Chapter 357: Chapter 309: Unexpected Change
After a series of turns, Yang Xiao finally returned to Rongcheng by noon, had a simple meal, washed up, and lay down on the bed. He hadn’t closed his eyes for a whole day and night, and by all logic, he should have been very tired, but while his body was fatigued, his mind was exceptionally active.
The moment he closed his eyes, images flashed through his mind: the Drama Robe, the Human Bone Staff, Huang Sanbing, Yanhe Tian, the Staff Killing Elder, Mo Daidai, and the face of Nalan Shuo.
Too many things had happened recently. He briefly sorted out his thoughts, focusing on two urgent matters. The first was the weird stone idol in Mo Daidai’s hands. That thing was extremely sinister, and if all went well, he would soon enter the Nightmare World with Tong Han.
The second was the ghost image hidden within the Soul-Capturing Mirror. For now, he could think of two solutions. The first was to leverage the power of the previous owner of the Drama Robe. As it stood, the former owner of the robe also wanted something from him and planned to use him to carry out her tasks. As long as he complied, his life was temporarily not in danger.
The second solution was to capture a high-level official of the Yu Yuan Sect. The Second Honored One held the Soul-Capturing Mirror in high regard and surely knew its secrets.
Beyond these two issues, there was the question of the true identities and allegiances of Nalan Shuo and Lu Youdao. What were they planning to do with so many high-level Evil Cultivator Grudge Eyes? Were they intending to produce an army of heretic cultivators and form their own dark force?
Moreover, these two had clashed fiercely with another group in Xiang Ma Town. Three Ghost Slaves merely watched and dared not intervene, and in the end, someone wearing a ’You’ character mask appeared. This indicated that Nalan Shuo also possessed a mask gifted by the brothel, and its level wouldn’t be low, at the very least a Character "Li" High-Grade Mask, and it was not excluded that he may have even touched the threshold of a You-Level Mask.
However, that was also understandable considering he was a Chief Level Chief at the Patrol Defense Office, with status and ability on display. Nalan Shuo could and would want to do much more than Yang Xiao himself.
As for Lu Youdao, he was no ordinary person either. When he escaped from the Yu Yuan Sect, he killed two Venerable Ones. His strength surpassed Yang Xiao’s by a wide margin, and it was likely that even if he and Tong Han joined forces, they would not be a match for Lu Youdao.
But that was the Lu Youdao of the past. His current strength was uncertain. Yang Xiao learned from Du Guguishan, the deputy chairman of the Chamber of Commerce who was silenced by him, that today’s Lu Youdao looked very different from ten years ago, and even the Yu Yuan Sect couldn’t confirm whether this person was the same defector from back then.
Yang Xiao suspected that a lot had happened to Lu Youdao over the years, and the most likely cause of his ghostly appearance now was the backlash from the Resentful Eye.
Lu Youdao must also possess a high-level Evil Cultivation Grudge Eye. Next time he encountered Lu, he would closely observe him.
After thinking too much about others and returning to thoughts of himself, Yang Xiao felt a sense of unreality. He wasn’t even sure of his own identity at this point. On the surface, his identity was naturally the Captain of the Patrol Defense Office’s Investigation Team, with meritorious service to his name, young and promising with a bright future ahead. But if being in possession of an Evil Cultivator Grudge Eye made one an Evil Cultivator, then he was indeed a Great Heretic Cultivator. With the equipment he had, even Venerable Level heretic cultivators would have to address him as a senior.
To give a more vivid example, if Beibei caught him, she might be able to get a promotion to Deputy Chief the next day.
As Yang Xiao lay on the bed, lost in his thoughts, his cellphone suddenly rang. It was a call from Nalan Shuo, and Yang Xiao did not dare delay, promptly answering the phone.
Upon learning that Yang Xiao was asleep in his apartment, Nalan Shuo immediately notified him to come to the Patrol Defense Office for a meeting. By the tone of his voice, it seemed to be an urgent conference.
Not wanting to tarry, Yang Xiao got ready and left. Before leaving, he didn’t forget to hide the Character "Li" Mask and the two new rolls of silver paper he had purchased into the Mirror World. Just to be safe, he placed the mask inside a silver box and then wrapped the box tightly with the silver paper.
Upon arriving at the Patrol Defense Office, Huang Qiang was already waiting for him at the door of the office. Seeing Yang Xiao’s arrival, he immediately took him to the meeting room. As per usual, they confiscated his cellphone before he went in.
As he pushed open the door, he saw that the meeting room was already filled with many people. Nalan Shuo was seated at the head of the table, and many of the faces were unfamiliar.
Yang Xiao noticed that three people were seated in the positions immediately to the left and right of Nalan Shuo. Two men and a woman, all of some age, their eyes and eyebrows unable to hide the traces of the years. Familiar faces like Beibei, Wu Zhe, Wu Zhengwu, and others were sitting further down in less prominent positions.
Yang Xiao immediately understood that these two men and one woman were the Chiefs of the three other Patrol Defense Offices around Rongcheng, aside from the Lin’an Patrol Office, and of course, they were Deputy Chiefs, a level below Nalan Shuo in rank.
After surveying the room, Yang Xiao silently took a seat next to Beibei’s empty chair. He could tell that this meeting was high-level, with the least ranking attendees being Deputy Team Leaders like Beibei. He wondered what significant event had occurred to warrant such a gathering.
Since joining the Patrol Defense Office, this was the first time Yang Xiao had seen such a grand assembly – the gathering of four Chiefs and their eight Captains and Deputy Captains. His first instinct was that there was going to be a significant move, likely due to the arrival of a powerful heretic cultivator, perhaps someone of Venerable Level or above.
Yang Xiao’s appearance immediately drew the attention of the other three Chiefs. For these Chiefs, it was their first encounter with the currently prominent Acting Team Captain.
"Everyone is here, let’s start the meeting," Nalan Shuo said, his hands crossed and resting on the table. He exuded a natural leadership aura as he swept his gaze across the room and said seriously, "I need to remind all those present that the content of today’s meeting is top secret. Anyone who leaks information will be punished severely."
