"Master Li, now you should understand what Sui Beasts and Sui Demons are."

With that, the old monk closed his eyes again, seemingly entering a state of meditation.

The young man with the sword and the Basket Woman, however, kept their eyes fixed on Li Shiwuwu, their vigilance evident.

They thought it audacious of him to openly discuss the act of killing one's master, suspecting him to be ruthless and without scruples.

As for Li Shiwuwu, he pondered the old monk's words, realizing that Lord Guan was merely a so-called Sui Beast.

Suddenly, he spoke again.

"May I ask, since Dayao is called the Immortal Dynasty, does it have immortals?"

The woman, upon hearing this, looked at him with a strange expression and said, "Daoist Li, the word 'immortal' is so distant. I wouldn't know."

"But there have long been rumors that Dayao holds great secrets, and even if there are immortals, they are nothing special."

Under his hat, Li Shiwuwu's expression was unclear.

He continued, "Another question, is the Huaren Sect really powerful? Can they transform humans into beasts and sell them at will?"

The young man with the sword couldn't hold back any longer.

"Li, are you really from Dayao? You don't even know about the Huaren Sect."

"Let me tell you, the Huaren Sect is one of the two great state religions of Dayao, and its leader holds the esteemed position of National Preceptor."

"Their status is so high, they sit above the clouds like deities, overlooking the masses."

Li Shiwuwu looked incredulous, "A state religion? A sect that transforms humans into beasts is a state religion?"

He felt it was blatantly like a cult.

The Basket Woman laughed, "Daoist Li, do you know someone from the Huaren Sect? If you do, that's quite a fortune."

Li Shiwuwu nodded, "A few days ago, while passing through Tang City, I bought a Five-Fingered Horse from a Huaren Sect cultivator named Pang Dahai."

"Hence, my question."

The young man with the sword looked surprised, "The surname Pang?"

"That surname is incredibly prestigious in Dayao."

He then added with some regret, "Ha, you seem to stumble upon all the good fortune."

"The Huaren Sect, as the name suggests, excels at transforming humans into beasts."

"The livestock they release are all prized, with many people scrambling to get them."

"And often, they are already divided among important figures, rarely sold outside. Even if they are, you need the luck to encounter them."

The young man lamented, "Ah, what a pity."

"If I had known about this earlier, I would have gone to Tang City to buy one myself."

He suddenly smiled, trying to be amiable, "Daoist Li, I apologize for my earlier rudeness."

"I wonder if I could buy your horse for three times the price..."

Li Shiwuwu nodded directly, "You pay, I'll take it, but I can't guarantee delivery."

"You're playing me!" the young man glared angrily.

"Not at all, it's just that the Five-Fingered Horse isn't with me."

After speaking, Li Shiwuwu looked at the Basket Woman again.

He asked, "I find the Huaren Sect quite sinister, how can they be called a state religion?"

The woman covered her mouth and laughed lightly, "Daoist Li, don't be shortsighted."

Support us at pawrea𝑑.com .

"Although the Huaren Sect transforms humans into beasts, most of the people they use are those who have committed serious crimes."

"Instead of executing them, it's better to turn them into cattle and horses, making full use of them."

"For example, there was once a trafficker who kidnapped children. After being found by a Huaren Sect cultivator, he was turned into a plowing ox and given to the family, working for decades and often whipped, eventually dying from exhaustion."

"With such actions, how can they not be called a state religion?"

The woman sipped her tea and smiled again, "Dayao has two state religions, and the Huaren Sect is considered the better one."

"As for the other, it's truly sinister!"

"It's called the Ten Aspects Sect."

For a moment, the hall fell silent, as if everyone had heard of the Ten Aspects Sect and was reluctant to discuss it further.

"Ten Aspects!" Li Shiwuwu chewed on the words, instantly feeling something extraordinary.

His purpose in meeting these people was to gather information, and although the results were modest, it wasn't a wasted trip.

Additionally, he wanted to see for himself what kind of terror the so-called Sui Demon possessed.

At this moment, the old monk, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly spoke while fiddling with his prayer beads, "Everyone, it's getting late. Let's go early and return early to restore peace to this place."

With that, he strode out.

The young man and the woman followed closely behind, and seeing this, Li Shiwuwu didn't hesitate and chose to follow.

The burly Liu Shaohu hurriedly called out, "Esteemed experts, Jule Town is counting on you..."

...

The red sun set, and dusk gradually fell.

Birds lightly touched the water's surface, creating ripples of golden light that dazzled the eyes.

Outside Jule Town, there was a wide river, thirty meters across.

Li Shiwuwu and the others stood by the river, gazing at the town, realizing that although it was called a town, Jule Town was quite large.

The houses were neatly arranged, stretching endlessly, with smoke rising from the chimneys.

The Basket Woman sighed, "Ah, in these times, who knows how these 'Sui' came to be."

"We have no choice. Dayao can only order its people to gather and live together as much as possible. After all, if it's a remote village, even encountering a single Sui Beast could lead to total annihilation."

"As for us cultivators, whether from sects or families, we also live among the people, hidden in the mundane world."

Hearing this, Li Shiwuwu suddenly understood.

All these years, they had camped in the wilderness, never seeing any of the rumored cultivators who drank morning dew and embraced the morning breeze.

The reason was that they had long hidden themselves in the secular world.

"Please follow me."

The old monk spoke, leading them along the riverbank to a small temple.

The temple was exposed to the elements, covered in cobwebs, and lacked a statue of the Earth God.

What caught the eye were the corpses covered in white cloth on the ground, exuding a sinister and eerie aura.

The old monk spoke gravely, "These are the people killed by the Sui Demon."

"One hundred and two people, dead in just half a month, it's becoming increasingly difficult in these times."

Li Shiwuwu looked around, smelling the faint scent of blood and decay in the air.

"Gulp~"

He couldn't help but swallow.

The sound of swallowing was as clear as a pin drop in the silent, dilapidated temple, reaching everyone's ears.

Instantly, the three people's expressions changed.

They stared at Li Shiwuwu as if he were some ghostly demon, full of suspicion.

The young man with the sword shouted angrily, "Li, are you some evil cultivator who feeds on human flesh and blood?"

The Basket Woman's face turned pale, "Li... Daoist Li, did we leave in such a hurry that you're hungry?"

"I have some food here, you see..."

As for Li Shiwuwu, he was equally shocked.

Now, because of the black soil beneath his feet, his body was constantly withering, tormenting him.

But seeing the hundred or so corpses and smelling the decay and blood made him crave.

That craving was to eat them, to alleviate his physical condition.

To eat them, to survive!