She stepped through the door and threw herself into Min Ming's arms, disheveled, aggrieved, and in pain, curling up like a wounded wolf. A muffled groan escaped her throat as silent tears fell, soaking her sister's clothes.
After a long while, she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper:
"Sister, don't be afraid. I'll find an opportunity... to kill him."
Two days later, on a day of rest.
Chen Yi strolled leisurely down the street.
In the distance, he faintly discerned the intermittent sound of soft footsteps trailing behind him.
Someone was following him...
Who could this follower be?
After overhearing that conversation outside the door, Min Ning was bound to take action.
With her personality, she definitely wouldn't report to the Eastern Factory about his intention to target the Eastern Factory.
Besides, this would implicate her sister, and there's no guarantee those crafty officials would trust their thousand-households rank on such matters.
Chen Yi first stopped by the Eastern Factory to obtain a uniform worn by captains, pinning a badge to his waist before heading toward the outskirts of the Capital City.
To save the Saintess, there were certainly more remnants of the Ming'an Divine Sect still hidden in the Capital City.
If memory served him right, there was a temporary stronghold of the sect in a remote suburban area.
As he moved closer to the outskirts of the city, the wind carried an ominous and murderous aura. Chen Yi slipped into a certain alleyway and sensed numerous hostile gazes.
He had indeed found the right place.
Speaking of which, Min Ning was hiding herself quite well.
Chen Yi turned his head slightly and glanced toward his rear.
The leaves rustled faintly; she was likely searching for the perfect opportunity to eliminate him from the shadows.
Chen Yi smiled faintly and proceeded directly to a semi-abandoned tavern.
The front door was tightly shut, as though locked from the inside.
Chen Yi recalled something, then knocked heavily five times, followed by four lighter knocks. The first five symbolized the sect's five layers of the Bright Treasure Land; the latter four represented the Four Saintesses.
After a long while, the door creaked open a sliver, and an aged eye peered out at him, questioning:
Chen Yi did not answer directly.
Although the words seemed to be asking his name, revealing it immediately would likely lead to his head being severed the next moment.
This was knowledge gained through countless attempts and retries.
"The Great Ming Venerate Buddha will emerge and surely restore... the World of Ignorance."
The elder's aged eyes flickered slightly upon seeing the official uniform he wore. After a pause, the door slowly opened wider.
Chen Yi lifted his foot and stepped inside calmly.
Within the abandoned tavern sat several members of the Divine Sect, and the one who had questioned him just now turned out to be the sect's Punishment Elder, his hair ashen gray, his True Qi overwhelming and profound.
"Who are you? Why haven't I seen you before? And you're even... a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?!"
One of the brawny sect members scrutinized him suspiciously.
"We have so many spies; it's impossible to know them all... But he does look unfamiliar."
Another sect member remarked.
All eyes converged on Chen Yi, yet the latter showed no sign of unease.
The Punishment Elder returned to the head seat, gazing down at Chen Yi from above as he spoke calmly:
As soon as the word fell, several sect members instinctively reached for their weapons, and the atmosphere inside the tavern became instantly deadly.
Just one glance, and the uniformed man before them could end up in pieces.
"Star Shifting, Heaven and Earth Kong Ming, Bright and Dark Realms, Two Cults and Three Horizons..."
The Punishment Elder's face instantly froze, his expression stunned.
The Absorbing Star Technique?!
This was a protective cultivation technique, the fundamental art of the sect; even within the Divine Sect, only a rare few knew of this high-ranking technique.
The Elder couldn't help but observe him closely, only to find that the young man's face had unknowingly been illuminated by sincere tears.
"Elder, three years and then three more years, three years and yet three more years... I've lived incognito in the Capital City for a full nine years."
"Do you know what I've endured in these nine years?"
Chen Yi bowed with clasped fists, tears streaming as he saluted.
"I, Song Shengbao, have returned to the sect today."
The Elder's pupils contracted slightly upon hearing that name.
This was the Divine Sect's spy placed in the Eastern Factory nine years ago—their most important operative!
To avoid the spy's betrayal, aside from the Sect Hierarch, only a handful of individuals were privy to his identity and appearance.
Chen Yi's voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough to reach the second floor of the tavern.
Min Ning, who had silently slipped into the tavern to observe in secret, was utterly dumbfounded.
He was... part of the sect?
So it was with the Absorbing Star Technique that he drained her sister's True Qi...
But... why would he use the name Song Shengbao, and why would he intercept and slaughter sect members...
Min Ning recollected the events of that day.
Chen Yi hadn't let a single person live.
Logically speaking, he should have kept someone alive... So, could it be to prevent leaks?
He killed sect members solely to better conceal himself!
And the reason he used Song Shengbao's name likely involved an internal conspiracy by sect members, with external agents providing support! The slain Song Shengbao wasn't the real one—it was merely Chen Yi's puppet double!
Min Ning's mind painted a picture of the three sect members hiding the truth, sacrificing themselves fervently.
Such cold-blooded methods! To what end?
She heard it very soon.
"Elder, the Eastern Factory has completely turned against the Divine Sect."
"Do you think we're still collaborating with them? No, in fact, the Eastern Factory is simply waiting for the perfect moment to ensnare the sect entirely, ensuring a promotion to the Third Rank afterward."
"Just a few days ago, Eastern Factory officials went to the West Factory, attempting to mobilize them to slaughter our brothers from the sect—they're using us as pawns!"
"If we continue trusting the Eastern Factory, I fear... the Saintess may not survive. They've already caught wind of her emergence. Elder, you can send secret orders and verify whether my words hold truth."