “I... I’m willing to lead the way!”

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