Chapter 129: The Heaven-Cursing Demon Clan Has Vanished

Xuanzhe was anxious to know how Li Youqian and the head of the Lingrui Taoist Temple had reacted upon learning the news, so he hurriedly asked, "Master, after Li Youqian and the others found out, how did they respond to the matter of the Heaven-Cursed Demon Clan?"

Master Shangheng replied, "Upon hearing the news, Li Youqian and his companions began to analyze the relationship between Yang Jiutian and the Heaven-Cursed Demon Clan. They also debated why the leader of the Heaven-Cursed Demon Clan possessed the face of a giant ape. By comparing the human and animal victims of the epidemic in Linghuang Prefecture with the experimental subjects—both human and beast—held within the Heaven-Cursed Demon Clan’s base, they concluded that the situations were not merely similar, but identical. They deduced that the epidemic in Linghuang Prefecture had been artificially manufactured by the Heaven-Cursed Demon Clan. Their goal was to enable Yang Jiutian to infiltrate the royal palace of the Savage Kingdom. Once inside, the Heaven-Cursed Demon Clan orchestrated several identical outbreaks, even within the military camps, to secure King Zhao Songren’s trust in Yang Jiutian. By allowing Yang to 'cure' these outbreaks, they made him indispensable to the King, eventually leading to his appointment as the permanent Royal Physician. As for their true motive in infiltrating the Savage Kingdom, it remains a mystery to this day."

Xuanzhe remarked, "Indeed, their analysis was sound, especially regarding Yang Jiutian’s infiltration. What happened next? Did they take any action against the Heaven-Cursed Demon Clan? And how did they eventually manage to make the clan disappear for hundreds of years?"

Master Shangheng continued, "Li Youqian explained that because they could not discern the ultimate objective of the infiltration, they shifted their focus to the human-beast experiments on Sky-Desolation Island. They believed the clan’s goal was to develop forbidden arts to control the consciousness of both humans and beasts, turning them into mindless tools for their own nefarious ends. Given the massive resources invested and the perilous location of the base, they clearly harbored grand, dark ambitions. The clan likely intended to use these controlled creatures and people as a vanguard for their future conquest. Fearing the catastrophic consequences if such a technique were perfected, they decided the base had to be destroyed. Recognizing the scale of the threat, they sought the aid of various righteous factions across the Savage Continent and informed King Zhao Songren. Initially, Zhao was skeptical, doubting both the existence of the clan and Yang Jiutian’s role in the epidemic. However, to be safe, he secretly dispatched his most trusted confidants to accompany the righteous warriors to Sky-Desolation Island to verify the claims.

To everyone's shock, upon arriving at the island, they could find no trace of the base. All they saw were small hills covered in dense vegetation, birds, and beasts. Initially, they accused Li Jinxuan of lying or misremembering the location, scouring every inch of the island to no avail. They berated him for wasting their time and demanded the Lingrui Taoist Temple compensate them for the expedition's losses. Li Jinxuan himself was bewildered; it had only been six or seven days since he had left the base, yet it had vanished without a trace. After the King’s confidants reported back, Zhao Songren had Li Jinxuan imprisoned for a month, and from that day on, he trusted Yang Jiutian even more implicitly."

Stunned, Xuanzhe asked, "Master, a base of that size disappeared in mere days? Without a single trace?"

"According to Li Jinxuan, it was truly gone," Master Shangheng replied. "Even the ten giant openings in the cave ceiling that provided light were gone, replaced by hills and flora that looked as though they had been there for ten thousand years. After his release, Li Jinxuan returned to the island several times but found nothing. He even began to wonder if he had suffered a hallucination, though he eventually dismissed that, convinced that the clan had used some sorcery to veil their base from sight."

Xuanzhe began to doubt the veracity of Li Jinxuan’s claims, as he was the sole witness to these events. "And later, Master? In the following centuries, was there any further mention of the Heaven-Cursed Demon Clan?"

"Li Jinxuan never found them again, and the legends eventually faded," said Master Shangheng. "But the symptoms displayed by your grand-disciple, Wei Xiaofan, are identical to those of the victims in Linghuang Prefecture centuries ago. What I once dismissed as Li Jinxuan’s delusion, I now fear may have been the truth."

Xuanzhe nodded. "Master is right. The fact that the search party found nothing does not prove the clan didn't exist. Given the similarity of Xiaofan’s condition, where should we begin our search?"

Master Shangheng stroked his beard. "We know Wei Xiaofan is being held in the Shihui Kingdom and has been subjected to soul-seizure arts. Since we do not know where his captor has gone, start your investigation there. If that fails, look for his mount—what was its name?"

"His mount is called Xiaohei," Xuanzhe replied.

"Yes, Xiaohei. It is a loyal companion and will be familiar with Xiaofan’s scent. It is surely searching for its master. If you can find Xiaohei, tracking it may lead you straight to Wei Xiaofan."

Xuanzhe thought to himself, "The Master is right. Unfortunately, after I lost the trail of the sorcerer on the battlefield today, Xiaohei vanished as well. I must find a way to track the beast; it may be the fastest way to save Xiaofan."