The Four Guardians were different from ordinary members of the cult. They were loyal to the Cult Leader personally, and throughout their careers, there was basically a rule that they could serve only one master.
The Elder Guardian was something of an exception. No one knew how Situ Zhuo had managed it.
After all, according to past precedent, when the previous Cult Leader passed away or stepped down for whatever reason, the Four Guardians who belonged to him would naturally follow him into retirement—or death.
Their lives, honor, and disgrace were all tied to the Cult Leader, so their loyalty was beyond question.
In Protector Jing’s eyes, everything the Cult Leader did was right. Although this woman was sly and frivolous, skilled at playing with people’s hearts, and had a reputation for being involved with men all over the martial world, she truly was no suitable match for their Cult Leader.
But what could they do? She was the woman their Cult Leader had chosen. Even if it meant kneeling, the Guardians would have to help him clear away every obstacle.
Since this woman was entangled with several men, and they could not move against her, they could at least eliminate the men around her.
Thus, Protector Jing’s gaze did not waver in the slightest as he asked again, “Speak! Where is Han Weiliu?”
Pei Liang glanced at Situ Zhuo. The man had not said a word and looked as though he was enjoying himself quite a bit while she scratched him.
However, judging by the situation, even the Four Guardians of the Demonic Cult did not know that Han Weiliu was actually Situ Zhuo.
Yet this time, Situ Zhuo had brought them here again. Pei Liang had more or less guessed his intentions.
So when she looked at the straightforward little Guardian, her eyes held a trace of affection and sympathy.
Threatening to kill someone right in front of him—wasn’t he afraid his boss would make things difficult for him later?
Protector Jing, however, misunderstood the meaning in her eyes and became thoroughly enraged.
And, to his embarrassment, he was somewhat afraid to meet Pei Liang’s gaze.
Although the other three Guardians often teased him for being ignorant of romantic matters, overly sensitive and shy, and far too upright to seem like someone from the Demonic Cult, his instinct for reading people was actually remarkably sharp. From childhood to adulthood, it had almost never failed him.
Protector Jing felt that there was something excessively aggressive about Pei Liang’s gaze. She usually did not show it, but this aggression was not the kind that threatened one’s life or involved a clash of mental strength.
It was something Protector Jing could not understand—the kind of aggression that made one’s heart pound, cheeks flush for no reason, and body react strangely simply from meeting her eyes.
This left him inexplicably flustered and angry, and somehow made him feel as though he were the one with something to hide.
Thus, he demanded furiously, “Do you still have feelings for Han Weiliu?”
The moment he said this, the Elder Guardian and the other two Guardians could no longer sit by.
“How outrageous! You dare dream of enjoying the blessings of having several partners right in front of our Cult Leader? Keep dreaming!”
“If you know what’s good for you, hand Han Weiliu over. We might even leave him with his entire corpse.”
“It’s his own fault for being born a man without the sense to recognize danger. He actually dared to provoke our Cult Leader’s woman.”
One of them pointed at Pei Liang and added, “Did you hear that? Hand him over at once, and swear before us that you will never flirt with other men again. We can wipe the past clean.”
“Otherwise, no matter how glib you are or how skillfully you make our Cult Leader infatuated with you, if you ever show him the slightest disloyalty, we will risk our lives to eliminate you.”
The Guardians felt they were already being exceptionally reasonable. Had this been the Old Cult Leader, there would have been no need for any negotiation.
Of course, the limits of their leniency also came from the Cult Leader’s attitude. At the moment, he seemed completely enthralled by this woman and appeared unconcerned about anything else.
So while the four of them worried themselves sick over the Cult Leader’s romantic affairs, they naturally had to take his feelings into consideration.
The Four Guardians had exhausted themselves worrying about his love life. They had assumed that, no matter what, the woman would at least understand the situation.
Instead, she merely waved them off and said casually, “Why should I be faithful to your Cult Leader?”
The four Guardians were stunned.
The Demonic Cult had always been the one to betray other people’s feelings. Never before had someone from the righteous side openly declared that they intended to enjoy themselves without taking responsibility.
If the Elder Guardian had not feared offending their Cult Leader while she clung to him, he would have struck her with a palm already.
