Loophole

After confirming that Mo Ran had been crushed to death by that gray-clad Da Dou Shi, Mo Tang finally breathed a sigh of relief.

When he saw the other party leading people in pursuit of the place he had just left, he silently headed in the opposite direction.

Meanwhile, three days later, the news had reached the ears of the Mo Clan's patriarch within Mo Family Fortress.

"What? Three Trade Caravans were ambushed, and all the medicinal herbs were destroyed? What about the guards? I remember there was a caravan protected by Mo Ran as well. Where is he?"

In the hall, the Mo Clan patriarch Mo Lan's voice rang out as he suppressed his fury.

A guard trembled as he knelt on one knee before Mo Lan. His face filled with terror, he swallowed hard and stammered, "All ninety-eight guards accompanying the three Trade Caravans were killed. One person's whereabouts are unknown! Commander Mo Ran... Commander Mo Ran was also killed by those people..."

The fury in Mo Lan's eyes froze for a moment before his brows furrowed deeply.

"Mo Ran is dead too..."

This news made Mo Lan's heart sink.

From what he knew of Mo Ran, only a Da Dou Shi could have killed him...

That meant the people who had attacked the Mo Clan this time were definitely no ordinary bandits!

Taking a deep breath, Mo Lan said grimly, "Go. Notify all the clan elders to come discuss this matter. Also, send someone to invite the Great Elder!"

This incident was likely the beginning of some plot targeting the Mo Clan. Mo Lan did not dare to be careless in the slightest and immediately summoned the Mo Clan's pillar of support, the Great Elder.

Just as the guard turned to leave...

"Right, you said one person's whereabouts are unknown? Who is it?"

"It is Mo Tang, the captain of Commander Mo Ran's Guard Squad!"

While the Mo Clan went all out to investigate the enemies daring enough to provoke them, a travel-worn figure with his face hidden beneath a black robe hurried into Salt City.

Outside Mo Family Fortress, the guards, who had already heightened their vigilance, stopped a suspicious person at the entrance.

"Who goes there? Stop where you are! Take another step forward, and you will be killed immediately!"

A stern-looking middle-aged Dou Shi shouted.

"I am Mo Tang, captain of the Mo Clan's Second-Class Guard Squad! I have urgent information to report to the patriarch and the Great Elder!"

The newcomer held up a silver token and shouted loudly.

This hurried figure was naturally Mo Tang, who had narrowly escaped disaster.

Afraid of being intercepted by those people again, he had not taken the main roads leading to Salt City. Instead, he had spent considerable time taking back routes. Only now, a week later, had he finally arrived safely in Salt City, the Mo Clan's stronghold.

"Mo Tang?"

The Dou Shi was stunned, then his expression changed.

He had heard this name more than once over the past few days. He had originally thought the man was already dead...

He was not the only one who thought so. Even the Mo Clan patriarch Mo Lan and the Great Elder Mo Cheng had believed the same. Thus, when they heard that Mo Tang had appeared before them again, both were overjoyed.

Three of the Mo Clan's Trade Caravans had been wiped out, leaving behind almost no clues. Although the Mo Clan had mobilized all its forces to investigate, they had gained pitifully little.

Mo Tang's appearance now gave them an enormous surprise!

"Quickly! Bring him to see me!" Mo Lan said urgently.

Upon entering the main hall of Mo Family Fortress and seeing that nearly every high-ranking member still in the Mo Clan had gathered, Mo Tang realized that the matter was apparently not as simple as what he had witnessed.

"Mo Tang, what exactly did you encounter that day? Tell us everything, quickly!"

"Yes, Patriarch, Great Elder."

Mo Tang respectfully clasped his fists, then began recounting the events after giving them his own artistic embellishment.

"...In the end, Lord Mo Ran held off that Da Dou Shi alone and told me to flee first with the item. He also instructed this subordinate to make sure it was delivered to the clan..."

As he spoke, Mo Tang's eyes reddened slightly, as if he had been saddened by recalling Mo Ran's heroic sacrifice that day.

He took out a jade box with a green sheen from his robes and presented it with both hands.

Mo Lan's expression shifted slightly, while the Great Elder Mo Cheng beside him frowned.

After taking the box, Mo Lan opened it directly. At once, a strange fragrance filled the hall, refreshing the spirits of everyone who smelled it.

Several elders curiously leaned forward. When they looked inside the jade box, their bodies jolted as they cried out, "A Qi Gathering Pill?"

Within the ancient box lay a jade-green pill the size of a longan, and that enticing fragrance came from it.

On the Dou Qi Continent, to become a true Dou Zhe, one first had to condense a Dou Qi Vortex within one's body. Yet condensing a Dou Qi Vortex carried a considerable chance of failure. After failure, one's ninth stage of Dou Qi would fall back to the eighth stage. Some particularly unlucky people might need to attempt it more than ten times before succeeding. Such repeated attempts would cause them to miss the best period for cultivation, severely damaging their future prospects.

The Qi Gathering Pill could allow someone at the ninth stage of Dou Qi to condense a Dou Qi Vortex with a one hundred percent success rate!

This remarkable effect made countless people who wished to become Dou Zhe as soon as possible covet it desperately, longing for it day and night without ever obtaining one.

Although this medicinal pill was rare and of no low grade, having reached Fourth-grade, it was not something unattainable for a great clan like the Mo Clan.

After all, they had the Misty Cloud Sect backing them, and the Misty Cloud Sect had Alchemist King Gu He, the foremost alchemist in the entire Jia Ma Empire...

As long as the Mo Clan was willing to pay a sufficient price, obtaining a Qi Gathering Pill would be easy enough.

And this Qi Gathering Pill had been prepared by Mo Lan for his daughter...

It was not exactly an extremely secret matter. Otherwise, Mo Ran would not have openly returned alongside the Trade Caravan.

Mo Tang did not know this, which was why Mo Lan and Mo Cheng's expressions had become somewhat strange when he said that Mo Ran had willingly died for this pill.

Mo Tang discreetly watched the two men. Seeing the change in their expressions, his heart sank slightly... He knew there had to be some loophole in his story.

But as long as his acting was convincing and he continued playing out the story he had told, making sure his words remained logically consistent...

Then even if they harbored suspicions, there was no way they could do anything to him at a time like this...

As these thoughts raced through his mind, Mo Tang's expression immediately became even more sorrowful.

After gently closing the jade box, Mo Lan looked at the grieving Mo Tang. His black robe was covered in dust, and he looked utterly haggard. He had apparently suffered greatly during his escape these past few days.

After a brief pause, Mo Lan said, "Good. I understand what happened. You have worked hard these past few days, so go rest first.

You completed this mission well. Merit will be rewarded, and your reward will be delivered to your home tomorrow. You may leave."

A flash of delight appeared in Mo Tang's reddened eyes, as if he were overjoyed by the reward the patriarch had mentioned. Then he left directly.