Huh? Isn't this an adventure kingdom building game?!-Chapter 819 - 767: Pleading for Leniency (2)
The data on the trunk can only be seen by Jiang Yuan. Judging by the reshaping progress, just this one special plant alone will take at least six months to a year.
As for the other two special plants from achievement rewards, they didn’t get the best timing, with limited time for the Farming Acceleration Item, they hadn’t matured by the time the acceleration ended.
So, there were two half-grown saplings left, standing on the mountain, looking even more fragile when compared with the Dangling Silk Star Sea Tree.
Jiang Yuan tried using Acceleration Cards to expedite their growth, and after using two cards, the tree grew just a little.
Can’t rush it, can’t rush it, better let them grow slowly!
The sun sets in the west, surveying the soon-to-be-harvested cornfields and sweet potato fields, with the lake not far away where lotus leaves are as green as jade; the newly budding lotus flowers swayed gently with the breeze, and his own little courtyard became more and more pleasing to the eye.
[Dusk has fallen, Wilderness descends]
The evening beauty didn’t last long, as the system flashed a prompt, dark clouds gathered and the Wilderness descended, making the sky completely dark.
Pushing open the carved door of the Floating Market, Jiang Yuan chose to open the Wo Hu Temple Market again, planning to make arrangements for Pavilion Master Cang before heading to Cold Spring Temple to see what side quest might be triggered.
If time permits, he could consider making a round to the Show Bamboo Pavilion, hoping to gather enough Evil Cultivators during this period for some nourishment.
"Mr. Jiang, I’ve come to sample your good tea again." Qu Luming unexpectedly arrived just as the door to the Cloud Grocery Store opened, though he was already wandering around the market.
He circled around with high hopes only to find that Pavilion Master Cang still hadn’t returned.
Now it can be confirmed that she is indeed a Demon Cultivator; better have the market master find a way to contact and urge her to return quickly, if she refuses to walk into the trap, then let the Law Enforcement Hall of the Demon Realm Alliance issue a bounty order for capture!
"Please, Daoist Qu." Jiang Yuan politely invited the other to sit down, poured two cups of Spirit Tea, and said, "I remember it was around early spring, when the Hall Master of the Demon Realm Bloodthirst Hall and an Elder voluntarily disclosed the Demon King’s pollution invasion plan.
I thought this is a significant matter and it’s more appropriate for the Demon Realm Alliance to handle it, so I sent them along with the confessing Memory Stone to the Demon Realm Alliance. Do you know about this?"
Qu Luming, who just picked up the tea cup to take a sip of the fragrant Spirit Tea, was stunned by the words, "So it was you who did this! Oh my..."
He made a reluctant expression and lowered his voice, saying, "This is truly embarrassing. The great Demon Realm Alliance...tsk tsk, let’s just say, the two guys you caught were never seen alive in the first place!"
Jiang Yuan thought about the aftermath at Cyan Fish Mountain Market and realized it was all over, it must have been intercepted by an insider.
Sure enough, the other sighed, "It’s strange, who exactly at the alliance headquarters smoothly made those two Demon Cultivators disappear without a trace, we haven’t found out anything even now.
Whether they were sent away or silenced, we don’t know either.
After a while, rumors spread across various markets saying that Demon Cultivators took advantage of and killed people at the market, and the news grew more and more exaggerated, alarming the head office.
Upon further investigation, it revealed some oddities.
But after a long turn, only a confession clip of the Bloodthirst Hall Master was found, learning about the Demon King’s invasion and deployment of infiltrating Demon Cultivators in the market. I was dispatched to secretly investigate and capture Demon Cultivators at various markets, otherwise, I wouldn’t have the leisure to wander this small market, and ended up being caught red-handed by City Lord Yuan!"
"Have you ever tried backtracking to find out who exactly at the alliance headquarters is giving orders?"
"You might not know, Mr. Jiang, but the Demon Realm Alliance isn’t united, on the contrary, it involves many members and interests, leading to a complex internal situation that even the Vice Alliance Hierarch couldn’t handle.
Adding to that, with a lot of gossip, daily orders for various markets are issued using flying messages, and I personally went to Cyan Fish Mountain Market, but found nothing.
The order to suppress and silence the news was indeed issued by the headquarters. But who exactly issued it, there’s no record in the documentation department, meaning that Cyan Fish Mountain’s market master received a forgery, so how can it be traced?"
After speaking, he didn’t mind the hot Spirit Tea, drank it down in one gulp, squinted his eyes in delight, "By the time anything is done, the opportunity is long gone. Those Bloody Hall members already ran far away, several undercover agents in the markets also sneakily left.
