Fairy, don't be afraid, I'm about to begin my strategy.

That day, Shen Mo had just logged on when Bai Xiaofeng rushed to find him.

"Oh no, Junior Sister Chen, we must hurry and steal the pills!"

"Stealing pills? What pills are you stealing!"

"Something's happened at the herb garden!"

The usually quiet Lingyun Main Peak was bustling with activity, especially the place selling pills, where long queues had formed.

After Bai Xiaofeng's explanation, Shen Mo learned the truth: the herbs in the medicinal garden had been poisoned by a rare toxin, causing large areas of them to die.

Shen Mo then remembered that many of the rice seedlings in the spiritual field had started to wither and turn yellow, and had black spots, just two days ago. He had reported it to the supervising consul at the time, but nothing came of it. He never expected the matter to be so serious.

When he arrived at the herb garden, the entire garden had been sealed off, and inner sect cultivators were guarding the entrance, preventing anyone from entering.

The surrounding cultivators whispered and speculated wildly. Shen Mo also spotted Lin Zhixia in the crowd, who looked anxious and worried.

Could it be that Lin Zhixia knows some inside information?

Shen Mo was about to approach her to chat when he walked out of the crowd, but Lin Zhixia had disappeared.

"How strange!"

At this moment, the noisy crowd suddenly paused and looked at the group of cultivators flying in from the distant sky.

The cultivators' robes fluttered as they soared through the air on their magical artifacts, their movements elegant and unrestrained, like immortals descending to earth. This scene stirred a burning passion in Shen Mo's heart; this was true cultivation!

"Soaring through the air, that's an inner sect elder!"

Shen Mo was startled, and only then did he see that the leading male and female cultivators were standing on empty ground, without any magical treasures, yet they were steadily suspended in mid-air as if walking on flat ground, with a calm and composed expression between their brows.

He was no longer an ignorant novice cultivator; he knew that soaring through the air was a technique of cultivators in the Spirit Realm, a realm higher than the Golden Core Realm, and at least an elder-level figure in the inner sect.

I never imagined that the matter at the medicine garden was so serious that it even alarmed the inner sect elders.

After the cultivators landed, Shen Mo finally got a clear look at the faces of the two leaders.

The male cultivator was an old Taoist priest with silver hair like a waterfall and a long beard reaching his chest. Although his temples were all white, he was vigorous and his eyes shone brightly when they opened and closed. He exuded a terrifying aura around him.

The female cultivator was a beautiful middle-aged woman. Although she was dressed simply and without any jewels, she exuded an air of elegance and grace. However, upon closer inspection of her eyes and brows, one could discover that beneath that dignified demeanor lay a hint of aloofness and coldness, as if she were untouched by worldly affairs.

Just as Shen Mo's attention was completely drawn to the two leaders, he inadvertently glanced at one of the cultivators behind them, and recognized him as an old acquaintance—Daoist He.

The group entered the herb garden without stopping and disappeared without a trace.

For the next few days, the herb garden remained closed, with inner sect cultivators frequently coming and going, while rumors spread among the outer sect.

Some say it's the work of the demonic sect, intending to launch a large-scale invasion of the Lingyun Sect; others say it's the birth of rare and exotic insects that caused the herbs to wither and die.

Various claims and rumors were presented with great conviction, making it difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood.

But the scramble for medicinal pills was real. Due to extensive damage to the herb garden, the sect's herb supply was tight, and rumors circulated that medicinal pills would be in short supply for the next three years. Everyone was on edge, after all, these medicinal pills were one of the most important resources for cultivation.

Everyone rushed to buy the sect's pills, and many others purchased pills from other sources outside the sect to resell. For a time, no one cared about the medicine garden; everyone joined the ranks of those speculating on medicines.

The most common Qi Gathering Pill, which used to cost only 5 spirit stones a bottle, is now being sold for 5 spirit stones for two pills, a five-fold increase.

Shen Mo had also stockpiled some in advance, but it was obviously too late. He didn't make much money, but at most, he wouldn't have to worry about his cultivation expenses for the time being.

The one who's been making headlines lately is none other than Young Master Zhao. This kid got incredibly lucky; he was originally in charge of the Zhao family's pill business in the outer sect, and he happened to have a stockpile of herbs and pills.

