Chapter 409

The two sides met, and the scout led the Shi Gate caravan to see the deputy captain of the escort team, Xiang Yunhuan.

The leader was dead, so the deputy automatically became the team leader.

The team, which had been arrogant just a few hours ago, was resting in the stone forest, and morale was quite low. He Lingchuan glanced over and saw that most of them were injured.

The second master Shi wanted to return the remains of the escort team to Xiang Yunhuan, but the latter hesitated for a moment and actually asked the Shi Gate caravan to continue transporting the remains of his companions to the White Poplar Town ahead, where the escort team would receive them.

Although carrying dead people was unlucky, the second master Shi agreed very readily this time, because Xiang Yunhuan promised: "I will report your contribution to my superiors."

The second master Shi also saw that the escort team had lost most of their horses and carriages, and the number of casualties was too high, so they couldn't even take away the remains themselves and had to rely on the transport power of these civilian caravans.

For the entire escort team, this was an extremely depressing day.

The Mount Fengmo, which had disappeared for hundreds of years, suddenly appeared; the Chiyan Kingdom envoy was snatched away; the escort team suffered heavy losses; and even the Spirit Seed entrusted by the Treasure Tree King was gone.

What was even more frustrating was that they hadn't even figured out who the person behind the scenes was.

Fortunately, the envoys from the White Elephant Kingdom and the Xuluo Kingdom were still alive, and the captain himself had died in the line of duty, so Xiang Yunhuan could still report back.

In any case, the work had to be done, the team had to be led, and these hundred-plus people were all looking at him with hope.

Xiang Yunhuan pulled himself together, waved to summon a bird of prey, and ordered it to fly back to Fufeng City first to deliver the news. He himself had to continue his unfinished mission, send the two envoys to the northern border, and then return to Fufeng City to accept punishment.

When the bird of prey flew down, He Lingchuan realized that there were a few bird demons secretly following the escort team; they hadn't appeared in the big battle just now, probably because the wind force was too strong and they couldn't get close to the Mount Fengmo at all.

These scouts in the high sky were too useful as eyes and ears and messengers, He Lingchuan sighed again as usual.

He heard the second master Shi comforting Xiang Yunhuan: "This road has been peaceful for hundreds of years; who could have expected the Mount Fengmo to come and launch a sneak attack? This matter is not Lord Xiang's fault, and the superiors won't be harsh either."

Xiang Yunhuan frowned.

He Lingchuan took up the conversation: "Why the Mount Fengmo was able to make a comeback is something worth pondering. If Lord Xiang can figure it out, it can be considered clearing a hidden danger for this important thoroughfare."

Mount Fengmo Rock and Black Stone Fortress were among the important nodes for the Treasure Tree Kingdom to connect the north and south, and all carriages and horses coming and going had to pass through them. If the Mount Fengmo was reborn, it would definitely pose a major threat to the troops taking the tundra route.

So He Lingchuan's words were not exaggerated at all. The second master Shi also sighed: "Right, wasn't this Mount Fengmo taken away by my King long ago? Could it be that in the four hundred years, a second Mount Fengmo was raised here?"

There was a strange Zi-Wu Divine Wind on Mount Fengmo Rock; since it could gestate the first Mount Fengmo countless years ago, who knew if it couldn't raise another one? He Lingchuan waved his hand slightly: "Earth, water, fire, wind—the possibility of these natural elements raising spirituality is not even one in a million compared to other demon types." Of course, this had a specific premise, which was under the current environment.

Needless to say about ancient times; in a world with abundant spiritual energy, all kinds of weird things could run all over the place, and there was nothing you couldn't imagine.

"Even if a second Mount Fengmo appeared naturally, how could it be such a coincidence that it was still in the old site of the Piaomiao Sect?"

The second master Shi had been with him for over a month and already had some understanding of his temperament: "Brother He, don't keep me in suspense; you must know something."

