Stabbed in the Back with Spell Swords, They Died by Hanging

With Mount Potalaka ahead, Chen Wei put those thoughts out of his mind.

Whatever the High Immortal bestowed, he would use.

Never ask what should not be asked, never think what should not be thought. That was the iron law of survival when serving in the Heavenly Court.

The auspicious cloud descended.

Outside the Purple Bamboo Grove, Muzha, a disciple of the Bodhisattva Guanyin, was already waiting.

Chen Wei dared not be negligent. He stepped forward twice and bowed respectfully. "This humble official, Chen Wei, has come to pay his respects to the Bodhisattva under Taibai Jinxing's decree."

"You have come at an unfortunate time, immortal official." Muzha raised one palm upright and returned a slight bow. "The Bodhisattva departed yesterday for Spirit Mountain in the Western Heaven to discuss Chan teachings. She is not here."

Had he come for nothing?

Chen Wei's expression remained unchanged as he waited for more.

The High Immortal would never send an errand runner here only to let him return empty-handed.

Sure enough.

Muzha took a magical artifact from his sleeve. Neither gold nor jade, it resembled the Pure Water Bottle, with a faint trace of vitality seeping from its mouth.

"The Bodhisattva left instructions before departing," Muzha said slowly, holding the Jade Bottle out to Chen Wei. "If an immortal official from the Heavenly Court came bearing the Star Lord's token, I was to give him this. The Bodhisattva also left a message."

"Please tell me." Chen Wei accepted the Jade Bottle with both hands.

"Water can nourish all things." Muzha smiled and said nothing more.

Holding the Jade Bottle, Chen Wei felt everything become clear.

Understood.

Taibai Jinxing and the Bodhisattva Guanyin, those two mighty beings, had already struck some bargain over the withering fruit trees on Flower-Fruit Mountain.

As for the terms of that bargain, a lowly official carrying out orders had no need to know.

The spiritual water bestowed by the Bodhisattva was the key to resolving the situation.

Such were the political games played in the halls of immortals. The High Immortals settled the arrangements amid conversation and laughter, while the pawns running errands below merely had to carry a token through the motions and complete the prescribed steps. That alone counted as a great meritorious deed.

"This humble official understands." Chen Wei slipped the Jade Bottle into his sleeve and cupped his hands again. "Thank you, Pilgrim. I have official duties to attend to, so I will trouble you no further. Farewell."

He turned, mounted his cloud, and retraced his route.

Eastern Victory Divine Continent, Flower-Fruit Mountain.

Chen Wei had just stopped above the dead orchard and was about to take the Jade Bottle from his sleeve to cast a spell and sprinkle its water.

A streak of azure light shot straight toward his cloud. It was Ma Muzhi, who had stayed behind.

"Sir." Ma Muzhi drew close to Chen Wei and transmitted his voice privately. "Something's happened. Xiahou Lie and that Bear Demon called Big Bear are both dead."

Chen Wei's hand paused slightly around the Jade Bottle.

Dead?

They had barely recorded the evidence of their crimes with the Recording Stone, and now the two were gone.

"How did they die?" Chen Wei asked through voice transmission.

"The messenger from the Mountain God Temple said they hanged themselves." Ma Muzhi wore a peculiar expression. "Both had been stabbed in the back with spell swords until they looked like sieves. When the lesser demons arrived, there were suicide notes left on their desks, saying they had destroyed the fruit trees for personal gain and were too ashamed to face the Heavenly Court."

As Chen Wei listened, the corners of his mouth twitched despite himself.

Stabbed in the back?

Hanged themselves?

What a spectacular suicide out of fear of punishment. They stabbed themselves in the back seventeen or eighteen times, then wrote their letters?

Such a crude way of silencing witnesses would not have fooled even a third-rate mortal coroner.

Yet the other side had dared to do exactly that.

Why had they dared?

Because the method was not meant for mortal eyes. The powerful hand behind the scenes did not care whether it made sense, only whether the chain of cause and effect had been severed.

With every lead cut off, the overall situation was secure.

It told Chen Wei in no uncertain terms: the case ended here. Stop digging.

"Sir, should we go to the Mountain God Temple and examine the bodies?" Ma Muzhi asked tentatively.

"Examine what?" Chen Wei gave Ma Muzhi a sidelong glance, his voice level. "Since Xiahou Lie left a final letter and hanged himself out of fear of punishment, that is a matter for the Heavenly Court's other departments. We are the Folk Customs and Morals Inspection Bureau. We were sent down solely to handle the case of the withered fruit trees. Overstepping our authority is a grave taboo."

