Chapter 2296: Driving the Tiger to Devour the Wolf Plan

He Lingchuan’s eyes flickered. "This isn't Tang Jingye's first appearance. A few days ago, Granny Zhu caught the Sky Centipede in Tongyue Town and extracted a confession. She then dispatched people to apprehend its accomplice, Tang Jingye. However, they were a step too late; no one was there, but fresh bloodstains were on the ground. The Maoling Giant concluded that the injured person was likely dead."

Dong Rui gasped in surprise. "Are you suggesting Tang Jingye was already dead, and the person who returned to the sect later was an impostor?"

He Lingchuan slowly replied, "Judging from the evidence at the scene, a third party intervened and committed murder."

The bloodstains and heart fragments outside Tongyue Town…Tang Jingye returned to the sect unharmed and proposed to Yuan Xilin that they use the Golden Core to sever the water supply…Elder Xu died from an ambush. His most critical cause of death was not the siege by Cang Yan, but the sugared water Tang Jingye had brought back.Strange demonic puppets were mixed into that sugared water.

He Lingchuan’s eyes glinted, and he then turned to Liu Qingdao:

"Elder Xu’s disciples didn’t leave the inn, did they? How could they be certain that Tang Jingye was killed by you?"

"Liao Han, the disciple who accompanied Tang Jingye, witnessed it firsthand and returned to recount what he saw," Liu Qingdao stated word for word. "However, after the battle at Yuefu Inn, Liao Han vanished. We sealed off the inn and the surrounding streets but couldn't find him."

"Hmm, interesting!" He Lingchuan’s eyes flickered. "First Tang Jingye, and now the witness has vanished too."

He then uttered a peculiar remark:

"Those who shouldn't be alive are still living, while those who shouldn't have died have perished."

Dong Rui, not quite grasping it, asked, "What do you mean?"

"We can't find either Tang Jingye or Liao Han," He Lingchuan said, his brows deeply furrowed. "They're most likely gone."

"Based on that signal arrow, someone is covertly plotting against us. Could these tokens be leading us into a trap?" Liu Qingdao whispered a warning. "Your Majesty, please be cautious of deceit."

Having come to understand the Emperor of Nine Serenities’ temperament better over the past few years, Liu Qingdao’s concern was well-founded.

"It's not a trap; it's a pre-arranged scenario," the Great Emperor of Nine Serenities declared, setting the tone. "As soon as Elder Xu dies, the Qixia Sect will be enraged. Cang Yan cannot idly stand by and allow the Qixia Sect to act recklessly, making this great war unavoidable."

Ling Guang, also angered, retorted, "This is a truly malicious scheme."

Liu Qingdao immediately stated, "The City Patrol Army and Dragon God Army have already been mobilized."

Dong Rui also interjected, "Hey, how do you know someone isn't trying to ambush you using the Qixia Sect?"

"Ambush me?" He Lingchuan pointed to himself and chuckled. "When this person devised the scheme, how could they have foreseen my personal presence? Are they clairvoyant?"

Dong Rui was speechless.

Indeed, He Lingchuan was no longer the man he once was. He had become the true Supreme Emperor, residing deep within the Crimson Heavens Golden Palace, managing countless affairs of state daily.

All matters of the realm were reported to him, and he would then dispatch others to resolve them. There was no need for him to go out personally.

How could the mastermind have anticipated He Lingchuan's sudden whim to come to Wei'an City?

If their target wasn't the Emperor of Nine Serenities, then plotting against any other Cang Yan official would be pointless. Yet, their actions undoubtedly had a clear objective.

Therefore, He Lingchuan's assessment was most likely correct: this person intended to use Cang Yan's power against the Qixia Sect.

"This is also easily understood. The Qixia Sect not only has immortals guarding it but also possesses Yuanshan's treasured protector, powerful ancient spiritual remnants, and the geographical advantage of their grotto-heaven. If the mastermind were to confront them directly, they might not gain much; it's better to employ the strategy of 'driving the tiger to swallow the wolf.'"

