Don't Provoke the Black Lotus O [Transmigration Novel] - Chapter 62

62: The Xiaoyao Sect

The content of the poem wasn’t important; it was likely all made up by Long Yin. The key point lay in those four words: “Come here at midnight.”

She had many secrets behind her, and as the Grand Priestess of Liang, there were undoubtedly countless eyes watching her.

Jiang Ci analyzed that Long Yin had seen the token on the night of the assassination and realized she was a member of the Xiaoyao Sect. That’s why she immediately approached under the guise of exorcism and later conveyed this message right under everyone’s noses.

This series of actions was perfectly logical, laid out in the open for the Empress Dowager to see. No matter how many spies were watching, there was nothing to fault. Who would have thought that a prince consort from Yu would have any connection to the Grand Priestess? In Liang, no one even knew about the Xiaoyao Sect.

The more Jiang Ci thought about it, the more she admired this senior sect member. No wonder Mo Sanqi had said she could turn to her if she ever ran into trouble.

However, the moment she remembered that Long Yin was also Mo Sanqi’s love rival, who had abandoned her wife and child and neglected the Pei family, Jiang Ci couldn’t bring herself to feel any goodwill toward her.

Had Pei Yun been carrying the stigma of having a child out of wedlock all these years, never revealing the name of the child’s father, just to protect Long Yin’s reputation as the Grand Priestess?

Jiang Ci sighed inwardly. It wasn’t worth it. She might as well have been with Mo Sanqi!

After all this random musing, she stayed until evening and spent the night at the princess’s residence. When midnight arrived, she quietly got out of bed, changed into a set of night clothes, and relying on her excellent lightness skills, slipped out through the window, picking up Helian Ping along the way.

Helian Ping didn’t know martial arts, so climbing onto the roof required Jiang Ci’s assistance.

“I’m telling you, you shouldn’t come. I’ll just tell you what happened when I get back.”

“It’s not the same. I can also sense the mountain god. If there’s any danger, I might be able to give you some hints,” Helian Ping said. “This Long Yin is too mysterious. I can’t figure her out.”

Long Yin had always remained neutral in court, not siding with any faction. Helian Ping actually wanted to take this opportunity to probe her background. If she could win her over to serve the Empress, that would be even better.

The two of them arrived at the mountain god temple. At midnight, the surroundings were eerily quiet, with not a single person in sight.

Jiang Ci was puzzled. Wasn’t it Long Yin who had asked her to come? Why hadn’t she shown up yet?

She waited for a while, but as boredom set in, she stepped onto the altar, touching and examining it, curiously looking around.

Helian Ping turned around and quickly went over to pull her back. “Don’t mess around! You’re disrespecting the mountain god!”

“Just touching the altar is a problem?” Jiang Ci exclaimed in surprise. “This mountain god is too petty.”

“Just shut up, will you?”

Jiang Ci waited for a while longer, but Long Yin still didn’t appear. She felt something was off. Had she missed some clue?

Jiang Ci then began to recall the entire exorcism ritual from the beginning. Long Yin had interacted very little with her, only asking for her name before reciting that poem.

“…This path is fraught with ups and downs.”

Long Yin danced the ritual dance, and after reciting the last line, she struck the ground heavily with her staff.

Thinking of this, Jiang Ci returned to the altar and crouched down at the spot where Long Yin had stood, carefully inspecting it.

Had that strike of hers held some deeper meaning?

It wasn’t that Jiang Ci was overthinking things. She had played many games in the past and had explored countless hidden passages. Looking at this altar now, the circular brick in the center was a full meter in diameter—more than enough for a person to pass through if it were an entrance.

Jiang Ci began to feel around, trying to see if there was any mechanism.

The entire altar was circular, with a row of half-height stone pillars spaced evenly around the edge, except for the steps. These pillars were used to hold torches.

Jiang Ci counted them—eleven in total. The steps were positioned directly opposite one of the gaps between the pillars, making it roughly twelve if you included them. Looking down from above, the altar resembled a clock face.

“Come here at midnight”… Could it mean midnight, or zero hour?

Assuming the steps represented six o’clock, the pillar directly opposite would then represent twelve o’clock. Jiang Ci inspected it, but after feeling around for a while, she found no mechanism.

