Jiang Ke’er used the remaining time before the gathering to continue preparing more Lucky Bags.
The most troublesome part of the pill refining process could now be skipped; she only needed to pack the Dan Medicine from her inventory into bags, so this time the speed was much faster.
By the time everyone assembled, she had filled all the Small Universe Bags—over thirty thousand in total.
All the Ta Ming Sect cultivators gathered in the main hall downstairs of the inn, but Senior Brother Xuanyang was noticeably late.
Xuanyang was the team leader for this trip, and because of his extensive experience, he was responsible for making the main decisions.
Yiqin Shifu had once emphasized that when going down the mountain, they must listen to Xuanyang.
Xuanyang arrived about half an hour late. He walked back into the inn from outside, his expression grave and troubled.
He first led Jiang Ke’er and the others away from the inn, hiding in a small alley before speaking.
“I received a message from Respected Master this morning. Ta Ming Sect’s Medical Halls across Divine Continent are simultaneously experiencing some very bad incidents. It’s clear some force is targeting Ta Ming Sect secretly… And judging by the scale, the Kuanglong Hall alone definitely couldn’t have done this.”
Jiang Ke’er couldn’t help but recall the new Dan Medicine Emporium she had seen last night that belonged to Kuanglong Hall.
The suffix on that emporium’s name bore the words “Dan Sect Alliance,” and inside were many monopolized medicines that Kuanglong Hall wouldn’t normally have access to.
It seemed Kuanglong Hall had found allies.
“After hearing the news, I went straight to stake out at the Jingcheng Medical Pavilion… Sure enough, not long after, a medical disturbance occurred. A large group of unidentified cultivators blocked the pavilion’s entrance, making normal operations impossible, forcing it to shut down.”
Xuanyang’s tone was heavy as he clenched his fist tightly, his hatred evident.
The Medical Hall was an important source of income for Ta Ming Sect. Every forced closure was a significant blow.
And for the Ta Ming Sect cultivators, their fortunes rose and fell with the Sect’s.
Especially for Xuanyang, since the Sect Leader had saved his life once, his sense of belonging was extremely strong… Naturally, he couldn’t tolerate outsiders bullying Ta Ming Sect like this.
Jiang Ke’er noticed Xuanyang’s clothes were somewhat disheveled.
Sure enough, Xuanyang soon pulled out a Qiankun Bag with a cold smile. “I mixed into the crowd and took advantage of the chaos to unlock one troublemaker’s Qiankun Bag. Inside, I found their transaction records with the Stop-Bleeding Sect…”
Jiang Ke’er felt a bit more familiar with this normally cold and rigid Senior Brother—after all, she herself relied on the same skill to get by.
“I’ve already reported this to Respected Master. Now, Ta Ming Sect’s enemy is no longer just Kuanglong Hall. It looks like a storm is coming,” Xuanyang sighed softly.
“The foundation of Ta Ming Sect is in danger.”
Though no open battle had erupted yet, Ta Ming Sect was at a critical juncture of life and death under the combined siege of major sects!
The enemy was aggressive and far too strong, yet Ta Ming Sect dared not strike first.
Because if they did, the other side would have a direct excuse for military assault, which would only lead to Ta Ming Sect’s more complete destruction!
But if the enemy continued sabotaging Ta Ming Sect’s Medical Halls and shops, choking off its economic lifeblood, it would be a slow death countdown for the Sect!
Cultivators consume enormous resources in their training.
If resources are cut off, they will fall behind, fall behind means being beaten… Ta Ming Sect would weaken and collapse step by step.
In such dire times, many cultivators within the Sect might find it hard to endure, grow dissatisfied with Ta Ming Sect’s decline, defect, and thereby accelerate its downfall… When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter—this was the reality of the cultivation world.
“Currently, all Ta Ming Sect’s Medical Halls and Dan Medicine shops are paralyzed,” Xuanyang said sternly. “Many Ta Ming Sect disciples traveling outside have also been attacked. We must return quickly! We have to help stabilize morale and find ways to assist Ta Ming Sect through this crisis!”
As Xuanyang spoke, Jiang Ke’er also received a Paper Crane Message from Yiqin Shifu.
【Danger below the mountain, return immediately!】
Holding the message, Jiang Ke’er, who greatly valued her life, did not follow the order to flee back to the Sect but instead fell into deep thought.
The others looked at her, since their original purpose was to accompany her to gather herbs and investigate the market.
“We can’t go back!” After a moment of contemplation, Jiang Ke’er said firmly.
Xuanyang frowned. “Junior Sister, this isn’t the time to be stubborn. Herbs can be gathered at any time… But as elite disciples of each peak, if we don’t return, other disciples will surely start to speculate.”
“Even if morale is stabilized, so what? The root problem isn’t solved. Once Ta Ming Sect can’t support them, they’ll leave anyway… Staying a few days longer is just prolonging the inevitable!” Jiang Ke’er replied.
Xuanyang understood this as well, but helping to stabilize morale and delay the dispersal of Ta Ming Sect was all he could do.
He sighed lightly. “I understand, but this isn’t something we can solve. We just need to focus on what we can do…”
“I have a way!” Jiang Ke’er interrupted.
Xuanyang stared at her in surprise.
“But I can’t tell you what it is, nor can I tell the elders of the Sect,” Jiang Ke’er looked at Xuanyang seriously. “You just need to follow my instructions and assist me with some things. That’s how we can help Ta Ming Sect through this crisis!”
Xuanyang’s expression turned strange, clearly puzzled.
Jiang Ke’er didn’t reveal anything, which naturally made her hard to believe. No matter how you looked at it, she seemed unreliable.
But Xuanyang didn’t blame her; instead, he calmed down and spoke earnestly, “Junior Sister, we know you’re gifted and usually everything goes smoothly for you… But this time is different. You’re only at the Four Symbols Realm, and we are only at the Five Elements Stage. In this vast cultivation world, we’re just weak ordinary people. There are many things beyond our reach. We must act within our means!”
This Senior Brother was a good man.
Jiang Ke’er smiled faintly. “I understand your worries, Senior Brother, but I can’t explain… I just hope you can trust me this once! Just this once!”
Xuanyang was conflicted.
“Give me seven days! After seven days, I’ll make everything clear to you… If I fail, I’ll return to the Sect with you and sever my meridians in apology—no objections!”
“No, no, no! Don’t sever your meridians. If you do, all the Sect cultivators will go berserk and kill us!”
Fatty Xiao Ming shouted hurriedly, then his expression turned serious. “I don’t know if others will believe you, but I’m willing to trust you once! Because you saved my life twice! So even though I think there’s little chance we can do anything, I’m willing to stay and go crazy with you… Because I owe you this!”
Xiao Ri said, “What Xiao Ming said, I agree with.”
“I trust you.” Qian Yue smiled faintly, the only one without any sign of despair, her eyes shining with hope.
“Seven days,” Xuanyang lowered his head, thinking for a moment.
“Fine, seven days is still acceptable. I’ll stay and go crazy with you too… If Respected Master reprimands us later, I’ll take responsibility!”
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