Puppets and guards dressed in the robes of the Demon Sect stood at the archway. Both the guards and the puppets were completely still, having already been subdued by Yui Qingchen.
Li Qingxian gazed toward the archway. The layout inside looked just like a prison, with large doors lining both sides of the corridor.
"The rest of you, wait here."
After speaking, Yui Qingchen’s body flickered and split into three cyan phantoms. They each entered one of the three archway corridors and returned a moment later.
"There’s no danger here. There were some Little Demons, but I’ve subdued them. This place... is indeed a Demon Chamber." Yui Qingchen struggled to remain calm, but her voice wavered slightly.
With grim expressions, the group followed Yan Shixiao’s orders to split up and investigate. He and Zhou Chunfeng went toward the archway directly ahead.
Li Qingxian followed them, entering the archway and proceeding down the corridor until he reached the first door.
Twelve Yellow Talismans were affixed to the surface of the black wooden door, with a small hole left in the center.
Li Qingxian squinted and peered inside. He saw figures with disheveled hair nailed to the walls in a circle.
Thin trickles of fresh blood ran from their bodies down the wall, following strange channels into a pool of blood at the center of the room.
The pool of blood was bubbling.
The source of the bubbling, he realized, was a person’s nose.
A person was lying face-up in the pool of blood.
From beneath the surface, a pair of deathly pale eyeballs slowly turned to look at him.
Li Qingxian hastily pulled away from the peephole.
Li Qingxian continued to the second door and peered through its peephole. A single glance sent a paralyzing numbness through his entire body, and he quickly jerked away.
The room was filled with countless snakes, rats, and insects, all writhing and burrowing frantically. People were huddled in the corners, with swarms of creatures crawling in and out of their orifices and all over their bodies.
Li Qingxian shook his head slightly, but he couldn’t erase the image of the teeming masses of insects crawling in and out of people’s eyes and nostrils.
Li Qingxian walked on. After a moment’s hesitation, he looked through the peephole of the third door.
Pregnant women lay on beds, face up, covered by white quilts with red stripes.
Beneath the quilts, their bulging abdomens writhed slowly, as if a great serpent were coiled within each one.
Each woman was softly humming an unknown nursery rhyme.
Li Qingxian felt his blood run cold.
"Qingxian, you should go back outside," Zhou Chunfeng said. He stood before the fourth door, his right fist clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palm.
"He’s right. We don’t want to frighten the boy," Yan Shixiao added.
Both men’s faces were ashen, their eyes haunted.
Jingg Guan quickly said, "I’ll go with Qingxian." Without another word, he grabbed Li Qingxian’s sleeve and started pulling him toward the exit.
Li Qingxian’s mind was reeling, the scenes from the dungeon flashing repeatedly in his head. When he was finally out of the study and saw the sunlight, a wave of warmth washed over him, and he let out a long sigh of relief.
Jingg Guan whispered, "I’d heard rumors before, but I never really believed them. Now that I’ve seen it with my own eyes, I finally understand why the high officials lose all composure and grind their teeth whenever the Demon Chamber, the Dead Demon Land, or the Demon Sect are mentioned. I used to think those pedantic scholars were just trying to eliminate their rivals, but now I get why so many people throw themselves, wave after wave, at the Demon Sect Cultivators as if they have a death wish."
"I don’t understand," Li Qingxian whispered.
"And you shouldn’t. You’re still young. Once you’ve seen more, you’ll get it. Some beings look like people, but they aren’t," Jingg Guan said.
"I can understand Cultivation. I can understand poison. I can understand a lot of things. I can even understand certain individuals doing certain things. But what I don’t understand is why, when something this widespread, this long-term, this frequent, involving so many people, is happening, all the major powers just turn a blind eye and a deaf ear! Don’t those high-and-mighty officials know? If they let the Demon Sect continue, what if they concoct an uncontrollable Demon Poison? What if an invincible Demon is born? Doesn’t that mean the entire Human Race could be wiped out?"
"How would we Little Eunuchs, who only know how to scheme and backstab, understand such things?" Jingg Guan replied.
"Why can’t we just rip the lid off, lance the wound, and drain the pus to save the Human Race from destruction?" Li Qingxian asked.
"The thoughts of a child, always so direct."
"So, are we just supposed to stand by and watch?" Li Qingxian asked.
