What Mysterious Art Have You Employed?

As a remote and modestly sized town, Fufeng City couldn't boast of grandeur. Upon passing through the city gates, one could behold a thoroughfare wide enough for two carriages, neatly bisecting Fufeng City down the middle. Seated atop a solitary unicorn-drawn carriage, Zhong Wen couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment as it seemed he could see the other end of the small town in a single glance.

The hour was still early, and there were few pedestrians on the road. A scattering of vendors selling breakfast items stood here and there, their stalls emitting steam, and the tantalizing aroma of food wafting through the air.

Guided by Uncle Zhao's commentary, Zhong Wen quickly gained a rough understanding of Fufeng City's layout. Though small in scale, the town boasted a complete array of amenities: taverns, grain stores, herbal apothecaries, carriage rentals, blacksmiths, and tailoring shops, among others. The town's infrastructure was relatively intact.

"This is the 'Yuantong Ticket House,'" Uncle Zhao pointed towards a well-furnished two-story building, "Zhong, please wait for me a moment while I go inside to exchange these Spirit Crystals for tickets."

"Wait, I'll go with you," Zhong Wen recalled the abundance of Spirit Crystals stored in his ring and his curiosity piqued.

The hall of the ticket house was remarkably clean and spacious. Six sets of tables and chairs were neatly arranged for waiting customers. Behind the counter at the far end of the hall sat a young woman in a light crimson work uniform. While her looks didn't rival those of Liu Qiqi, she possessed a striking beauty of her own.

"Hello, sir. How may I help you today?" The young woman greeted Uncle Zhao with a radiant smile, her voice gentle and devoid of condescension, despite his shabby attire.

"Young lady, could you kindly exchange this Spirit Crystal for a ticket and give me ten silver yuan?" Uncle Zhao handed over the Spirit Crystal and a silver note he had received from Zhong Wen.

"Certainly, please wait a moment," the young woman's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.

The ticket house offered exchange services in both Spirit Crystal and silver yuan. However, in a small place like Fufeng City, customers in need of Spirit Crystal services were quite rare. The early morning arrival of a Spirit Crystal transaction had invigorated her.

Zhong Wen listened to their exchange, pondering silently. Before long, Uncle Zhao departed the ticket house, contentedly carrying a Spirit Crystal ticket and ten silver yuan.

"Uncle, please return to the carriage and wait for me," Zhong Wen dismissed Uncle Zhao outside the gate. He then turned and entered the Yuantong Ticket House once more, seeking a secluded corner. From his ring, he retrieved a pile of Spirit Crystals, stuffing his bag to capacity. Afterward, he reentered the establishment.

"Hello, how may I assist you today?" The young woman's smile remained sweet.

"I'd like to exchange some Spirit Crystal tickets, please." Zhong Wen couldn't help but smile back at the beautiful attendant.

"Of course, may I ask how many Spirit Crystals you wish to deposit?"

Zhong Wen was good-looking, and the prospect of attracting the Spirit Crystal business brought an air of allure about him.

"I would like to exchange three hundred Spirit Crystals, and I'd appreciate two one hundred Spirit Crystal tickets and ten ten Spirit Crystal tickets, please."

"Very well, for you..." The young woman hesitated, her voice faltering. "Three hundred?"

Zhong Wen confirmed, pouring a cascade of Spirit Crystals onto the counter.

"Are you sure you want to deposit all of them, sir?" The young woman stammered in amazement, her speech momentarily stuttered.

"Why, are these too few? I noticed that gentleman earlier deposited just one Spirit Crystal, and you processed it without issue." Zhong Wen failed to grasp the young woman's emotional state.

Too few? I've never seen so many Spirit Crystals in my life. I wish I could marry this handsome tycoon.

The young woman's heart had already fallen into deep admiration.

"Noble guest, please wait a moment. I will consult with the supervisor," the young woman hurriedly ascended to the second floor.

Shortly thereafter, a middle-aged gentleman in white attire descended with the young woman. He shook hands with Zhong Wen in a friendly manner, displaying warm and welcoming hospitality that surpassed even that of a long-lost relative.

As they left the ticket house, Zhong Wen not only held three hundred Spirit Crystal tickets but also received a jade token. According to the middle-aged gentleman, this token represented a VIP status at the Yuantong Ticket House. With it, one could conduct business at Yuantong Ticket Houses throughout the Great Qian Empire without the need to wait in line. Additionally, favorable interest rates were offered for loan applications.

"Let's go to the trading company!" Zhong Wen brimmed with confidence now that he possessed the tickets.

