Chapter 44: Bold Beyond Measure
Nearby, Wei Fan's expression grew increasingly peculiar as he finally pieced together the entire situation after listening to He Song's explanation.
He pointed at He Song in front of him, then gestured in the direction of the Spirit Herb Pavilion.
After repeating the motion a few times, Wei Fan wore an expression as if He Song was joking with him, though he eventually grasped the sequence of events.
"I was just wondering how a cautious person like you could suddenly offend someone. Turns out it was a well-intentioned mistake by a friend that caused you to offend Chen Zhou," Wei Fan said, barely holding back his laughter.
Despite his attempt to keep a straight face, his amusement was impossible to hide.
This kind of unwarranted disaster would leave anyone baffled.
Chen Zhou, suddenly stripped of his spirit farmland, now had to commute to two separate locations every day to perform the Spirit Rain Technique, greatly increasing his wasted time.
On the other hand, since the farmland was a special favor arranged by He Song's friend, there was no way to return it to Chen Zhou.
Both sides had their grievances, and it was impossible to reconcile them.
Thus, the conflict between He Song and Chen Zhou was solidified.
One was a wandering cultivator at the fourth level of Qi Refinement.
The other was a Qi Refinement cultivator affiliated with the Immortal Market.
The disparity in combat power was obvious at a glance.
He Song, aware of his own limitations, knew he couldn't win in a fight, which was why he had come to Wei Fan for help to resolve the trouble.
It was true that the combat abilities of market-affiliated cultivators couldn't compare to those of wandering cultivators.
If Chen Zhou truly sought revenge, He Song would have to remain on constant alert.
But no one can defend against a thief indefinitely.
If He Song slipped up just once...
Well, he might lose his life entirely.
Given He Song's cautious personality, he wouldn't give Chen Zhou such an opportunity.
Even if he was reluctant, he would likely take preemptive action.
After understanding the situation, Wei Fan looked at He Song with a teasing glint in his eyes.
"Though it's an unwarranted disaster, since you've come to me, I assume you already have a plan in mind. Why not share it? If it's feasible, I won't mind lending a hand."
Knowing that He Song wasn't in immediate danger, Wei Fan relaxed a bit.
He handed He Song another cup of tea, his gaze flickering.
From his years of knowing He Song, Wei Fan could almost guess what He Song would say next.
Even so, he wanted to hear it directly.
After all, this was the first time He Song had come to him for help.
Three years ago, it was Wei Fan who offered assistance—it hadn't been He Song who asked.
"I'd like to ask Brother Wei to investigate. If Chen Zhou has no thoughts of revenge and is usually meek, then let's leave it at that. But if he harbors such intentions, I'll be counting on you," He Song said.
"At that point, I'll have my friend in the Spirit Herb Pavilion remove his name from the list of Spirit Planters, turning him back into an ordinary wandering cultivator. Then, Brother Wei can act without delay."
He Song accepted the tea Wei Fan handed him but set it aside. Without any pause, he laid out his thoughts.
Even now, He Song couldn't determine if Chen Zhou was genuinely submissive or simply pretending.
Thus, he had no choice but to trouble Wei Fan to investigate.
If Chen Zhou was as submissive as he had appeared and bore no thoughts of revenge, He Song wouldn't mind sparing his life.
But if Chen Zhou was not as timid as he had seemed or harbored thoughts of retaliation, then He Song would have no choice but to have Wei Fan strike first.
At the same time, if action was necessary, He Song would also ask Zhao Lin to assist by removing Chen Zhou's name from the Spirit Planters' list.
That way, Chen Zhou would no longer be an affiliated cultivator of the market but an ordinary wandering cultivator.
In the Immortal Market, internal staff were strictly prohibited from killing each other.
If caught, the penalty was severe: their cultivation would be abolished, and they would be expelled from the market.
However, if an Immortal Market internal staff killed a wandering cultivator outside the market, no one would intervene.
Even if the Enforcement Squad knew exactly who was responsible, they would turn a blind eye.
In the world of cultivation, the law of the jungle reigned supreme.
The Enforcement Squad of the Immortal Market only maintained safety within its bounds and prevented internal staff from killing each other.
The fate of wandering cultivators, however, was irrelevant to them.
Each year, countless wandering cultivators perished outside the market. A few more deaths wouldn't raise any eyebrows.
Before seeking out Wei Fan, He Song had already devised a thorough plan.
Now, all that remained was to wait for Wei Fan's investigation and proceed accordingly.
"Sigh, my friend, you're far too cautious. If it were me, the moment I sensed trouble, that Chen Zhou would've already been reduced to ashes with one strike," Wei Fan remarked, clearly dissatisfied with He Song's approach.
Wei Fan had assumed He Song would simply ask him to eliminate Chen Zhou outright.
That would have been swift and decisive.
Yet, He Song wanted Wei Fan to investigate first and act only after evaluating the situation. Even then, He Song planned to ask another friend to remove Chen Zhou's name from the Spirit Planters' list before any action was taken.
Too much trouble.
While this approach minimized the risk of harming an innocent person and reduced potential complications, it struck Wei Fan as overly cautious.
Still, after considering for a moment, Wei Fan understood.
This was simply who He Song was.
If He Song stopped being cautious, he wouldn't be He Song anymore.
"My friend, stay in my courtyard for a while. I'll head to the Spirit Builder Pavilion to locate where this Chen Zhou resides and investigate further. Wait for me here," Wei Fan said as he stood up to leave.
However, just as he was about to step out, he paused and turned back to He Song.
After some thought, he handed He Song several defensive talismans.
"Take these talismans for now. I'm concerned that Chen Zhou, bold as he might be, could come looking for you."
Once He Song accepted the talismans, Wei Fan finally felt at ease and left.
In the small courtyard, He Song watched Wei Fan's departing figure.
He then glanced at the handful of defensive talismans in his hand and shook his head with a wry smile.
He recognized these talismans instantly—they were the same high-grade defensive talismans Wei Fan had purchased for himself three years ago for personal protection.
Back then, they went unused.
Now, they were in He Song's hands instead.
Shaking his head again, He Song decided he would return the talismans to Wei Fan once he returned.
These high-grade talismans could only be fully utilized by someone like Wei Fan, a cultivator in the late-stage Qi Refinement Realm.
For He Song, they would be a waste.
At Spirit Builder Pavilion, Wei Fan strode in briskly after leaving his courtyard.
Ignoring the respectful greetings from the surrounding cultivators, he headed straight to the registry that recorded the residences of the market's internal staff.
Taking the ledger, Wei Fan ascended to the second floor and began scanning through the entries.
"He Song, currently residing at No. 13, Chuan Yun Street, Area B of the market's outskirts."
"Su Jin, currently residing at No. 31, Chong Feng Street, Area A of the market's outskirts."
"Chen Zhou, currently residing at No. 7, Mo Xiang Street, Area D of the market's outskirts."
Wei Fan's gaze quickly landed on the name Chen Zhou in the ledger.
"Chen Zhou, No. 7, Mo Xiang Street, Area D."
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