His beard bristled with rage as he pointed at Pei Liang. “Why should you be faithful to our Cult Leader? Being favored by our Cult Leader is a blessing earned over three lifetimes!”
“Our Cult Leader is a peerless genius, wealthy enough to rival a nation, and holds power that reaches the heavens! The beautiful women who spend their days praying for his favor are as numerous as carp crossing a river. How dare you grow arrogant merely because you are favored?”
The Elder Guardian spoke with righteous indignation, but Pei Liang impatiently waved a hand.
“So? Did I take your Cult Leader’s money?”
The four men froze. Almost instinctively, they looked toward Situ Zhuo, then suddenly remembered that the Cult Leader rarely carried money whenever he went out.
At most, he would have a little loose silver on him. Even when traveling away from home, there had been no records of him withdrawing funds or requisitioning manpower and resources from the Holy Cult.
In fact, when he had left this time, he had been wearing nothing more than a plain, understated black outfit. Quite a few cult members who had witnessed the Cult Leader descending the mountain could attest to that.
Yet when he returned, Meng Liuli had personally seen him wearing an outfit of extraordinary value.
The four of them gathered into a circle and began whispering nervously about a certain possibility.
“Trust my eye,” Meng Liuli said. “The black outfit the Cult Leader wore on the day he returned to the Holy Mountain may have looked understated, but every detail revealed a refinement money could scarcely buy.”
“Indeed! I understand jade,” Protector Jing said. “The jade set into the Cult Leader’s belt and the ornaments in his hair are all priceless. Even within the Holy Cult, they could not have appeared without leaving a record. Clearly, he acquired them from somewhere outside.”
“Did you notice the boots he wore that day?” the Elder Guardian asked. “The soles were complex, sturdy, and soft all at once. In all my years, I have never seen their like. Neither the Central Plains nor the Western Regions—not even the imperial household—possesses anything so convenient. It is something money alone cannot buy.”
“If the Cult Leader had taken these valuable things from an enterprise under the Holy Cult, there would have been traces. Some of them are items the Holy Cult does not even possess. Could it be that—”
Either he had seized them from someone else, or someone had given them to him.
The possibility that he had taken them from someone else seemed extremely unlikely. Although their Cult Leader was extravagant and fond of displaying his wealth, he often did not deliberately seek out pomp and ceremony. When traveling outside, he was especially discreet—so discreet that even they could not find him. Naturally, he would not have done something so absurd.
Besides, every one of those precious objects had clearly been custom-made to suit the Cult Leader’s build and bearing.
That left only one possibility: someone had given them to him.
Realizing this, the four men shuddered and turned stiffly toward their Cult Leader and the woman.
They saw the woman pull something from her robes: a golden bracelet.
The bracelet was two fingers wide and exceedingly thin, its design intricate and beautiful. The gold seemed to have been mixed with another metal, giving it a purity and luster far beyond that of ordinary gold jewelry.
Its craftsmanship and materials alone made it a rare treasure, and it suited their Cult Leader perfectly—resplendent and handsome in red.
But that was not the important part.
Set into the center of the bracelet was a transparent round disk. With the eyesight of the three Guardians, it was easy to see that two fine, ant-like hands were moving within it in a steady rhythm.
Even with their exceptional hearing, they could clearly hear the faint ticking.
Pei Liang fastened the bracelet around their Cult Leader’s arm and coaxed him gently, “This object is called a watch. It is used to measure time, with virtually no margin of error.”
“After the experiment succeeded, I had craftsmen specially make this for you. Next, it will be presented to the emperor and then introduced throughout the realm.”
The four of them drew in a sharp breath. Even if their Holy Cult was wealthy beyond measure, they would never dare claim that anything the emperor had yet to enjoy could be found and offered to their Cult Leader first.
Yet this woman had actually done it.
Moreover, as martial artists, they understood the object on an entirely different level. All they had to do was listen closely to distinguish its workings and they could tell that Pei Liang was telling the truth. The movement of every single hand was accurate to the smallest detail.
If this thing were used to keep time, setting aside its benefits to the common people, it would allow them to coordinate their missions with terrifying precision.
