Yan Kesh sat cross-legged on the floor, facing Liang Ze. His face was smeared with dust, yet his eyes appeared sincere—honed by years of practiced acting.
"So," Liang Ze began the interrogation, his notebook open. "You claim Yan Bohai arrived here already infected?"
"Yes, Sir," Yan Kesh replied, his tone heavy with remorse. "When he attacked our gates, he was already insane. His eyes were black. He was devouring the flesh of his own disciples. I managed to subdue him with a trap…"
"…but I couldn't kill him. Every time I severed his neck, it reattached itself. It was the curse of the Black Mist Forest."
"Then why did you falsify the memory of his death at the crater?" Liang Ze shot back sharply.
Yan Kesh lowered his head.
"For the honor of the Yan Clan, Sir."
Liang Ze frowned. "Honor?"
"Yan Bohai was once my master… even if he later cast me aside." Yan Kesh looked up, eyes glistening with unshed tears. "If the world learned that the Grand Elder of the Yan Clan died as a Corpse-Devouring Demon… the clan's reputation would be ruined. Our ancestors would be shamed."
"So I created a false story. That he died honorably in battle and fell into the crater. At least… he would be remembered as a hero. Not a monster."
Yan Kesh lifted his face fully.
"I have violated the laws of heaven by lying, Sir. I am prepared to accept punishment. But I did it to protect the dignity of the dead."
Silence.
Liang Ze studied Yan Kesh for a long time, searching for cracks in his story.
But the explanation… was reasonable.
In the martial world, "Face" was worth more than life itself. Many disciples would rather conceal their master's disgrace than let the truth surface.
And the fact that Yan Bohai had attacked like a feral beast supported Yan Kesh's narrative.
Liang Ze closed his notebook.
"You are a fool, Yan Kesh," Liang Ze said, though his tone was no longer hostile. "Your intentions may have been noble, but concealing a Demon is a grave violation."
"I know, Sir. I deserve death."
"No." Liang Ze stood. "You just assisted me in eliminating it. That counts as merit and reduces your sentence."
He glanced at the pile of ashes that had once been Yan Bohai. The case was closed. Yan Bohai had died due to Qi corruption—an accidental deviation in cultivation—not murder. The scales of fate were balanced once more.
"Yan Kesh."
"Yes, Sir?"
"You have talent in… crisis management. And you seem highly knowledgeable about the flow of tainted energy in this region."
Liang Ze tossed a small silver badge onto Yan Kesh's lap.
He caught it instinctively.
[Sky Book Pavilion Informant Badge – Bronze Rank]
"I cannot monitor you twenty-four hours a day. The Southern Territory is vast. I need local 'eyes.'"
Yan Kesh stared at the badge.
"From today onward, you are a Bronze-Class Informant under my supervision. Your task: report any anomalies of fate around the Ashen Vein Mountains. In exchange… I will overlook certain minor 'business methods' of yours, so long as they do not cross the Red Line."
Yan Kesh's eyes widened.
This was better than he had expected.
He had not merely survived.
He had been recruited.
"I… am unworthy, Sir."
"Indeed. But you are useful." Liang Ze turned away, his white robe fluttering. "Remember this, Yan Kesh. I can see you from the heavens. Do not attempt to deceive me again."
Silver light enveloped Liang Ze. In the next instant, he shot upward, piercing through the ceiling and returning to the Sky Pavilion.
Yan Kesh was left alone in the ruined underground chamber.
He gripped the silver badge tightly.
Then he began to laugh.
Soft at first—then louder, echoing against the stone walls.
"Local eyes…" Yan Kesh chuckled. "He's promoted a bank robber into a bank guard."
He Qiu emerged from the shadows near the entrance, his face still pale from lingering fear.
"Sir… he's gone?"
"He's gone." Yan Kesh rose, dusting off his robe. "And he's given us official permission to operate."
"But Sir…" He Qiu pointed at the pile of ashes that had been Yan Bohai. "Our filter… is destroyed."
Yan Kesh's laughter stopped instantly.
His expression turned serious. Darker than before.
That was right.
He had won against the Auditor. But he had lost a vital asset.
Yan Bohai was now ash.
Without Yan Bohai, Qiu Moren's illness had no outlet.
And Qiu Moren's therapy session was… tomorrow night.
"Damn it," Yan Kesh muttered.
This victory had come at a steep price. He had sealed one hole by digging another.
"He Qiu," Yan Kesh ordered swiftly.
"Yes, Sir."
"We need a new filter. Immediately."
"But Sir, we don't have any strong cultivator captives left. Ordinary disciples would explode within seconds."
Yan Kesh stared at Yan Bohai's ashes. His mind spun rapidly, searching for a solution. He could not abduct a powerful cultivator overnight.
Unless…
He didn't use one strong person.
But many weak ones in parallel.
"Prepare ten outer disciples. The healthiest ones," Yan Kesh commanded coldly.
"Ten? Sir, you intend to divide the burden?"
"Yes. A Parallel Array. They may be crippled for life… but they won't die."
"Do it now. Otherwise tomorrow night, Qiu Moren will be the one killing us all."
Yan Kesh stepped out of the underground chamber. The silver "law enforcement" badge rested at his waist, while inside his mind he planned a mass human sacrifice.