I Cultivate Immortality With Scientific Thinking

Chapter 13: Development of the Situation

Once again, night fell, and the night pearls embedded in the bronze street lamps emitted a soft white light, illuminating the entire Moving Cloud Market as bright as day.

In a restaurant, people sat in groups of two or three. Most of them were dressed casually, with bamboo baskets at their feet, and a mixture of the fragrant scent of plants and the pungent smell of earth lingering around them. Their cultivation levels were mostly in the Innate Realm, the stage before Qi Refining.

They were medicine gatherers.

Although the Azure Cloud Sect occupied a vast territory, areas other than the main peak and the surrounding spiritual vein gathering places were not included in the large array and were naturally not under its jurisdiction.

However, in this area, although it was rarely visited and dangerous, there were undiscovered spiritual veins and many valuable treasures. Therefore, the profession of medicine gatherers emerged. They risked their lives to gather various precious herbs and medicinal plants, and then sold them to major shops in the market.

Even though their labor was obtained at the risk of their lives, they were often pressured by the shops to lower their prices, making it impossible for them to obtain enough resources for cultivation. Coupled with their weak strength and lack of influence, they had always been a disadvantaged group in the market.

"Hey, have you heard? Old Wang, who recently collected a hundred-year Spirit Medicine, was killed by a blood cultivator."

At a small table, a boy of about fifteen or sixteen years old, who was eating with his head down, suddenly heard this and his whole body tensed. He instinctively reached for his waist and felt that what was there was still there, so he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Is it true? I know Old Wang. He has always been a cautious person. How could this happen..."

"Sigh, the news leaked out, so naturally it attracted the attention of the blood cultivators."

"He has always been a loner. How could the news leak out? But I heard in the market that it was intentionally leaked by the Bai Bao Tower..."

"Shut up! Do you want to die?!" The person speaking's face changed, and he quickly stopped him, whispering, "Some things can be said, and some things cannot be said. You've lived for so long, don't you understand this? If you continue like this, don't blame me for distancing myself from you and not cherishing our old relationship!"

"Yes, yes, I know I was wrong." The other person smiled bitterly, "I shouldn't have spoken recklessly. After all, there are deep waters here that we can't grasp..."

"Zhou Shu, excuse me for interrupting, but the matter you were just discussing..." The sudden voice made the two people discussing fall silent, and they relaxed when they saw who it was.

"Oh, it's Xiao Yu... We were just casually talking."

"I haven't been in the market for long, so there are some things I don't understand. I hope the two seniors can enlighten me." With his words, Xiao Yu handed over a few coins.

These were talismans made from Low Grade Spirit Stones, used by low-level independent cultivators for transactions. One Low Grade Spirit Stone could make a hundred talismans.

Taking the benefits, the two people's expressions eased, and they whispered the news they had heard.

"Leaking the news, letting the blood cultivators kill, and then splitting the spoils fifty-fifty... Are they really not giving us independent cultivators a way to survive..." Xiao Yu gritted his teeth and touched the wooden box on his body.

This was the hundred-year Spirit Medicine he had taken at great cost from a demonic beast. He had originally planned to sell it at a good price and exchange it for resources for his own cultivation, but who knew...

"If the Bai Bao Tower is like this, are the other shops the same? But there is only one market within a thousand miles, and without the help of the Azure Cloud Sect's flying ship, they can't transmigrate to other markets in the vast and dangerous areas."

So they could only hold on to the lucky idea that only the Bai Bao Tower had a problem and trade with other shops.

However, no matter what they thought, Lin Chen had already achieved his goal. The flow of customers in the Bai Bao Tower began to decrease significantly.

And within the market, rumors spread due to this unverifiable rumor, causing hidden currents to surge.

"In the peaceful world of the past, a rumor or a collapsed building was enough to affect or even destroy a shop. Even if it managed to survive, it would be unknown how much it would cost to win back the people's trust..."

"But in this Immortal Cultivation World, it is impossible to restore one's reputation without killing a few people..."

In a guest room, Lin Chen slowly opened his eyes, a cold smile appearing on his face.

He looked towards the west, the direction of the Bai Bao Tower.

"A rumor can be terrifying when three people make a tiger. You used information to make the Blood Cultivation sect chase after me, hoping to profit from it. So I will destroy the reputation of the Bai Bao Tower with rumors and force the people above you to take action..."

Inside the Bai Bao Tower, in a room.

