Just as Qin Chengyi's breath grew faint, as if he no longer had the strength to scream, his calves having been ground down to the bone by his own thrashing amidst a pool of blood foam and black fluid, Daoist Gong flicked his finger again. Another beam of black light flew into Qin Chengyi's forehead. Instantly, Qin Chengyi deflated and collapsed to the ground, his entire body looking as if it had been submerged in a pool of blood. Under Daoist Gong's spell, he couldn't even pass out, which magnified the pain countless times over. His whole body convulsed and trembled, and large amounts of blood foamed from his mouth.
Seeing this, Daoist Gong tapped his waist, and a red medicinal pill appeared in his hand. With a flick of his finger, the red pill transformed into a red streak that shot directly into Qin Chengyi's mouth. Then, Daoist Gong pointed several times from a distance, and the gushing blood from Qin Chengyi's legs instantly stopped as if its source had been cut off.
Having lost a massive amount of blood, Qin Chengyi was already on the verge of death. But not even a dozen breaths after the red pill entered his mouth, a flush of crimson surged into his face. His skin all over turned blood-red, as if it were burning. Already devoid of strength, his spirits suddenly became agitated. Soybean-sized blisters began to form on his blood-red skin. He looked as if he had been thrown into a wok of boiling oil. The pain was so intense that he continuously slammed his head against the ground, letting out tormented howls that sounded inhuman, as if trying to kill himself to lessen the inhuman agony. But every time his head touched the ground, that patch of earth, smeared with blood and flesh, would generate a gentle force, preventing him from getting his wish.
The dense blisters on Qin Chengyi's body also began to swell upwards, and finally, they started to burst one after another. Each rupture tore away a large amount of flesh and blood. Among them, even the fingernails on his hands peeled off...
After a few dozen more breaths, Daoist Gong, his face still expressionless, took out a green medicinal pill and once again flicked it into Qin Chengyi's mouth.
This time, however, no horrifying scene ensued. Although Qin Chengyi had been close to death, under the effect of this pill, his breathing slowly began to return to normal, and his mind started to clear up considerably. But when Qin Chengyi's consciousness returned from the depths of hell to the mortal world, the pain was even greater. With his current clarity, the agony from every part of his body made him tremble uncontrollably. Even the look in his eyes as he gazed at Daoist Gong was filled with venomous hatred. He knew he was going to die no matter what, so he didn't beg for mercy.
"You... I granted the requests you made earlier. But, Qin... Junior Brother, you went back on your word. Although I can't perform a Soul-Search, I also can't let you die just yet. But before Master returns, I can make your life worse than death. If you speak, you can at least die without too much pain."
Facing Qin Chengyi's venomous glare, Daoist Gong's voice was devoid of emotion.
"I... what I... what I said before... about the contact... the contact person... was all fabricated. It... it was just... to... to find out how you saw through... saw through... my... my plan. Everything... everything... was because I heard that the Guluo Nine... Nine... Nine-Tailed Turtle's eyeball had a mysterious origin, so I had the... thought of stealing it. What... what does it... have to do... with... anyone else?"
Qin Chengyi spoke intermittently, blood continuously welling up in his mouth as he talked. His gaze, however, was becoming hazy. It was clear that despite the medicinal stimulant, his consciousness was beginning to blur again.
"Hehehe, it seems Junior Brother Qin has no intention of speaking to me properly. In that case..." Upon hearing this, a grim coldness appeared on Daoist Gong's face. Just as he was about to strike again, Li Yan's voice came over.
"Fellow Daoist Gong, he probably won't talk. I think before your master returns, it would be best to just take his family. Not letting a single one escape should be the most reliable method. Then, just wait for your master's return, and the truth will surely be revealed. Also, what exactly is that Guluo Nine-Tailed Turtle's eyeball? To make them go to such lengths, planning for so many years?"
Li Yan sighed inwardly. He had no desire to witness such things. Although Qin Chengyi was indeed a man of strong character, the entire affair was clearly connected to the secret order issued by the Malevolent Spirit Sect, so he felt no sympathy for Qin Chengyi's suffering. Seeing how unyielding Qin Chengyi was, he knew that short of a Soul-Search, there was little hope. It was better to secure his family first. At the same time, he also wanted to see what was so extraordinary about this item that Qin Chengyi was willing to kill three people to steal.
Hearing this, Daoist Gong's hand paused. He looked at Li Yan, his expression softening. After a moment's consideration, he withdrew his hand and spoke to an empty spot of ground. "Hall Master Ji, you will personally guard this man. You must ensure nothing happens to him before Master returns, or you will be held responsible. Also, send a message to Junior Brother Kong and the other four to make their move. Do not let a single person escape, or they will be punished according to sect rules."
As soon as his voice fell, a figure appeared in that empty space, slowly solidifying from a blur. It was none other than Hall Master Ji of the Disciplinary Hall. The entire area had long been sealed off by Daoist Gong and Hall Master Ji; otherwise, the commotion from Qin Chengyi's escape from the "Quicksand Art" would have drawn people here long ago.
After Hall Master Ji appeared, he first glanced at the barely breathing Qin Chengyi on the ground. With a casual grab, he lifted him up as if he were a little chick. Then he looked at Li Yan, a hint of admiration in his eyes. He had heard every word Li Yan had said from the side, and furthermore, he knew Li Yan's identity, which deepened his respect. Finally, he said to Daoist Gong, "Sect Master Senior Brother, I already notified them to move just now. I was afraid that the longer we wait, the more complications might arise. The Qin family only has two Foundation Establishment cultivators, one late-stage and one early-stage. I will place this man in the 'Silent Prison' now, and then I will also head over there to be safe."
