Chapter 2291: The Play Begins

“Xu Wenqin is also an immortal; he won't be easy to deal with.” Liu Qingdao was slightly surprised but immediately said, “I'll take people to the Yuefu Inn right away!”

Although they didn't know who tipped them off, it was better to err on the side of caution for now.

In any case, a trip wouldn't be much trouble anyway.

If they could capture Xu Wenqin, it would also benefit their subsequent efforts to persuade Qixia Sect to surrender.

“Go,” He Lingchuan said, his gaze remained fixed on the letter.

The handwriting on it was grand yet imbued with strong character, like an ancient pine clinging to a sheer cliff face.

The person who sent this arrow-letter must have a deep understanding of the current situation, seeing through Wei'an City's predicament and possessing inside information about Qixia Sect.

Xu Wenqin's infiltration of Wei'an City must have been secretive. How did the sender of the arrow-letter know? Could they be an insider within Qixia Sect?

And the most fundamental question: why would this person help Wei'an City against Qixia Sect?

He Lingchuan sensed something unusual.

At this moment, Elder Xu of Qixia Sect was in the Yuefu Inn in Wei'an City, gazing at the pouring rain outside, his thick brows knitted in a frown.

As Elder Xu finished the last bit of his sea moss jelly, a disciple standing nearby respectfully took the bowl with both hands.

With his current cultivation, he could normally go years without eating, abstaining from earthly food. However, during his few days in Wei'an City, he had discovered too many novelties. Even a simple bowl of sea moss jelly had awakened his appetite.

Sea moss jelly was made from sea stone flowers, but Wei'an City was not by the sea, so ten years ago, its residents couldn't obtain it. However, thanks to unprecedentedly developed transportation, dried sea moss could now be shipped all the way from Julu Port. Local vendors simply boiled it to extract the gelatinous substance, added fruit dices, honey, milk, or even a few herbs, creating a popular summer sweet soup, known for its cooling and fire-reducing properties.

Elder Xu, already fond of sweets, had consumed six or seven bowls in three days. Today's bowl was also bought by Lu Jingye from outside, and he recalled that each of his fellow disciples also had a portion.

Elder Xu had been in the city for two days and observed that the residents seemed far from panicked. They cursed Qixia Sect for stubbornly clinging to old ways and overestimating their own strength, yet simultaneously held firm belief that Cang Yan could resolve the water shortage. What puzzled Elder Xu the most was that idle folk from Wei'an and surrounding towns were spontaneously venturing into the mountains to search for the hidden "Qixia Sect mountain gate"!

It wasn't just one or two, or even dozens or hundreds, but at least several thousand people roaming outdoors!

The wild mountain forests were no longer as safe as before, with frequent sightings of demonic beasts and spirits. Therefore, these people formed teams of fifty to a hundred, often calling themselves "XX Squads," making quite a ruckus along the way.

Elder Xu couldn't comprehend it.

Were these people seeking death? If they failed to find anything, it would merely be a foolish act. But if, by sheer luck, they stumbled upon Qixia Sect's mountain gate, then every single one who came would die, be it one or a thousand. Qixia Sect would show no mercy!

These commoners were truly ignorant of their own limitations, utterly lacking basic reverence for immortals, demons, and supernatural powers!

Elder Xu's disciples also cursed, "A bunch of frogs in a well! I don't know how they've managed to live until now!"

Then, torrential rain poured down from the sky, continuing for four or five hours without a moment's pause.

This celestial phenomenon was unusual; Elder Xu knew the rain wasn't natural.

Qixia Sect disciples didn't need to inquire throughout the city; they heard as soon as they stepped out that Wei'an City was transporting water from the Lu River regardless of cost, and today they even used vital energy to pray for rain, hoping to secure a bit more for their citizens.

This posture suggested they intended to stubbornly endure.

Elder Xu was deeply worried.

His disciples comforted their master, saying, "Millions of mouths need water; this small amount of rain is just a drop in the bucket. Furthermore, rain like this cannot be summoned every day. Once they are parched and internal strife grows within Wei'an City, the pressure on Cang Yan will naturally increase."

"Where is Tang Jingye?" Elder Xu suddenly remembered him. "Call him to me."

For this outing, Qixia Sect Master Yuan had only dispatched Tang Jingye and Tianwu to the human world to gather intelligence and profound crystals.

It wasn't that Qixia Sect didn't want to gather more information, but their numbers within the sect were already small, so only the most capable could be sent. Having been in seclusion for over 150 years, Qixia Sect had limited reserves of profound crystals, and the number of disciples that could be accommodated within their blessed land was limited.

As Cang Yan's seventh largest city, Wei'an City attracted many foreign merchants, and its locals were not wary of unfamiliar faces. However, Qixia Sect had been secluded for too long, and there were many details to consider. Therefore, when Elder Xu infiltrated Wei'an City, Tang Jingye was an extremely important guide. For the past two days, Tang Jingye had handled all the arrangements for Qixia Sect's group in Wei'an City, managing everything with flawless precision.

The disciples exchanged glances.

"Uncle Tang is not here."

"Not here?" Elder Xu frowned, suddenly sensing something amiss. "Where did he go?"

"Uncle Tang bought some sweet soup and brought it back, then went out again with Junior Brother Liaohan. They said there were unusual movements on Mount Rong today, seemingly heading towards Mount Xunyang, so they rushed there first to gather intelligence."

Elder Xu hummed in acknowledgment, and then a strange thought suddenly occurred to him.

Why had Tang Jingye suddenly become so capable recently?

This disciple was meticulous and possessed exceptional abilities; otherwise, Qixia Sect, which did not tolerate idlers, would not have kept him in the minor blessed land for over a hundred years. However, upon his return this time, Tang Jingye's proposed strategy was adopted by the Sect Master, and his arrangements for everyone's infiltration into Wei'an City were also incredibly thorough, as if he had completely mastered the ins and outs of the city.

Could he really have become so familiar with everything, just by leaving the sect's cave-dwelling a mere ten-odd days before his fellow disciples?

This thought flashed through his mind. Just as he was about to speak, a sudden, sharp pain erupted in his abdomen, forcing him to bend over!

Elder Xu's shock was truly profound.

One of the benefits of cultivating the Dao was immunity to all illnesses. He couldn't recall the last time he had experienced abdominal pain like a mortal.

The pain felt as if someone had poured a basin of strong acid into his stomach, rapidly corroding his internal organs!

Poisoned? Elder Xu quickly turned his perception inward, only to see a large hole corroded in his esophagus and a gelatinous, sticky substance spreading through his heart, lungs, liver, and gallbladder!

Immortals were said to possess indestructible bodies, but that referred to their physical form. Their internal organs were inherently soft. While immortals did have cultivation methods to train their viscera, those truly capable of making them as hard as iron or stone were few and far between.

Compared to the external body, the internal organs were very vulnerable.

Not every immortal possessed the talent of True Immortal Qianhuan, who could establish a battleground for immortals and demons directly within his own belly.

This substance exerted its power after entering his body, much like a ruthless bandit disguising himself to enter a city before unleashing a massacre upon unarmed targets.

Moreover, this substance expanded and moved at an astonishing speed, taking only a few breaths from when the host first felt it until it corroded through his liver and gallbladder.

This... this was actually a living creature!

"Elder!" his surrounding disciples cried out in alarm, rushing forward to support him.