"If this manual is authentic, then why are similar manuals being sold to those lowborn for a paltry sum? Who leaked the manual?"
Stunned by his outburst, the old man looked at Li Lei with awe. He understood that things were not as easy as he thought. Feeling helpless, he glanced at the Manager.
"Manager Lian, this... What happened?"
Only now did Manager Lian fill in Master Jin on the whole incident.
'Pig teammate! What kind of pig teammate are you who pits your own ally!'
The old master couldn't help but curse Lian Hua. If he had known the whole incident beforehand, he would've denied ever seeing this manual!
Now he had even gone ahead and fabricated a story of its origin.
When he looked at the angry guests as well as displeased Lian Hua, he realized his precarious position.
'There is no way out of this mess. I will have to push the blame on Ikasa to salvage this situation.'
The Old man cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the people present. Then he began to badmouth Ikasa in a self-righteous manner.
"Patriarch Li, I know that Ikasa, the one who is selling your cultivation technique. A few months ago, I had exposed him on Prosperity street while he was peddling some fake manuals. I see that he still hasn't changed his crooked ways."
If it was two months ago, no one would dare question his words. But in the past two months, Ikasa's manuals had gained fame across the entirety of Sal City.
Even Master Jin Ping had heard of it and tried to sabotage his rising momentum. He had tried spreading rumors of the incident on Prosperity Street. But only those, who have yet to witness the fantastical manuals in person, believed them.
And that included most of the residents of the inner city. At this point, even they doubted the authenticity of these rumors. After all, in the Arena, they had witnessed the popularity and demand of the manuals.
With such a reputation to back on, Master Jin Ping's words failed to convince anyone. Not even Lian Hua dared to believe his words.
Master Jin Ping sweated bullets. Then he suddenly remembered a minute detail. He grabbed it as if he had found a lifeline.
"Didn't Ikasa say he has learned a Spiritual Imprint technique?"
Although Li Fan was not present in the Arena, he did hear news about it. He nodded in affirmation while his eyes expressed his confusion.
"What does his Spiritual Imprint technique have to do with our Manual? Unless..."
A wild thought passed through his head. His eyes brightened as he thought about it.
The appraiser smiled as he saw a seed of doubt take root in Li Fan's mind.
"Yes. Someone must have leaked your technique to Ikasa. As for who that someone is, why don't we ask the man himself?"
An identical devious grin formed on Li Fan and Master Jin Ping's lips.
Manager Lian Hua and Patriarch Li exchanged glances on hearing this conversation. Both of their eyes shone with a vicious glint. They had found someone to take the fall for them.
While this conspiracy against Ikasa was cooking in Lotus Pavilion, his store welcomed a prestigious guest.
"Commander Du! Welcome, welcome! How generous of you to grace our humble store with your presence!"
He welcomed the Commander of City Guards and arranged a chair for him to sit on. Since Ikasa's shop was newly opened, it didn't even have a chair. Borrowing a chair from a distant shop for Commander expressed his respect for him.
"Commander Du, what would you like to have? I am sorry I can't offer anything fancy other than the beverages available in the vicinity."
Ikasa was bending over backwards for two reasons. Commander Du had already saved his hide by booking the Training grounds in his name for the Arena.
The second reason was more cunning. He was trying to project Commander Du and hence the City Lord's manor as his backers. If this perception solidifies in people's minds, he wouldn't have to worry about anyone threatening him.
"Haha! I will come to enjoy your hospitality at a later time. Right now, I am here for business."
Hearing the word business piqued his interest. Even Xin Ruo became more attentive.
Commander Du noticed these changes right away. He smirked as he thought of Feng Yan's words.
'It's as if they are peas in a pod, made for each other.'
He took a deep breath and composed his thoughts before explaining his purpose of visit.
"I am creating a new division of the City Guard to maintain order in the inner city. Can I count on you to provide the Battle Techniques and cultivation manuals for this new 100 men strong force?"
Xin Ruo and Ikasa exchanged glances with joy evident on their faces.
"Yes! Of course! We'd be honored to be of help to City Guards in any way possible."
Xin Ruo answered with enthusiasm dripping from her words. It was his cue to pitch their new Hundred-use manuals to Commander Du.
Before Ikasa could open his mouth, a loud shout outside his shop disturbed their conversation.
"Ikasa, I am here to put an end to your nefarious deeds. If you don't stop swindling people today, I don't mind handing you over to the City Guards!"
Master Jin Ping shouted warnings from a block away.
However, the rest of his group was not happy with his impromptu behavior. They kept silent only because they wanted to maintain their prestige.
Ikasa came out of his shop to face the provocation, he was greeted with the sight of bystanders gathering and whispering about him.
"Who is that old man?"
"That's Master Jin Ping, a reputed appraiser!"
"Why is he saying that Ikasa swindled people? Does that mean his goods are fake?"
"I don't think so. He might be talking about something else."
Ikasa smiled when he heard the commoners express their trust in his manuals. He turned to look at the Old Man who was here to ruin his business. Once again.
His eyes narrowed when he noticed the entourage behind Master Jin Ping. A disdainful smirk formed on his lips as he saw them approach his shop.
'Old Man, I have waited for this day for so long! I prepared and scrapped so many strategies! This is the moment I will see you fall from grace!'
He schooled his expressions and put on a flattering smile as he hurried forward to greet the newcomers.
"Patriarch Li, Manager Lian Hua! And the two young masters of the Li family are also here! What a fortune I have!"