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“This man’s emotions don’t show on his face; he looks like someone who could handle big affairs. What did I just teach you?”

Zhao Jun said, “Delay his meal service to give him a lesson?”

“What lesson? It’s about bullying the soft and fearing the hard!”

“Oh, he’s a tough nut, we won’t provoke him then.”

Fan Yue sighed and said, “That’s more like it. Have the kitchen serve him and get him out quickly. Avoid any friction.”

Zhao Jun nodded in agreement and then hurried to urge the kitchen to serve the food.

After urging the kitchen, Zhao Jun felt a sense of relief. Thankfully, he was accompanied by his brother-in-law today, who personally guided him. Otherwise, if he had done something foolish by himself, he would have been doomed if he had actually come across a real tough nut.

It’s better to do less evil.

But if one does less, it’s harder to turn over a new leaf.

Doing more, on the other hand, makes it easier to meet one’s doom.

Neither option was right.

“Alas, life is hard,” Zhao Jun lamented.

With the economy of Liang Kingdom being so bleak, finding a job was incredibly difficult.

“Waiter!” Jiang Cheng called out.

Upon seeing that the tough nut had spoken, Zhao Jun hurried over to serve, “Here I am, what may I do for you?”

“Is your hotel’s owner around? I have a little matter to discuss with him.”

Zhao Jun said with an apologetic smile, “The service was a bit slow just now, but perhaps there’s no need to trouble the owner, right?”

“It has nothing to do with the meal service, I have another matter.”

“How about we offer you an additional dish then?”

“No need for an extra dish, I want to see the owner.”

“If you’re really dissatisfied, we can also waive your bill.”

“I really want to see the owner.”

Zhao Jun thought to himself, how tough can this customer be, not even a waived bill would make him budge?

“How about we offer you some discount coupons?”

Jiang Cheng, stroking his chin, said, “Why can’t you understand what I’m saying? Could it be that you’re not actually a person, but a puppet?”

“Hehe, you do have a sense of humor.”

Jiang Cheng took out his Intelligent Puppet Talisman, ready to test Zhao Jun.

A puppet could not be controlled twice, so if the Intelligent Puppet Talisman worked, then this waiter was not a puppet; if it didn’t work, then he was a puppet.

If he was indeed a puppet, it would mean that the puppetry skills of the Shadow Puppet Sect were quite advanced.

Being able to craft a timid, cautious waiter with such lifelike detail.

Making a few more such puppets would even be enough to make a movie.

Once Fan Yue saw Jiang Cheng taking out a talisman, he sensed something was wrong and hurried to protect his brother-in-law.

Zhao Jun getting into trouble was a minor issue, but it would be serious if he couldn’t get married.

“Esteemed fellow Daoist, there’s no need for talismans. Consider this meal on me, what do you think?”

“How do I contact your hotel’s owner?” Jiang Cheng did not lose sight of his goal.

“What do you need the owner for?”

Jiang Cheng kindly said, “Your rank is too low, knowing too much is not good for you.”

Fan Yue: ?

The statement was correct, but why was it coming from the mouth of a Qi Cultivation Stage cultivator?

Fan Yue confirmed, “Do you truly wish to find the restaurant’s owner?”

Jiang Cheng frowned, “Do I look like I’m joking?”

“If that’s the case, may I trouble you to step aside for a word?”

Fan Yue led Jiang Cheng to the back courtyard of the hotel and then laid his cards on the table.

“I’ll stop pretending, I’ll lay it all out; I am the owner of the Riverside Hotel.”

Jiang Cheng sized up Fan Yue.

“The Riverside Hotel is the property of the Shadow Puppet Sect; at the very least, the hotel’s owner would be a high-ranking member. How do you prove that?”

Fan Yue demonstrated his Core Formation cultivation level and said, “Is this enough?”

Jiang Cheng nodded, “Almost.”

“What is it that you wish to discuss with me, fellow Daoist?”

Jiang Cheng smiled and said, “To be frank, I am a member of the Demonic Tao just like you.”

“Oh?”

Fan Yue did not readily believe Jiang Cheng’s words.

It was highly likely that Jiang Cheng, a mysterious figure from the Demonic Tao, was a spy sent by the Immortal Sect.

After so many years of conflict with the Immortal Sect, Fan Yue’s counter-espionage consciousness was very much in place.

Jiang Cheng introduced himself, “My name is ‘Chen Jiang’, using Jiang Cheng as an alias, and I am a disciple of the famous Dayan Sect of the Demonic Tao in Yu Country.”

