BXBX NOVEL Chapter 162 - 162: I Wish to Join the Sect, Do You Have Any Thoughts?
Qingxian City, Tang Residence, That Night
Lu Xuan and Cheng Lingzhu, lightly equipped, lurked near the Tang residence. Around the hour of XuO , right before the curfew, a figure left the Tang house. It was the male head of the Tang family, Tang MO, in his thirties. After a quick glance around, he hurriedly left.
Lu Xuan and Cheng Lingzhu followed him through several streets and alleys. Tang MO, making several turns, arrived at a small alley before the night watchman began his rounds. This was the notorious… Rabbit Alley of Qingxian City.
Lu Xuan thought to himself, ‘So he really does come here to make extra money for his family.’
Rabbit Alley was designed differently from the brothels. Instead of multi-story buildings with individual rooms, the alley was lined with numerous small courtyards, each partially open to the street. These courtyards were often shared by several people, allowing visitors to pick their company.
Tang MO entered a secluded courtyard. Lu Xuan and Cheng Lingzhu followed suit, scaling the courtyard wall and then climbing onto the roof of the main house. They started to remove the roof tiles, revealing the scene below through a hole they made.
Below was a room decorated with solemn reverence. At its center was a white jade statue of a woman with a calm and beautiful face, holding a black lotus in her hand. In front of the statue were nine lotus-shaped oil lamps, burning steadily.
In front of these lamps were orderly arranged cushions, at least twenty in total, all occupied. Tang MO was among the congregation, but he had changed his attire. His brocade robe was replaced with a black cloak. Unlike the green and black uniform of the Qingxian Society, the attire of the Black Lotus Sect was black with hints of purple.
The room was dimly lit, with only the nine oil lamps providing light. The gathering of figures in black cloaks was clearly no ordinary meeting.
An elderly figure, presumably the leader, sat on a cushion, chanting slogans: “Great calamity approaches, the heavens and earth darken, the sun and moon lose their light…”
“From the primordial chaos, the Black Lotus emerges, heralding a new era…”
“Officials oppress the people, it’s time for the masses to rise…”
The rest of the followers joined in, reciting together.
This session of preaching lasted about an hour.
As the devout followers of the Black Lotus Sect concluded their recitations, the
sect leader raised his arms high and proclaimed,”Drink the sacred wine!” An attendant entered the room and brought forth a jug and cups of wine. The liquid poured out was clear and transparent. Each follower drank from their cup, and the leader then commanded, “Light the sacred incense!”
Another attendant brought out an incense burner and placed several black, nail-sized chunks into it. Once lit, wisps of blue smoke rose, filling the room. Those who had partaken in the sacred wine appeared intoxicated upon inhaling the sacred incense. Their faces showed extreme bliss, as if they were about to ascend to heaven.
Observing these people both drinking and inhaling substances, Lu Xuan realized how the Black Lotus Sect ensnared its followers. No wonder Tang MO hadn’t touched his wife for two months, preferring these gatherings instead.
The entire process of consuming the sacred wine and inhaling the sacred incense took about an hour. Both the wine and incense contained some kind of drug, as evidenced by the participants’ pale faces, bloodshot eyes, and an overall exhilarated demeanor.
After the event concluded, the sect leader began assigning tasks, mainly focusing on spreading the doctrine and recruiting new members. Notably, the infiltration of the Black Lotus Sect in Qingxian City began from the “upper echelons” and progressed slowly. The attendees of these gatherings were either young landlords or wealthy merchants.
The Black Lotus Sect’s recruitment strategy was straightforward: promising equality to the common folk and power to the wealthy. They showcased the world’s injustices to the commoners, promising equality and fairness under the Black Lotus doctrine to win their hearts and incite rebellion.
To the landlords and merchants, they promised the preservation of most of their wealth and even government positions post-rebellion, in exchange for financial contributions to the rebel cause. With turmoil spreading across the Kang Dynasty and the neighboring Qinghe County already overrun, the wealthy of Qingxian City joined the sect, half-coerced and half-willingly, out of fear and desperation.
These new, younger recruits brought a certain vigor to the sect. Rather than waiting for their doom, they joined proactively, seeing it as an opportunity to change their destinies.
Importantly, many of Qingxian City’s wealthy had close ties to the three major families or were core members of the Qingxian Society. However, they were opportunists, ready to sway with the wind.
As dawn approached, the Black Lotus gathering ended. The followers, under the cover of darkness, quietly dispersed. Tang MO, with his head down, barely stepped out of the alley when he was suddenly struck unconscious from behind with a blunt object.
Qingxian City, Yamen, The Next Day, Noon.
Two figures arrived at the Rabbit Alley. The secluded courtyard was shut tight. Lu Xuan used a knife to pick the lock, and he and Cheng Lingzhu confidently walked in.
A “Rabbit Gentleman” guarding the door approached to investigate the noise but ?was quickly knocked unconscious by Lu Xuan’s swift strike. Lu Xuan kicked open the door of the main building, where three members of the Black Lotus Sect were eating and drinking. One of them, a burly man, reacted quickly, reaching for his knife. Lu Xuan struck his wrist with the flat of his blade, causing excruciating pain and rendering the man unable to continue his attack.
Lu Xuan casually sat down, placing his blade against the neck of the leader, a middle-aged man.
“What brings you two here?” the middle-aged man asked, attempting to maintain his composure.
“Your name?” Lu Xuan demanded.
“Qian Chong,” the man replied.
“And your role?” Lu Xuan probed further.
“I make my living in this alley…” Qian Chong started to explain.
“I’m asking about your role in the Black Lotus Sect,” Lu Xuan clarified, tapping his neck with the blade.
“You… You already know?” Qian Chong glanced at the blade on his neck and slightly shifted his head away.
Lu Xuan didn’t waste any more words. Cheng Lingzhu gave him a meaningful glance and opened a cloth bag she had been carrying. Inside was an official seal.
“I am the County Magistrate of Qingxian City, Wu Bangde,” Lu Xuan announced.
Qian Chong’s eyes widened in disbelief at the sight of the official seal. “Surely you jest,” he muttered.
“Do you think I don’t look the part?” Lu Xuan asked, tilting his chin up.
“Of course not, of course not…” Qian Chong hastily replied, now convinced of Lu Xuan’s identity.
He thought to himself that if Lu Xuan had claimed to be a bandit, it wouldn’t have seemed as convincing.
“But how did the County Magistrate learn of our location?” Qian Chong wondered. He had seen Wu Bangde presiding over court cases and recognized him as the County Magistrate of Qingxian City.
“A woman reported her husband’s nightly absences were straining their marriage, so I apprehended him for questioning,” Lu Xuan explained. “I expected a domestic issue but ended up uncovering a nest of the Black Lotus
Sect.”
“So that’s how we were exposed,” Qian Chong realized.
He then calmly added, “To answer your question, sir, I am a subordinate of a commander in the sect, sent here to spread our doctrine and find like-minded brethren…”
“What instructions do you have for me today?”
Qian Chong was quick-witted and adaptive, qualities necessary for his undercover work. Since the County Magistrate hadn’t brought official forces and had visited in disguise, he clearly wasn’t here to eradicate the sect members.
‘But what does the County Magistrate intend to do?’, Qian Chong wondered. Lu Xuan replied calmly, “I want to join the sect. What do you think?”