Nightmare Apostle

Suddenly, Yang Xiao thought of something, "Ku Daoist, what about your puppet?"

Before going abroad, Yang Xiao had according to the agreement given Ku Daoist a corpse, and that corpse was the Funeral Guanyin sent by the Five Guardians of the Withered Bone Pavilion.

At Yang Xiao’s request, Ku Daoist reluctantly rang the Corps-Controlling Bell. Soon, a puppet pushed open the door of a dark room in the corner of the small courtyard and walked out.

The puppet was precisely the Funeral Guanyin, but now it was much more perfected than when Yang Xiao left. Yang Xiao could already sense the oscillation of spiritual power unique to a magic artifact emanating from the puppet.

Only then did Yang Xiao understand why Ku Daoist was reluctant to expose this puppet; the puppet had already been refined, and he was worried that Yang Xiao would seize his puppet.

Ridiculous! What kind of person is Yang Xiao? How could he do such a sordid thing? He now already had a samurai puppet and had long looked down upon such trifles.

Yang Xiao secretly calculated in his heart, with his current abilities, controlling both the Mirror Ghost and the samurai puppet simultaneously was about his limit. Adding the Funeral Guanyin would rather disrupt his combat rhythm, counterproductive.

Better to leave this Funeral Guanyin with this old Taoist for now, and only retrieve it when his own abilities improve in the future.

Seeing Yang Xiao’s eyes grow dim, Ku Daoist grew anxious, "Netherworld Emperor Captain, this... this puppet is mine. You... you promised to give me the corpse of the Funeral Guanyin yourself!"

"Hey, what do you take me for, old fellow?"

Yang Xiao quickly defended himself with righteous indignation, "When the Ming Emperor speaks, each spit is like a nail. Do you think I would take your puppet and use it with my two puppets to form a three-member combat team?"

Ku Daoist: "..."

After educating him a bit, Yang Xiao left. That old guy is really stingy; Yang Xiao didn’t want to talk to him anymore.

After being away for a while, Yang Xiao went to each of his subordinates’ residences to check their conditions and inquire about their recent lives, whether they faced any difficulties, bullying, etc.

Concerned that they might have reservations and not speak the truth, Yang Xiao thoughtfully used the Soul-Capturing Mirror, pulling them into the Mirror World where no one could overhear their conversations.

During the visit to Chen Nang’s place, entering the Mirror World, Chen Nang decisively reported an important intelligence to Yang Xiao.

"Captain, I have an important military intelligence report. I suspect that the One-eyed Monk is secretly communicating with the outside behind your back." Chen Nang spoke earnestly, which was a task Yang Xiao had assigned him before leaving, to monitor these fellows’ every move.

"He’s not the only one. The Trickster is also suspicious. I once saw him sneak out alone during curfew hours." Chen Nang continued.

"Good job. I’ve been suspecting these two guys." Yang Xiao was very satisfied with Chen Nang’s performance.

He had long known that there was a traitor in this team. Such a powerful Evil Cultivation Squad was unlikely to be trusted by the higher-ups; they surely planted their own personnel.

Before going abroad, Yang Xiao suspected that the Trickster was Wu Qingcang’s spy, and it seems now that the One-eyed Monk was likely Hong Anguo’s informant.

Counting Chen Nang, his own spy, an eight-member squad had three informants, not to mention those not yet exposed. Just thinking about this made Yang Xiao feel exhausted.

"What should we do?" Chen Nang asked, "Should we find an opportunity to quietly take them out during a mission?"

Yang Xiao hadn’t revealed much about the Provincial Office’s intelligence to Chen Nang because it wasn’t safe, and it wasn’t necessary, so Chen Nang’s judgment was relatively extreme.

"No need, if they want to send messages, let them. It’s not like there’s anything to hide." For this Evil Cultivation Squad, he, Hong Anguo, and Wu Qingcang were locusts tied to the same rope; if something happens, none of them can escape.

