yòng huàn shù chéng gōng xī yǐn le lín xuān de zhù yì 。⊙ suí mèng xiǎo shuō ，.com mó shī xīn zhōng yě ròu téng bù yǐ ， jǐn guǎn tā běn zūn shì yī wèi bù dé le de dà rén wù ， kě zhè zhǒng děng jiē de fú lù yě shì kě yù ér bù kě qiú de 。
用幻术成功吸引了林轩的注意。⊙随夢小說，.com魔尸心中也肉疼不已，尽管他本尊是一位不得了的大人物，可这种等阶的符箓也是可遇而不可求的。
Using an illusion, the demon corpse successfully caught Lin Xuan's attention.
yǎn zhōng shǎn guò yī mǒ yuàn dú ， mó shī shuāng shǒu huàng dòng bù zhǐ ， dài qǐ yī lián chuàn huàn yǐng ， jié le jǐ gè gǔ guài fǎ yìn ， suí hòu yī zhāng kǒu ， yī quán tou dà xiǎo de hēi xuè pēn chū tǐ wài ， xùn sù yǔ shī qì róng hé ， xíng chéng le yī gǔ guài de tài jí tú 。
眼中闪过一抹怨毒，魔尸双手晃动不止，带起一连串幻影，结了几个古怪法印，随后一张口，一拳头大小的黑血喷出体外，迅速与尸气融合，形成了一古怪的太极图。
The demon corpse was also feeling a sharp pain in his heart, despite being a significant figure, such low-grade talismans were still hard to come by.
yī shǎn ， mò rù le tā de é tóu lǐ miàn 。
一闪，没入了他的额头里面。
A trace of resentment flashed across his eyes as he rapidly conjured several strange hand seals with his hands. Then, he spat out a fist-sized black blood that quickly fused with the corpse qi and formed an odd Taiji symbol before vanishing into his forehead.
zhè jiā huo de qì shì suí zhī bào zhǎng qǐ lái 。
这家伙的气势随之暴涨起来。
His aura instantly surged.
dàn tā bìng méi yǒu liàn zhàn ， ér shì qīng piāo piāo de xiàng zuǒ kuà chū yī bù ， jiù cóng yuán dì xiāo shī dé wú yǐng wú zōng 。
但他并没有恋战，而是轻飘飘的向左跨出一步，就从原地消失得无影无踪。
But instead of lingering to fight, he lightly moved one step to the left and vanished without a trace.
lín xuān tóng kǒng wēi suō ， zhè shì …… suō dì shù ？
林轩瞳孔微缩，这是……缩地术？
Lin Xuan's pupils constricted. Was this... Shrink Earth Technique?
bù kě néng ！
不可能！
Impossible!
suī rán zhè jǐn suàn kōng jiān de rù mén zhī shù ， dàn yě yào dà xiū shì cái néng shī zhǎn de 。
虽然这仅算空间的入门之术，但也要大修士才能施展的。
While it was only a basic spatial technique, even an Immortal Foundation cultivator could not perform such a feat.
lín xuān mī le mī yǎn ， yuè fā de jué chá chū yǎn qián guài wù de bù píng fán 。
林轩眯了眯眼，越发的觉察出眼前怪物的不平凡。
Lin Xuan narrowed his eyes, realizing just how extraordinary this creature was.
jiǎ ruò zhēn shì yī míng pǔ tōng de zhōng qī xiū shì ， kǒng pà hái zhēn zhǐ yǒu yǎn zhēng zhēng kàn zhe tā liū zhī dà jí ， bù guò zì jǐ ……
假若真是一名普通的中期修士，恐怕还真只有眼睁睁看着他溜之大吉，不过自己……
If it were merely a mid-stage cultivator, he would indeed have no choice but to watch him escape. But for himself...
lín xuān zuǐ jiǎo biān liú lù chū yī sī xiào yì ， duì fāng zhè yàng zuò bù guò shì bān mén nòng fǔ ér yǐ 。
林轩嘴角边流露出一丝笑意，对方这样做不过是班门弄斧而已。
A smile played on Lin Xuan's lips; the other party was simply showing off in front of an expert.