Once presented to the emperor, it was easy to imagine what kind of uproar it would cause. They could even guess that when the nations came to pay tribute next time, the emperor would use it to show off.
And yet such a world-shaking invention had been delivered to their Cult Leader first, solely to win a smile from him?
Sure enough, Situ Zhuo looked quite pleased at the sight of it, and the four guardians immediately felt guilty.
This… this was obviously a case of being indebted to someone.
The Elder Guardian was unwilling to let the matter rest, so he forcibly steered the conversation elsewhere and said to Pei Liang, “Even… even so…”
“The might of our Holy Cult has made all the great sects of the Central Plains uneasy the moment we returned. Our Cult Leader’s martial arts are peerless, and no one beneath heaven can match him. You—”
Before he could finish, Pei Liang impatiently waved her hand. “You’re talking as if I can borrow the might of your Demon Cult.”
Well… that was true as well.
The Pei family was, after all, one of the aristocratic clans of the Four Families and Eight Sects. They were now flourishing like the sun at noon. Why would she be foolish enough to risk becoming the enemy of the entire martial world just to borrow the power of the Demon Cult?
That argument was a dead end too.
Seeing this path blocked, Flower Guardian hurriedly stepped forward. “Even so, our Demon Cult has deep foundations and an intricate intelligence network.”
“The parricide you spent three years hunting without finding a trace was captured by us, was she not? Our Cult Leader even lowered himself to personally deliver her to your door.”
Pei Liang merely replied indifferently, “Oh, you mean Xia Yunsha? I was the one who told your Cult Leader about her identity and background.”
“I imagine your Cult Leader also told you where that information came from, didn’t he? I obtained it by selling my own fiancé, and then passed the favor on to him.”
“By making use of Xia Yunsha, your esteemed sect must have eliminated quite a few troublesome spies and traitors within your ranks, too.”
With that, Pei Liang smiled at the four of them. “No need to thank me!”
The four guardians flushed crimson. How had they failed to realize this when their Cult Leader mentioned it earlier?
That was right! The information had been obtained by Jiang Xun selling himself. So how had their Cult Leader gotten it? Naturally, it had come from someone who could command Jiang Xun. Other than the Jiang family, the most likely person was his fiancée.
And yet their Cult Leader had not only failed to give her the slightest benefit—he had enjoyed a great deal of hers for free!
How were his subordinates supposed to hold their heads high when their Cult Leader looked exactly like a kept man?
They couldn’t take it anymore. Just standing there made them feel humiliated, as though they were a rank beneath her.
The four of them cast resentful looks at Situ Zhuo, but he showed not the slightest self-awareness.
He was still marveling at his new watch. When he noticed their gazes, he looked up and asked, “What are you all staring at?”
“If it were any other item, I might allow you to handle it. But this is not something I can lend you to play with.”
It was over. He had truly started living off a woman.
But members of the Demon Cult never admitted defeat. The four guardians exchanged glances and realized where they had gone wrong.
From the very beginning, they should never have tried to reason with this woman. What reason was there to speak of in the Demon Cult?
Even if their Cult Leader was living off a woman, they would make sure he did it with his head held high and with absolute dominance.
He could live off her if he wished—but he still had to kick over the bowl she had prepared for other men.
The Elder Guardian coughed twice and stepped forward. “Sect Leader Pei, you too command a sect. You have expanded the Moon-Cleaving Sect and made it flourish, proving yourself a woman of deep calculation and far-reaching vision.”
“You should understand that the future is long.”
“Even if the Holy Flame Sect is in a sensitive position at present, that does not mean there will be no opportunities for cooperation and mutual benefit in the future.”
“A temporary contribution cannot determine everything. Our Holy Flame Sect is not so stingy as to take without giving. The winds and clouds of the martial world are ever-changing, and the rise and fall of sects is commonplace.”
“How can Sect Leader Pei be certain that the Moon-Cleaving Sect will never have need of the Holy Flame Sect someday?”
Pei Liang had been having a wonderful time coaxing her pretty boy, and she had no idea why these guardians were being so stubborn.
She had wondered why keeping him had gone so smoothly this time. So this was where the trouble had been waiting for her.
The pretty boy himself had stopped feeling conflicted, but apparently everyone around him had to fight for their long-term interests. It was making her quite helpless.