Fan Yue had heard of Yu Country, but he had never heard of “Dayan Sect.”

Nevertheless, even though he had not heard of it, Fan Yue pretended to understand.

His brother-in-law was still watching; he couldn’t admit his lack of knowledge or unfamiliarity with his fellow Daoists, could he?

“What do you want from me?”

“I’d trouble you to introduce me to the Sect Master. I have a transaction I would like to discuss with him.”

“The Sect Master is not here, you can talk to me directly.”

Jiang Cheng understood Fan Yue’s caution and said, “Alright then. Have you heard of ‘ancient ruins’?”

Ancient ruins were a type of independent small space.

They often contained treasures, Immortal Laws, and the like from the ancient era within them, usually powerful and valuable.

“Of course.”

Jiang Cheng continued, “My sect discovered a set of ruins in Yu Country, but the information was somehow leaked, attracting the covetous eyes of the Immortal Sect and the catastrophe of our sect’s near-extinction…”

Jiang Cheng began to feed Fan Yue the backstory of the Perception Transmission Talisman.

Being the plotter himself, Jiang Cheng concocted a story so flawless, it left Fan Yue completely stunned.

Once he had whet Fan Yue’s appetite just enough, Jiang Cheng produced the Perception Transmission Talisman.

“This is something I risked my life to snatch from under the Immortal Sect’s nose. I’ve come to your sect hoping to sell it for a good price,” he said.

Fan Yue took a look at the Perception Transmission Talisman and was immediately startled.

The abilities of the talisman were truly a bit extraordinary, and its compatibility with the Hehuan Sect was extremely good; calling it an “ancient treasure” was no exaggeration whatsoever.

Jiang Cheng continued, “To not hide anything from my senior, I have approached several parties, but none offered a satisfying price, which is why I’ve come to take a risk with your sect.”

Fan Yue questioned, perplexed, “Shouldn’t you go directly to the Hehuan Sect with such a talisman? Isn’t coming to us doing something superfluous?”

Jiang Cheng spoke with genuine sincerity, “Senior may not be aware, but though I am a member of the Demonic Tao, I have not been in Liang Kingdom for long. The whereabouts of the Hehuan Sect are hard to grasp, and I am ashamed to say, I really couldn’t get in touch with them.”

Fan Yue nodded, seemingly convinced by Jiang Cheng’s explanation.

Jiang Cheng added, “If senior could share the whereabouts of the Hehuan Sect with me, I would be eternally grateful.”

Fan Yue gave a slight smile; he could certainly contact the Hehuan Sect, but he had no reason to tell Jiang Cheng.

“Haha, indeed, the Hehuan Sect is hard to find. I too do not know their whereabouts,” he replied.

Regretfully, Jiang Cheng said, “If that’s the case, would your sect be willing to buy the talisman? As long as the price is right, I’d be willing to sell.”

The Shadow Puppet Sect, in fact, had no talisman business, but the attributes of the Perception Transmission Talisman were too incredible, not to mention its exceptional compatibility with the Hehuan Sect and its potential for addiction.

Even a fool could see that the commercial prospects of the talisman were extremely promising.

If they could mass-produce it, the profits would undoubtedly be substantial.

“How much do you intend to sell it for?” Fan Yue asked tentatively.

Jiang Cheng held up five fingers.

“Five million?”

“No, fifty million.”

Fifty million? You sure have the nerve to ask! Aren’t you afraid you won’t make it out of this hotel?

Our Shadow Puppet Sect may have been weak for many years, but we are still a Demon Sect. Murder and plunder are not beneath us; can’t you show us some respect?

Nevertheless, Jiang Cheng’s composed demeanor made Fan Yue calm down.

It’s easy to steal a talisman, but creating one is hard. It’s tough to say whether ancient talismans might not have some strange structures.

If they were to kill this “Chen Jiang” and then fail to reproduce the talisman, it would be empty gain.

Fan Yue decided to stabilize Jiang Cheng first and see whether they could decode the talisman.

After all, a talisman of the Demonic Tao couldn’t possibly be taken to the Immortal Sect Association for certification; if they could decode it and reproduce it, there was no need to spend Spirit Stones to buy from him.

There’d be no harm in making other plans only if they truly couldn’t decode it.

“I am quite fond of your talisman, but fifty million is no small amount. I need to consult with other higher-ups of my sect,” said Fan Yue.

“No problem,” Jiang Cheng agreed readily.

