Chaos and monsters begin with the red dragon's clone.

Gouli Town is located east of Feilian City, surrounded by hills and forests. It consists of earthen houses and stone houses with gray walls, black tiles, and long, narrow eaves.

As dusk approached, Jia's caravan drove its trucks into the high-walled compound they had rented in advance, where they would stay for a day to load and unload goods.

This was also the time when Zhang Xun could move around. After finishing his work with the caravan, it was already dark, so he went to Jia Jinshui's room.

"Manager Jia."

The two sat across from each other at the table.

An oil lamp sat in the center of the table. Its flame flickered slightly, and translucent smoke drifted slowly upwards.

Jia Jinshui, a robust middle-aged man with a short beard, poured a cup of tea for Zhang Xun and smiled, saying, "You are Jia Yu's fellow disciple, so there's no need to be so polite in private."

His niece, Jia Yu, had also trained at the Flying Stone Boxing Academy. He was present when Zhao Shaoting came to find him, and besides the work, he also asked him to inquire about the missing persons case. The Jia and Zhao families were on good terms, so he had to give him face. However, he didn't think much of Zhao's efforts to win over these mediocre people, feeling that it was a waste of time. Of course, being older, he wouldn't show his true thoughts on the surface.

"I heard from Shaoting that your father and brother disappeared after repairing the fort for the Wei family, which is why you took this job?" Jia Jinshui paused before asking.

"Yes. That's why I'd like to ask Uncle Jia for leave." Zhang Xun nodded.

"Of course, no problem. But Gouli is not like Dongluo. The Wangsheng Sect has grown powerful, and the Wei family is just a branch of a large family in the inner city. The situation is much more complicated and dangerous with all sorts of forces. You'd better be careful and carefully inquire about information related to them," Jia Jinshui said solemnly.

"The Wei family, so this is their background!?" Zhang Xun was shocked.

"Wasn't the inner city supposed to be a hundred times better than the outer city? Why is it being divided into two?"

"This kind of secret is beyond our knowledge." Jia Jinshui shook his head, then added, "You are Yu'er's fellow disciple, and I know some people here. I'll inquire about the missing person case for you tomorrow."

"Uncle Jia, I am deeply grateful." Zhang Xun cupped his hands in thanks. Given the people and things the other party had access to, he was undoubtedly much better at gathering information than Zhang Xun.

*

*

The next morning, Zhang Xun changed into a gray linen outfit and quietly left Jia's shop. He went to breakfast stalls, teahouses, taverns, and other places in Gouli Town to inquire about news.

Apart from martial artists, people nowadays usually eat only one meal a day, breakfast and dinner. Dinner is mostly eaten at home, while breakfast is quite lively, and people often drink alcohol in the morning.

When people drink, they tend to brag and talk big, showing off their secrets to others.

Soon, after strolling around, Zhang Xun emerged from the tavern with a slightly helpless expression.

He did manage to get some information, but there were all sorts of rumors. Some bold ones said that he was captured by the Rebirth Cult, devoured by powerful ghosts, and that the discovery of the treasure led to infighting and killings. He couldn't tell the truth from the falsehood.

He had originally intended to inquire with the servants of the Wei family, but after hearing Jia Jinshui's words, he gave up the idea. The people in the inner city were lawless, and it was best not to get involved.

Zhang Xun stood at the crossroads, watching the flow of people and vehicles on the muddy road, unsure which direction to investigate in…

Suddenly, a familiar chanting sound came from the direction of Zuojie Street.

"To be reborn in the Pure Land, in the land of emptiness..."

"To be reborn in the Pure Land, in the land of emptiness..."

The street immediately became somewhat chaotic, with passersby taking refuge in the shops on both sides, but not with the panic seen in Dongluo Town. Zhang Xun also hid in a paper shop.

A moment later, two carriages led the way, their carriages adorned with white images of children laughing innocently. A group of men and women dressed in white, their eyes unusually bright, followed in two rows, coming through the streets.

Zhang Xun's eyelids twitched as he spotted a familiar figure in the group—a man with a blue mole on his forehead.

Geng Ping!!

His face was full of piety, as if he had become a different person.

The other person seemed to notice the gaze and turned to look at him, so Zhang Xun quickly hid even deeper.

As the procession moved further away and the chanting subsided, they joined the others and went back out onto the street.

"Looks like they're going to Chaotian Temple?!"

"Were those Protestants just now?!"

"I've heard that once you become a believer, you'll never have to worry about food or clothing, and you'll even be able to fight against martial artists!"

Many of the conversations on the street were filled with envy.

"Geng Ping!?"

Zhang Xun gazed in the direction the followers of the Rebirth Sect had left, his eyes flickering.