She sighed and spoke frankly. “Elder, there’s really no need to think so far ahead.”
“Doesn’t the Holy Flame Sect’s doctrine advocate enjoying the present? Why are you suddenly being so attached to the future? By the time that day comes, who can say whether the Cult Leader and I will still be involved? Isn’t it a little early to be discussing this?”
The four men trembled violently. The Elder Guardian extended a hand, his arm shaking as he pointed at Pei Liang.
The other three were equally incredulous. They looked at her as though she were a heartless, faithless scoundrel.
“You… you’re already thinking about breaking up with our Cult Leader?”
“This woman has never had a shred of genuine feeling for the Cult Leader.”
“Are you planning to discard him once you grow tired of him? Let me tell you, you picked the wrong man.”
The four guardians were genuinely more shocked than they had ever been in their lives. They had always been the ones accused of being faithless and fickle. Who could have imagined that they would one day be outmaneuvered, with the misfortune falling upon their own Cult Leader?
What had their Cult Leader done to deserve this?
Their emotions ran high. Flower Guardian said, “There’s no mistake. That’s exactly what this woman intends.”
“Look at her fiancé. He’s seduced women all over the martial world, yet she hasn’t shown the slightest anger or broken off the engagement. They’re clearly birds of a feather.”
“The two of them must have reached an agreement long ago: neither interferes with the other, both are free to indulge themselves outside, and they share intelligence and benefits. Otherwise, why would Jiang Xun obey her orders?”
“Our poor Cult Leader…”
The Elder Guardian burst into tears. He had been a guardian under the former Cult Leader, and the fact that he had survived to remain at the new Cult Leader’s side and earn his deep trust clearly pointed to an extraordinary bond between them.
To the Elder Guardian, the Cult Leader was not merely his master. He also regarded him somewhat like a junior who needed protecting.
At that moment, he looked as though he had seen his own innocent daughter deceived by a heartless rake from the outside world. His distress was profound.
The Elder Guardian glared furiously at Pei Liang. “Bah! You vixen! You think you can toy with our Cult Leader as you please just because you’ve offered him these meager benefits?”
“Our Holy Cult is not so poor that we would stoop to this.”
“I’m telling you now: you must give us an explanation today and give our Cult Leader a proper status.”
Flower Guardian said, “That’s right. Whether it’s Han Weiliu or Jiang Xun, you must swear that you will sever all ties with both of them from this day onward.”
Protector Jing said, “Better yet, get married today.”
“That’s right, that’s right! Get married today. He must be given a proper status.”
Pei Liang’s eyes began darting around. “But you’re straying from your own doctrine. If there is love, one should seize the day—why insist on lasting forever?”
As she spoke, she looked at the four men with an utterly open expression. “I only want to remember the most beautiful side of your Cult Leader in my heart.”
“Good heavens! This vixen only covets the Cult Leader’s youth and beauty. She admitted it herself!”
Pei Liang said helplessly, “Besides, what sort of status could I possibly give your Cult Leader? None of them would be appropriate.”
“What do you mean, inappropriate? Explain yourself! Go on!” The Elder Guardian was acting like a shrewish old woman throwing a tantrum.
Pei Liang said, “I already have a fiancé, don’t I? Who knows where he is at the moment. Unless he moves aside, your Cult Leader won’t have a legitimate claim either.”
In any case, Jiang Xun had already gone out, and they would not be able to find him for a while. If she could drag these troublesome people away for the time being, that would be for the best.
The Elder Guardian said, “What’s so difficult about that? Write a declaration dissolving your engagement. Cast Jiang Xun aside—no, that’s not the proper wording. Dissolve your engagement with him, then marry our Cult Leader.”
“Wouldn’t that be rather inappropriate?” Pei Liang said with an embarrassed look. “Jiang Xun only just returned after gathering intelligence for me. Besides, your Holy Flame Cult has benefited from that intelligence as well.”
“It’s only been a few days, and you’re already thinking of slaughtering the donkey once it has finished hauling the millstone? The key point is, the donkey is still working! You tell us—doesn’t that make your intentions a little too excessive?”
“…”
The four Guardians fell silent for quite some time.