Helian Ping was exasperated. “What are you doing now? I told you not to mess around.”

Jiang Ci ignored her and continued her search. Suddenly, she looked up and asked, “Which way is north?”

The question was so abrupt that Helian Ping was momentarily stunned before pointing. “That way.”

Jiang Ci immediately went over and began feeling around again.

“Hey… When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Be careful, or the mountain god might get angry and punish—”

Before Helian Ping could finish, Jiang Ci twisted the stone pillar, and the circular brick in the center of the altar slowly opened.

The two of them stepped forward and looked down. Below was a long staircase, with a cold, eerie air wafting up from the depths.

Helian Ping was dumbfounded. She had lived in Liang for over twenty years and was the next Grand Priestess. She had participated in countless rituals at the mountain god temple, yet she had never known that the altar was actually an entrance!

How had this person figured it out!?

Jiang Ci turned to her, raising an eyebrow with a smile. “Midnight corresponds to the north in the Bagua.”

The people of Liang revered the mountain god. Who would have thought that the Grand Priestess would tamper with the altar, placing the entrance to a secret passage in the most obvious spot?

The two of them descended the stairs, with Jiang Ci leading the way, holding a dagger tightly and silently counting the steps. After walking in the dark for a while, light gradually appeared below.

They reached the bottom after 108 steps. The passage was illuminated by torches on either side, resembling a tomb corridor. They walked through it, and at the end was a massive stone door with intricate carvings.

Perhaps Long Yin was behind this door.

Just as Jiang Ci was about to push the door open, Helian Ping suddenly stopped her.

Jiang Ci: “What’s wrong?”

Helian Ping pursed her lips, still holding onto Jiang Ci’s arm. “I feel… something’s not right. Maybe we should go back?”

It seemed that once they went through, there would be no turning back.

The woman’s hand was cold, and her beautiful eyes were filled with deep concern.

Jiang Ci looked at her, silent for a moment before saying, “We have to keep moving forward. Aren’t you trying to help the Empress? Don’t you want to know what Long Yin is up to, with such a large space beneath the altar?”

“I am curious, but…” Helian Ping was still hesitant, her heart filled with an indescribable feeling, something elusive and uncontrollable.

Jiang Ci said, “How about you wait here, and I’ll go in alone?”

Helian Ping thought for a while, then gritted her teeth and said, “No, let’s go together. We can watch out for each other.”

Jiang Ci nodded, then pushed the door open. What greeted them was a grand hall, with flickering lights in the darkness, unable to dispel the eerie atmosphere.

It felt like they had stepped into the underworld. Helian Ping shivered and quietly moved closer to Jiang Ci.

Inside the hall, there were only three people: Long Yin, and a man and a woman.

Jiang Ci steadied herself and looked directly at the woman in black robes standing on the high platform.

She still wore a mask and held a staff. When she saw Jiang Ci enter, she let out a laugh, seemingly pleased.

“Not bad, you actually found your way here.” Then, Long Yin’s eyes suddenly darkened, and her voice dropped low. In an instant, those deep eyes radiated a strong killing intent. “How do you have the Xiaoyao Token?”

Helian Ping had never seen the Grand Priestess like this—cold-blooded and ruthless, as if she could snap their necks without hesitation in the next moment.

Jiang Ci felt her scalp tingle, and goosebumps rose all over her body.

It seemed that Long Yin had been holding back when they were outside.

She forced herself to stay calm and took out the white jade token.

…This was the Xiaoyao Token?

“My master gave it to me.”

“Your master?”

“Mo Sanqi.”

Hearing this name, Long Yin’s eyes trembled, and she nearly dropped her staff. After a long moment, she regained her composure, the killing intent dissipating as she murmured, “Senior Sister…”

Jiang Ci raised an eyebrow. For the first time, she saw a trace of deep emotion in this mysterious and imposing Grand Priestess.

It seemed that even as love rivals, the relationship between these two senior sisters was still strong. It was just that later, they went their separate ways, and Mo Sanqi never set foot in Liang again.

“I never thought she would take on a disciple,” Long Yin suddenly looked at Jiang Ci, “and it’s you.”

Jiang Ci understood the implication.

