Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 252 The Six Sects of the Demonic Path, Ling Shuang and Yingluo

On the altar, a woman dressed in black palace attire slowly rose, her gaze fixed on the direction of Pingyang City, a cold killing intent flashing in her pure black eyes.

She was none other than Xia Lingshuang, the Holy Envoy in charge of this operation by the Wrathful Soul Sect.

Although the statue was merely a wisp of divine thought she casually placed there, its main purpose was to control mortals like Wang Delin and collect offerings and wealth for her; it was not particularly important.

But the destruction of her avatar meant that Pingyang City was out of control, which she could not tolerate.

"Anyone capable of breaking through my divine sense avatar is no ordinary person. How could such a figure suddenly appear in a place like Pingyang City? Could it be that those old fogies in the academy have caught wind of this?"

Xia Ling Shuang muttered to herself, then raised her slender hand. A wisp of black energy swirled around her fingertips, eventually transforming into a lifelike black butterfly, poised to take flight.

This is the Soul Butterfly Communication System of the Wrathful Soul Sect, which allows direct contact with disciples thousands of miles away.

Just as she was about to release the Soul Butterfly to investigate what had happened in Pingyang City, a woman's voice, tinged with amusement and languor, suddenly came from outside the valley.

"Xia Lingshuang, it really is you."

Upon hearing that voice, Xia Ling Shuang's perpetually icy face underwent a dramatic change in expression.

She suddenly looked up, gazing towards the entrance of the valley. The blackness in her eyes, which had been completely black, quickly faded, gradually revealing the normal outline of her pupils. However, her gaze was even colder than before, as if it could freeze a person's soul.

"Bai Yingluo!" She practically spat out those three words through clenched teeth.

From the mist at the entrance of the valley, a slender figure slowly emerged.

The person who came was dressed in a faded coarse cloth outfit, with her black hair tied back with a strip of cloth, but she was pure and elegant, like a white lotus.

It was Bai Yingluo, the Holy Maiden of the Nine Nether Sect, who was disguised as Yuan Xiao'e.

At this moment, a faint smile appeared on her face as she walked step by step to the foot of the altar, examining the black, swirling banner of ten thousand souls with great interest, marveling at it.

"This is your Wrathful Soul Sect's treasured Myriad Soul Banner? It doesn't look like anything special!"

At the same time, Xia Ling Shuang was filled with murderous intent.

It should be noted that although the six sects of the demonic path are closely connected, they are fiercely competitive with each other, and can even be described as having deep-seated hatred.

The Nine Nether Sect and the Wrathful Soul Sect, in particular, have been fighting for hundreds of years due to their differences in cultivation philosophies.

As the most outstanding representatives of the younger generation of their respective sects, she and Bai Yingluo have been compared by countless people since their debut. They have fought each other openly and secretly countless times and have long been irreconcilable enemies.

This plan in Nanhe County was a top-secret operation that the Lihun Sect had been planning for a long time, all for the purpose of refining this incredibly powerful Ten Thousand Soul Banner, adding an important bargaining chip to their future struggle for the leadership of the demonic path.

But at the crucial moment, Bai Yingluo showed up at her door, so Xia Lingshuang naturally couldn't be friendly.

"How did you find this place?" Xia Lingshuang's voice was icy cold.

"Finding a wandering ghost like you is easy enough," Bai Yingluo chuckled, covering her mouth, but her pure eyes gleamed with a bewitching light. "I can smell your pungent odor from eight hundred miles away."

Of course, she wouldn't tell Xia Lingshuang that she had come all the way with Chen Ye.

Outside Pingyang City, Bai Yingluo witnessed firsthand how Chen Ye swiftly and decisively captured the city, how he meticulously investigated and traced the case back to Wang Delin, and how he ultimately shattered Xia Lingshuang's divine incarnation in the family temple.

When Bai Yingluo sensed that familiar yet repulsive aura of the Wrathful Soul Sect, she knew that the person who had set up the scheme in Nanhe County was most likely this old acquaintance of hers.

Bai Yingluo wasn't really interested in Xia Lingshuang's plan to refine the Myriad Soul Banner; she had no interest in collecting those filthy souls.

However, Bai Yingluo would be very interested if it could disrupt Xia Lingshuang's plan.

Especially since this matter is related to the prey he has his eye on.

That makes it even more interesting.

Just thinking about Chen Ye's face, which was clearly not old but always pretended to be profound, and the magnificence he displayed when he shattered the statue with that domineering and incomparable sword, Bai Yingluo felt her heart beat faster.

How could we let such an interesting prey be ruined by that boring woman, Xia Lingshuang?

