Chapter 1353: Poison!

The newcomer said, "During the routine inspection and count, the guards on duty suddenly discovered that the fruit tree had blossomed."

"Bullshit! How could it suddenly blossom?" Ye Nian snapped. But he could no longer keep his composure and shot away at once.

By the time he reached the Wuliang Fruit tree, a crowd had already gathered outside it, pointing and discussing what they saw, with more people continuing to arrive.

Beneath the Wuliang Fruit tree, the three Crow Generals had already revealed human forms. Like demons standing guard beneath the branches, they prevented anyone outside from approaching.

No one dared go closer either. If they alarmed the Crow Generals and caused them to destroy the fruit, no one here could bear the responsibility.

Ye Nian pushed through the crowd to the front and stared carefully. The fruits were plainly still hanging from the tree, and he could not see any flowers. Unable to help himself, he asked, "Where has it blossomed?"

Everyone able to stand near the front held some status. A white-haired old man beside him pointed. "Look. On that little branch."

Ye Nian deliberately tilted his head and followed the man's finger. On the small branch, he saw something barely resembling a flower bud. The tip had split open with a sliver of white showing, as though it were about to bloom. He asked suspiciously, "You're certain that's a flower? Who here has ever seen what a Wuliang Fruit blossom looks like?"

The white-haired old man sighed. "At first, no one dared believe it either. But after noticing something unusual, the people on duty worried there might be a problem with the tree and examined it closely. The more they looked, the more it resembled a bud. Rise into the air and look inside the opening. You can even see the stamens. We circled the whole tree and counted them too. Exactly twelve. Damn it, the fruits are hanging there perfectly well, so why is it flowering again? Weren't we told that as long as fruit remained on the tree, it wouldn't blossom again?"

Ye Nian immediately rose into the air, found a suitable angle, opened his Dharma Eye, and peered into the split in the bud. Sure enough, he saw blood-red stamens inside.

He circled the tree and inspected it carefully. No more, no less: there really were twelve.

After returning, he said suspiciously, "It really does seem to be flowering! Fruit hanging on one side while another crop of flowers grows at the same time—has anyone ever heard of such a thing?"

The white-haired old man replied, "You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask? We'd probably have to ask the Sacred Venerables who've actually picked the fruit before."

Ye Nian frowned. "These buds couldn't have grown in a single night. Why are we only discovering them now?"

Someone beside them cut in. "Before the buds split and showed white, while the fruits were hanging on the tree perfectly well, they would've looked like nothing more than tiny lumps. Who would normally pay attention to that? This can't be blamed on anyone. Even before the Sacred Venerables, there's a reasonable explanation."

Ye Nian turned back. "Have you reported this to the Sacred Venerables?"

"Not yet. We only just discovered it. Everyone wanted to discuss what should be done first."

"What's there to discuss? Report it to the Sacred Venerables immediately!"

"This isn't a small matter. Something unexpected has happened. If responsibility is assigned, none of us will escape."

"What are you worrying blindly for? If a single tree is growing two crops at once and producing more Wuliang Fruits, that's a good thing. It means we've guarded it well. What responsibility would there be to pursue?"

"Then let's do it that way. Open the formation gate and each family can send a report to its own side."

"Opening and closing the grand formation repeatedly creates opportunities for problems. Let's each draft our report first, supervise one another at the formation gate, and release our messenger Goldenwings together."

"Good. It's settled!"

Once the nine deacons reached agreement, they immediately separated and returned to their residences to draft their reports.

Before long, each came back carrying a messenger Goldenwing, and all nine assembled at the entrance to the grand formation.

The formation gate opened. The nine deacons walked out together and personally released their Goldenwings at the same time.

Only after watching the birds fly normally into the distance did the nine withdraw back inside. Once the formation gate closed again, they continued muttering among themselves about this unheard-of event.

...

At Daluo Sacred Land, Luo Qiu's disciple Lu Zhichang strode into Daluo Hall and went straight to the secluded rear chambers. He climbed the high pavilion and presented a letter with both hands to Luo Qiu, who stood at the railing with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Master, an open dispatch from Wuliang Garden."

"An open dispatch?" Luo Qiu turned and noticed his disciple's expression was somewhat strange.

Lu Zhichang said, "It says the Wuliang Fruit tree has blossomed."

Luo Qiu spun around to face him. "Blossomed? What nonsense! Aren't the fruits still hanging perfectly well on the tree? I saw them with my own eyes the last time I went. What flowers could there be? Have their eyes gone blurry?"

Lu Zhichang looked awkward. "This disciple finds it strange as well, but that's what the letter says. They shouldn't dare make irresponsible claims about something like this. The report itself says they find it strange and asks Master to examine the matter and decide."

The situation was so baffling that he had no idea how to respond to it himself.

Luo Qiu snatched the letter from his hand. After reading it, he said nothing at all. His figure flashed and tore through the air.

...

Inside the bathing pool of Wushuang Sacred Land, mist curled over the water. Lü Wushuang's graceful naked body rested in the hazy pool, leaning against its edge.

Her female disciple An You'er knelt behind her, bending forward to massage her shoulders.

Lü Wushuang, eyes closed in enjoyment, suddenly asked, "He's still at Demon Ridge?"

An You'er replied, "He is. Our informants inside Demon Ridge have kept watching him. If anything unusual happens, they'll report immediately."

Just then, the voice of her male disciple Liu Feixing suddenly came from outside. "Master, an urgent report!"

An You'er looked back and could faintly see a figure behind the gauze curtains.

Lü Wushuang's voice sank. "Is this somewhere you're permitted to come?"

Liu Feixing immediately panicked. "Master, something has happened at Wuliang Garden! We received an urgent report saying the Wuliang Fruit tree has blossomed!"

