"A misunderstanding?"
Li Ye held the circular spirit artifact in his hand, his divine sense sweeping over Zhuang He, who didn't dare come close. His expression was tinged with amusement.
The Qi Refining stage steward had already sensibly moved to stand by his side, bowing deeply.
"Many thanks to the Mountain Lord for your rescue!"
Li Ye nodded faintly, then smiled and said,
"No need for formalities. Let's hear what this fellow cultivator has to say."
"Of course, it's a misunderstanding!"
Hearing the exchange between the two, Zhuang He felt a sense of dread creeping into his heart. He quickly nodded vigorously, forcing a flattering smile onto his face.
"I merely sensed something unusual about the spiritual energy in this area and came to take a look... I thought someone might be hiding nearby, so I made a move to capture this young man. I had no idea he was under your protection, fellow cultivator. It was truly a lapse in judgment!"
"How about this I'll offer this golden ring as compensation. I'll take my leave immediately and promise never to speak of what I saw here!"
Suppressing his heartache, he offered the highest price he could bear.
After all, now that the artifact had fallen into the hands of this person, he likely wouldn't be able to get it back any way he might as well make a virtue out of necessity.
If it could save his own life, then it was worth the price!
So obedient?
Li Ye mused to himself.
As the saying goes, you don't hit someone who's smiling. With this man being so tactful, it really would be difficult to kill him outright.
So he asked,
"I haven't caught your name, fellow cultivator. Are you perhaps a disciple of Jiuding Valley?"
Does he know?!
That means he must've learned about the Yuanhua Fruit Tree from within Jiuding Valley!
And now I've stumbled upon it wouldn't that make me a loose end?
Zhuang He's expression shifted, and he nearly turned to flee on instinct.
"Heh… Hehe, fellow cultivator, you truly have sharp eyes. I'm Zhuang He, indeed a disciple of Jiuding Valley..."
Suppressing his instincts with great effort, Zhuang He stiffly asked,
"I wonder, what guidance might you have for me?"
"Ah, so it's Fellow Daoist Zhuang in person!"
Li Ye's smile deepened.
"No need to panic, Daoist Zhuang. I have no grievance with Jiuding Valley, so naturally, I won't harm you."
"But you did attempt to kill my steward just now. Had I not arrived, he might already be dead by your hand. Whether you succeeded or not, such an act requires some form of reparation."
Just as Zhuang He was beginning to feel relieved, his heart tensed up again.
"I'm willing to compensate!"
Then, he heard this composed, dignified cultivator in green robes chuckle:
"Settling this peacefully is simple..."
"Fellow Daoist Zhuang, all you need to do is sign this spirit contract, promising not to reveal anything you saw today. And when you return to your sect, bury a few items beneath the mountain gate nothing too conspicuous. If you agree, I'll even return the golden ring to you."
He wants me to be a mole? Do I even have the option to refuse?
Zhuang He's lips moved slightly, his heart numb.
This man made it sound like a negotiation, but Zhuang He knew that if he dared say no, he'd likely be struck down on the spot and buried in this desolate wilderness.
And saying he has no grudge with Jiuding Valley then what was that request just now?
"I agree!" Zhuang He responded decisively.
Compared to becoming this man's inside agent, keeping his life was more important!
"A wise man adapts to circumstances. I knew you wouldn't make the wrong choice."
Li Ye nodded in satisfaction, then took out a spirit contract and wrote down the terms before handing it to Zhuang He.
Under Li Ye's watchful gaze, Zhuang He's heart thumped nervously. After carefully reading through the contract, he sliced open his finger and signed his name.
The spirit contract ignited instantly, turning into a streak of spiritual light that flew directly into his body, binding his soul with its terms.
Forcing a smile, Zhuang He asked cautiously, "Fellow cultivator… is that sufficient now?"
"That will do."
Li Ye nodded and raised his hand.
Swish Swish Swish
In an instant, threads of pure green spiritual light shot out from the surrounding grasses and trees, converging into a stream that returned to Li Ye's body.
When did he set all that up around me…?
Zhuang He was dumbfounded by the scene. Even with his Foundation Establishment cultivation, he couldn't help but break into a cold sweat. His heart pounded with lingering fear.
Had he shown even the slightest hint of resistance, he would likely have been struck dead on the spot before he even realized it.
But Li Ye simply withdrew his Verdant Spirit Light, then tossed the unbound golden ring artifact and a storage pouch to Zhuang He.
"This golden ring is yours again. And inside this pouch are some stones. Just toss them casually into the grounds of Jiuding Valley's sect gate there won't be anything unusual about them. If there's nothing else, you may leave now."
"I'll carry out your instructions to the letter!"
Zhuang He solemnly stowed the items, cupped his fists in a formal salute, and said, "Then I shall take my leave!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, he summoned the reclaimed golden ring, turned, and departed without hesitation.
At first, his speed was normal, but as soon as he was a fair distance away, he suddenly accelerated using a Windwalk Talisman or something similar.
His entire demeanor practically screamed fleeing for his life.
Without even truly making a move, Li Ye had completely cowed a Foundation Establishment cultivator into submission.
Such effortless dominance left the Qi Refining steward nearby filled with awe. Inwardly, he marveled, The Mountain Lord is truly a peerless genius in the path of cultivation.
"You, too swear not to reveal today's events, and you may leave."
Li Ye's calm voice echoed.
The steward's body tensed. He immediately took the oath, understanding full well that the Mountain Lord disliked being disturbed. With a respectful bow, he withdrew and left quietly.
"Didn't expect this little surprise..."
Li Ye turned back toward the cave, a relaxed smile spreading across his face.
Though Jiuding Valley no longer had a Golden Core cultivator guarding it, the third-tier formation protecting the sect was no joke.
It had been passed down for generations. Without a token or formation map to analyze, even with his current mid-third-tier formation mastery, charging in blindly would trigger a powerful counterattack.
Even with a third-tier life-bound puppet at his side, raiding Jiuding Valley's treasure vault would be too risky and hardly worth the gamble.
But with an insider helping to create a breach, that was a whole different story.
"Zhuang He himself may not be capable of such a heavy task… but a puppet smuggled in by him could complete the job perfectly."
"Hmm… perhaps I should wait and see if Thousand Island Water City has any plans to retaliate.
If they press Jiuding Valley, I could use the chaos to plunder the treasury myself. That would lower the risk to its minimum."
Mulling it over, Li Ye made his way to the depths of the cave.
His life-bound puppet stood exactly as before, motionless in front of the Yuanhua Fruit Tree.
Gazing at the figure surrounded by flowing water energy, Li Ye murmured to himself:
"Life-bound puppets are incredibly mysterious and versatile. The higher one's cultivation, the more useful they become. But the Heavenly Craft Scripture I possess only covers up to the third level the Golden Core stage…"
"With the upgrade panel, I've had no bottlenecks in improving my puppet mastery. If I can reach the fourth tier, the transformation will be enormous granting a wide range of divine abilities..."
"Once I form my core, I'll have to find a way to acquire the fourth level of the Heavenly Craft Scripture. If I can master fourth-tier puppet arts early, I'll finally have the true power to protect my path!"
Committing the matter to heart, Li Ye ordered his puppet to stand guard at the cave entrance.
After closely examining the condition of the Yuanhua Fruit Tree, vibrant green light and plant energy spread through the cave.
Before long, Li Ye exited the cave, drifting away silently.
Where the fruit tree once stood, only a neatly dug pit remained, with traces of spiritual energy still lingering in the air.
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