Chapter 2399

She nodded vigorously, answering crisply: "I can!"

"Good child." He Lingchuan then said to everyone, "The first problem is solved."

Xiao An is loyal to him and Dong Ruizhong, so having her guide everyone into the city is naturally the best option.

"Excellent!" True Person Mingyao also breathed a sigh of relief. At the critical moment, the Cangyan people still provided useful assistance, and the above two concerns were easily resolved.

Zhu Xiuer then said: "Wait, our current priority should actually be to confirm the location of the Stone Heart, shouldn't it?"

Only after confirming the target's location can we choose a forced landing site.

True Person Mingke glanced at True Person Mingyao, then proceeded to recount True Person Minghui's past travels in Yujing City.

He Lingchuan listened attentively, not missing a single word.

They need to sharpen their spears before battle, and these are precisely the most valuable pieces of information.

True Person Mingke also added a detail, something he had omitted last time:

"When True Person Minghui first entered Yujing City, he immediately encountered the first earth tremor. It was the city itself trembling; he even saw the buildings by the roadside crack open, and the ground had collapsed in two places. The Earth Mother then smiled at him, saying, 'Seeing the Wind Dew Golden Lotus, I am simply too happy—I forgot to restrain myself for a moment.'"

Yujing City is nothing but the Earth Mother's body carried upon her back; when her emotions rise, she exerts greater force, and naturally Yujing City is affected.

"True Person Minghui also wondered, asking the Earth Mother why she absolutely had to buy this Wind Dew Golden Lotus? The Earth Mother replied, back when she was in Changfeng Valley, this golden lotus often kept her company, bringing her great joy. Unfortunately, Changfeng Valley knew nothing of it, later sold the golden lotus, leaving the Earth Mother feeling stifled and unhappy; whenever she got the chance, she wanted to take it back."

He Lingchuan listened, his heart slightly stirred.

"So it's True Person Minghui!" Zhu Xiuer said solemnly, "We once visited True Person Minghui's underground palace and paid respects to his remains. During the end of the Immortal-Demon War, heavenly demons invaded the underground palace, and True Person Minghui self-destructed his soul and spirit to guard the secret."

"Admirable and commendable!" Upon hearing this, everyone stood solemnly and performed a Daoist salute.

In the Immortal-Demon War three thousand years ago, too many mighty beings fell on both sides—some vanished silently and never reappeared. Many also speculated that True Person Minghui had already perished, but there was never any proof, after all, immortals who had gone missing and then reappeared from seclusion are commonplace. Only today, hearing Zhu Xiuer personally confirm it, did everyone finally confirm his death.

"The Wind Dew Golden Lotus, and the white house housing the Stone Heart?" He Lingchuan mused, "It sounds like a trap."

The Earth Mother's Stone Heart is hidden in the white house deep beneath the city—this matches almost exactly what he had heard.

Why would such information also leak out? Could it be deliberately spread?

Ling Jinbao immediately said: "We also believe this is eighty percent likely a deception. Over the past thousands of years, Yujing City has attracted countless thieves, all rushing for the white house, yet no one has ever managed to obtain the Earth Mother's Stone Heart—this itself is corroborating evidence."

"Because this information exists, if others have no other clues, they will mostly try to find the white house just to take a look." True Person Mingke said solemnly, "The architectural layout within Yujing City can change according to the Earth Mother's will. Earlier, we heard great commotion inside the city, most likely because the Earth Mother is again altering the city's appearance. Thus, even if someone sneaks in with outdated information and old building layouts, they would be utterly lost. Perhaps the only unchanging thing is the position of the white house."

Zhu Xiuer snorted: "Such deliberate guidance—we should not go looking for the white house. The Earth Mother back then laughed at True Person Minghui in that wildly unrestrained way, precisely because she was certain her Stone Heart was perfectly safe—no one could steal it."

True Person Chongyao sighed: "But what if it's really true? What if?"

"Then we should split into several groups—our chances of success would still be somewhat higher."

Zhu Xiuer's suggestion was immediately agreed upon by everyone.

He Lingchuan immediately said: "Have any of you inquired where the 'Wind Dew Golden Lotus' is hidden?"

"A bird demon said the Earth Mother planted it in the Evening Fragrance Forest on Duzhi Mountain in Yujing City; it once flew over Duzhi Mountain and smelled the Wind Dew's fragrance, though only once." Ling Jinbao added, "Duzhi Mountain is one of the garrisons of Changfeng Valley; the mountain is not large. When Changfeng Valley still existed, it was a medicinal mountain."

He Lingchuan pondered and then asked: "Within Yujing City, how many remnants of Changfeng Valley remain?"

The immortals all remained silent, only Ling Jinbao responded fluently.

"Yujing City was originally built using Changfeng Valley as its foundation, but as the Earth Mother embedded more and more treasure-laden structures, the content of Changfeng Valley seemed to diminish further; now only two representative sites remain: the mountain gate headquarters and Duzhi Mountain." No matter how large Yujing City is, it always has a boundary; the Earth Mother carrying it around everywhere is already taxing, sometimes she cannot help but discard some superfluous structures.

Favoring the new and disliking the old is not only a human trait—she has it too.

Keeping Changfeng Valley's iconic mountain gate headquarters is understandable, after all, it was the Earth Mother's first spoil of war, very commemorative.

But why keep a medicinal mountain at all?

"What is special about this medicinal mountain?"

Changfeng Valley once flourished—within its garrison, mountain peaks stood tall, rare flowers and exotic grasses, towering halls, lofty cliffs and flowing waters, myriad phenomena. Landscapes more worthy of collection than Duzhi Mountain should exist, so why were they all overlooked?

But Ling Jinbao also could not answer this question.

He Lingchuan's eyes flickered slightly: "Could the Wind Dew Golden Lotus possibly come from this medicinal mountain?"

The Wind Dew Golden Lotus originally also came from Changfeng Valley—could it not be growing right now in this medicinal mountain?

"Not impossible." Ling Jinbao rubbed his chin, "If true, why would the Earth Mother insist on buying it back at great expense, then replanting it in its birthplace?"

The intrinsic value of the Wind Dew Golden Lotus does not match this series of operations by the Earth Mother.

He Lingchuan's eyes flickered slightly: "Regarding this Wind Dew Golden Lotus, is there any more detailed information?"

"None." Ling Jinbao was about to shake his head, then suddenly remembered, "Oh right, two captured bird demons also confessed that Duzhi Mountain is year-round shrouded in red mist; only a few nights each year, when the clouds and mist disperse, can the aerial demon birds see the medicinal fields inside flourishing, and one bird demon even claimed he saw medicinal farmers working in the fields—precisely on that night, he smelled the Wind Dew's fragrance."

True Person Chonghui was not present at the time; now he asked directly: "How does he know they are medicinal farmers? Maybe they are thieves sneaking into the mountain to steal."

"Wearing a white bamboo hat, carrying a medicine basket, clearly aware that demon birds fly to and fro in the sky above, yet he squats under the moonlight, unhurriedly weeding—weeding for half an hour—what else could he be but a medicinal farmer?"

"Moreover, the Earth Mother has forbidden the demon beasts within Yujing City from approaching Duzhi Mountain; only the Violent Bear King has ever entered that medicinal mountain." Ling Jinbao paused, "The demon beasts within Yujing City are mostly newly recruited by the Earth Mother during this awakening; having heard that the rear mountain's medicinal fields are forbidden, they suppose the Earth Mother does not allow them to steal medicine."

Thanks to book friend Qin Ruofan for the reward~~