Chapter 28: Drive the Tiger to Devour the Wolf

Su Muqing clutched her stomach.

Her cultivation had gone awry, leaving her in pain all night, the ache lingering long after.

Only at daybreak did Fang Zijing come to rescue her.

After lowering her pain with a spell, he began hunting the mastermind behind it.

Though they deduced someone had cast a curse, Xin Tong's arrays were uniquely concealed, beyond the reach of an eighth-stage Qi Refining cultivator.

And every assassin they sent was thwarted by the array or Duan Bo, unable to strike.

But it wasn't all bad news.

"No anomalies detected on Fulong Mountain? Eight dead, one injured from the expedition team?" This book is originally published on Du Hao Shu Xuan, Tian Tian Kan Xiao Shuo, ttkx. tw — effortless reading with zero errors or disordered chapters.

Su Muqing was startled.

Though the team members were all desperate for resources and took the mission only as a last resort, each possessed Qi Refining sixth-stage strength — nine of them could dominate the middle reaches of Fulong Mountain.

This anomaly was truly significant.

But why call it good news?

Fang Zijing smiled faintly.

The mission had been assigned by Elder Zhang, and after the incident, his prestige had plummeted.

And he and Elder Fang were long-standing rivals.

With his decline, the Fang clan's standing in the Discipline Hall rose sharply.

Inside the Ren Zi Dong Fu, Su Wanyao brought grim tidings.

"Fang Zijing received a top-grade Dharma Treasure, and Elder Fang has reclaimed his influence — the next mission will be assigned by him?"

Chen Zhao frowned, sensing trouble.

If they didn't find a new patron soon, the day Fang Zijing struck would come with the next mission.

He thought for a moment, then asked:

"What kind of man is Elder Zhang?"

Ability breeds power; power allocates resources.

With his prestige damaged, he will surely seek ways to restore his standing and reclaim resources.

And Juxian Pavilion might be the opportunity.

That was his plan.

If Elder Zhang could be trusted, they could persuade him to invest in Juxian Pavilion, making him their patron — driving the tiger to devour the wolf.

Liu Chen also agreed.

Tiankui Sect has no Talisman Hall; after his promotion, he could only join the Discipline Hall — having another patron would make his cultivation safer.

The two had originally planned to ask Su Wanyao to intervene.

But she was an Outer Sect Disciple, with no access to Elders — Chen Zhao had to turn to Li Zhiwei.

Not long after.

Chen Zhao returned from the Ling Tian.

"Senior Sister Li thinks it's feasible. She's willing to introduce us, but absolutely no leaks."

He smiled slightly, in good spirits.

"This whole thing owes thanks to Fang Zijing — he kept sending people to probe her, and Senior Sister Li got so annoyed she wanted to get rid of the burden fast, so Fang Zijing would stop watching her."

If Elder Zhang was willing to draw the fire, Li Zhiwei could fully escape.

The next day, at Yin hour.

Behind the Dan Tang, a transparent light barrier enclosed four people.

Li Zhiwei arrived as agreed, accompanied by a middle-aged man — short, stout, and with a kindly face.

This was Elder Zhang.

Seeing Chen Zhao and Liu Chen in gray robes, he glanced at Li Zhiwei; finding her expression calm, he felt a flicker of surprise.

Li Zhiwei was no ordinary person — why would she summon him in the dead of night to play house with Registered Disciples?

But out of respect for her status, he gave them some courtesy and listened as Chen Zhao introduced Juxian Pavilion.

Chen Zhao introduced Liu Chen and presented the future plans for Juxian Pavilion.

"Once we expand, we'll start charging a middleman fee — currently, limited by space, dozens come daily to trade, with a thirty percent success rate."

"If we charge one Low-grade Spirit Stone per person, and later scale up with a percentage cut..."

Chen Zhao's tone was enticing; even Li Zhiwei nodded occasionally.

Juxian Pavilion was still a zero-capital venture — if profitable, it could earn nearly thirty Low-grade Spirit Stones daily, equivalent to three months' stipend for an Outer Sect Disciple — and this was only the beginning.

