198 The Truth Behind the Situation
Old Gu Zi squatted by the field, staring blankly at it. He slowly raised his head and looked at the figure in front of him.
“Ming… You’re back?”
Jiang Ming looked at the dejected old man and had already guessed what had happened. He sighed and did not say much. Sitting side by side with Old Gu Zi on the ridge of the field, he took out two wine gourds and handed one to Old Gu Zi.
The two of them drank until the sun was setting. Old Gu Zi also told him what had happened during this period of time, and it was almost the same as what Jiang Ming had guessed.
Before the chaos, many spirit farmers had fled with their valuables. Old Gu Zi also wanted to leave and escape to a mortal city. However, his son was unwilling to leave. He wanted to take this opportunity to take a gamble. Even after he died a tragic death, Old Gu Zi bought a courtyard in his memory.
“He said that this might be the only chance in his life. If he missed it, he was afraid he would never succeed. It’s my fault too. I was also tempted by the chance.” Tears and snot flowed down Old Gu Zi’s face. He coughed and said, “Ming, do you blame me for killing him? If I had dragged him out of this place like you, would all of this have been avoided?”
Jiang Ming shook his head and said slowly, “This is the way of immortal cultivation. Opportunities come from danger. If he didn’t fight this battle, he would have regretted it for the rest of his life. He would have expected the current outcome. Thus, how could it be your responsibility?”
Although Jiang Ming went down the mountain and did not participate in this storm, he never looked down on these people who wanted to use it as a shot at a better life. If he was not immortal, he might have been the same.
This was the path of immortal cultivation. How many people could die of old age on this path?
* * *
At night, Jiang Ming returned to his courtyard.
Everything was the same as before, the formation was as good as new, no one had come in, and the spirit herbs in the corner were thriving and growing well.
“It seems that the battle didn’t affect this place,” Jiang Ming muttered to himself. However, he also knew that he was just lucky this time. Along the way back, he saw with his own eyes that many cave abodes had been destroyed and had not been repaired yet.
The next morning, Jiang Ming got up early. He was practicing the incomplete breathing technique in the courtyard when someone suddenly knocked on the door.
Jiang Ming raised his eyebrows and went to open the door.
“Ah? Miss He.” Jiang Ming looked at the person in front of him and was a little surprised.
Outside the courtyard was He Xiaowan, the female cultivator who had just joined the Plant Hall before the chaos began.
However, He Xiaowan’s clothes no longer had the symbol of the Plant Hall on them. Instead, a long sword was embroidered on her sleeve.
That was the symbol of the law enforcement team!
The law enforcement team’s uniform was convenient for combat. Coupled with He Xiaowan’s tall figure and temperament, it highlighted her valiant demeanor.
“He Xiaowan suddenly appeared at Xiaoqian Mountain before the chaos. Her origins were also mysterious. Hall Master Huang seemed to know about her but avoided saying anything. And after the chaos, he immediately became a member of the law enforcement team.”
Several thoughts flashed through Jiang Ming’s mind. He suddenly felt that the chaos of Xiaoqian Mountain this time might not be as simple as it seemed.
However, his face did not reveal anything. He cupped his hands respectfully and said, “Congratulations on being promoted to the law enforcement team!”
He Xiaowan smiled and sized up Jiang Ming’s body without hiding it. She smiled and said, “I didn’t expect that you would also have done some research on body refinement in addition to alchemy. Your body must be quite strong. Aren’t you going to invite me in?”
“There’s no hope in cultivation for me. Thus, if I want to live a few more years, I naturally have to take good care of my body.” Jiang Ming did not panic. He gave her a casual explanation and welcomed her into the courtyard with a smile.
“The life of an alchemist is still the most comfortable.” He Xiaowan looked at the spirit herbs planted in his courtyard, as well as the comfortable furniture. She also clicked her tongue in admiration and revealed an envious look.
Jiang Ming casually put on his jacket and smiled, “With your current status, you can buy these things anytime!”
He Xiaowan shook her head and laughed. She then got down to business. “From now on, I’ll be in charge of the daily patrol of the small green peak. No matter what, you can contact me through the communication talisman. If there are any strangers here, you can also contact me in time.”
As she spoke, He Xiaowan handed over a Jade Slip with her spiritual energy imprint. With this item, Jiang Ming could use the communication talisman to find her.
“Is Xiaoqian Mountain stricter now?” Jiang Ming raised his eyebrows. The law enforcement team did not care so much in the past.
“It’s just a formality. It’s also for the safety of all the individual cultivators. If you find it troublesome, you don’t have to bother,” He Xiaowan explained with a smile. After a short chat, she left.
“It seems that the chaos this time has also made the higher-ups of Xiaoqian Mountain wary.” Jiang Ming closed the door and shook his head. Unless there were structural changes, the problem would not be completely solved.
Moreover, if they were to force many rules, most of the individual cultivators here would have to leave.
“If anything happens again, I’ll just run away,” Jiang Ming muttered internally.
* * *
“The Plant Hall’s casualties are the least among all the halls. It seems that everyone has learned the true teachings of the Plant Hall!” The head of the Plant Hall, Huang Chu, was full of vigor as he raised his cup. They had all gathered in the Jade Pavilion.
