Just as expected.
But Shen Qing didn't know what exactly was wrong with True Lord Kun Shan either. The elders of the Green Wood Sect had examined True Lord Kun Shan respectively and only came to one conclusion.
True Lord Kun Shan showed such a sickly state because he couldn't advance to a higher realm and his lifespan was about to be exhausted.
But Elder Yao Yue was so nervous this time. She must have discovered something extraordinary!
Shen Qing felt a rush of excitement. If Elder Yao Yue had really found out the reason, then True Lord Kun Shan might be saved!
"Uncle, I just feel something strange, but I can't put my finger on it. Moreover, the elders of the Green Wood Sect have already reached a conclusion, so I had no choice but to suppress my doubts."
Elder Yao Yue looked at Shen Qing with satisfaction, and her eyes were brimming with admiration.
"No wonder you're the disciple recognized by Ling Zhou. You're so smart!"
"I came here this time to tell you that I think the reason why True Lord Kun Shan can't advance to a higher realm... is that he was drugged!"
"And the one who did it is True Lord Hu Xiao!!"
This time it was Shen Qing's turn to be surprised. She widened her eyes in disbelief and said, "Uncle! Do you know what you're saying?"
Elder Yao Yue pressed down the heads of Li Xian and Shen Qing again. She explained nervously, "Do you think I want to suspect True Lord Hu Xiao? Listen to me first."
"I've already asked the other elders of the Beast Taming Sect. They said that ever since True Lord Kun Shan felt that he was running out of strength, he had been using spiritual herbs to condition his meridians."
"And it was True Lord Hu Xiao who gave this advice. Moreover, True Lord Hu Xiao always served by his side when True Lord Kun Shan took the medicine. After taking those bowls of medicine, True Lord Kun Shan's meridians didn't get relieved or nourished. Instead, their circulation stagnated."
"Although I've examined the dregs of those medicines and found nothing wrong, I have a hunch that this matter must not be that simple. So I've been secretly observing True Lord Hu Xiao these days."
"I noticed that there was always a sachet hanging from his waist. That sachet was so delicate that it didn't seem like something a person like him would wear."
"I suspect that there's something in it that's incompatible with the medicine True Lord Kun Shan took."
Elder Yao Yue blurted out all her speculations in one go. But then she frowned tightly and fell into distress.
"But I really can't think of what kind of incompatible thing it could be that can even prevent one from advancing. That's just too incredible."
Shen Qing's heart skipped a beat. Although she didn't want to believe that Shi Yu's master was such a person, Elder Yao Yue was so certain. Her suspicion must be reasonable.
If they wanted to know the truth, they had to investigate.
As for what Elder Yao Yue said, that there was no medicine that could prevent one from advancing, it was because she hadn't seen the power of the system. If she had, she wouldn't have said so.
In this world, the system was almost omnipotent, except that it couldn't directly make a person ascend to immortality.
Moreover, Ling Zhou had also told her that the black qi on True Lord Kun Shan was thick but faint.
"Besides this... do you have any other reasons to suspect True Lord Hu Xiao?"
Elder Yao Yue shook her head. "Time is running out. I haven't even investigated True Lord Hu Xiao's sachet clearly."
"But Uncle, even the elders of the Green Wood Sect couldn't find out the reason. Why are you so certain that there's something wrong with True Lord Hu Xiao's sachet?"
Elder Yao Yue slapped the table, lifted her chin, and said confidently, "Intuition!"
Shen Qing twitched the corner of her mouth and her eyebrows jumped. "Uncle, your..."
"Little disciple! You'd better believe Yao Yue's intuition. Even our master has praised it. There was a great expert in the Yao Yue family's ancestors. Their technique of divining the secrets of heaven was on par with that of Yu Xuzi."
So Shen Qing swallowed her words and said instead, "I believe in your intuition!"
Li Xian gave Shen Qing a strange look and raised his eyebrows.
"Good. Since you believe me, I'll tell you my plan. Time is running out. We must find out the cause of True Lord Kun Shan's illness before the selection ends!"
"Yes, Uncle!"
Shen Qing nodded seriously. Seeing that Li Xian didn't respond, Shen Qing patted Li Xian on the back, and then Li Xian said, "Yes, Uncle."
After finalizing the plan, Elder Yao Yue huffed and puffed as she retrieved all the formations she had set up.
She didn't find it so troublesome when setting them up, but when it came to retrieving them, she realized that she had placed so many things.
It took her almost half an hour to put all these things back into her storage bag.
Elder Yao Yue's plan was very detailed. Through her investigations in the past few days, she had completely grasped True Lord Hu Xiao's movements.
So Shen Qing's task was to trick True Lord Hu Xiao into eating the spiritual fruits laced with sleeping pills.
After the medicine took effect, Shen Qing would take off True Lord Hu Xiao's sachet and give it to Elder Yao Yue for inspection.
By then, it would be clear whether there was something wrong with True Lord Hu Xiao.
But the plan was good, yet the reality was completely the opposite.
When Shen Qing presented those spiritual fruits in front of True Lord Hu Xiao and hadn't even had the chance to speak, True Lord Hu Xiao waved his hand and fed all the spiritual fruits to his spiritual beasts.
After a group of small spiritual beasts ate the fruits, they felt sleepy in front of the two of them. This made True Lord Hu Xiao frown tightly. He turned to look at Shen Qing, his eyes heavy.
"Shen Qing... the spiritual fruits you brought..."
Shen Qing held her breath, afraid that True Lord Hu Xiao would turn into a tiger and bite off her fragile neck.
"They're quite juicy. Look at them. They're all sleepy after eating. I was just annoyed by their noise. I didn't expect this to be a way to make them sleep."
Although Shen Qing didn't understand True Lord Hu Xiao's train of thought, seeing that he didn't suspect her, she let out a sigh of relief.
One plan failed, and Elder Yao Yue came up with another.
Her latest plan was to dirty True Lord Hu Xiao's sachet and clothes. When he changed his clothes, they would take his sachet when things were in chaos.
This plan went smoothly. A large bucket of spiritual beast feed was splashed on True Lord Hu Xiao.
The disciple bought by Shen Qing looked at True Lord Hu Xiao nervously. But when he thought of the more than ten top - grade magical treasures of the Crane family, he mustered up the courage to say, "True Lord... please forgive me!"
"The disciple didn't do it on purpose. Please go and change your clothes. The disciple will definitely wash them clean for you."
But the next second, True Lord Hu Xiao recited a cleansing spell, and the dirt on his body was instantly cleaned up. His clothes were brand - new again.
This left everyone on the scene stunned.
Yes, they were all cultivators. Who didn't know how to use the cleansing technique?
So the second plan also failed.
This really made Elder Yao Yue angry. She told Shen Qing and Li Xian that they might as well go all the way and just knock True Lord Hu Xiao out.
But both Shen Qing and Li Xian said they were unable to carry out this proposal.
Their cultivation levels were too low. They would be detected by True Lord Hu Xiao before they even took action, and then there would be a big misunderstanding.
So Elder Yao Yue would carry out the third plan herself.
Without saying a word, Elder Yao Yue picked up the wooden stick beside her and set off to look for True Lord Hu Xiao.