The things Tan Pin and Wu Xiayu spoke of were so shocking that the room fell into a heavy silence.
After a long pause, Xiao Lingshu finally spoke up with a hint of skepticism, “Is what you’re saying true or not?”
“It should be true,” replied Shi Pengpeng.
Xiao Lingshu asked doubtfully, “How do you know?”
Instead of answering directly, Shi Pengpeng pulled out a small coal ball wrapped in red thread and talisman paper from her bag and handed it to Tan Pin.
“Do you recognize this?”
Tan Pin’s foggy left eye widened in terror as he stared at her.
Wu Xiayu’s voice chimed in, “How do you have this?!”
“Don’t be afraid, I caught it,” Shi Pengpeng briefly explained the incident involving Jin Saosao.
After hearing her explanation, Wu Xiayu’s voice relaxed slightly.
“You guessed right. This thing came from Longevity Island.”
He went on to explain that Longevity Island produced a wide variety of sinister objects.
Besides these nightmare spirits, there were also merit plaques, southern insect gu, antique collections, and more.
Almost every sect of Daoist practices was involved.
They even sent people deep into the mountains to capture mountain spirits and demonic beasts, either imprisoning or controlling them, causing unrest in the mountains.
Shi Pengpeng recalled the mind-control gu Zheng Bing had bought online and the memorial plaque Old Lady Shang had been tricked into worshiping.
There was also the time the E Shou had mentioned being taken from the mountains by someone with a powerful magical tool.
At the time, she had wondered which sect’s practitioner would dare to break the rules by capturing spirits.
Now, it seemed clear that the person who captured the E Shou was likely connected to Longevity Island.
At this point, Yan Jing, who had been silently listening, suddenly spoke up, “Why is Longevity Island making these things?”
In recent years, news related to scam operations in Myanmar had been rampant, and even platforms like Cat Paw had accounts registered by scammers.
As a platform, Cat Paw had cooperated with relevant authorities to clean up and track information, dealing with numerous rumors and misinformation.
Yan Jing had heard about these incidents to some extent.
From what he knew, the primary goal of these groups was to make money.
Scams, kidnappings, gambling, sex trafficking, and even the widely circulated organ trade were all means to maximize profits.
In comparison, producing these sinister objects undoubtedly required higher expertise and was more complicated, yet the profits didn’t seem significantly greater.
Moreover, with compulsory education now widespread in the country, the public’s awareness had greatly improved, and the atmosphere of feudal superstition wasn’t particularly strong.
Using superstitious methods to deceive actually narrowed the target audience.
These sinister items were harder to circulate and more likely to arouse suspicion.
From any angle, Longevity Island’s actions seemed somewhat irrational.
“I’m not sure about that,” Wu Xiayu shook his head.
He was just a low-level member there and had never even seen the big boss behind the operation.
However, Yan Jing’s reminder did bring to mind something strange.
He recalled observing during his time at Longevity Island that the boss’s main purpose for kidnapping people didn’t seem to be solely for money.
“Then what was it for?” Shi Pengpeng asked.
Wu Xiayu shook his head.
From what he could tell, the Longevity Island group used various cruel methods to torment their victims, inducing extreme fear.
They then harvested these emotions to create nightmare spirits and other demonic entities.
Shi Pengpeng recalled the terrifying dark emotions she had felt during the capture of the nightmare spirit, and now she understood where they had come from.
She asked, “Why do you say ‘only from the surface’?”
“Because I suspect the National Preceptor has done more than just this…” Wu Xiayu said.
His uncle had been a monk, and he had learned scriptures like the Mantra for the Departed from him.
Shi Pengpeng: “The National Preceptor?”
“He’s the owner of the compound,” Wu Xiayu explained.
The owner of Longevity Island was immensely powerful, claiming to have the ability to influence an entire nation, which was why everyone in the compound referred to him as the National Preceptor.
Wu Xiayu had witnessed people being tortured to death in front of him multiple times within the compound, causing him immense psychological torment.
He had secretly tried to chant scriptures to guide the souls of the deceased to peace, only to discover that all those souls had been secretly captured by the National Preceptor.
“There’s such a thing?” Xiao Lingshu was horrified.
“What does he want with those captured souls?”
Wu Xiayu had no answer to that, as the National Preceptor had acted in secret, and even other members of Longevity Island were unaware of it.
Realizing the terrifying methods of Longevity Island, Wu Xiayu feared that even death might not be an escape.
In his final moments, he had resorted to casting a malevolent curse on himself, binding his soul into Tan Pin’s eyes.
Even Xiao Lingshu, who was usually talkative, was rendered speechless by this revelation.
After a long pause, he managed to utter four words: “Utterly deranged!”
Yan Jing asked, “When they create those things, do they target specific groups?”