After hearing this, Daoist Gong thought for a moment and then nodded. The "Silent Prison" was where the Xuanqing Temple held its most important criminals. The defense of its formations was even slightly stronger than the sect's protective grand formation. It was just that with the Xuanqing Temple's resources, they couldn't deploy it on a large scale. The tokens to open it were held only by him and Hall Master Ji. Anyone else who entered would be trapped, and they would be alerted immediately. It could be said that a prisoner held there was even safer than in his own hands.
"Yes, that would be best. With Hall Master Ji going to the Qin family, success is doubly assured. I can hold the fort here at the sect," Daoist Gong said.
Hearing this, Hall Master Ji said no more. With a flicker, he vanished like a wisp of smoke, carrying the consciousness-lost Qin Chengyi, who had been overwhelmed by pain.
Watching Hall Master Ji leave, Daoist Gong glanced at the puppet on the ground. After a moment's thought, he formed his fingers into a claw and, with a grasp through the air, pulled it into his hand. He then took a few steps forward to stand before Li Yan, a hint of a smile on his face. "Fellow Daoist Li, please accept this item. If it weren't for you, that scoundrel Qin would have succeeded this morning. Although its internal formations are somewhat damaged, I imagine with the Malevolent Spirit Sect's means, it can be easily repaired."
Li Yan had been standing to the side without a word. He was somewhat surprised that Daoist Gong would give him this puppet. This item could be considered important evidence, and it was a second-tier puppet, with combat strength comparable to a Foundation Establishment cultivator. It wasn't much inferior to the puppet Bai Rou had given him from the "Earthen Mark," though it lacked the many secrets hidden within the ancient ape puppet. Moreover, what Daoist Gong said was right; he just needed to find someone skilled in puppet mechanisms, like Bai Rou, and it could be repaired.
However, Li Yan still understood. On one hand, it was because he had contributed to this matter. On the other, Daoist Gong, like the Bloodleaf Elder, wanted to curry favor with a Malevolent Spirit Sect cultivator, so he was making a gift of it. At this point, whether there was evidence or not was irrelevant. The main priority was to find out why Qin Chengyi—or rather, the Qin family, or the power behind them—wanted to steal that Guluo Nine-Tailed Turtle's eyeball.
Seeing Daoist Gong offer the puppet, Li Yan smiled, reached out to accept it, and casually put it into his Storage Pouch. Inside his Storage Pouch were also the inkstone Magical Treasure and several Spirit Treasures that Qin Chengyi had previously thrown out.
However, items like Magical Treasures shouldn't have appeared on a Qi Condensation disciple from a third-rate cultivation family. Those were things that typically only the family head and elders would possess. Not to mention an almost extinct wonder poison and another rare, potent poison. From these, one could see that the power behind Qin Chengyi or the Qin family had spared no expense for this plan.
Seeing Li Yan accept the puppet, Daoist Gong directly took out a Storage Pouch—the one he had taken from Qin Chengyi earlier. With Daoist Gong's Pseudo-Core Realm cultivation, he had easily broken the Divine Sense Imprint on it. Inside, apart from two or three remaining Spirit Artifacts, some Spirit Stones, and a few bottles of medicinal pills, were the two halves of the golden Wind Chime.
With a light pat on the Storage Pouch, the two golden halves of the Wind Chime appeared in Daoist Gong's hand. He formed a hand seal, and the two halves merged into a single, exquisite Wind Chime. In the next moment, it transformed into a streak of golden light and shot towards the vermilion main door on the first floor of the hall.
"Fellow Daoist Li, please follow me." Daoist Gong made a Daoist salute with his palm raised vertically to Li Yan, then walked toward the Daojing Hall. Li Yan followed as requested. As the two entered, the now-whole golden Wind Chime was once again retrieved by Daoist Gong. The vermilion door on the first floor slowly closed. From the outside, it looked perfectly ordinary, as if it could be pushed open with a simple touch.
In a secret room on the third floor of the Daojing Hall, there were rows upon rows of wooden shelves. A halo of light flowed over each shelf, creating a dreamlike and hazy appearance.
There were at least ten rows of these shelves. Gazing at the restrictive fluctuations on them, Li Yan rubbed his nose. On the way up to the third floor, he had seen Daoist Gong use the now-complete golden Wind Chime to open seven restrictions. Among them were three restrictions that Li Yan hadn't even noticed before Daoist Gong opened them. This couldn't help but alarm him. This meant that even with his cultivation, if he wanted to avoid alerting the Xuanqing Temple cultivators, he would have likely triggered these three formations even with the golden Wind Chime. However, Daoist Gong clearly had no intention of hiding anything from him, opening them right in front of him, appearing to trust him completely, which instantly created a good impression.
But Li Yan also knew that even if he knew the locations of the formations and had the golden Wind Chime, the manual to operate the chime was likely a secret not shared with outsiders. That was probably the true core of the control. He imagined that over the years, besides waiting for an opportunity to get the two halves of the Wind Chime, Qin Chengyi had likely put a lot of effort into figuring out the control manual. It was just unknown whether what he had obtained was the complete manual.
After reaching the third floor, Daoist Gong didn't continue to the upper levels. Instead, he walked straight to the third row of wooden shelves, which glowed with a yellow light. When he reached the end of the shelf near the wall, he stopped. He once again waved the golden Wind Chime at that spot. A grey beam of light shot out from the shelf towards his hand, and he caught it in his palm. He first examined it carefully, a look of suspicion in his eyes. He had studied this item before, and looking at it now, it still seemed to have nothing special about it.
After a moment, he looked up at Li Yan.
"Fellow Daoist Li, please come over here."