The morning mist was slightly chilly, and the river waves slapped against the rocks.

A crackling bonfire burned, and Lv San was roasting several fish with a twig, occasionally sprinkling them with spices and salt he carried with him. Soon, the fragrance spread.

He handed it to Wang Daoxuan, then took the warmed wine from the Daoist, chatting and eating while having their breakfast.

As for Wu Ba, with a bigger appetite, he was already gnawing on half of a wild boar roasted the night before, eating until his mouth was greasy, not caring that he dirtied his clothes.

The three of them looked a bit disheveled, and their bodies had a strong odor.

There was no other way. Ever since they left the Yangzhou Pier following the clues to start the pursuit, they hadn't had a good night's sleep, constantly investigating, pursuing, and fighting unknown enemies, without much time to wash up.

But the ones more unfortunate were the few people facing them.

Dressed in black clothes, with either long hair and beards or faces full of flesh, they all looked fierce but were dusty and disheveled, bound with grass ropes and unable to move.

The pebbles underneath them made them uncomfortable, and the river breeze had numbed their limbs overnight. The enticing aroma made their minds fuzzy.

"Heroes, could you... spare a bite?"

One of them finally couldn't resist asking.

"Sure."

Wang Daoxuan smiled slightly, waving a roasted fish in front of them, making their saliva flow, and then said, "Whoever confesses first gets to eat first."

They looked at each other, all choosing to keep silent.

Wang Daoxuan didn't mind, shaking his head and sighing, "What a pity, this delicious fish cannot be enjoyed. You might end up starving to death on the road to the Yellow Springs, and even in the Netherworld, it won't be peaceful."

These people gritted their teeth, simply closing their eyes, pretending not to hear.

"Daoist, don't worry."

Lv San said coldly beside him, "When Brother Yan and the others arrive, with Sister Long taking action, no one can endure it!"

While speaking, there was movement on the Canal in the distance.

Then, they saw the Lin Family's treasure ship breaking through the morning mist, slowly approaching.

As soon as it docked, Li Yan, Sha Lifei, and Long Yan'er quickly disembarked, joining Wang Daoxuan and others.

Looking at the captives on the ground, a cold light flashed in Li Yan's eyes:

"Is it them?"

He had received a secret message from the hawk, and following the clues, Wang Daoxuan and others pursued, but unfortunately, they were a step too late, and the Yangzhou Tripod had already been taken. Moreover, the demon was rebelling in Tai Lake.

The only gain was capturing a few leftovers from the pugilistic world.

"That's right."

Wang Daoxuan patted the dust off his body, shaking his head, "I used paper cranes to track and caught their tail. Unfortunately, these people used firearms to interfere, delaying things."

"Alright, let's get on the ship first."

Li Yan called everyone onto the ship, going downstream toward Jinling.

After Wang Daoxuan and the other two did a simple wash-up, they gathered again at the bottom of the cabin.

Looking at these guys pretending to be dead with closed eyes, Li Yan didn't bother with words, directly looking at Long Yan'er, nodding slightly.

Rustle, rustle, rustle...

Long Yan'er raised her hand, releasing countless sesame gu.

These Gu worms, though small, like black sesame seeds where even the legs, mouths, and eyes aren't visible, were very fierce, capable of burrowing into human skin.

Whether itching or pain, it was beyond what ordinary people could endure.

"Ah——!"

Soon, mournful screams resounded through the cabin.

These people were tough, but even an iron man couldn't withstand the sesame gu. In less than half an incense stick's time, they were snotty and teary, revealing the truth.

It turned out these guys were famous toughs on Jiangnan's Green Forest Road, pushed to the edge by the government, and introduced to join the "Silk Cocoon Sect."

This "Silk Cocoon Sect" was established by Lady Lai Yin.

Speaking of which, its teachings were also related to the sericulture industry.

Due to the transformation of a cocoon into a butterfly, the ancients believed that silkworms could reach the sky and that wearing clothes made of silk spit by silkworms would enable one to ascend to heaven like a silkworm.

Thus, the character "蚕" consists of "天" (heaven) and "虫" (insect).

The so-called "Silk Cocoon" implies a mortal body, and its doctrine is about cultivating the inner self, offering tribute to the Divine, and at death shedding the mortal body to become immortal, avoiding the suffering of reincarnation.

This Lady Lai Yin claims to be the reincarnation of Lady Lei Zu, the wife of the Ancient Yellow Emperor, using the silkworm farmers' devout belief in the "Silkworm Flower Lady" and resorting to Evil Skills to create various miracles or spread diseases, deceiving mulberry and silkworm farmers to join her sect.

For important figures, they used the "Silkworm Zombie Technique" to control them.

They secretly developed, with a strict hierarchy, distinguishing status through "Silk Cocoon," quietly growing and often holding meetings to use Evil Skills to punish traitors.

Lady Lai Yin, aided by the Ghost Theater Troupe, subdued various underground experts.

Thus, in a short time, the organization grew quietly and significantly...

Li Yan frowned, "What method did you use to take the Yangzhou Tripod?"

This was his biggest doubt.

Whether in Chengdu or Luoyang, the appearance of the Treasure Tripod would shake the earth and mountains, but this time it was silent, which made him uneasy.

Upon hearing this, the captives all shut their mouths, their eyes a mix of fear and worship.

"Speak quickly!"

Li Yan shouted sternly, and Long Yan'er urged the sesame gu again.

Finally, someone couldn't withstand it, revealing a horrifying secret:

"Lady Lai Yin appeared in a dream and instructed us to dig up an abandoned grave and open the coffin, inside of which was a newborn child, like a monster, eating his mother's placenta..."

"This monster was brought back, and several waves of monks, Daoists, and Divine Han came, doing something mysterious, causing this child to eat aggressively and grow wildly. Within months, he was the size of an adult Han and started eating humans..."

"He could also spin silk and form cocoons. We located a cave in a mountain, used hemp ropes to place him in the underground river, and soon after, we fished out a large cocoon, loaded it on a ship, and transported it to Tai Lake..."