The Commandery Governor glared at Lu Yang, grinding his teeth, but found himself completely powerless.
From the bottom of his heart, he did not want to reveal this secret, but with matters having developed to this point, he had no choice whether he wanted to speak or not.
The Mo Family Patriarch wore an expression of watching a good show, gloating openly.
The governor let out a heavy sigh. "Please, everyone, follow me."
The group followed the governor up to the surface and headed straight for the mine.
"The collapse of the mine was a false report released to the public. There is another hidden truth inside."
Familiar with the route, the governor led them to the very end of a mining tunnel. He pressed a hidden mechanism on the wall, and with a rumbling sound, a stone door opened, leading deep into the mountain's interior.
This was an internal passageway known to only a handful of people. Formations designed to evade divine sense scans were covertly laid out; any probing scan would merely perceive a scene simulated by the formation.
The Mo Family Patriarch grew serious. It matched the intelligence he had gathered—there really was a secret passageway.
The farther they went into the tunnel, the stronger the pungent stench of blood became. It smelled as if a horrific massacre had taken place ahead, with mountains of corpses drained of all their blood.
When Lu Yang stepped out of the tunnel into an open area, the bloody stench surged over them like a tidal wave.
Fortunately, Lu Yang quickly grew accustomed to the smell and clearly saw the scene before him.
At the center of the vast cavern was a massive pit filled with crimson liquid. Countless stones jutted out of the lake of blood, strikingly vivid in color, all of similar quality to the Phoenix Blood Stone Meng Jingzhou had purchased.
A few people walked along the rim of the pit, pouring blood into the crimson lake from time to time.
"Th-this is..."
The governor explained helplessly, "This is where Phoenix Blood Stones are being produced."
"Phoenix Blood Stones are fakes?!" Meng Jingzhou was stunned. *Did I spend five hundred thousand on a counterfeit?*
Li Haoran shook his head. "No. The blood in the pit is indeed phoenix blood. I saw my master use it during artifact crafting, though the phoenix blood my master used was of higher quality than what's here."
"Lord Governor, who are these people?" A young man with crimson eyes walked over, red feathers visible along the side of his neck.
Frowning, he approached the governor, visibly displeased that outsiders had been brought here.
The governor sighed. "I had no choice. If I hadn't brought them here, I'd be the one suffering."
The crimson-eyed youth was on the verge of losing his temper. Bringing outsiders meant the secret was exposed; how was he supposed to answer to his clan leader when he went back?
"These people are from the Dao Seeking Sect. And this is my grandson, the Mo Family Patriarch."
"Scram!"
"The Dao Seeking Sect?" The crimson-eyed youth appraised Lu Yang and the others in surprise. His expression shifted repeatedly, as if recalling unpleasant memories, and his arrogant demeanor vanished.
"What is Yun Zhi to you?"
"She is my Eldest Senior Sister."
"What is Gan Tian to you?"
"She is my Third Senior Sister," Lu Yang answered.
The Third Senior Sister he had yet to meet was named Gan Tian, currently roaming the Demon Domain for practical experience.
"Ah, so fellow Daoists from the Dao Seeking Sect have come to inspect and visit! Right this way, please." The crimson-eyed youth's attitude underwent a complete hundred-and-eighty-degree turn. A warm, amiable smile broke across his face.
The corner of the governor's eye twitched. He had never seen this youth act so warmly toward him. "Allow me to introduce him. This is Jiang Shan, of the Phoenix Clan."
"Senior Jiang Shan, do you know my Eldest Senior Sister and Third Senior Sister...?"
"Oh, calling me Senior Jiang Shan is far too formal! Just call me Little Jiang from now on." For some reason, Jiang Shan was exceptionally polite to Lu Yang.
"As for Senior Yun Zhi and Senior Gan Tian, they treated our Phoenix Clan exceedingly well. They even visited our Phoenix Clan to spar and guide our cultivation. I had the privilege of receiving their guidance as well.
