Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

Shen Mo did not continue to explain, but instead changed the subject: "I have my own plans for this matter. There is no need for everyone to panic excessively. Right now, we need to perform our duties and stabilize morale."

He turned his gaze to Zhao Qingyan: "Qingyan."

"Disciple is here!" Zhao Qingyan exclaimed, stepping forward in a flash.

"Starting today, all members of the Array Hall will be on duty, activating the full power of the mountain-protecting array. With you personally overseeing the array's core, can you ensure absolute safety?" Shen Mo asked, his tone serious.

Suppressing her panic, Zhao Qingyan declared resolutely, "This disciple guarantees with her life! I will live and die with the formation!"

"Okay." Shen Mo nodded, then looked at Li Xiaocao: "Xiaocao."

"Sect Leader, Senior Brother!" Li Xiaocao straightened her back.

"The Pill Hall is operating at full capacity, prioritizing the supply of all healing, recovery, and enhancement pills. Is this feasible?"

"Yes! The warehouse has plenty of materials. Even if I don't eat or drink, I can definitely refine enough pills!" Li Xiaocao said through gritted teeth.

"Wang Hu".

"Disciple is here!"

"The Hall of Deacons must assist Elder Han in calming the disciples, allocating supplies, and conducting patrols and security; there must be no mistakes!"

"yes!"

Shen Mo issued clear and firm instructions one by one, and the panicked people gradually calmed down in a strange way.

The sect leader is so calm, could it be... that he really has a solution?

Finally, Shen Mo looked at Shi Tie and Su Xiao: "Junior Brother Tie, Junior Sister Xiao, come with me to the Enlightenment Cave. Elder Han, you will be in charge of this place."

"I obey!" Han Lin bowed.

Shen Mo said no more and turned to walk towards the back hall. Shi Tie and Su Xiao exchanged a glance and immediately followed.

The people left inside the hall, though still worried, seemed to have found their leader. Under Han Lin's command, they began to disperse in an orderly manner and get busy with their own tasks.

Inside the Enlightenment Cave, the lights were bright, yet it was even quieter than the Council Hall.

Shen Mo sat cross-legged on the main futon, with Shi Tie and Su Xiao sitting on either side. The isolation formation had been activated, and only the heavy breathing of the three of them could be heard inside the cave.

"Senior Brother Sect Leader, what did you mean just now? Wasn't that old bastard here to settle a blood feud?" Shi Tie, being impatient, couldn't help but be the first to speak.

Su Xiao also looked over intently. She already had a guess in her mind, but she needed the sect leader to confirm it.

Shen Mo did not answer directly, but sighed softly, his gaze seemingly piercing through the stone wall and looking towards the distant past.

"Junior Brother Tie, Junior Sister Xiao, do you still remember how our Qingyun Sect established itself in this Blackwater Marsh and gradually rose to prominence?"

Shi Tie scratched his head: "I remember! Wasn't it because we received the inheritance of Ancestor Liuyun, and you, Senior Brother Sect Leader, led us step by step to develop?"

Su Xiao's mind raced, and she instantly grasped the key point, exclaiming, "It's...it's those 'stories'! Stories about Ancestor Liuyun's connections with various forces...stories?!"

Shen Mo gave her an approving look and nodded: "Not bad. Ancestor Liuyun was exceptionally talented, but due to the passage of time, many of his deeds are no longer verifiable."

"In order to deter troublemakers, reduce unnecessary trouble, and buy time and space for the sect's development, we... or rather I, did intentionally or unintentionally release some information."

"For example, the patriarch once had a grudge against a certain demon and suppressed him; or, during his travels, the patriarch had some connection with certain ancient secret realms..."

Shi Tie was dumbfounded: "My goodness! Senior Brother Sect Leader, you mean... the Xuan Yin Sect came knocking on our door because they heard the story we made up... uh, the story we told?"

"They've mistaken the demon we created, the one suppressed by the patriarch, for one of their own?"

