The Journey of Immortal Cultivation-Chapter 778 - 431 Flaw_2
The reason behind this was that Langya had obtained the Enchanting Soup from Duanmu Yan.
It was also during her conversation with Elder He that she learned he had a secret technique known as "Jungle Language," implying that he could communicate with trees and acquire the information he wanted. You must know that even Lin Wei could only vaguely sense the emotions of trees, ordering the forest to obey him, but he was not as skilled as Elder He. Here lies the Bashe Forest, composed of endless giant trees reaching the heavens. With this ability, Elder He truly had an unparalleled advantage in spying on military intelligence.
The incident with Duanmu Yan only had Langya, Qingluan, and herself as living witnesses, yet the surroundings were all trees! Afterwards, when Qingluan lured out the Hidden Stream Demons, Elder He naturally knew that something big had happened. He only needed to visit the scene afterwards to learn the actual truth from the trees. However, the last conversation between Ning Xiaoxian and Langya, due to the use of the Sound Transmission Technique, was unknown to the surrounding trees, which is why the complete version known to Elder He was:
Langya Sect Master plans to drink the Enchanting Soup to escape the Ba Snake Mountain Range!
Although Elder He also knew that Langya must have safeguarded himself, the move itself was full of uncertainties. What if Jiu Mo seized power during the time Langya lost his memories? How could Elder He, after hiding his ambitions for so many years, allow Jiu Mo to grow in power? Although he was not fully prepared, it had reached the point where he had to take action! It is often said that asymmetric information is the beginning of tragedy. If he knew about the promise from Ning Xiaoxian to Langya, to wait for some time, he probably would not have been so eager to make a move.
So, just a few days later, there was an explosion in the Immortal Plant Garden, which was followed by a series of events, turning the Hidden Stream, which had been calm for years, upside down. Initially, Langya suspected Qingluan or Ning Xiaoxian had leaked the message about him taking the Enchanting Soup and temporarily leaving the Hidden Stream. In reality, Elder He intentionally leaked the information to Jiu Mo.
Qi Zai, puzzled, asked, "Elder He has turned the Hidden Stream upside down, so why does Lord Changtian still value his use?"
Upon hearing this question, Ning Xiaoxian stroked Qi Zai’s white feathers with a smile and said nothing. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦
"Jiu Mo is stubbornly conceited, and her talents are inadequate for major responsibilities, and this woman is not easy to approach," Changtian, who had been silent all along, interjected, "So it’s better to choose Elder He, who is much more cunning. Just by looking at his strategy and layout, one can tell that he is indeed capable. He also understands that the last test I gave him is to figure out how to pull Jiu Mo down from the position of Sect Leader and take that place himself. This, I cannot help with; it all depends on his own efforts."
"Isn’t Jiu Mo that foolish woman unaware of the principle, ’a snake that’s hit but not killed will bite back’?" Changtian spoke without reservation, though his own form was also that of a Big Snake, "With two to three hours left before dawn, it is a critical moment for their strengths to ebb and flow. If she does not take down Elder He now, she probably won’t get another chance. This is clear to us, and to Elder He as well. So, after we leave, it’s up to him to deal with it." He sneered and added, "However, I am very doubtful that Jiu Mo, with her lack of sharpness in grasping the battle situation and timing, will let such a good opportunity pass by so easily."
Qi Zai let out a sigh of relief and said, "I finally understand... a little bit, and it’s indeed not easy. But how did you and the lady discover that Elder He is the Black Hand behind the scenes?"
"We didn’t discover it, we just suspected," Changtian corrected him, "As Xiao Xian just said, cultivators are not like the constables of government offices, where suspicion alone can justify action without the need for any evidence."
Qi Zai persisted, "There must be some clue though, right? With so many people in the Hidden Stream, why suspect him?"
"It’s simple. The placement of the explosive poisons in the Immortal Plant Garden was highly skilled, with three of them positioned to cause the greatest damage, indicating his intimate knowledge of the Garden’s layout and the distribution of Spirit Grass. However, the placement of the final one deviated from the correct position, preventing maximum damage to the Hidden Stream."
"Are you referring to the one near the warm house of the Blood Parasol tree?" Qi Zai had also heard about this incident that shocked the Hidden Stream.
"Exactly. If he wanted to inflict severe losses on the Hidden Stream, he should have blown up the Blood Parasol tree as well, but the explosive poison was placed far from it. With the first three meticulously placed, it makes no sense to fumble at the doorstep. The only explanation is that it was deliberate. Elder He, who has been Deputy Garden Director of the Immortal Plant Garden for hundreds of years, would not be unaware of the preciousness of the Blood Parasol tree. He tended to this spirit wood personally every day; he must have developed deep feelings for it, and in the end, he couldn’t bear to destroy it by his own hands." Changtian said sternly, "This bit of compassion saved him; had he not spared the Blood Parasol tree, no matter how talented, I would have killed him outright. After all, what I need is a sage, not a cruel and ruthless madman." Compassion is indeed one of the most effective moves that a superior can use to restrain their subordinates.
"But the explosive poison still nearly killed the Blood Parasol tree."
"The explosive poison, after all, has only recently been introduced, how could Elder He have known its power would be so great? The Blood Parasol tree was indeed affected. Any plan can have oversights; this isn’t entirely his fault." Ning Xiaoxian took over the conversation, "If Elder He had intended for the Blood Parasol tree to die, he wouldn’t have taken such great care of it afterwards. His feelings for this Divine Wood are also very complex—in one aspect, he didn’t want me to heal it, messing with his plans, yet on the other hand, he worried about it dying."
(To be continued. If you like this work, we invite you to vote for recommendation tickets and Monthly Tickets on qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