If Longevity Island’s goal wasn’t financial gain, then other motives had to be considered.
“From what I know, there doesn’t seem to be a pattern,” Wu Xiayu replied.
The cursed objects were varied, harming people of all ages and genders, with no discernible target.
Suddenly, Shi Pengpeng thought of something and pressed further: “What about geographically?”
Wu Xiayu paused, carefully recalling, and then said, “Actually, there is…”
Shi Pengpenguttered two words: “Xiluo?”
Wu Xiayu was surprised: “How did you know?”
Shi Pengpeng and Yan Jing exchanged glances, finally understanding.
Recently, Xiluo had been plagued by dark entities and strange occurrences, and now it was clear that these were not coincidental.
Yan Jing pondered, “It seems we need to visit Qinglian Temple.”
Qinglian Temple was the foremost Taoist institution in Xiluo.
Given the situation, it was absolutely necessary to coordinate with them.
Without delay, Yan Jing immediately sent a message to Zhong Ziqing.
Then, together with Shi Pengpeng, they took Tan Pin, who was still possessed by Wu Xiayu, to Chuirong Mountain.
Zhong Ziqing initially didn’t show much surprise upon hearing the news.
However, when he learned that so many cursed objects from Longevity Island had ended up in Xiluo, and that the recent disturbances there were all connected, his expression changed.
He said, “So this is what’s been happening…”
Shi Pengpeng noticed his reaction was somewhat odd and asked, “Master Zhong, did you already know about this?”
“Well…” Zhong Ziqing hesitated for a moment, “Please wait a moment.”
He turned and went into an inner room, where he called his master, the abbot of Qinglian Temple, to seek guidance.
After receiving confirmation, he returned and looked at Shi Pengpeng and Yan Jing, saying thoughtfully, “Do you remember the last time you were here, I mentioned that my master had gone to the capital for a meeting regarding a cross-border case?”
Shi Pengpeng recalled the incident and immediately connected the dots and replied:
“Was it related to Longevity Island?”
“Not bad,” Zhong Ziqing nodded, mentioning that Bian Nan had been conducting anti-fraud operations for the past two years, and recently succeeded in dismantling several fraud compounds.
Among them was Longevity Island.
As they had heard from Wu Xiayu, Longevity Island was an extremely sinister group.
Rather than being a mere fraud compound, it resembled more of a cult organized through the use of dark arts.
This group was no ordinary matter and couldn’t be handled through conventional means.
Consequently, the relevant authorities had urgently summoned representatives from various mystical sects to discuss and assist in dealing with the situation.
“From what I know, the Liangyi Academy should have also received the notice, and a group of people has already headed to Bian Nan,” Zhong Ziqing said, looking at Shi Pengpeng.
Shi Pengpeng recalled that Xiao Lingshu had just mentioned that the school’s teachers had recently gone on a business trip.
She had wondered what kind of assignment required so many people.
Now it seemed it must be related to Longevity Island.
She was somewhat puzzled.
News about the anti-fraud operations had been periodically released.
Even though the case of Longevity Island was horrifying, for those in the mystical sects, it shouldn’t be something that needed to be kept so secretive.
Yet, Zhong Ziqing had initially been extremely cautious about the matter, even needing to seek approval before revealing the details to them.
Why was that?
She voiced her question.
“You two might not be aware, but although this operation successfully dismantled the Longevity Island compound and captured many of its members, the boss of the compound received advance notice and managed to escape with some items,” Zhong Ziqing explained.
“Now, the higher-ups suspect that the Longevity Island compound has connections with certain domestic forces, and the actual controller behind it might very well be…”
He didn’t finish his sentence, but Shi Pengpeng and Yan Jing understood the implication.
If Longevity Island still had influence within the country, it must be someone with immense power and intricate connections, which would explain why the authorities were being so cautious.
Zhong Ziqing mentioned that after capturing the members of Longevity Island, the relevant departments conducted numerous investigations but still couldn’t find any leads on the forces behind it.
Now, knowing that they seemed to be targeting Xiluo, it might be a breakthrough.
Shi Pengpeng was increasingly surprised.
The departments above were not ordinary in their capabilities.
It was understandable if they had some concerns and couldn’t immediately clarify the issues with Longevity Island, but how could they not have any leads at all?
Speaking of this, Zhong Ziqing’s expression turned grave.
After a moment of consideration, he spoke, “This is the most troublesome aspect of the matter. The connections behind Longevity Island might not be limited to the mortal world…”
Shi Pengpeng and Yan Jing both stiffened at his words.
Yan Jing frowned and asked, “Not limited to the mortal world? Could it be…?”
“Exactly,” Zhong Ziqing nodded, confirming his speculation.
