By the Hundred Flowers Lake, the sun was gentle and the breeze soft. The petals falling on the lake's surface created ripples.
Hong Yuye, clad in a red dress, sat gracefully in the pavilion. She reached out to smooth her hair, awaiting Bai Zhi's response.
Facing the Sect Master, Bai Zhi felt a tinge of fear and dared not be negligent.
"The Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower has taken root and sprouted. During this time, Jiang Hao at the Broken Hearts Cliff has shown no abnormal behavior, just as usual.
Some people have indeed approached him, but all had legitimate reasons, and no one seems interested in the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower," Bai Zhi reported truthfully.
"So, no gains, then?" Hong Yuye asked calmly, looking at Bai Zhi.
"I have failed in my duty," Bai Zhi knelt in terror.
"Don't just focus on one area; look elsewhere, and also beyond," Hong Yuye said, turning her gaze to the lake. "Sometimes, the biggest influence comes from the one farthest away."
"Does the Sect Master mean they're waiting for internal support? Or perhaps they're waiting for reinforcements? This means Jiang Hao is still suspicious," Bai Zhi realized at last.
She had focused too much on the Sect Master's orders, narrowing her vision.
The sudden emergence of the Sect Master, unknown to others but herself, put immense pressure on her.
Especially with the release of the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower, signaling something significant was afoot, it made her even more uneasy.
She knew further mistakes might lead to danger.
"That’s your task now, but merit must be rewarded." Hong Yuye conjured a silver-white transparent box in her hand, within which an armor floated.
The silver-white box was placed in front of Bai Zhi.
"Go now," Hong Yuye dismissed her.
"Yes," Bai Zhi stood and took her leave.
She examined the armor; it was meant for someone at the Foundation Establishment stage.
So, the person with merit should be Jiang Hao, who cultivated the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower.
Although uncertain if he was a traitor, without evidence, he remained an upright inner disciple.
Successfully cultivating the flower indeed deserved merit.
Yet she hesitated whether to mention anything to the Sect Master.
Nighttime.
Jiang Hao admired the snug soft armor he wore, feeling exceptionally comfortable.
It was a rewarded gift from his visit to White Moon Lake today.
According to Elder Bai Zhi, someone appreciated his cultivation of the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower and personally bestowed it.
"Someone?" Jiang Hao pondered, soon realizing:
"Elder Bai Zhi is the acting Sect Master of the Heavenly Sound Sect, second only to one. Could this 'someone' actually be the mysterious Sect Master herself?
It makes sense; the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower is something a Sect Master might covet.
If that woman does take the flower, would that mean offending the Sect Master?"
Jiang Hao shook his head, thinking the Sect Master was merely a conjecture, perhaps a notion Elder Bai Zhi wanted him to have.
Currently, he knew better than to provoke anyone.
He could only bide his time, careful not to disrupt the flower’s growth.
He recently appraised this protective soft armor.
To his surprise, it was the finest treasure he'd encountered in his cultivation journey.
Nothing he acquired from the bubbles compared.
[One Armor of the Nine Heavens Battle Armor: Possesses formidable defense, capable of withstanding most attacks below the Golden Core stage. The more armor pieces assembled, the stronger the defense.]
It was part of a set.
With this armor, his safety increased significantly.
Over the following days, Jiang Hao continued crafting talismans to earn spirit stones.
All went smoothly.
The adversary Miao Qian was handled without much fuss, though Liu Xingchen had warned him about further skirmishes with the Heavenly Joy Pavilion, cautioning that any more incidents could cause trouble.
Jiang Hao heeded the advice, selling talismans more cautiously.
After seven days, he amassed a thousand spirit stones.
Not wanting to delay, he sought out Liu Xingchen.
To reassure him, Liu Xingchen began documenting everything in his presence to avoid potential misunderstandings.
However, Liu Xingchen didn't immediately present the spirit stones to the Heavenly Joy Pavilion; he waited until the last day.
That day, he brought Jiang Hao the compensation document from the Pavilion and instructed him to destroy it.
Jiang Hao was finally free from the burden of compensation, eliminating any overt difficulties from the Pavilion.
At least for now, it seemed so.
Jiang Hao breathed a sigh of relief.
He sensed that Liu Xingchen intended to ally with him, a partnership that might bring complications in the future.
But for the present, he needed the help.
For safety’s sake, he used his divine ability on Liu Xingchen once again, to discern if he had any ulterior motives.
[Liu Xingchen: True disciple of the Vast Heaven Sect, possessing innate Dragon Fiend Qi, with a full Golden Core stage cultivation. Out of boredom, serves as an undercover agent in the Law Enforcement Hall of the Heavenly Sound Sect. Befriends you to get close to the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower, and incidentally to discover if you indeed killed Miao Qian.]
Golden Core full stage?
Jiang Hao was stunned by the change in cultivation level; he was at late Golden Core stage last time.
Such rapid advancement!
Still, Liu Xingchen didn't seem dangerous.
For now, at least.
Though suspected, careful handling should suffice.
"By the way, a heads-up, Junior Brother. The inner disciples' task assignments are due soon. This time, someone might reach out to you. Stay cautious.
However, your name remains posted in our Law Enforcement Hall, meaning you’re still barred from leaving the sect. Therefore, external task assignments won't concern you. For everything else, you’ll have to rely on yourself. You have several months to prepare," Liu Xingchen kindly reminded.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Hao sighed, thinking to review his accumulated cultivation to face upcoming changes.