It was a long night for the Black Tortoise Sect disciples, though one could argue that it would have felt even longer for their captives.
One by one, the black-robed cultivators were subjected to pointed questioning by Zhao Yunxiao. Despite their death oath, he still made sure to separate them in advance to prevent their statements from influencing one another.
As the night deepened, more and more information surfaced regarding the current situation in Demonfall City, at least from the perspective of the Scarlet Leaf Sect.
It was indeed as Cai Caoyuan had said.
The rumoured curse was what drew the Scarlet Leaf Sect to the city, where they used the curse as natural bait to fish for cultivators. This allowed them to monitor the situation from the shadows instead of taking on the active role of creating bait.
Just like that, they were able to discreetly hunt down the cultivators who had been drawn in by the curse, obtaining not just their treasures and riches, but also their physical bodies to be used for blood experiments.
That said, this seemed to be a slightly more disorganised branch of the Scarlet Leaf Sect. Instead of having an actual plan on how to make full use of the situation, they simply decided how to deal with their spoils as they got them.
As for the curse itself, they had never cared to find out the actual reason behind it. After all, as long as they made sure to stay away from the performance itself, they would not be affected by the curse.
However, they also only had direct contact with the Good Luck Theatre Group. This meant that City Lord Lan Huolian and his son Lan Guyue had been acting solely of their own accord.
How foolish.
But that also explained why the Scarlet Leaf Sect had no qualms sacrificing Lan Guyue to force Zhao Yunxiao's group out of the city, where they could be wiped out in secret. Even if the Black Tortoise Sect got wind of the matter, their disappearance could be loosely attributed to shame resulting from their failure here in the city, minimising the chances of a full-scale investigation.
Unfortunately for them, Zhao Yunxiao's group was far stronger than they had expected.
On that note, perhaps the most reassuring piece of information obtained was still the fact that there were no other members of the Scarlet Leaf Sect remaining. Unsurprisingly, the entire group of Scarlet Leaf Sect members had gathered here tonight, none of them wanting to miss out on the historical kill on disciples of one of the Four Great Symbol Sects.
This was supposed to be good news, but unlike the rest of the group, Zhao Yunxiao actually felt more guilt than relief upon hearing it.
Things could have gotten extremely dangerous had there been someone from the Scarlet Leaf Sect who was too strong for them to handle. They managed to get out unscathed this time, but it was truly a precarious situation that his carelessness had landed them in.
Moving forward, he must not make a similar mistake again. That was no matter how simple the mission appeared to be at first glance.
He could not afford to put his companions at risk again!
The giant thorned roots surrounding the makeshift hut had long since receded. As Nie Hanchang brought the last of the Scarlet Leaf Sect members into the hut where he would be locked up with the rest of his comrades, the weary Zhao Yunxiao could not help but let out a deep sigh.
"Why are you sighing? You were amazing, Senior Martial Brother Zhao! Those guys were even thinking that you are a core disciple of the sect!" Lu Zhiying did a little hop in excitement. "Oh, you were amazing as well, Senior Martial Sister Gu! Those thorned roots were monstrous!"
"Hah, I guess," Zhao Yunxiao smiled.
"Are you all right?" Gu Qiansi asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just that the fight has been too intense," Zhao Yunxiao nodded. "I will be fine after a short rest."
"That's true, you really outdid yourself there. Go have a good rest," Gu Qiansi did not know what else to say. "We can watch over the Scarlet Leaf Sect members."
"Yeah, thanks," Zhao Yunxiao patted Gu Qiansi on the shoulder before leaping onto the roof of the makeshift hut, where he sat down in meditation.
"Is Senior Martial Brother Zhao really fine?" Lu Zhiying asked in concern.
"Don't worry, he said he is fine, so he will be fine," Gu Qiansi answered with a smile. "When has your Senior Martial Brother Zhao ever lied to you?"
Lu Zhiying: "..."
Why are you speaking as though he is known for being honest?
"...All right, let us go watch over the guys in the hut to make sure that nothing unexpected happens while he rests!"
***
Zhao Yunxiao slowly opened his eyes as the first light of the day shone upon the makeshift hut. He might appear to have been in meditation, but he had actually remained alert all night, not intending to leave anything to chance.
Now that day had arrived, it was time to put an end to things here once and for all.
While the existence of the Scarlet Leaf Sect had filled in a part of the puzzle, it had actually led them to another dead end when it came to getting clues about the cursed play.
But that mattered little at this point. Even prior to the run-in with the Scarlet Leaf Sect, Zhao Yunxiao already had a good idea of what might be the source of the curse.
If even that conjecture had been wrong, then he was not intending to keep guessing. Instead, he would directly exterminate the spirit within the silver pendant. As for any repercussions that resulted from that, he would just have to deal with them as they come.
As much as he wanted to avoid such an outcome, he simply could not afford to have the entire group stay around due to his insistence for a perfect resolution either!
Zhao Yunxiao leapt off the roof of the makeshift hut, landing lightly on the fresh grass below that still gave off a distinct smell of blood. The hut's door opened just as he turned towards it.
"Good morning, Senior Martial Brother Zhao!" Lu Zhiying saluted energetically. "Hope you had a good rest! We watched over the prisoners all night without slacking off!"
"Thank you, Junior Martial Sister Lu. I had a good rest indeed," Zhao Yunxiao smiled while enjoying this treat to the eyes. "I hope you aren't too tired?"
"Of course not! After sitting out of last night's fight, I have more than enough energy left. This much is nothing!" Lu Zhiying smirked proudly.
"She truly stayed up all night without dozing off. It's amazing how she can still be so energetic," Gu Qiansi remarked while walking out of the hut.
"Of course! I have to do my part as well!" Lu Zhiying puffed out her chest in pride.