"We have all visited the old site of the Piaomiao Sect; the stone cave at the exit has three large cliff inscriptions, which are 'Wind Uncle Rock' engraved in ancient immortal language."

"Therefore, in ancient times, the Piaomiao Sect and the local people actually called the Mount Fengmo 'Wind Uncle'." He Lingchuan said lightly, "To them, this thing was very likely a spirit object that guarded the Immortal Sect and the entire tundra, not a demon monster. Then the 'Wind Lion' was a sculpture created by imitating its image."

People erected statues for gods, saints, and mountain and water spirits because they believed these could protect and guard them.

Then it was not strange for the ancients to erect statues for the Mount Fengmo—or what they called Wind Uncle.

"But have you noticed that Wind Lions basically appear in pairs, one big and one small?" He Lingchuan took out a pair of Wind Lions from his storage ring; the big one was as tall as a person, and the small one was less than three feet.

The second master Shi recalled what he had seen in the cave and couldn't help but nod: "Indeed, it is indeed like that! The Wind Lions in the fields and caves all appear in pairs; I heard from the locals that this is the Wind Lion being male and female."

"How could the Mount Fengmo have a distinction between male and female?" Xiang Yunhuan had also heard those legends; he looked at He Lingchuan. "Are you saying that the Piaomiao Sect actually had two Wind Demons?"

"Yes, one big and one small." He Lingchuan patted the stone carving, "Just like these two."

Art always comes from reality; if there weren't two Wind Demons, why would the Piaomiao Sect create such sculptures?

"Are you saying that my King subdued one Mount Fengmo but missed the other?"

This statement was very dangerous; He Lingchuan wouldn't take the bait: "That's what you said."

Xiang Yunhuan: "..."

He Lingchuan patted the small Wind Lion: "Wind Lions might not be divided into male and female, but they can be divided into father and son. This small one might have been born by the big one. Or should we call it 'differentiation'?"

The Treasure Tree King itself wasn't divided into male and female, but the Spirit Seed it gestated was equivalent to a clone.

Then why couldn't the Mount Fengmo?

Xiang Yunhuan said hoarsely: "Even if the small Mount Fengmo survived all along, why did it suddenly attack us after being quiet for four hundred years? Was it awakened?" Speaking of this, his gaze suddenly went straight. "Could it be related to the Chiyan envoy?"

The mission of his trip was mainly to send the three envoys back to the northern border.

The Mount Fengmo attack caused chaos in the situation, and someone took the opportunity to snatch the Chiyan Kingdom envoy and jump directly off the cliff.

At that time, the wind force was too strong, and the bird demons couldn't get close to the battlefield. After the battle ended, Xiang Yunhuan had already sent bird demons down the cliff to look, but he knew in his heart that there was a ninety percent chance they wouldn't be found.

The person behind the scenes made such a big scene, not even hesitating to risk offending the Treasure Tree King, just to snatch the Chiyan envoy? A mere envoy entering the country for a birthday celebration was just an ordinary human; what was rare about him? "Does Lord Xiang know that before the Treasure Tree King's birthday celebration, that is, on the night the Imperial Flowing Nectar appeared, the deputy envoy of the Eling Kingdom was murdered? According to investigations, the other party wanted to target the Shanyu Kingdom envoy, but just got the wrong target."

"I know the Eling Kingdom deputy envoy was murdered." Xiang Yunhuan looked at He Lingchuan with a strange gaze. "Who are you?"

Although this youth was high-spirited, he had been depressed earlier and didn't even have the leisure to ask the other party's name.

He Lingchuan showed the silver plate of the Grand Tutor's mansion: "I have some origins with Young Master Sha Xinghai of the Grand Tutor's mansion and was invited to watch the celebration."

On the Treasure Tree Kingdom's turf, this thing was really easy to use.

The second master Shi laughed and helped out: "Young Master He has already promised Grand Tutor Sha that after finishing his business in Lingxu City, he will return to Fufeng City to be an official."

