413 Probing 2

"Two Evil Art Masters will assist you on this mission. It's going to be quite dangerous, be careful," Shizi Xing said after carefully considering her word choice. "As you can see, the World of Pain has expansive land, but very few people. The number of Evil Art and Mirror Spirit Masters we have is actually very small. It's even less if we have to spread them out among the entire Human World. But, luckily, the dimensional barrier will be removed soon, and we will be able to freely enter Human and Devil World. The Day of Cleansing will be here soon.

"Which is why, during this crucial time, members like you who are from one of the Inferior Worlds are part of our most crucial assets."

Lu Sheng nodded. That part he understood. He had found out long ago that this cult district was in charge of not only Autumn Moon County, but an entire province, which Moling Prefecture was a part of.

Shizi Xing had many men under her command specifically assigned to infiltrate the entire province.

This meant that the 50 or so prefecturess, including Moling that was part of the Jiuming Province, were all commanded by Shizi Xing. 

There were very few members of the Black Society within the World of Pain, at most 20. Even though every single one of them was a mysterious and powerful individual, they were still hard-pressed to control the situation in an entire province.

"Aside from that, this mission may last a long time. During that time, you will need to make your own plans. The other two… Never mind, you take care of yourself, and try not to be caught." Lu Sheng somewhat understood what Shizi Xing wanted.

"Understood." Lu Sheng nodded. It was highly likely that he would work separately with two other people. Cooperation might be needed at some point, but independent operations would be best.

"That's all, you may leave now." Shizi Xing didn't waste more time talking after she finished briefing him on the mission.

Lu Sheng turned, and walked out of the hall. He stood on the third floor of the four-story building, and looked into the distance. 

The gray land looked endless as it extended indefinitely from the town into the distance.

Aside from the town, the most curious thing was the enormous eels that occasionally floated across the sky.

They flapped their giant fins like fans, casually wandering across the sky. After a while, they would disappear mysteriously in some corner of the world.

Lu Sheng fell into thought. After joining the Black Society for all this time, he finally managed to get a foothold.

'Maybe it's time to scout the surroundings.'

How powerful were the natives of the World of Pain, and what level could they reach on average? These were all information that he needed to gather.

Plus, Lu Sheng hadn't had the time to communicate much with other Black Society members during all this time.

He paused, then walked down the stairs to the second floor. Two young women wearing white ox masks were walking up the stairs side by side.

"Lu Sheng? Is Master Shizi Xing here?" one of them asked in a familiar tune.

They were sisters that were native to this world, and earned the name Bulls of Brute Force. The one wearing the long robe was called Shan, and the one wearing a shorter robe was called Suo. 

"Yes." Lu Sheng nodded.

"The master from Seye Palace has returned. Master Shizi Xing must be very happy." Suo laughed in a low voice as she chatted.

"Returned?" Lu Sheng blanked.

"Two years ago, when the master fell in battle, Master Shizi Xing was very angry. She promised she would punish her if she ever returned," Suo continued. "Maybe even Master Shizi Xing didn't expect her to find a suitable body in such a short time."

"Enough, Suo," Shan, who was standing next to her, interrupted her younger sister. "This matter between two masters is not something we should discuss about."

"Apologies for my blunder. Maybe I haven't adjusted to this new body yet." Suo licked her lips in a playful way. "See you next time, Lu Sheng."

"Mhm." Lu Sheng nodded casually, and bid goodbye to the two girls.

He continued to walk down the stairs, but his mind was working furiously.

'This so-called body adjustment… again?' This was the sixth time he had heard people bring up this topic. 

He was starting to understand how the residents of the World of Pain survived and why everyone saw him as a new recruit—it was because Lu Sheng's body was not his original one from the start, just like everyone else here. He was merely a soul that crossed over.

Xiao Zizhu must also have exchanged bodies at some point, and that was probably why he was recruited as well.

'I need to confirm this.' Lu Sheng walked out of the building looked at the town outside—it was completely empty. 

He walked out of the iron gate, and all the way to the edge of the town without a pause. The endless gray plain was only a few steps ahead of him.

The whole town was like a desolate island amidst a desert—there was nothing but gray sand in all directions.

Lu Sheng lifted his foot and took one step forward.

"Whoosh!"

He abruptly exerted strength, which caused his body to shoot forward in an instant. His shape blurred as he disappeared into the gray plain. 

As he went faster and faster, Lu Sheng's vision become a blur of gray shadows. After running for 320 beats of his heart at this speed, he abruptly stopped.

The town had disappeared behind him. Only the endless gray plain surrounded him, while in front of him stood a white horse.

The horse's coat was an unalloyed white, while a woman whose face was equally white rode on it.

She wore the finest and most delicate dress, and her forehead was completely exposed with her tight ponytail. She was staring emotionlessly in Lu Sheng's direction.

Lu Sheng narrowed his eyes, and seized up this young woman that suddenly popped up.

'Everything seems normal, only her face is too pale…' He went on full alert. After all this time in the World of Pain, he had never seen anyone wander around by themselves like this. It was clear some unknown danger lurked outside of the town.

