After seeing Yu Kong off, Qin Sang sat cross-legged on his prayer mat, lost in thought.
In Xihuang Town, especially among the cultivators who frequented the surrounding region year-round, hardly anyone truly believed that a medicinal garden had emerged. Or rather, most were half-doubting and half-convinced; while they would not mind taking a look around once inside, they would never treat it as their primary objective.
After all, valuable treasures still lingered in several key areas of Qiuhong Market, and the protective grand formation's low-ebb period lasted only a very short time. Once Qiuhong Market sealed itself again, danger lurked everywhere—no one dared to remain trapped inside for thirty years.
Rather than wasting energy chasing an illusory medicinal garden, it made far more sense to concentrate on competing for treasures one could actually see.
Had Yunyouzi not shown him the scene projected by the jade pendant, even Qin Sang could not have helped questioning the truth of the matter.
That scene had been revealed to Yunyouzi by Ge Yuan, whose background was somewhat peculiar.
The person who had discovered the medicinal garden was named Shao Chunhui. Ge Yuan could be considered an acquaintance of his; they had cooperated several times in the past. Both understood when to advance and when to yield, and their ventures had concluded amicably without any friction, laying a modest foundation of mutual trust between them.
***
Yu Kong and his companions knew nothing of Ge Yuan's existence.
Before Shao Chunhui met with mishap, he had sought out Ge Yuan, revealed the projected scene before him, and invited him to search for the spiritual herbs together. However, out of caution, Shao Chunhui had exposed only the tip of the iceberg and refrained from offering detailed explanations.
Relying on the trust forged through several past ventures, Ge Yuan readily agreed. To his surprise, Shao Chunhui vanished without a trace afterward, never to be heard from again.
Even so, the one who initially spread the rumors was not Ge Yuan.
Ge Yuan had long since put the matter out of his mind until two years ago, when whispers regarding Qiuhong Market's medicinal garden suddenly began circulating, jolting his memory.
After conducting a discreet investigation, Ge Yuan suspected that the culprit behind Shao Chunhui's death was likely one of the companions who had entered Qiuhong Market alongside him.
Ultimately, his suspicions narrowed down to Yu Kong and the other two.
Only those three were attempting to return to Qiuhong Market and aggressively recruiting hands to that end.
As for seeking vengeance on Shao Chunhui's behalf, Ge Yuan possessed neither the ability nor the desire. Their bond had never reached the level where he would lay down his life for righteousness.
Ge Yuan knew full well that Yu Kong and his two counterparts were all exceptionally powerful. Regardless of which of the three was the murderer, Ge Yuan was no match for any of them.
Yet he was intensely drawn to the spiritual herbs.
The sight Shao Chunhui had shown him was far too enticing. Whether it was the medicinal garden of an ancient cultivator or spiritual herbs planted by Qiuhong Market's former master, they were unquestionably priceless. Obtaining even one or two would be of immense benefit to his cultivation.
Since Ge Yuan was alone and unable to determine which man was the murderer, he resolved to stir up the situation and add fuel to the fire, riding the momentum of the rumors to fan the flames.
Rather than letting someone quietly harvest the spiritual herbs, sparking a massive upheaval might offer him a chance to fish in troubled waters.
Unfortunately, Ge Yuan had acted carelessly; no sooner had he made his initial move than he nearly exposed his tracks. Luckily, at that critical juncture, Yunyouzi happened upon the scene and saved his life.
Upon learning the full story, Yunyouzi put an end to Ge Yuan's crude plan. After all, countless experts would enter Qiuhong Market; if the medicinal garden were exposed, there would not be nearly enough spiritual herbs to go around.
In the end, they decided to split up and infiltrate the ranks of the three men to scout out the secret passage's location. As long as they could sneak inside, they would at least get a share of the spoils.
Ge Yuan remained in Xihuang Town to observe the situation, while Yunyouzi returned to Xuanlu Pass and brought Qin Sang along.
***
Ten days later.
Qin Sang stepped out once again in the early morning and ran into Yu Kong.
Yu Kong had yet to assemble enough people to drill the formation. Over these past several days, Qin Sang had gone out almost daily to gather intelligence throughout Xihuang Town—sometimes sitting idle in a teahouse for an entire day, other times weaving through major shops to purchase information with spirit stones.
