I Cultivate Immortality With Scientific Thinking

Chapter 12: Calculations

As night fell, the moon rose to its zenith.

The bustling Moving Cloud Market was still lively, with lights shining.

In a small forest not far from the market, a figure appeared. He was wearing a black cloak, tall and upright, with bright eyes as sharp as an eagle's.

This young man was Lin Chen.

It wasn't that he didn't want to return to his sect, but when he used invisibility technique to sneak towards the sect, he discovered that there were many people lying in ambush in the direction he had left.

Although Lin Chen was not afraid to fight them, it would be foolish to charge forward when he knew there were ambushes.

"I have infiltrated their vicinity without anyone noticing, which means they haven't determined my location or the means to track me..."

"I have changed several routes and found people lying in ambush each time. It seems that someone has leaked the direction I left..."

"And when I was fighting the three Independent Cultivators earlier, someone caught up to me. They must have determined my location based on the commotion during the battle..."

The news of him obtaining thousands of spirit stones leaked out, his departure direction exposed, Independent Cultivators mobilized to plunder, and a team sent to chase him...

Connecting all the information, Lin Chen's aura became even more fierce.

After all, he had been in the Immortal Cultivation World for ten years. Although he focused on scientific research on cultivation, it didn't mean he was ignorant of the intrigues, calculations, and worldly affairs outside the sect and in the Immortal Cultivation World.

He had conducted the transaction in a room in the Treasure Pavilion, dressed in black when coming and going, and concealed the storage bag. How did those cultivators who loved killing and robbing determine that he had thousands of spirit stones and was an easy target?

And he could be sure that no one was following him when he left.

But if there were spies scattered throughout the market, using message transmission to arrange different people to lock onto his location and determine the direction he left, there was a good chance he would be blocked by a large number of ambushes set up by the Blood Cultivation team.

Considering all this, Lin Chen could be sure that he was being targeted for assassination, and it was definitely related to Bai Bao Lou's manager, Fang Mingyuan!

"I originally wanted to make a good deal, but I didn't expect to be seen as an easy target. It seems that I don't need to hold back. Do they really think I'm a pushover?" A cold light flashed in Lin Chen's eyes.

Although revenge is a dish best served cold, ten years is not too late for a gentleman's revenge. But if one has the ability, why wait ten years? Perhaps he would storm into the enemy's house with a sword that very night!

Of course, although Lin Chen had the ability to break into Bai Bao Lou and kill someone, he wasn't that foolish.

Not to mention that he would be wanted by Bai Bao Lou after killing someone, cutting off this path in Moving Cloud Market.

Just killing someone alone would pose a big problem in facing the Azure Cloud Sect cultivators stationed in the market, and even the Foundation Building Stage cultivators who would come after him!

Perhaps this was also Fang Mingyuan's conspiracy, using himself as bait and using the Foundation Building Stage cultivators in the market as a knife to carry out the act of killing with borrowed blades!

"I won't rush in recklessly, brandishing my knife and killing people. I don't do such foolish things," Lin Chen said with a deep gaze.

"But who said that killing someone must be done personally with a knife?" Lin Chen glanced at Moving Cloud Market and then leaped towards it.

...

Moving Cloud Market, inside a restaurant.

The rich aroma of food filled the hall, where cultivators dressed in various clothes sat in groups of two or three. Waiters occasionally passed by with delicious dishes. Amidst the clinking of cups and the exchange of conversations, it was a lively scene.

Although cultivators at the Qi Refining Stage possessed Transcendent power, they were still unable to achieve the same level of fasting as those at the Foundation Building Stage. Therefore, food was indispensable for them.

At this time, during the mealtime, familiar cultivators began discussing and exchanging information they had learned.

Most of them were Independent Cultivators who lived in Moving Cloud Market through work or selling themselves.

It's not that they didn't want to have spiritual land for cultivation, but in the Lingnan Immortal Cultivation World, most of the spiritual land was owned by others. The remaining small portion was either difficult to find due to rare connections or occupied by powerful Demonic Beasts.

In the process of cultivating immortality, spiritual energy was essential. Therefore, in order to preserve their hard-earned path to immortality, they could only stay in the market, becoming cheap labor. While contributing to the prosperity of Moving Cloud Market, they earned meager spirit stones.

However, after deducting expenses and daily necessities, there was hardly anything left of those spirit stones, let alone using them for cultivation.

Of course, faced with such an exploited and miserable life, there were cultivators who considered leaving.

But if they all left, who would be left to exploit in the market?

Therefore, any cultivator working in the market was forced to sign a contract. Once they left the market, their cultivation would be abolished, and all their property would be taken back.

And even if they could leave under such circumstances, what would be the use?

As a result, most cultivators completely gave up on the idea of leaving and chose to labor hard here, accumulating spirit stones generation after generation, in exchange for opportunities for their descendants to rise to prominence.

But even with such thoughts, their lives remained miserable. Their descendants not only failed to accumulate wealth but were constantly exploited, becoming poorer and poorer. After all, in this survival of the fittest Immortal Cultivation World, who would care about those Independent Cultivators working in the market?

"Have you heard? A lucky person who obtained a hundred-year Spirit Medicine was killed by those blood cultivators who kill for treasures!"

"Is it true? Is your information reliable?"

At this moment, some people were quietly discussing and sharing their observations at the table.

Blood cultivators were the name given by Independent Cultivators in the market to those who specialized in killing for treasures and didn't engage in production.

"This is already the third time this month! Why are the guardians of the market not doing anything about these blood cultivators running rampant near the market?" someone said angrily.

"Do something? For those big shots above, as long as the prosperity of the market is not affected, everything else is insignificant," someone shook their head.