It seemed that she did have a point.
No matter how infamous Jiang Xun was, in the end, he had nothing to do with their demonic cult.
They were naturally more than happy to watch the orthodox sects make fools of themselves. They would certainly prefer to have more amusing people like Jiang Xun around. Moreover, thanks to this intelligence, they had rooted out all the traitors the Burning Heaven Sect had planted in their Holy Cult over the years. Jiang Xun could be said to have made an outstanding contribution.
In terms of both emotion and reason, although they had mocked and teased him verbally, the Holy Cult still owed Jiang Xun some gratitude.
According to Pei Liang, Jiang Xun seemed to have gone off on another mission. Perhaps that mission still involved clues useful to their Holy Cult.
If they forced him to dissolve his engagement now, they would be casting aside their benefactor while he was out working for his fiancée and her “lover.”
Even the heartless members of the demonic cult felt that Jiang Xun’s situation was simply heartbreaking.
Could it be that they had gone too far?
Meng Liuli was the first to recover. “Wait, that’s not right. Clearly, this woman is greedy and wants to enjoy the company of two men at once. How did this become our fault?”
“Tsk!”
The moment Meng Liuli finished speaking, an impatient click of the tongue came from the other side.
The four Guardians were utterly astonished by the woman’s shamelessness. So she really had been deceiving them, trying to lead them down a completely false line of reasoning?
The Elder Guardian became so furious that he made a serious mistake.
Since they could not find a moral foothold to attack Jiang Xun for the time being, they turned their guns back toward Han Weiliu.
He snarled, “Fine. We can put Jiang Xun’s matter aside for now. But what about Han Weiliu?”
“Tell him to come out at once! I understand now. You’ve been deliberately evading the issue because you want to protect that boy.”
Pei Liang, however, remained completely composed. “If you can tolerate Jiang Xun’s existence for the time being, why can’t you let Han Weiliu go as well?”
“Letting one person slip through is still letting someone slip through. Letting two slip through is no different. What difference does it make?”
The four Guardians: “…”
It was confirmed. Their Cult Leader had truly been taken advantage of. There was no mistake about it.
A glimmer of tears appeared in the corners of the Elder Guardian’s eyes. Then he burst into tears.
“Cult Leader, this old man has failed you! I failed to protect you!”
“I knew only that the people of the martial world were treacherous, and that the orthodox sects were all hypocrites. But I forgot to warn you to beware of beautiful women like this one!”
“It’s all my fault!”
Situ Zhuo found the entire scene baffling. Why did these four men look as though he had suffered some tremendous loss?
Had they not noticed how infatuated this woman was with him, how she fawned over him at every opportunity?
As for her not planning for the long term, was that not simply because she knew her own limitations?
And Han Weiliu was him. As for Jiang Xun, that was even more ridiculous—so ridiculous that, for all of Situ Zhuo’s domineering nature, he could not bring himself to take the matter seriously.
Situ Zhuo completely ignored his subordinates’ concern and even looked faintly pleased with himself. This only made the four Guardians feel even more distressed.
They glared furiously at Pei Liang, the meaning in their eyes unmistakable:
You’ve manipulated our Cult Leader so thoroughly that you’ve turned him into an idiot!
Meng Liuli’s head began to spin. She knew that if this topic continued, the ones vomiting blood would be them.
So she forcibly changed the subject. “Let’s set this matter aside for now. We should discuss the real issue first.”
“Sect Leader Pei, you’ve sent out invitations to heroes from across the martial world, intending to behead Xia Yunsha seven days from now and offer her death in tribute to your late father. Your true aim is to draw out the forces behind her, correct?”
“But if I may be frank, Moon-Slaying Manor is not the same as our Holy Mountain, with its layers of traps and mechanisms. With proper planning, one could enter and leave freely, just as we did at the Jiang residence that day.”
“Your plan is sound, Sect Leader Pei, but it also risks turning your own territory into a battlefield. The Pei family has many people under its roof. If your enemies cause chaos without regard for the consequences, then even if you achieve your goal, the entire Moon-Slaying Sect will suffer severe losses.”
Her concern was not unfounded. Not every sect had the confidence to choose to fight on its own home ground.