"I'm afraid they see us as more than just one of their own." A cold glint flashed in Shen Mo's eyes. "More likely, the story we've fabricated just happens to match up with an important figure in the history of the Xuan Yin Sect who has disappeared or fallen!"

"Or rather, they need such a plausible excuse! This is the real 'karma backlash'!"

Su Xiao gasped, feeling a chill run down her spine. She finally understood why her senior brother, the sect leader, had said it was a coincidence!

This is no coincidence, it's simply... reaping what you sow!

No, it was an unexpected yet reasonable backlash from the sect leader's far-sighted planning! Those who profit from empty legends will one day be devoured by those same empty legends!

"Then... what do we do now?" Shi Tie was dumbfounded. After all this time, it turned out that he was the one who brought the trouble upon himself.

"What's the panic?" Shen Mo's tone remained calm. "Misfortune may be a blessing in disguise, and a blessing in disguise. Since they believe this 'story,' then this 'story' might just be the key to breaking this deadlock for us!"

He looked at Su Xiao: "Junior Sister Xiao, immediately contact Chen Hao of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion and use the highest-level confidentiality channels. I need all the public and private conflict records between the Xuan Yin Sect and the Heavenly Sword Sect for the past fifty years, no, for the past one hundred years, especially detailed information about resource disputes, territorial conflicts, and friction between disciples! The more detailed, the better!"

"Yes!" Without hesitation, Su Xiao immediately took out a specially made communication jade talisman and began to make contact.

Shen Mo then said to Shi Tie, "Junior Brother Tie, go to the Scripture Pavilion yourself and find all the records in Ancestor Liuyun's travelogue about his travels to the edge of dangerous places in the southern part of the Eastern Wilderness, such as the Black Wind Mountains, Meteor Lake, and Yin Wind Ravine, especially the parts that mention local powers, mineral resources, and strange phenomena. Give them all to me!"

"Black Wind Mountains? I remember the Sword Sect had a large mine there?" Although Shi Tie was straightforward, he wasn't stupid and immediately grasped the key point.

"Indeed." A cold glint flashed in Shen Mo's eyes. "The Xuan Yin Sect and the Tian Jian Sect, one cultivates the Yin and evil path, and the other upholds the glorious sword path. They are fundamentally different and cannot work together."

"As far as I know, the two factions have been fighting openly and covertly for decades over a rich 'Void Stone' mine in the Black Wind Mountains, and their grudges have run deep."

"What do you think would happen if the Xuan Yin Sect suddenly discovered that the 'blood feud' inheritance they've been searching for might not only be in Qingyun Mountain, but could also point to the depths of the Tianjian Sect's mines, which they've long coveted...?"

Shi Tie's eyes suddenly lit up, and he slapped his thigh: "I get it! Senior Brother Sect Leader, you're thinking of... shifting the blame! Letting those two tigers fight each other!"

"It's not just about shifting the blame eastward." Shen Mo stood up, walked to the map of the Southern Region of the Eastern Wilderness hanging on the cave wall, and pointed to the location of the Black Wind Mountains.

What we need to do is pour another bucket of oil on this fire that's already burning!

"To convince the Xuan Yin Sect that the Heavenly Sword Sect is their true target, while our Qingyun Sect is merely an insignificant stepping stone in their way!"

"They might even be... bait used by the Heavenly Sword Sect to draw enemy fire!"

Su Xiao had already sent the message and added upon hearing this:

"In this way, the main focus of the Xuan Yin Sect will inevitably be tied down by the Tian Jian Sect. Even if they don't completely give up putting pressure on us, the pressure will be greatly reduced."

"This would give us a precious respite, or even... allow us to sit back and watch the tigers fight!"

"Yes! That's exactly right!" Shi Tie exclaimed excitedly. "But Senior Brother Sect Leader, how can we let that old devil from the Xuan Yin Sect believe us? That old guy seems incredibly shrewd!"