His words were very clever, sounding as if Grand Tutor Sha was begging He Lingchuan to return to be an official.

"So that's how it is." Xiang Yunhuan's wariness eased slightly; after all, it wasn't strange for talented people to serve in demon kingdoms, and sometimes they would flow between countries. "Are you saying that this series of plots was aimed at the envoys?"

He Lingchuan spread his hands: "Just a guess."

"No, no, your statement makes sense." Xiang Yunhuan said, "I was also responsible for the post house, that is, part of the defense of Liushe. The two envoys from the Shanyu Kingdom and the Chiyan Kingdom lived in the same courtyard."

The other party first aimed at the Shanyu Kingdom envoy, but later snatched the Chiyan Kingdom envoy instead; and these two happened to live across from each other in Fufeng City.

This wasn't a coincidence, right?

He Lingchuan's gaze flashed: "These two envoys communicating with each other is too convenient. Could there be some handover?"

Xiang Yunhuan nodded: "Makes sense. If these two had some secret plot, meeting at my King's birthday celebration would be able to cover people's eyes and ears."

He thought for a moment and said: "When the Shanyu Kingdom mission arrived in Fufeng City, it was two days later than the scheduled date. I heard the servants of the team mention that on the way, a thief stole the special envoy's storage pouch, which contained silver, miscellaneous items, and customs documents; they spent some time before they recovered it."

"Lost something?"

"Didn't lose it; it is said that it was all recovered."

He Lingchuan suddenly realized: "No wonder the Shanyu Kingdom mission didn't pass through Sanxin Plain as scheduled; it turned out they were delayed on the way."

Fu Shanyue didn't wait for his prey there, and as a result, the Eling Kingdom envoy became the scapegoat.

At this time, the bird of prey previously sent by the escort team returned, stating that the corpse of the Chiyan envoy was found on the mountainside of Mount Fengmo Cliff, having died with his neck twisted.

Hearing this news, Xiang Yunhuan couldn't help but press his temples, and the trace of luck in his heart was also knocked away. It seemed that the person behind the scenes had already obtained what he wanted.

Next, he would be busy again and wouldn't have time to talk to the two of them anymore.

He still had a basket of troubles to deal with.

And He Lingchuan finally strung the cause and effect into a line.

The Shanyu Kingdom wanted to send a gift to the Chiyan Kingdom monarch, but instead of using the conventional method of sending it to the other party's country to present it in person, they took the opportunity of the Treasure Tree King's 800th birthday celebration to have the Shanyu Kingdom envoy carry the treasure into the Liushe Post House in Fufeng City and hand it over to the Chiyan Kingdom envoy to take back.

In other words, this was a private transaction between the two monarchs and was not made public.

But Fu Shanyue obtained this intelligence from somewhere and planned to intercept the treasure halfway. He first went to ambush on the path the Shanyu Kingdom envoy had to pass, Sanxin Plain, but unexpectedly the Imperial Flowing Nectar erupted, and he killed the Eling Kingdom envoy; the main target, the Shanyu Kingdom envoy, was delayed because his personal pouch was stolen, so he didn't walk into the killing formation Fu Shanyue had set up, but instead arrived safely in Fufeng City and completed the handover with the Chiyan Kingdom envoy.

So this "treasure" was signed for by the Chiyan Kingdom envoy.

Fu Shanyue had no choice but to follow to Fufeng City.

He intended to take action against the Chiyan Kingdom envoy, but who knew that He Lingchuan wanted to avenge the pursuit from Sanxin Plain and turned around to give him a report, leading the government to his door.

Fu Shanyue's plan was shelved once again.

Fortunately, this guy was indomitable and had a Plan C, which was to use the Mount Fengmo to intercept the escort team and take advantage of the chaos to hijack the Chiyan Kingdom envoy.

(End of chapter)