Sir, the case is solved!

Chen Wei and Ma Muzhi transformed, putting away their jade-green immortal officials' everyday robes and taking on the appearance of two ordinary mortal farmers.

Coarse cloth tunics, trouser legs rolled up-their true identities vanished without a trace.

An incognito inspection called for blending in with the locals. They walked through the orchard, one behind the other.

Chen Wei stopped before an immortal apricot tree so thick it took two people to encircle it. He crouched and scraped away the dry surface soil with his fingers, exposing the roots buried deep beneath.

The main root was gray-black, like charred wood. The slightest pressure crumbled it to powder.

There was no lingering demonic aura, nor any sign of damage from disease or insects.

Chen Wei touched the dead trunk, stirring his will ever so slightly.

A thread of pure, vast, primordial immortal energy flowed from his fingertip into the dead wood.

The power of a Heavenly Immortal could bring the dead back to life and make withered wood bloom anew. The instant the immortal energy entered it, a tender green shoot miraculously emerged from the apricot tree's withered yellow branches.

Yet.

That spark of life lasted only half a breath.

Pfft.

A faint sound.

The shoot turned from green to black in an instant, rapidly withering and curling before scattering as a wisp of ash. The immortal energy poured into it vanished like a clay ox sinking into the sea, without so much as a sound.

Chen Wei withdrew his hand and brushed off the dead wood's ashes.

"Even immortal power is useless. These waters run deep," Ma Muzhi said, clicking his tongue after witnessing the whole process.

He had assumed it was merely a dispute, at worst a problem with the soil and water or some minor mortal-world demon causing trouble. But now even immortal power sank into it like a stone into the sea. The nature of the matter had changed.

Chen Wei offered no comment. His gaze swept over the dead trees covering the mountainside, and Taibai Jinxing's figure came to mind.

The Star Lord's first assignment involved fruit trees on Flower-Fruit Mountain that even immortal power could not revive.

Why hand it to us?

Was it inconvenient to let the regular heavenly troops and generals intervene, or had he deliberately cast out a barbed bait to see whether this newly established office could swallow it?

When immortals fought, mortals suffered.

When mighty beings played chess, the pieces naturally had to bear the risks of crossing the river.

As he pondered this.

A faint rustling came from a patch of dry grass a hundred paces ahead.

Ma Muzhi's ears were especially keen. He roared, "Who's there? Come out!"

His voice thundered through the empty orchard.

Whoosh-

Accompanied by a piercing whistle through the air.

A scrawny figure suddenly shot out of the dry grass. Not daring even to look back, he skimmed along the ground and fled into the depths of the woods.

He moved extremely fast, clearly possessing an escape technique.

"Running?" Chen Wei snorted coldly. In the blink of an eye, he crossed the hundred paces and appeared out of thin air directly in front of the dark figure.

The fleeing figure's momentum was too great for him to stop.

Chen Wei reached out and seized the back of his neck. A pulse of immortal power instantly sealed all the major acupoints throughout his body.

Bang!

With a flick of his wrist, he slammed the man hard onto the ground.

"You've got some nerve! Feeding pills to the fruit trees?" Chen Wei looked down at him, his tone icy.

The fellow struggled as he tumbled to the ground. The cloth pouch tucked against his chest fell open, spilling black pills that gave off a pungent odor.

He was a man with a pointed mouth and pinched, monkeylike cheeks. With all his acupoints sealed, he lay trembling on the ground.

Under the pressure of a Heavenly Immortal, the man's lips quivered. He stammered for a long while, seemingly concocting an excuse.

Chen Wei did not listen at all.

Interrogate him?

Out in these desolate mountains, who had the patience to listen to some low-level lackey spin lies?

Chen Wei struck him with a beam of immortal light. The man's eyes rolled back, and he passed out on the spot without so much as a groan.

"Old Ma!"

"Bring the culprit and the evidence. We're going to the Mountain God Temple."

Two clear breezes swept through the inner hall of the Mountain God Temple.

