My Misfortune Crushed Instances-Chapter 175: There’s a Mole—The Deal Is Already Done

The elders of the Peach Blossom Spring Elder Council looked at each other in dismay.

The Banyan Tree Spirit Elder at the forefront furrowed his bark, pondering for a while before speaking: "If you put it that way, indeed, there was a traveling scholar who came."

Scholar?

The key word triggered a reaction, and Li Rui became excited: "If I'm not mistaken, it was shortly after he arrived that something went wrong with those three places in the Five-Colored Cave!" 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Hiss....."

The Banyan Tree Spirit glanced at the other elders, "Indeed, it was after his arrival that the incidents occurred, but there was a gap of several months in between."

"Several months?"

Li Rui asked, "When did he come?"

"A year ago."

Li Rui frowned in thought: Not sure what timeline it is now, and what exactly a year ago means.

Hea Yang continued in confusion: What? A year ago? What scholar? How does he know?

Li Rui glanced at the countdown, over six hours left, ample time to search for the last clue.

He cupped his fists, completely forgetting that he was pretending to be a Daoist, and inquired, "Could I trouble the Elder to explain what happened at that time?"

The Banyan Tree Spirit did not refuse, but first asked someone to notify the Vine Spirit guards to check on the situation in the Five-Colored Cave and other places, then began to tell the story.

...

A year ago.

Guard Vine Yao saw a person coming up the mountain path, looking like a scholar, refined and courteous, seemingly a good person.

"Sir, this is the Holy Land of our race, outsiders are not allowed to enter. If you wish to purchase mountain goods, you need to go to the market at the foot of the mountain."

The scholar made a bow and said in a gentle voice, "I am Zuo, studying at Jingyang Academy. I am now traveling the world on my master's orders and have just arrived here, I apologize for the intrusion, I was unaware this is a forbidden area of your nobility, please forgive me."

Vine Yao, a young and inexperienced Vine Spirit, saw his politeness and quickly returned the gesture: "Sir, you speak too heavily, it is us who have not been hospitable. However, our race consists of Forest Spirits, and the places we inhabit can't accommodate outsiders for long, so we generally do not receive foreign guests."

The scholar nodded in understanding and said, "However, my purpose for coming up the mountain is not for sightseeing, but because I noticed disturbances in the Spiritual Qi in the mountain, and I am concerned there might be something wrong, so I came to inquire."

Upon hearing this, Vine Yao was greatly moved.

He really is a good person.

"What you're saying is very true, sir."

The young Forest Spirit scratched its green head, "The Spiritual Qi here is becoming more and more chaotic."

The scholar continued, "Back at the academy, my master taught me the art of aura observation, and thus I can see the disturbances in Spiritual Qi. If such a situation is not timely intervened, it might cause a great disaster."

Originally, the Vine Spirit captain and the seniors beside him were just watching coldly, but upon hearing this, they also couldn't remain calm and stepped forward to inquire: "Please, sir, guide us."

The scholar did not hold back, and found a stone to sit on nearby, saying: "The Elf lineage, all are conceived and born through the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi affecting the grass, wood, earth, stones, and water, being highly dependent on Spiritual Qi."

"Often a clan leader is the first to awaken, then leads the surrounding lineages, thriving and reproducing. Therefore, after an elf is born, it often never relocates, staying forever in the initial place."

The Vine Spirits nodded repeatedly, what he said was not wrong at all, and he said it so nicely, they naturally agreed very much.

The scholar smiled faintly and continued, "But in this way, a problem arises, that is, once the Spiritual Qi goes awry, the whole clan will be affected."

"Initially, perhaps an elder has some anomalies, followed by the creatures within the clan being affected, lifespans shortened, and various disasters ensuing."

"Yes, yes, sir, you're truly prophetic!"

The Vine Spirit guards were already surrounding him like little students.

Yet the scholar's expression was serious: "It's not over yet, if this continues, the situation will worsen, the clan elders will weaken first, further affecting the mountains and waters, influencing each other, when one fades, the other also fades....."

