Just then, Zheng Changguo’s voice came from beside him: “Young Friend Lu, any leads?”
Lu Chen snapped back to attention and slowly shook his head: “Not yet.”
“Then let’s go talk outside.” Zheng Changguo waved his hand, and the group followed him out of the room.
Before leaving, Lu Chen caught a glimpse of several magical artifacts hidden in the corners of the room, their divine light flickering faintly. Presumably, these were the very instruments temporarily suppressing the miasma on Madam Zheng’s body.
They returned to the living room on the first floor and each took off their masks.
Secretary Fan served tea.
Old Zheng forced a smile: “Young friend, do you find it challenging?”
Lu Chen pondered for a moment, then spoke candidly: “I’ve truly never seen anything like Madam’s condition. Judging by the miasma radiating from her, it looks like some kind of pestilence.”
Old Zheng let out a long sigh: “They say it’s a plague, yet it doesn’t spread. They say it’s an ordinary illness, yet no medicine can cure it. To be honest with you, before you came, no fewer than a hundred spiritualists who enshrine the Medicine Immortal had come to examine her. Even the imperial physicians from the palace were helpless. Later, the Astronomical Bureau divined her fate and concluded that the root cause was ‘Heavenly Murderous Intent.'”
As he spoke, his eyes reddened slightly, and his voice carried a trace of a choke: “But as long as my wife is still alive, I won’t give up. No matter how great the cost, I’m willing to pay it.”
Secretary Fan quietly explained: “The leader and Madam have a deep bond—fifty years of mutual devotion. Ever since Madam fell ill half a year ago, the leader has been consumed by worry, tears streaming down his face day and night. You see how thin he is now? But half a year ago in Qianjiang City, he was famous for his vigorous vitality—City Lord Yu can attest to that.”
Yu Feng nodded in agreement: “Back then, the leader was in even better shape than I am.”
Old Zheng waved his hand with a bitter smile: “When calamity strikes a family, some changes are inevitable.”
Lu Chen listened in silent awe.
He hadn’t expected this white-haired, gaunt old man to have deteriorated so drastically in just six months—clearly, he had been suffering immensely during this time.
He pressed further: “Old Zheng, aside from determining that Madam was afflicted by Heavenly Murderous Intent, did the Astronomical Bureau provide any other leads? From what I know, three departments are responsible for executing Heavenly Murderous Intent—the [Tai Sui Department], the [Pestilence Department], and the [Smallpox Department]. Judging by Madam’s condition, it doesn’t seem like the [Tai Sui Department]’s work—it looks more like the handiwork of the [Pestilence Department] and the [Smallpox Department].”
At these words, all three—Zheng Changguo, Secretary Fan, and Yu Feng—showed expressions of surprise.
Old Zheng couldn’t help but remark: “I never expected Young Friend Lu to have such extraordinary insight at such a young age.”
Lu Chen smiled faintly, thinking to himself: This isn’t my skill—it’s just that I have connections up above.
With insider information like that, how could I possibly be “ordinary”?
Zheng Changguo nodded: “Correct. After the Astronomical Bureau’s calculations, they also suspected the [Pestilence Department] and the [Smallpox Department] were involved. Over these past six months, I’ve tried every method I could—and even some I shouldn’t have—all to no avail.”
Lu Chen was puzzled: “What do you mean by ‘methods you shouldn’t have’?”
Secretary Fan and Yu Feng immediately tensed up, as if to stop him from saying more.
But Zheng Changguo waved his hand: “It’s fine. Since I’ve asked Young Friend Lu for help, I should be honest with him.”
Only then did the two relax.
Zheng Changguo’s gaze suddenly sharpened as he fixed his eyes on Lu Chen:
“Have you ever heard of the Rakshasa Cult?”
The Rakshasa Cult again?
Lu Chen instinctively glanced at Yu Feng.
Zheng Changguo caught this keenly and smiled faintly: “It seems you’re already familiar with them. The Rakshasa Cult was formerly known as the Five Gu Cult, and they worship an evil god called the [Mysterious Gu Ancestor]. This entity is said to possess immense power—according to legend, as long as you worship it, your cultivation can advance by leaps and bounds. That’s why the cult is filled with experts. The cult has been passed down for centuries and has been suppressed time and again, yet always resurfaces—a persistent headache for the imperial court.”
“At the time, the Astronomical Bureau’s prophecy indicated that the immortals and gods triggering the Heavenly Murderous Intent came from the [Smallpox Department] and the [Pestilence Department]. Since I couldn’t find a solution through orthodox means, I had no choice but to take a risky approach—attempting to use poison to fight poison.”
At this point, Zheng Changguo’s tone turned somber: “So I asked someone to invite an elder of the Rakshasa Cult to examine my wife, hoping to use the Five Gu techniques to buy her a sliver of a chance.”
What?!
Lu Chen’s heart shook upon hearing this.
A former regional governor of such high stature—resorting to an evil god?
But on second thought, if your beloved wife of fifty years were hanging by a thread, anyone would probably try anything.
It showed just how desperate the situation had become.
Zheng Changguo composed himself and continued: “That elder did have some skills. Although the Five Gu techniques couldn’t cure her, they did slow down the progression of the Heavenly Murderous Intent.
“If not for that, I’m afraid my wife would already be nothing but bones in a grave. However, she also made it clear that this method could only delay the illness.
“For a true cure, we would have to find someone even more capable. After that, she vanished without a trace.”
Lu Chen suddenly jolted awake.
No wonder he thought the yin-green aura around Madam Zheng looked familiar—it was strikingly similar to the appearance of that red-spotted demoness when she transformed back then.
So it was the Rakshasa Cult’s doing.
Yu Feng interjected: “Was the elder you sought one of the Four Elders—Zeng Rou?”
