Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

The group entered the quiet room and closed the door. Shi Tie, still fuming, slammed his fist against a nearby sandalwood pillar, producing a dull thud.

"Sect Leader! They've practically shit on our necks! Are we just going to let this go? If we swallow this insult, then any Tom, Dick, or Harry will dare to trample on us! What will those newly allied opportunists think? They'll think our Qingyun Sect is afraid of them!"

"Brother Tie is right!" Li Xiaocao couldn't help but speak up, her voice trembling with tears. "Those children from the Lin family... died so tragically! If we ignore them, who will dare to truly rely on us in the future?"

Han Lin stroked his long beard and sighed, "Junior Brother Tie, Xiao Cao, I understand your feelings. However, this matter is far more complex than a single hair can move the whole body. Burning Heaven Valley and Five Poisons Sect are both behemoths, far stronger than the remnants of the Profound Yin Sect and Heavenly Sword Sect. If we rashly start a war, we will play right into their hands. They would love for us to take the initiative so they have an excuse to launch a large-scale invasion."

Zhao Qingyan calmly analyzed, "Elder Han is absolutely right. The other side's move is intended to provoke, not to engage in a decisive battle. The choice of the border as the location of the attack and the Xinfu Primary School family as the target shows an extremely insidious and cunning approach."

"If my sect retaliates in a grand manner, they can claim that my sect provoked us first and take advantage of the situation to launch an attack. If my sect swallows its anger, they can spread rumors that Qingyun Sect is strong on the outside but weak on the inside, thus undermining the foundation of my rule. This is a calculated strategy."

"A conspiracy? So we just let them run rampant?" Shi Tie retorted, his face full of resentment.

"Of course not." Shen Mo finally spoke, his voice regaining its usual composure. He walked to the table, his finger pointing to the jade slip containing intelligence. "Junior Sister Xiao, what evidence from the attack scene might pinpoint who was responsible?"

Su Xiao shook his head: "The other party is very cunning, and the traces they left behind are ambiguous. Although the incinerating aura and poison powder are the marks of the two factions, they are not exclusive; some independent cultivators or small forces may also possess them. They cannot be used as conclusive evidence."

"That's it." Shen Mo's gaze was deep. "They want to test us, but they don't want to immediately break off relations. So, we can't go along with their pace."

He looked at Shi Tie, his tone grave: "Junior Brother Tie, your fighting spirit is the courage of the sect, but now it must be used wisely. Order the Battle Hall to maintain a relaxed exterior but a tense interior, effective immediately!"

"Outer loose?" Shi Tie was taken aback.

"That's right," Shen Mo explained. "Externally, everything remains the same. Border patrols continue as usual, market transactions proceed as normal, and the policy of appeasing newly allied forces remains unchanged. In fact, we can even increase the compensation for the Lin family to demonstrate the sect's benevolence. We need to make it appear to outsiders that our Qingyun Sect is as stable as Mount Tai and has not lost its composure because of this 'trivial matter'."

"And what about the inner tightness?" Shi Tie pressed.

"Temporarily tighten security!" Shen Mo's eyes sharpened. "All elite troops of the Battle Hall are to have their leave canceled, secretly assemble, and be divided into three shifts, working day and night to strengthen the security level of the core area, important resource points, and all branch halls!"

"Patrol routes will be tightened, and the number of sentries will be doubled! Especially at key locations such as the entrance to the secret realm, the Pill Hall, the Weapon Hall, and the warehouse, Foundation Establishment elders must take turns overseeing these areas!"

He looked at Zhao Qingyan: "Junior Sister Qingyan, how is the optimization of the mountain-protecting formation progressing? Is it possible to extend its coverage to the core areas of the three branch halls as soon as possible? At the very least, we must ensure that the communication and short-distance support channels between the branch halls and the main mountain are unobstructed!"

Zhao Qingyan immediately replied, "Reporting to Senior Brother Sect Leader, the main array foundation has been reinforced. The secondary array eyes extending to Black Stone Village and Shadow Moon Valley are being laid, and it will take about ten days to achieve initial connection. Eagle Beak Gorge, due to its complex terrain, will require another half month. Junior Sister will personally supervise the array, working day and night to complete it as soon as possible!"