Why had Situ Zhuo and the others been able to come and go freely from the Jiang residence that day, leaving all the great sects’ experts deeply wary of them? Aside from their thorough preparations, there was another reason.
There had only been five of them. Meanwhile, the Jiang residence had contained most of the martial world’s experts from the Central Plains. If both sides had truly fought to the death, even if the orthodox forces had managed to keep those demonic figures there, their own losses would have been impossible to estimate.
Pei Liang, however, appeared completely at ease. In response to Meng Liuli’s well-intentioned warning, she blinked at her and gave her a smile that clearly showed she appreciated the concern.
“There are still seven days left, aren’t there? That’s plenty of time to prepare.”
Seven days? That was probably enough time for the enemy to prepare as well.
The people from the demonic cult had no idea where this woman got her confidence. Yet they also felt that she was not the sort to indulge in blind optimism.
Since she had put it that way—and since they were technically opposing forces—they naturally could not say anything more.
Meng Liuli suddenly asked, “There is something I’m curious about. I wonder if Sect Leader Pei would be willing to clear it up for me?”
“Please, Miss Meng.”
“When Xia Yunsha was begging for mercy just now, she said that she would never reveal what Sect Leader Pei had done to the world.”
“As far as I know, Xia Yunsha’s dealings with you involve nothing more than the murder of her father and Han Weiliu. If what she meant concerns your father’s death, then I have overstepped. You may simply disregard my question.”
“However, Han Weiliu is also of great importance to our Holy Flame Cult. If this matter concerns him, I hope Sect Leader Pei will explain it in detail.”
At that, Pei Liang’s gaze fell on Situ Zhuo. His expression had not changed in the slightest; he merely appeared to be in a rather good mood.
She immediately understood what he meant.
So she said frankly, “Naturally, I still need to keep it secret from outsiders for the time being. But there is no reason I can’t speak openly about it with the four of you.”
“The secret Xia Yunsha mentioned just now is probably the fact that I killed my own father and elder brother, isn’t it?”
She sighed, looking somewhat troubled. “It would indeed be inconvenient to reveal this to all the guests on the day of the execution. But there are also certain matters that require Xia Yunsha’s cooperation.”
“Whether I should silence her or not is a difficult choice. I’m rather torn myself.”
The four Guardians’ minds went completely blank.
The Elder Guardian immediately exploded.
“Wait! Hold on a moment!”
"Are you really still thinking about such a trivial matter as whether to silence someone now?"
"You killed your own father!!"
"And your own elder brother," Protector Jing added quietly.
The four of them were astounded. "You did the killing?"
"If you're the killer, how dare you have the nerve to issue wanted notices for others everywhere?"
The four of them were nearly driven to their knees by this woman's audacity. Not only Jiang Xun and their Cult Leader but also anyone involved with this woman was in a pitiful situation that would make listeners shed tears.
The Elder Guardian shed tears again and said, "Cult Leader, this woman is no good. Come back!"
How much moral advantage had she gained by exploiting her father and brother's deaths?
The crucial thing was that no one had ever suspected her. Even when she said it herself, they didn't even react at first.
Who could have imagined? Who would dare to think so?
A young woman with mediocre martial arts skills dared to kill her own father and brother, the foundation of her standing. No one would have thought of this.
But looking at her experiences and operations over the years, one would discover a chilling fact.
Perhaps she wasn't someone who was entrusted with a crucial task after her father and brother's deaths, then showed her talent, and finally had great luck and became one of the top figures in the martial arts world.
If she was confident in her own abilities and had unparalleled self - confidence and determination, then everything today was not an accident.
It was all part of her plan from the very beginning.
Even though their Holy Cult had been lying low in the Western Regions for twenty years and the Burning Heaven Gate had been biding their time for many years.
But these people were still astounded by Pei Liang's profound scheming.
Meng Liuli suddenly noticed several points, points that she had ignored because she couldn't believe them.
She raised her beautiful eyes, looked at Pei Liang seriously, and said, "If it was Sect Leader Pei who did the killing, then Han Weiliu, who was in the Moon - Slaying Sect with Xia Yunsha at that time, should know about it clearly."
