After the late night, the moonlight sank westward.
Bai Heng used Fox Shadow Step and swept silently through the mountain forest.
After reaching third tier this movement technique had grown even more agile; treading wind as she went, she almost did not touch the ground.
The mountain god temple remained dilapidated, its door half-open.
She pushed the door and entered.
Only Granny Jiang sat alone on the stone steps beneath the statue.
Mu Xuejun had not come.
Bai Heng squatted in front of her.
Granny Jiang raised a hand and activated the restriction.
A faint light enveloped the temple and isolated it from the outside.
Bai Heng took out the array disk from her spiritual consciousness and, using her spiritual sense, held it out toward Granny Jiang.
“The array disk is returned to you.”
Granny Jiang glanced at it but did not take it.
“Keep it.”
She waved a hand.
“You will still need to bring Yun Zhuo away in the future. This array disk can help the two of you hide a little when necessary.”
Bai Heng was silent for a moment and did not act overly polite.
She stored the array disk back into her spiritual consciousness.
“Thank you, Granny Jiang.”
Granny Jiang nodded, her gaze falling on the two gently swaying tails behind Bai Heng.
She paused.
“Still, why have you kept your aura suppressed at second tier? The breakthrough went smoothly and your foundation is stable. Not bad.”
Bai Heng said matter-of-factly.
“Better to keep a low profile.”
Granny Jiang looked at her and suddenly smiled.
That smile carried a trace of mischief.
“You this little fox have a somewhat cunning and clever streak. Yet the details are still lacking.”
Bai Heng’s ears twitched slightly.
Granny Jiang pointed behind her.
“You suppressed your aura yet still have two tails. Who exactly are you trying to fool?”
Bai Heng froze.
She turned her head and looked at the two fluffy tails behind her.
One was the old one and one was the new one; both swayed gently behind her, clear and obvious.
Her face suddenly grew warm.
She had been careless.
When Heavenly Fox Concealment reached the second layer one could roughly alter one’s appearance, but she was still short of that level and could not hide her tails.
The performances she had thought flawless during the day — foraging in the forest and pretending to still be at second tier — were probably full of flaws in the eyes of others.
A second-tier little fox demon with two tails.
What kind of low profile was that?
Bai Heng wished she could burrow into the ground.
Granny Jiang saw her embarrassment and smiled while waving a hand.
“It does not matter. Those hidden big figures do not even place that transformation great cat Mu Xuejun in their eyes. A third-tier little fox like you has even less need to waste energy on any disguise.”
She paused.
“Displaying your cultivation openly might instead deter some low-level troublemakers.”
Bai Heng was silent for a moment and nodded.
She withdrew the suppression of Heavenly Fox Concealment and allowed her third-tier aura to flow out naturally.
It was much richer than before yet still clear, upright, and restrained, carrying the unique cold clarity of moon radiance.
Granny Jiang sensed it and nodded.
“Not bad. Your foundation is solid and your aura is clean.”
She paused, her expression turning serious.
“Let us speak of proper matters.”
Bai Heng’s ears stood upright.
Granny Jiang spoke slowly.
“On my side, everything that needed to be prepared is basically ready.”
She looked at Bai Heng.
“My old friends have already mixed into the village. There are also two mid-stage Golden Core demonic cultivators hidden in the nearby mountain forest, ready to act at any time.”
A slight steadiness rose in Bai Heng’s heart.
Two mid-stage Golden Core cultivators.
Together with Granny Jiang herself, that made three Golden Core level forces.
Granny Jiang continued.
“With this kind of strength, in this small mountain village, they already cannot be underestimated.”
“The Wang family is worthy of being the number one array and mechanism clan in the Li Kingdom. News came from the informant on the secret realm side two days ago. The mechanism restrictions in the core area of the secret realm will most likely be undone within a month.”
Bai Heng’s tails tightened slightly.
One month.
Granny Jiang looked at her.
“At that time those nine great clans and sects controlling the secret realm will focus all their attention on the secret realm. This side will lose its value.”