Chen Wei and Ma Muzhi appeared without a sound. They had already changed back into the jade-green everyday robes of immortal officials that represented the Heavenly Court's authority, their waist tokens hanging gleaming in plain sight.

Behind the main desk.

The mountain god, Xiahou Lie, sat upright, a cinnabar brush in hand. He stared at a blank scroll meant for mortal prayers, his brows knitted, putting on the air of a man deep in thought and burdened with countless affairs of state.

Hearing the movement.

Xiahou Lie abruptly looked up, then plastered his face with smiles. He hurried around the desk, repeatedly clasping his hands and bowing. "Oh my! I had no idea two heavenly officials were arriving. Forgive me for failing to welcome you! This humble official has been so entangled in tedious duties that I failed to notice your esteemed arrival. Please pardon my neglect, honored immortals!"

He made himself exceedingly humble, his face full of apology and his tone so sincere that not a single fault could be found.

Chen Wei stood with his hands behind his back, smiling.

Busy with official duties?

Every fruit tree on Flower-Fruit Mountain's rear slopes had died, and the mountain god had ignored them. What great affairs could possibly require his attention?

He knew perfectly well, but gave no hint of exposing the act.

"You're too kind, Lord Xiahou," Chen Wei said in a cordial, official tone. "Your diligence in public service and tireless attention to countless duties make you a model for us all. We're the ones being presumptuous, arriving uninvited."

The friendly role played out.

Ma Muzhi picked up his cue seamlessly. With a cold snort, he threw the man he was carrying onto the ground. "Since you're so busy with official duties, Lord Xiahou, we'll keep this brief! This fellow was lurking beneath the fruit trees, poisoning them to destroy their roots. We caught him red-handed! And what a coincidence-he even had a token from your Mountain God Temple on him!"

Ma Muzhi flipped his wrist, tossing an ebony waist token at Xiahou Lie's feet.

Both culprit and physical evidence were present.

They pointed straight to the Mountain God Temple.

Xiahou Lie's smiling face changed instantly. His eyes widened, and he took half a step back. "Shen He? So! You ungrateful traitor!"

He flew into a rage and kicked Shen He hard in the small of the back, jolting the unconscious man awake.

Shen He opened his eyes groggily.

Before he could understand what was happening, Xiahou Lie unleashed a torrent of abuse. "You dared go behind my back and destroy the Great Sage's fruit trees! The Great Sage has treated us well, and Flower-Fruit Mountain and the Mountain God Temple have always kept to their own waters without muddying the other's well. What were you thinking? Speak! Why would you commit such a heartless act?"

Every word steered the confession and distanced him from any involvement.

Clutching his back, Shen He sat up, his eyes darting between Xiahou Lie and the two heavenly officials.

In just half a breath.

Shen He gritted his teeth, stiffened his neck, and shouldered all the blame. "That's right! I did it all! This has nothing to do with the Mountain God Temple! There was no other reason! I just couldn't stand those monkeys on Flower-Fruit Mountain, chattering and jumping all over the place! I wanted to vent my anger!"

He could not stand the monkeys.

That was his reason for destroying the roots of every spirit-fruit tree on Flower-Fruit Mountain?

The logic did not connect, and the motive was flimsy.

Even a three-year-old would find the lie halfhearted.

Yet.

After hearing this, Xiahou Lie turned to Chen Wei and clasped his hands. "Your discerning eyes miss nothing, honored heavenly officials! You rooted out this villain the moment you arrived! My failure to discipline my subordinates nearly caused a grave disaster. Now the truth is clear!"

"Sir, the case is solved!"

"The one who destroyed Flower-Fruit Mountain's roots and saplings is none other than Shen He. Sir, please..."

"I wouldn't be so sure." Chen Wei waved a hand, smiling as he interrupted Xiahou Lie's speech. "This fellow isn't even an unaffiliated immortal, yet he dared use pills to ruin the roots and saplings. What was he after? If he hated the monkeys, he could simply have gone after the monkeys."

"Why target the saplings?"

"What was he after?"

"Exactly! What was he after?" Ma Muzhi chimed in, his expression belligerent.