Luo Wusheng was almost certain of his guess.
However, he remained calm on the surface.
Although he was curious about the personal lives of his employees, as an upright and righteous boss, he wouldn't pry excessively out of his own curiosity.
Speaking of which, this was his first time seeing the so-called "Taoist Marked Mortal Artifact."
Indeed, the Mortal Artifact that has been Marked was extraordinary, each one of them is capable of overwhelming other ordinary Mortal Artifacts. No wonder the Taoist Artifact Pavilion could become the number one Artifact refining pavilion in the Royal City.
"Is my senior brother losing confidence after seeing the Taoist Marked Mortal Artifact?"
Bai Xiaoyao looked at her senior brother and asked with a mischievous smile.
Facing his junior sister's teasing, Luo Wusheng shook his head and chuckled, "I'm just regretting that the opponent didn't have this Taoist Marked Mortal Artifact..."
"Hehe, senior brother, you may say you're not in a hurry, but it seems like you can't wait either."
"I'm just looking forward to having such an opportunity."
Luo Wusheng took a sip of tea.
If someone with a Taoist Marked Mortal Artifact were to be defeated by their Demon Artifact Pavillion officers, the Demon Artifact Pavilion could easily surpass the reputation accumulated by the Taoist Artifact Pavilion over the years in one fell swoop.
However, such an opportunity was indeed hard to come by unless the Taoist Artifact Pavilion took the initiative and had a cultivator with a Taoist Marked Mortal Artifact step onto the Trial Martial Arena.
'But the head of the Taoist Artifact Pavilion wouldn't be that foolish, right?'
Although everything at the moment seemed to indicate that the things made by the Demon Artifact Pavilion were mediocre, it was not worth the risk to suppress the already struggling Demon Artifact Pavilion just for a slight increase in prestige.
Once an accident occurred, it would put the Taoist Artifact Pavilion in a precarious situation.
Luo Wusheng looked towards the Trial Martial Arena once again.
The young girl had already jumped down from the platform and left after saying something to old Wang.
Since the girl won with the Taoist Marked Mortal Artifact, the discussions among the spectators had entered another wave.
"It's really a Taoist Marked Mortal Artifact! And it looks like the [Sky Manifestation] Taoist Marked Mortal Artifact, one of the top five Taoist Marks!"
"Who exactly is that girl? She actually managed to buy such a powerful Taoist Marked Mortal Artifact from the Taoist Artifact Pavilion!"
"Indeed, among Mortal Artifacts, those with Taoist Marks are still the best. Ordinary Mortal Artifacts can't compare at all."
"Compared to that, the special Mortal Artifacts of the Demon Artifact Pavilion—"
It was evident that the crowd attributed the girl's victory to the short sword she had in her hand.
Some spectators, after praising the Taoist Marked Mortal Artifact, also took the opportunity to belittle the Demon Artifact Pavilion.
Even Luo Wusheng almost suspected that the girl had come to advertise for the Taoist Artifact Pavilion.
'But this is also to my advantage. In this way, those forces probably won't worry about any major changes and can confidently help me with publicity.'
With the idea of using his enemy to boost his own publicity, Luo Wusheng finished the tea in his cup.
Bai Xiaoyao, sitting across from him, clearly knew what he was plotting. She smiled lightly and refilled her senior brother's tea cup.
"Senior brother, are you planning to continue watching today?"
"...No, let's see how far this matter will escalate today."
Luo Wusheng pondered for a moment and answered his junior sister's question.
'If only there was a perfect opportunity...'
...
To Luo Wusheng's surprise, that perfect opportunity came sooner than he expected.
It even caught him off guard.
"You're saying— that the Taoist Artifact Pavilion will allow its disciples to use Taoist Marked Mortal Artifacts on the Trial Martial Arena tomorrow?"
Luo Wusheng frowned as he looked at the girl before him.
This girl was the same one who had avenged Wang Wude on the northern Trial Martial Arena, a spy from the Six Gate Bureau.
Shortly after he and Bai Xiaoyao returned to the Demon Artifact Pavilion, this girl came looking for them.
"Yes, this is the message Night Crow wanted me to convey to Lord Luo," the girl said coldly, showing no signs of friendliness.
Luo Wusheng wasn't concerned about the girl's attitude; rather, he pondered the intentions of the Six Gate Bureau' Golden-Ranked Night Crow in giving him this information.
Similarly, if the Taoist Artifact Pavilion was indeed planning to do this, he couldn't quite fathom the intentions of the Pavilion's Head.
"The Taoist Artifact Pavilion has already spread this news throughout the Royal City. Many forces that are also unwilling to see the rise of the Demon Artifact Pavilion are helping to spread it. By dusk, nearly half of the Royal City will have received this news."
Seeing Luo Wusheng contemplating, the Six Gate Bureau spy thought he was doubting the accuracy of the information. "Lord Luo will eventually find out about this matter. I just happened to learn about it ahead of time on behalf of the Six Gate Bureau, considering it a favor to Lord Luo."
"...Very well, I understand. Please say thank you to Night Crow on my behalf," Luo Wusheng nodded lightly and then looked at the girl with some confusion. "But I recall that Six Gate Bureau spies are not allowed to reveal their identities so easily. Are you sure it's okay for you to come here directly like this?"
In response to his question, the girl's expression darkened slightly.
"What does it have to do with Lord Luo?"
'Maybe Night Crow has also deduced that this spy's cover has been blown, so they simply put this hidden piece on the table, which can be seen as a gesture of goodwill.'
Luo Wusheng speculated in his mind.
But the girl snorted, "I have delivered my message, so I won't bother Lord Luo any longer. Goodbye!"
She turned and left.
But when she reached the doorway, she hesitated for a moment and turned her head back.
"Before I go, I want Lord Luo to know one thing— Wang Wude is doing well in Firework. So please don't keep sending him to that shady place!"
After saying that, she left without looking back.
Luo Wusheng stood there, a bit stunned, and rubbed his chin.
Old Wang had some skills. He managed to make a high-ranking lady he met in such a place develop feelings for him.
'No wonder this girl doesn't have a good impression of me— But if we talk about shady places, shouldn't Firework be at the top of this list in the entire capital?'
It seemed that this girl's standards were somewhat different from ordinary people.
"If both sides have a sense of loyalty, as the boss, I can help make some connections."
Luo Wusheng shook his head with a smile.
Well, let these two young ones solve this kind of thing themselves.
He had more important matters at hand.
"I can vaguely guess Night Crow's purpose in revealing this information to me in advance— It's probably to confirm once again the true purpose of my visit to the Royal City. If I truly wanted to revitalize the Demon Artifact Pavilion, I wouldn't have remained inactive after receiving the news."
The problem lies with the Taoist Artifact Pavilion.
To be honest, the moves made by the Pavilion's Head almost made Luo Wusheng believe that he had an undercover agent in their midst.
"But if I really have no trump card, this move of his can indeed deal a heavy blow to the Demon Artifact Pavilion and elevate the reputation of the Taoist Artifact Pavilion's Taoist Marked Mortal Artifacts once again.
However, the risk of betting on not having a trump card was too great.
Unless the Taoist Artifact Pavilion's Head had a reason that forced him to suppress the Demon Artifact Pavilion.
Or perhaps there was an unimaginable obsession regarding this matter.
"In any case, the final piece of the plan is in place. It can be considered complete."
Luo Wusheng felt like thanking the Taoist Artifact Pavilion's Head, who was probably brain-dead, with overwhelming probability.
With a pleasant mood, he turned and headed upstairs.
Tomorrow would be the time for a reversal.