abnabooks Chapter 118 Secrets
Chapter 118 Secrets
Murder and arson bring wealth and honor.
The Xuanzong sect was certainly much larger than this.
Lin Mu decided to search each room carefully.
The furnishings on the first floor were very simple, and he quickly searched the area but found nothing.
He squatted at the top of the stairs for a moment, then threw out a pebble to make sure no one was guarding the second floor before turning sideways and feeling his way up the wall.
He first placed his toes on the edge of the wooden board, and when the board stopped making a sound, he slowly shifted his weight onto it.
Every step felt like walking on thin ice; he deliberately minimized even the slightest rustling sound of his clothes brushing against the railing.
After going up to the second floor, he didn't rush to search. Instead, he stood against the wall for a while, adjusting to the darker darkness and confirming that there was indeed no one else on this floor.
He started by flipping through the most conspicuous bookshelf.
The files on the bookshelf were in disarray from being flipped through, and several booklets lay open on the table, the ink already dried.
He gently parted the booklets with his fingertips, flipping through them one by one, and then putting them back in their original places, trying not to change their original positions.
After browsing through the entire bookshelf, I found nothing of value.
He squatted down and opened the desk drawer.
The drawer was unlocked, and inside were only a few worn-out brushes and half a dried-up inkstone.
He pulled the drawer out completely and turned it over; there was nothing at the bottom.
After confirming that the second floor was empty, he relaxed his movements a little.
Walking to the iron cabinet in the corner, the cabinet door was ajar, and inside were several account books and a thick roll of Xuan paper.
He unfolded the Xuan paper, inside which was a secret letter folded into a neat square.
The secret letter was written on extremely thin and tough paper, and the ink was very faint and gradually fading.
Lin Mu quickly browsed through it.
"The Martial Arts Champion Blockade Plan continues. The portraits have been distributed to each branch. They must be compared one by one without omission."
"Anyone depicted in the portrait will either be recruited into the Xuanmen sect, dealt with on the arena, or dealt with off the arena."
"We must not allow any non-demon warrior to enter the palace examination. The ancient martial arts in the royal treasury must fall into the hands of Xuanzong."
Tucked beneath the secret letter was a stack of Xuan paper containing portraits of numerous martial artists.
One of the paintings depicts the profile of a young man, around eighteen or nineteen years old, with slightly high cheekbones, deep-set eyes, and very sharp lines at the corners of his mouth.
Below the portrait are the words "Lin Mu, a martial arts scholar from Heyuan County".
The back is stamped with the seal of the Seven Star Demon Eyes, and below the seal is a line of very small characters: "Distribute this portrait to all branch camps. Anyone who enters the martial arts examination, regardless of whether it is the county examination, prefectural examination, or metropolitan examination, shall be killed without exception. They shall not be allowed to enter the capital."
Others include Dong Yao, Li Fenghuang...
He folded the portrait and stuffed it into his sleeve pocket, then continued rummaging through the rest of the items in the iron cabinet.
The ledger recorded the allocation of Xuanmen's manpower and the trading of medicinal herbs in Qingzhou Prefecture. It was filled with dense numbers and dates. He flipped through a few pages and then put it aside.
After rummaging through the iron cabinet, he returned to his desk.
When I was looking through the drawer, I only looked at the bottom and didn't check the gap between the drawer and the table.
He crouched down and ran his fingers along the edge of the table, finding a tiny bump in the gap between the tabletop and the drawer.
Sure enough, they had the goods.
With a gentle push of his fingertip, a thin, concealed panel silently slid open, revealing a stack of neatly folded letters inside.
The edges of the first letter were already slightly yellowed, but the ink was still clear, and the handwriting was hasty and hurried.
"The matter of the Body Tempering Technique has been dragging on for too long. The old man from the Zou family won't say anything, so he's targeting all of his relatives."
"There are still dozens of members from the collateral branches of the Zou family scattered throughout Qingzhou. We can invite them one by one."