"Alright!" Shen Mo nodded. "The grand formation is crucial; make sure it's foolproof." He then looked at Su Xiao: "Junior Sister Xiao, your Shadow Guards are the sect's eyes and ears. I want you to spare no expense to spread the net wider and keep a close watch on the border!"

"Closely monitor the movements of the Burning Heaven Valley and the Five Poisons Sect. At the same time, conduct a secret investigation of all newly allied forces within the territory, especially those with connections to the outside world! I need to know who gave them the audacity to provoke us! Are there any inside agents colluding with them!"

"Yes! Xiao'er understands!" Su Xiao solemnly accepted the order, a cold light flashing in her eyes.

"Elder Han," Shen Mo finally looked at Han Lin, "I'll leave the internal stability maintenance and reassurance to you. As for the newly allied forces, we must both show them kindness and observe them discreetly. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. If any unusual activity is detected, report it first!"

"I obey!" Han Lin bowed and replied.

Shen Mo's gaze swept over the crowd one last time, his tone carrying an undeniable decisiveness: "Gentlemen, the tree may wish to remain still, but the wind will not cease. It's normal that some people don't want to see us develop peacefully. But that doesn't mean we should passively take a beating."

"They want to test us? We'll show them just how solid the foundation of the Qingyun Sect truly is! They want to create panic? We'll use our superior strength and more stable order to tell everyone that this world cannot be changed!"

He walked up to Shi Tie and patted him on the sturdy shoulder: "Junior Brother Tie, there will be your time to fight, but not now. Suppress your temper and sharpen the Zhan Tang sword even faster!"

"When the time is right, I'll make you draw your sword and make every enemy who dares to extend their claws pay tenfold, a hundredfold price!"

Shi Tie suppressed his surging blood and nodded heavily: "Sect Leader, I understand! Don't worry, the warriors of the Battle Hall will never let you down!"

"Go and get ready," Shen Mo waved his hand.

The others accepted the order and hurriedly left. Only Shen Mo remained in the quiet room. He walked to the window again, gazing at the distant horizon, his gaze seemingly piercing through layers of clouds, revealing the figures lurking stealthily along the border.

"Burning Heaven Valley... Five Poisons Sect... Remnants of the Heavenly Sword Sect... Remnants of the Profound Yin Sect..." he muttered to himself, a cold smile curving his lips. "They've all come smelling the scent, haven't they? The Boundary Stone... its allure is truly considerable."

......

Qingyun Mountain, the "Hundred Herbs Peak" where the Dan Hall is located.

It was late at night, but the alchemy room area at the summit was still brightly lit. The rich aroma of herbs mixed with the heat of the subterranean fire filled the air, invigorating the senses.

Inside the largest room of the Earth Fire Pill Refining Room, Li Xiaocao was wearing a plain dress stained with various colors of medicine, her hair was casually tied in a bun, and a few strands of hair were stuck to her forehead with sweat. She was staring intently at a bronze "Flowing Cloud Cauldron" that was half the height of a person.

The earth fire beneath the cauldron was a gentle, bluish-white color, slowly licking its belly. From the gaps in the lid, wisps of milky-white mist rose, condensing into various illusory images of plants and trees before quietly dissipating.

This time, she wasn't refining an ordinary pill, but a crucial one concerning the future number of Foundation Establishment cultivators in the sect—the Foundation Establishment Pill!

However, unlike in the past, this time, the proportion of "Jade Marrow Fungus," one of the main ingredients, was replaced by a newly discovered mutated spiritual herb called "Moon Shadow Orchid" from the Yin Wind Valley herb garden, which accounted for 30% of the total amount used in the alchemy.

This "Moon Shadow Orchid" has a yin-dominant nature and a fierce medicinal effect, which is incompatible with the original formula for the Foundation Building Pill, which is extremely yang and harmonious. It was Li Xiaocao's bold idea to improve it.

If successful, it will not only solve the problem of the scarcity of Jade Marrow Ganoderma, but the Foundation Building Pills refined from it may also have the miraculous effect of calming the mind and resisting inner demons.

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