Ren Qing stood frozen in place, his mind racing as he weighed the pros and cons.
The Hexing Street Corpse Burners were likely down to just two people. Once they were completely erased, it might be as if nothing had ever happened.
But what if...?
If this led to mass casualties in the yamen, it could destabilize the façade of peace in Sanxiang City.
Given how dangerous this world was, Ren Qing couldn't possibly remain unscathed. His chance to quietly grow stronger would be lost.
He wiped away the words he had scratched into the wall.
He knew he had to inform the Restraint Officers about the Reflection Chamber in a way that wouldn't implicate him.
Should he notify Zhao the Clerk?
No. Zhao didn't have the influence to guarantee the source of the information would stay hidden.
What if he contacted the Restraint Officers directly?
Even if he could find them, would they believe him about memory-altering supernatural phenomena?
It seemed his only reliable option was Song Zongwu.
From the description of the Asura Method, it was clear that cultivators had to be morally upright. Moreover, back in the prison, Song had kept Ren Qing's mastery of techniques a secret.
Most importantly, Song Zongwu didn't possess techniques that could probe one's secrets, otherwise Ren Qing's Blindless Method would've been detected long ago.
This suggested that before reaching the Ghost Envoy Realm, some techniques didn't cause obvious bodily mutations.
But here was the problem: how could he find one man in a city as vast as Sanxiang? It was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Suddenly, a thought struck him. Memories of the Asura Method surfaced in his mind.
[The Asura Method was created by an unnamed ascetic monk. To cultivate it, one must be born without arms and adhere to the Five Buddhist Precepts without faltering. Upon mastery, arms will regrow.]
An unnamed ascetic monk.
The Five Buddhist Precepts.
Was it possible that Song Zongwu was either raised by monks or had been a monk himself?
Monks followed fixed daily routines, such as morning chanting.
Ren Qing glanced at the newly risen sun. It wasn't too late and he might actually find Song Zongwu this way.
From what he knew, Sanxiang City had no large temples or monasteries, but there were dozens of small shrines.
Wait, the yamen itself had a place like that. It was called the Immortal-Buddha Shrine.
The Immortal-Buddha Shrine was used for posthumous rites, housing statues of Taiyi the Savior of Suffering and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.
And since no one usually visited, it was unlikely to be disturbed.
Ren Qing quickly scaled the wall and sprinted toward the Immortal-Buddha Shrine.
Might as well try. If I can't find Song Zongwu, then it's time to pack up and run...
To get there faster, he had to push his speed, startling the patrolling Yamen Runners along the way.
What's the emergency?! Why's he running like that?!
Before long, a dilapidated building came into view. A bronze incense cauldron stood in the open courtyard, but there was no one around.
The Immortal-Buddha Shrine was actually a bit of an awkward place in the yamen.
According to Sanxiang City's rules, any corpse involving unnatural death had to be cremated by the yamen. So the shrine was more for comforting the bereaved.
The yamen could just say:
"Though the body has been reduced to ashes, we've also performed the rites."
As soon as Ren Qing arrived, he regretted his decision.
Cobwebs draped the eaves, and the floor tiles were shattered. No one would come here for morning chanting.
But since he was already here, he might as well look around. Besides, he had no other options.
He entered the main hall, where two statues stood against the walls; Taiyi the Savior of Suffering and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, both covered in dust, their gold foil peeling.
Ren Qing searched the hall but only found rows of neatly placed memorial tablets.
These tablets belonged to recent unnatural deaths, replaced every half-month, with the old ones returned to their families.
He then moved to the side hall.
Calling it a "hall" was generous, truthfully, it looked more like a storage shed.
The dim interior reeked of mold and rotting wood, seemingly abandoned long ago. Aside from a single statue, there was nothing else.
Ren Qing sighed.
Guess I'll have to leave Sanxiang temporarily and use "returning home" as an excuse. Come back in a few weeks.
Just as he turned to leave, he suddenly felt a gaze land on him.
His expression stiffened as he looked at the statue.
Two meters tall, with six eyes and four arms.
No mistaking it.
Six blood-red eyes snapped open.
An overwhelming pressure bore down on him like a physical force.
Dust swirled violently.
Ren Qing didn't dare resist, letting himself collapse to the ground.
Song Zongwu withdrew his aura and asked in a deep voice:
"Who disturbs me?"
Ren Qing exhaled in relief.
He forgot me already? That means he really didn't pay me much attention.
But why was he pretending to be a statue in a Buddhist shrine? Was he cultivating through meditation?
He quickly explained:
"Senior Song, it's me, Ren Qing. We met in the prison's Forbidden Zone."
"Ah, the one who survived being possessed by a Supernatural Remnant."
Song Zongwu studied Ren Qing closely. The latter narrowed his eyes further, afraid his Half-Corpse Realm Blindless Method would be discovered.
After a long silence, Song Zongwu leapt down from the lotus throne:
"Not bad. The Human Skin Scripture follows the path of the Hide Tanner. Though you relied on a Supernatural Remnant to begin, limiting your potential, at least you've kept your principles intact."
Cold sweat beaded on Ren Qing's back.
He had prepared for the worst; if discovered, he'd just join the Restraint Officers and force his way out of the "newbie phase."
Luckily, the mutations from Double Pupils and Wolf-Footed weren't obvious.
Ren Qing opened his mouth. He wanted to ask about the Human Skin Scripture, but there were more pressing matters.
"Senior Song, what exactly happened when the Hexing Street Corpse Burners left the city?"
"None of your concern."
Song Zongwu frowned slightly, his four arms flexing casually.
Ren Qing pressed on seriously:
"Senior, have you ever encountered a Supernatural Remnant like this?"
"One that alters memories upon contact, so subtly that even Restraint Officers can't detect it?"
Song Zongwu didn't answer. His expression darkened, and before Ren Qing could react, he grabbed him and rushed out of the shrine.
"Senior Song, you-"
"I've mastered the Divine Listening Technique. Even if there are lies in this world that can fool me, you're not the one who can do it. We're going to the Reflection Chamber now."
As soon as Song Zongwu spoke, Ren Qing noticed new text in the information stream:
[Song Zongwu]
[Age: 86]
[Lifespan: 253 years]
[Techniques: Asura Method (Four-Armed Yama), Divine Listening Technique (Six-Eyed Judgment)]
[???]
[The Divine Listening Technique was inscribed on the belly hide of the mythical beast Diting, obtained by an unnamed ascetic monk. To cultivate it, one must sever the five senses; sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch in childhood, then awaken the sixth sense of consciousness to master it.]
[Six-Eyed Judgment is an advancement from Four-Eyed Scrutiny.]
Huh, this guy is actually impressive.