xiù páo yī fú ， yī shì yàng gǔ piáo de zhǎng gē fēi lüè ér chū ， lín xuān shēn shǒu wò zhù 。 háo bù chí yí de jiāng fǎ lì zhù rù ， suí hòu hěn hěn de jiāng cǐ bǎo cháo zhe qián fāng huī xià le 。
袖袍一拂，一式样古朴的长戈飞掠而出，林轩伸手握住。毫不迟疑的将法力注入，随后狠狠的将此宝朝着前方挥下了。
With a wave of his sleeves, an ancient-looking spear shot out as Lin Xuan grasped it with one hand and injected mana without hesitation before swinging it fiercely forward.
qīng guāng shǎn guò ， zhè jiàn bǎo wù kě yǒu zhe bù kě sī yì de kōng jiān shén tōng ， suī bù zú yǐ pò suì xū kōng ， dàn gān rǎo suō dì zhī shù què méi yǒu shén me nán dù 。
青光闪过，这件宝物可有着不可思议的空间神通，虽不足以破碎虚空，但干扰缩地之术却没有什么难度。
A green light flashed. This treasure had incredible spatial abilities that could not shatter the void but made it difficult to use Shrink Earth Technique.
kōng qì rú bō wén bān ， yī zhèn mó hú ， suí hòu nà mó shī biàn diē diē zhuàng zhuàng de chū xiàn le 。
空气如波纹般，一阵模糊，随后那魔尸便跌跌撞撞的出现了。
The air rippled, and the demon corpse stumbled into view.
jiē zhe lín xuān shēn xíng yī shǎn ， jiāng jiǔ tiān wēi bù shī zhǎn kāi ， jǐ gè nuó yí ， yǐ lái dào le duì fāng de miàn qián 。
接着林轩身形一闪，将九天微步施展开，几个挪移，已来到了对方的面前。
Lin Xuan's figure flickered as he deployed Nine Heavens Microsteps, moving several steps before reaching his opponent.
mó shī dà wèi jīng hài 。
魔尸大为惊骇。
The demon corpse was greatly alarmed.
kàn xiàng lín xuān de mù guāng ， yě biàn dé yǒu xiē gǔ guài ， dǎ sǐ tā yě bù xiāng xìn ， yī míng zhōng qī de xiū shì néng yǒu zhè bān shén tōng ， zhè bān bǎo wù 。
看向林轩的目光，也变得有些古怪，打死他也不相信，一名中期的修士能有这般神通，这般宝物。
His gaze at Lin Xuan became somewhat uncertain. Although there were many cultivators of various ages present, all had reached the Immortal Core stage.
mò fēi yǎn qián zhè jiā huo ， yě shì mǒu gè lǎo bù sǐ xīn jìn liàn chéng de dì èr yuán yīng huà shēn me ？
莫非眼前这家伙，也是某个老不死新近练成的第二元婴化身么？
"Companions, have you not yet come to a conclusion? If this matter drags on, it will be very detrimental to our city," an old man with white hair and rosy cheeks spoke slowly in a white robe.
niàn jí zhì cǐ ， tā dà wèi jiè jù ， mò fēi zì jǐ suǒ shè jì de yīn móu ， yǐ zài bù zhī bù jué zhōng qiǎo rán xiè lòu ？
念及至此，他大为戒惧，莫非自己所设计的阴谋，已在不知不觉中悄然泄露？
His cultivation was also formidable; he was an advanced-stage Immortal Core cultivator. His eyes emitted divine light as his mana was exceptionally pure, though still short of breaking through, one could say that he had already taken the first step into the late stage.
rú cǐ yī lái ， duì yú běn zōng ， bù jǐn fēi fú ， fǎn ér huì yǐn lái dà huò ……
如此一来，对于本宗，不仅非福，反而会引来大祸……
"Senior Elder, this matter is clear-cut. The Spirit Medicine Mountain and Liuyao Palace have never gotten along well. True Feathers Immortal attacked their shops, so what does our city have to do with it? We only need to inform both parties," a lazy voice said. The speaker was a lecherous-looking cultivator in his fifties.
