While cultivating the Turtle Breath Technique, Jia Ren quietly eavesdropped to gather intelligence.
The situation far exceeded his expectations: the trade meeting had gone smoothly, and the female cultivator had returned safely.
The next trade meeting was set for seven days later.
Jia Ren listened for two days, his expression gradually turning strange.
I didn’t expect that female cultivator to still be engaged in such clandestine affairs. Harsh living conditions clearly can’t quell people’s primitive desires.
Listening to the extremely suppressed sounds of a man and a woman coming from the underground chamber next door, Jia Ren felt displeased.
The commotion ceased.
"Fellow Daoist, can we settle with Spirit Rice? Just three catties will do."
"I don’t have any rice left; I barely managed to buy a few catties of Spirit Rice at the trade meeting."
"I’m almost being forced to sell my Spirit Turtle for Spirit Rice."
The conversation ended, and silence returned.
A Spirit Turtle for Spirit Rice? But I have Spirit Rice! Jia Ren had been searching for Turtle Demon Beasts for who knew how long and had found none. Now, eavesdropping, he had unexpectedly stumbled upon a lead. He had longed for Turtle Spirit Ointment for ages; finally, there was news of a Turtle Demon, and he couldn’t let this chance slip by.
Ask for information and conduct a trade door-to-door? Too risky! Moreover, it would expose his hidden location. Attending the trade fair was by far the better option.
Simply attending the trade fair wasn’t a huge problem, but Jia Ren still needed to prepare in advance and plan an escape route. If the Five Elements Sect appeared and blocked the underground trade meeting, they would undoubtedly die without a burial place.
What to do? Of course, dig a tunnel!
A tunnel connecting to the underground trade fair would provide a secret escape route. If the Five Elements Sect sealed off the underground trade fair, he could still use the tunnel to escape safely.
Jia Ren had previously aged Fang Wu’s stone house to make it look inconspicuous and knew its location; it was approximately a mile from his own stone house. With more than six hundred Corner Worms working at full capacity, digging a passage large enough for him in five days would be no problem.
Jia Ren dispatched a hundred Corner Worms to burrow continuously, correcting their direction along the way. After one day, they finally drilled a tiny hole into the underground space beneath Fang Wu’s Residence.
What remained was the slow process of expansion. More than six hundred Corner Worms followed the correct trajectory, constantly widening the passage. In just three days, it was nearly complete. The final ten feet of earth were left as a barrier to conceal the tunnel.
Through the holes left by the Corner Worms, Jia Ren could see everything happening at the underground trade fair.
Even without participating in the trade fair, I can still come here to gather intelligence. Not bad!
Compared to eavesdropping on the female cultivator, the underground trade fair suited Jia Ren’s purposes much better.
With an escape route secured, the risk is significantly reduced.
「Two days passed in a flash」
Jia Ren approached the underground trade fair to investigate the situation.
Compared to the quietness of the previous two days, the underground trade fair was now brightly lit. More than a dozen Cultivators were already present, seated around a huge stone table. Familiar Loose Cultivators chatted happily amongst themselves, thoroughly enjoying the atmosphere.
I can attend the underground trade fair.
Jia Ren changed into black Nightcloth, pulled a hood over his head, and applied a simple disguise to his face. After confirming there was no danger, he hurried to the underground exchange.
Nervous-looking Loose Cultivators emerged one by one from the dilapidated stone house. Everyone was wary of each other, unwilling to speak much. Jia Ren maintained his distance from the other Cultivators, ensuring no one was behind him, and was the last to enter the stone house.
Fang Wu’s Residence was the location of the trade fair. The stone house served as a cover; the underground chamber was the actual venue.
He descended a winding stone staircase. The narrow passage suddenly opened into an extremely spacious underground area. What he had glimpsed through the wormhole was far less shocking than seeing it in person. Fang Wu, by some unknown means, had hollowed out an underground space dozens of times larger than the stone house above. Over a hundred Loose Cultivators had gathered inside, yet it didn’t feel crowded.
Most of the Loose Cultivators attending the trade fair showed their true faces, though some, as cautious as Jia Ren, were in disguise. His Nightcloth attire didn’t particularly stand out.
"Daoist Shen’s techniques for making places look authentically old are top-notch. Several Five Elements Sect Cultivators have been here a few times without any incidents. The anxiety we felt has finally been put to rest."
"Those five Spirit Stones were well spent! In the future, I’ll recommend a few more Daoist friends to seek refuge in the Northern District and will request Daoist Shen’s assistance."