She, the “foreign object” mentioned in the mountain god’s revelation, someone who didn’t belong here, had coincidentally encountered Long Yin’s senior sister.

To be honest, when she thought back to her first meeting with Mo Sanqi in Songxiang Town, Jiang Ci found it all a bit absurd. She had no idea why Mo Sanqi would take someone as strange as her as a disciple.

Jiang Ci said, “Maybe it’s fate?”

“Fate, how intriguing.” Long Yin chuckled. “Do you know what this Xiaoyao Token means?”

“A kind of token?”

“Indeed. The holder of the Xiaoyao Token is the sect leader.”

Jiang Ci was stunned for a few seconds, her eyes widening. Suddenly, the token felt scorching hot in her hand.

What the hell…

Mo Sanqi had taught her medicine and martial arts, but now she was handing over the entire Xiaoyao Sect to her?

Such a big matter, and she hadn’t even mentioned it! How irresponsible!

After Long Yin finished speaking, the man and woman in the hall immediately bowed and clasped their fists, solemnly saying, “Dark Hall’s Jing Muxing and Xin Yuehu, paying respects to the Sect Leader.”

“…Dark Hall?”

Jiang Ci, who hadn’t yet come to terms with becoming the sect leader, was hit with another bombshell.

Wasn’t the Dark Hall that infamous assassin organization? What did it have to do with the Xiaoyao Sect?!

Helian Ping was no less shocked. She never would have thought that the Dark Hall was under the Grand Priestess’s control!

The two of them were also taken aback, seeing the surprise and confusion in Jiang Ci’s eyes.

“What, didn’t Senior Sister tell you?” Seeing Jiang Ci’s expression, Long Yin guessed the answer. After a pause, she explained, “The Xiaoyao Sect is divided into the Bright Hall and the Dark Hall. Senior Sister and I are the respective hall leaders.”

The previous sect leader had passed away suddenly, entrusting the position to Mo Sanqi on his deathbed. Later, many things happened, and Mo Sanqi took the Bright Hall to Yu, never to return.

Long Yin didn’t elaborate on those events, but Jiang Ci could guess some of it—it must have been related to Pei Yun.

The Bright Hall healed people, while the Dark Hall killed. The two halls operated in completely opposite ways, but their goal was the same—to save the world.

Jiang Ci finally understood why those assassins had been so shocked when they saw the token. They were fellow sect members!

Jiang Ci’s heart tightened. She had caused her fellow sect members to be imprisoned!

“I’m sorry, I really didn’t know… Those assassins, we have to find a way to save them!”

Over the years, the Liang court had viewed the Dark Hall as a thorn in their side, ordering nationwide hunts. Once caught, the assassins were certain to be executed.

Long Yin silently watched her, then sighed after a long while. “I want to save them too, but I’m powerless.”

“…What do you mean?” Jiang Ci said. “The Dark Hall has many members, right? We can storm the prison, break them out… There must be a way!”

“Any plan requires people. Jiang Ci, my meridians are damaged, and I’ve lost all my martial prowess. The only Dark Hall members left by my side are these two.”

Jing Muxing and Xin Yuehu.

The Dark Hall had many members, and above them were the Twenty-Eight Constellations, each with their own unique skills. The Dark Hall’s rules were heavily influenced by Liang’s customs, where strength was respected. A Long Yin who could no longer fight had no way to maintain control, and disagreements grew. Over time, chaos was inevitable.

The Dark Hall was now a scattered force, with each group acting on their own to save Liang.

The assassination attempt on the Empress Dowager had been planned by Gui Jinyang, not ordered by Long Yin.

Jiang Ci never expected that Long Yin, who seemed so imposing, had no martial skills at all!

“Who could be so powerful as to cripple you…”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted it. That was too rude.

Long Yin didn’t mind, but Jing Muxing snorted angrily. “Our hall leader was one of the top martial artists in Liang! If it weren’t for that Kunjun being pregnant, our hall leader would never have—”

“Cang Li!” Long Yin urgently called out his real name, stopping him from continuing.

Jing Muxing could only pout and remain silent.

Jiang Ci was inwardly shocked, feeling like she had stumbled upon a major piece of gossip.

A highly skilled Kunjun, pregnant, and with a grudge against Long Yin—it all pointed to Pei Yun…

Jiang Ci’s mind was spinning.

