Chapter 763: Borrowing Someone

Chapter 756: Requesting Personnel

Blade Elder slowly spoke, "The volcano on Mount Xu erupted, destroying the Star-Picking Tower. Lingxu City suffered damage and countless casualties. The Lingxu Incident shocked the world... Do you gentlemen know who was responsible for this?"

He knew he was asking the obvious, and He Lingchuan responded without hesitation: "Fang Canran destroyed Lingxu City."

Blade Elder nodded, a flicker of surprise in his heart.

Blade Elder was, of course, well aware of Fang Canran's role in this incident. These individuals had come from Beijia, carrying the token Fang Canran had provided.

The timing perfectly aligned with the Lingxu Incident.

One had to listen for what was unsaid. The young man before him stated clearly that Fang Canran had only disrupted Lingxu City, not "Mount Xu."

The upheaval on Mount Xu had a different instigator.

Who could possibly know such details? Neither the Heavenly Palace nor anyone within Blade Elder's own organization had this information.

Only actual participants would be privy to such information.

Blade Elder murmured, "The Grand Spirit Gathering Array?"

The shocking overnight transformation of Lingxu City began with the volcanic eruption on Mount Xu. Blade Elder, with his own channels, understood more clearly than others that the destruction of Mount Xu's Grand Spirit Gathering Array and the subsequent liberation of the Great Fire Spirit were the true genesis of all these events.

Had something not occurred on Mount Xu, how would Fang Canran have dared to instigate the riots in Lingxu City?

They had been strategizing in Lingxu City for years, waiting for just such an opportunity.

He Lingchuan smiled, "What are you implying?"

Granny Zhu and Dong Rui, standing nearby, remained silent, allowing him to lead the conversation.

Blade Elder hesitated, seemingly wanting to speak but holding back.

Was this young man going to admit it or deny it?

Blade Elder was an experienced veteran; he understood after a moment's consideration.

For Lingxu City, this was the gravest crime imaginable. Once the culprit was identified, they would undoubtedly be pursued to the ends of the earth.

Thus, these individuals would never admit to it.

So, were they truly the ones who destroyed the Grand Spirit Gathering Array? A definitive answer to this was unlikely.

Blade Elder only knew that his own faction had been meticulously planning and operating in Lingxu City for years, yet had never found an opportunity to breach the array.

The Heavenly Palace's deployment and protection of the Grand Spirit Gathering Array were truly meticulous. His organization had exerted immense effort, even making significant sacrifices, but had consistently failed.

If these individuals lacked genuine talent and capability, Fang Canran wouldn't have praised them so highly, would he?

He composed himself. "Excuse me," he asked, "to which organization do you belong?"

He could discern that the spider demon's cultivation was formidable, the young man radiated inner spiritual energy, and the third was the owner of the Ghost Ape. None of these three were to be underestimated, but relying solely on them to overthrow Lingxu City seemed insufficient.

They must have had additional help.

Such an immense undertaking, involving countless details and unforeseen developments, could not have been accomplished by only a few individuals.

He Lingchuan cleared his throat. "We are all unaffiliated individuals," he said, "like wandering clouds and wild cranes."

Blade Elder immediately chuckled. "No matter, no matter," he said, "it's perfectly fine not to disclose."

He didn't believe it for a moment, simply assuming they wished to maintain secrecy.

After all, it was their first meeting; how could they be expected to bare their souls completely?

Individuals capable of achieving such feats in Lingxu City likely had "caution" as their guiding principle.

He Lingchuan offered no further explanation. Pointing to the iron ring, he said, "Old Fang sent a bird demon after the incident. It gave me this ring and a secret code, and told me there were people here who could be of use to me."

In truth, Fang Canran's note contained contact details for several individuals. He Lingchuan, traveling west from Suoluo Kingdom, simply chose the one geographically closest to him.

That person was Blade Elder of Rongshan.