So after Chen Ye led his men back to Pingyang City, Bai Yingluo, relying on her years of understanding of Xia Ling Shuang, quietly followed the aura that had dissipated after that wisp of divine thought was destroyed, and easily found this hidden valley.

Looking at Bai Yingluo's country girl attire, Xia Lingshuang's face showed a hint of mockery.

"What? Has the Great Saintess Bai changed her taste again? She's turning down those nobles and royalty, and now she's put on this innocent, pure white lotus act again. Is she planning to fool some naive poor boy?"

Xia Lingshuang's voice was full of disdain.

What she despised most was Bai Yingluo's style.

Despite being a holy maiden of the Demonic Sect, she always liked to disguise herself in various identities, lingering in the mortal world, and using her seductive arts to manipulate men's feelings in order to cultivate.

In her view, this was simply self-degradation.

A true strong person should be like her, abandoning all emotions and desires, using unparalleled perseverance to control countless souls, and pursuing the ultimate in power.

Despite Xia Lingshuang's mockery, Bai Yingluo remained unmoved, her smile growing even brighter.

"That's still much better than that lowly servant who only knows how to cause trouble in dark corners, can't even find a man, and can only spend her days with ghosts! Xia Lingshuang, what's the point of living such a boring life? Is the cultivation method of your Wrathful Soul Sect meant to turn people into monsters like you who are neither male nor female?"

Bai Yingluo's lips seemed to be coated with poison; her gentle, watery tone uttered the most vicious curses.

boom!
A terrifying aura erupted from Xia Ling Shuang's body, and the black energy around her instantly became several times denser. The spiritual mist in the valley was swept away by this aura and instantly disappeared without a trace. Even the babbling stream seemed to pause for a moment.

At the same time, her eyes, which had just returned to normal, were once again swallowed by pure darkness, fixedly locked on Bai Yingluo.

"you wanna die!"

In just two short exchanges, the two top young experts of the Demonic Sect were already on the verge of exchanging blows.

Bai Yingluo's smile gradually faded, replaced by an excitement and fighting spirit of meeting a worthy opponent.

She lightly stomped her foot, and an invisible, alluring power spread out from her.

The exotic flowers and plants that were originally in full bloom in the valley seemed to be given life in an instant, and began to grow and twist wildly. On each delicate flower, a charming human face appeared, either crying or laughing, and they all emitted seductive and alluring sounds.

In an instant, the entire valley transformed from a paradise into a demonic realm.

"Xia Lingshuang, today I'll show you whether your skills in living like a widow have improved after all these years!"

As soon as Bai Yingluo finished speaking, her figure transformed into a blur and pounced towards Xia Lingshuang on the altar.

At the same time, Xia Ling Shuang also let out a cold snort. The huge Ten Thousand Souls Banner in front of her suddenly trembled, and countless painful human faces on the banner seemed to come alive, emitting a series of shrill screams that could tear apart people's souls, sweeping towards Bai Yingluo...
-
When Chen Ye led his men out of the secret chamber of the ancestral temple behind the Prince's mansion, it was already completely dark. The cold moonlight shone on the courtyard, making the mess and bloodstains on the ground even more glaring.

Hou En and Qian Yi followed behind Chen Ye, their faces still showing shock and lingering fear.

The eerie statue of a beautiful woman in the secret chamber had a profound impact on them.

"Brother Chen, what exactly is that thing? It's so eerie!" Hou En asked, still shaken.

"Just some heretics, not worth mentioning," Chen Ye said indifferently, as if he had just casually swatted a fly.

At this moment, the Dragon-Slaying Blade had been sheathed again, and the vast and majestic aura had also subsided, but his overall presence had become even more sharp than before.

In the courtyard, the family members of the Prince's Mansion were gathered together and guarded by the elite soldiers of the Beijing Garrison. The crying and shouting had long since stopped, leaving only suppressed sobs and a deathly silence of despair.

When they saw Chen Ye emerge from the back mountain, carrying a distraught Wang Delin behind him, fear filled their faces.

Feng Xiao quickly stepped forward, cupped his fists and said, "My lord, the entire palace is now under control, and the treasury and accounting offices have been sealed off. A preliminary inventory shows that the gold and silver treasures hidden in the cellars alone are worth no less than a million taels of silver!"

One million taels!
This number made Hou En and Qian Yi gasp in shock.

It's unimaginable how much blood was spilled behind the scenes for a businessman to amass such terrifying wealth.

"All property must be registered and recorded, not a single coin can be missing," Chen Ye coldly ordered. "Also, bring this fellow to the main hall; I will interrogate him personally."

"Yes!"

Inside the main hall of the Prince's Mansion, the lights were on full display.

The luxurious furnishings, originally intended to showcase the owner's wealth and power, now served as the backdrop for the interrogation.

