A peaceful night.
Outside the temple, there was only the sound of insects and wind blowing through leaves.
Not a single sound of interrogation entered the temple, as if no questioning had taken place the night before.
Wang Chuan and Li Zhuhua had also long finished their maps and annotations. After handing over the maps and key marked points to Chen Baiqing, the two found places to sit quietly and wait.
Chen Baiqing carefully studied the map, then picked up a pen to make a few additional marks. She stood before the map, her eyes gazing lightly as if lost in thought.
Until the morning sun rose, shining through the temple door.
Lu Lingyi pushed open the temple door and walked in alone, then cupped her fists:
"The tiger demon has been fully questioned. Its name is Shan Meng."
"A Foundation Establishment cultivation isn't considered low in this area, but it's nothing special inside Yunmeng Marsh. It can only operate on the fringes of Yunmeng Marsh and knows only demons of similar cultivation."
"As for the method of storing wish-power, according to the tiger demon's account, this technique is known to nearly every demon in Yunmeng Marsh. It's said that initially, someone—human or demon—deliberately carved this method in several places across Yunmeng Marsh."
"Over time, demons passed it down by word of mouth. It's no secret."
"According to the tiger demon, the villages within Yunmeng Marsh are far denser than those outside, but the wish-power and faith inside have all been divided among the great demons. A Foundation Establishment small demon like it can only collect wish-power on the outskirts."
"Rumor has it that the great demons can make the wish-power within Yunmeng Marsh extremely pure."
"Using this as a method, the great demons are genuinely willing to protect the common people. It wouldn't dare cause trouble inside Yunmeng Marsh."
"The identity of the leading great demon inside Yunmeng Marsh is unknown. Only its title is known—True Lord Changshan."
"True Lord Changshan oversees the most villages, and its cultivation is rumored to be on the verge of breaking through to the Integration realm."
"Among them, each of the higher-tier demon beasts has its own cave dwelling due to village distribution matters, guarding against each other as enemies."
"As for more information, this tiger demon only knows bits and pieces, half-guessing and half-making things up—not reliable."
"There's even less to know about human evil cultivators entering Yunmeng Marsh."
Chen Baiqing stored the map in her spatial ring, raised her eyes slightly, and looked at Lu Lingyi:
"We'll use it for now. Handle it appropriately—don't let ordinary demons see through anything."
"We'll decide the specifics after we go in and assess the situation."
"Junior Brother." Chen Baiqing paused.
Cui Hao immediately looked up:
"What are your orders, Senior Sister?"
Chen Baiqing's tone was calm:
"We'll inevitably need to interact with others once we're inside. You're the most skilled at this, so I'll leave it to you."
Since she had promised her master to bring Cui Hao out for training, it naturally wasn't about keeping him hanging behind her, sightseeing the whole way, and then going home to rest when the mission was done.
Training should look like training. There should be things he needs to do independently.
But starting with something Cui Hao was familiar with was still the right approach. As a senior sister, she still needed to provide proper care.
Cui Hao agreed readily:
"No problem, Senior Sister."
Chen Baiqing nodded lightly:
"Is everyone ready?"
Everyone replied in unison: "Yes."
Chen Baiqing stood and walked outside the temple, her voice steady:
"Drag that tiger demon along. Let's head into Yunmeng Marsh."
Yunmeng Marsh.
Green mountains and watery marshes, clouds and mist hiding beauty.
From outside, it seemed as though endless fog obscured this forest.
But once you were actually inside, you could see clearly—just a bit further out and it turned white. Judged purely by scenery, it could certainly be called perfection.
Beyond the misty mountains, the green peaks remained.
But this time, neither human nor demon had any desire to appreciate the scenery.
The tiger demon walked ahead of the five. Its legs had been broken in several places, but some method had reattached them. Every step brought piercing pain.
That aside, the five behind it also demanded that it walk naturally.
If any flaws were spotted, they'd skin it and use its pelt as a mattress.
Being a mattress was the small concern. Falling into Lu Lingyi's hands for another round of questioning… that was the real worry.
The tiger demon unconsciously kept the greatest distance from Lu Lingyi as it walked.
The meaning of "worse than death"—it now understood that most thoroughly.
Chen Baiqing's gaze swept the surroundings, and she could clearly sense that the spiritual energy density here was far stronger than outside Yunmeng Marsh.
By normal standards, this level of spiritual energy would qualify the area as a spiritual mountain and blessed land.
It shouldn't be cultivating so-called wish-power, completely cutting off its path to the peak.
The tiger demon's voice trembled slightly as it pointed toward a nearby cliff:
"Just ahead is my cave dwelling."
Lu Lingyi smiled and asked:
"What? Want to go home and sleep?"
"N—"
The tiger demon quickly answered in panic. Its knees instinctively softened, about to kneel and beg for mercy, but unfortunately they softened too fast. Even with its Foundation Establishment cultivation, it couldn't control them.
Instead of kneeling, it stumbled and fell flat, performing a full prostration.
Its tiger face hit the ground solidly, but it still instinctively spoke first:
"The immortals' business isn't finished yet. How would this lowly one dare to sleep? It's just that each family's cave dwelling in Yunmeng Marsh is different. Wandering around randomly could lead to conflicts with other demons, so I've always only taken one route back to my cave."
"Coming this way, naturally I'd pass my cave dwelling. Though this is a small matter, this lowly one wouldn't dare hide it from the immortals. I wouldn't dare not tell you."
The tiger demon's mind raced, laying out the cause and effect cleanly.
Naturally, responding so fluently was also thanks to Lu Lingyi's methods the night before.
Xuanqing Heavenly Sect interrogations naturally required understanding the full context.
Lu Lingyi didn't respond, simply standing behind Chen Baiqing.
Chen Baiqing's tone was calm:
"Get up and keep walking. First, let's visit the village you mentioned."
The tiger demon shivered as it climbed up, nodding repeatedly, then turned to continue leading the way.
Lu Lingyi's footsteps followed, but her gaze remained fixed on the direction the tiger demon had pointed.
Cui Hao's gaze was the same.
"Stupid cat! Going out and forgetting your own cave dwelling?"
A slightly sharp voice rang out. A weasel demon strutted over from the direction of the tiger demon's cave dwelling.
The tiger demon pretended not to hear and kept walking.
"Stop."
Chen Baiqing's voice was light, but it was enough to make the tiger demon not dare take another step.
The weasel demon's footsteps started hurriedly, but the closer it got, the slower they became.
The stupid cat's body was rigid, and the five figures behind it were unfamiliar faces.
The weasel demon's eyes showed uncertainty as it looked toward the tiger demon. Its body tensed, and it didn't dare approach further.
Seeing this, Cui Hao stepped forward decisively and looked at the weasel demon:
"Do you know this tiger demon?"
The weasel demon slowly backed up two steps, its tone respectful:
"I'd say we know each other. What's the matter?"
"This tiger demon forgot the rules and dared to try building its temple in my territory." Cui Hao's tone was mocking as he looked at the weasel demon.
"Since you know each other, it's good to make you understand what should and shouldn't be done. Go back and notify those lowlife creatures—don't covet what isn't yours."
"Save yourselves from losing your lives and causing us brothers unnecessary trouble."
Lu Lingyi listened to these words, and a look of appreciation appeared in her eyes.
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