Yu Kong had grown accustomed to the sight and refrained from pressing Qin Sang for an answer to his invitation.
"The Daoist hurries back and forth all day long. I wonder if you have uncovered any news?" Yu Kong asked with feigned curiosity, a confident smile touching the corners of his mouth. Clearly, he was convinced Qin Sang could not possibly have gained anything.
Qin Sang gave a dry chuckle and cupped his hands. "Passable, passable..."
Watching Qin Sang walk off, Yu Kong shook his head with a mocking smile.
Qin Sang maintained his routine as usual. When passing by a secluded alley, his eyes suddenly narrowed. Showing no change in expression, he turned into the alleyway, and as he passed a certain shop, he slipped inside.
The person waiting in the shop was none other than Yunyouzi.
"Senior, meeting so hastily at a time like this—aren't you afraid of exposing our tracks?" Qin Sang asked with a furrowed brow, his tone carrying a trace of dissatisfaction.
To win Yu Kong's trust, he had proceeded with utmost caution in everything. Meeting now entailed enormous risk.
"Rest easy, Brother Qin. I trailed you the entire way; no one followed behind you," Yunyouzi said, leading Qin Sang into the back room while sending a quiet voice transmission. "Brother Qin hasn't met Fellow Daoist Ge yet... Sheng Yuanzi has already gathered his crew, and Fellow Daoist Ge will be leaving Xihuang Town very shortly. Any later and we would run out of time. This old Daoist must distribute the Concentric Pendants to you first."
Aside from Yu Kong, the other two leaders were named Luo Xingnan and Sheng Yuanzi. Like Yu Kong, both were powerful experts in the middle Foundation Establishment stage.
Ge Yuan had been recruited by Sheng Yuanzi, and it appeared Yunyouzi had successfully integrated himself into Luo Xingnan's squad.
In the back room, Qin Sang met Ge Yuan for the first time.
The man looked about as young as Qin Sang, with dignified features and an air of pride between his brows. Qin Sang keenly caught a fleeting glint of disdain in Ge Yuan's eyes when he looked at him.
In the cultivation world, strength commanded absolute respect.
Ge Yuan's cultivation was higher than Yunyouzi's, roughly on par with Yu Daiyue's, and not far from breaking through to the middle Foundation Establishment stage. Had Yunyouzi not saved his life, he might not have shown Yunyouzi any deference either.
Qin Sang performed a Daoist bow. "This poor Daoist greets Fellow Daoist Ge."
"No need for excessive ceremony, Daoist."
Ge Yuan nodded casually, scrutinizing Qin Sang, and offered an unvarnished warning: "From where I stand, your cultivation is truly a bit too low, Daoist. Still, Senior Yunyouzi has been full of praise for you, so I presume you won't let him down?"
So long as the venture succeeded, Qin Sang did not care about being looked down upon by Ge Yuan. Maintaining an unruffled expression, he replied, "Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Ge. This poor Daoist will strictly follow Senior's instructions. The moment I detect any clue, I will inform you two at once and will never act on my own."
Only then did Ge Yuan let Qin Sang off the hook, turning toward Yunyouzi. "Senior, time is pressing. Let us distribute the Concentric Pendants first."
Yunyouzi nodded and took out three identical, rounded ivory pendants.
"These three Concentric Pendants were refined from the tusks of the very same Heavenly Net White Elephant demon beast. Old me went through great inquiries before obtaining them.
"Legend has it that the Heavenly Net White Elephant carries the bloodline of the divine beast Diting, and the Concentric Pendants possess telepathic communication abilities capable of transmitting messages. Though the distance cannot be excessively great, it is more than sufficient within Qiuhong Market.
"The three of us will drip our essence blood onto the Concentric Pendants simultaneously. Once someone detects a clue, crushing the pendant immediately conveys the message to the other two.
"The Concentric Pendants possess innate wonder and will not emit the slightest spiritual power fluctuation, making it impossible for outsiders to notice.
"However, you two must keep in mind: once shattered, a Concentric Pendant cannot be restored. We have only a single chance. You must ensure the intelligence is genuine; otherwise, all our efforts will be in vain."
Chapter 280