Pei Liang looked at Situ Zhuo again and nodded. "He knew. He saw it with his own eyes."
Meng Liuli's heart was pounding. "Since Han Weiliu saw you killing your father and brother and is still closely associated with Sect Leader Pei -"
"Forgive my bluntness. What Sect Leader Pei spread in the martial arts world, saying that Han Weiliu was instigated by Xia Yunsha and mistakenly thought the Pei family father and son were suspects -"
"Yes! It's all false," Pei Liang said. "My father and brother were indeed one of the culprits."
Even though the four of them had some vague suspicions, they still gasped in shock at this moment.
In that case, the situation was that Han Weiliu learned that the Pei family was the culprit, went to seek revenge, but was captured together with Xia Yunsha. Just when they were on the verge of death, Sect Leader Pei suddenly turned against her father and brother and killed them.
Leaving aside her motives, this was already an incredible thing.
So, what about Han Weiliu? Han Weiliu was now getting involved with Pei Liang, which meant that as far as Han Weiliu was concerned, his hatred towards the Pei family was probably cut off with the death of the Pei family father and son.
What Pei Liang said that day, that she had returned one of the divine weapons to Han Weiliu, should also be true.
Then the problem arose.
First of all, when the Cult Leader returned to the Holy Cult, he knew in detail about Xia Yunsha's suspicious points and reacted immediately.
But according to Sect Leader Pei's statement just now, the information revealed in the dispute showed that Jiang Xun had only gotten this information recently.
Counting the time, it was during Han Weiliu's stay in the Moon - Slaying Sect.
The Cult Leader didn't deny that the information came from Pei Liang. And from the people he tortured, he learned about Xia Yunsha's first goal. Although he didn't say it clearly, judging from his expression, he should know it well.
Moreover, during the journey here, he also revealed that Xia Yunsha might use the treasure map as a bait to arouse the greed of the Holy Cult.
How did the Cult Leader know all these? Logically, he shouldn't have known.
Also, when the Cult Leader returned to the Holy Cult, he was wearing expensive clothes. Han Weiliu had stayed in the Moon - Slaying Sect for more than half a month.
How did Sect Leader Pei find the time to have trysts with the Cult Leader during this period? And why was their Cult Leader not bothered by Han Weiliu at all?
Then, every time they asked about Han Weiliu, why did Sect Leader Pei always look at their Cult Leader first?
The four protectors were just muddled by Pei Liang's audacity when they were arguing with her just now.
But after a little thought, they could find all sorts of unusual things in it.
So, their eyes fell on the Cult Leader, who had hardly said a word since they arrived.
Meng Liuli called out with difficulty, "Cult Leader?"
As soon as her voice fell, they heard a soft laugh.
Situ Zhuo raised his hand and took off his veil.
The golden bracelet that Pei Liang had just given him was shining brightly in the sun.
The face was familiar to them. They had been seeing this face since the day the Cult Leader was found.
But at this moment, his handsome face changed. His bone structure and facial features became completely different in just a few breaths.
The four protectors immediately felt vigilant, but they were protectors who had sworn allegiance to the Cult Leader.
They were the most loyal people to the Cult Leader in the entire Holy Cult. When the Cult Leader selected the protectors, he would plant a mother - and - child gu representing loyalty.
Even though the person in front of them had a different face, the close connection couldn't be faked.
That was why it was impossible for anyone to pretend to be the Cult Leader in front of the protectors.
But even if the person didn't say anything, they knew that this face must be that of Young Master Han, whose family had been massacred.
There should be no fake about Han Weiliu's identity. After all, his whole life could be traced.
He and Pei Liang by his side had been engaged many years ago and had been involved with each other until now. There was no doubt about his identity.
But Han Weiliu could never be Situ Zhuo, the son of the former Old Cult Leader.
Then the truth was obvious.
The Cult Leader in front of them was real. At least, he was the Cult Leader they had sworn allegiance to.
But Situ Zhuo, who should have inherited the position of the Cult Leader, had already been replaced by Han Weiliu. Although they didn't know how he did it.
At this moment, the four protectors had complex expressions and even felt a bit unsteady on their feet.
Then they heard Han Weiliu ask, "Who am I!"
