Duan Rong glanced again at the collapsing blood core in the corner of the sky, then with a thought, he exited the consciousness sea.
Upon exiting, Duan Rong looked somewhat dispiritedly at the elderly man in the cell across the hallway.
The old man, seeing Duan Rong looking at him, immediately sat up from the ground and said, "Young man, you look so young and proper. What serious crime did you commit to have Yang Sixuan interrogate you in person, and even use the Soul Illumination Seal on you?"
Duan Rong had no intention of answering his question and directly asked, "What was the last question they asked me before they left?"
The old man’s eyes rolled upward as if trying to remember, and after a while, he recalled, saying, "It seemed they asked... for whom was he stealing? Who is cultivating the Fetal Concealment Scripture?"
Upon hearing this, Duan Rong silently breathed a sigh of relief.
He had indeed held out to the end.
In fact, after answering that question, his consciousness had already dissipated. He didn’t remember what happened afterward.
At that time, he was completely under the control of the Soul Illumination Seal. If they had continued to ask him any questions, he would surely have answered truthfully.
But clearly, they had finished asking.
Duan Rong was just seeking confirmation from the old man across. He had already guessed he had passed, otherwise, he wouldn’t have woken up here in this cell.
Having his answer, Duan Rong lay down on the pile of straw, turned his head, and was about to sleep.
Seeing this, the old man said, "Young man, don’t you understand reciprocity? I answered your question, and you haven’t answered mine yet."
Duan Rong replied, "Another day. I have a headache."
After saying that, Duan Rong fell into a deep sleep.
He really did have a headache; the Soul Illumination Seal had damaged his divine soul, and it would hurt for a few more days.
The old man grumbled discontentedly, "You brat, really not courteous. I’ve been bored for more than a month. Finally meet a living person, and he’s a silent gourd who doesn’t want to talk..."
However, he had also experienced the Soul Illumination Seal before, and just thinking about it made his scalp tingle; it felt worse than rolling on a bed of knives in Hell. He knew the Soul Illumination Seal’s aftereffects, taking several days to dissipate, and the young man was undoubtedly in severe pain at the moment.
Seeing Duan Rong already sleeping deeply, the old man had no choice but to return to his own pile of straw.
Hu Yang Prefecture, Cangtai County.
Shang Xiangyu was staying in a rundown inn there.
Shang Xiangyu’s hometown was actually just over twenty miles away in Tonghe County.
But Shang Xiangyu didn’t return to Tonghe County; after all, there were too many acquaintances, and too many eyes and ears could easily compromise him.
This time, he intended to find the Filthy Blood Sect and think of a way to join them; he needed to keep a low profile.
He returned to Hu Yang Prefecture because he was very familiar with the local customs and stories, making it easy for him to find people or hide.
Moreover, there had been a major Filthy Blood case in Hu Yang Prefecture, Cangtai County two years ago!
He believed that although there had been a sweep two years ago, some Filthy Blood Sect members must still remain, and they must have secretly been developing followers over the past two years.
Shang Xiangyu thought that instead of searching aimlessly, it was better to investigate thoroughly around here, which might offer more opportunities.
Shang Xiangyu’s appearance had radically changed; he had cut most of his long hair, dyed the remaining strands black, and tied them up. His fair face was now covered with a circle of stubble, making him look like a rough man from Jianghu at first glance.
With such an appearance, it would suit him to wear short, casual clothes, but his hands and feet were covered in strange wrinkles, which stood out too much, so he had to wear a long robe and gloves, usually keeping his hands hidden within his sleeves.
That day, Shang Xiangyu ate a bowl of plain noodles at a street vendor in an alleyway, then started wandering around the marketplace.
As he walked, his eyes, flashing with cold glints, would occasionally sweep over the faces of people in the market. The Filthy Blood Sect had been very secretive over these years and rarely shown themselves, but Shang Xiangyu knew something: they needed the blood of a virgin for their cultivation of the Filthy Blood Divine Skill.
Shang Xiangyu thought this might be his breakthrough.
As Shang Xiangyu wandered, he arrived at a spot near the city gate where notices were posted.
A crowd had already gathered around, and Shang Xiangyu squeezed through to read the notices on the wall.
Upon seeing them, he was suddenly chilled.
The latest Sea Arrest Document announced that throughout the territory, Pan Yong, a registered disciple of the sect, was wanted for the crime of stealing rare sect medicines.
The portrait on the Sea Arrest Document was undoubtedly Pan Yong himself.
Shang Xiangyu was puzzled.
How could Pan Yong possibly have stolen the sect’s rare medicines?
He had only been out for a few days! This guy had been under his Insect Gu; how could he dare to act so recklessly?
However, the Sea Arrest Document bore the seals of the Taiyi Sect and the Ministry of Justice of Divine Cloud Prefecture, clearly not fabricated.