Bai Heng picked up the thread.
“They will withdraw.”
Granny Jiang nodded.
“On the surface they will. Whether they leave people behind in secret is hard to say, but at least they will not keep such close watch as now.”
She paused.
“However, those small sects, small clans, and rogue cultivators may not be the same.”
Bai Heng understood her meaning.
Without the deterrence of the great clans and sects they would be capable of anything.
Granny Jiang nodded.
“Unable to obtain benefits from the secret realm, they will think of ways to obtain Yun Qing’s relics.”
She looked at Bai Heng.
“That will be our chance to take Yun Zhuo away.”
Bai Heng was silent for a moment.
“What about the person who set the seal?”
Granny Jiang’s gaze grew deep.
“My old friends and I will restrain him.”
She paused.
“There are also certain people from the Qingxu Sect and the Feng Clan. Once Yun Zhuo loses his value they will definitely find ways to silence him.”
Bai Heng’s brows furrowed slightly.
“They probably will not act personally.”
Granny Jiang nodded.
“The matter of stealing the spiritual root is known to only a very small number of people. Acting directly would instead arouse suspicion.”
She looked at Bai Heng.
“But they can create chaos. They can secretly incite those rogue cultivators to take risks and let something happen to Yun Zhuo. That would be very easy.”
Bai Heng did not speak.
Granny Jiang continued.
“Still, I have also thought of countermeasures.”
The corners of her mouth curved slightly, revealing a somewhat sly smile.
“Over these past six months I have already had my old friends spread the matter of the spiritual root theft through many information channels as a piece of gossip and secret news. Of course the identities involved were hidden.”
A stir rose in Bai Heng’s heart.
“It is time.”
“Gradually spread information about the victim and the perpetrators. Is Shen Ren’an going to be released now?”
Granny Jiang looked at Bai Heng.
“At that time, in order to prove their innocence, the Feng Clan and the Qingxu Sect will probably have to openly protect Yun Zhuo on the surface.”
Bai Heng thought for a moment.
“Especially the Qingxu Sect.”
Granny Jiang nodded.
“Yun Qing and his wife were, after all, Golden Core elders of the Qingxu Sect. On both sentiment and reason they should look after Yun Zhuo well.”
She paused.
“Moreover, the Qingxu Sect actually has no shortage of truly upright and somewhat pedantic righteous people like Yun Qing. If they learn that someone colluded with outsiders to harm the son of their own sect’s elder and further schemed to force Yun Qing and his wife to their deaths, they will likely develop a rift with the Feng Clan.”
“They will also take extra care of Yun Zhuo.”
Bai Heng finished listening and was silent for a moment.
This plan was indeed good. It would make the two greatest threats grow suspicious of each other and fight internally.
She paused.
“But if the Qingxu Sect watches Yun Zhuo too closely, will it not become even harder for us to take him away?”
Granny Jiang smiled.
“Borrowing momentum always comes with some cost. We will adapt as the situation develops when the time comes.”
She paused, her tone turning casual.
“At worst we can still snatch him by force. We of the demonic path will not follow those orthodox rules.”
Bai Heng looked at her and suddenly smiled as well.
That smile was very faint and almost invisible on a fox’s face, yet Granny Jiang understood it.
“You this little fox.”
She shook her head, stood up, and patted the dust from her clothes.
“All right, go back and prepare. Within a month we may act at any time.”
Bai Heng nodded and stood up.
When she reached the door she suddenly stopped.
“Granny Jiang.”
“Hm?”
Bai Heng did not turn around.
“Thank you.”
Granny Jiang smiled.
“What is there to thank? Go back quickly.”
Bai Heng nodded and pushed the door open.
The moonlight had sunk westward and the mountain forest was silent.
She used Fox Shadow Step to sweep through the mountain forest and returned to the rock cave.
She squatted at the cave entrance and gazed at the village below the mountain.
The lamplight was sparse and the night was deep.
At most one month.
She gently flicked her two tails and turned to walk into the cave.