"Hello?" Lu Sheng approached, and tried to ask for directions.

"Do you know where my brother is?" the lady asked.

Lu Sheng blanked out before answering, "No… I don't know who your brother is."

"Do you know where my brother is?" the lady asked again in the same tone as if she didn't hear Lu Sheng at all.

"..." Lu Sheng noticed that her eyes were unfocused.

The white horse carried the lady on its back and slowly walked into the distance, completely ignoring Lu Sheng.

Lu Sheng stared at the horse and the lady as they left, then continued his exploration.

Soon, a strange tree appeared in his view.

The tree was thick enough for a person to hug it, while its branches were like a willow's—long and soft, just like whips.

These whip-like branches were ruthlessly beating a young man at the root of the tree.

He had already been whipped into a bloody mess, blood flying everywhere like a broken necklace.

Lu Sheng observed in the distance, then suddenly realized the man seemed to have endless amount of blood to lose, while always looking as if he was crying for mercy.

"Hello?" Lu Sheng approached and tried to greet him. He abruptly reached out and grabbed a handful of branches, trying to stop the beating so that he could talk to the man.

"Agh! AGHHH!"

But the man still rolled around on the ground, with blood and wounds still appearing as if invisible whips were still frantically whipping him.

"Are you alright?" Lu Sheng looked at him strangely.

No response. The man still rolled around as his blood continued to fly everywhere. 

Lu Sheng frowned, and grabbed at the man.

"Kill me! Kill me!!!" The man suddenly jumped up, and dove toward Lu Sheng at a surprising speed.

Lu Sheng was about to grab him, but suddenly...

"Boom!!!"

The man exploded into a swarm of black dust, and covered him.

Lu Sheng didn't know what just happened, and was about to take a look at the dust when he felt a sharp pain on his waist.

He turned around, and struck out with his fist without thinking.

"Bam!"

His fist was caught by a hand wearing a white glove.

A handsome man with unbound black hair falling all the way to his shoulder and back split on his brow was standing behind him with a smile.

"Lu Sheng, I was worried about you when I saw you leave by yourself, so I followed you." The man's skin was as white as snow, almost like he was dead.

"Su Lun?" Lu Sheng recognized him. He was the brother of the goat-masked man on the podium during his first mission.

He wasn't familiar with him. Nods here and there were all the little interaction they had. After all, all of the natives of the World of Pain seemed off. Maybe because the constant pain had twisted their minds.

Su Lun was part of the the Black Society in the town.

But Lu Sheng looked down on the white knife made out of bone buried into his waist, and had a suspicion he wasn't here to help.

Staring at Su Lun, who was about answer, Lu Sheng interrupted him again, "Then… What do you want by following me?"

"Puff."

Su Lun pulled out the knife, and lightly rolled backward for a couple of meters.

"I should have been Master Shizi Xing's assistant. You stole my rightful place."

"So?" Lu Sheng narrowed his eyes. No blood came out of the wound on his waist.

"So, I have waited for a long time… just so that… I can kill you!!" Su Lun's feet suddenly shifted, and he charged at Lu Sheng like a ghost.

His speed was insanely fast, to the point where Lu Sheng's almost didn't have time to react. Lu Sheng was forced to simply step to the left, and narrowly dodged a sharp, cold light.

He then grabbed forward, but caught nothing.

"Puff."

Another dull thud, and Su Lun appeared behind Lu Sheng again. The knife in his hand was buried deep into Lu Sheng's spine.

"How fragile..." His head slowly spun around, and his neck stretched longer and longer, then coiled around Lu Sheng like a snake. 

Slivers of gray mist started to emit from his body and into Lu Sheng.

"Accept my Source of Pain, become one with me…" Su Lun's voice slowly turned sharp. At the same time, his neck started to squeeze like a giant python.

"Buzz…"

Su Lun gradually increased the pressure. He could already see Lu Sheng being strangled to pieces and swallowed by him.

"Buzz…"

His strength increased more and more, surpassing the level of a Weapon Master and reaching the Divine Lord level.

The corrosion of the gray mist was the bane of all Inferior Worlds' residents who depended on the might of Divine Weapons. This gray mist was the bane of all Divine Weapons and Devil Blades as well.

"Die here, quietly. Such is your destiny… Ahahahaha, regret, repent… Your fate had been decided the moment you stepped foot into this world.

"If you'd kneeled and begged for mercy from the start, maybe your master Su Lun might've spared you. Unfortunately, you've missed your best and only opportunity.

"Don't worry, I will only take your body after you die. I will take care of everything you have in the Inferior World. Of course, don't expect Master Shizi Xing to find out. This is the Famine Land, no one would dare enter unprepared. Only someone as dumb as you would—"

"Snap."

Su Lun stopped with a shocked expression.

Lu Sheng grabbed a piece of a snapped neck with a blank expression.

"Huh. Seems it snapped." He shook it at Su Lun.[ED/N: Shan and Suo have multiple meanings, but the author loves his cryptic names, so we'll keep to pinyin. However, their names likely mean "fan, leaf (for window/door)" and "lock, manacle", respectively.]