Zheng Changguo nodded: “Exactly. By the way, I heard the Rakshasa Cult was routed by the Demon-Suppression Army, and Feng Tianhua and the others were executed—truly satisfying news.”
Yu Feng chuckled: “It’s a pity Zeng Rou and Wang Zhidong escaped. Although Zeng Rou’s combat ability is mediocre, she’s exceptionally skilled in managing the cult’s affairs. If left to her own devices, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Rakshasa Cult rose from the ashes in twenty or thirty years.”
Zheng Changguo mused: “Xiao Feng, I’m not trying to defend her, but from my interactions with her, despite being a Rakshasa Cult elder, Zeng Rou’s temperament wasn’t as ruthless as Feng Tianhua’s and the others—quite the opposite, actually. And she only demanded a single fifth-grade heavenly treasure, ‘Withered Heart Grass’—a fairly reasonable price.”
Yu Feng nodded: “She must have used it to make offerings to the [Mysterious Gu Ancestor]. I heard she was promoted to elder only a few years ago, so perhaps she hasn’t sunk too deep into evil yet. Hopefully, this blow will make her see the light and turn back.”
After the two finished speaking, Zheng Changguo turned to Lu Chen: “We’ve digressed. Forgive me, young friend.”
“No problem.” Lu Chen waved his hand, but he still had a question: “Old Zheng, since you already sought out the Rakshasa Cult, why didn’t you just directly worship the gods of the [Smallpox Department] and the [Pestilence Department]? Wouldn’t that have been more straightforward?”
“Well…” Old Zheng was at a loss for words.
Yu Feng quickly whispered in a hushed, reproachful tone: “What nonsense are you talking about! Who in their right mind would worship the God of Plague? Besides, given Old Zheng’s status, going to the Rakshasa Cult in secret was already a last resort. Worshiping the Plague God in broad daylight—how would that look? You have to consider personal image, don’t you understand? And what temple would even dare to enshrine those two departments’ gods? Would the public accept that? And to take it even further—have you ever seen anyone beg an assassin to spare their target?”
Lu Chen scratched his head: “Why wouldn’t that work?”
Yu Feng: “…”
Secretary Fan laughed awkwardly to ease the tension: “Young Friend Lu is young and talented—his ideas are certainly more… lively than ours.”
Seeing this, Lu Chen decided not to argue further. The rules of this circle were indeed hard to judge.
Forget it. I’ll just focus on my own work.
He suddenly stood up: “Old Zheng, I’ve got a general understanding of the situation. Please arrange a quiet room for me—I need to get to work!”
Zheng Changguo stood up as well: “Do you already have a plan, young friend?”
Lu Chen’s expression remained calm: “Not yet. Let me ask around first.”
“Ask?” Zheng Changguo was taken aback: “Well, why don’t you eat something first?”
“No need. I’m not hungry yet.”
“Alright then, Mr. Lu, please follow me!” Zheng Changguo personally led the way, bringing Lu Chen to the study: “Rest assured, Mr. Lu—no one will disturb you without your permission.”
“Thank you, Old Zheng!”
Lu Chen locked the door from the inside, looked around the elegant study, and found it to be an excellent place for focused practice.
Without further hesitation, he took out his Qilin Blade and the Tengyun wood.
“Old King Yan, it’s your turn to shine!”
As wood shavings flew, the outline of King Yan’s image gradually took shape.
But cold sweat began to bead on Lu Chen’s forehead.
“Damn, I didn’t expect this image-making to be so draining—both mentally and in terms of mana!”
He was only halfway done, and at least thirty percent of his mana was already depleted.
If it weren’t for the [Huai Lan Ding Tiao] ability keeping him steady, he probably wouldn’t have made it even halfway.
At this moment, Lu Chen truly understood the pain Chen Tiansheng must have endured when he made that statue of Lord Money God.
And remember—that was a real, full-fledged statue capable of bestowing blessings.
Small as it was, the making of it must have been agony—like having your very marrow sucked dry!
Pain!
So much pain!
Twenty minutes later, the simplified version of King Yan’s divine image was finally completed.
Lu Chen was already drenched in sweat, his mana severely depleted.
Fortunately, the [Huai Lan Ding Tiao] ability restored his energy quickly. He immediately began to circulate his inner energy and meditate to recover.
Meanwhile, in the living room, silence hung heavy, the atmosphere tense.
Secretary Fan couldn’t help but whisper: “City Lord Yu, what exactly is Young Friend Lu planning to do? Is he really going to find a solution just by locking himself in the study?”
Yu Feng was equally baffled and could only shake his head: “I… I don’t know either.”
Zheng Changguo said in a low voice: “No rush. We’ve waited this long—a little longer won’t hurt.”
He glanced up toward the second floor, his eyes deep and tinged with sorrow.
To be honest, Lu Chen’s performance so far had surprised him slightly, but deep down, he still felt the odds were slim.
After all, he had been disappointed too many times over the past six months—he had grown numb to it.
Besides, the gods Lu Chen served had absolutely nothing to do with his wife’s illness.
All these factors made it hard for Zheng Changguo to build any confidence.
Sigh… one step at a time, I suppose.
He let out a silent sigh.
A short while later, inside the study, Lu Chen—now recovered—sprang to his feet, lit some incense, and began chanting an incantation toward the divine image.
In an instant, the once-bright study was shrouded in thick black smoke, all light extinguished.
Above the image, dark thunder rumbled, forming a colossal phantom of King Yan.
“Oh~ and who do we have here? If it isn’t the mighty and virtuous General Weiwu Zhengde!”
King Yan’s teasing voice echoed.
Without a word, Lu Chen dropped to his knees with a thump, clasped his fists, and cried out in a miserable tone:
“Godfather! Your child is in deep trouble!!”