Dong Rui snorted, "Why does he want to target the Qixia Sect? Are we simply going to let him exploit us like this?"

"If it's not revenge, then there's something he desires within the Qixia Sect," He Lingchuan further analyzed. "The Qixia Sect emerged from seclusion, and we, as the hosts, weren't even aware. Where did this mastermind obtain their information? Their intelligence source is remarkably reliable."

He paused:

"You see, Xu Wenqin was ambushed just moments before your arrival. The mastermind timed this sequence flawlessly."

Liu Qingdao said shamefully, "It was my oversight; I still fell into this person's trap."

The command arrow arrived suspiciously. Although he was wary, he hadn't anticipated that the opponent's ploy would target Elder Xu.

He Lingchuan waved a dismissive hand. "What good is your caution? Their move was calculated against Xu Wenqin."

Liu Qingdao realized he had been used as a pawn, with Xu Wenqin as the actual target. "They also intend to pin the blame for Elder Xu's death on Cang Yan."

He sighed. "Originally, the Qixia Sect only sought a foothold, some offerings, and a share of benefits. They likely had no intention of forging a mortal enmity with Cang Yan."

No matter how arrogant the Qixia Sect might be, it couldn't disregard the fact that it was situated within the Cang Yan Empire. Would it, without cause, seek a death feud with a powerful empire?

"Before Elder Xu was gravely wounded, they adopted a conservative strategy, staying well-hidden within their grotto-heaven and not making any moves," He Lingchuan said, his brow slightly furrowed. "But now…"

"Now, I fear, proper communication will be impossible."

Liu Qingdao said, "Fortunately, those few captives also revealed that the ancient spirits within the sect are dormant and will require some time to awaken."

He Lingchuan knew these captives weren't lying. The more powerful a spiritual entity or summoned creature, the longer it takes to rouse it from its slumber; this was a fundamental principle.

Therefore, they still held a slight temporal advantage.

Liu Qingdao immediately suggested, "What if I dispatch a few powerful operatives, armed with tokens, to infiltrate the Qixia Sect's grotto-heaven, seize an opportunity to open its gate, and allow our army to enter?"

Cang Yan was powerful, and the Bingyuan Division now boasted numerous formidable experts, including immortals and great demons.

Finding two valiant generals would not be difficult.

Ling Guang interjected, his voice dry and strained, "Elder Liu, I'm afraid it's too late."

"..." Liu Qingdao could only ask, "How much time does Xu Wenqin have left?"

Once Xu Wenqin dies, the Qixia Sect would likely abandon their grotto-heaven immediately. What method could now be employed to keep them contained?

"I have exhausted every means, but… at most, less than two quarters of an hour," Ling Guang stated. Even a highly skilled medical officer like him was helpless.

With such limited time, there was simply no way to deploy personnel.

"But two quarters of an hour is enough for us to reach Xunyang Mountain," He Lingchuan said, his eyes glinting as he abruptly introduced an unrelated topic. "Why couldn't Wei'an City's territorial spirits locate the entrance to the Qixia Sect's grotto-heaven?"

He reached out and pressed the Soul-Capturing Mirror hidden beneath his robes, a plan instantly forming in his mind.

Liu Qingdao was startled but immediately responded:

"It tried to monitor it, but the Qixia Sect, at some unknown point, erected a barrier that enveloped the northern mountain range, including Guye Mountain, Jun Mountain, and the main body of Xunyang Mountain. Consequently, Wei'an City's territorial spirits were unable to use their powers to monitor any activity on Xunyang Mountain."

While territorial spirits possess the ability to manage the land, the Xunyang mountain range is vast and untamed, so they do not conduct regular patrols there.

Even the laws of heaven have loopholes, and the local earth deity’s oversight naturally has gaps; it could not be completely watertight.