He had encrypted the Perception Transmission Talisman long ago, not worried about the Shadow Puppet Sect tampering with it.

Moreover, the renowned high-grade Talisman Masters in the Capital had all been forewarned by Gao Miao; they knew exactly what to say when faced with the Perception Transmission Talisman sent by the Shadow Puppet Sect.

Seeing how agreeable Jiang Cheng was, a surge of secret delight rose in Fan Yue’s heart.

This kid is too naive.

Can’t he see that this is just delaying tactics?

It seems there was a reason for Dayan Sect’s downfall indeed.

A mere first-order talisman dares to be sold for fifty million Spirit Stones?

Now that I have a sample, wouldn’t it be easy to find a third-order Talisman Master and offer him five hundred thousand Spirit Stones to break the code?

Fan Yue had already planned that, once the Perception Transmission Talisman was successfully cracked, he would immediately send this talisman to the Immortal Sect for certification.

Although Shadow Puppet Sect belongs to the Demonic Tao, it is nevertheless a tax-paying sect of Liang Kingdom, unlike the destroyed Dayan Sect, and Shadow Puppet Sect has the right to certify talismans.

Facing the suddenly appeared Jiang Cheng, the extremely tempting Perception Transmission Talisman, and the promising development prospects of his sect, Fan Yue did not completely lose his rationale.

He secretly messaged his brother-in-law: I’ll keep Chen Jiang stable, you go and let the Great Elder check his background.

“Chen, choosing to cooperate with our Shadow Puppet Sect is truly a wise decision. In the Capital, our sect’s foundations are second to none.”

Jiang Cheng laughed and said, “I was fortunate to learn of your sect.”

“Haha, it’s all fate. Come, let me show you around.”

Fan Yue first took Jiang Cheng on a tour of Shadow Puppet Sect’s industries, beginning with the kitchen of Riverside Hotel.

It was the lunch rush, and the kitchen was bustling with activity.

However, Jiang Cheng astutely noticed that the employees working in the kitchen on tasks like washing vegetables, chopping vegetables, and washing dishes seemed to be not ordinary people, but were, in fact, puppets.

“In order to improve cooking efficiency, we use puppets for these repetitive tasks at our sect,” Fan Yue proudly explained.

After all, puppetry was the Shadow Puppet Sect’s signature skill.

Even when facing the Immortal Sect, they possessed the strength to contend.

Jiang Cheng closely observed a dishwashing puppet and said, “Sect Master Fan, a puppet like this one must not come cheap, right?”

“Indeed, this Qi Cultivation Stage puppet, not counting the labor, needs about a hundred thousand low-grade Spirit Stones for materials alone.”

Jiang Cheng had heard that puppets were expensive, but he didn’t expect them to be so costly.

“Using a puppet that costs a hundred thousand Spirit Stones just to wash dishes is a bit wasteful. I have a cheaper alternative.”

“Oh? Let’s hear it.”

Jiang Cheng took out his Smart Puppet Talisman and said, “This talisman of mine can turn oneself into a puppet, which is most suitable for repetitive work. Sect Master Fan, you could go to the market and hire a recent college graduate for five hundred Spirit Stones a month. Then, stick this talisman on him and let him wash dishes in the kitchen non-stop.”

Fan Yue was taken aback.

Jiang Cheng continued to analyze, “Let me do the math for you, the Smart Puppet Talisman sells for a thousand low-grade Spirit Stones, and a college graduate’s salary is five hundred low-grade Spirit Stones. This means that you only have to spend seven thousand a year to have a versatile dishwashing puppet. In his free time, he could also deliver meals. At the same time, he’s not afraid of damage, and he will seek medical attention on his own. If he’s not good enough, he’s easily replaceable, and if he quits, there are plenty of others willing to take the job…”

Fan Yue, upon hearing Jiang Cheng’s thoughts, internally exclaimed in admiration.

So the Demonic Tao in Yu Country has become this ruthless?

No wonder they are being targeted by the Immortal Sect.

Everything lines up now.

That evening, Zhao Jun rushed to his brother-in-law to report what he had found about Chen Jiang.

But to his surprise, Fan Yue confidently said, “No need to say more, Chen Jiang can’t possibly be from the Immortal Sect.”

“Brother-in-law, how can you tell?” Zhao Jun asked.

“When have I ever misjudged someone? Chen Jiang is obviously a natural-born bad seed, a true Demonic Taoist. How could someone like him possibly join the Immortal Sect? To put it bluntly, in terms of being bad, even our Sect Master isn’t his match!”