Chapter 119: The Foolish Wise Man

"I am ready, my lord."

The constable, named Pan Long, stood up, his expression tinged with excitement. Leng Ying looked at him and gave a slight nod.

Receiving permission, Pan Long walked slowly toward the altar. His body trembled slightly, clearly still unable to fully detach himself from his state of agitation. This was understandable; after all, he had never expected such an opportunity to arise. When he first learned he would be a last-minute replacement to enter the temple, he felt as if fate had finally smiled upon him.

Ning Xiu stood below the altar, observing Pan Long’s every move, fearful of missing even the slightest detail. Following Leng Ying’s instructions, Pan Long reached the center of the altar and prepared to kneel.

Suddenly, a low roar echoed through the chamber.

The statue of the "Xiezhi" at the center of the altar seemed to spring to life. It opened its gaping, blood-red maw and lunged at Pan Long as if to swallow him whole. The transformation happened with such lightning speed that by the time Ning Xiu and the others regained their senses, the statue had returned to its original state. Pan Long remained kneeling there, completely unscathed, as if everything that had just occurred were merely an illusion.

Yet, Ning Xiu knew in his heart that it was all real.

He noticed that, at some unknown moment, a faint layer of black mist had shrouded Pan Long’s face. This mist seemed to possess a life of its own, writhing like the tentacles of an octopus, dancing wildly across his features. Under Ning Xiu’s watchful gaze, this eerie black mist soon seeped into Pan Long’s body through his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose.

Then, something even more unsettling happened. Ning Xiu observed that Pan Long had shed his previous, uncomposed, and excited demeanor, replaced by a cold and ruthless expression. His entire aura had undergone a 180-degree shift. He was now looking at Ning Xiu and the others with a malicious gaze—the same look Ning Xiu had seen before, the way the noble families looked at commoners. In their eyes, there were no human beings; there was only living food.

Ning Xiu felt a sense of shock even deeper than when he had first seen the Xiezhi statue. What exactly had happened in that instant to make a man seem like an entirely different person?

Fortunately, the anomaly did not last long. Pan Long soon returned to normal. He stood on the altar, clenching his fists to feel the new power he had acquired, a joyful smile spreading across his face. Looking at that unmasked smile, it seemed as though the original Pan Long had returned.

Yet, Ning Xiu could not forget the mocking sneer that had lingered on the corners of Pan Long's mouth just before the strangeness faded.

"Thank you, Lord Leng, for your grace," Pan Long said, bowing to Leng Ying.

Leng Ying was silent for a moment before nodding. "From this moment on, you are officially a member of the Soul Suppression Bureau."

Pan Long expressed his heartfelt gratitude once more. Only Ning Xiu noticed that as he stepped down from the altar, one of the three candles above suddenly flickered and went out.

...

The bizarre scene had clearly not escaped others. Another constable, Fu Feng, finally realized that something was wrong. This was entirely different from the scene of "bathing in divine power" he had imagined. An unsettling anxiety began to gnaw at Fu Feng, and he cautiously took half a step back.

Just then, a low voice sounded right beside his ear.

"Where do you think you are going?" Leng Ying had appeared behind him, his cold, dead face fixed upon him.

"M-my lord..." Fu Feng’s face drained of color as he stammered.

"You are next. If there are no issues, go on up," Leng Ying said coldly.

"Lord Leng, perhaps it is just that I have been too tense lately. I haven't been sleeping well, and I’m not in the right state of mind today. To avoid desecrating the deity, perhaps I should wait until next time?" Fu Feng forced a smile, though it was clear even to him how flimsy his excuse sounded.

Pan Long, standing nearby, grew anxious. "Fu Feng, what is wrong with you? We’ve finally encountered such an opportunity; why are you backing out now?" The two had been close in the Six Doors, and seeing his brother retreat at such a critical juncture, he spoke out in frustration.

Fu Feng looked at Pan Long’s genuinely puzzled expression, his heart heavy with an unspoken agony. *You didn't see what you looked like just a moment ago; it was terrifying.*

Fu Feng began to doubt whether the Pan Long before him was truly the brother who had risked life and limb alongside him. He turned to look at Ning Xiu, hoping he might step forward with him. Even though an extra person would be useless against someone like Leng Ying, it would at least provide some comfort. Facing danger alone versus facing it with someone else were two entirely different experiences.

But the scene he anticipated did not occur. Fu Feng looked at Ning Xiu’s calm face and cursed internally. *How foolish can one be not to see the situation clearly?* After what had just happened, how could he still naively believe that this "Divine Enlightenment" ritual was, as Leng Ying claimed, merely a way to enhance their cultivation?

Looking at Pan Long’s familiar face and contemplating the dark possibilities, cold sweat began to run down Fu Feng’s back.

"Have you decided?"

The cold voice sounded again. Fu Feng looked up to see Leng Ying’s lifeless, death-mask face. He swallowed hard, glanced one last time at the distant Ning Xiu, and finally nodded in despair.

"I will follow your arrangements, my lord."

"Good. Go up then." Leng Ying’s expression remained unchanged, as it always was.

At this point, Fu Feng had no choice. Even if he delayed, it would be meaningless, so he might as well get it over with. He could only console himself by thinking that he was just overthinking everything.

However, as he reached the center of the altar and looked at the Xiezhi statue, a sense of terror welled up from the depths of his soul. He couldn't stop it.

The process was exactly the same as it had been for Pan Long. Although the final transformation was less obvious, Ning Xiu could still sense a completely different aura emerging from Fu Feng in that instant.

Ning Xiu turned to glance at Pan Long, his brows furrowed slightly. The look of surprise on Pan Long’s face throughout the process clearly hadn't been faked. Surely he wouldn't be trying to deceive him at a time like this?

What on earth was really going on?