But profitability depended on Juxian Pavilion's credibility.

In the future, Juxian Pavilion would not only provide a secure trading environment but also assume trading risks and punish untrustworthy traders...

All these matters would be best handled by the Discipline Hall — only then would it be legitimate.

According to Chen Zhao's plan.

Elder Zhang would provide manpower under the guise of assigning daily tasks, with payment coming from Juxian Pavilion; he'd then apply to the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall for space — all he needed to do was make the connection, and he'd take half the profits.

Hearing this, Elder Zhang's expression turned serious.

He had risen from the Outer Disciples himself — he knew Juxian Pavilion's potential well.

In ideal conditions, with tens of thousands of sect disciples, if five hundred traded daily at one Low-grade Spirit Stone each, he'd gain a monthly income equal to an extra stipend.

Though his actual income didn't reach that level, seventy-five Middle-grade Spirit Stones was no small sum.

Not to mention Juxian Pavilion would eventually expand beyond the mountain.

These two boys had quite the appetite — ambitious, strategic, truly talented.

Elder Zhang did a quick calculation and felt a faint stir of interest.

If this business were his own, he'd have to divert his attention to manage it, and if it failed, he might even lose some Spirit Stones.

But now he only needed to lend his name—no cost, minimal risk.

The profits, however, were substantial, and it could establish a model case, expanding his influence...

Old Fang would definitely invest.

No!

He'd just lost a round inside the Hall; why weren't they approaching powerful Old Fang, but instead coming to him?

These two boys are hiding something from him.

He immediately snapped to attention and began analyzing the drawbacks.

After probing Li Zhiwei repeatedly, he learned that Chen Liu had merely had a minor dispute with Fang Zijing, nothing serious.

Yet he still furrowed his brow.

He wasn't angry about their strategy of using one tiger to devour another.

After all, profit was to be had, and his relationship with Elder Fang was lukewarm—he had no reason to sacrifice a Relic to flatter the Fangs.

Only...

Juxian Pavilion was still in its early stages; investing now yielded little profit and would alienate people.

Let's wait and observe.

He handed them a communication Jade Slip and said to Chen Zhao and the other:

"I need more time to consider this. If anything arises, I'll contact you. Young friends, we'll meet again... no, farewell."

With that, he activated a spell, his figure vanished, and in an instant he appeared on another mountain peak.

Li Zhiwei sighed softly and floated away gracefully.

Left Chen Zhao and the other staring blankly in place.

"It's ruined. This man is far too cautious—he probably only kept this Jade Slip out of respect for Sister Li."

Liu Chen was deeply disappointed.

Without Elder Zhang's support, Juxian Pavilion's strength appeared thin, and its ability to withstand risk would drop sharply.

"Ruined? I think it's only just beginning."

Chen Zhao, however, remained calm and unperturbed.

He guessed the man was merely observing, waiting until Juxian Pavilion matured and profits became substantial before investing.

"As long as Elder Zhang begins paying attention to Juxian Pavilion, this mission has succeeded. What comes after must be handled by ourselves."

He patted Liu Chen's shoulder and comforted him.

The two slightly rallied and prepared to return home.

As they passed by Dan Tang,

they spotted a familiar notice board. Chen Zhao froze, told Liu Chen to go ahead, then quietly altered his appearance and walked to the board.

The sun had not yet risen; Murong De leaned against the board, fast asleep.

Sensing someone approach, he rubbed his eyes, assuming Chen Zhao had just come out of Dan Tang.

"Zhao Danshi, please wait—I have a major deal for you. Please take a look."

"Refine five batches of Huanglong Pill ingredients. I'll let you pick any item worth less than eighty Low-grade Spirit Stones."

Hearing this, Chen Zhao was stunned.

He used the method from the *Basic Treatise on Pill Crafting*; with a fifty percent success rate, that meant twelve Huanglong Pills.

And all of them would have Pill Poison!

So many pills—does Murong De want to die?