Chen Ye sat imposingly in the main seat, with Feng Xiao, Hou En, Qian Yi, and others standing on either side, their expressions solemn.

Wang Delin was thrown onto the cold floor below like a lump of mud. His once luxurious brocade robes were now dirty and wrinkled, his hair was disheveled, his eyes were vacant, and he kept muttering, "Impossible, how could the Holy Maiden... impossible..."

The sight of the evil god statue being shattered with a single blow completely destroyed his mental support.

"Wang Delin," Chen Ye suddenly spoke.

Wang Delin trembled, slowly raised his head, and looked at Chen Ye at the head of the table, his eyes filled with fear.

"I will ask you one last time: Who is the holy envoy mentioned in the letter? Where is she? What exactly is your conspiracy in Nanhe County?"

Faced with Chen Ye's questioning, Wang Delin suddenly burst into a nervous laugh, his laughter hoarse and unpleasant.

"Want to know? I won't tell you! You lackeys of the imperial court are no match for the Holy Sect, hahaha, you will all die! You will become nourishment for the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls!"

He seemed to find a strange pleasure in his mental breakdown, and began to curse and provoke without restraint.

Feng Xiao's face darkened, and he shouted, "You still dare to be stubborn even when you're about to die! Guards, bring the torture on me!"

"No need," Chen Ye said, raising his hand to stop him.

He knew that Wang Delin's current madness stemmed from his extreme fear of the Demonic Sect's methods, a fear that surpassed everything else, so threatening him with death would be useless.

At this moment, Chen Ye got up, walked to Wang Delin, squatted down, and looked him in the eye.

“You’re right, I might not be able to kill that so-called Holy Envoy.” Chen Ye’s tone suddenly became very gentle, as if he were chatting with an old friend, “But I can kill you, and I can make you die very slowly and painfully.”

Wang Delin scoffed dismissively.

"I'm not afraid of death!"

“I know you’re not afraid of death,” Chen Ye smiled. “What you’re afraid of is having your soul trapped after death, never to be reincarnated, right?”

Wang Delin's pupils suddenly contracted.

"But have you ever thought about what will happen to your family after you die?" Chen Ye's voice remained calm, yet it carried a chill that penetrated to the bone.

"According to the laws of the Great Chen Dynasty, anyone who colludes with evil spirits and plots rebellion shall be guilty of treason. The ringleader shall be executed by slow slicing, and all male members of the father's, mother's, and wife's families who are sixteen years of age or older shall be beheaded! Those under sixteen shall be exiled three thousand miles away to serve as slaves on the frontier."

Wang Delin's breathing began to become rapid.

Chen Ye ignored him and continued, “As for the women... that’s even more interesting! All the women from official and merchant families were sent to the military’s brothels to serve as camp prostitutes, serving the most uncouth soldiers day and night! Do you know what kind of place that is? Let me tell you, not a single woman who goes there can live for more than three months.”

His voice was soft, but the scene he described was incredibly cruel, like a small knife cutting into Wang Delin's heart, piece by piece.

"Your beautiful wife, your pampered concubines, and your most beloved daughter... her name is Wang Ling'er, right? She is indeed quite pretty, and pitiful. I think those rough men in the military camp would really like her."

"You...you devil!" Wang Delin finally broke down, his eyes bloodshot, like a wounded beast, wanting to pounce on Chen Ye, but was held down by the soldiers next to him.

"Devil?" Chen Ye stood up and looked down at him, the corner of his mouth growing colder. "Compared to you beasts who use human flesh and blood as sacrifices, what are my little tricks?"

"Someone come here," Chen Ye ordered.

"Bring Wang Ling'er up here."

Soon the girl in the pink dress was led to the lobby.

At this moment, Wang Ling'er's face was pale, her whole body was trembling, and tears were streaming down her face.

Chen Ye didn't look at her, but said to Wang Delin, "Wang Delin, my patience is limited. Now I'm giving you one last chance to tell me everything you know without missing a single word, otherwise I will order all your female relatives, including your daughter Wang Ling'er, to be sent to the Jiaofangsi right now."

Looking at his beloved daughter's face filled with fear and despair, and listening to her helpless cries, Wang Delin's last line of defense finally began to crumble.

The fear of the Demonic Sect and the fear of the inhuman torture his daughter was about to suffer were battling fiercely in his mind.

His lips trembled, and the madness in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by endless struggle and pain.

"I..." He opened his mouth with difficulty, as if preparing to say something.

At this critical moment, a soldier from the Beijing Garrison rushed in from outside, looking flustered. He knelt on one knee, his voice trembling.

"Sir! It's not good!"

"Something's happened at the government office!"

"Those dozens of officials you ordered to be imprisoned in the main hall of the government office...they...they are all dead!"

(End of this chapter)