Fang Mingyuan, who had been busy all day, sat on a chair to rest. However, his expression was not relaxed. Instead, his brows were furrowed, and he unconsciously tapped his fingers on the table.

"Still no news?"

"Yes," his trusted subordinate standing beside him responded.

"I see..." Fang Mingyuan stood up, pacing back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back.

"This shouldn't be... With Wang Ping's strength, even if the interception failed, he shouldn't have lost the ability to escape... Could that Zhang Daoist really be that dangerous?"

Bang!

Fang Mingyuan paced back and forth, feeling a sense of unease rising within him. Just as he was about to speak and give some orders, a sudden commotion came from outside, followed by the room door being forcefully pushed open!

"Something's wrong, Manager Fang! Something's happened!"

"What's the matter that you're making such a fuss?!" Fang Mingyuan scolded.

"Yes, yes!" The person gasped for breath and quickly said, "Manager Fang, something's happened! There are rumors spreading throughout the market that our shop is involved in murder and treasure hunting!"

What?! Fang Mingyuan's face changed.

Could the matter have been exposed?!

"Tell me the specific details!" "Here's what happened..." Hearing the details, Fang Mingyuan's face turned extremely pale.

It was true that Independent Cultivators sold Spirit Medicine in the Bai Bao Tower, but it had nothing to do with him being attacked by the Blood Cultivation sect! After all, he didn't even care about such a small profit!

But the problem was that now rumors were spreading throughout the market. Even if he personally came forward to prove his innocence, it would be useless and would only deepen the suspicions of the cultivators.

Being an old and cunning person, Fang Mingyuan naturally knew that the source of this information was definitely Zhang Daoist.

He had anticipated that the other party would seek revenge if he survived, so he had planned to stay in the market and not leave for a long time. But he didn't expect the other party to retaliate in this way!

Now the reputation of the Bai Bao Tower had been damaged because of him. He could already guess what the main officials responsible for managing the shops under the Azure Cloud Sect stationed in the market would do!

Damn it!... If the other party had spread rumors that all the shops in the market were related to the Blood Cultivation sect, he could have united with other shop managers to suppress the matter. But the other party only targeted the Bai Bao Tower. Now, instead of receiving help from other shop managers, they would most likely kick him while he was down...

Fang Mingyuan's face twisted with anger. He knew very well that these low-level cultivators, even if the rumors spread widely, would not have much impact on him. At most, he would lose his position as a manager on the surface, but he could continue to operate in secret.

What is truly dangerous is his old opponents, who will take this opportunity to attack him under the guise of righteousness!

And when faced with this situation, Fang Mingyuan knew exactly what others would do!

The more Fang Mingyuan thought about it, the more annoyed he became, and a hint of ruthlessness appeared on his wrinkled face.

"It would be best to directly push this matter onto Wang Ping and let him be the scapegoat! If he dies, it would be a perfect solution! If he doesn't die, even better, I can use his life to resolve this matter!"

"Of course, that's not enough. Those who have opposed me in the past will definitely kick me when I'm down. Finding a scapegoat is not enough, I must make a big fuss and drag others down with me, so that I have a chance to escape..."

With this in mind, Fang Mingyuan called for his trusted subordinate: "Go out and find some people, spread the news of the collusion between the shops in the market and the Blood Cultivators. Remember, at any cost, make sure this matter becomes widely known!"

"This..." The subordinate's face changed.

He naturally knew that if this matter escalated and got out of control, it would cause a lot of casualties!

"What's wrong, are you unwilling?" Fang Mingyuan stared at him, his voice cold.

"Yes, I will do it immediately!" The subordinate hesitated for a moment, but seeing the cold light in Fang Mingyuan's eyes, he quickly complied.

He had no doubt that if he said a single word of dissent, Fang Mingyuan would kill him on the spot!

After all, he was just a servant, and whether he lived or died, no one would care!

Watching the figure of his subordinate leaving, a crazed expression appeared on Fang Mingyuan's ferocious face.

He knew very well what the consequences of doing this would be, but so what? As long as he didn't die, no matter how big the storm, it would be a trivial matter to him!

"As long as I can survive this time, what does it matter if some people die? These Independent Cultivators are nothing more than ants. It is their honor to make some contributions before they die!"

In Fang Mingyuan's eyes, those low-level Independent Cultivators were nothing more than leeks to be harvested. They were naturally meant to serve people like him!

"Not only that, there's also that Daoist Zhang..."

He had originally planned to capture him alive. If he cooperated, Fang Mingyuan didn't mind giving him some resources for cultivation when he was in a good mood. But since he didn't know what was good for him, he shouldn't blame Fang Mingyuan for being ruthless!

