Han released the illusory soul, and as soon as Peng Liuming saw him, he burst into laughter.

"Jia Ming, Jia Ming, you still haven't given up?"

"The great Mother of Heaven has made me fearless of any torment. There isn’t a single traitor among the followers of the Mother of Heaven. Don't think you’ll get any information from me!"

Han turned to Lu Qingmo. "Aunt Mo, do you have any ideas?"

"I have none," Lu Qingmo replied, shaking her head. "If I knew how to wield divine mind-controlling techniques, I could have made him spill the beans."

"But that sort of magic is beyond me."

She wasn't omnipotent. Directly controlling someone's soul or temporarily enslaving them was not a skill someone of her background would have learned.

"Well then..." Han took out a pill—an Item Spirit Pill, the Heart Confounding Pill.

"Let me handle this. I got this from Qinghua County."

He crushed the pill and sprinkled its powder onto Peng Liuming's soul.

"Since you're not afraid of torment, then let me change things up. Become my dog."

The Heart Confounding Pill forced those who ingested it to obey Han for a limited time, though it was ineffective for those stronger than the Night Wanderer stage. If it were permanent, Han would have to reconsider, but for now, a temporary command was just right for Peng Liuming.

"Tell me, what was the purpose of setting up your base in Qinghua County? And how did you know about the earthquake in Black Cloud Town?"

The earthquake in Black Cloud Town had just occurred, and Liang Hai and his group arrived that very night. The most troubling part was that the news came from the Mother of Heaven Cult itself.

If there was no issue here, Han would perform his prayers in reverse.

Peng Liuming’s eyes glazed over, and he immediately began to speak.

"It’s the closest place to Black Cloud Town."

"Ten years ago, the Cult sent me to set up a base in Qinghua County and instructed me to monitor Black Cloud Town, regularly reporting on its situation and gathering the incense of thought."

"At the same time, every so often, we would send cultivators to Black Cloud Town to cause harm, to see if they could survive."

Han furrowed his brows. Monitoring Black Cloud Town? Sending people to cause harm?

What did Black Cloud Town ever do to offend the Mother of Heaven Cult?

"Why did they want you to focus on Black Cloud Town?"

"I know it’s related to the Mountain God of Black Mountain, but I’m not clear on the details."

"The news of the earthquake in Black Cloud Town was delivered directly to me by Lady Su Tian, instructing me to take action."

Lady Su Tian, who was far away, had somehow learned of the earthquake in advance?

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Han looked at Lu Qingmo, and saw her eyes glimmering with realization.

"Over the last ten years, how many people did you send to Black Cloud Town? What kind of harm did they cause, and what were their identities?"

"Ten years ago..." Peng Liuming began recounting his actions, listing them one by one.

"Where is the Mother of Heaven Cult's stronghold?"

"I don’t know."

"Where did you come from?"

"I don’t know. The Mother of Heaven Cult recruited me, and I’ve been in a remote mountain base ever since. When I left, I was unconscious, and when I woke up, I was already outside Qinghua County."

What a cautious person.

"You won’t get anything more from him," Lu Qingmo said.

"The real secrets of the Mother of Heaven Cult are beyond the knowledge of someone at his level."

"Even if you catch someone stronger in the future, someone who knows the true secrets of the Cult, their souls will be sealed with restrictions, preventing them from speaking."

"What about what he said just now?"

"Those were truths," Lu Qingmo said, shaking her head. "But they aren't the real secrets of the Cult."

"Yes," Peng Liuming added, "I know there are spies from other factions in Black Cloud Town, and their goals seem to be the same as ours."

"There’s a Mountain Water Temple in Black Cloud Town, built by another faction, but we don’t know who."

"The Mountain Water Temple..." Han didn’t expect to hear that familiar name.

Han interrogated Peng Liuming fully, until the effects of the Heart Confounding Pill wore off, and then he locked his soul away once more.

"Aunt Mo, do you think something has happened with the Black Mountain Mountain God?"

Lu Qingmo nodded. "It seems something has happened."

"Black Cloud Town has always been under the protection of the Mountain God. In the past, very few outsiders dared to commit evil here."

"The Mountain God rarely shows divine power openly, but behind the scenes, his influence has been strong."

"But in recent years, the evil deeds of outsiders have become frequent, which should be seen as a test of the Mountain God’s strength."

"The masterminds behind all this must have gotten the answer they wanted—something's wrong with the Black Mountain Mountain God."

"If the Mountain God remains silent, the peaceful days of Black Cloud Town will soon be over."

If the Mountain God had only been silent for a day or two, that wouldn’t be too troubling. But the fact that the Mother of Heaven Cult had been probing for over ten years had revealed many things.

Han fell silent. Was peace about to slip away?

"I've always been satisfied with my life," Han sighed.

"I have friendly and kind fellow disciples, and caring mentors. Every day has been joyful."

Since crossing over, Han’s life hadn’t been difficult.

Though he'd encountered many evil people and deeds, his life had always been uplifting.

He enjoyed such a life. But now...

"Why is it so hard to live a peaceful life?"

"Don’t worry," Lu Qingmo reassured him.

"This is ultimately the land of Da Qi, and no matter what tricks the evil forces try, they will still have to be cautious."

A cold glint flashed across Lu Qingmo’s face. "If those evil experts or demonic cultivators dare to show up, the experts of Da Qi will make sure they return with nothing."

Han’s frustration was slightly eased. True, strength faces strength, and experts handle experts.

"Aunt Mo, if these evil experts show up, do you think you can deal with them?" Han asked curiously.

"What about the leader of the Mother of Heaven Cult?"

"..."

"Do you have a problem with me? Why are you rushing for me to reincarnate?"

"I’m just a cultivator of the Xuandu Sect stationed in Black Cloud Town, not the sect leader!"

Han was unceremoniously kicked out by Lu Qingmo, and with that, he had his answer.

After leaving the Peach Grove, Han hurried to the martial arts hall.

"Sister, I’m here! Hehehe!"

But when he arrived at Taibai, Han realized there were outsiders present!

Some had embroidered a battle-knife on their clothes, marking them as disciples of the Kuangdao Martial Arts Hall.

Others had an embroidered character for "Gao" or "Lin," representing two of the major families of Black Cloud Town, on their garments.

The local factions in Black Cloud Town consisted of the government, the three families, and the three martial arts halls.

Originally, Black Cloud Town only had two martial arts halls, but after a day of wandering, Taibai Martial Arts Hall had been established and developed into one of the three largest factions.

Han furrowed his brows. Could this be like Tenglong Martial Arts Hall, here to cause trouble?

This was too much—did they think that just because his master wasn’t here, Taibai Martial Arts Hall was vulnerable?

Just then, someone spotted Han and, after a careful look, shouted in surprise:

"It’s him! It’s him!"

"He’s back!"

Everyone turned to look at Han in unison.

Han froze. Something wasn’t right.

What was going on here?