Great Capital.

A copper pot, the charcoal fire blazing.

The dark red viscous liquid inside was boiling and bouncing.

A pair of ivory chopsticks reached in, stirred a few rounds, picked up a slice of dark red meat, lightly smelled it, then dipped it in some dry chili powder, and sent it into his mouth.

"Hmm... not bad, who seasoned this pork blood stew? It's good!" Yue Dewen laughed contentedly while patting his belly.

"You're quite impressive now, aren't you?" Sitting opposite him was an elder in black armor, who had been with him all along.

The elder wasn't eating hotpot, just casually sitting cross-legged.

Their surroundings were guarded, cold and solemn.

Only the copper pot in the middle was emanating steam.

"Look at the situation now, doesn't it resemble the current world?" Yue Dewen laughed, pointing at the hotpot.

"Heart of a wolf and lungs of a dog, I ate wolf's heart recently, today I'll try dog lungs. Sliced up, I must say, the taste is indeed good."

"The three great generals are the empire's pillars, they won't casually show inclination towards any side, now that you've ascended to the first leader's position, everyone is watching you," the armored elder said deeply, "The Five Kings aren't wolf-hearted, but in such a time, to not compete might lead to death. So tell me, who do you favor?"

"I haven't interacted much, how can I favor anyone?" Yue Dewen laughed, "Right now I'm busy reorganizing the Jixian Institute. Those bald monks from the Western Sect only know how to bring harm to His Majesty; now His Majesty's passing must be related to them!"

"Not even a hint?"

"How to give a hint without certainty?"

"Cunning old fox," the armored elder grumbled, "I supported you at the Snow Rainbow Pavilion for nothing."

"You and I join forces, invincible in the world. You're not just helping me, you're helping yourself too," Yue Dewen replied with a smile.

"Do you know your disciple? Forget Zhang Qingzhi, but what about the other one? You have high hopes for him, right?" the armored elder asked.

"That kid Zhang Ying is causing trouble everywhere, I barely have time to send people to extinguish fires." When this was mentioned, the smile on Yue Dewen's face vanished.

Replaced by a deep fatigue.

"Running around everywhere, can't catch him even if you chase, had I known this kid was so troublesome, I wouldn't have let him out."

"You've hidden Zhang Qingzhi away, now Zhang Ying has become everyone's target, do you know he's no longer in Qingchuan Prefecture?" the armored elder asked.

"I know, he went to Wushan Prefecture. The place is rich in talents and beautiful women, having more heirs there and coming back isn't bad either," Yue Dewen continued eating the meat from the copper pot, savoring it.

"So where is his cultivation of literature at now?"

"Uh..." Yue Dewen was stunned for a moment, "Let me check." He immediately took out a piece of dark purple metal token from his waist.

Pressed the token, the dragon head pattern's eye instantly lit up red.

Yue Dewen stared at the red light for a while.

Suddenly his expression changed.

"That damn kid! Didn't bring the token!"

"Do you know, there's a rumor outside that Zhang Ying was replaced at Cituogang Port, and isn't the real Zhang Ying anymore," the armored elder said deeply.

".... The token verifies, as long as it's nearby it can confirm its presence. Who still dares to rashly target Qiankun now? Those wastes of the Western Sect? Or that old sly Zhenyi?" Yue Dewen's expression turned sour.

He had been overly focused on the big picture, on strategic layouts, indeed somewhat neglecting the situation of his two disciples.

Immediately, he stood up, pacing back and forth a few times.

"Come here."

He suddenly shouted.

Swish!

Two dark shadows swiftly entered the hall, kneeling on one knee on the ground.

"What are the sect leader's orders?"

"Where is Mingyuan?"

"Still at Yueshan, hasn't returned."

"Then let Xinyue go to Qingchuan, find Qiankun's token, and bring it to Wushan Prefecture."

Yue Dewen was evidently a bit angry.

The token not only had the function to detect the cultivation of literature, but at critical moments it could sense Zhang Rongfang's safety and health.

Now he actually didn't bring it....

What does that mean?

Does he know the token's special function, trying to guard against him?

Or....

Yue Dewen recalled his old friend's reminder just now, feeling somewhat uneasy.

"Understood!"

The two quickly withdrew.

"Can Xinyue confirm Zhang Ying's identity?" the old friend asked from behind.

"Unable to, but the token can...." Yue Dewen didn't believe that such a clever person like Zhang Rongfang would fail to bring a token without reason.

The biggest reason for not bringing it could only be two.

"He must have discovered something, deliberately not bringing it...." He whispered.

"Your disciple seems to be hiding something all along," the armored elder spoke.

"Everyone has secrets, but as long as he still acknowledges me as his master, as long as he still wants to carry the token, he will always be my Great Dao Teaching Daoist!" Yue Dewen answered in a deep voice.

*

*

*

November 1188.

After the Spirit Emperor passed away, the Five Kings fought for supremacy, war erupted everywhere.

The Righteous Alliance took advantage of the chaos to rise, the flames of war instantly engulfed eleven provinces.

In a short half month, over a hundred revolutionary armies swarmed up.

Simultaneously, the legends about the three great secrets of the Eastern Sect spread rapidly.

Among them, two people mentioned in the three great secrets appeared within the revolutionary army — You Shifei, Xu Qingyou — who also took on key leadership positions.

As for the special secrets hidden within the great secrets, gradually spread through some mysterious channels.

In the same month, Great Dao Teaching dispatched experts in cooperation with Snow Rainbow Pavilion to suppress the rebellious armies in various places. Beheaded tens of thousands, achieving splendid results.

Wushan Prefecture, Songhe Temple.