As the carriage turned a corner, a magnificent three-story building came into view.

"This is the Fufeng City branch of 'Shengyu Trading Company.' I've heard this establishment is renowned throughout the empire and boasts significant influence," Uncle Zhao spoke with reverence.

The shop had just opened in the morning, and the employees inside were spirited. The female staff members were exceptionally attractive. As soon as Zhong Wen entered, a beautiful girl approached.

"Noble guest, are you here to buy or sell?" The young woman's demeanor was especially warm towards the handsome guest.

"I'd like to purchase some spiritual herbs and spiritual pattern materials." For his first alchemical attempt, Zhong Wen preferred not to use the rare spiritual herbs stored in his ring.

This gentleman is a cultivator!

The young woman thought to herself, her attitude becoming even more enthusiastic.

"What materials are you planning to acquire? I'll prepare them immediately." The young woman brought paper and a pen, ready to take notes.

"I need high-quality 'White Cloud Wood,' 'Spirit Ink Carbon,' 'Spirit Rune Plate,' 'Spirit Pen Mold'..." Zhong Wen listed a string of spiritual pattern materials following the guidelines from the spirit rune Pen Making Guide. Then, he continued with a list of herbal ingredients, "I also require top-notch 'Nine-Leaf Spirit Grass,' 'Fusion Spirit Leaf,' 'Earth Dragon Whisker,' 'Four-Nine Roots'..."

A major transaction is underway!

The young woman's apprehension grew as she took notes.

"That will be all for now. Please show me the quality of these items." Zhong Wen spoke at length before finally falling silent, his face still brimming with satisfaction.

"Alright, please follow me, dear guest."

The young woman led Zhong Wen cautiously to a private booth and hurried away.

On the table in the booth, some snacks were laid out, and soon, a server arrived with tea, offering attentive service.

Will a young lady come to give me a shoulder massage? Zhong Wen couldn't help but anticipate.

However, it was not a young lady who entered but a plump middle-aged man.

"Noble guest, greetings. My name is Wang, and I am the shopkeeper here," the middle-aged man's demeanor was amiable, instantly putting Zhong Wen at ease and dispelling his disappointment.

"Shopkeeper Wang, I wonder if the items I need are adequately stocked at your establishment?"

"Dear guest, please rest assured. Spiritual pattern materials are not considered rare, and although there are many varieties of spiritual herbs, the nearby Qingfeng Mountain produces herbs for miles around. You've come to the right place. Even if you were to go to the imperial capital, you might not find a selection as comprehensive as here."

"That's good to hear." Zhong Wen nodded in relief.

"You've requested quite a variety of items. I've already dispatched someone to find them for you. Please wait a moment and enjoy some tea."

Zhong Wen agreed and engaged in idle conversation with Shopkeeper Wang, who had occupied his position for many years. He had a knack for swiftly connecting with people of various backgrounds and quickly turned to intriguing anecdotes and gossip to keep Zhong Wen entertained.

"Will you be staying in Fufeng City, noble guest?" Shopkeeper Wang suddenly inquired. "The city isn't particularly safe right now. If you're looking for accommodations, perhaps our Trading Company can make arrangements on your behalf."

"What's going on?" Zhong Wen's curiosity was piqued.

"I heard that last night, the deputy leader of the Bliss Gang was assassinated and the gang leader was seriously injured."

"Bliss Gang?" Zhong Wen looked puzzled.

"You might not be familiar with it since you're not a local, but the Bliss Gang, although not a major force, holds sway in Fufeng City. Both the gang leader and the deputy leader are experts at the Earth Wheel level. The gang leader, Duan Changhong, has even broken through to the sixth Earth Wheel."

Seeing Zhong Wen's confusion, Shopkeeper Wang reminded him, "It's said that the assassin was counterattacked by Duan Changhong and was also injured. Currently, the Bliss Gang is vigorously searching for the assassin's whereabouts. As a person of considerable means, please be cautious and don't get involved. The Bliss Gang is not a group to be trifled with."

"Thank you for the reminder," Zhong Wen nodded, particularly taking note of the phrase "person of considerable means."

At this moment, several beautiful women entered the booth, carrying delicate peachwood trays neatly arranged with the items Zhong Wen wished to purchase.

"Please take a look, noble guest."

Zhong Wen stood up, instinctively giving the young woman a once-over.

Hmm, they still fall short compared to Liu Qiqi.

After assessing the beauties in his mind, he shifted his gaze to the goods. The quality of the spiritual pattern materials was average but sufficient for his needs in crafting Elixir Flame Spirit Runes. The quality of the various spiritual herbs, on the other hand, was above average.