Blade Elder was well aware of Fang Canran's meticulous nature; otherwise, Fang Canran could not have operated as an undercover agent in Lingxu City for so many years without revealing himself.

Could this iron ring have been stolen or misused?

The possibility was extremely remote. The organization had a variety of tokens, and a successful match required presenting the correct token to the correct person along with the proper passphrase.

There were also many different passphrases.

If the token or passphrase He Lingchuan presented now were incorrect, Blade Elder would immediately turn hostile.

He casually inquired, "What kind of avian demon?"

"A large parrot, quite colorful."

Blade Elder nodded. Indeed, Fang Canran's inherited family bird was a large, vividly colored parrot.

He Lingchuan then asked, "We left quite early, so we're unaware of what happened to Old Fang afterwards?"

Amidst the chaos in Lingxu City, the three of them had almost immediately ridden the snail-toad to escape the scene. However, Fang Canran was the mastermind behind the subsequent series of events. He Lingchuan had spent several months in the wilderness and was unaware of his whereabouts.

"He has already departed from Lingxu City. I haven't received any further updates." Lingxu City was extremely distant from their current location, making it difficult to transmit news from east to west.

He Lingchuan nodded, unsurprised.

Given his understanding of the Heavenly Gods and Demon Emperors, such a profound humiliation would undoubtedly provoke a furious retaliation.

Lingxu City itself was the eye of the storm; it would have been far too risky for Fang Canran to remain there.

A wise person does not linger beneath a crumbling wall.

Furthermore, he had organized numerous individuals to carry out the destruction, and the sheer scale suggested many participants. If even one or two were captured, wouldn't they expose Fang Canran?

Blade Elder waved a dismissive hand. "He will act according to circumstances," he stated, "there's no need for us to worry about him."

His attention was now entirely focused on He Lingchuan's phrase, "for me to use."

Fang Canran not only trusted this young man but also instructed Blade Elder to fulfill his "demand for personnel"?

If these individuals were indeed solely responsible for initiating the upheavals in Lingxu City and on Mount Xu, their exceptional contributions would certainly warrant such high regard from both Fang Canran and the organization.

Given that He Lingchuan was an outsider to the organization, Fang Canran's "World's Finest" passphrase implied that this person was exceptionally valuable and aligned with their cause. Blade Elder was clearly expected to fully win him over.

The organization had no shortage of people; what it truly lacked were exceptional talents, prodigies.

Therefore, if the other party requested personnel, they should be provided; if they needed money, it should be given; and if they required convenience, it should be amply supplied.

Thus, Blade Elder pondered for a moment before asking, "Young Master He, where are you headed?"

"First, south, then I plan a trip to the Kingdom of Kite."

"And you require personnel for what purpose?" His tone had already shifted to one of respect.

He Lingchuan smiled. "To make a grand impression."

"Just a small jest, Elder, please forgive me." He Lingchuan's smile faded. "I have several more operations planned, but I am short on personnel and require various types of talent."

Blade Elder nodded. "The moon has passed its zenith," he said. "Honored guests, please rest for now. Shall we discuss this in detail tomorrow?"

He Lingchuan understood that Blade Elder also needed time to plan meticulously, so he stood up to take his leave.

Blade Elder grabbed a handful of nuts and offered them to the Ghost Ape.

The little monkey naturally took them with both hands and munched away contentedly.

Blade Elder asked Dong Rui, "So this monkey belongs to you?"

"Yes," Dong Rui replied, "this fellow never listens to me and just runs around everywhere." He shot a fierce glare at the Ghost Ape, which guiltily lowered its head.

The Ghost Ape had already communicated with him on the way here.

A Rongshan disciple then led the group to a guesthouse to rest.

Soaking in a hot bath when exhausted brought complete comfort, washing away the weariness of days spent trekking through the wilderness. The unexpected heavy rain pouring outside the window, as long as it wasn't falling on them, was a beautiful, serene sight.