Trouble at the Ghost-Crying Field!

Lin Mo spent the night quietly cultivating, but things were far from peaceful at the Ghost-Crying Field.

Behind Spirit Plant Peak, gusts of night wind swept through the mountains.

An honest-looking man sat cross-legged at the edge of the Ghost-Crying Field, shivering from time to time.

It was not that the Ghost-Crying Field's resentful energy was still causing trouble. Rather, the legends surrounding it over the past hundred-odd years had truly sunk deep into people's hearts.

As a result, apart from Lin Mo, ordinary outer sect disciples of the Spirit Plant Courtyard simply did not dare approach this place at night.

Those whose spirit fields lay nearby hurried back to their own courtyards almost as soon as darkness fell, terrified of being tainted by the resentful energy here.

"Elder Gou of Spirit Beast Peak is deliberately making things difficult for Junior Brother Lin. He might send disciples here to cause trouble. I need to keep a close watch for Junior Brother Lin..."

Liu Xianzong steeled his nerves, holding a spirit stone in each hand. Even while cultivating, he remembered to open his eyes from time to time and scan his surroundings.

Nothing seemed amiss in the spirit field.

The supposed havoc wrought by resentful energy seemed like nonsense. Fresh green spirit wheat shoots covered the field, flourishing without the slightest sign of withering.

"Junior Brother Lin really is impressive. He restored the Ghost-Crying Field so quickly."

Liu Xianzong muttered in admiration, then closed his eyes and continued absorbing the remaining spiritual energy from the spirit stones in his palms.

An unknown amount of time passed.

Thud!

A muffled impact rang out.

Liu Xianzong's whole body suddenly jolted. He toppled sideways, the spirit stones falling from his hands as he lost consciousness on the spot.

A young man wrapped in a black cloak slowly emerged from the distant darkness, a cold smile on his face.

It was Xun Bin!

Without so much as glancing at the unconscious Liu Xianzong, he swept his gaze over the spirit wheat in the Ghost-Crying Field, his cold smile deepening.

"Resentful energy that has accumulated for over a hundred years-how could it be so easy to purge it completely?!"

Xun Bin chuckled darkly, then took out a Yellow Paper Talisman and gave it a light flick between his fingers.

Whoosh!

The Yellow Paper Talisman swiftly burned to ash, but the ashes did not fall. They swirled before Xun Bin, gradually coalescing into the shape of a man.

Had Lin Mo been here, he would have noticed at once that the male figure formed from the ashes was almost identical to the young man's phantom that had appeared in the spirit wheat's golden light!

"Lin Mo, oh, Lin Mo. You dared refuse my master's offer, so you'd better be ready to pay the price... Are you ready to accept this generous gift of mine? Heh!"

Xun Bin chuckled coldly again, then turned and left.

Behind him, the young man's figure formed from the Yellow Paper Talisman's ashes drifted slowly toward the Ghost-Crying Field like a wandering ghost.

Wherever he passed, the newly sprouted spirit wheat seedlings withered rapidly, at a speed visible to the naked eye.

However, Lin Mo had already watered this spirit field with water from the gourd spirit spring. The withered spirit wheat shoots did not lose all vitality. Under the influence of some mysterious power, they clung stubbornly to their last trace of growth, like guttering candles in the wind.

Until daybreak!

In the early morning, the almost intoxicating dawn light bathed the mountain courtyards in warmth and gentleness.

After breakfast, the Spirit Plant Courtyard's outer sect disciples left the Dining Hall in twos and threes. Some returned to their own courtyards, while others headed straight to their spirit fields to begin the day's work.

Suddenly.

"Junior Brother Lin! Where is Junior Brother Lin? Something's happened at the Ghost-Crying Field!"

Outside the Dining Hall, Liu Xianzong staggered along, running as he cried out in panic, "All the newly sprouted spirit wheat shoots withered overnight! Hurry and take a look!"

What?!

In a private room of the Dining Hall, Lin Mo had been eating with Qin Sang Sang and Lin Xiaohe. His heart clenched, and he immediately rose and rushed outside.

