At this moment, Chu Yunxiao's mind was racing through images of Nascent Soul cultivators from the other two celestial dynasties, four major families, and five major sects. He knew clearly that the person behind the exposure of the Chu family's secrets must be from these celestial dynasties, families, or sects! The only thing he couldn't understand was how the person who exposed the secrets knew such confidential information.
"Ancestor, what should we do now?" Chu Wuya looked at his ancestor, eyes filled with deep concern.
"We must publicly declare that all this information is baseless and slanderous, and at the same time offer a heavy reward for capturing the scoundrel spreading rumors about our Tianchu Celestial Dynasty!" Chu Yunxiao said sternly. "Especially the matters regarding the Fengyang Saintess and the Fengyao Holy Son. We absolutely cannot admit to them. Go back and dispose of the Fengyao Holy Son first."
Although Chu Yunxiao was extremely furious, he forced himself to calm down. The exposure of the Tianchu Celestial Dynasty would make the Nascent Soul cultivators across the entire Southern Region go mad just for the Tianxiao Ancestor's legacy alone, not to mention the fact that the Tuoba family would definitely send people over, and that Fengyao Holy Land would certainly send people to seek justice for the deaths of the Holy Son and Holy Daughter.
When the time comes, the Tianchu Celestial Dynasty will be in chaos. Therefore, we must not admit to any of this information and must actively seek to capture the person spreading these rumors, claiming it as a malicious attempt by our enemies to suppress the Tianchu Celestial Dynasty.
"Yes, Ancestor." Chu Wuya respectfully agreed.
"Offer a heavy reward while also deploying all our people to capture the source of these rumors. You may go now." Chu Yunxiao instructed Chu Wuya.
"Yes!" Chu Wuya responded and left.
The Southern Region was vast and boundless, housing three celestial dynasties, four major cultivator families, and five great immortal sects. These were the Dayan Celestial Dynasty, Tianchu Celestial Dynasty, and Daqi Celestial Dynasty, along with the Sima family, Murong family, Tuoba family, and Zhao family. The five major sects were the Wanhua Immortal Sect, Badao Immortal Sect, Lingyao Immortal Sect, Wanfeng Immortal Sect, and the Wanfa Holy Land.
The Murong family, a Nascent Soul family, occupied a spiritual land spanning ten thousand miles in the southwest of the Southern Region, thriving there while having businesses all over the Southern Region.
Tian Nan Market was one of the five major markets in the Southern Region, famous alongside Wanling Market. Covering a hundred miles, Tian Nan Market was a hub where various forces, including merchant associations, sects, celestial dynasties, and families, intertwined and where numerous rogue cultivators gathered.
The Tianmu Merchant Association was one of the three major merchant associations in Tian Nan Market, dealing in a variety of businesses including elixirs, talismans, cultivation methods, and monster materials. They also operated an immortal escort service, transporting goods from Tian Nan Market to Wanling Market.
Within the Tianmu Merchant Association was the Lingcai Workshop, located in the southwestern corner of Tian Nan Market, covering several miles. In the middle of the workshop were rows of wooden tables filled with medicinal materials, where low-level cultivators in gray robes sorted the materials.
Among them was a young man in his late twenties with a sallow complexion, sitting at a wooden table, sorting through a pile of Huang Jing.
"Li Xiaoye, help me move that basket of Huang Jing over here!" a robust voice called out.
"Alright!" The young man with the sallow complexion stood up, lifted a basket of Huang Jing beside him, and carried it to a middle-aged cultivator with a face full of scars.
This sallow-complexioned young man was none other than Qin Wang, who had come to Tian Nan Market to hide after exposing the Tianchu Celestial Dynasty. He had taken the alias Li Xiaoye and concealed his cultivation at the fifth level of Qi Refining, finding a job sorting medicinal materials in the Lingcai Workshop of the Tianmu Merchant Association. Qin Wang had learned that Murong Qianye, who held the key to the hieroglyphic silver scroll, served as a steward in the Tianmu Merchant Association but had been in seclusion.
Now being hunted by the Tianchu Celestial Dynasty, Qin Wang didn't dare reveal his true identity and took this job to stay close to Murong Qianye, hoping to gather information about him to eventually obtain the key to the hieroglyphic silver scroll.