Humm!

The water in the bathing pool instantly rose into the air and transformed into a curtain of water, concealing the person within. An You'er stood and withdrew.

A moment later, Lü Wushuang emerged through the water curtain with her hair loose. The water crashed back into the pool behind her. She swept aside the gauze curtain and walked barefoot down the steps.

Liu Feixing lowered his head, not daring to look directly at her, and held the letter out with both hands.

Lü Wushuang snatched it, read it, frowned for a moment, then vanished with a swish.

"How could the Wuliang Fruit tree blossom?" An You'er emerged from behind the gauze and asked Liu Feixing softly.

"I don't know!" Liu Feixing shook his head. He glanced toward the place where his master bathed and hurriedly turned away. This was not somewhere he should linger.

...

Snow drifted across the great snowy mountain. Inside the ice palace, a vague human figure was frozen within a crystalline wall of ice.

Granny Xue's muffled voice came from inside. "How could the Wuliang Fruit tree possibly blossom?"

Bai Wuya bowed. "That's what the urgent report says."

The ice wall melted away rapidly as though scalded by boiling water, revealing Granny Xue encased within. Leaning on her cane, she slowly stepped out.

She accepted the urgent report and read it. Then her figure vanished with a swish, leaving only a few tiny pieces of ice pattering to the ground.

...

Outside Wuliang Garden, a figure descended from the sky.

Long hair drifting, upper body bare, tiger-like eyes filled with authority—it was Wu Chang.

"Open the gate!" Wu Chang shouted in a deep voice.

Before the words had finished falling, ripples of light already appeared. Wuliang Garden materialized from empty air, and an opening quickly formed.

Without waiting for the people at the entrance to salute, Wu Chang blurred into a shadow and flashed inside.

When his figure settled, he was already outside the Wuliang Fruit tree.

Beyond the murmuring stream encircling it, eight people turned their heads together: Yuan Se, Lü Wushuang, Granny Xue, Mu Lianze, Zhangsun Mi, Luo Qiu, Lan Daolin, and Du Wuxu. All eight had already arrived.

Wu Chang was the last.

It could not be helped. It was not that he flew the slowest. He had risen later than the others among the Nine Saints, and by the time he reached his present status, the best locations had long been taken. His territory lay in the most remote place, so messages reached him later and he naturally arrived later as well.

Nearby, the personnel of the Nine Sacred Lands all stood silently with their hands lowered.

Wu Chang glanced at the Crow Generals standing beneath the tree in revealed forms, then at the fruits still plainly hanging from the branches. "What's the meaning of this?"

Du Wuxu said heavily, "Forget what it means. We waited for you because we didn't want you overthinking things. Call back those three bird-men of yours."

Wu Chang asked, "Where has it blossomed?" There was obvious vigilance in his gaze. At first glance, he could not see any flowers.

The fruit was clearly still hanging there, yet another crop of flowers had appeared on the same tree. It sounded like a joke. His first instinct was not to search for the flowers but to guard against the other eight, wondering whether this was some trap meant to lure him here.

"Are you blind?" Luo Qiu pointed. "Look carefully."

Wu Chang lifted his gaze slightly and followed the direction of the finger. Sure enough, he saw a flower bud that had just begun to open.

His thick brows furrowed. He turned one palm upward, and black mist appeared over it, drifting toward the three Crow Generals.

The red light in the Crow Generals' eyes immediately faded. Their human forms dissolved into mist and contracted, becoming three red-eyed crows. They flapped over and landed on Wu Chang's shoulders.

Only then did the Nine Saints begin crossing the stream one after another, floating toward the flower buds on the tree and reaching out to examine them.

Lü Wushuang landed lightly on one of the branches. One slender finger extended and touched a crimson Wuliang Fruit.

The instant her fingertip made contact, her expression changed dramatically.

Her five fingers suddenly closed around the entire Wuliang Fruit, and with one tug she ripped it straight from the tree.

The movement drew the eyes of the other eight.

Granny Xue suddenly sneered. "Lü Wushuang, we agreed the fruits would remain hanging on the tree as a reserve. You're breaking the rules."

Lü Wushuang's face had turned cold as frost. She snapped, "Old hag, first look properly at what these fruits are before you start talking!"

Wu Chang looked back at a fruit beside him and reached out.

The instant it entered his grasp, he too froze.

Anger abruptly appeared on his face. He tore the fruit from the branch and tightened his five fingers.

Pop!

The fruit burst apart.

Liquid splashed in every direction, leaving a small fragment glowing red in his palm.

Everyone turned toward the sound and stared at the luminous object in his hand.

Then every face changed.

One after another, they quickly plucked fruits from the tree.

Wu Chang stared coldly at the glowing fragment in his palm. Slowly, he lifted his eyes. Killing intent seemed hidden in the gaze he swept across the others.

In a deep voice, he said, "What does this mean? Don't you all owe me an explanation?"

Pop!

Lü Wushuang crushed the Wuliang Fruit in her own hand.

A glowing fragment appeared in her palm as well.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

The sounds came one after another as each of them crushed the fruit in hand.

Holding his glowing fragment, Mu Lianze suddenly said heavily, "It's a red fragment from one of the Seven-Colored Treasure Pearls produced by rainbow clams in the sea!"

He rubbed the splashed liquid between his fingers again.

It was obviously not ordinary water. Something had been mixed into it, giving it a slight viscosity.

"Not good! The liquid is poisoned!" Lü Wushuang suddenly cried out in alarm and flung away the glowing fragment in her hand.

The others needed no warning.

They could all feel poison from the liquid penetrating their bodies. One after another they threw away what they were holding, faces changing sharply as they circulated their arts to suppress the spreading toxin.

[End of Chapter 1353]