The ones we caught later were all abandoned lackeys with no escape route. Who knows what the Demon Realm is up to, sending such a few Little Demon Cultivators thinking they could take over the whole Wilderness World, isn’t that daydreaming?"
Jiang Yuan also took a sip of tea, "Judging from the current clues, indeed it seems a bit bizarre, but since they painstakingly sent Demon Cultivators to infiltrate, there must be a reason. Daoist Qu, have you considered turning the Demon Cultivators against each other?
Think about it, once Bloodthirst Hall members knew they were exposed, they immediately got away, left are those Little Demon Cultivators without backing and no way out, knowing well that the Demon Realm treated them as expendable, utterly disregarding their lives. If you could just convince a couple of them..."
He still wanted to reserve a spot for his "Number One Benefactor", after all, this person was exceptionally adept at making money and evidently devout to "Lord Demon God".
So he lowered his voice, "Let them pretend to elude detection and continue to embed themselves, then once the Demon Realm contacts and activates them, wouldn’t we know what the other side is planning to do?"
"Could it be that you’re pleading for Pavilion Master Cang?" Qu Luming reacted quickly, the adorable little fox faithfully heeded Mr. Jiang’s words, even seeking permission to enter or leave the market.
She likes her ’Sister Cang’ so much, having Mr. Jiang mediate and resolve for her is completely possible!
Oh my!
I’m ridiculously oblivious! Qu Luming thought to himself, why didn’t I let slip some information for Miss Hu Jiu to seek a favor from me? Wouldn’t that deepen the bond between those two?
However, getting on Mr. Jiang’s good side is even better. Of course, not asking for any reward right now, but for future needs... hehehe... reciprocation!
"Indeed. First, the movement clues about the Demon Realm are too few, with internal moles in the Demon Realm Alliance posing many obstacles, to know exactly what the Demon King is plotting, we need to gather more intelligence;
Secondly, Pavilion Master Cang’s character is not problematic, though a Demon Cultivator, she doesn’t follow the Devil’s Way. She is willing to ally with us and will notify us proactively once there’s news of activation; Daoist Qu, you could also discuss mutual restraining tactics with her, letting her off the hook as if no issues were found might lead to unexpected gains.
Lastly and most importantly, she’s merely a little Demon Cultivator coerced into exile. Skilled in business, yet her personal power is quite ordinary; even if releasing a tiger back into its domain, she wouldn’t stir much trouble if she slips out of control one day. Daoist Qu, what’s your take?"
Qu Luming was already convinced but still pretended to be hesitant, "I believe your point is valid, sir, but... primarily because I am just a clone, unable to defy the command from the primary body.
Therefore, I will immediately return to the alliance headquarters to discuss it with the primary body.
If persuasion succeeds, it’s a win for everyone;
Should persuasion fail, and we have to issue a wanted order for Pavilion Master Cang, I’ll give you advance notice to help her lay low.
The Wilderness World won’t be viable for her then; she ought to find a way back to the Demon Realm. I’ll turn a blind eye and pretend ignorance, and the primary body won’t fuss over a Little Demon Cultivator."
He knew the primary body would likely agree, but had to voice the ugly truth upfront, exaggerating a bit to highlight the importance of his role.
Jiang Yuan nodded in agreement, Qu Luming left the grocery store and used the Teleportation Talisman to instantly disappear from the market street.
"Bang!"
The silent chamber door was pushed open again, Du Li rubbed his face vigorously with a severe toothache, "Why are you here again? Can’t you say everything at once and conclude the business?"
"Why the outburst? I’m here for a very important matter this time!" Qu Luming was unfazed, with his long legs he quickly stepped to the desk, picked up a cup of Spirit Tea and downed it all, finding it seemingly less tasteful than Mr. Jiang’s tea.
Glancing downwards and seeing the primary body’s almost fiery eyes, he chuckled, "I’m just having a sip to moisten my throat so I can tell you! It’s about our secret investigation of the Demon Cultivators..."
Adding some spice while retelling Jiang Yuan’s words, Qu Luming lowered his voice, "Mr. Jiang sent the Bloodthirst Hall Master and Elder along with evidence as a trust to the Demon Realm Alliance headquarters.
Yet they were intercepted by a mole, isn’t that incredibly embarrassing?
I think this plan is quite brilliant, better than having all of them captured without extracting any leads. Any trace of intelligence we can acquire is pure gain!"
