Chapter 480: Chapter 167: Using Seduction to Bewitch Daoist Priest Fan? Fan Wu Treated as Material! (10,000-word mega Chapter, subscribe please)_5
One in his early twenties.
One close to twenty.
One only in his teens.
This...
The Little Banner Officer from the Imperial Observatory and several regular members all felt like they had practiced their cultivation in vain!
The key point was.
The cultivation method they had been practicing, called the ’Divine Path of a Hundred Slaughters’, had been unconditionally offered to the Imperial Observatory of the Great Zhou Dynasty by the family of the daughter of the governor of Nanjun Prefecture.
Good grief! Not only were their natural talents for cultivation inferior to others, but the very skills they had learned also came from someone else’s family!
...
As time ticked by, second after second.
The mountains behind Neihai County.
They arrived!
The Imperial Observatory operatives were not dressed in the unique robes of their order; instead, they donned the appearance of ordinary folk, or rather, a group of people roaming the mountains.
Because their original intention was merely to scout the area, naturally, they needed to disguise themselves accordingly.
At this moment, gazing into the depths of the mountain behind them, toward a few scattered buildings, a member of the Imperial Observatory whispered, "I used to think these were just ordinary mountain hunters; who would have thought that such secrets lay hidden here."
"Sir, there are roughly more than twenty buildings inside, which indicates that there are at least twenty or more people living there. Perhaps even more, it’s highly possible that there are dozens!"
"Moreover, considering that among them there is a practitioner of the evil arts of witchcraft, it would be very difficult for us to approach."
Having gotten this far.
This member of the Imperial Observatory had a very grave expression as he continued his analysis, "And even, it’s possible that each of them knows a trick or two of witchcraft! In that case... the group of people deep in these mountains is all the more troublesome and dangerous!"
The Little Banner Officer from the Imperial Observatory nodded, "But if we don’t get close, we won’t discover anything significant. Later on, pair up and spread out."
"Remember to tread lightly as you advance, concealing your footsteps and traces."
"Don’t take this too lightly..."
The Little Banner Officer from the Imperial Observatory hadn’t finished his sentence when he suddenly heard a significant noise nearby. It seemed like someone was heading towards the buildings deep in the mountains without bothering to conceal the sound of their footsteps.
The Little Banner Officer was startled.
He quickly turned his head, wanting to reprimand his subordinates, only to find that the person causing the disturbance was not one of his men.
It was Daoist Fan Wu!
The Little Banner Officer from the Imperial Observatory hurriedly said, "Daoist Fan Wu, those bandits are very likely all cultivators who practice the art of witchcraft!"
His meaning was quite clear.
— This task is too risky; don’t be reckless!
"It doesn’t matter."
Without turning his head and with a hint of a smile, Daoist Fan Wu responded, "It’s even more interesting if they notice us beforehand."
The Little Banner Officer from the Imperial Observatory was dumbfounded.
Ah, what!
...
"Elder, did it... succeed?" In a thatched cottage building in the mountains behind Neihai County, a middle-aged man dressed no differently from the common people asked the elder before him timidly.
The elder appeared to be quite old, with a head full of snow-white hair, and his face bore numerous wrinkles and age spots.
His clothes, on the other hand, were somewhat different from those of the middle-aged man.
Or rather, the elder’s apparel was different from that of many people in the Great Zhou Dynasty.
The elder’s face held a hint of moroseness.
He spoke coldly, "It failed. It’s not so easy to cultivate a Gu Spirit."
"This..." The middle-aged man said worriedly, "Elder, we don’t have much time left. The Sect Hierarch gave us twenty years; within those twenty years, we must cultivate a Gu Spirit."
"Now, only the last five of those twenty years remain. If we still fail to cultivate a Gu Spirit within these five years, then..."
At this point, the middle-aged man didn’t dare continue speaking because the elder’s piercing, ominous eyes had fixed upon him, sending chills down his spine.
The elder’s tone was chilling, "Are you trying to tell this elder how to do his job?"
Startled, the middle-aged man quickly shook his head, "No... I, I just..."
"Humph!" The elder interrupted, "You must not forget who single-handedly established the Blood Gu Sect’s branch in this Neihai County out of nothing! In order to set up this branch, I almost died at the hands of a Taoist Priest!"
"For years, I’ve diligently fulfilled my duties; how have I failed the Sect Hierarch? In fifteen years, risking discovery by the Imperial Observatory and cultivators, I’ve used thousands of human lives, all to cultivate a Gu Spirit."
"Even if I have not yet cultivated a Gu Spirit, this doesn’t erase my dedication to the Blood Gu Sect! Do you understand?"
The middle-aged man certainly understood; he knew the elder was anxious and merely masking his anxiety with stern words.
But even though he could see this, he wouldn’t dare to point it out.
Because if he did...
The next one to sacrifice for the Blood Gu Sect wouldn’t be those common folk or impoverished refugees.
It would be him, the one who spoke too much!
The middle-aged man hastily nodded in agreement, "Elder, you’re right in your reprimand; I’ve been too anxious and agitated..."
The elder waved his hand dismissively, "The materials for cultivating the Gu Spirit are almost depleted. Remember not to lay hands on the people from Neihai County. A rabbit does not eat the grass around its burrow; these ignorant people from Neihai County help us dispose of some waste materials."
