The Journey of Immortal Cultivation-Chapter 744 - 414: Reproach_2

Such a loss can no longer be simply accounted for in Spirit Stones. Among the herbs that were burned, over a dozen were more than 6,000 years old—older than most people in the Hidden Stream. Divine Soils like the Breath Soil are exceedingly rare after all, and the herbs in the Immortal Plant Garden were truly grown year by year.

The worst part is that among the highly precious herbs in the six warmhouses, four have already died completely. The Blood Parasol tree is struggling on the brink of life and death, and even with the best Pill Masters tending to it, it remains in critical condition, liable to perish at any moment.

The Pill Masters listened with hearts bleeding, and every high-ranking official of the Hidden Stream bore an expression cold as frost.

Following that, an official from the Thorny Hall, responsible for investigating the scene, stepped forward to report:

"Mr. Chan is adamant that under his watch, no outsiders entered the garden tonight. However, due to the chaos following the explosion and the excessive number of people present, it’s impossible to verify his statement." The "excessive number of people" he mentioned referred to the Pill Masters rushing in to save the herbs. Elder He glared fiercely at him, but he acted as if he was unaware.

"...The locations chosen for the explosions were very strategic, positioned to cause significant damage, showing that the person is thoroughly familiar with the layout of the Immortal Plant Garden. There’s a high probability of a traitor." As soon as these words were spoken, everyone’s gaze began to linger suspiciously over the Pill Masters in the garden.

Jiu Mo frowned and asked, "What exactly triggered the explosion?"

Some evidence was then presented—a tray containing several transparent shards, nearly identical to the objects Ning Xiaoxian had found in the demon child’s flesh. "It should be this kind of object. The most knowledgeable among us don’t recognize it, we can only speculate that before being broken, it contained some kind of fluid, capable of being deliberately triggered to cause an explosion. From these shards, its original size should be about this big." The person gestured with their pinky finger.

Elder He shook his head and said, "Are you suggesting that the spy set off the explosion from within the garden? Impossible, the security of the garden is nearly impenetrable! Mr. Chan also said that no one entered the garden tonight!"

The person responded coldly, "You also said ’nearly’ impenetrable!" He heavily emphasized the word "nearly," giving no face to Elder He.

Elder He naturally felt his dignity being challenged and angrily said, "You...!"

Jiu Mo waved his hand impatiently, "Enough squabbling. Does this device need someone to trigger the explosion? Then we should thoroughly investigate the Pill Masters and demon children who were not in their residences at the time. Normally, only these two groups have the freedom to enter and exit the Immortal Plant Garden at will." Both Pill Masters and demon children needed to be logged when entering or exiting the garden. Originally, the entry system was extremely strict, but after thousands of years of peace, the rules within the garden have gradually relaxed. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Immediately, someone was assigned to verify the activities of the Pill Masters that evening. People like Ning Xiaoxian, who were cautious, were now reaping the rewards of their prudence, as she had stepped out immediately after the explosion occurred and arrived at the Immortal Plant Garden with a few other Pill Masters. Several witnesses were available to confirm that she was at her residence at the time of the incident. However, some unlucky ones who were always acting alone had no one to vouch for them, and after being interrogated, were pulled out of the crowd to be temporarily detained.

Having been with the Hidden Stream for many years, they were well aware of the Sect’s methods for treating suspects, and their faces turned deathly pale. Just then, a clear female voice among the Pill Masters said, "Hold on."

In the oppressive atmosphere of the square room, this sharp call was strikingly abrupt—so much so that even the guards coming to take people away unconsciously stopped in their tracks as the voice continued, "...There is something unusual about the explosives, it is not certain that these few Pill Masters are the suspects." The tone was very calm, indicating she had measured confidence in her claim.

The Pill Masters automatically parted ways, revealing the speaker to everyone’s sight. Naturally, it was Ning Xiaoxian. Jiu Mo’s gaze shifted, staring deeply at her, noting her calm and collected demeanor despite being under scrutiny, stirring curiosity yet also irritation. Already possessing the cultivation of the Transcendance Tribulation Stage, her authority as the Sect Leader had gradually increased, and the group of demons looked at her with an involuntary air of dread. However, the woman before her appeared unfazed, as if she deemed herself equal in stature. What Jiu Mo found more loathsome was that this woman’s gaze reminded her of someone else, someone she deeply detested. "You are...?"

This female sect leader, indeed, was haughty. It was only a few days ago that they met at the award ceremony, and yet she had already forgotten? Changtian had long informed Ning Xiaoxian that Jiu Mo had already reached the Early Stage Tribulation Crossing, merely awaiting the Heavenly Tribulation. Such a great power naturally had an excellent memory, so her blank look at Ning Xiaoxian could only mean she never intended to remember such a little demon under her command.

Ning Xiaoxian scoffed inwardly, about to speak, when Qingluan, standing beside Jiu Mo, stepped forward and whispered something into her ear. Jiu Mo then came to and said, "Ah, the one who cured the plague, that’s you? What do you mean by that? Did Thorny Hall catch the wrong person?" Her voice was languid, with a hint of mockery in its rising inflection.

With one sentence, she positioned Thorny Hall on her opposite side; the reporter’s gaze grew unfriendly toward her. Was it an unintentional act by the Sect Leader? But can someone of high rank really be ignorant of the ways of the world? (To be continued. If you like this work, we welcome you to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com to read.)