Kong Gaozhuo said that when Deng Changshun was planning the operation, he also called Geng Ping, but the latter withdrew halfway through, though he still knew the general outline of the three men's plan. He just didn't know that they were going to Zhujiachaishan to assassinate him.

But Geng Ping is on good terms with Kong Gaozhuo, and he was once tempted to attack him. Now he has even joined the Rebirth Sect... This guy is a potential threat!

"If this guy gains power and wants to investigate, with the information he has, he might find out that Deng Changshun and the other two went to Zhu Family Chai Mountain. If he spreads the news, the Zhu family and the Copper Arm Boxing Academy will be in big trouble! It's not certain, but it would be best if we could take them out!"

Zhang Xun pondered for a moment, but couldn't think of any way to resolve this potential problem.

The Rebirth Sect has a large number of members. Not to mention their strange and mysterious nature, there are also many martial artists among them. Since the other party does not act alone or reveal their whereabouts, he is powerless to do anything about it.

Now... the investigation has no direction, so why not follow along and see? Maybe we'll have a chance to get rid of Geng Ping, or find clues about the disappearance of my father and elder brother.

The thought flashed through Zhang Xun's mind, and he made a decision, quietly following behind the group of believers.

Soon they discovered that the believers had left the town. From the conversations of the people around them, they learned that they were heading to Chaotian Temple in the east. With a sigh of helplessness, they thought for a moment and decided to head to a nearby public mountain, intending to catch a glimpse of Chaotian Temple from afar.

Gongjia Mountain is not privately owned. The trees on the mountain are not as lush as those on Zhujia Chai Mountain, but there are still some scattered trees. Nearby residents often come up to cut down trees and hunt, so there are not many places for wild animals to hide. It is relatively safe.

Zhang Xun strode up the dirt road and soon reached a grove at the top of the mountain. He climbed a tree and looked eastward.

Then you can see temples standing on the opposite hillside, shrouded in incense smoke, with pointed arch buildings, unique style, and fluttering white banners.

The believers went up and down the mountain path, and the group of Protestants also reached the foot of the mountain and climbed the steps, soon disappearing into the temples.

"Is this the Chaotian Temple of the Rebirth Sect?" Zhang Xun thought to himself, not noticing anything unusual from a distance.

"Geng Ping... it won't work this time, we'll have to try again next time."

Feeling helpless, he was about to climb down the tree and descend the mountain when his ears twitched, catching a faint sound coming from not far away.

A sense of unease crept in; I held my breath and stealthily peered over, and there I saw—

*

*

The four men met furtively in the woods, dressed as ordinary hunters, but it was clear they were in pairs.

The man leading on the left was a burly man with a thick beard, a curved knife at his waist, and a cloth covering his head and face. You could see a scar running down his right eye, and his eyeball was slightly bloodshot.

"Where is it?" he asked in a hoarse, low voice.

"I brought it." The man opposite him was a shrewd man with a three-pronged mustache. As he spoke, he took out something wrapped in black cloth that was clearly a statue or something similar. "A genuine statue of the Holy Child of the Rebirth Sect. Put it in the house, sprinkle some talisman water on it, and it will protect you from ghostly disturbances during the Fog Moon period."

The burly man with a thick beard took the black cloth and lifted a corner to examine it. His companion asked, "How can you be sure it's authentic?"

"This—" The man with the three-pronged mustache paused for a moment.

"No one dares to imitate the things of the Rebirth Sect, so there are no fakes. If you think it's fake, you don't have to buy it."

"We'll buy it." The burly man with the thick beard looked at it, then wrapped it back in the black cloth and gestured for his accomplice to pay.

"If there's no fake, what are you talking about as authentic?" the accomplice muttered, but still pulled out his money bag.

The man with the three-pronged mustache took the package, opened it, glanced at it, weighed it in his hand, and then said with a smile, "The money and goods are settled. Go your separate ways, Brother Guo Lie. I wish you success in evading the pursuit. Farewell."

The burly man with a thick beard nodded and led his companions out of the woods.

Seeing them leave, the man with the three-pronged mustache also turned and left with his men.

As he walked, he muttered under his breath, "I almost let it slip. Of course, there are no fakes in the Rebirth Sect's products, but only those purchased through proper registration are genuine. The secondhand items we resell privately are neither genuine nor fake. However, they will be investigated by the Rebirth Sect's investigation team. I don't know what methods the Rebirth Sect uses, but they will most likely be able to catch us."

The man beside him looked on with awe and was about to reply.

"Look, brother, I knew it! Who would keep talking about genuine fakes for no reason?" A sinister voice suddenly rang out behind the two of them.