"Of course, if possible—and I mean only if possible—could you please ask your Eldest Senior Sister and Third Senior Sister not to visit our Phoenix Clan again when you return? The Dragon Clan's territory is much larger; they should visit the Dragon Clan instead."
Lu Yang: "..."
*Eldest Senior Sister, Third Senior Sister, just what did the two of you do to the Phoenix Clan?*
Su Yiren was curious as well. This behavior was quite unlike the legendary, haughty Phoenix Clan.
"I came here just to find out what is really going on with the Phoenix Blood Stones."
The governor said, "Jiang Shan doesn't know the full story as well as I do. Allow me to explain.
"This tale begins four thousand years ago. Four thousand years ago, a senior phoenix passed away in meditation here. Its blood saturated the mountain, giving birth to the first batch of Phoenix Blood Stones. When the ancients discovered the stones by accident, they were overjoyed and set up camp here, establishing the rudimentary beginning of Luofeng Commandery.
"About seven hundred years later, Phoenix Blood Stones became scarcer and increasingly difficult to excavate. The commandery governor at the time realized this wouldn't do. If the Phoenix Blood Stones dried up, Luofeng Commandery's economic pillar would vanish, and the entire commandery would collapse.
"Thus, he secretly traveled to the Phoenix Clan, hoping to purchase some phoenix blood to produce a new batch of Phoenix Blood Stones.
"At first, the Phoenix Clan refused. They were proud and untainted by mortal concerns, unwilling to sell their blood to a commandery governor.
"However, when the governor showed them the sales revenue of Phoenix Blood Stones over the centuries and promised to give the Phoenix Clan thirty percent of the profits, their attitude changed completely."
Everyone turned to look at the only Phoenix Clan member present, Jiang Shan.
Jiang Shan said with righteous conviction, "Our Phoenix Clan has so many mouths to feed! Food, clothing, housing, travel—which of those doesn't cost spirit stones? What's wrong with using our own abilities to earn a little money and help out with family expenses?"
This was the first time Lu Yang had ever heard someone describe selling their own blood in such an ethereal, lofty manner.
Lu Yang recalled what Li Haoran had said earlier: *The Phoenix Clan is the proudest of the demon race. Their blood is exceedingly precious, and for humans to obtain it is harder than ascending to the heavens.*
Some "harder than ascending to the heavens" that was.
The governor glanced at Jiang Shan. "If your Phoenix Clan is so righteously justified, why did you insist that the Phoenix Blood Stones be artificially aged, adamantly demanding that outsiders never see they were freshly soaked?"
Jiang Shan averted his eyes guiltily, not daring to meet the governor's gaze.
"The Phoenix Clan was willing to sell phoenix blood, but required the matter to be kept strictly confidential so no one would find out. That senior governor then researched methods to quickly age the Phoenix Blood Stones.
"Just like this."
The governor casually picked up a stone from the pool of blood and cast a spell. The strikingly vibrant Phoenix Blood Stone grew dim and lusterless in his hand, looking as though it had weathered hundreds or thousands of years.
"Every few years, Luofeng Commandery obtains a shipment of blood from the Phoenix Clan to soak stones and manufacture Phoenix Blood Stones.
"This has continued for over three thousand years, remaining a secret passed down between each generation of commandery governors.
"Later, some mishap occurred, and a Phoenix Blood Stone that hadn't been artificially aged slipped out. After changing hands multiple times, it was purchased by the young master of the Meng Family.
"If an experienced artifact refiner saw that Phoenix Blood Stone, they would deduce that the stones currently produced by Luofeng Commandery were all freshly manufactured, and from there, uncover the agreement between Luofeng Commandery and the Phoenix Clan.
"If this matter were exposed, neither Luofeng Commandery nor the Phoenix Clan would save face. That is why I was desperate to retrieve that stone. As for this fellow surnamed Mo, he shared the exact same thought.
"However, now that things have come to this and you all know the truth, retrieving it has become meaningless."
Chapter 229