Jingg Guan fell silent.
Han Anbo walked over and asked quietly, "Qingxian, are you all right?"
"Brother Han, you must have known about the Demon Chamber, right?" Li Qingxian asked.
Han Anbo froze for a second before nodding slowly.
"Then why does the entire imperial court, all its ministers and dignitaries, know the Demon Chamber exists and yet do nothing?"
Han Anbo opened his mouth, then sighed. "I don’t understand either."
"I thought there was nothing you didn’t know," Li Qingxian said, staring blankly into the distance.
Han Anbo’s Adam’s apple bobbed, but he didn’t speak.
Yan Shixiao and Zhou Chunfeng didn’t emerge until evening. Their faces were deathly pale, and their eyes were filled with a fine mesh of blood vessels, like crimson spider webs.
Zhou Chunfeng said, "Qingxian, take the team and head back. Leave the rest to us."
His voice was ten times hoarser than usual.
"Uncle Zhou, can’t this lid be lifted?" Li Qingxian asked.
Zhou Chunfeng and Yan Shixiao both turned to look at him.
"Patience. Some things aren’t that simple," Zhou Chunfeng said.
"I think it could be very simple," Li Qingxian countered.
Zhou Chunfeng pointed back toward the study. "The people of the Demon Sect also thought this was very simple."
"I don’t understand," Li Qingxian said.
"Then you’d better learn," said Zhou Chunfeng.
Yan Shixiao said, "Let’s go. The Internal Factory is taking over this place. We still have to write a report for the Emperor."
Li Qingxian returned with his team. He took no further part in the operations against the Demon Sect, instead focusing on his Cultivation while keeping a close watch on how events unfolded.
The entire Divine Capital became the eye of a hurricane, and the source of the storm was the resurrected King of Jiangcheng.
Li Qingxian kept making inquiries, but no matter who he asked, no one mentioned the Demon Sect’s Demon Chamber.
It was as if the entire world believed the King of Jiangcheng was more important than the Demon Chamber.
’Or perhaps, most people simply don’t know the Demon Chamber exists.’
「Three days later.」
The Night Guards who had been arrested by the Ministry of Justice began to return. Hex Lei knew Li Qingxian had been instrumental in their release and was immensely grateful. He offered to host a banquet in thanks, but Li Qingxian declined for the time being, saying he was too busy.
「A few more days passed.」
A Holy Decree shook the world.
The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice had colluded with the Demon Race to poison the King of Jiangcheng. The sentence: immediate execution.
He was the first Third-Grade Official to be summarily executed since the Demon Sect began to gain influence in the court.
The Night Guard headquarters erupted in cheers. Han Anbo, Yur Ping, and Zheng Gaojue rushed into Room A9 to tell Li Qingxian the news.
Li Qingxian just gave a nonchalant smile and asked, "Is there any news about the Demon Chamber?"
The three of them shook their heads.
"So the higher-ups are still working together to keep a lid on it," Li Qingxian said slowly.
"These things take time," Han Anbo said.
Li Qingxian nodded.
"So the Ministry of Justice has caved?" Li Qingxian asked.
"For now, yes. But who knows what they’re plotting in the shadows. The Demon Sect has always preferred to strike from the darkness, just as the Evil Sect is so good at putting on a respectable front," Han Anbo said.
"I don’t care about that anymore," Li Qingxian said, gazing out the window. "Brother Han, Yur Ping, Gao Jue, I’m planning to leave the Divine Capital for Jiangnan. What about you?"
"Huh?" Yur Ping and Zheng Gaojue looked completely baffled.
Han Anbo’s expression was complicated. He finally let out a soft sigh. "It might be good to lay low for a while. If certain people took notice of what you’ve been doing lately, it would be too dangerous. Wait until your Grade Level is higher, then come back to the Divine Capital. The waters in this city run too deep."
"I hear Jiangnan has a lot of good food..." Yur Ping said, his face full of longing.
Zheng Gaojue’s lips twitched. "My father’s health isn’t what it used to be, so I’m reluctant to leave the Divine Capital. Then again, he would probably want me to follow you, sir, even to Jiangnan."
"There’s plenty of time. It’ll probably be around the Cyan Cloud Examination. You can take your time to think about it," Li Qingxian said.
"I’m in," Yur Ping said, his mind made up.
The three of them laughed.