"As time goes by, even the elven elders might fall into slumber, eventually leading to their deaths with their bodies and spirits extinguished! And within the lineage, losing the pillar that stabilizes the Spiritual Qi, it may not escape extinction."

The Vine Spirits were already terrified.

"Please save us, sir!"

The scholar looked troubled: "This is no easy task, I need to enter your precious land for a closer look to know what to do."

This left the Vine Spirits in hesitation.

Even though they were heavily manipulated, outsiders still could not be easily allowed entry.

The scholar took out a jade token from his person: "This item is the waist token of the academy, proving my identity, if concerned, you may verify."

Jingyang Academy is also a renowned institution under the heavens, and ordinary people don't dare to impersonate, but.... it's hard to say for unusual people.

The Vine Spirits received the item, felt the token was not cold, but had a warm feeling, knowing it wasn't an ordinary thing, and the words 'Jingyang' inscribed on it glowed, enhancing its credibility.

In fact, this token was genuine, but the Forest Spirits had little interaction with the Human Race, and news was closed off, unaware that a few months ago, in the Central Plains, a bloody case occurred, where a group of traveling students from Jingyang Academy was harmed, and to this day, who the perpetrator is remains unknown.

The Vine Spirit captain thought, this person is knowledgeable, and with the jade token as proof, he was invited into the mountain gate and brought to see the Tree Spirit elder.

Hearing this, Li Rui was filled with rage.

Damn! This is a typical fraudster! The routines are all the same.

First, they say you have some terrible disaster, extremely serious, causing panic, urgently seeking guidance, then acting like it's difficult to solve, and then making a request.

Humans are truly despicable and shameless! So evil!

Then he remembered he also used a fake identity to enter the mountain gate.

"....."

"Elders, what happened afterward? What did he do after entering the Holy Land?"

The Banyan Tree Spirit hesitated and said, "Within the Holy Land, he helped the residents and deeply gained our trust, after which the Elder Council allowed him to attempt resolving the disturbances in the Spiritual Qi."

"....."

Li Rui was speechless again.

This sounds just like my routine!

"Did he go to the Five-Colored Cave, Deep Cold Pool, or Yellow Flower Gorge?" he asked.

The Banyan Tree Spirit looked at the Tree Spirit elder by the mountain gate, who replied: "That gentleman had seemingly visited everywhere in the Holy Land, but he didn't stay long, and it seemed fruitless, we didn't hold much hope, so did not pay attention. Huh? When did he leave? I hardly remember."

Li Rui had a clue, he asked, "Elder, did the scholar have fair skin, phoenix eyes, a narrow nose, thin lips, but looked very gentle and elegant?"

"Uh.... Seems so, getting old, my memory isn't good."

"Never mind, let's talk about it later, was he wandering here alone at that time?"

"Someone guided him."

"Who?"

"Vine Yao, the young Vine Spirit whom the Daoist drove out the evil earlier."

Li Rui raised an eyebrow.

Having a Vine Spirit accompanying the whole time, why was there still an opportunity to set up mechanisms nurturing Evil Qi?

Unless.....

"Oh no, Vine Yao is the insider! Quickly go find him!"

.....

"You're awake?"

The Vine Spirit captain was taking care of an injured junior in a wooden house, and after a night, the other finally woke up.

"How do you feel? Hey, don't move, you were possessed by an Evil Spirit, it's best to lie down and rest for a few days."

However, Vine Yao did not listen to advice, and directly rolled off the resting stone platform, standing in the room.

At this moment, the captain felt something was wrong, this guy hadn't spoken the whole time, and looked peculiar.

He approached, wanting to check Vine Yao's condition, but suddenly froze.

In the middle of its body, at the position of the crystal core nurtured by Spiritual Qi, a blood-red vine claw was deeply pierced through, emerging from the back.

"Roar——"

A roar not belonging to a Forest Spirit echoed in the wooden house.