“The higher-ups suspect that this matter might be connected to the underworld.”
This was truly unexpected, no wonder even within the mystical sects it was treated with such secrecy.
The leader of a mortal-world cult having ties with the underworld—if this got out, it could shake the very foundation of the mystical sects’ beliefs.
Shi Pengpeng then recalled the incident with the Zhao family.
Back then, the Zhao family had dug up the remains of Yuan Shuang to pair a yin soul with the prematurely deceased Zhao Jiayao, and they almost succeeded in capturing the reincarnated soul of Lin Lele.
Back then, Zhao Jiayao had proudly claimed that the Zhao family had bribed the underworld with money.
Could it be that this wasn’t an isolated incident?
Shi Pengpeng mentioned this to Zhong Ziqing, but to her surprise, Zhong Ziqing’s expression changed slightly as if he had suddenly remembered something.
He said, “Speaking of which, I just received some news yesterday…”
Shi Pengpeng: “What news?”
“Zhao Xiwen has committed suicide.”
Shi Pengpeng was shocked: “How could that be?!”
Zhao Xiwen was Zhao Jiayao’s father and the head of the Zhao family, a prominent construction materials business.
After the grave-robbing scandal broke out, Zhao Xiwen was taken in for investigation.
At first, he had been maneuvering around, thinking he would be released soon.
However, Yan Jing used the power of the Cat’s Paw platform to push the public opinion, and the Zhao family’s rivals seized the opportunity to kick them while they were down.
One thing led to another, and the crimes the Zhao family had committed in the past were exposed one after another.
Their former allies also began to distance themselves.
The Zhao family was powerless to turn the tide, and Zhao Xiwen finally quieted down.
This case had far-reaching implications and was still under investigation, not yet reaching the final stage of trial.
No one expected Zhao Xiwen to commit suicide first.
Yan Jing wasn’t too surprised.
He had good sources and had already heard some rumors.
The Zhao family had committed too many crimes, and Zhao Xiwen was likely to face the death penalty anyway.
What puzzled him was why such news would reach Zhong Ziqing first.
“Because Zhao Xiwen’s death was very suspicious…” Zhong Ziqing’s expression was grave.
The detention center had surveillance, and dangerous items were strictly controlled.
Under normal circumstances, it would be difficult for a prisoner to commit suicide.
Zhao Xiwen had died inexplicably.
Since his case involved matters of the underworld, there were already departments specializing in such matters involved.
Therefore, as soon as he died, someone noticed something was off and came to ask Zhong Ziqing to take a look.
After Zhong Ziqing arrived, he indeed discovered something strange.
“Zhao Xiwen’s soul is missing.”
The souls of those who die unexpectedly are usually bound by lingering attachments and remain in the place of their death.
However, when Zhong Ziqing arrived, he didn’t see Zhao Xiwen’s soul.
At first, he thought it might be because Zhao Xiwen’s sins were too great, and the underworld had taken him away urgently.
Out of caution, Zhong Ziqing performed a ritual to inquire with the underworld, only to find that there was no record of Zhao Xiwen there either.
In other words, Zhao Xiwen’s soul had vanished into thin air.
“How is that possible?” Shi Pengpeng was astonished.
The disappearance of a soul was no small matter.
In some ways, it was even more difficult to handle than dealing with a corpse.
Especially in a place as heavily guarded as a detention center, it would require extraordinary abilities to pull off such a feat.
“That’s the reality,” Zhong Ziqing said.
At the time, he had been utterly baffled and had no leads.
It was only after Shi Pengpeng’s reminder that he suddenly realized: if the Zhao family truly had connections capable of bribing the underworld, then perhaps this matter was also related to the Island of Longevity?
Shi Pengpeng: “The Longevity Island reach is too far!”
“Indeed,” Zhong Ziqing sighed.
“From what I know, the difficulties your class of students have faced in finding jobs are also related to this.”
Shi Pengpeng: “What?”
This was something Zhong Ziqing had only recently learned from his master after the Longevity Island surfaced.
It turned out that the higher-ups had long been aware of the Longevity Island existence.
This organization not only abducted people for scams in Myanmar but had also bribed many talented individuals and experts within the country, secretly infiltrating various mystical sects.
The most susceptible to being deceived were the recent graduates with little experience.
These students might not even realize they were being used by the Island of Longevity, but…
Without realizing it, they ended up aiding the villain.
Moreover, eliminating the forces of Longevity Island requires a significant amount of manpower, and the major mystical sects are too busy to spare any resources-
To avoid chaos in screening personnel, they have temporarily halted recruitment for some critical positions.
However, such matters cannot be openly discussed, so they have publicly announced it as a downsizing.
Shi Pengpeng: “…..”
This is outrageous!
She’s going to take this all the way to the central authorities!