These herbs were not the work of master cultivators but were grown by ordinary farmers, indicating the excellent land conditions around Qingfeng Mountain.

"Not bad. I'll take the spiritual pattern materials. As for these spiritual herbs, I'll buy as much as you have. Please quote a price."

His tone resembled that of some coal tycoons from his previous life buying luxury cars at a car show, saying, "I'll take this one, this one, this one, and this one..."

Though Shopkeeper Wang was experienced, he didn't expect the young man in front of him to be so confident in his shopping. He was somewhat surprised.

"Dear guest, spiritual herbs have a limited shelf life, and our inventory is not small. If you purchase all of them and don't use them within a short period, they might go to waste."

Shopkeeper Wang couldn't help but offer a word of caution, concerned that Zhong Wen, being young, might squander his resources.

"It's fine; I have my ways," Zhong Wen's tone was resolute. "Please name your price."

Naturally, Shopkeeper Wang wouldn't turn down business. He turned and whispered with the staff for a while before saying, "One thousand silver yuan for the spiritual pattern materials, two hundred catties of 'Nine-Leaf Spirit Grass' for two thousand silver yuan, five hundred catties of 'Fusion Spirit Leaf' for one thousand silver yuan, 'Earth Dragon Whisker'... In total, it comes to twenty-two thousand five hundred silver yuan. Since you trust our establishment, I'll round down and charge you twenty-two thousand silver yuan. How does that sound?"

"Deal. Please pack them up and deliver them to the carriage outside. Can I pay by Spirit Crystals?"

"Spirit Crystals?" Shopkeeper Wang's face displayed a hint of surprise for the first time. "O-of course, you can. You'll need to pay two hundred Spirit Crystals."

"This little? Wasn't it supposed to be a one-to-a-hundred exchange with silver yuan?" Zhong Wen was puzzled.

This must be a young master from some cultivator family.

In his mind, Shopkeeper Wang concluded Zhong Wen's identity.

"I dare not deceive you, dear guest. The one-to-a-hundred exchange with silver yuan is just the official statement. In reality, the value of Spirit Crystals far surpasses that of silver yuan. If one were to truly exchange one hundred silver yuan for a single Spirit Crystal, it would be an absolute robbery."

Zhong Wen suddenly realized that he had been taken advantage of by Uncle Zhao and Uncle Li in the village. He decided to give each of them a taste of The One Yang Finger when he returned.

"Here." He took out two one-hundred Spirit Crystal tickets and handed them to Shopkeeper Wang.

This generosity made the young women behind Shopkeeper Wang's heart race with excitement. As Zhong Wen was respectfully escorted out of the Trading Company, he also received another jade token representing his VIP status at the "Shengyu Trading Company."

As he looked at the piles of packages on the unicorn-drawn carriage, Uncle Zhao was about to protest, but Zhong Wen silenced him with a silver note he handed over, and Uncle Zhao willingly drove the carriage.

Showing off was temporarily enjoyable.

However, his ostentatious appearance as a big spender eventually attracted him attention from those with ill intention.

Not long after leaving the city, the carriage was blocked on the road.

"Bliss Gang searching for the assassin!"

More than ten members of the Bliss Gang, dressed in earthy yellow martial outfits and wielding long knives, appeared in front of Zhong Wen. Leading them was a middle-aged man in his forties, with prominent cheekbones and a sharp, sinister appearance.

"Get off the carriage!" the middle-aged man ordered sternly, but his eyes betrayed a hint of greed.

Although the Bliss Gang was a local force, it couldn’t represent the official authority in Fufeng City. The middle-aged man had received reports from his subordinates that a wealthy young master was purchasing extensively at the Shengyu Trading Company. He used the pretext of searching for the assassin to lay an ambush outside the city.

As a criminal organization, they had no qualms about such acts of robbery.

Uncle Zhao had already been frightened to the point of trembling, and his chattering teeth made a rattling sound.

"Why haven't you gotten off the carriage yet?" Two of the gang members behind the middle-aged man grew more arrogance and shouted at Zhong Wen.

Zhong Wen squinted, observing the gang members in front of him in silence.

"If you won't get off the carriage, you must be hiding something. You two, go and search!" The middle-aged man gave the order to his subordinates.

Immediately, two gang members walked towards the carriage, grinning wickedly as they approached, long knives in hand, seemingly ready to attack the two individuals before them.

"Don't kill me, don't kill me!" Uncle Zhao had heard numerous stories about the Bliss Gang's actions and shouted in fear.