The assassination by Blood Cultivators usually involves killing people to silence them. Unless there is a counterattack, very few people survive, which leads to very little leakage of information about the killings.

However, the cultivators who come and go in the market are aware that people are being killed for treasures, but they are not clear about the severity of the situation. In addition, most cultivators are confident in their own strength, so this does not have much impact on the prosperity of the market.

"I don't understand. Isn't it better to earn spirit stones peacefully? Why do they have to kill people and rob them?"

"Peaceful work doesn't bring quick exploitation and resource plundering. Don't you understand such a simple principle?"

"I'm not sure about that. Isn't it possible to become a Blood Cultivator with my strength? I'm afraid I'll be killed on the first day." The person next to him sneered.

"I don't know if I'm strong or not, but there's no problem with defeating you!"

"Huh, just you? Do you dare to compare?"

"Come on, who's afraid?!"

Perhaps after drinking a bit, the discussion among the people became more intense.

"By the way, why did the Blood Cultivators target the guy who sells Spirit Medicine?" At this moment, someone raised this question.

"What's there to be puzzled about? Everyone knows that he sells Spirit Medicine. It would be strange if the Blood Cultivators didn't target him." One cultivator said dismissively.

"But the transaction for Spirit Medicine takes place in the shop's room. Besides the shop and the person himself, no one else knows. How did the information leak out?" A voice appeared among the crowd.

As soon as this question was raised, everyone in the room paused, looking at each other, and the room fell silent.

"I heard that the guy went to the Treasure Pavilion in the market for the transaction..." someone murmured. Although the voice was small, it was very clear in the silent hall.

"Shh~ Some things are better kept to oneself. Don't say it out loud, or you'll encounter the Blood Cultivators the next day!" After a moment of silence, a voice sounded in the hall, seemingly warning and mocking at the same time.

Many people in the room nodded in agreement, looked at each other, and continued to eat as if nothing had happened.

For a while, all the voices in the room disappeared, leaving only the sound of people eating and moving around.

At this moment, Lin Chen sat on the second floor of the restaurant, overlooking the silent crowd of cultivators below, with a hint of mocking smile on his lips.

The few people who raised the question just now were naturally arranged by Lin Chen.

It is true that the person selling Spirit Medicine at the Treasure Pavilion was killed by Blood Cultivators. But whether it was leaked by someone from the Treasure Pavilion, Lin Chen really didn't know.

But it doesn't matter. Rumors are like wildfire. If enough people say it, even if it's not true, it becomes true.

Moreover, this scene not only played out here but also appeared in various restaurants in the Moving Cloud Market. Although it cost some spirit stones, it was worth it for Lin Chen.

"Conspiracy and calculation are not my strong suits. In this life and the previous one, I'm only in my forties. How can I compare to those old foxes who have lived for nearly a hundred years?"

Lin Chen is well aware of his weaknesses. In his previous life, he was just a college student. Even though he has transmigrated, he hasn't experienced much of society. How can he compare to those old foxes in the Immortal Cultivation World who have lived for hundreds of years and are skilled in scheming and plotting?

But it doesn't matter, because he is a transmigrator!

"What we transmigrators possess is not only systems, Immortal Weapons, and scientific thinking, but also a vision and perspective that have been shaped by the information age!" Lin Chen's eyes were deep.

In ancient times, information was scarce, and some truths could only be understood through personal experience.

But in modern times, as long as one has access to abundant information and thinks deeply, they can naturally derive some principles of living!

For example, when Lin Chen observed the entertainment industry in his previous life, he summarized two principles:

First, it is easier to target an individual than a collective. Second, there are far more people who stand by and watch, and even sabotage, than those who extend a helping hand!

For example, in his previous life's entertainment industry, if you were to say that the entire industry was chaotic and had a bad atmosphere, they would unite with major media outlets to suppress your voice. They would even subtly make you believe that it was always like this, to the point where you dare not speak up.

But if you only target a specific individual and report them, then the other enemies within the industry would at most stand by and watch, and some may even readily sabotage you!

Although Lin Chen doesn't know what the business world is like, there is no doubt that the principles are the same!

"If I expose the connection between the major shops in Moving Cloud Market and the Blood Cultivation, it may not necessarily bring down Fang Mingyuan. Instead, it will offend the higher-ups of Moving Cloud Market, causing them to unite and block the information, or even hunt down the mastermind behind the scenes..."

"But what if I only spread rumors about the collusion between the Hundred Treasures Tower and the Blood Cultivation..."

In this world where black-on-black conflicts can happen at any time, no one would want to invite trouble by engaging in transactions.

Therefore, in the Immortal Cultivation World, the most important aspects of a shop are reputation and the confidentiality of trade contents!

If a shop intentionally leaks information or spreads rumors of black-on-black conflicts, would cultivators who come to trade still come here?

Moreover, although many shops in the market are under the jurisdiction of the Azure Cloud Sect, they also compete with each other. What would the managers of other shops do if they found out about the spread of this information?

A rumor alone cannot bring down a manager of a large shop, but what if someone intentionally stirs up trouble?

Thinking of this, Lin Chen looked towards the Hundred Treasures Tower, and his pitch-black eyes became even deeper.

A cunning person is skilled in scheming, while a wise person calculates the hearts of others.

No matter how precise a scheme is, if one link goes wrong, subsequent errors will occur. Even with countless plans to make up for it, it is only closing the stable door after the horse has bolted.

But the hearts of people are different. As long as their interests are accurately calculated, the majority of people will make the choices that were predicted.

And Lin Chen believes that as long as he can give others an opportunity to take action against Fang Mingyuan, there will definitely be people who take advantage of it and sabotage him!

So this time, he is spreading rumors, but what he is calculating is the hearts of people!

(End of this chapter)