The centipede demon beast's poisoning incident was clearly an organized and planned operation.
Whether the planner was the beast leader or someone else, Chen Xiao was not sure.
But no matter what, he had to find the mastermind behind it all.
Chen Xiao's chosen method was simple: follow the trail.
He used the Thunderclap Divine Crown to conceal his body and aura, and then he woke up the giant centipede, which was over two meters long.
After waking up, the giant centipede observed its surroundings for a while, looking left and right as if confirming something.
Chen Xiao was right beside it, but it couldn't sense his presence at all.
After using the Thunderclap Divine Crown for invisibility, even Chen Xiao couldn't feel his own aura, let alone a mere centipede demon beast!
Seemingly confirming that there was no need for it to remain there, the giant centipede left the Blue Star Steel Plant's cafeteria through the ventilation ducts.
Upon reaching the outside, the giant centipede transformed, becoming a tall and lanky middle-aged man with a sharp face and sinister eyes.
This was a demon cultivator, as Chen Xiao had known all along. Furthermore, it was a Golden Core stage demon cultivator, the most powerful demon cultivator Chen Xiao had ever encountered on Earth.
The giant centipede found a set of steel plant worker's uniforms somewhere, put them on, and left the steel plant without any hindrance.
Afterward, it hailed a taxi and arrived at the entrance of a residential complex.
Throughout the journey, its behavior was no different from that of a normal person. No one would have guessed that this middle-aged man was actually a giant centipede in disguise.
Of course, the giant centipede also didn't realize that someone had been following it all along.
Even when it entered a residential building, that person followed.
This giant centipede was indeed not alone. Upon entering the residence, there were three other individuals in the room.
One was an old Taoist priest with his hair tied up in a bun, wearing a Taoist robe. He was covered in dirt and looked unkempt.
His most distinctive feature was his nose, which was like a large hooked beak, and his eyes were sharp.
Ordinary people would likely be afraid to meet his gaze.
There was also a burly middle-aged man, with thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a broad waist. He was covered in bulging muscles.
Yet, this burly man was wearing a stiff suit, and his muscles seemed to be on the verge of bursting out of it.
The last one was a young man, quite handsome, with sharp and well-defined features, but he gave off a gloomy impression.
It made sense, as all three of them were demon cultivators, radiating a powerful demonic aura. It would be strange if they weren't gloomy!
Moreover, the strength of these three individuals was all above that of the giant centipede; they all possessed Nascent Soul stage cultivation.
The Nascent Soul stage of demon cultivators was far more formidable than that of human cultivators.
Also, for some reason, Chen Xiao felt a sense of familiarity from the young man.
However, Chen Xiao was absolutely certain that they were meeting for the first time.
"You're back, Thousand-Legs."
When the giant centipede returned, the old Taoist priest looked up and glanced at it, asking casually, "How did things go?"
Although the old Taoist priest's question was casual, as soon as he finished speaking, the gazes of the other two immediately locked onto the giant centipede.
The giant centipede looked embarrassed, knelt on one knee, and said with its head bowed, "My lords, I messed things up..."
"What? Messed it up?"
The old Taoist priest immediately slammed the table, his sharp gaze piercing the giant centipede. "What happened? Explain yourself!"
"Lord Red-Crest, I... I encountered a master..."
The giant centipede recounted the events that had transpired. The other three all wore grim expressions, their thoughts unknown.
The old Taoist priest stroked his chin. "I didn't expect that the Demon-Slaying Division in Jiang City would hide such a powerful expert."
At this moment, the young man suddenly asked, "Thousand-Legs, were you followed on your way back?"
"Reporting to Lord Black-Skin, I have observed carefully, and no one was following me," the giant centipede replied.
"Are you sure no one followed you?"
The young man frowned and asked again.
"I am sure, Lord Black-Skin..." the giant centipede said cautiously.
The muscular man in the suit slanted his large eyes towards the young man. "What's the matter, Black-Skin? Judging by your words, it seems you were hoping someone was following?"
"Brother Giant-Horn, why would I hope someone was following? I just feel something is not quite right. Thousand-Legs inexplicably fainted, and when he woke up, he wasn't captured by that expert. Don't you find this whole situation rather strange?" the young man said righteously.
From the way the three addressed each other, Chen Xiao had already begun to deduce what they were.
Red-Crest was easy to guess. Combined with his hooked nose, he was likely a large rooster.
Giant-Horn was also not difficult to decipher. His robust physique and developed muscles suggested he might be a water buffalo or something similar.
As for Black-Skin, it was harder to tell, as many animals had black fur or skin.
A black dog? A skunk? Either was possible...
Furthermore, it seemed that the harmony within this group of demon cultivators was not very strong.
"Black-Skin, you insisted on coming to Jiang City, and you were the one who scouted the Blue Star Steel Plant. Now that there's a problem... it's only natural for Giant-Horn to suspect you, so don't blame him," the old Taoist priest, Red-Crest, said as if trying to mediate, but his words carried a distinct sarcastic tone.
"Heh, it's true that I insisted on coming to Jiang City, and I was the one responsible for scouting. What does that prove? Don't forget, we are all in this together now. We rise and fall together. If you suspect me, it means you don't consider me one of your own!" Black-Skin said indignantly, his face filled with righteous anger.
"Hmph!" Giant-Horn snorted coldly.
"Who is in this together with you? Kid, don't forget, you grew up with humans. You're not like us. You want us to consider you one of our own? I'm telling you, you'll never achieve that! If it weren't for the Demon Lord's orders, I wouldn't be out on a mission with a brat like you!"
"Giant-Horn, stop talking!"
Only after Giant-Horn finished speaking did Red-Crest interject with a reprimand. "Show some respect, even if it's just for the sake of the Buddha. I know you have an issue with this kid, but whatever it is, let's deal with it after we complete this mission!"
"The Demon Lord has ordered us to stir up trouble in the inland regions to alleviate the pressure on our brothers in the Northern Territory. For both public and private reasons, now is not the time for infighting!"
Red-Crest's authority was high. After he spoke, Giant-Horn stopped bothering Black-Skin and instead asked, "Old Red, what do you think we should do now? We've had an unfavorable start. Should we report this to the Demon Lord?"
"No!" Red-Crest directly rejected Giant-Horn's suggestion. "The Demon Lord is extremely busy. We cannot trouble him further. In my opinion, since we've encountered an expert here, there's no need to linger any longer."
"There's a human saying: 'strike and change places.' Let's do just that. We'll withdraw from Jiang City today and cause trouble elsewhere!"