The two gang members had almost reached the carriage when they suddenly felt a blur before their eyes. It seemed like something had touched them, and then they lost the ability to move. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't budge an inch.

Zhong Wen, who had appeared in front of them without warning, patted one of the gang members on the shoulder with a mischievous smile. "Want to search the carriage? No problem, go ahead."

"What... What kind of sorcery are you using? Release us quickly, or you'll regret it!" The two gang members were alarmed, their voices trembling.

"Go!" The middle-aged man's expression turned serious as he assigned several more subordinates.

Soon, several more "statues" appeared in front of the carriage.

"It turns out you're also a cultivator," the middle-aged man had to take Zhong Wen seriously. After all, he had never heard of a method that could render people immobile like this.

"Need to search the carriage?" Zhong Wen asked lazily.

"It seems that I’m too blind to recognize a true master. Judging by your demeanor, you don't seem like an assassin. Please release my subordinates, and we can part ways without grudges. What do you say?" The middle-aged man's attitude seemed conciliatory, but a trace of hostility flashed in his eyes.

"When the time comes, I will naturally release them," Zhong Wen replied casually and pushed away the "statues" blocking the path. "Let's go, Uncle Zhao!"

The middle-aged man's eyes filled with anger, but he remained silent. Instead, he lowered his head and stepped aside to clear the path.

As the carriage began to move slowly, just as it passed in front of the gang members, the middle-aged man, who had been silent, suddenly took his action.

In a flash, he swung the long knife in his right hand toward Zhong Wen, aiming to strike him by surprise. The angle of the attack was extremely cunning, completely avoiding Zhong Wen's field of vision.

"This is a swoosh!"

It was the sound of a blade cutting through flesh, and it felt quite satisfying.

The middle-aged man hadn't even had a chance to feel happy when he realized that the one he had struck was his subordinate.

"Boss... why..." The subordinate had a confused look in his eyes as he slowly fell to the ground.

What have I done?

Boss Wen looked bewildered, then shifted his gaze towards Zhong Wen, who was sitting in the carriage.

Zhong Wen was smiling mischievously, his eyes filled with mockery.

So, it was you!

Boss Wen was consumed by anger and lost control, tearing off his disguise without hesitation. He leaped forward and swung his knife at Zhong Wen.

Zhong Wen, looking at the oncoming blade, remained motionless as if he had been frightened.

I win!

Seeing Zhong Wen like this, Boss Wang felt a rush of joy, thinking he was about to strike it rich. As for the subordinate he had mistakenly killed, he had long forgotten about him.

"Splut!"

When Boss's knife stabbed into the chest of another gang member.

Subordinate B: "..."

Seeing the confusion in Subordinate B's eyes as he fell, Boss Wen was on the verge of going insane.

The remaining gang members showed expressions of fear, quietly distancing themselves from Boss Wen. Some of them, too timid to face the situation, had already made a run for it.

"What... what kind of sorcery are you using?" Boss Wen shouted, his voice becoming hoarse.

"Hurry up and get lost before I change my mind," Zhong Wen said after thinking for a moment, delivering this imposing line.

"I'll fight you to the end!" Boss Wen, now mentally unstable, lost his ability to think and charged at Zhong Wen once again.

Seeing Boss Wen's attack, the remaining gang members, fearing they might meet the same fate as Subordinates A and B, immediately scattered and fled.

"Splut!"

Boss Wen looked at the long knife that had pierced his chest, the handle still in his hand, with an expression of disbelief.

He didn't know when, but Zhong Wen had already appeared in front of him.

Looking at the handsome young man before him, Boss Wen felt a mix of confusion, fear, and regret.

What am I thinking that I provoke this monster?

"In your next life, be a good person," Zhong Wen patted Boss Wen's shoulder and sighed.

Only when the unicorn-drawn carriage was no longer visible did Boss Wen's body slowly collapse backward, falling heavily to the ground, unable to get up again...

As Zhong Wen enjoyed the admiring gaze of Uncle Zhao, he counted the spoils in his hands, feeling quite pleased. In addition to Boss Wen, those gang members he immobilized with the "One Yang Finger" also couldn't escape his "Sleight of Hand Mastery." The scattered silver notes and coins in their hands not only covered the cost of renting the carriage but also left a little extra profit.

Zhong Wen could sense that even though Boss Wen's cultivation might not be on par with Liu Qiqi's, he was still considerably higher than his own. However, when facing the "Art of Substitution," he was like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered, completely powerless to resist.

The Starry Spirit Grade techniques were truly terrifying!