Pei Yun and Mo Sanqi had feelings for each other, but in the end, Pei Yun was pregnant with Long Yin’s child?

Long Yin had ignored the Pei family, but she seemed to miss Mo Sanqi deeply?

Mo Sanqi… had cut ties with everyone and left.

It turned out that the one living freely abroad wasn’t her senior sect member, but her master…

What was going on? What exactly was the relationship between these three? It was all too messy!

“Jiang Ci,” Long Yin didn’t bring up the past again, only saying, “Right now, the priority is to reunite the Dark Hall and bring them together.”

Otherwise, even if they saved Gui Jinyang and the others, more would still be captured.

The members of the Dark Hall had long since disregarded their own lives. For the sake of Liang, they had assassinated many court officials. Some attempts succeeded, but most failed. Even so, they would not stop.

The Dark Hall walked the path of killing—killing one to save ten thousand, especially when targeting the wicked. If I don’t go to hell, who will?

Long Yin looked at Jiang Ci, her eyes deep. “The foreign one… I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”

Jiang Ci’s heart trembled.

“What… can I do? How can I reunite the Dark Hall? Will they listen to me, their new sect leader?”

Clearly, not yet.

“You need to show them the strength of the new sect leader.”

“…Strength?”

The people of Liang, and the Dark Hall, respected strength. Defeating a few challengers wouldn’t mean much to them.

Long Yin said gravely, “Assassinate the Minister of Works and retrieve the secret documents.”

Jiang Ci was momentarily stunned. Was she being asked to become an assassin and kill someone herself?!

Helian Ping, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up. “Grand Priestess, this is too much to ask. You’re forcing her!”

The Minister of Works, Liao Yi, certainly deserved to die. He was a lackey of the Empress Dowager, oppressing the people and acting as her enforcer. But he was surrounded by numerous guards and experts. The Dark Hall had tried to assassinate him many times and failed each time. Sending Jiang Ci was practically sending her to her death! Especially since she was still injured!

Helian Ping felt her premonition had been correct—this Grand Priestess was setting Jiang Ci up! Why should she be handed the Dark Hall’s mess?

However, if not by completing a nearly impossible assassination, how else could she earn their respect?

“There’s no time,” Long Yin said. “I’ll give you one night to think it over. Whether you do it or not, give me your answer tomorrow.”

“Jiang Ci, the Empress Dowager’s ambitions go far beyond this.”

…

Jiang Ci didn’t know how she made it back to the princess’s residence. Her mind was a tangled mess.

What did Long Yin mean by that last statement?

Were the Empress Dowager’s ambitions not limited to just Liang?!

Helian Ping removed her mask, revealing a stunningly beautiful face that could topple nations. “A Ci, don’t listen to her. Assassinating Liao Yi is a dead end. It won’t work!”

“But those assassins were exposed because of me…”

“Even if you hadn’t exposed them, could they have succeeded in assassinating the Empress Dowager? There have been many attempts before. As long as Hong San is around, no one can get close to the Empress Dowager.”

That was true, but how could Jiang Ci act as if it had nothing to do with her, standing aloof and unaffected?

She was already deeply involved in this conflict.

She had come to Liang to fulfill her ambitions, just as she had when she transmigrated into Gao Yi, scheming and maneuvering in the court. But she never expected that so soon after arriving, she would be pushed into a corner.

There was no time, because those assassins would soon be executed.

She had to do something.

If she used some unconventional methods, she could temporarily boost her martial prowess. Jiang Ci had seen a technique in Mo Sanqi’s notes, though the side effects were severe.

Jiang Ci’s mind was in turmoil. She spent the entire night thinking but couldn’t come up with a good solution. She stayed awake until dawn.

Just after breakfast, a servant came to report that Qin Shuang, an envoy from Yu, had come to visit.

Jiang Ci felt a pang of guilt, thinking that Xi Lingxue must never find out about the Dark Hall.

“Be careful here. Don’t act recklessly, don’t get hurt again, and don’t make me worry.”

“I will heed Your Highness’s teachings. I will definitely survive!”

The words spoken by the woman that night echoed in Jiang Ci’s mind once again, leaving her hesitant and uncertain, gradually clenching her fists.

What else could she do…