lín xuān kě bù zhī dào yǎn qián de guài wù xīn zhōng zài xiǎng shén me ， tái qǐ yòu shǒu ， qīng qīng xiàng qián diǎn chū ， bì huàn yōu huǒ yǔ qīng huǒ jiàn kāi shǐ róng hé ， hán guāng shǎn shǎn de jiàn rèn shàng ， dài qǐ le yī céng guǐ yì de lǜ sè ， xiōng shà zhī qì pèi rán ér chū 。
林轩可不知道眼前的怪物心中在想什么，抬起右手，轻轻向前点出，碧幻幽火与青火剑开始融合，寒光闪闪的剑刃上，带起了一层诡异的绿色，凶煞之气沛然而出。
The old man frowned but did not speak.
“ hǎo 。 hǎo ， jū rán jiāng lǎo fū bī dào rú cǐ dì bù ， dà bù liǎo zhè jù huà shēn lǎo fū bú yào le ， wǒ dào yào kàn kàn nǐ xiǎo zi jiū jìng hái yǒu shén me nì tiān bǎo wù 。” shī mó de liǎn shàng lù chū le zhēng níng de xiào róng 。
“好。好，居然将老夫逼到如此地步，大不了这具化身老夫不要了，我倒要看看你小子究竟还有什么逆天宝物。”尸魔的脸上露出了狰狞的笑容。
"Brother Huang, you speak lightly. True Feathers Immortal attacked shops; he is the head of a sect. Unless he's out of his mind, and despite their discord, Spirit Medicine Mountain has much weaker power and always tolerates them. How could they possibly do such a thing?" A red-robed beauty shook her head.
“ shén me ， huà shēn ？”
“什么，化身？”
"Then what? Even if Spirit Medicine Mountain was wrongfully accused, it is still their matter, not ours," the lecherous cultivator sneered.
lín xuān biǎo qíng yī dāi ， ér shī mó yǐ yǎng tiān dà hǒu le qǐ lái ， cǎn bái de shī wù cóng shēn shàng yuán yuán mào chū ， pī lǐ pā lā de gǔ gé bào xiǎng zhī shēng chuán rù ěr duǒ ， rán ér yǔ gāng gāng xiāng bǐ ， nà shēng yīn míng xiǎn yào dà shàng shù bèi yǒu yú ……
林轩表情一呆，而尸魔已仰天大吼了起来，惨白的尸雾从身上源源冒出，噼里啪啦的骨骼爆响之声传入耳朵，然而与刚刚相比，那声音明显要大上数倍有余……
"Namaste, Brother Huang says this has nothing to do with our city. I disagree," a monk in a large red robe spoke kindly. Cloud Province was a place of cultivation, where Taoists, demons, and even mages thrived, and there were significant potential for monsters as well.
lín xuān yǎn jīng yī mī ， duì fāng yào shǐ yòng shén me mì shù suī bù qīng chǔ ， dàn míng xiǎn shì kě yǐ zàn shí tí shēng xiū wèi de 。
林轩眼睛一眯，对方要使用什么秘术虽不清楚，但明显是可以暂时提升修为的。
"Oh, Master, what is your insight?" Although his words had been refuted, the Huang cultivator showed great respect; this monk's cultivation must be formidable.
tā yōu yōu de tàn le kǒu qì ， méi yǒu xìng qù jì xù yǔ duì fāng jiū chán xià qù ， shuāng shǒu yī wò ， jiǔ tiān míng yuè huán fēi lüè ér chū ， líng guāng sì shè ， yǐ jīng dī liū liū pán xuán zài tóu dǐng le 。
他幽幽的叹了口气，没有兴趣继续与对方纠缠下去，双手一握，九天明月环飞掠而出，灵光四射，已经滴溜溜盘旋在头顶了。
"The old monk also believes that the one who attacked the shops was not the head of Spirit Medicine Mountain but a fake. However, they acted swiftly and cleanly, even with an inside man who killed the law enforcers responsible for patrolling the market without warning, allowing them to escape safely," the monk said.