“It seems like we’re still missing a few people!” Jiang Ming glanced around and whispered to Duan Ping beside him.
Duan Ping smiled with a calm gaze. “Everyone says that we should be peaceful. However, when the opportunity comes, not many people can resist temptation.”
Zhong Gui came over from the other side. He said in a low voice, “Is there any inside information about the situation? Is it true that the Golden Core Realm elder of Xiaoqian Mountain is seriously injured?”
Jiang Ming also looked at Duan Ping. This was also a question he was curious about. How could their heavily injured Golden Core Realm elder and the Li Sword Sect’s elder kill two cultivators of the same level with heavy injuries and escape?
The two Golden Core Realm cultivators of the Fire lotus Valley and the Qingyin Pavillion had carefully tested the waters for a long time before they started to attack Xiaoqian Mountain. How could they have fallen for this trap so easily?
Duan Ping chuckled and said, “I couldn’t say these things earlier. However, this is no longer a secret. Xiaoqian Mountain was a gathering place for individual cultivators, but the elder of Xiaoqian Mountain is not an individual cultivator!”
“Eh?”
“What?”
At the table, several people were stunned. They had never heard of this kind of news.
Huang Chu, Feng He, and a few others were calm. It was obvious that they had already known about this.
Duan Ping did not keep them in suspense and said directly, “The elder on the main peak is a guest elder of the Cloud Dream Sect, one of the six blessed lands of the Feather Kingdom. Xiaoqian Mountain has been under them for hundreds of years. Did you really think that any random individual cultivator could control it? As long as the Cloud Dream Sect doesn’t fall, there won’t be any real chaos in Xiaoqian Mountain.”
“The Cloud Dream Sect?”
Hearing this, everyone gasped in shock.
Although the Litfire Region was only a small area of the Feather Kingdom, not many people had not heard of the three grotto-heavens and six blessed lands of the Feather Kingdom!
Any one of them was a terrifying force who could flatten Litfire Region with a snap of their fingers.
No one would have thought that the Cloud Dream Sect was behind Xiaoqian Mountain. They were one of the major cultivation forces of the Feather Kingdom.
While Jiang Ming was shocked, he suddenly remembered that the sect that Wu Hen joined was the Cloud Dream Sect. He wondered how he was doing now.
“It’s been a few decades. Maybe he’s already in the Foundation Establishment Realm,” Jiang Ming muttered to himself. Wu Hen was very talented.
“So, the Cloud Dream Sect has come to take action?” At the table, Zhong Gui regained his senses and quickly asked.
Duan Ping laughed. “Yes, and no.”
“Give us a straight answer!” Feng He slapped him on the back of his head.
Duan Ping immediately said, “Actually, the Cloud Dream Sect has already sent people to the Litfire Region. Ever since the Black Rock Ruins opened, the three grotto-heavens and the six blessed lands have been on the move. It’s true that our elder was injured, but I heard that he received a medicinal pill from the sect to recover. The Li Sword Sect also wanted to get on the Cloud Dream Sect’s good side. Therefore, they cooperated with our elder and set up this trap. They ruthlessly set up the Fire lotus Valley and the Qingyin Pavillion.”
Everyone looked at each other. They did not expect the situation to be so dire that even a force like the Cloud Dream Sect would take action.
“As the next opening of the Black Rock Ruins gets closer and closer, the Cloud Dream Sect has taken advantage of the commotion and sent many of their disciples to the Litfire Region,” Feng He suddenly said as he chewed on his stewed beef.
“Then it’s going to be very lively!” Zhong Gui did not understand what he meant. Thus, he could only make a vague statement to avoid the awkward silence.
Jiang Ming suddenly thought of He Xiaowan, who had joined the law enforcement team.
“Don’t tell me she’s from the Cloud Dream Sect?”
He Xiaowan did not look very old. However, she was already at the late stage of the Qi Refinement Realm and had easily mastered the Misty Rain Technique. This was not something that an individual cultivator could achieve easily.
“Looks like I’ll have to be more low-key in the future! The next time the ruins open, I’m afraid it won’t just be lively. There will be another wave of chaos,” Jiang Ming thought to himself.
* * *
In the round valley market, Jiang Ming resumed his daily life and set up a stall to sell his own medicinal pills.
However, he had not seen many of the familiar faces that he had seen in the past.
Thousands of cultivators were killed or injured during the chaos. The battle between a few Golden Core Realm cultivators was so great that several mountain peaks were reduced into dust.
Many innocent individual cultivators had died in their sleep. Many were killed by other individual cultivators who took advantage of the situation.
“Being weak is a sin!”
After Jiang Ming had sold his stock for the day, he bid farewell to several new customers and left on his flying sword.
“I’ll go to the black market again. I should be able to see some good things!”
Jiang Ming found a place with no one around, changed his aura and appearance, and stepped into the black market.
After the chaos, those people naturally had to sell the things they had snatched. Although it had been about a year since the situation, it did not matter. Now was the time when the rules were strict, and things were back on track. The black market was probably thriving.