After all, there was more than one Blood Cultivator under Fang Mingyuan's command. Once he got through this, he would send someone to hunt down and capture Lin Chen, and then use him until he died!

Bang!

"What's the matter, is everything taken care of..." Fang Mingyuan turned his head, about to speak, but his pupils suddenly contracted.

Because the person entering the room was not his trusted subordinate, but Wan Guanshi, who had always been competing with him!

Not only that, but the other party also brought a group of cultivators rushing into the room. Their actions were well-coordinated, every move had a purpose. Obviously, they were the guards of the Hundred Treasures Tower!

"Wan, what do you mean by this?!" Fang Mingyuan's face changed suddenly, and he sternly reprimanded.

"Capture him!" Wan Guanshi ignored Fang Mingyuan's questioning and waved his hand, giving the order.

"Who dares!" After all, Fang Mingyuan had been a manager of the Hundred Treasures Tower for many years. His loud shout made the cultivators beside him hesitate and stop their steps.

"Wan, what do you mean by this? Are you rebelling?!"

A smug expression appeared on Wan Guanshi's face as he said, "I just captured this troublemaker who has been causing problems in this building!"

"What a joke!" Fang Mingyuan felt a sense of unease rising in his heart. "I have always been loyal to Baibao Tower and never had any ulterior motives. Don't slander me!"

"Loyal? Hmph!" Wan Guanshi sneered. "Do you not know what you have done? If you don't want to say it, it's fine. There are people who will speak for you!"

Then, Wan Guanshi clapped his hands and someone walked out from behind him.

"It's you?!" Fang Mingyuan widened his eyes in disbelief. The person in front of him was Wang Ping, whom he believed to be dead.

"Wang Ping, how dare you betray me!"

Wang Ping's face remained expressionless. "Fang Guanshi is joking. Wang has always been loyal to Baibao Tower, not to any individual."

After the ambush, Wang Ping, who sensed that Lin Chen was not ordinary, did not immediately return to Baibao Tower. Instead, he observed the market for a period of time and unexpectedly discovered the spreading rumors.

He immediately sensed that something was wrong and, unable to contain it, guessed Lin Chen's plan and Fang Mingyuan's response. Therefore, he decisively took the initiative.

"Hehe, Fang Mingyuan, stop struggling and surrender!" Wan Guanshi chuckled.

"Wait, I am a manager of Baibao Tower. You have no right to arrest me!" Fang Mingyuan naturally understood the other party's intentions.

He and Wan Guanshi had been secretly competing for many years. Although they didn't hate each other to the bone, their relationship was far from good! Now that he was in trouble, the other party would definitely kick him while he was down!

"Take action!" Wan Guanshi obviously didn't want to waste any more time with Fang Mingyuan and gave the order ruthlessly.

"Wait a minute!" At a critical moment, Fang Mingyuan unexpectedly took out a token from his storage bag. The word 'Li' was written on it, and most importantly, it was surrounded by a spiritual pressure that did not belong to the Qi Refining Stage!

"This is!" Wan Guanshi and Wang Ping's faces changed dramatically. "This is Elder Li's token!"

Elder Li was the true ruler of the Moving Cloud Market. Not only was he the boss of many shops in the market, but he was also a genuine Foundation Building Stage cultivator!

"How could you have Elder Li's token!" Wan Guanshi's face turned pale. He never expected that Fang Mingyuan would have a connection with Elder Li!

"You don't need to know. Just know that you have no right to arrest me. Back off!" Fang Mingyuan held the token firmly and spoke forcefully.

"This..." The two men turned their heads and glanced at each other, revealing a hint of ruthlessness.

They naturally understood that they had offended Fang Mingyuan to the extreme. If they retreated now and let him recover, they would be the ones in trouble!

"Kill!" The intention to kill was evident in their eyes as they looked at each other.

They truly didn't believe that a dignified Foundation Building Stage elder would be killed for the death of an unrelated old man!

"You dare!" Fang Mingyuan wasn't a fool. Seeing the situation, he quickly understood and immediately took out a defensive Spirit Weapon to protect himself.

In an instant, the room was on the verge of battle.

However, at this moment, a melodious and heroic voice came from behind Wang Ping and the others.

"If Wan Guanshi has no right, do I have any?" As soon as the voice fell, a powerful spiritual pressure surged out, instantly enveloping everyone.

(End of this chapter)