Chapter 128: The Eerie Deathsworn

Within the Taiping Sect, a secret screening was underway.

"Sect Master, this is the list of spies I have confirmed during this period. Most of them are warriors with limited potential or ordinary people."

Inside the Qingxin Pavilion, Stone personally delivered a list to Jiang Chen. His expression was grave to the extreme, with a lingering hint of worry. To be honest, he hadn't paid much attention when people first started bribing him. Similar things had happened many times before; though he was a servant, he was Jiang Chen’s servant, and naturally, some sought to curry favor with him.

However, as time passed, he gradually sensed something was wrong. These people offered a great deal but made no requests. This triggered his vigilance. In his view, those who gave much but seemed to want nothing were the most dangerous; they were not without desires, but their desires were immense. It was precisely because of this that he proactively approached Hong Yu and Wang Yuan to report the matter. The situation he uncovered after entering the fray chilled his heart. He hadn't realized it until he looked, but dozens of people within the Taiping Sect had been bought off, becoming spies for an unknown party, monitoring the sect’s every change. Although these individuals generally held low status, it was still alarming.

After reading the list, Jiang Chen let out a cold laugh. "Heh, the trees desire stillness, but the wind will not cease. It seems someone has set their sights on me, and they have quite the means."

Setting the list aside, Jiang Chen sensed the scent of danger. Stone, keeping his eyes down, was filled with anxiety.

"Wealth moves the heart. The gold and silver they offered were enough to ensure you a life of luxury. It is rare that you were able to hold firm to your principles," Jiang Chen said, turning his gaze toward Stone with a word of praise.

Upon hearing this, the heavy stone that had been hanging in Stone’s heart finally fell. "Holding firm to my principles is what a subordinate should do. Besides, I have already received far more than I deserve by staying by your side. No matter what, I will never betray you."

His words were firm and decisive, reaffirming his loyalty. Jiang Chen felt no great ripple of emotion, but Stone’s declaration proved he was a man worth utilizing.

"You have been by my side for quite some time now. If you haven't earned merit, you have at least endured hardship. Furthermore, you have done well this time." Jiang Chen paused, deliberating. "After this, go and learn martial arts from the Black and White Elders. I will inform them. If you truly achieve something, the sect will grant you a demon hide, allowing you to master the power of demonic entities."

Stone’s mind reeled; Jiang Chen had offered exactly what he desired. As a personal attendant, he had the opportunity to learn martial arts, but his natural aptitude was not great, and without expert guidance or proper resources, he had made little progress. Jiang Chen’s words had cleared his path to advancement, providing him with a mentor and the necessary resources. His martial path had suddenly opened wide.

"Your grace and kindness are etched in my heart, and I shall never forget them," Stone said, his voice trembling as he kowtowed. Jiang Chen waved a hand dismissively. Knowing Jiang Chen’s temperament, Stone did not say more and withdrew, filled with gratitude and excitement. Shortly after he left, Wang Yuan entered the pavilion.

"Sect Master, to avoid alerting the enemy, I used the excuse of external missions to transfer several people to the iron mines, including three confirmed spies. I interrogated them strictly, but they acted like death-sworn agents who had undergone rigorous training; they refused to reveal anything." Wang Yuan’s face was heavy as he reported the latest situation. "Most importantly, I investigated the backgrounds of these three and found nothing abnormal. Their origins were clear and their lives mundane; they didn't look like spies specifically trained by an organization."

Jiang Chen was thoughtful. "Have the backgrounds of the others been investigated?"

Wang Yuan nodded. "All confirmed spies have been vetted. Some have suspicious origins, but most are clean. The highest-ranking one is a sect deacon who joined later, possessing the strength of a second-rate warrior."

Jiang Chen confirmed his own hypothesis. "These people were mostly ordinary before; they had no value to be cultivated. Yet, they have transformed into die-hard spies—it is quite strange. There is almost certainly a cultivator behind this."

"Go and bring those three spies here in secret."

Not long after, the three spies, barely clinging to life, were brought before Jiang Chen. He showed no mercy and immediately performed a soul search.

"There is no identity of the mastermind in their memories. Their only task was to watch for anomalies within the Taiping Sect and search for spiritual objects. They were not trained spies; they were simply bought with gold and silver recently."

After finishing the search, Jiang Chen confirmed his suspicions. "While there is nothing fundamentally wrong with their memories, there are traces that their souls were twisted by some kind of spell. I cannot be mistaken about that. As for the medium for this spell, it is likely the gold and silver themselves. The world of cultivation truly holds countless strange arts; what I see now is merely the tip of the iceberg."

Piercing through the fog, Jiang Chen saw a portion of the truth. "The mastermind seems to be probing the secrets of the Taiping Sect, looking for something. As for their strength, it likely isn't very high; otherwise, they wouldn't need to go through such trouble. However, their methods are truly eerie."

As these thoughts collided, Jiang Chen fell into deep contemplation.