Anti-fraud manual for the cultivation world

Chapter 75 Infiltration

The Jiangzhou branch of the Hongya Sect's Demonic Sect was actually quite empty at this time.

The usually bustling stilted houses are now quiet. The steps that people used to walk up and down year after year are now occupied by birds that hop around and flap their wings from time to time.

None of the true disciples of the Demonic Sect are present now; they have all gone out with Mo Xuanye.

Only a small number of hired helpers remained in these stilted houses.

The organizational structures of the Demonic Sect and the Mortal World share some similarities: the parallel existence of "new disciples" and "external recruits." This is a structure that all gangs seeking to expand their power must adopt. New disciples are responsible for core affairs, while external recruits are responsible for accumulating wealth and performing miscellaneous tasks.

The advantage of this architecture is that it can establish a nationwide network in a very short time. The disadvantage is that the organizational structure is loose, and it is easy for instigators to grow inside, making it easy for others to take advantage of it.

For example, the group of constables hired by the imperial court have all been bribed by various gangs and are riddled with holes.

Even the Demonic Sect can't be a monolithic entity! There are bound to be many unmotivated external disciples.

This is what Li Gu is betting on.

The two arrived at the riverbank not far from Hongya Gate as quickly as possible. Li Gu took out a small oilcloth package from the pile of rocks. Inside was a set of black clothes belonging to a member of the Demonic Sect. He had taken it from the first group of Demonic Sect disciples who brought corpse puppets and had been hiding it here for a month.

Zhang Yi was slightly surprised to see that he had hidden clothes here: "You started planning this a month ago?"

Li Gu nodded: "The plan is complete, we're just waiting for the right opportunity."

Zhang Yi turned his back, and Li Fei quickly dressed. He faced the river to make sure his disguise was flawless. His thick beard completely obscured his features. Zhang Yi also carefully examined him and, after confirming that nothing could be discerned, nodded.

Li Gu bit his finger and drew a bloody mark on his face, making it look like he was injured. Then, he covered half of his face with one hand and ran towards the Jiangzhou branch.

Zhang Yi hid in the pile of rocks, watching from afar and keeping an eye on the situation outside. The two agreed that if the people from the Demonic Sect returned early, Zhang Yi would pretend to be a water bird calling.

Several boats carrying books and salt were docking and departing on the river, bustling with activity. Large groups of ordinary laborers were unloading and loading goods, carrying loads on their shoulders. A few members of the Demonic Sect, dressed in black, moved through the crowd, occasionally kicking a laborer in the backside while emitting eerie laughter.

Li Gu saw from afar that birds were landing and flying freely among the stilted buildings, indicating that the Jiangzhou branch of the Demonic Sect was not protected by any defensive formation. Feeling more at ease, he covered his "injured face" and rushed to the foot of the stilted buildings. This was the "lower city entrance" of the Jiangzhou branch, with two hired gang members guarding the entrance.

Li Gu yelled at the two men, "I'm injured, damn it—those damn rogue cultivators—they actually dared to resist and even threw hidden weapons at me!"

The gatekeepers stared at Li Gu, not recognizing him at all! They had absolutely no recollection of that bearded face.

However, it's not surprising that the two of them didn't know all the disciples of the Demonic Sect.

"Senior brother, you—"

The two hesitated for a moment.

Li Gunu roared, "What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and help me get the medicine! You sons of bitches are utterly useless. You can't contribute a single bit in a fight, and you don't even have a shred of common sense."

""

The two hired henchmen were given a thorough dressing-down, but the scolding actually made them more obedient. They figured someone who dared to curse like that must be a novice disciple—someone they couldn't afford to offend. The two men, one on each side, helped Li Gu inside, asking as they went, "Senior brother, who were you fighting with?"

Li Gu cursed and swore, "Rogue cultivators, those beasts are hiding in a large area of ​​dilapidated houses, where many rogue cultivators are hiding. There are also people from the Righteous Alliance and the Beggar Clan causing trouble nearby. Damn it, I got really hurt this time."

The two hired henchmen stuck out their tongues, secretly relieved: "Luckily, our cultivation is low, so we won't be called in at times like this."

The two men helped Li Gu to a room that looked like a small warehouse. They rummaged through the room and handed him some wound medicine. Li Gu pretended to smear it all over his face, which covered his face with a layer of ointment-like substance, making his features even more unrecognizable. He pretended to gasp for breath, saying, "Damn it, it hurts even more after I put on the medicine!"

'

He plopped down in the corridor, leaning his back against the wooden wall: "Let me sit for a while."

The two hired henchmen looked at him helplessly, unsure of what to do next.

Li Gu cursed, "What are you standing here looking at me for? Do you think I'm a courtesan in a brothel? That pretty? Why aren't you all guarding the gate? What if some peasant sneaks in and steals something?"

'

The two henchmen had intended to stay and obey Li Gu's orders, but they were also going to be scolded. Dejected, they returned to the gate. Just then, a cargo ship finished counting its goods, and a group of ordinary laborers came carrying several large loads of books. The two gatekeepers immediately got busy, telling the laborers to move the books into the warehouse, instantly forgetting about Li Gu.

At this point, Li Gu had already tiptoed into the stilted building complex.

The Jiangzhou branch of the Demonic Sect has two entrances: one on the first floor by the river and the other on the eleventh floor atop the cliff.

Li Gu could guess without even thinking that the head of the household's room should be on the 5th or 6th floor in the middle, or even the 5.5th floor. This was not unusual in Jiangzhou, because the cliffside stilted buildings were arranged in a staggered manner, with no obvious height difference between the floors. In any case, just walk towards the middle.

They went up several floors but didn't encounter a single member of the gang; they only startled a few sparrows into flight.

After making my way to the middle floor, I was surprised to find a 5.5-story building, a stilted building that was clearly more ornate than the others. It was built between the fifth and sixth floors, stacked up by half a floor, with windows facing the riverside dock. Standing here, I could clearly see cargo ships docking, unloading, and loading at the dock.

Li Gu tiptoed to the front of the house, pressed his ear to the door, and listened carefully, but there was not a sound inside.

Place both hands on the door and gently apply force—

The door opened!

He slipped inside and immediately saw Hua Qianfang.

This startled Li Gu greatly. In an instant, dozens of excuses flashed through his mind. Fortunately, upon closer inspection, he realized it was a life-size portrait of Hua Qianfang painted on the screen directly opposite the door. It turned out that there was a screen right at the entrance of the room, deliberately placed facing the door to block the view and prevent people passing by from seeing what was inside.

You have to walk a few steps sideways around the screen to see inside.

Inside was an exquisite hall, exuding a strong scholarly atmosphere. The desk was covered with the Four Treasures of the Study, and the walls were adorned with calligraphy and paintings, all signed "Mo Xuanye".

.

Li Gucai had no time to appreciate any of this; he rushed to the large table in the center and pulled open a drawer—

Account books, poetry collections, picture albums, medical books, *The Plum in the Silver Vase*? *The Nine Swords of Dugu*? *The Ming Dynasty in a Box*?

What kind of nonsense is this?