Chapter 156: The Envoys' Probe

Jiuyou watched the azure spiritual light fly back to the tribe. He stood on the dirt mound with his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze indifferent. Within the sweep of his Divine Sense, two Golden Core auras approached from the distance and quickly descended above the Lingxi Tribe.

Tuoshan, the Grand Elder of the Lingxi Tribe, had already stepped out of his tent to welcome them. A slightly stocky middle-aged man with graying temples and a mild expression, he was currently beaming as he cupped his hands to greet the two special envoys from the Heavenly Fire Tribe, his posture exceedingly humble.

The escape light faded, revealing a man and a woman.

The man had broad shoulders, a square face, and a strong jawline. His gaze was steady and reserved, his cultivation at the Late Golden Core stage.

The woman possessed a taut, upright figure with well-proportioned shoulders and waist. Her skin was a cool pale, and her features were sharp. The firm, lean muscle visible on her forearms marked her at a glance as someone who tempered her physical body year-round. Her cultivation was impressively at the Mid-Golden Core stage.

Guided by Tuoshan, the two walked straight into the largest tent at the center of the tribe. Meat and wine were already prepared inside. Coarse pottery bowls were filled to the brim with the hot wine commonly consumed by the people of the Northern Plains. While it couldn't compare to the refinement of Ganzhou, it carried a certain rugged sincerity.

Tuoshan sat at the head seat, repeatedly raising his cup in an eager, attentive manner.

"You two special envoys from the upper tribe have traveled a long way," he said. "Our tribe is humble, and our hospitality is lacking. Please forgive our shortcomings."

The woman gave a slight nod, saying little. The man, however, smiled. He picked up his bowl and took a large gulp before speaking.

"You're too polite, Grand Elder," the man said. "We came this time mostly because things are getting fierce at the border. Recently, quite a few evil cultivators from Ganzhou have sneaked into the Northern Plains. Their methods are ruthless, and they specifically target small tribes. We were ordered by our superiors to patrol the region and came to give you warning."

He paused, his tone growing more solemn. "The Lingxi Tribe is located in the south, not far from the border. If you encounter anyone suspicious, you must report them immediately. Several tribes have already fallen victim. By the time we arrived, the souls of their entire clans had been extracted, and they had died in extremely gruesome ways."

The smile on Tuoshan's face stiffened slightly, but he immediately returned to normal, nodding repeatedly.

"Of course," Tuoshan said. "If evil cultivators enter our territory, our tribe certainly won't hide it."

He agreed readily out loud, but inwardly he was making his own calculations. The Heavenly Fire Tribe had suffered a severe loss of vitality not long ago. The Great Grandmasters within their tribe had fallen one after another. Logically speaking, they should be busy reorganizing their internal affairs. Yet they still had the energy to send special envoys to patrol the region; their purpose was likely not as simple as just notifying them about evil cultivators.

The woman set down her wine bowl and took over the conversation.

"Rest assured, Grand Elder," she said. "Those Ganzhou evil cultivators will be rooted out sooner or later. In a few days, a Grandmaster will pass through here. When that time comes, no matter how deeply someone hides, they will have nowhere left to run."

"What? A Grandmaster from your noble tribe is coming to our Lingxi Tribe?" Tuoshan blurted out, choking on his wine.

He set down his bowl and stood up, his eyes widening. Realizing his loss of composure, he quickly apologized and took his seat again.

The woman smiled, seemingly very satisfied with his reaction. She slowly crossed her legs.

"You don't need to be nervous, Grand Elder," she said. "Our Grandmaster is only passing through on his way to garrison the border. After all, Grandmaster Huang died heroically in battle a while ago. Someone has to step up and take his place."

Hundreds of li away, Jiuyou's expression flickered when he heard this.

Grandmaster Huang died heroically in battle? He remembered it clearly. That day, the man had been hiding in the rear, seeking pleasure and drinking with the Blood Abyss Sect elder who passed him information. Jiuyou had killed him in a single strike; the man hadn't even managed to let his Nascent Soul escape. Yet now, in the words of the Heavenly Fire Tribe, he had become a loyal and heroic martyr who died on the battlefield.

It didn't cause much of a stir in his heart; he merely made a mental note of the matter. Instead, it was those so-called evil cultivators that caught his attention on another level. Ganzhou evil cultivators, extracting souls and exterminating tribes, the Blood Abyss Sect, the Heavenly Flame Tribe... All these matters seemed to be slowly converging onto a single thread.

