When Lin Jun was dealing with the captured Lizardman, the Count's soldiers who rushed over suddenly showed some commotion that shouldn't have been there. Some shook their heads violently as if to dispel the fog in their brains; others' eyes briefly regained clarity, revealing momentary confusion and horror.
This made Lin Jun realize immediately that something happened on the Yellow Codex's side, thus rushing back quickly.
Looking at it now, the chaos that appeared should have been deliberately caused by the Yellow Codex.
After all, its mental field wasn't as convenient as the mycelial network which could transmit information directly.
Wanting to notify the distant Knight Puchi, it could only create some chaos.
Fortunately, the Yellow Codex was indeed skilled in manipulating minds. This chaos was well-controlled within a certain degree, only losing a few more insignificant personnel.
Honestly speaking, apart from the moment at the end when the Yellow Codex quietly guided the Demon King's emotions to create a sneak attack opportunity for the Puchi, Lin Jun didn't know what else happened before.
Whether because its little life was still held in his hands, or because after evaluation it felt he was more likely to achieve its wish regarding a soul, anyway, this cunning broken book chose to stand on his side just now, at least for the time being...
The Puchi's tentacles curled up the Yellow Codex which seemed to be still trembling slightly. The movement wasn't gentle, rubbing it randomly a few times, then casually stuffing it back into the arms of Count Bona who was collapsed on the ground and hadn't woken up yet.
The Demon King had awakened and started moving. This was undoubtedly bad news, but Lin Jun seemed not to need to worry about this temporarily.
At least looking at the Demon King's attitude just now, he obviously didn't intend to kill the Yellow Codex which joined the Mushroom Garden, nor did he intend to interfere with Lin Jun's arrangements in the Giant Beast Bone Field.
Then, the impact brought by the Demon King could be put aside for later temporarily.
Of course, necessary precautions couldn't be lacking at all. Below the Tidal Sanctuary, and deep in the Puchi Dungeon, the most elite guards must be dispatched immediately, adding more and stronger traps!
Next time fighting on home turf, he absolutely wouldn't let that guy put on that arrogant look of ease and mastery as if everything was under control again!
Lin Jun hated people pretending to be experts in front of him the most.
What puzzled Lin Jun more was why the Demon King chose to let the Yellow Codex go.
If it were just a piece of waste paper with only the ability to speak, that would be fine.
But the multiple functions possessed by the Yellow Codex—constructing mental fields, guiding emotions, sensing emotions, storing knowledge, absorbing souls, adding base attributes... even in Lin Jun's view, could be called practical.
If it were Lin Jun himself, facing a tool about to fall into enemy hands and indeed useful, the first choice would inevitably be to destroy it without hesitation, absolutely not aiding the enemy.
It couldn't be that the Demon King was kind, remembering the happy times of one slime and one book three hundred years ago and couldn't bear to do it?
Excluding this conjecture close to fantasy, not many possibilities remained.
The Yellow Codex probably had some irreplaceable use for the Demon King.
Unfortunately, even asking the Yellow Codex itself directly, it could only list a pile of possibilities, unable to give a definite answer.
Lin Jun could only suppress this doubt in the bottom of his heart temporarily, to explore later when there was a chance.
However, no matter which situation, in necessary times, using the Yellow Codex to threaten the Demon King might be a bit useful, right?
Hmm... note it down as one of the backup means.
Also, "Ah Huang" or whatever.
This name sounded simply like a farmer in a border village calling his own watchdog.
That Slime Demon King, clearly draped in a set of deliberately mysterious formal attire, putting on an ancient and mysterious posture, yet the taste inside was so... pathetic.
Truly wasted that imposing aura, and even made him, the Hero destined to defeat it, feel his style was inexplicably lowered a few notches.
...
Putting the Demon King's matter aside for now, the arrangement of the transfer magic array in the Giant Beast Bone Field was still quite smooth.
The black pot of the Empire search squad all dying in the line of duty was firmly placed on the heads of the Hand of Passage remnants.
Although that officer's direct superior, Marquis Ravencrow, seemed to harbor doubts and raised some questions before his injuries healed, under the current situation where pursuing the cult was the primary task, there was obviously no time for him to play detective games.
The Empire immediately pursued the cult remnants.
However, the remnant forces of the Hand of Passage were more cunning and evil than expected.
They decisively sacrificed part of the cultists as bait, ordering them to deliberately leave obvious traces, leading the main force of pursuers to the rugged and difficult southeastern mountainous area.
When the Empire's officers pursued and strangled this batch of cultists, realizing they were misled and hurriedly adjusting deployment, the few most critical high-level priests and core believers had already used this precious gap to escape the encirclement net.
According to sporadic and vague intelligence, they finally disappeared in the west.
After this battle, the Hand of Passage could be said to be greatly injured; resources and lurking personnel accumulated over many years suffered heavy losses.
This wasn't over. The Empire took advantage of the situation to launch a severe internal investigation storm.
Nobles, chambers of commerce, and even gang groups who had ambiguous records with the Hand of Passage in the past all suffered varying degrees of investigation and purging.
Of course, how many of these were truly catching cult collaborators, and how many were the Emperor taking the opportunity to eradicate some thorns in his side and root his power deeper into the Empire, Lin Jun didn't know.
Anyway, the territories of various Dukes were affected to varying degrees. Fatty Xi's side was okay. Relying on raising the grade of tributed delicacies by another level, the Emperor only arrested a few guys with conclusive evidence.
Regardless, the Empire was jittery for a time. Even without conclusive evidence, no one dared to get involved with anything possibly tainted with cult colors at this juncture.
The Hand of Passage perishing here definitely wouldn't happen, but wanting to recover and make a big wave again, unless the Empire had some major chaos again, there wouldn't be any chance.
As for whether they would turn their gaze outside the Empire's borders?
Then Lin Jun wouldn't be polite...
...
As time passed, seeing the transfer ritual about to be completed, an unexpected yet not entirely surprising figure appeared in the Giant Beast Bone Field again.
Marquis Ravencrow.
Obviously, the work of pursuing the cult came to an end, and he wanted to come back to tangle over the matter of the search team being wiped out.
"Lord Holy Codex, trouble!"
"The captain of that search team was Marquis Ravencrow's confidant. The Marquis obviously doesn't intend to let the matter drop."
"The excavation site can't withstand investigation. Even if they don't find evidence of us acting against the search team, there is still..."
Still the transfer ritual.
Just as mentioned before, a mage proficient in magic arrays observing on the spot would very easily discover this ritual was different from what was publicized.
However, the Yellow Codex obviously didn't panic.
[If he came earlier, it would be a bit troublesome] [As for now...] [Bona, stall him for one day. You can still do this little thing, right?]
"Should be no problem, but in case...?"
[By fair means or foul]
"Un... Understood!"
(End of Chapter)
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