After transmigrating into the body of the protagonist's childhood friend, he was targeted by a

Lin Zhixu nodded, then turned to Steward Liu and said, "This is Daoist Qingcheng. He's one of us."

Manager Liu then loosened his grip on the knife hilt and bowed to Daoist Qingcheng.

Master Qingcheng glanced at him, was intimidated by his imposing presence, and felt respect for him. He urged, "Let's go, let's go back to the inn and talk about it."

Back at the inn, Master Yunhe and Yunling were indeed there.

Seeing Lin Zhixu return with a new face, they all perked up.

Lin Zhixu briefly introduced the two sides, without much small talk, and went straight to the point: "As you can see from the situation outside, the number of guards at the palace has doubled since last night. We definitely can't force our way in now."

Master Qingcheng: "Yes, yes, it's too detrimental to one's merits to go on a killing spree for a heretical cultivator. It's not worth it."

Lin Zhixu asked, "Have you found out anything?"

Master Yunhe said solemnly, "There is indeed some news. We inquired in the city today and heard that the Grand Preceptor's sacrificial ceremony will not be held in the palace, but outside the city. Many people will go to watch the ceremony."

Manager Liu frowned: "Why does he want the people to gather around? Knowing full well that this will attract opposition from various forces, why is he making such a fuss? What is his purpose? Does he want to put on a show of divine mandate in front of the people and win their hearts?"

Lin Zhixu shook his head: "No, the common people are also a disadvantage to us. His purpose in doing this is probably to use those common people as a shield."

"With so many ordinary people present, we would inevitably be hesitant to act. He knew we would be concerned about innocent bystanders."

"Young Master, you've fought with that Imperial Advisor. What's his cultivation level?"

Lin Zhixu was silent for a moment, then said truthfully, "I can't see through his cultivation level. He was able to see through my disguise at a glance, so I guess he's at least at the Nascent Soul stage."

Manager Liu nodded.

He wasn't afraid of a mere Nascent Soul cultivator.

The other three gasped.

The Nascent Soul stage was a legendary existence to them, a powerful being who could crush a group of people with a mere flick of a finger.

If they really went head-to-head, they wouldn't even be enough to fill the opponent's teeth.

Lin Zhixu had also considered this point and said, "You don't need to risk your lives with us. On the day of the sacrificial ceremony, you stay in the city and help look after the people, making sure no innocent people get involved. We'll return when you return."

The three nodded.

It's not that they're afraid of death; if they had the strength to fight, they might have been a little pretentious. But the gap between them is just too big, so going there would be a waste.

Instead of trying to be a hero and holding others back, it's better to just follow the instructions.

Master Yunhe: "We will provide support from the outside, so we can come to your aid if anything changes."

Lin Zhixu nodded and looked at Steward Liu: "How confident are we on this side?"

Manager Liu smiled and said, "I wouldn't dare to be presumptuous; I'm about 90% confident."

The three of them were startled.

Not afraid of Nascent Soul stage cultivators, and still 90% confident? Just how high must this senior's cultivation level be?

Master Qingcheng's gaze towards Steward Liu changed instantly; what was once mere respect now bordered on reverence.

He secretly moved closer to Master Yunhe and whispered, "Hey, could this Senior Liu be some kind of reclusive master?"

"Who exactly is this Fellow Daoist Lin? He knows such a powerful expert, and seems quite respectful towards him."

Elder Yunhe was also curious, but he knew his limits. "Don't pry into the affairs of important people."

Master Qingcheng: "..."

Lin Zhixu steered the conversation back to business: "Then it's settled. On the day of the sacrificial ceremony, I'll blend into the crowd, while Steward Liu and his men will be nearby. Once they've brought the person out, you can make your move when the opportunity arises."

Manager Liu nodded: "Leave it to me. As long as they dare to bring the person out, my men can rescue them safely. However, it may cause chaos, and casualties are inevitable."

Lin Zhixu nodded: "I understand. Just be careful and do your best."

……

Two days later, the sacrificial ceremony was held as scheduled outside the city.

The altar was built high, entirely of bluestone, with long banners covered with blood-red runes stuck at its four corners.

Zhou Tong and Jiang Che were bound to two stone pillars with heavy iron chains, with piles of dry firewood and oil-soaked straw at their feet.

Both were extremely weak, their clothes were tattered, their faces and bodies were covered with deep and shallow wounds, their lips were chapped, and their eyes were dim.

The Imperial Preceptor stood in front of the altar, his black Taoist robe billowing in the wind, exuding an air of otherworldly elegance.

He raised his arms, and his voice clearly reached the ears of everyone present.

"Fellow citizens, please hear what I have to say!"

The people crowded around the altar, numbering at least a thousand.

Most of them were dressed in rags and looked exhausted, but their eyes burned with a kind of fanaticism that had been stirred up.

With one natural disaster and another occurring in recent days, they desperately need an outlet for their frustrations.

They desperately need someone to hate.

"During this period, disasters have raged, and the people have suffered greatly. Do you know why?" The Grand Preceptor slowly surveyed the crowd and said in a deep voice, "It is because Heaven has punished humanity! And these two are the leaders of the evil cultivators who have brought calamity upon the world!"

He pointed back at Zhou Tong and Jiang Che, who were tied to the pillar, and his voice suddenly rose, filled with grief and indignation: "I went through great lengths, even sustaining serious injuries, to capture these two evil cultivator leaders!"

"Today, I will hold this altar here to offer sacrifices to Heaven, and with your blood, I beg Heaven to forgive humanity!"

The crowd was silent for a moment, then erupted into a deafening roar: "Burn them! Burn them!"

The people were filled with righteous indignation, their faces etched with hatred and glee, as if their suffering would end once the two "evil cultivator leaders" were burned to death.

The Imperial Advisor watched this scene with satisfaction, his eyes slightly closed, sensing the resentment and hostility surging from the crowd.

Those negative emotions surged towards him like a tide, greedily devoured by his body.

Excellent, very good! This is exactly what he wanted!

Resent it! Hate it! Vent it all!

The Imperial Advisor raised his hand, and the boiling crowd miraculously quieted down.

He ordered, "Light the fire."

Zhou Tong struggled to open his eyes and looked at the ignorant people below the altar, waving their fists and their faces contorted in anger.

He should have been angry, but for some reason, all that remained in his heart was a sense of desolation.

He licked his chapped lips and said in a hoarse voice, "Looks like we're really going to be in deep trouble this time."

Jiang Che leaned against a stone pillar, looked up at the hazy sky, and suddenly laughed: "I used to always wonder if I would die inside some monster's belly someday. I never imagined it would be like this."

For some reason, Zhou Tong suddenly felt like crying.

He sniffed: "I should have known better than to cultivate this damn immortality. I'd rather go home and be a young master. I haven't enjoyed a single blessing since I started cultivating immortality; all I've suffered for is this damn torment."

Jiang Che sighed as well, watching the masked men with torches and blank expressions approaching them, and said softly, "Yeah... if I had known, I wouldn't have cultivated immortality."