Nightmare Apostle

Chapter 488: Chapter 423: Seizing the Body_2

"Thus, a plan naturally emerged from above, selecting a portion of the reliable Patrol Defense Offices to meticulously sift through the captured Resentful Eyes of Evil Cultivators, choosing some with a lower risk profile for recovery and reuse. However, there was a condition—it could not be used on our own people."

"To be precise, I was only responsible for providing the Resentful Eyes, while the rest of the work had specialists in charge. As for the destinations of these Resentful Eyes, who they belong to... I have no authority to know. This is the dual safety measure implemented by the higher-ups for security reasons."

"You can regard these individuals armed with Resentful Eyes of Evil Cultivators as an assassination squad. They handle many difficult issues for us that we inconveniently cannot tackle ourselves. And these people do not know each other’s identities, maintaining contact only with their superiors through a single line of communication. They aren’t even sure whom they are working for; they appear as ordinary people in daily life, but once they receive a mission, they are awakened."

"The Yu Xinxin you mentioned, she is one of them. Before this, I did not even know of her existence," Nalan Shuo said.

"Why did you send someone to assassinate Pang Cai? I mean, why the urgency? Aren’t you worried about exposing yourself?" This point continued to perplex Yang Xiao.

Hearing this, Nalan Shuo gave a wry smile, slowly shaking his head, "That wasn’t an order from me; it was Xi Menxiu acting on his own initiative." freewebnøvel.com

"He’s the liaison officer between me and the leader of the assassination squad, but last time, he falsely transmitted my orders to have someone go to Yun Qi City to kill, and I did not find out about this until the next day. I wanted to stop it, but it was too late; there was a lag in the message, and the people dispatched had already made their move." As he said this, Nalan Shuo let out a slow sigh, "It seems I wasn’t wrong; the person Yu Xinxin encountered in Yun Qi City was indeed you."

In regard to this point, Yang Xiao did not deny, "No wonder you had Xi Menxiu under confinement, but... I’m very curious, why did you choose Xi Menxiu as the liaison officer?"

In Yang Xiao’s view, Xi Menxiu was less decisive in martial matters than Beibei, less reliable in scholarly matters than Da Xiong, and certainly less composed than Yu Shu. He was known within the team as the weakest link, said to still be in an internship phase, not yet official.

At this, Nalan Shuo shook his head, "First, Xi Menxiu isn’t as inept as you think. He’s very cunning, naturally timid and cautious, and with his lack of strength, he tends not to draw attention, all of which are beneficial for concealing his identity."

"Moreover, he’s a relative of the assassination squad’s leader. Trustworthy enough."

"A case of nepotism?" Yang Xiao had not anticipated this.

Nalan Shuo hesitated for a moment but still nodded, "You could say that. However, his performance had always been prudent until the incident with Zhi Jie occurred."

"So that’s how it is." Yang Xiao knew his trip today had not been in vain; these revelations were crucial for him.

"One more thing, besides Xi Menxiu, does anyone else in our investigation team know about this plan?" Yang Xiao was particularly concerned about this.

"No, that’s all." Nalan Shuo answered with certainty.

Since the topic was now open, Yang Xiao had no inhibitions left, turning the spotlight towards Lu Youdao, "Director, that Coach Lu had once stayed with the Yu Yuan Sect, right?"

After a moment of silence, Nalan Shuo’s gaze towards Yang Xiao grew increasingly complex, "You really do know a lot, probably from Linghu Guishan after you conducted the interrogation under torture."

"Right." Yang Xiao did not hide it, "He said that he wasn’t familiar with Granny Hong and that the people from the Yu Yuan Sect who came to Rongcheng were not after me but were looking for a renegade within their own sect. According to his description, this person is a cripple and is hiding inside our Lin’an Patrol Office, living a secluded life. The only person I can think of is Coach Lu."

Nalan Shuo fixed his stare on Yang Xiao and after a long pause finally said, "You never mentioned this to me before. What, were you worried that I’d harm you?"

Yang Xiao quickly waved his hands, "No, no, Director, you are magnanimous and kind; how could you possibly do such treacherous deeds? I suspected that Linghu Guishan was spouting nonsense before his death to deceive me. Without any evidence in my hands, how dare I damage your friendship with Coach Lu."