bù zài dān gē ， sù zhàn sù jué ， xiān jiāng zhè guài wù ná xià zài shuō ……
不再耽搁，速战速决，先将这怪物拿下再说……
"Master's words are correct. But if we can see through their ruse, the old monster of Liuyao Palace is not stupid. This matter should be resolved easily," the Huang cultivator stroked his beard and looked surprised.
yǔ cǐ tóng shí ， hào shí chéng lǐ 。
与此同时，晧石城里。
"How could it be so easy? What is Liuyao Palace? One of the seven major forces in the Twelve States since ancient times, a powerful sect that has dominated for millennia. How can such a huge entity suffer such a loss? Even if they know it's fake, they would have to explain to their disciples and cannot let Spirit Medicine Mountain off easily. This is unrelated to us, but we must not forget: whoever the culprit is, Bai Feng Tang was robbed in our city, losing many goods and even killing the shopkeeper. They also pay us enough crystals each year..."
tiān kōng zhī shàng ， fēi zhe yī duì duì shēn chuān tǒng yī fù shì de xiū shì 。
天空之上，飞着一队队身穿统一服饰的修士。
"Master's meaning is that Liuyao Palace will use this incident as leverage against our city?" The senior elder was visibly moved. His eyes shone as he turned his head to the left.
chú le zhù jī qī de xún luó zhě 。 hái yǒu dà pī gāo jiē de zhí fǎ shǐ chū dòng ， wèi yú gāi chéng nán bù de jīng yuán fāng shì ， gèng yǐ bèi fēng suǒ ， xǔ jìn bù xǔ chū 。
除了筑基期的巡逻者。还有大批高阶的执法使出动，位于该城南部的晶元坊市，更已被封锁，许进不许出。
"Correct. Otherwise, a single law enforcer killed would be nothing. What does Spirit Medicine Mountain and Liuyao Palace have to do with us?" The monk's face was grave: "Do not forget that although our city is strong, it can only exist due to the balance between three major sects. If we were not in such a delicate equilibrium, we would already be absorbed."
suī rán xiāo xī yǐ zǎo zǎo fēng suǒ ， dàn hái shì yǒu gè zhǒng liú yán chuán chū ， zhěng gè hào shí chéng ， yǐ rén xīn fú dòng ， zhè yě shì nán miǎn de 。
虽然消息已早早封锁，但还是有各种流言传出，整个晧石城，已人心浮动，这也是难免的。
All the elders fell silent; his words made sense.
cǐ dì suī shì yún zhōu sān dà xiū shì zhī chéng zhī yī ， dàn yě shì lóng shé hùn zá zhī dì ， gè dà zōng mén shì lì ， zài chéng zhōng dū yǒu qián fú ， míng de àn de ， bù yī ér zú 。
此地虽是云州三大修士之城之一，但也是龙蛇混杂之地，各大宗门势力，在城中都有潜伏，明的暗的，不一而足。
"Then, according to Master, who did this?" The senior elder spoke slowly and clearly.
fā shēng diǎn xiǎo shì huò xǔ hái néng fēng suǒ ， dàn yǒu rén gōng rán zài fāng shì zhōng qiǎng jié diàn pù ， rú cǐ hài rén tīng wén de xíng jìng ， rú hé yǐn mán dé zhù 。
发生点小事或许还能封锁，但有人公然在坊市中抢劫店铺，如此骇人听闻的行径，如何隐瞒得住。
"I am unsure." The monk shook his head: "The Spirit Cultivation Sect, Linghun Valley, or Liuyao Palace—any of them could be responsible..."
hào yān gé ！
浩烟阁！
"Master, I heard you correctly. This shop was owned by Liuyao Palace; would they rob themselves?" The Huang cultivator's face showed surprise.
