Demon Sword Sect’s Undercover
Chapter 94 - 94 93 Collective Wisdom and Effort

94: Chapter 93: Collective Wisdom and Effort 94: Chapter 93: Collective Wisdom and Effort PS: Seeking monthly ticket, favorites, and recommendations!

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………

Cultivators, of course, wouldn’t be afraid of ordinary wasps; their spiritual shields weren’t even penetrable by them, so there was nothing to fear.

However, a few exotic breeds possessed the capability to pierce the Spirit Gang shields, or it could be said that, although some exotic breeds had limited intelligence, always living and coexisting in groups, their attacking abilities were on par with that of demons.

As far as Hou Niao knew, according to what was recorded in the Daoist Record:

Man-faced wasp, black-bellied tiger-headed wasp, flying cockroach wasp, earth king wasp, among others, these creatures really could break through a cultivator’s Dharma Body, though naturally it also depended on the relative strength between them.

The white-footed slender-waisted wasp was quite unique among these killer wasps.

The wasp itself had average power, but it carried corpse poison, a toxin from the wax body.

Once it entered the body, it took a long time to completely expel.

During this period, it wasn’t advisable to operate spiritual power in battle, or it would affect the effect of the detoxification.

This was why the people from the Town Government seemed like they wouldn’t die but also lost almost all combat capability for a certain period, prompting an urgent call for the Patrol faction to return; although they did not see eye to eye internally, at the end of the day, they had to rely on their own people at critical moments.

“In combat with demons, if slender-waisted wasps are mixed in, indeed they’re unmanageable.

Once the thing enters the body, the pain stings the nerves; even cultivators can’t endure it.

Perhaps you could ignore such pain mentally, but you can’t control the body’s instinctive response.”

“I can’t think of any effective way to handle such a situation,” Yao He said apprehensively.

He wasn’t afraid of combat, nor death, but these little things…

He was concerned with the details, while another cultivator who practiced fasting, Feng Yaochen, was concerned with the motives, “It sounds quite normal.

Salt goods were attacked, the Fang Clan was too busy to manage their own affairs, saw an opportunity for profit, then encountered the wax…

But when all these normal occurrences are combined, they again seem abnormal, don’t they?”

Xiang Zhiwen nodded, “Exactly, where there’s abnormality, there must be demons, what appears normal is not normal.

Especially in this place, it’s always good to consider if there’s any demon involved.”

He meant that everyone understood, at Yinling, there wasn’t a lack of food, but there was a shortage of a crucial necessity – salt.

In situations where manpower was scarce, yet essential supplies like these were delivered, it could be construed as a normal coincidence, but it could also be interpreted as an unavoidable mobilization of the Town Government Cultivators.

Also, why would the wax be here?

It eats honey, but not salt; in fact, if you sprinkle some salt into a beehive, it poses a greater threat than setting fire to it.

Would such a creature with such habits rob a salt truck?

And not strike at first but wait until these fools chase after them a distance before making a move…?

Also, those top-horned beasts, just one of their horns could be traded for a hundred of such salt convoys, much like bandits wearing three-pound gold chains yet robbing pedestrians of copper rings?

“Everyone is free to share their thoughts; the misfortune lies with the people of the Town Government, but the shame falls upon our entire Quanzhen Sect!

Therefore, we should not stay uninvolved; this is also a provocation to us.

So, what recent unusual occurrences in Yinling do you think could be suspicious and possibly related to this incident?”

Everyone had a say, which was characteristic of how the Patrol faction worked; they preferred collective brainstorming rather than having a single person make final decisions.

In Xiang Zhiwen’s words, why should I be the only one racking my brain?

If there’s to be a headache, let’s all have it together.

“Check the background of the salt traders!”

“The wax should leave traces where it traveled, get a scent dog to track it.”

“We could also search for the traces of the top-horned beasts, they are social creatures, and a bigger target…”

Everyone had their own directions, and they were all very familiar with Yinling and deeply knew about the peculiarities here.

What they said made sense and was practically feasible rather than mere boasting.

Xiang Zhiwen listened to his disciples’ suggestions, weighing their importance and priority, as in the end, it was still up to him to make a decision.

However, he noticed one person,

“Junior Brother Hou, don’t stay silent.

This is the temperament of a patrolling cultivator, you need to adapt to it; everyone has the right to speak, and this has nothing to do with realm or experience.”

Hou Niao gave a dry laugh, “I’ve only been in Yinling for a few days and don’t know anything about it.”

Xiang Zhiwen shook his head vigorously, “A few days?

That’s not short.

Being able to come here alone qualifies you!”

Left with no alternative, Hou Niao thought for a moment, “Should we investigate Fang Family’s Castle to see if there’s a possibility of someone manipulating things from behind the scenes?”

All eyes turned towards him, filled with surprise.

Xiang Zhiwen narrowed his eyes, “See, what did I say?

Newcomers always bring a fresh perspective!

You’re right, if the whole incident is indeed a conspiracy, only humans could have orchestrated such a complex process.

Share your reasons.”

Hou Niao, like a duck forced onto a perch, said, “I don’t have any specific reasons.

I’m not familiar with the salt traders, nor do I understand the habits of the top-horned beasts.

The only place I have stayed in Yinling is here, so where else could I suspect but here?”

It was an embarrassingly frank admission, but Xiang Zhiwen did not let him off, “Say it, you must have other thoughts.

Here among brothers, we don’t hide things from each other.”

Pressured, Hou Niao had no choice but to use the skills in framing and entrapment he had honed over years of Criminal Investigation, “To suspect a person or a group is too easy, there are countless reasons!”

“If you want to accuse someone of wrongdoing, you’ll always find an excuse.”

“Being new here, I noticed that the people of Fang Family’s Castle don’t respect disciples of the Quanzhen Sect.

Later, when I mentioned it to Senior Brother Yao, I learned that this has been the case for many years.

Looking at history, whether it be dynasties or ethnicities, if discontent with the ruling class grows, overthrowing it becomes almost the only option, it’s just about finding the right moment.

Choose the right time, and there’s a change of masters; choose wrong, and it leads to a bloody purge!

It’s human nature, and the people here are no exception.

It’s just a matter of time, and what if we have just arrived at that moment?”

All patrolling cultivators became serious.

Rightly said, from a man who dared to kill a servant of Mu Shuai, he truly wasn’t afraid of stirring up trouble,

Having said that, he didn’t hold back anymore, “To shake off the influence of Quanzhen Sect, you first have to undermine its authority so that the common people will be convinced.

This is all about shaping public opinion…

Thus, killing Quanzhen disciples is not a good idea.

It would only lead to intervention from higher-ups, but making them lose face…

Looking at it this way, what happened to Senior Brother Qian Chong might not have been unfair, but could there have been someone in the background fueling things?”

Exactly,

…Though the old hermit is still here, the breezes feel like autumn.

The guest star sinks into the nightly gorge, while the fishing rock overlooks the spring flow.

Birds gather on tall branches, and fish swim in shallow rapids.

Since ancient times, beneath the bait attractive, who hasn’t swallowed the hook?