The passageway was filled with a stench, like a sewer blocked for three years, sickeningly foul.
Ning Beichen held his breath and stepped inside, discovering the passage led to an independent basement.
The basement door was shut. Ning Beichen pushed with all his might, and with a bang, the closed door was forced open.
Ning Beichen walked in to find the basement floor entirely covered in blood, leaving footprints with every step.
Strange totems were etched all around, along with various magical artifacts.
At the front, there was a red clay statue. Beneath the statue, he saw over a dozen young men and women kneeling, like puppets, before it.
As Ning Beichen approached them, these young people showed no reaction, as if they couldn't hear his footsteps at all.
Ning Beichen frowned and examined their bodies, finding they had no souls, only empty shells, much like Old Niu and the others. It seemed this was the source of the trouble.
Looking at the young men and women kneeling on the ground, Ning Beichen felt immense anger, but anger was useless; it wouldn't solve anything.
So far, he hadn't found the culprit.
Ning Beichen glanced at the red clay statue but ultimately did nothing, then retreated.
Back outside the bar, Ning Beichen deliberately played with the badge in his hand, sitting alone in a corner, waiting patiently, or rather, fishing.
He waited until three in the morning.
He saw a young woman in casual attire walk over and sit opposite Ning Beichen, her gaze falling on the badge in his hand.
"Sir, are you also here to see the Sun Goddess?"
Ning Beichen looked up at her and replied.
"Yes, do you know how to meet the Sun Goddess?"
The woman nodded slightly and whispered to Ning Beichen.
"Follow me."
"Okay."
Ning Beichen stood up and followed the woman, but strangely, she didn't lead him to the basement passage. Instead, she led him away from the bar.
As Ning Beichen felt puzzled, he saw the woman glance around nervously and then whisper to him.
"Sir, don't believe in the Sun Goddess."
Ning Beichen had initially thought this woman was connected to the Sun Goddess, perhaps a guide, but instead, she was trying to dissuade him.
"What nonsense are you talking? I'm here to see the Sun Goddess. I am a follower of the Sun Goddess. Don't test me anymore, quickly take me to see her."
Ning Beichen took out the sun badge and spoke nonsense.
"Sir, I'm not lying to you. When you meet the Sun Goddess, you will lose your life."
The woman said to Ning Beichen, her voice laced with anxiety.
"No, I don't believe you. Unless you take me to see the Sun Goddess."
Ning Beichen put on the demeanor of a fervent follower, as if he had been brainwashed.
"If you don't believe me, so be it. I don't know where the Sun Goddess is."
Seeing she couldn't convince Ning Beichen, the woman said with a disheartened tone.
"No, you said you would take me to find the Sun Goddess, you can't leave."
Ning Beichen grabbed her arm, and simultaneously, he probed her body with his senses.
The woman, startled by Ning Beichen grabbing her arm, suddenly felt dizzy, as if something was moving within her.
However, the sensation was fleeting, lasting less than a second, making her think it was just her imagination.
"This woman is fine."
Ning Beichen withdrew his mental probe from her body. The woman's soul was normal; she wasn't being controlled.
This made Ning Beichen quite interested in her.
"Let go of me, quickly."
The woman hastily shook off Ning Beichen's hand and tried to leave in a hurry.
Ning Beichen followed her, saying.
"No, you can't leave. You said you would take me to find the Sun Goddess."
"I truly don't know where the Sun Goddess is. I only came to persuade you not to believe in her."
The woman, unable to escape Ning Beichen's persistence, explained with helplessness.
"Then how do you know the Sun Goddess is problematic?"
Ning Beichen asked her.
"Because I have a friend who believed in the Sun Goddess, and she ended up losing her life. Now her family cries every day. As far as I know, she's not the only victim."
"To be honest, I didn't come to the bar to take you to the Sun Goddess. I came to investigate. I'm a journalist."
The woman told Ning Beichen.
"Are you telling the truth?"
Ning Beichen feigned nervousness.
"Of course, I am. Otherwise, why would I try to warn you?"
The woman replied.
"Then... then have you found out where the Sun Goddess is?"
Ning Beichen asked her in a low voice.
"That's none of your business. You should just go home. If you want to live, throw away this badge quickly and never come to that bar again."
The woman naturally wouldn't say too much to a stranger.
However, after Ning Beichen used a bit of his mental power on her, she obediently answered his questions.
"There's a secret room in the bar, but it's guarded, and I couldn't get in. But rumor has it, it opens on weekends, and an envoy of the Sun Goddess will lead believers inside to meet her."
The woman said to Ning Beichen with a somewhat dazed expression.
"Weekends? Thank you."
Ning Beichen released his mental control over her before leaving.
The woman shook her head, feeling as if she had said something, but she couldn't recall anything.
Although Ning Beichen possessed immense power, like a deity in this world, he was not omnipotent.
He had already sensed the basement of the bar but couldn't find anything, only a sense of malevolent energy.
Therefore, Ning Beichen could only wait until the weekend to investigate the bar's secret room.
Fortunately, tomorrow was the weekend, so Ning Beichen wouldn't have to wait long.
Soon, it was Saturday evening, the weekend. Ning Beichen returned to the bar, and to his surprise, the woman from last night was also there.
They both saw each other.
The woman, pretending to pass by, walked up to Ning Beichen and said anxiously.
"Didn't I tell you not to come last night? Why are you here?"
"Shh, don't speak. My goal is the same as yours. I'm here to investigate the Sun Goddess."
Ning Beichen told her.
The woman looked at Ning Beichen with a hint of disbelief. Just as she was about to speak, a woman wearing a black robe and a veiled face appeared inside the bar and began addressing the crowd.