qī bā míng xiū shì jù zài yì qǐ ， zhèng shén sè nán kàn de jiāo tóu jiē ěr zhe 。
七八名修士聚在一起，正神色难看的交头接耳着。
"Humph! What is impossible? A feigned defeat has not been unheard of among us. Perhaps Liuyao Palace merely needs an excuse and might do so. Of course, the other two major forces might also try to take advantage of the situation, as the Gate of Devils will open in fifty years..."
zhè xiē rén zhōng ， yǒu nán yǒu nǚ ， nián jì yě cēn cī bù qí ， dàn xiū wèi jū rán quán dōu dào le yuán yīng qī 。
这些人中，有男有女，年纪也参差不齐，但修为居然全都到了元婴期。
At these words, everyone's faces changed—excitement mingled with fear—but no one dared to speak further. The monk continued speaking, shifting from the topic of the Gate of Devils: "Besides the three major forces, there might be other sects trying to take advantage as well. Even within our city, there are enemies, some old monsters among solitary cultivators who cannot handle us and thus devised this wicked plan."
“ zhū wèi dào yǒu hái méi yǒu tǎo lùn chū jié guǒ ma ， zhè jiàn shì qíng ruò shì tuō xià qù ， yú běn chéng kě shì fēi cháng bù lì 。” yī wèi tóng yán hè fà ， shēn chuān bái páo de lǎo zhě huǎn huǎn de kāi kǒu le 。
“诸位道友还没有讨论出结果吗，这件事情若是拖下去，于本城可是非常不利。”一位童颜鹤发，身穿白袍的老者缓缓的开口了。
The monk's cold laughter echoed.
qí xiū wèi gèng shì bù ruò ， jū rán yǐ shì yī wèi yuán yīng zhōng qī dǐng fēng de xiū xiān zhě ， ér qiě shuāng mù kāi hé zhī jiān ， yǐn yǐn yǒu shén guāng fàng chū ， hún shēn de líng lì jīng chún dào le jí chù ， suī rán jìng jiè shàng wèi tū pò ， dàn shuō yī zhī jiǎo yǐ mài rù le hòu qī yě bù wèi guò 。
其修为更是不弱，居然已是一位元婴中期顶峰的修仙者，而且双目开阖之间，隐隐有神光放出，浑身的灵力精纯到了极处，虽然境界尚未突破，但说一只脚已迈入了后期也不为过。
"Master's analysis is very reasonable. If so, this matter not only endangers Spirit Medicine Mountain but also our city. What should we do?" The senior elder spoke humbly, seeking advice.
“ dà zhǎng lǎo 。 zhè jiàn shì qíng shì míng bǎi zhe ， líng yào shān yǔ lí yào gōng yí xiàng bù hé ， tōng yǔ zhēn rén dòng shǒu qiǎng jié le tā men de diàn pù ， yǔ běn chéng yǒu shén me guān xì ， wǒ men zhǐ xū yào tōng zhī tā men shuāng fāng jiù kě yǐ 。” yī lǎn yáng yáng de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， shuō huà de shì yī róng mào wěi suǒ de xiū xiān zhě ， nián jì yě bú shì hěn qīng le ， yuē yǒu wǔ shí chū tóu 。
“大长老。这件事情是明摆着，灵药山与离药宫一向不和，通羽真人动手抢劫了他们的店铺，与本城有什么关系，我们只需要通知他们双方就可以。”一懒洋洋的声音传入耳朵，说话的是一容貌猥琐的修仙者，年纪也不是很轻了，约有五十出头。
"This... " The monk frowned: "To resolve the crisis, finding the true culprit would be best. However, since they escaped and are old monsters of Immortal Core stage, capturing them is almost impossible. We can only inform Spirit Medicine Mountain and Liuyao Palace and wait for their demands. As long as they are not unreasonable, we should comply temporarily."
bái páo lǎo zhě tīng liǎo què méi tou yí zhòu ， méi yǒu kāi kǒu 。
白袍老者听了却眉头一皱，没有开口。
"But what if they demand more?" This time, the red-robed female cultivator spoke.