Nalan Shuo suddenly laughed, and the more he laughed, the happier he became, "I always knew you were cunning, but I never imagined you to be this crafty."

Nalan Shuo’s laughter made Yang Xiao shiver; a chill ran down his spine, and he instinctively put his hand into his left pocket, gripping the Soul-Capturing Mirror. He had learned too many secrets tonight and had to be on guard.

However, Nalan Shuo showed no intention of making a move. Instead, he seemed intrigued and looked towards Yang Xiao’s left pocket, "If I’m not mistaken, that’s the Soul-Capturing Mirror in there, isn’t it? It’s a fine treasure. I actually know a thing or two about it."

Yang Xiao kept his composure, unclear if Nalan Shuo was trying to keep him steady before taking the opportunity to strike.

But with Nalan Shuo’s next words, Yang Xiao’s face turned pale instantly.

"How is the one in the mirror doing, still stable?" Nalan Shuo leaned back in his chair, asking casually with a smile.

Seeing Yang Xiao’s complexion change, Nalan Shuo knew he had unfortunately hit the mark and gradually his smile faded, "What, has it started to act up?" frёeωebɳovel.com

"Director, I have always been loyal to you. Today, I didn’t report you but came alone in the hopes of persuading you to mend your ways. I didn’t expect that all this was part of the grand scheme laid out by your superiors, and that I was being presumptuous. My loyalty to you can be witnessed by the sun and the moon... that..." Yang Xiao, clasping his hands together in a pleading gesture, begged pathetically: "Director, you have to save me!"

Nalan Shuo nearly burst into laughter at Yang Xiao’s antics. The kid’s greatest strength was his ability to adapt swiftly and shamelessly. But as the saying goes, you don’t slap a smiling face, and Nalan Shuo didn’t want to squabble with him; otherwise, he wouldn’t have waited here for him today.

"Even if you wanted to report me, you’d need a place to do so. I am, nominally, the highest commander of the Rongcheng Patrol Division. Don’t tell me you want to turn to Director Huang Guozhao?" Although Nalan Shuo decided not to hold a grudge, he still couldn’t help giving a warning, his expression stern, "Yang Xiao, remember what I told you, always speak the truth in front of me."

"Tell me, to which stage has the guy in the mirror evolved?" Nalan Shuo asked earnestly, looking at Yang Xiao.

At the mention of evolution, Yang Xiao shuddered instinctively, but out of a desire to survive, he detailed his dealings with the Mirror Ghost to Nalan Shuo, who frowned, "It can think like a human and affect reality now?"

"What’s that look for, Director? Is it already in the late stages? Look at me, is there still a chance to save myself?" All the events of the night paled in comparison to the threat of the Mirror Ghost, and Yang Xiao feared the unthinkable consequences if its development was left unchecked.

"It’s very dangerous indeed. I didn’t realize it could evolve so quickly within you," said Nalan Shuo with grave concern, his eyes scanning Yang Xiao, "Are you hiding anything else from me?"

Yang Xiao couldn’t help but feel embarrassed, "Actually, there’s not much else... just that I have the Resentful Eye on me."

"Another one?" Nalan Shuo was taken aback. He knew Yang Xiao possessed a Ghost Dream Robe, a Ghost Lantern, and a Soul-Capturing Mirror; adding one more would make four Resentful Eye artifacts on one person—a scenario Nalan Shuo couldn’t even fathom.

Soon, Yang Xiao produced a horsetail whisk in his hand. It appeared unremarkable, but Nalan Shuo stood up, took it, and inspected it from all angles, unable to discern anything special. Before he could ask, Yang Xiao whispered mysteriously, "Director, have you heard of the Little Holy Spirit White-Robed Buddha Mother?"

Without looking up, Nalan Shuo nodded nonchalantly, "I know of her, one of the three demons under the Black Buddha Mother, the protective ghost of the Helmsman True Person from the Southeast Branch Sect, also known as the Nurturing Sect Mother and Supreme Being Wuji. Rumor has it her methods are extremely cruel. What about it?"

"Nothing much, what you’re holding is hers," Yang Xiao confessed proactively.