The Five Elements Sect’s searches were unpredictable, but the aging work done on the stone houses by the Loose Cultivator surnamed Shen had clearly stood the test. Having endured the initial nerve-wracking period, he now handled such matters with composure. A brilliant smile appeared on the face of this Shen-surnamed Loose Cultivator as he familiarly greeted the others.
"Is everyone here?" Fang Wu scanned the assembled Loose Cultivators, counting them, his expression growing puzzled. "Hmm, it seems there’s one extra Daoist friend today?"
The invited individuals were all Loose Cultivators who specialized in aging stone houses, so the number was known precisely. It was normal for a few to be missing, but an extra person appearing without reason was cause for alarm.
Fang Wu’s gaze swept over the crowd, finally settling on Jia Ren. He sensed an incredibly familiar aura.
"Daoist Jia?" he asked, his tone tentative, with a hint of surprise.
"To think Daoist Fang would still recognize me," Jia Ren said with a dry laugh as numerous gazes turned towards him. His plan to attend the trade fair discreetly, buy the Turtle Demon, and leave immediately had been foiled.
Left with no choice, he removed the hood concealing his face to show his sincerity.
"The former master of aging stone houses? I’ve long admired your reputation," the Shen-surnamed Cultivator said, being the first to approach, his smile radiant. His attitude towards Jia Ren was exceptionally warm. "I feel quite ashamed to be occupying your former residence, Daoist. Without Master Jia’s guidance, I wouldn’t have achieved what I have."
He was inwardly relieved that Jia Ren had left; otherwise, the lucrative business of aging stone houses wouldn’t have fallen into his lap. And it was indeed a big business! In just over ten days, he had earned two hundred Spirit Stones. Compared to setting up a stall and selling fakes, this had no risk of being exposed as fraud, and the profits were higher.
"Daoist Shen, you’re too kind. Your own reputation is as renowned as thunder to the ear," Jia Ren replied with standard business flattery.
Fang Wu’s expression was complicated. With a hint of condescension, he mocked, "Daoist Jia, do you regret leaving? You missed out on a great fortune in Spirit Stones." His demeanor was like that of someone who had been dumped and was now deliberately flaunting their success upon seeing their ex. It wasn’t that he wanted the other person to come back, but simply to prove that he had been right all along. Once, you paid me little heed. Now, I am beyond your reach.
"Daoist Fang is truly formidable to have built such a vast enterprise. Congratulations," Jia Ren said, ignoring Fang Wu’s sarcasm and offering a sincere blessing. A few kind words cost nothing, and as the saying goes, one doesn’t hit a smiling face.
Fang Wu didn’t make things difficult for Jia Ren. Regardless of anything else, Jia Ren had helped him through his most difficult times, a considerable favor. There was no need to turn away business at the underground trade fair.
"Daoist Si, do you know Daoist Jia?" Among the hundred or so Loose Cultivators gathered, a man with burn scars on his face was staring intently at Jia Ren, which caught Fang Wu’s attention.
Jia Ren forced himself to remain calm, masking the murderous intent in his heart with a look of surprise. "Fellow Daoist, do you know me?"
Si Mingkong stared at Jia Ren, his face etched with disbelief. He hadn’t expected to encounter Jia Ren in the Northern District. The scars on his face throbbed faintly, reminding him not to forget his hatred.
Jia Ren didn’t recognize me? The two had only met once. When Si Mingkong had been discovered tailing him, Jia Ren had managed to escape promptly. When Si Mingkong had laid an ambush at the stone house, Jia Ren hadn’t entered but had moved out immediately, likely having discovered some flaw in the setup that hadn’t been properly addressed. So, from start to finish, Jia Ren had no idea it was I who wanted to kill him.
A weight lifted from Si Mingkong’s heart. Previously, he hadn’t paid Jia Ren much mind. A cultivator at the Third Level of Qi Refinement wouldn’t have posed a significant threat. He never imagined that in little over a month, Jia Ren would have reached the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining, a Cultivation Level now even higher than his own.
Si Mingkong forced a calm expression, squeezing out a smile. "I’ve had the fortune of meeting Daoist Jia a few times. He was always selling bait in the West District Market; his reputation is quite well-known. Daoist Jia certainly wouldn’t remember an insignificant person like myself," he said, then gave a self-deprecating laugh.
Jia Ren offered a polite smile, adopting the air of someone not well acquainted.
How can I eliminate Si Mingkong discreetly, without anyone knowing? he pondered internally.