Zhang Rongfang watched the Elder Pharmacist walk out from his master's room and hurriedly took a step forward.

"Pharmacist, dare I ask about the situation of the person inside?"

"The poison is troublesome, and the depleted vital energy also needs to be replenished." The pharmacist slightly shook his head.

Zhang Rongfang nodded.

"I'll have to trouble you further, Pharmacist."

"It's nothing. Being able to serve you, my lord, is an honor for an old man like me," the Elder Pharmacist replied kindly.

Zhang Rongfang asked about the source, type, and taboos of the poison.

Once everything was understood, he arranged for a gift and saw him off.

After visiting a few others, he returned to the main hall to hear Qingsu report on recent developments, as well as feedback from Ding Yu.

However, for some reason, Ding Yu had not responded at all.

"How have things been lately?" Zhang Rongfang sat down on the main seat, looking at Qingsu who was approaching.

"Everything around Wushan Prefecture is fine. However, in other parts of the Mountain Province, thirteen uprisings have broken out, led by local nobles without any trace of the Righteous Alliance. Most of them are led by the young generation. Their common trait is men who dearly love their wives, or women who dearly love their husbands.

And their partners are almost all core members of the uprising." Qingsu's investigative skills had improved significantly over the years.

"Additionally, based on the feedback from the Great Dao Teaching in other provinces, word has spread about how to kill the worshipped monster."

"...Is it the matter of the human specimens?" Zhang Rongfang asked quietly.

"Indeed. The scale of the uprising forces this time is far greater than before, and they no longer collapse at the slightest touch; rather, they are extremely resilient.

As for the circulated methods to kill the worshipped monster, we haven't got a clue yet, but we will continue to follow up and gather information."

"Good... what about the Wish Girl? How is the investigation going?" A name suddenly flashed in Zhang Rongfang's mind, but he quickly suppressed it. He continued to ask.

"We already have some results. Thirty of our people have fallen into a deep sleep, having been poisoned by some kind of hallucinogenic gas. They claimed that in their dreams, they saw the strange woman you mentioned."

Mentioning this, Qingsu shivered, her skin crawling with goosebumps. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

If not for Zhang Rongfang's explicit orders, she would never have discovered such bizarre happenings in Wushan Prefecture after being there for so long.

If she hadn't asked each one personally, she still wouldn't have believed it.

"What about the rest? I remember we deployed over a hundred people there, right?" Zhang Rongfang frowned.

"The rest..." Qingsu paused.

"What is it?" Zhang Rongfang's brows knitted. "Speak!"

"We just received news that over thirty people are missing, still unaccounted for, and as for the others... they've perished."

"Died!?" Zhang Rongfang's voice rose sharply. Although he had offered bounties and issued tasks to send people into Red Flame Gorge.

Even though most of those people weren't from Songhe Temple.

But... so many dead at once!? Those aren't chickens, but each one a skilled martial artist!

"How did they die?" Zhang Rongfang asked seriously.

"Most of the bodies fell victim to some small poisonous creatures, a few seemed like suicides," Qingsu quickly answered. "But you don't have to worry, we have secured the information and maps you needed."

"Is the antidote to the poison mist ready?"

"It is, and it works well, but it can't prevent the attacks inside from the poisonous creatures."

"Alright, that's enough, lead the way to Red Flame Gorge," Zhang Rongfang replied gravely.

"I want to see for myself what kind of dragon's lair this place really is...."

The Wish Girl had attacked him before, but from her previous performance, she didn't seem that powerful.

He had a premonition that if he wanted to truly understand the world of deities and idols.

Perhaps this time would be the best opportunity.

Immediately, Qingsu organized the personnel.

Zhang Rongfang went back to speak a few words with his master and the others, donned his equipment, carried various medicines, and personally headed toward Red Flame Gorge.

Leaving the urban area of Wushan Prefecture, he continued along a secluded mountain path, crossed two streams and a hillside.

Before the sun set, Zhang Rongfang and his party quickly arrived at the location of Red Flame Gorge.

A huge V-shaped gorge shrouded in pale yellow mist lay before them.

Just inhaling casually, one could feel a burning sensation in the lungs, clearly indicating the mist was toxic.

Zhang Rongfang's party, numbering over a hundred, comprised true experts from Songhe Temple, who had come to seal off the perimeter thoroughly.

"Bring the map," Zhang Rongfang said, extending his hand.

Immediately, someone handed him a hand-drawn map.

Unfolding the map, it clearly marked various small place names.

The entire Red Flame Gorge was divided into three parts.

'Red Forest Entrance, Valley Bottom, Flame Beast Creek.'

"Our people fell asleep at Flame Beast Creek," Qingsu explained.

"What about those who came out?" Zhang Rongfang asked, raising his head and looking at the fog with a visibility of less than three meters.

"All recuperating. However, I've spent heavily, and two people are willing to go back in. I've brought them here," Qingsu promptly replied.

"Well done!" Zhang Rongfang nodded.

Qingsu quickly picked out two women from the group.

Both women were tall and burly, with arms thicker than most men's.

Their faces were weathered, clearly from harsh backgrounds.

"Zhong Wang."

"Xu Siyi."

"Greetings, my lord."

The two women bowed respectfully toward Zhang Rongfang.

"No need for formalities, now lead the way to where you went last time," Zhang Rongfang said quickly.

"Yes."

The two women had evidently agreed long ago, as they immediately shouldered their bags and moved to the front.

Zhang Rongfang waved his hand, and a dozen others swiftly followed, carrying all sorts of supplies, and keeping pace with the women.

But no one noticed that the two women leading the way had a strange glint of blue in their eyes.