Uncovering Secrets

A figure landed outside the main hall. It was Magistrate Li Nantian. He glared in the direction Su Hao had fled, his face a mask of fury.

"Master!"

Three constables, who had been hiding in the shadows, emerged and bowed respectfully.

"Hmm." Li Nantian's eyes flashed with a sinister red light as he looked at them.

His right hand shot out with unnatural speed, his fingers contorting into a claw. The hand, glowing with a crimson aura, grasped the head of the nearest constable. Blood erupted from the man's skull, flowing into Li Nantian's arm like water being sucked into a drain.

"Ugh!"

The other two constables stifled their cries of horror. Their throats felt constricted, and they could only manage a strangled gasp.

The first constable collapsed, his body drained of blood, his face pale and lifeless.

Li Nantian, his expression twisted in a grotesque mockery of satisfaction, approached the remaining two. He placed a hand on each of their heads.

Their blood, too, was devoured, flowing into Li Nantian's body. His unnatural, copper-colored skin gradually returned to a normal hue as he absorbed their life force.

"Why come out of hiding if you're just going to die?" Li Nantian muttered coldly, looking down at the three corpses.

He frowned, his expression turning serious. He felt a growing sense of unease. For the first time during his tenure in Qingyuan County, events seemed to be spiraling out of his control.

"Once I've suppressed this blood poison, I'll find you all."

Li Nantian's voice was laced with menace. He wasn't worried about Fang Heng's safety, not yet. They had taken Fang Heng alive, which meant they wanted information. As long as Fang Heng held out, it would buy him time.

He vanished with a flicker, returning to his chambers in the back courtyard. He paid no heed to the corpses lying on the ground.

Meanwhile, Su Hao, carrying the unconscious Fang Heng, wasn't heading back to the City Constable's Office. Instead, he made his way towards his newly purchased residence.

As the fight had drawn to a close, Su Hao had remembered the half-bottle of truth serum he had stored in his inventory.

The small courtyard was quiet and still. Su Hao carried Fang Heng inside, choosing a room at random.

He tossed Fang Heng onto the floor and, without hesitation, severed the tendons in his hands and feet. Then, he slapped Fang Heng awake.

Fang Heng gasped as pain shot through his limbs. He realized what had been done to him and his face contorted in rage.

"Who are you?" he roared.

"I want information about Li Nantian," Su Hao said, his voice low and menacing.

"Hmph!" Fang Heng scoffed, glaring defiantly.

"You think silence will protect you?" Su Hao asked, a cold smile playing on his lips.

He retrieved the remaining half-bottle of truth serum from his inventory. Grabbing Fang Heng's jaw, he forced the man's mouth open and poured the entire contents down his throat. He didn't have time for games.

"You think a petty poison can break me? Don't waste your time! If you want me dead, just kill me!" Fang Heng spat, his voice full of disdain.

"There's no rush," Su Hao replied calmly.

He stepped back, waiting for the serum to take effect. Fang Heng was an Earth Realm expert; it might take a little longer. The last time he had used the serum, it had been on Li Laogui, a mere Mortal Realm cultivator.

Fang Heng watched Su Hao cautiously, confused. He felt a strange heaviness settling over him, his vision blurring, his thoughts growing sluggish. He tried to shake off the sensation, but he found himself strangely weak.

Su Hao saw the change in Fang Heng's demeanor and a triumphant smile spread across his face.

He leaned in close and asked, "Tell me, what's the truth about Li Nantian?"

Fang Heng's eyes fluttered open. His gaze was unfocused, his voice slurred, but the truth spilled from his lips.

"Li Nantian died a long time ago. The one you see now is Dugu Fan."

"Dugu Fan? The leader of the Azure Cloud Stronghold?" Su Hao exclaimed. So, it wasn't Li Nantian after all.

Dugu Fan was a bold one to impersonate the County Magistrate. Who would have suspected such a thing?

"Why would Dugu Fan give up being the leader of the Azure Cloud Stronghold to become the Magistrate of this remote county?" Su Hao asked.

"Years ago, Dugu Fan was poisoned with a rare blood toxin. He needs to consume human blood regularly to suppress it. He couldn't do that freely at the Azure Cloud Stronghold. When Li Nantian was appointed Magistrate of Qingyuan, Dugu Fan ambushed him and took his place."

"So, all the blood sacrifices these past few years… It was all Dugu Fan's doing," Su Hao muttered, his blood running cold.

"What is Dugu Fan's cultivation level?" he asked.

"Seventh Stage Earth Realm, possibly Eighth. I don't know for sure."

"Eighth Stage?" Su Hao frowned. Even at the Seventh Stage, Dugu Fan had been able to briefly withstand the Blood Shadow Demon Vine. At the Eighth Stage, escape would be a trivial matter. The difference in strength between each stage of the late-stage Earth Realm was substantial.

"Tell me, why were two Earth Realm experts like yourselves sent to such a remote place as Fu City to become bandits?"

Su Hao voiced the question that had been nagging him. Why would the Blood Cult send two powerful cultivators like them to such a backwater location?

"Our Branch Master acquired an ancient manuscript detailing a gold mine hidden within the Qingyun Mountains. He sent us to investigate, but we've found nothing after years of searching."

"A gold mine?" Su Hao's eyes narrowed.

Gold mines were tightly controlled by the Xi Liang Empire, with only a handful owned by powerful clans. He'd never heard of one existing within the Qingyun Mountains.

Even the wealthiest clans in the Imperial Capital would be scrambling for a piece of that pie if they knew.

"Where is your Branch Master, Duanmu Ming, being held in the Prefectural Governor's Office?" Su Hao pressed. He had studied the Blood Cult's Northwest Branch and knew their leader was Duanmu Ming.

"The Branch Master is cultivating in the Prefectural Governor's Office dungeon. He's absorbing Yin Sha Qi to break through to the late stages of the Heaven Realm."

"What?!"

Su Hao's blood ran cold. Duanmu Ming was attempting to reach the late stages of the Heaven Realm!

If he succeeded, the Su Clan would be in grave danger.

"Tell me everything you know about the Blood Cult's Northwest Branch." Su Hao needed to know their full strength.

As he spoke, he noticed Fang Heng's gaze clearing, his face contorting in a silent struggle.

"Damn it, the serum's wearing off!"

He hadn't expected it to be so short-lasting against an Earth Realm cultivator.

Su Hao glanced at the struggling Fang Heng. He was of no further use. With a single palm strike, he ended the man's life.

A small, furry creature emerged from Su Hao's sleeve. It was the Three Corpse Brain Gu he had acquired earlier.

The gu, no larger than his thumb, was translucent white and moved with an unnatural fluidity. It crawled onto his palm and nuzzled against his skin.

"Devour it." Su Hao pointed to Fang Heng's corpse.

The gu seemed to understand. It leaped from his palm onto Fang Heng's body, disappearing into the dead man's mouth.

A moment later, Fang Heng's body convulsed as if something was writhing beneath his skin. Then, a swarm of insects erupted from his orifices, covering his body in a writhing mass. Within minutes, Fang Heng's body was gone, devoured completely.

The Three Corpse Brain Gu, now slightly larger, let out a soft chirp. As if on command, the swarm of insects converged onto the larger gu, merging with its body.

Once the last insect had vanished, the Three Corpse Brain Gu leaped back onto Su Hao's hand, nuzzling his palm before disappearing once more into his sleeve.