At the same time.

Twenty or thirty outer sect disciples rushed out from inside and around the Dining Hall. They looked at the anxious Liu Xianzong, then gradually turned their gazes toward Lin Mo's face.

"Don't panic!"

Startled but composed, Lin Mo helped Liu Xianzong into the room and sat him down. "What exactly happened?" he asked steadily. "Don't rush, Senior Brother Liu. Take your time."

Liu Xianzong's face was filled with guilt. The honest, straightforward man's eyes were now red. "Last night..."

The previous night, he had been guarding the Ghost-Crying Field for Lin Mo when he suddenly lost consciousness. He had only slowly come around that morning.

He hurriedly checked himself and found that his Storage Bag was still there, with no sign of injury on his body. His head was merely a little muddled.

But the green shoots of the spirit wheat planted in the Ghost-Crying Field had turned grayish-white. Their vitality seemed extinguished, as though they had all withered and died!

"I see..."

Lin Mo pondered briefly, then beckoned to Qin Sang Sang and Lin Xiaohe, who had followed him over. "Take Senior Brother Liu back to rest. Don't go anywhere. Wait for me at home. I'll go check the Ghost-Crying Field."

Knowing how serious the matter was, the two girls supported Liu Xianzong on either side and took him back to Lin Mo's courtyard.

Not far away, many of the watching outer sect disciples wore strange expressions. The respect they had previously shown Lin Mo was gone from their eyes.

"Trouble at the Ghost-Crying Field? Lin Mo's in for it now!"

"The chamber-pot boy transformed into an outer sect disciple overnight, and even earned Steward Wang's respect... Hmph, meat pies don't just fall from the sky. See? Something's gone wrong already!"

"Shh, keep your voice down. Don't let Lin Mo hear you..."

Their whispers did not escape Lin Mo's ears.

But Lin Mo paid them no mind. Ignoring these outer sect disciples entirely, he swiftly left the Dining Hall and headed straight for the Ghost-Crying Field.

At that moment.

A faint, chilling aura lingered in the air above the Ghost-Crying Field, though the scattered rays of morning sunlight had diluted it considerably.

Within the rows of the spirit field, wisps of grayish-white deathly energy wound around the newly emerged spirit wheat shoots. Yet a little pale green remained at their roots, so faint that it would have been difficult to notice without close inspection.

Thankfully, this spirit wheat hasn't completely withered...

Lin Mo hurried along the ridges into the spirit field and crouched to examine the seedlings carefully, inwardly breathing a sigh of relief.

As long as they're not dead.

Even if they are... it doesn't matter!

He still had plenty of the spirit wheat seeds Wang Qiuru had given him, and he had also saved some Golden-Light Wheat seeds harvested from his own courtyard. At worst, he could simply plant them again.

If nothing else worked, he could plant the Golden-Light Wheat seeds and explain that the resentful energy here had caused the spirit wheat to mutate. That would be a perfectly reasonable explanation.

Senior Brother Liu couldn't have lost consciousness for no reason. Someone must have been secretly tampering with this place.

After a moment's thought, Lin Mo quickly connected the incident to Gou Fengying and Xun Bin.

Unfortunately, he had no proof!

If Liu Xianzong had been killed within the sect, the Azure Cloud Sect would certainly have investigated thoroughly. But he had merely lost consciousness. Even if they reported it, the sect would not take much notice.

Whoever had been tampering with the field was clearly extremely cautious and had left no loose ends.

I don't know whether watering it with spirit spring water again will help. I can only treat a dead horse as though it were still alive...

With no other options, Lin Mo swept his gaze around to make sure no one else was nearby. Then he took the Treasure Gourd out of his Storage Bag and walked toward the large wooden bucket beside the field.

What he never could have expected was this.

The instant Lin Mo took it out of his Storage Bag, the Little Gourd suddenly trembled. With a pop, the cap over its mouth opened on its own, releasing a faint glow!