Chapter 342

Chapter 342: You Need the Code to Get the Info

Shen Sang Ruo took the lead and brought up the topic, and Shi Mu answered at once, asking: “Devil Lord, are you referring to that matter?”

Knowing that someone else still remembered that conspiracy was the best news so far. They would not have to search for clues piece by piece, which would save time and help them counter the Heretic Cultivator’s plot.

She held back her excitement, gave a calm “Mm,” and waited for Shi Mu to continue.

Shi Mu began respectfully: “To report to the Devil Lord…” but when the words reached his throat, he suddenly paused and fell silent, his expression turning strange.

For a moment, the great hall became uncomfortably quiet.

Dodder Flower Sprite whispered in a panic: “Why did he stop? Did we ask too directly and make him realize we’re impostors?”

Shen Sang Ruo’s brow moved the slightest bit. It should not be as Dodder Flower Sprite feared; everyone in the Radical Faction, including Shi Mu, now fully believed in her identity. There had to be another reason.

The air grew tense for no clear reason.

After a short pause, the odd look on Shi Mu’s face shifted to a grin. He chuckled and said to her: “Heh heh heh, the Devil Lord is testing this subordinate, right?”

He straightened and explained with pride: “The Devil Lord once said that only after giving the correct code can we talk about this matter. Without the code, even if the Devil Lord personally orders it, we must not open our mouths.”

He thumped his chest and stood taller, vowing: “The Devil Lord suddenly bringing it up must be to test whether, after tens of thousands of years, this subordinate still remembers his duty. Devil Lord, please be at ease, this subordinate keeps it in mind at all times! Even if a blade is pressed to this subordinate’s neck, I will not say a word.” He let out a silly chuckle: “Heh heh.”

[What am I even supposed to say to that.] She looked at Shi Mu’s slightly smug smile and praise-seeking eyes and, for a moment, truly had no idea how to respond. In the end she could only force out: “Good job.”

[She cursed Ya Lan in her heart a thousand times. He even set up a secret code. How sneaky. Where am I supposed to find that code now.] Then she thought it through: this also proved how serious the matter was. For Ya Lan to guard it like this, Shi Mu must be holding important information.

Shi Mu, still in high spirits, praised both himself and her again, even declaring that even if he turned to ash he still would not say it.

Shen Sang Ruo grew more and more frustrated. [Good news: someone knows the Heretic Cultivator’s conspiracy. Bad news: we don’t know the code, so we can’t get him to talk.]

She sighed inwardly. At least it was a lead. She would find a way later. She had to pry open Shi Mu’s mouth.

She shifted the topic, asking evenly: “Has the Radical Faction shown any unusual signs recently, or has anything special happened?”

Without thinking, Shi Mu replied right away: “No, of course not.” This was his chance to show his ability; how could he admit that anything had gone wrong during his term as Chief?

He added with confidence: “While the Devil Lord was away, this subordinate managed the Radical Faction strictly. There wasn’t a single slip.”

He was also telling the truth. Nothing special had happened lately. Except for that one matter. A flicker of something passed through his eyes, but he quickly returned to normal. It wasn’t a big deal in his mind, and he had already handled it, so there was no need to disturb the Devil Lord’s peace.

Shi Mu felt like he was a very thoughtful subordinate.

“All right, you may leave,” Shen Sang Ruo said, her gaze unreadable. After Shi Mu withdrew, she spoke in a low voice: “Is Shi Mu hiding something on purpose, or did he never receive contact from the System?”

If it were something urgent, someone as loyal to Ya Lan as Shi Mu would not hide it on purpose. Yet the System had indeed left traces of reaching out to Devil Cultivators.

Weighing Shi Mu’s style, Shen Sang Ruo reached a conclusion: “It’s likely he didn’t know who was contacting him and refused or ignored the System’s message.” Snake Maiden and the others agreed that this was very possible.

[That is so like Shi Mu.]

If that were the case, they probably would not get any useful information; there hadn’t even been real communication, so they could not probe the System’s goal. They would have to go at it from the System’s side. The System was in the Hall of Myriad Spirits anyway; it couldn’t run.

She set this aside. Her focus stayed on the Heretic Cultivator’s plot and the Conservative Faction’s struggle. The ten days she promised Ling Hu Min were almost up, and she planned to return to the Conservative Faction tomorrow.

She had already obtained the Radical Faction’s attack routes and arrangements, and Qi Yan was cooperating with her. The Conservative Faction’s crisis was already half solved.

She chose to spend the rest of this half day wandering inside the Radical Faction to look for other clues.

Rising to her feet, she walked out of the Devil King’s Palace with a proud, stately stride. She looked at people down the bridge of her nose, radiating a haughty, untouchable air.

Every Devil Cultivator of the Radical Faction who saw her had to bow respectfully.

She could not help thinking how great it felt to look down on everyone. No wonder so many want to be the villain Boss.

Watching her act grow more and more natural, Dodder Flower Sprite shivered and muttered: “Take it easy; if you keep this up for two more episodes, I’m afraid you won’t want to come back.”

Near the Devil King’s Palace, Shen Sang Ruo noticed a special building.

It looked like a huge half sphere pressed over the ground. Not only was it guarded by many Devil Cultivators, but it was also wrapped in a web of complex Barrier Wards.

It clearly mattered a lot to the Radical Faction.

She raised an eyebrow and walked toward it.

A guard called out from a distance: “This is the Blood Pool, a restricted area. Unauthorized Devil Cultivators are not allowed inside.”

Blood Pool? The word caught her attention. It didn’t sound like anything proper. It sounded more like some crooked trick a Heretic Cultivator would invent.

When she got closer and the guards recognized her, their alert faces changed at once and they dropped to their knees.

“We did not know the Devil Lord had arrived. Please forgive us, Devil Lord!”

Everyone in the Radical Faction now knew her identity.

Shen Sang Ruo did not bother being polite. As usual, she told them to go punish themselves.

Showing mercy to the enemy is being cruel to yourself. She would not miss any chance to strike the Radical Faction.

The other Devil Cultivators hurried to open the Barrier Wards, and one of them began to explain, eager to please: “Devil Lord, this is our Radical Faction’s Blood Pool. With guidance from experts among the Heretic Cultivators, it was forged from the flesh and blood of high-grade Cultivators who cultivate with Spiritual Power, and it contains great power.”

The man added with a flattering smile: “Chief Shi Mu said there’s a batch of first-rate goods in there. Every one of them was a standout outside. The flesh and blood of those Cultivators is a great tonic for us Devil Cultivators. Soaking in it clears the meridians, speeds up the absorption of Devil Qi, and boosts its effects.”

He kept talking, never noticing that Shen Sang Ruo’s face was growing colder and colder.