"Very good, follow me," the scar-faced middle-aged cultivator said, glancing at Qin Wang before turning towards the medicinal materials warehouse, with Qin Wang following closely behind.
Soon, they arrived at the warehouse, a large space where Qin Wang placed the Huang Jing on a shelf as instructed by Murong Wen Yuan, the warehouse steward. Just as he was about to leave, Murong Wen Yuan called out to him. "Li Xiaoye, do you want to earn some spirit stones?"
"Of course I do! But I don't have any connections, Steward Murong," Qin Wang replied without hesitation. Although he was primarily there to gather information and didn't care much for the spirit stones, he had to maintain his cover as a fifth-level Qi Refining cultivator to avoid arousing suspicion and potentially exposing his true identity.
"My clan uncle recently needs three alchemy boys. He said he would teach alchemy techniques to those who perform well. I think your cultivation level is acceptable and you seem clever, so I'm willing to recommend you. What do you think?" Murong Wen Yuan said, rubbing his thumb and index finger together, making his intention clear.
"Which uncle are you referring to, Steward Murong?" Qin Wang asked, though he already had an idea. He knew that Murong Wen Yuan had several uncles, one of whom, Murong Qianshu, was skilled in alchemy.
"My clan uncle, Murong Qianye," Murong Wen Yuan said. "He is at the Foundation Establishment stage. He recently came out of seclusion and is focusing on alchemy, instructing me to find three alchemy boys for him. The pay is generous."
"Murong Qianye? Becoming his alchemy boy would allow me to get close to him, making it easier to gather intelligence and obtain the key to the hieroglyphic silver scroll!" Qin Wang thought, quickly agreeing. "Thank you, Steward Murong. If I succeed, I will definitely not forget your kindness!"
Murong Wen Yuan was momentarily surprised before nodding. "Good, it's settled then. I'll take you to my uncle's alchemy site tomorrow at this time."
"Great!" Qin Wang nodded in agreement.
That night, Qin Wang sat cross-legged in a room at the back of the Lingcai Workshop in Tianmu Merchant Association within Tian Nan Market. After exposing the Tianchu Celestial Dynasty's secrets in the Daqi Celestial Dynasty, he had spent two months traveling to Tian Nan Market and settling in the Lingcai Workshop.
[Realm: Foundation Establishment Early Stage (44326/50000)]
"Just over 5,000 proficiency points left to reach the middle stage of Foundation Establishment." Qin Wang looked at the panel on the right side of the page, eyes filled with anticipation. In the past two months, aside from traveling, he had been consuming elixirs and thousand-year spirit marrow to enhance his cultivation proficiency. He could feel his mana growing thicker within him.
In the early morning, a notification appeared.
[Daily Intelligence Refreshed!]
[Today's Intelligence:]
[1: You exposed the Tianchu Celestial Dynasty's ancestor Chu Yunxiao for killing the Nascent Soul cultivator Tuoba Chunyan, gaining intelligence that the Tuoba family elder Tuoba Xiongfeng, along with three Nascent Soul elders and Nascent Soul cultivators from the Daqi and Dayan Celestial Dynasties, are heading to the Tianchu Celestial Dynasty to confront Chu Yunxiao.]
[2: You exposed the Tianchu Celestial Dynasty's emperor Chu Wuya for killing the Holy Maiden Lan Fenghuang and the Holy Son of Fengyao Holy Land, gaining intelligence that the Nascent Soul elder Liu Fengchun from Fengyao Holy Land is leading people to the Tianchu Celestial Dynasty to seek justice.]
[3: You agreed to Murong Wen Yuan's invitation to become an alchemy boy for Murong Qianye, gaining intelligence that Murong Qianye did not actually practice alchemy but instead obtained a demonic inheritance and is secretly refining a demonic artifact that requires large amounts of souls and blood. You have become one of the targets.]
[4: You touched the Qingyou small sword yesterday, gaining intelligence that Chen Laofuren's grandson Chen Yi, escorted by his senior brother, has returned to Yanyun County. Seeing the Chen family's ancestral land in ruins, he was furious, spitting out heart blood, and swore to find the culprits behind the massacre. He stayed in your old house in Qingniu Village for an hour before leaving!]