Now with Director Gu from the General Bureau backing him, Yang Xiao had much more confidence. Hong Anguo couldn’t suppress him using the identity of the Evil Cultivation Ming Emperor Ye Xiao anymore.

Now, he should be wary of external threats, not the internal ones in the Patrol Defense Office. He hopes those martial arts forces understand not to cause trouble for him, Yang Xiao; otherwise, the Ming Emperor Ye Xiao and the Patrol General Bureau’s special case patrol specialist in Jiangbei Province are not to be trifled with.

Thinking of his current identity, Yang Xiao couldn’t help but chuckle. He squinted his eyes, planning to return to Rongcheng after some time to let Director Nalan and his investigative team brothers witness his progress.

As the saying goes, "Clothed in brocade, not returning home, a disgrace to the well and mulberry; clothed in brocade, not returning home, is a waste of youth; clothed in brocade, not returning home, is like walking in brocade at night."

Of course, there’s also Mr. Lu Youdao; he holds high expectations for Yang Xiao, making Yang Xiao’s feelings towards him quite complex.

In the underground chamber of the Rongcheng Lin’an Office, there remains a high-level magic device awaiting his retrieval, but Lu Youdao said he would have to wait until his abilities reached the half-step Nether Realm before being qualified.

Yang Xiao is someone who listens to advice; he knows Mr. Lu won’t harm him.

Leaving the underground prison and returning to his residence, he found that everything seemed so unfamiliar after being away for so long. Originally, a few pots of flowers were placed by the window, ones he had moved from the Provincial Office. Now, left untended for a long time, they had withered.

The villa here was large and luxurious, yet sitting alone on the spacious sofa, Yang Xiao felt an emptiness inside.

Here, he was far less happy and carefree compared to in Rongcheng. In Rongcheng, he could always meet with Qu Muzhi, Fu Qingzhu, Tong Han, and Sui whenever he wanted; and when encountering an unsolvable problem, there were also Director Nalan and Second Demon Uncle.

But here, he had to rely on himself for everything. He had almost no friends in Qinglan City; all there was, was endless scheming, yet Yang Xiao was destined to tread this path alone.

This is the price to become a significant figure, and at this moment, Yang Xiao had truly entered the fray, experiencing the hefty burden behind the saying "people in the world of martial arts can’t act freely."

Even if he wanted to retreat now, go back to Rongcheng to live a normal life, it was no longer possible. Over the years, he had befriended many, but also made many enemies.

Going against the current, retreat equates to decline. If he hesitates, not only him but also his friends and those he cares for will also face retribution from enemies — an outcome Yang Xiao would never allow.

Director Nalan had warned him more than once: to become a significant figure, one must hold a heavy heart and a ruthless hand. Either don’t act, or act decisively, for any undue compassion would become arrows shot at oneself in the future.

Yang Xiao desperately wished to become the kind of significant figure Director Nalan spoke of, but achieving it was truly challenging, a path bound with thorns and obstacles.

Now and then, Yang Xiao felt somewhat confused, unsure whether he himself genuinely wanted to become a significant figure, or if he was driven by the expectations of many, being pushed onto this path of step-by-step becoming significant.

Once upon a time, he lay on the single bed of his old rental room, gazing at the heavily peeled due to humidity ceiling, frowning tightly, repeatedly envisioning and constructing the plot in his mind, doing everything possible in hopes of writing a script that would have both acclaim and earnings explode in popularity.

In just a few short years, his life had transformed drastically.

Back then, he even joked with his friends in the script group, saying he would disappear because he went to raid a dungeon for inspiration. Reflecting now, Yang Xiao wished to slap himself energetically.

That time wasn’t affluent, but life seemed pretty good.

Night fell; familiar and warm memories gradually faded, sleepiness enveloped him, and Yang Xiao leaned on the sofa, head slowly tilting to one side, closing his eyes.

The cold moonlight poured through the window, casting on Yang Xiao’s body, subtly illuminating the side of his face, leaving behind a delicate silhouette.

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