“ huáng dà gē zhè huà shuō dé qīng sōng ， tōng yǔ zhēn rén qiǎng jié diàn pù ， hǎo dǎi tā yě shì yī mén zhī zhǔ ， chú fēi chī bǎo le chēng de ， hé kuàng liǎng pài suī yǒu bù hé ， dàn líng yào shān de shí lì yào xiǎo dé duō ， yí xiàng shì róng rěn wéi zhǔ ， zěn me kě néng bù dǒng nǎo zi ， zuò chū zhè yàng de shì ？” yī hóng yī měi fù yáo le yáo tóu ， bù yǐ wéi rán de kāi kǒu 。
“黄大哥这话说得轻松，通羽真人抢劫店铺，好歹他也是一门之主，除非吃饱了撑的，何况两派虽有不和，但灵药山的实力要小得多，一向是容忍为主，怎么可能不懂脑子，做出这样的事？”一红衣美妇摇了摇头，不以为然的开口。
"More demands would be difficult. Although we have been in a tight spot among major sects' surveillance, we have secretly developed some strength; compared to hundreds of years ago, it is not as easy for them to manipulate us. The few old monsters of Liuyao Palace are no fools, and with the other two forces restraining them, they will not go too far. Of course, specifics can be unpredictable, but inaction is always a good strategy," the monk said.
“ nà yòu rú hé ， líng yào shān jiù suàn bèi yuān wǎng yě shì tā men yǔ lí yào gōng de shì le ， yǔ wǒ men bàn diǎn guān xì méi yǒu 。” nà wěi suǒ xiū shì piē le piě zuǐ de kāi kǒu 。
“那又如何，灵药山就算被冤枉也是他们与离药宫的事了，与我们半点关系没有。”那猥琐修士撇了撇嘴的开口。
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Using an illusion, the demon corpse successfully caught Lin Xuan's attention.
The demon corpse was also feeling a sharp pain in his heart, despite being a significant figure, such low-grade talismans were still hard to come by.
A trace of resentment flashed across his eyes as he rapidly conjured several strange hand seals with his hands. Then, he spat out a fist-sized black blood that quickly fused with the corpse qi and formed an odd Taiji symbol before vanishing into his forehead.
His aura instantly surged.
But instead of lingering to fight, he lightly moved one step to the left and vanished without a trace.
Lin Xuan's pupils constricted. Was this... Shrink Earth Technique?
Impossible!
While it was only a basic spatial technique, even an Immortal Foundation cultivator could not perform such a feat.
Lin Xuan narrowed his eyes, realizing just how extraordinary this creature was.
If it were merely a mid-stage cultivator, he would indeed have no choice but to watch him escape. But for himself...
A smile played on Lin Xuan's lips; the other party was simply showing off in front of an expert.
With a wave of his sleeves, an ancient-looking spear shot out as Lin Xuan grasped it with one hand and injected mana without hesitation before swinging it fiercely forward.
A green light flashed. This treasure had incredible spatial abilities that could not shatter the void but made it difficult to use Shrink Earth Technique.
The air rippled, and the demon corpse stumbled into view.
Lin Xuan's figure flickered as he deployed Nine Heavens Microsteps, moving several steps before reaching his opponent.
The demon corpse was greatly alarmed.
His gaze at Lin Xuan became somewhat uncertain. Although there were many cultivators of various ages present, all had reached the Immortal Core stage.
"Companions, have you not yet come to a conclusion? If this matter drags on, it will be very detrimental to our city," an old man with white hair and rosy cheeks spoke slowly in a white robe.
His cultivation was also formidable; he was an advanced-stage Immortal Core cultivator. His eyes emitted divine light as his mana was exceptionally pure, though still short of breaking through, one could say that he had already taken the first step into the late stage.
"Senior Elder, this matter is clear-cut. The Spirit Medicine Mountain and Liuyao Palace have never gotten along well. True Feathers Immortal attacked their shops, so what does our city have to do with it? We only need to inform both parties," a lazy voice said. The speaker was a lecherous-looking cultivator in his fifties.
The old man frowned but did not speak.