He didn't use it as a question. It was the same question he had asked two cult members who were protecting Situ Zhuo and Situ Zhuo's mother.
They had all given the correct answers, which made Han Weiliu very pleased.
At this moment, he looked at the four great protectors, and his eyes showed a bit more expectation than when he asked the other three.
Naturally, he hoped that these four would give him equally pleasing answers.
Then the Elder Guardian knelt down first.
His voice was calm at this time, without the embarrassment of being so angry with Pei Liang just now.
He didn't seem to be making a life - and - death choice but rather as if it was a matter of course. "Back then, when the Old Cult Leader was at the end of his life, his personality became more and more eccentric and cruel.
"Over the years, he tortured the cult members. He blamed the cult members for the difficult situation of retreating to the Western Regions and became more and more cruel and immoral."
Before the Elder Guardian joined the Holy Flame Cult and worked his way up to become a protector to serve the Cult Leader, he also had a strong sense of belonging to the Holy Cult.
The Holy Cult was not as the outside world rumored, forcing its followers to be loyal through terror and control over life and death. Initially, its members were all outcasts who couldn't find a place in the orthodox sects.
However, in the end, the Old Cult Leader turned the Holy Cult into the very image fabricated by the hypocrites in the orthodox sects to ostracize it.
Even after returning to the Central Plains, the Elder Guardian once couldn't see a future for the Holy Cult.
Everything changed until Situ Zhuo, the only offspring of the Old Cult Leader, came back. He seemed to have inherited the Old Cult Leader's perverse and cruel nature, but in essence, he was a free - spirited and gentle person.
So, when the Old Cult Leader passed on his skills to him and found that although their internal energy had the same origin, it was not a branch of the Holy Flame Skill, the Elder Guardian chose to turn a deaf ear to the Cult Leader's call for help.
Moreover, he stopped the other three guardians.
Finally, because of the Old Cult Leader's death, the other three guardians' poison bugs flared up, and they soon followed the Old Cult Leader to the grave.
The Elder Guardian should have gone too, but the Cult Leader used the power that the Old Cult Leader hadn't fully integrated yet to remove the poison bug from him.
The Elder Guardian said, "You are the Cult Leader of the Holy Flame Cult, the one we loyal to. As for your identity before becoming the cult leader, I'm not interested in it."
The other three also knelt down and said, "You are the Cult Leader of the Holy Flame Cult, the one we will loyal to with our lives."
Since the Elder Guardian was like this, the loyalty of the three young guardians to Han Weiliu was even more beyond doubt.
Hearing this, Situ Zhuo curled his lips into a smile. At this moment, the pleasure in his heart didn't only come from his secondary personality. Even his main personality, who never regarded himself as a member of the Demon Cult, was also inevitably touched.
Seeing this, Pei Liang was somewhat happy for him. Han Weiliu was all alone after losing his family.
But judging from the strong protection of the previous guardians, their relationship didn't seem to be just between a superior and subordinates. There was also the warmth between relatives and partners.
If he could re - establish connections and find a place to belong, it would be a good thing.
Today, Pei Liang personally brought him here with the four guardians, hoping that from now on, he could get along with the people he cared about with his true face.
After this incident, the connection between them became even closer.
However, Pei Liang couldn't be serious for more than a few minutes.
After the guardians got up, she coaxed Situ Zhuo, "You know your current identity can't be exposed. By now, the news that Xia Yunsha is in my Zhan Yue Sect must have spread.
"To prevent any powerful people from peeping, you'd better keep the appearance of Situ Zhuo here all the time."
Then she quickly called Hongxiu and Qingyi in and said to them, "Go quickly and arrange a place for the four guardians to rest. They are my honored guests, so don't neglect them."
Then she pulled Situ Zhuo towards the room and said, "Come with me. I have a great treasure to show you."
Situ Zhuo snorted proudly and said, "Could it be that after not seeing each other for three days, you miss me so much? What a humble woman."
"That's right. How can I live without you?"
"Humph! You'd better know that. See how you still dare to be arrogant. In the end, aren't you groveling before me?"
The four guardians: "..."
Cult Leader, what on earth are you so proud of? This woman is taking advantage of you because you can change your appearance.
You're at a great loss!