Following Gu Qiansi, the seven Scarlet Leaf Sect members exited the hut one after another. Their meridians had been sealed, and their hands were bound with vines like criminals.
Nie Hanchang was the last to exit with the Grand Annihilator in hand. The long silver bow seemed particularly eye-catching as it reflected the light of day, but this beautiful flash of light only caused the Scarlet Leaf Sect members to tremble involuntarily, reminded of the deadly arrows that it had meted out the night before.
Still, what made them the most nervous was still the cold gaze from Zhao Yunxiao that fell upon them as they exited the makeshift hut.
"We are returning to the city. You guys'd best behave yourselves," Zhao Yunxiao warned. "Otherwise, don't blame me for not showing mercy!"
Unsurprisingly, there were no objections from the seven as they nodded without hesitation. With that, the group started to make their way back to Demonfall.
They had not gone far after escaping Demonfall the day before, so even though the Scarlet Leaf Sect members had their meridians sealed and could no longer move as quickly as most cultivators did, it did not take long for the city gate to return to view.
When they first arrived at Demonfall a few days ago, the city guards had been more focused on welcoming visitors than actually performing checks. Now, however, the checks had become far more stringent. This resulted in a long line outside the gate as visitors patiently waited their turn.
As the group approached the gate, more and more attention fell upon them. Not only did they look especially conspicuous with seven prisoners in tow, there were also many who had recognised them from the day before.
In fact, many of those queuing in line to enter the city decided to temporarily step aside, not wanting to invite unnecessary trouble by standing between the cultivators and the city gate.
"Would it be all right?" Gu Qiansi asked nervously as they drew closer and closer to the gate.
"Don't worry, it will be fine," Zhao Yunxiao assured confidently.
As those words left his lips, they finally came before the city guards themselves.
"T-They are the cultivators from the Black Tortoise Sect!" the first city guard who caught sight of them immediately called out in alarm.
"Ar-Arrest them!"
"Look! They even captured some Demonfall citizens! That's Ah Gou from the other team!"
"The others look familiar too. I remember now, they are from the various factions in the city!"
"Damn it, did the cultivators kidnap them? Are they back to create more trouble?"
"Surrender! And release those people immediately!"
The city guards at the gate quickly drew their weapons and formed a line to block the group's path, though none of them dared to actually get close.
"This is your idea of fine?" Gu Qiansi felt the corner of her lips twitch.
"Not this," Zhao Yunxiao's expression did not change as he gestured to a distance ahead. "That."
On his cue, the group turned their attention ahead, only to see a familiar face approaching in a leisurely manner.
Chang Huien – head of the Chang Clan.
Not just that, but there were around ten men following closely behind him, mostly members of the Chang Clan.
Only mostly, because there were three among them who were clearly not.
Cai Caoyuan – the owner of Good Luck Theatre Group.
Xi Hei – the current actor for the role of Sir Lei He.
And finally, Zhao Yunxiao.
Zhao Yunxiao's group widened their eyes in surprise, their gazes darting rapidly between the two Zhao Yunxiaos for a few moments before finally understanding what was going on.
In contrast, both the city guards and Chang Huien's group took a little longer to reconcile the fact that there were two Zhao Yunxiaos present. Or rather, Zhao Yunxiao had to help them understand by dispelling Zhao Yunxiao Two with the snap of a finger, causing the Zhao Yunxiao standing behind Chang Huien to crumble to the ground.
"Ahem!" Chang Huien cleared his throat awkwardly, using that to gain a few seconds to regain his composure before shouting. "Watch yourselves! They are guests of the Chang Clan!"
The city guards hesitated, clearly respecting the influence of Chang Huien and the Chang Clan.
"Greetings, Lord Chang. You might not be aware, but we have orders from the city lord to arrest these evil cultivators if they return to the city," the captain of the city guards hurriedly clasped his fists towards Chang Huien.
"As I said, they are my guests. I will be bringing them with me no matter what," Chang Huien glared at the captain. "If City Lord Lan questions you on this, go ahead and tell him that I have vouched for them!"
"This..." the captain seemed conflicted, but could only let out a helpless sigh. "I understand. Men, let them pass, and send someone to inform the city lord about this matter! Don't miss a single detail!"
It might be a different matter if City Lord Lan Huolian were here at the moment. But as a mere captain, he was simply powerless to stop Chang Huien from getting what he wanted right now.
Not only did the Chang Clan possess power and influence in the city that could almost rival the ruling Lan Clan, but the entourage that he brought today also sufficed to match the city guards in strength.
And secretly, he was also relieved that he could get these cultivators off his hands. Who knew what would happen to them if these cultivators decided to resist arrest?
Therefore, the best course of action would certainly be to report this matter back to the city lord, blaming everything on the Chang Clan. Whatever happened next, he wanted to have nothing to do with it!
The city guards stepped aside, shooting angry and indignant glares at Zhao Yunxiao's group as they casually made their way into the city.
Cai Caoyuan stole a few glances at the seven prisoners with a conflicted expression, never expecting that he would one day see these arrogant cultivators hanging their head low in shame like this.
"Thank you for your help, Lord Chang," Zhao Yunxiao smiled as he walked up to the man.
Chang Huien stared at Zhao Yunxiao for a good few moments before responding. "You'd best be telling the truth. Otherwise, the Chang Clan will spare no effort in taking you down!"
"Your Chang Clan is not nearly enough," Zhao Yunxiao's smile turned into a confident smirk.
"You-!" Chang Huien frowned.
"But rest assured, Lord Chang. What I told you before is nothing but the truth. These seven behind us are the living proof of that," Zhao Yunxiao casually walked on ahead of Chang Huien to lead the way. "And now, as I have promised, allow me to show you the rest of the truth."