Chen Wei's mind was perfectly clear.

If something lay outside his authority, he would not spare it another glance even if the heavens collapsed.

With that said.

Chen Wei took out the Jade Bottle he had received on Mount Potalaka and pulled out the stopper.

He tilted his wrist and channeled his immortal power.

Sweet dew slipped from the bottle's mouth and turned into a skyful of fine rain on the wind, drifting down to envelop every fruit tree.

The raindrops landed on the blackened, withered trunks.

A miracle sprang to life.

The dead trees, which even a Heavenly Immortal's innate immortal power could not save, shed their deathly aura the instant they touched the sweet dew.

Dead bark peeled away, and new branches sprouted buds.

At a speed visible to the naked eye, the Immortal Apricot and Honey Peach trees covering the mountain sprang back to life.

Green leaves unfurled and peach blossoms bloomed. Then the petals fell, and plump, succulent immortal fruits filled the branches.

Spiritual energy flourished, and fruit fragrance spread everywhere.

The deadlocked situation had come alive.

"Hahaha! Good, good, good! They're alive!" A hearty burst of laughter suddenly rang out.

At some point, the Monk had appeared out of thin air above Chen Wei and Ma Muzhi's cloud. Floating cross-legged, he slapped his thigh and rocked with laughter, his face filled with delight as he watched the revived orchard below.

At the sight, Ma Muzhi immediately puffed up with pride.

He planted both hands on his hips and lifted his chin at the Monk. "Well, Monk? We weren't lying, were we? We said we'd get results roaring with a tiger's might, and that's exactly what we did!"

"Not bad, not bad." The Monk stopped laughing and eyed Ma Muzhi sidelong. "This poor monk misjudged you. I thought the Heavenly Court had sent down another bunch of wine sacks and rice bags, but you two minor officials actually have some real ability. Quick and efficient, too."

"Very well."

"Since this poor monk spoke so boldly before, now that the fruit trees are alive, wouldn't I become a laughingstock if word got out that I offered nothing in return?"

Before his words had faded.

The Monk freed one hand and swept it out, sending a faint golden light straight toward Ma Muzhi.

Ma Muzhi's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly held out both hands to catch it.

A treasure bestowed by such an unfathomable Monk had to be a fine magical artifact at the very least.

The golden light landed in his palms.

Ma Muzhi looked closely, and his face fell. A single glittering golden hair lay in his hand.

A hair?

What good could one hair do?

"Come on, Reverend," Ma Muzhi said, curling his lip in open disdain. "Aren't you being a little stingy? Your reward is one hair?"

Far from being annoyed, the Monk clutched his belly and laughed. "This is a treasure hard to find anywhere in the Three Realms! Keep it safe. If you ever face mortal danger, you'll learn just how powerful it is."

Ma Muzhi was half convinced and half doubtful, but he dared not throw it away. He could only tuck it into his sleeve pocket.

The Monk turned his gaze to Chen Wei. He looked him up and down, smacking his lips from time to time and nodding repeatedly.

"Mm, not bad."

"There's something worth looking at here, but..."

"Master!" Something stirred in Chen Wei's heart. In a respectful tone, he ventured, "Might you be considering accepting this junior as your disciple?"

The Monk shook his head like a pellet drum. "No, no! Your frame reeks too much of books, and your natural aptitude... is outrageously poor. I... this poor monk won't take you! This poor monk's school has no place for disciples who couldn't stand up to a gust of wind!"

Chen Wei gave an awkward chuckle.

Well, now. He had actually been mocked to his face for his poor aptitude.

"Still..." The Monk blinked and changed tack. "The way you handle things suits this poor monk's taste. I owe you a favor today. If you have any descendants in the future, you can send them here to Flower-Fruit Mountain to find me. For the sake of today's favor, this poor monk could give them a pointer or two."

[Seeing my old work trapped without cause in this mire, I feel needles stabbing my heart, such searing pain. Yet I am stubborn by nature and cannot bear to leave it at that, so I can only swallow all this bitterness with my blood, prop up this frail body, and stake my life on toiling out this new chapter. I never dared hope for much, only that heaven might take pity on this devoted heart of mine and let my old book escape this undeserved sea of suffering soon, giving the characters within it somewhere they can see the light of day. And as I watch these newly begun chapters, I hope they can grow taller and put forth grain day by day, gradually finding their stride and struggling toward a brighter future. If I could truly be blessed with both, then even if my bones were dried out from toil before this writing desk, my heart would find it sweet as honey, and nothing could make me happier!]

[Plain-language translation: for the sake of my ten thousand words a day, please leave a five-star review! And free little gifts!]