Chapter 169: Searching and Gathering in the Old Forest (Please Subscribe)

Such a hypothesis is simply clear at a glance.

At least for Fu Yong, it was like this, so this Captain of the Guards finally could not help but speak: "Lord, I feel this is inappropriate. How could such a clumsy little scheme be effective?"

Listening to these earnest words of remonstrance, Meng Changqing insisted on his own approval: "It is true that it will be seen through, but, as the saying goes, schemes are carried out in the open. The other party knows me inside and out, so being seen through is exactly what is best; it is what most makes people unable to help but let their imaginations run wild!"

"This..."

Fu Yong was speechless for a moment, shut his mouth in annoyance, and could not help but glance toward Du En.

He actually didn't kick me while I was down or take the opportunity to mock me just now. Tsk, perhaps he isn't as bad as I thought.

"At the same time, the eight hundred miles of mountain forest within the boundary is only at the first rank. Added to the situation in the city, it is very clear that the Immortal Sect is able to grasp and regulate the Qi..."

At the same time, he sent an order to a subordinate, telling him to tail Du En and, afterward, find a way to give a hint. If he were accidentally exposed, he should just claim he was following orders to track Meng Changqing and commit suicide on the spot.

Just a moment ago, he had thought Du En would say something to embarrass him and make him lose face.

"Hmm... although I didn't place too much hope in him, judging by his performance, he is somewhat clever and sufficiently calm and composed. It is clearly unlikely that he would expose himself right off the bat."

Thinking this way, the Emissary decided to remain still and observe for the time being.

After a while, they arrived at the location.

Without being detected as distracted or overthinking, Du En pointed directly in one direction.

Are you doing this on purpose?

He was now very suspicious of Du En's intentions, feeling that he had deliberately brought them here in an attempt to sully the Lord's eyes.

At least the Emissary did not suspect anything the first moment he heard it.

"... Attack."

As they moved away from the boundary and the distance increased, crossing the now-empty outpost patrol line, one thing was becoming increasingly obvious, the clues of which were captured by his minor-accomplishment Spirit-Seeking technique.

"It is not that my senses or thoughts were wrong. After all, ten thousand years ago, this Southern Frontier mountain forest was the Daoist practice ground of a Venerable. Even if this is just the fringe area, the quantity and quality of the Qi should at least be at the fourth or fifth rank, yet now it cannot even maintain a normal third rank."

Staring at Du En for a moment, Fu Yong finally waved his hand to give the order, and two guards immediately stepped out from the crowd, attacking the Green Water Pool to force out the toad demon beast inside.

—On the scale of the high-altitude celestial phenomenon level, that boundary grand array is like a bottomless pit, steadily swallowing the Qi from outside the boundary!

"I don't know if you can hear me, but the current operation here is not going directly to the ruins of that Mahayana Venerable's practice ground, but has turned around to go spirit-seeking. Like looking for a needle in a haystack, under the direction of that Meng Changqing, they are searching in a slightly scattered manner, which is why I have the opportunity to speak."

Of course, in reality, under the guidance of Du En, the guide, it was not looking for a needle in a haystack, but every single time they were able to find a spiritual object, and incidentally, find the demon beast guarding that spiritual object.

This makes no sense!

Bang~

The ugly, foul-smelling toad demon beast fell heavily to the ground, blood gushing out, while a guard had already cast a spell to retrieve the spiritual object growing there from a distance.

You rogue cultivator, and you still say you don't have ulterior motives?!

However, that calm tone, combined with the choice of words, seemed to contain hidden emotions; as long as one was not facing him and observing his demeanor, it would be absolutely impossible to tell.

Du En returned to the main group and they began to move again.

"Hmm? It seems they have found something. Then let's leave it at that for this time. If you can really hear me, remember to give a hint in advance next time, otherwise, there won't be a next time."

The entire process carried an air of perfunctoriness.

Just as he said, they were searching for a certain spiritual object in the mountain forest in a scattered, needle-in-a-haystack fashion.

Du En naturally did not miss a single one of Fu Yong's little glances.

Meng Changqing was lost in thought, only reminding him: "Don't forget what you are supposed to do."

The subordinates silently acknowledged the order and left.

"In other words, Changqing is currently testing the waters, with the goal of eliminating potential hidden dangers."

Until it was easily killed in seconds, before it died, its incomplete yet beginning-to-awaken intelligence could not understand no matter what how its tiny water pool, and its mere second-rank mid-stage self, had attracted so many regional beast kings.

"No, mainly to eat."

The Captain of the Guards, Fu Yong, felt his temple twitch.

"Can I have this demon beast and spiritual object?"

In reality, he was just finding a corner to calmly speak to the tree in front of him.

And he would directly ask for demon beasts and spiritual objects.

Du En was silently thinking when Meng Changqing spoke to him.

Thus, everyone lowered their magical artifacts and restrained their presence, as if they were truly a team of ordinary cultivators entering the mountains to gather herbs and seek spirits, proceeding with great caution amidst the miasma and toxins of the forest.

What is the situation? One hundred Foundation Establishment perfection stage cultivators?

The trend of the Qi environment.

At this moment, he was near the entrance of the Southern Cang ruins, leading people to lie in ambush, and fell into deep thought upon hearing this.

Du En did not care about this; he took out a specialized magical artifact, a second-rank high-grade meat-slicing and bone-chopping knife, and began to skin, claw, and gut it with exceptional proficiency...

With the air of someone who, regardless of whether you heard it or not, had done his duty and conveyed the situation.

However, he never paid any attention to it; what he noticed at the moment was something else.

It is also because of this that the Southern Frontier mountain forest outside the boundary only barely retains a meager third-rank amount of Qi, and the quality does not even reach the third rank.

"I haven't forgotten."

It let out a "croak" and was instantly enraged, widening its eyes to look at the people by the pool, and then widening them even further.

The guards kill the beasts, he harvests and appraises them.

"Croak?"

Du En asked Meng Changqing directly.

"That is possible, but are you going to refine poison pills?"

However, this was a complete misunderstanding, because in this mountain forest, there were many such places. To Du En, this was very ordinary and common, and he was already thinking about how to prepare the medicine to boil the second-rank toad at the bottom of the water pool.

Eat?

Everyone looked at the toad demon beast that clearly had the word "disgusting" written all over it, and for a moment they were all a bit confused, thinking that perhaps they had made some mistake in their identification of this demon beast.

"This way."

Although if that were the case, he actually wouldn't be at a loss; it would allow Meng Changqing to see the true face of a villain.

"Has Du En already been exposed? Or could it be that some clues were detected?"

Here was a pool of green water; the pool water was viscous and bubbling, emitting a foul stench when the bubbles burst, which, mixed into the miasma, turned an even deeper, purplish green, making Fu Yong's eyelids twitch slightly.

He finished handling the tens of thousands of catties of fresh meat very quickly; his Lacquer Shadow Dharma Robe gave a jolt, appearing to struggle as it flicked off the filth that had stained it, and then he avoided the others, walked to a corner, and began to do what needed to be done.

"Fellow Daoist is most familiar with this place; I wonder where there might be spirits to be found?"

Du En answered simply and continued processing.

Meng Changqing was completely indifferent to this, because they were all just second-rank items, very ordinary and plain.

Fu Yong and the others didn't take it to heart either; one guard even couldn't help but feel that Du En appeared too inexperienced, his behavior faintly inviting pity.

(End of this chapter)