Taking advantage of the high prices, he sold off his stockpiled goods and made a fortune. Of course, this was mainly thanks to Deacon Zhao, who was in charge and had entrusted the management to him because he found it troublesome.

Young Master Zhao had embezzled quite a bit in the past, but this time he actually made a profit.

Not only did he pay off his gambling debts, but he also repaid the spirit stones he had borrowed from Shen Mo.

Seeing him earn a large sum of spirit stones, Shen Mo felt extremely uncomfortable. He was so angry!

Shen Mo seized the opportunity to probe Zhao Gongzi for information, only to discover that he was truly an idiot, knowing nothing about the herb garden. He didn't even care; in fact, he hoped as many herbs as possible would die.

It wasn't a complete loss; he did reveal a crucial piece of information: Young Master Zhao's grandfather, who was also the patriarch of the Zhao family, had actually emerged from seclusion for this matter.

Could it be that the Zhao family is involved in this incident at the medicinal herb garden?

The person with the deepest connection between the Zhao family and the medicine garden should be Steward Zhao.

There is too little information to analyze it clearly.

This game requires interaction with other players to generate character cards; otherwise, all your spirit stones will be wasted. Simply meeting someone and glancing at them won't trigger the character panel to explore their private information. In other words, there must be a change in favorability or dislike.

After much thought, Shen Mo decided to trouble his old friend, He Daoren.

After making some inquiries, it was discovered that He Daoren and his group did not stay inside the herb garden, but rather at the outer gate.

As night fell, Shen Mo knocked on He Daoren's door.

"Hmm? Junior Sister Chen, is something the matter?"

He Daoren was somewhat surprised to see Shen Mo, not understanding his purpose in coming.

"Master He, I am sorry to disturb you by visiting so late at night."

Shen Mo was calculating in his mind, deliberately adopting a somewhat girlish demeanor, exuding charm. He knew perfectly well that, regardless of whether these cultivators appreciated it or not, with such a beautiful woman before him, it would be a waste not to make good use of her.

"No need to bother us, no need to bother us!" Master He said with a smile, and hurriedly invited Shen Mo into the house.

He Daoren poured Shen Mo a full cup of tea. "Junior Sister Chen, what brings you here so late?"

"I parted ways with you hastily last time, Daoist Master, and didn't have a chance to properly thank you. I came here specifically to express my gratitude after learning that you were in the outer sect on business."

After Shen Mo finished speaking, he pushed a bag of spirit stones toward Daoist He, totaling 3000 spirit stones.

Daoist He quickly waved his hand, "Junior Sister Chen is too kind. It's nothing. It's only natural for disciples to help each other."

"Now that you mention it, Master He, I do have a small matter I'd like to ask for your advice on."

"Junior sister, you might as well tell me, but I am just a humble person and may not be able to help you."

"That old fox, he took the money but is still pretending to be profound," Shen Mo thought to himself.

Shen Mo told He Daoren about his desire to work at Jia Garden. After listening, He Daoren frowned and looked troubled.

"Junior sister, it's not that your senior brother doesn't want to help you, it's just that this herb garden is in the outer sect, while I work in the inner sect's council hall, so I really can't say anything about it."

As expected, this Taoist priest refused to help.

"Master He, actually, my desire to work at Jiayuan is not solely for my own benefit; it would also be advantageous for you."

He Daoren's eyes lit up. "Oh, tell me about it!"

"With this incident at the herb garden, the inner disciples will surely want to investigate thoroughly. If I'm not mistaken, things probably aren't going very smoothly!"

Upon hearing this, Daoist He visibly paused in his tea-serving hand. "Oh, Junior Sister, where did you get this information? This is a secret; if it gets out, it will break the sect rules!"

"Of course, this is just my humble opinion... After all, I've spent quite a bit of time in the herb garden, and after thinking it over, I feel that there's something fishy about this matter, and the crux of the problem probably lies with Steward Zhao."

Shen Mo's eyes flickered, and his voice grew softer, "As the steward of the herb garden, he should be able to see through the abnormalities of the spiritual plants. How could he have allowed the situation to escalate to this point? There must be something fishy going on here."

"If the Immortal Master is so kind as to grant me permission to be transferred to Jia Garden, I will certainly keep a close watch and investigate carefully. If there is any news, I will report to the Immortal Master immediately. This merit will naturally belong to you, Immortal Master."