I run a Taoist temple in a bizarre world.

Chapter 57 Demon Extermination Meeting

"Tell me about... the Demon-Slaying Festival."

Chi Yue's voice echoed in the empty side hall, carrying an undeniable authority.

Chi Le only learned about the name of the Demon Extermination Association during their conversation in the open space of Qingshan Temple.

Based on what Zhang the bald man said in the open space, plus Chen Cheng's previous experience.

Chi Le pieced together the events of the incident.

A member of the Demon Extermination Association.

They planned to use Zhang the Bald to set a trap for the Chen siblings in order to obtain the "elixir" formed after Chen Cheng's death.

If the plan goes smoothly.

After Chen Cheng dies from excessive internal fog, the bald-headed Zhang will hand over the obtained "elixir" to this person.

Chi Le wasn't interested in the function of the so-called "Dan" for the time being; he was more concerned about what the bald-headed Zhang had said.

"...The characters inside are all capable of entering the eerie mist and fighting demons and evil spirits!"

Those who can fight the demons in the mysterious fog must possess extraordinary power.

In the present world, we are in contact with the Special Affairs Bureau, which is a way to learn about supernatural powers.

If Chi Le learns more about another extraordinary organization in this bizarre world, he will have another way to understand extraordinary power.

"Heh...heh..."

Faced with Chi Le's question, Bald-Headed Zhang could only keep panting heavily.

Tears and snot streamed down his large, fat face.

His eyes were vacant, his expression blank, as if he was being tormented by the pain in his shoulder and was somewhat lost in thought.

Chi Le didn't intend to waste time here. He got up and took the soil spikes that Changxi Village had left for him early in the morning.

He walked straight up to Zhang the Bald, who was trapped in a cage made of earth spikes.

"Heh...wait...ah!"

Before Bald Zhang could finish speaking, his words turned into screams.

Chi Le pulled out the blood-stained thorn without expression, aimed carefully, and plunged it in again.

I don't know if it's because I'm not used to it, or because the skin of the bald head is so tough.

Every time Chi Le tries to pierce through, he can never manage it in one go.

There was no other way but to keep stabbing the same spot, sometimes pausing for a moment to aim before striking.

From Zhang the Bald-Headed's perspective, these things appeared particularly terrifying.

The person was shrouded in mist, and could only be vaguely seen wearing a loose, dark Taoist robe; even their face was unclear.

He would repeatedly torment himself with the thorns, sometimes even stopping on purpose.

Let yourself wait for the soil spikes to fall.

This feeling is extremely terrifying.

Zhang the Bald could never predict when that thorn in the ground would pierce him.

Whenever he thought the earth spikes were about to pierce him, he would prepare to receive them.

The thorn in the man's hand simply hovered silently in place.

Just as he relaxed slightly, the earth spikes suddenly stabbed at him.

Unable to bear it any longer, and with his mind fully cleared, Bald-Headed Zhang hurriedly spoke.

"Exorcising demons...exorcising demons...I've told you, sir, will you spare me?"

Chi Le did not answer, and the soil spike in his hand pierced several more inches.

"No... Your Excellency... No... Abbot, please don't hit me, I'll talk!"

Knowing Chi Le's attitude, and realizing he had no other choice, Bald-Headed Zhang calmed himself and gave instructions.

"About a month ago, I encountered a high-ranking member of the Demon Exorcising Association... no, a lowly one!"

"He never told me his name. I only know that his surname is Zheng and that he is a man about my age."

"Zheng Xiaoren promised me that as long as I took the medicine he gave me and gave it to Chen Cheng to drink, I would be fine."

"Wait a while, until Chen Cheng dies, then go and retrieve the 'elixir' that Chen Cheng produced for him."

"I really didn't know that the 'medicine' he gave me was poison that would kill Chen Cheng!"

"Master, I truly have no idea! It's all that scoundrel Zheng's fault!"

"I...I know his upcoming schedule..."

"Master, if you spare my life, I... I will tell you everything and join you in killing this villain who tried to kill your temple keeper!"

Bald Zhang's words were forceful and resounding.

It was as if he had an irreconcilable hatred for the man surnamed Zheng from the Demon Exorcism Society.

Faced with his current situation, Bald-Headed Zhang displayed a strong will to survive.

Shifting all the blame to the man surnamed Zheng is undoubtedly a good way to increase the chances of survival.

Chi Letu punctured the area on the waist and abdomen of Lai Tou Zhang.

This interrupted his momentum to continue speaking.

"Let's talk about the demon-slaying ceremony."

Chi Le spoke concisely; he didn't want to hear the blame Zhang the bald-headed man was trying to shift to save his own life. He just wanted to learn more about the Demon Exorcising Association.

"I...the Demon Exorcising Association...him"

Bald-headed Zhang stammered and couldn't utter a complete sentence.

Seeing this, Chi Le exerted force with his hand, and the soil spike sank into the flesh of the bald-headed Zhang.

"Ah! I...I don't know the details of the Demon Extermination Association...I...I really don't know. That scoundrel surnamed Zheng didn't tell me much."

"Every time I ask him, he just says that I'll find out when I join, and there's no need to rush, so he brushes me off with that excuse!"

"Master, I really don't know!"

The bald-headed Zhang screamed in response. Seeing that his expression did not seem to be feigning, Chi Le let go, allowing the earth spikes to remain embedded in the bald-headed Zhang's flesh, swaying incessantly.

He sat back down in the wooden chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest.

[Bald-headed Zhang is at best an employee of the demon-slaying organization's outsourced company...]

No, he's not even an outsourced employee; at most, he's an intern who's only been with the outsourcing company for a few days. He doesn't know much about the Demon-Slaying Ceremony.

To understand the Demon-Slaying Association, we need to start with the official members surnamed Zheng, but...

[Have you come into contact with extraordinary individuals in this bizarre world?]

Chi Le straightened her gray-black gauze robe.

This is the [mysterious relic: the toad's molted body].

Chi Le hung it on her body as soon as she entered Qingshan Temple.

The effect is to negate most physical damage of level 2 and below.

With only this one toad molt and a first-tier land deity of Changxi Village, is it really possible to rashly approach the extraordinary beings of this bizarre world...?

Undeniably, not only I, but the entire Qingshan Temple, urgently needs to grow.

[The advancement of Qingshan Temple's rank from Tier 1 to Tier 2, and the possibility of recruiting another Divine Being, are currently the means to significantly improve Qingshan Temple.]

"You, surnamed Zheng, speak."

Upon hearing Chi Le's sudden voice, Lai Tou Zhang jolted awake from his drowsy state.

"That guy surnamed Zheng is very strong. I personally witnessed him kill a monster bigger than me in the eerie fog!"

"My skills, which far surpass those of Chen Hao and Zhao Zhu, are all thanks to his instruction."

"If the abbot wants to personally teach him a lesson... that Zheng fellow is not currently in the vicinity."

"All I know is that he made an appointment with me to come to Changxi Village again in about half a month."

This time, Zhang the Bald Guy didn't stop talking; he told Chi Le everything at once.

"Master, I've told you everything I know... What do you think..."

A fawning smile, even more unsightly than bitterness, stretched across the bald-headed Zhang's fat face.

沓！

Chi Le summoned the land of Changxi Village.

The Earth God struck his cane, and the cage instantly closed, transforming into an irregular sphere less than half a person's height.

squeak~

The side hall door opened, and the local earth god of Changxi Village, controlling the earthen ball containing the remains of the bald-headed Zhang, went out first.

Chi Le spoke in a low voice and walked out of the side hall.

"That means there are about ten days left."