Kun Sang was startled by the sudden surge of power emanating from Yunxi and hurriedly asked:"Wei Zhēnjūn, what's wrong?"
With a wave of her sleeve, Yunxi expanded her portable medicine garden under the infusion of spiritual power. It grew until it filled the entire side hall, revealing numerous Wei family cultivators inside. Their conditions were dire, clinging to life by a thread.
In a flash, Yunxi appeared at the side of the Third Elder. She flicked a thread of spiritual power into his meridians, but her brows furrowed almost instantly. Every single one of his meridians was severed.
Gritting her teeth, Yunxi pressed her hand to his chest and poured in a pure stream of spiritual energy, protecting his heart pulse. Only then did she turn her attention to the other Wei family disciples.
Dian Dian was frantic, its four paws blurring with motion as it darted back and forth among the injured cultivators. It sent a worried voice transmission: "Master, what happened? They were perfectly fine when they entered the medicine garden! I swallowed the bead and never spat it out, so no one could have attacked them!"
Yunxi withdrew her divine sense and said solemnly: "No outsiders harmed them. They turned on each other. This was infighting. They slaughtered one another."
The Third Elder stirred, slowly opening his eyes under the shelter of Yunxi's spiritual energy. Upon seeing her, a flicker of vitality flashed in his gaze. He coughed and rasped: "Yunxi… we'd long been targeted by evil cultivators. None of us were possessed, but someone lost their mind. Shortly after entering your medicine garden, Wei Mogu detonated a thunder bomb from his storage pouch and attacked us.
In the chaos, he fought like a madman, cutting down his own kin. I had no choice but to abandon capturing him alive and kill him outright. But he self-destructed every artifact he had, dragging us all down with him…"
He didn't need to finish. Yunxi understood. Her once-pristine portable medicine garden was devastated. Wei Mogu was dead, but he had achieved his goal—taking over thirty Wei family cultivators with him, including the Third Elder.
"I underestimated the evil cultivators. I let them find their opening to strike at you all."
Yunxi's voice was low and heavy. This was the greatest loss the Wei family had suffered yet.
The Third Elder shook his head with a weak smile. "This is fate. You've protected the family well. Without you, we'd have been annihilated ten years ago. Our sacrifice to keep the Wei family stable is worth it. Had he followed you back to Haoran City, things could have been even worse."
Yunxi knew he was only trying to comfort her. Outside Kunyu City, the evil cultivators might not have controlled Wei Mogu, but Haoran City was not something a newly established Foundation Establishment cultivator could destroy. It was a massive city no evil cultivator would dare set foot in easily. That was why they struck now—to humiliate her and deal her a heavy blow.
The Third Elder's breath weakened further. Knowing his time was short, he handed Yunxi his storage pouch, entrusting it to her to deliver to his descendants. Then he closed his eyes, passing without regret.
Dian Dian ran to Yunxi's side, voice trembling. "Master… they… they're all gone."
Yunxi gently laid the elder's body down and rose slowly. She closed her eyes briefly. When they reopened, all emotion was gone. With a flick of her fingers, Mystic Thunder Violet Flame appeared."Zi Yan, give them a clean farewell."
Zi Yan quivered and drifted over the lifeless Wei family members. In an instant, the portable medicine garden became a sea of purple fire.
The heat of the alien flame made Kun Sang instinctively step back, while Liu Moyan stared in terror. Yunxi's calm, unblinking gaze on him felt like ice plunging into his bones.
Within three breaths, the Wei family cultivators were reduced to ash, their journey on the road to immortality cut tragically short.
Yunxi swept her sleeve, retracting the medicine garden, and spoke in an even tone to Kun Sang:"City Lord, you may continue your questioning."
Kun Sang let out a soft sigh. "Wei Zhēnjūn, don't blame yourself. The evil cultivators are devious and came prepared to target you. It's also my failure in guarding the city. If I had sensed their plot, none of this would have happened."
His words were sincere. Seeing Liu Moyan's arrogance earlier had made him realize that the man's true aim was Kunyu City itself. Whether due to personal ambition or orders from evil cultivators, Kun Sang had been one of his targets.
If Yunxi hadn't unexpectedly returned, he would have remained in the dark, unknowingly handing over his position as City Lord. He truly had been negligent.
Yunxi, having regained her composure, said softly: "City Lord, you don't need to take this burden upon yourself. As you said, evil cultivators are cunning and troublesome. I've ruined their plans many times. Naturally, they wouldn't let me go. This was aimed at me and the Wei family.
But Liu Moyan's unstable dao heart, his corruption by evil cultivators, and his slaughter of his kin are undeniable. He must answer for his actions."
Kun Sang nodded gravely. He raised his hand and dragged Liu Moyan over, ready to soul search him without ceremony.
"No! Don't!!" Liu Moyan screamed in terror.
Kun Sang ignored him. He was determined to uncover the evil cultivators' schemes and kill Liu Moyan. His divine sense forcefully pierced the man's sea of consciousness, scouring his memories.
A quarter of an hour later, Kun Sang withdrew his hand and let Liu Moyan's mindless body slump to the floor. His face was grim as he said: "The evil cultivator who contacted Liu Moyan always kept his face covered with a black veil. His cultivation and features couldn't be discerned. He lured Liu Moyan into sacrificing the cultivation of his entire clan to help him ascend.
The trap for you and the Wei family was his design. Liu Moyan merely followed orders. As for the Foundation Establishment cultivator in your clan, he was controlled by some kind of Gu poison, forcing him to slaughter his kin.
They planned to use Wei family disciples to stall you. Killing you would be ideal, but even crippling you would suffice.
After destroying the Wei family, Liu Moyan would move against the Feng family, take their position, and join forces with the evil cultivators to eliminate me. Then Kunyu City would fall into their hands."
As he spoke, Kun Sang's face grew darker. The evil cultivators had used Liu Moyan as a wedge to infiltrate Kunyu City, planning step by step to devour it whole. Even the city's great clans might already be shells for their agents in the cultivation world.
Yunxi wasn't surprised. After multiple bouts of intrigue against them, she knew their leader was shrewd and never wasted effort.
This wasn't just about revenge on her and the Wei family. They intended to throw Kunyu City into chaos, allowing them to plant more agents and claim it as their own.
But their plan had been thwarted. Yunxi's exposure of the Feng family spy and her concern for the Wei disciples and Feng clan members left behind had prompted her return. By sheer coincidence, she had stumbled upon their plot.
If she had come back even a bit later, the sinister formation outside the Wei estate would have gone unnoticed, and she might truly have fallen into their trap.