After a while, Chen Jinshu finally eradicated all the insect eggs along the formation's perimeter.
She even meticulously cleaned herself from head to toe.
Thankfully, her enchanted robe prevented the eggs from clinging to her—they could only have been carried in by the wind. The damage from the Blackfrost Swine Lice wasn't as severe as it could have been.
With a flick of her wrist, she reactivated the formation.
"It seems I'll have to keep this formation sealed at all times from now on."
If she had provoked someone on Vulture Mountain, at least she'd know who to confront. But this? An anonymous act of sabotage, leaving her with no target for retaliation.
The more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt.
Now, staring at the pests infesting her precious spirit herbs, an indignant fury flared within her.
"Hmph! How dare these wretched bugs defy me?"
Eyes sharp, she summoned a slender Golden Needle between her fingers and flicked it toward one of the Blackfrost Swine Lice.
"Swoosh!"
The needle pierced straight through the insect's armored shell, pinning it to the soil. The creature twitched once before going still, its innards oozing white fluid—utterly lifeless.
"Again!"
Another needle shot out, impaling a second pest.
After several repetitions, she gauged the lice's defenses. Their shells were tougher than ordinary caterpillars, but her Golden Needle Technique made quick work of them.
Still, each cast drained her spiritual energy. To maximize efficiency, she adjusted her angles—
"Swoosh!"
This time, a single needle skewered three lice on the same leaf. Half an hour later, Jinshu had exterminated every last Blackfrost Swine Lice across all three mu.
The Golden Needle Technique consumed nearly as much energy as the Spiritual Rain Technique, limiting her to about fifty casts per full reserve. With two breaks in between, she wiped out hundreds of the pests.
Reading her Compendium of Spirit Beasts and Plants she discovered an unexpected benefit: though harmful alive, the lice's bodies—saturated with spiritual herb juices—could be repurposed as fertilizer.
Burning their remains into powder and scattering it around the roots would actually nourish the plants. With a controlled Fireball Technique, she incinerated the carcasses. A faint, roasted aroma filled the air as the black shells crumbled into charcoal dust.
She carefully sprinkled the powder around the most damaged Golden Vine Flowers, then summoned another spiritual rain to soak the nutrients into the soil. Gradually, the withering aura around the plants faded, replaced by renewed vitality.
Next, she cast the Revitalization Technique on the worst-afflicted vines, mending their gnawed leaves until the wounds scabbed over with healing sap. By the time she finished, an hour had passed. Exhausted, she slumped onto the field's ridge, cycling the Chángqīng Jué to recover.
Another half-hour later, Jinshu arrived at Vulture Mountain's administration hall.
Her goal? Unmask the saboteur.
Those white eggs hadn't appeared overnight—someone had deliberately planted them over time. If left unchecked, they'd strike again, and her hard work would be ruined.
"Third Uncle!"
Chen Huaiyang looked up as she approached, her face half-hidden beneath a veiled hat.
"Jinshu? Is everything alright with the residence?"
He wasn't surprised by her visit. Newcomers always faced hurdles, especially one as young and inexperienced as her.
"The house is fine. But my spirit fields…" Her voice tightened. "They were infested with Blackfrost Swine Lice. Someone planted eggs there deliberately."
Chen Huaiyang's expression darkened. "What? Poisonous pests? On my watch?"
Vulture Mountain hadn't seen such an outbreak in years. This was no natural occurrence—it was sabotage.
"I came to ask if you have any surveillance artifacts—like a Shadow stone—to catch the culprit."
"I do, but it's inefficient." He retrieved a palm-sized crystal, its core shimmering ice-blue. "Now that you've exposed the infestation, the perpetrator will lie low. Waiting could mean they slip away entirely."
"Then what do you suggest?"
A cold smile curled on Chen Huaiyang's lips. "We interrogate every farmer here—under a Truth Talisman."
The ruthless glint in his eyes sent a shiver down Jinshu's spine.
"So this is the steel beneath his scholar's demeanor. No wonder he'd reached Qi Refinement's ninth layer."
"Then… I'll rely on your judgment, Third Uncle."
"Of course. You're under Vulture Mountain's protection now—and this concerns our reputation."
With a wave, he activated an amplification spell, his voice booming across the mountain:
"All Vulture Mountain farmers—assemble at the administration hall immediately!"
Within two quarters of an hour, nearly three hundred cultivators had gathered—except three.
"Where are Chen Hua, Chen Qin, and Chen Heng?" Chen Huaiyang's voice dripped frost.
"Reporting, Elder! Hua and Qin said their fields were also hit by Blackfrost Lice!"
Murmurs erupted. Jinshu's eyes widened.
Another victim?
But her infestation was no accident—she'd confirmed the eggs were planted. And her neighbor, Uncle Yongnian, hadn't been affected.
"Anyone else?" Chen Huaiyang scanned the crowd. No one else stepped forward.
"And Chen Heng?"
"No one's seen him, Elder."
A muscle twitched in Chen Huaiyang's jaw. He produced a glowing talisman—the Truth Talisman—and expanded it overhead.
"This compels honesty. Everyone will pass beneath it—starting with you, Jinshu."
She obeyed, feeling an intangible force brush against her consciousness as Huaiyang questioned her:
"Did you plant the pests?"
"No."
"Are you involved in this sabotage?"
"No."
"Next."
One by one, the farmers underwent interrogation—until all but the missing Chen Heng had been cleared.
The conclusion was inevitable.
"Chen Heng… He's the one?"
Disbelief rippled through the crowd.
"He seemed so honest!"
Chen Huaiyang's order cut through the chatter:
"Hunt him down. Bring him to me."
With a roar of assent, the mob surged forth, hoes and tools in hand, ready to deliver justice.