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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Found
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"Who!! Who is it!!!"
An extremely furious roar echoed throughout the entire cavern. That was Danyangzi's voice—this was the first time he had flown into such a rage.
Previously, when someone had escaped, Danyangzi hadn't gotten angry. Even when Li Huowang had unintentionally offended him with his words, he hadn't gotten angry.
But now, he was furious.
The atmosphere throughout the Clear Wind Temple grew extremely oppressive. Even the oil lamps hanging on the walls seemed much dimmer than usual.
Under Danyangzi's orders, everyone gradually gathered in the main hall for morning assembly.
The air was thick with the stench of blood. The chaotic corpses strewn across the ground proved that Danyangzi had unleashed his pent-up rage on some innocent people.
Killing eased his mood somewhat, but it wasn't enough. Far from enough.
"Splat~"
A lump of bloody flesh with a head attached slammed down in front of everyone.
It was the head from the flower vase that Li Huowang had smashed earlier. Death had dulled her rouge, and deep fear showed in her lifeless eyes.
"Who did this? Who sneaked into my room while I was refining pills!!"
Danyangzi's voice was now low and suppressed, like a lion on the verge of exploding.
"Step forward honestly right now, and this Daoist will give you a quick death. If I have to catch you myself later, heh heh! I'll make you kneel and beg this Daoist to kill you!"
The entire cavern fell deathly silent. Be they medicine ingredients, disciples, or boys, not a single person dared to move.
"Good! No one's confessing? Then I'll ask you one by one! Changming, Changren—what were you doing while I was refining pills earlier?"
The two disciples carrying long swords immediately saluted Danyangzi.
"Reporting to Master, we two guarded the Clear Wind Temple gates as per your orders, without slacking for a single moment!!"
The expressionless Danyangzi walked up to them, scrutinizing their faces in detail. Only after staring until cold sweat poured from them did he slowly turn aside.
"Xuanyuan! What about you?"
At that moment, Li Huowang standing beside Xuanyuan felt his heart clench. He knew he was next. He hurriedly psyched himself up inside: Hold steady! As long as he doesn't spot any flaws, victory is mine!
"Xuanyang! You're up. After delivering the medicine ingredients today, where did you go?"
The instant he heard this, Li Huowang blurted out, "This disciple was in the Material Room, preparing the pill materials Master will need next time."
"Is that so?"
Danyangzi approached. The nauseating stench from his body and the suffocating pressure made Li Huowang's body tense to its limit. He finally understood why the other senior brothers had sweated so profusely moments ago.
Time ticked by, second by second. Under the intense pressure, beads of sweat multiplied on Li Huowang's forehead.
Suddenly, the pressure eased. Just as he thought he'd dodged disaster, Danyangzi's voice rang out again.
"Did you people really see Xuanyang in the Material Room?"
Li Huowang glanced over. Danyangzi had come before Bai Lingmiao and the other medicine ingredients. He was addressing them.
"Think it over before you speak. Whoever helps me find the culprit—this Daoist will not only send him home, but also give him travel money."
These words made the remaining dozen or so disabled people in the Material Room widen their eyes instantly. They dreamed of going home, dreamed of escaping this hellhole.
"Master... Senior Brother Li was indeed with us at the time."
Sensing the crowd's wavering, Bai Lingmiao spoke up first.
Danyangzi stared deeply into her face.
"Oh? And the others?"
Gouwa's breathing grew rapid, his expression conflicted. In the end, he gritted his teeth, stamped his foot, and stepped forward.
"Um, Immortal Grandpa, I'll talk! That Xuanyang guy didn't come to the Material Room once today! It has to be him!"
Xuanyin, pale with fright amid the crowd, couldn't suppress a smirk tugging at his lips. He nearly laughed aloud—his life was saved.
Danyangzi glanced back at Li Huowang before slowly walking up to Gouwa. His right hand whipped around with a sharp "Slap!" right across Gouwa's face.
"Bullshit! This morning's medicine ingredients were delivered personally by Xuanyang! If he never went to the Material Room, where'd they come from? Are you courting death?"
Gouwa seemed utterly terrified. He dropped to his knees at once, snot and tears streaming as he kowtowed frantically.
"Immortal Grandpa, I was wrong! I was blinded by lard for a moment—that's why I lied."
The expressionless Danyangzi stared down at Gouwa, who was so scared he was on the verge of pissing himself. The next moment, he abruptly turned toward Xuanyin.
"What were you laughing about just now? Happy to see Xuanyang framed?"
These words made Xuanyin shudder violently. The immense pressure radiating from Danyangzi nearly suffocated him.
As Danyangzi slowly advanced on him, Xuanyin's expression grew ever more panicked—so much that even those nearby unaware of the truth could tell something was wrong.
The moment Danyangzi reached him, Xuanyin collapsed entirely, slumping to the ground. Yellow urine slowly seeped from beneath his Daoist robe's hem.
"Master! I didn't want to do it! Senior Brother Zhengkun forced me!!"
At these words, Zhengkun's face twisted savagely nearby. His feet slammed against the hard ground, and like a charging cheetah trailing afterimages, he bolted toward the cavern entrance.
"To think it's you!"
Danyangzi snorted coldly. His right hand flicked his Daoist robe, accompanied by the crisp "jingle jingle" of bells. A verdigris-covered copper coin tumbled to the ground, spinning like a top.
Just as Zhengkun seemed poised to escape the cavern, Danyangzi's cloth-shoed right foot snapped up and stomped down hard, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Crack!"
The copper coin shattered into four pieces in an instant, shards flying. It wasn't just the coin—distant Zhengkun met the same fate, torn asunder.
His limbs ripped clean off, as if drawn and quartered by five horses.
Devoid of limbs and bleeding profusely, Zhengkun shockingly hadn't died. He still writhed toward the entrance like a maggot of meat.
"Kid, you've been with me the longest—why'd it have to be you? I should've realized; only you could undo the restrictions in my room."
Danyangzi's ferocious foot came down on Zhengkun's head, halting his wriggling.
"Master... I... I was wrong, Master. I'm a useless cripple now—spare me this once!"
"Master, back when those Zhengde Temple monks were hunting us down, it was my two younger brothers who traded their lives for our escape! Master!"
Danyangzi's foot shifted slightly, grinding the purple-faced Zhengkun's features into the dirt and silencing him completely.
"Kid, you know what? This Daoist sees right through what you're thinking. You and those two brothers of yours—you're all ungrateful wolves that can't be tamed!!"
Danyangzi enunciated each word deliberately as his foot pressed down with ever greater force.
"Bam!"
With an explosive burst, a drop of viscous blood splattered onto Li Huowang's face.
(End of chapter)