"Brother Huang, you speak lightly. True Feathers Immortal attacked shops; he is the head of a sect. Unless he's out of his mind, and despite their discord, Spirit Medicine Mountain has much weaker power and always tolerates them. How could they possibly do such a thing?" A red-robed beauty shook her head.
"Then what? Even if Spirit Medicine Mountain was wrongfully accused, it is still their matter, not ours," the lecherous cultivator sneered.
"Namaste, Brother Huang says this has nothing to do with our city. I disagree," a monk in a large red robe spoke kindly. Cloud Province was a place of cultivation, where Taoists, demons, and even mages thrived, and there were significant potential for monsters as well.
"Oh, Master, what is your insight?" Although his words had been refuted, the Huang cultivator showed great respect; this monk's cultivation must be formidable.
"The old monk also believes that the one who attacked the shops was not the head of Spirit Medicine Mountain but a fake. However, they acted swiftly and cleanly, even with an inside man who killed the law enforcers responsible for patrolling the market without warning, allowing them to escape safely," the monk said.
"Master's words are correct. But if we can see through their ruse, the old monster of Liuyao Palace is not stupid. This matter should be resolved easily," the Huang cultivator stroked his beard and looked surprised.
"How could it be so easy? What is Liuyao Palace? One of the seven major forces in the Twelve States since ancient times, a powerful sect that has dominated for millennia. How can such a huge entity suffer such a loss? Even if they know it's fake, they would have to explain to their disciples and cannot let Spirit Medicine Mountain off easily. This is unrelated to us, but we must not forget: whoever the culprit is, Bai Feng Tang was robbed in our city, losing many goods and even killing the shopkeeper. They also pay us enough crystals each year..."
"Master's meaning is that Liuyao Palace will use this incident as leverage against our city?" The senior elder was visibly moved. His eyes shone as he turned his head to the left.
"Correct. Otherwise, a single law enforcer killed would be nothing. What does Spirit Medicine Mountain and Liuyao Palace have to do with us?" The monk's face was grave: "Do not forget that although our city is strong, it can only exist due to the balance between three major sects. If we were not in such a delicate equilibrium, we would already be absorbed."
All the elders fell silent; his words made sense.
"Then, according to Master, who did this?" The senior elder spoke slowly and clearly.
"I am unsure." The monk shook his head: "The Spirit Cultivation Sect, Linghun Valley, or Liuyao Palace—any of them could be responsible..."
"Master, I heard you correctly. This shop was owned by Liuyao Palace; would they rob themselves?" The Huang cultivator's face showed surprise.
"Humph! What is impossible? A feigned defeat has not been unheard of among us. Perhaps Liuyao Palace merely needs an excuse and might do so. Of course, the other two major forces might also try to take advantage of the situation, as the Gate of Devils will open in fifty years..."
At these words, everyone's faces changed—excitement mingled with fear—but no one dared to speak further. The monk continued speaking, shifting from the topic of the Gate of Devils: "Besides the three major forces, there might be other sects trying to take advantage as well. Even within our city, there are enemies, some old monsters among solitary cultivators who cannot handle us and thus devised this wicked plan."
The monk's cold laughter echoed.
"Master's analysis is very reasonable. If so, this matter not only endangers Spirit Medicine Mountain but also our city. What should we do?" The senior elder spoke humbly, seeking advice.
"This... " The monk frowned: "To resolve the crisis, finding the true culprit would be best. However, since they escaped and are old monsters of Immortal Core stage, capturing them is almost impossible. We can only inform Spirit Medicine Mountain and Liuyao Palace and wait for their demands. As long as they are not unreasonable, we should comply temporarily."
"But what if they demand more?" This time, the red-robed female cultivator spoke.
"More demands would be difficult. Although we have been in a tight spot among major sects' surveillance, we have secretly developed some strength; compared to hundreds of years ago, it is not as easy for them to manipulate us. The few old monsters of Liuyao Palace are no fools, and with the other two forces restraining them, they will not go too far. Of course, specifics can be unpredictable, but inaction is always a good strategy," the monk said.
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