He wasn't in a hurry to draw any conclusions. He simply committed the faces and cultivation bases of the two special envoys to memory and ran their recent conversation through his mind once more.

The Heavenly Fire Tribe had lost Great Grandmaster-level combat power. Instead of resting and recuperating, they were still willing to send a Grandmaster to garrison the border. There had to be a reason behind this. Jiuyou couldn't see through that thread for the time being. He had a few guesses, but he wasn't anxious.

Back in the tent, Tuoshan stood up and raised his wine bowl again. He offered a toast to the two special envoys, his tone attentive.

"Thank you for taking the trouble to make this trip," he said. "It must have been exhausting. If you don't mind, please rest in our tribe for the night."

The man leaned back in his chair and chuckled, his tone neutral.

"Not at all," the man replied. "Actually, it's you who lives a carefree and comfortable life, Fellow Daoist Tuo. You have a son and a daughter, and both possess uncommon talent. Your son is already at the Mid Foundation Establishment Stage; I imagine your daughter isn't far behind."

Tuoshan caught the implication in those words. The smile remained on his face, but his heart tightened. He smoothly picked up a Communication Jade Plaque and called out.

"Tuoyan, Graceful, come over here," he ordered. "Come meet the two special envoys."

Before his voice could fade, the man suddenly snorted coldly. He set down his wine bowl and slammed his hand onto the table.

"Grand Elder Tuo, are you still playing dumb?" the man demanded. "I heard that your daughter brought back a Ganzhou man a few days ago."

His gaze swept over, carrying a probing intensity. "Those evil cultivators from Ganzhou are best at disguises. Several tribes ahead of you fell into their traps out of momentary kindness, ending up with their entire clans slaughtered. If you are carelessly deceived, Fellow Daoist, let alone failing to protect your tribe, I'm afraid you will also bear the infamous title of a Northern Plains traitor."

Tuoshan's hand paused slightly as he held his wine bowl.

He finally understood. These two hadn't come today for some patrol or warning—they were clearly here to pressure him.

That Ganzhou youth who called himself Qing You—Tuoshan had naturally observed him in secret several times. He had the cultivation of the Qi Refining Fifth Layer. His aura was steady, his words and actions showed no abnormalities, and when he chatted with his daughter, it was mostly just ordinary small talk.

He had been suspicious at first. But after watching him a few times, he figured the boy was most likely just a minor cultivator who had fled the battlefield and couldn't stir up any waves. Yet he knew very well that these two in front of him never truly cared about that person.

They wanted to use this as an excuse to test the Lingxi Tribe's attitude. The Heavenly Fire Tribe was severely weakened; whether these subordinate small tribes were still as obedient as before and whether they harbored any ulterior motives—that was what they really wanted to know. At the same time, they could secretly squeeze out some profit.

The small tribes that had been pressured previously had probably been brought under their thumbs step by step in exactly this way.

Tuoshan remained silent for a moment. He looked down at the remaining wine in his bowl and sighed inwardly.

He remembered how his wife had been just as kindhearted back in the day. She had once saved a person on the road, only to later discover that the person was a Ganzhou spy. In the end, it had cost her her life. Now his daughter seemed to take after her mother. Her kindness was genuine, but he couldn't let the tribe meet the same end.

He raised his head and put on that chuckling expression once more, draining the wine in his bowl in one gulp.

"Please rest assured, you two," Tuoshan said. "Our Lingxi Tribe has always known its place. We absolutely wouldn't dare harbor any disloyal thoughts. As for that Ganzhou man, I will handle him properly. I certainly won't cause the upper tribe any trouble."

He didn't mention who the person was, nor did he make any excuses. Some things only needed to be touched upon lightly, and that was enough.

The man gave him a look and didn't press the matter further. He merely picked up his wine bowl and stopped speaking. The woman, however, cast an extra glance at Tuoshan; her gaze lingered on his face for a split second before moving away.

Tuoshan sat back down in the head seat. The smile remained on his face, but he was already calculating inwardly; he was afraid he'd have to dig into his reserves to produce something for them tonight.

All these years, he had guarded this tribe, raised a pair of children, and lived half his life in caution, but in the end, he couldn't escape such a situation. He lowered his eyes and drank the rest of the wine in his bowl in one gulp. His throat felt a bit bitter, but he didn't say a word.