"If the Zou family of Qingzhou resists to the end, we will not hesitate to go to war with the Zou family of the capital. The higher-ups have already given their approval, so you just need to do it."
There was no signature at the end, only a tiny seven-star demon eye stamp.
He bent down and found a very thin and old booklet in the corner of the bottom drawer of the desk. The cover was so worn that the words were no longer legible.
Turning to the first page, one sees a neat array of tiny, densely packed characters.
He quickly flipped through the pages, his gaze suddenly stopping on one of them.
"To transform internal energy into condensed essence, one must absolutely not choose martial arts."
"Although drawing spiritual energy from heaven and earth into the body is quick, it can cause instability in the foundation. When martial arts practitioners reach the Gang Jin stage, they will suffer a backlash."
"Although the process of condensing the elixir in martial arts is slow, its advantage lies in its solid foundation, which relies entirely on one's own essence, energy, and spirit."
"This matter is of great importance and should not be known to too many people at this time. It should only be passed on to the core disciples."
Turning to the very end, a tiny folded note slipped out of the booklet.
"Imperial Edict: Recently, the celestial phenomena at the Tianji Pavilion have been unusual, and a great scholar may soon attain immortality."
"If this person succeeds in attaining enlightenment, literature and scholarship will surely flourish, and the academic atmosphere of the world will become even more vibrant."
"At that time, the argument that the demon race is showing weakness will be brought up again, and the saying that those who are not of our race are bound to have different hearts may gain momentum."
"I hereby order each branch to conduct a thorough investigation in advance of any teachers and writers within their jurisdiction who use heterodox theories to mislead people. Once identified, they shall be dealt with immediately, and no one shall be allowed to escape."
The note was accompanied by a list of names, with Liu Zongqing of Qingzhou Prefecture at the top. He had written "On Different Kinds," which began with the line, "Those who are not of our kind must have different hearts."
Next to it, two words were written in cinnabar: "Act quickly".
He folded all the letters and stuffed them into his sleeve pocket, then restored the hidden panel on the desk and pushed the drawer back in place.
But when they retreated, they found a small gap.
Lin Mu bent down to examine it further and discovered an even more secret letter.
He took out the secret letter, which was probably sent by an elder of the Xuanzong sect.
"Send the Golden-Winged Phoenix Beast Pattern and the Golden-Winged Phoenix Origin Mark back to the capital as soon as possible."
Lin Mu's hand trembled violently.
This letter surprised and delighted him.
He always had doubts about animal patterns.
The martial arts can replicate even the original mark, but it cannot replicate beast patterns, which he cannot understand.
Now we actually have the opportunity to acquire both at the same time and study and observe them.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
However, Xuanzong's strength was formidable, certainly not something a martial artist who had not yet condensed his core could compare to.
This matter requires careful consideration.
It is not advisable to linger here.
He put away the secret document, moved silently with his swift movements, and climbed from the second-floor window onto the roof.
Lying in the shadow of the roof ridge, I went through all the information I had received that night from beginning to end.
The first priority is the martial arts champion blockade plan, which aims to eliminate all non-demon descendants in the martial arts examinations. When the demon descendants enter the sects and participate in the palace examination, their overall strength will be further enhanced.
But can such a massive plan be accomplished by a single Xuanzong sect?
Of course, Lin Mu's biggest concern was that he was on the kill list.
The servant was following him not because the Xuanmen suspected him of killing Yu Mubai and the others, but because the Xuanmen would send someone to keep an eye on every person in a portrait.
In this way, his relationship with Emperor Xuanzong became one of irreconcilable enmity.
Therefore, they should not be allowed to obtain body-strengthening techniques.
The demon's bloodline is naturally strong, and if he obtains the Body Tempering Technique, it will be like adding wings to a tiger. At that time, he will die without a burial place.
In addition, martial arts cannot be chosen for condensing the elixir, and there is news that someone in the literary path is about to become an immortal; these are also very important pieces of information.