Setting up a scheme
After paying the entrance Spirit Stones, they stepped into the city.
The streets were wide, and shops lined both sides; seven or eight out of every ten establishments sold Medicinal Pills, medicinal ingredients, or Pill Furnaces.
The air was filled with a strange, mixed aroma of various medicinal ingredients, refreshing the mind and spirit.
Cultivators could be seen everywhere haggling over prices or exchanging Alchemy insights.
Chen Yuan and Shen Nianchu walked along the bustling street, surrounded by various cries of vendors and discussions.
Suddenly, a slightly hoarse yet powerful shout pierced the noise and clearly entered their ears:
"Come take a look! An ancient, lost Pill Formula—the Rank 6 Blood Transformation Divine Pill!
After consumption, it can temporarily unleash strength far exceeding one's current Realm, making it the perfect choice for turning the tide in a desperate situation or saving one's life!
Only one copy available, highest bidder wins, starting price one thousand Spirit Crystals!"
This shout was like dropping cold water into boiling oil, instantly exploding across the street.
"One thousand Spirit Crystals?! My heavens, how large of a Family must one be to afford that?"
"Blood Transformation Divine Pill? The legendary forbidden Medicinal Pill that can burn vital essence and blood to raise one's major Realm for a short period? Haven't the Pill Formulas been lost for ages?"
"Is this real or fake? Selling a Rank 6 lost Pill Formula in a place like this? He's probably a fraud!"
Discussions rose everywhere, and gazes filled with curiosity, suspicion, and greed were cast towards the vendor.
It was a middle-aged man wearing ordinary gray robes, with a sharp, capable face and flashing eyes that held a trace of imperceptible malice.
Hearing this, Chen Yuan paused slightly, a look of amusement flashing across his eyes.
The Pill Formula for the Blood Transformation Divine Pill?
Among the massive number of Pill Formulas returned by his System attached to the Emperor-Ranked Dharma Technique, he happened to possess the complete and more potent version of this one.
He simply found the matter suspicious. The appearance of such a “great treasure” in a small border town looked exactly like a carefully designed trap.
With a thought, his Eye of Investigation silently swept over the person selling the Pill Formula.
[Name: Mo Yin,
Gender: Male,
Cultivation: Early Integration Stage,
Identity: Inner Sect Elder of the Demonic Path's Nine Yin Sect.]
It’s actually an Inner Sect Elder of the Nine Yin Sect?! Why would he be here?
Chen Yuan looked around, and his gaze quickly locked onto a carriage.
The carriage was plain and unadorned, especially the horse pulling it. But Chen Yuan, possessing the Eye of Investigation, saw through it immediately: the horse was no ordinary steed, but a Rank 6 Void Returning Demon Venerable—the Scarlet Moon Unicorn Horse.
Just then, the carriage curtain opened, revealing a beautiful woman wearing a veil.
Even through the veil, her beautiful appearance was evident.
[Name: Su Yuejin,
Gender: Female,
Favorability: 0,
Cultivation: Late Stage Soul Transformation,
Identity: Daughter of the Pill God Sect Sect Master.]
"Is she pretty?" a pouting voice sounded beside him.
Combined with Shen Nianchu's sweet voice, it sounded less like anger and more like coquetry.
When Shen Nianchu saw Chen Yuan staring at a girl, her feminine intuition told her that this woman was definitely a breathtaking beauty, no less stunning than Senior Sister Qin or Senior Sister Lin.
For some reason, a feeling of discomfort rose in her heart.
"What's wrong?" Chen Yuan looked curiously at the usually aloof Shen Nianchu beside him.
Suddenly realizing her lapse, Shen Nianchu blushed and turned her head away, "N-nothing."
"Are you jealous?" Chen Yuan stated plainly. He understood the Little Girl's emotions too well; with 70 favorability, she already liked him.
Shen Nianchu's earlobes turned pink, and she instantly bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "Y-you're talking nonsense! Who's jealous of you!"
Just then, the old man driving the carriage, having listened to the instructions of the woman inside, stepped down, crossed the street, and prepared to go forward and inquire.
Soon, the old man's information lit up on the panel before Chen Yuan's eyes:
[Name: Ge Hong
Gender: Male,
Cultivation: Void Returning Perfection Stage,
Identity: Inner Sect Elder of the Pill God Sect.]
Chen Yuan understood immediately.
Sure enough, there was something fishy going on.
An Integration Elder of a Demonic Sect was disguised here selling a fake Pill Formula, and coincidentally, the Daughter of the Pill God Sect Sect Master was passing by.
This was clearly a conspiracy.
How could there be such a coincidence in the world?
In fact, this was precisely a conspiracy, one targeting the Pill God Sect.
The Nine Yin Sect obtained information about the Sect Master's daughter leaving for training from a spy inside the Pill God Sect, and thus set up an ambush here.
They first used the fake Pill Formula to deceive. When Elder Ge Hong, an Inner Sect Elder of the Pill God Domain, reacted, he would surely come looking for them.
They knew Elder Ge Hong well; he was extremely arrogant.
Previously, the Nine Yin Sect had sacrificed several pawns, who also sold fake Pill Formulas along a necessary route. When Ge Hong found out, he immediately chased after them, announced his identity, and killed the Disciple selling the fake Pill Formula with a single palm strike.
There should be no surprise this time either.
Mo Yin had planned everything. He had placed a Restriction on the Pill Formula Jade Slip, so Ge Hong would definitely not notice any flaws when purchasing it.
When selling it to Ge Hong, he would secretly remove the Restriction.
Once it reached Su Yuejin's hands, she would certainly discover the truth.
The time it took for the Jade Slip to reach Su Yuejin's hands was their window for escape.
They would reveal a flaw during their escape, allowing Ge Hong to lead people in pursuit.
They had already set up a secret ambush in a dense forest, and along the way, they arranged for two more Nine Yin Sect Inner Sect Elders and two Void Returning Perfection Stage Demonic Lords.
The ultimate goal of the plan was the Daughter of the Pill God Sect Sect Master, Su Yuejin, to force them to hand over the Pill God Sect's Foundational Cultivation Technique, the Rank 7 Pill Dao Cultivation Technique, the Pill God Manual.
If they refused, they would simply kill Su Yuejin.
Or, she would be turned into a common prostitute, recorded using a memory stone, and distributed to the people of the world.
The plan was truly vicious.
Could you endure your daughter being killed? Could you tolerate footage of your daughter being a common prostitute, or even being humiliated, being widely circulated?
At this moment, Ge Hong had already walked up to Mo Yin, his demeanor carrying the usual arrogance of a Pill God Sect Elder: "Bring me that Blood Transformation Divine Pill Pill Formula so this old man can examine it."
Mo Yin pretended to look around cautiously before handing over a Jade Slip that appeared ancient and simple:
"Senior, please take a look. This is an ancestral treasure, absolutely genuine."
Ge Hong took the Jade Slip and immersed his Divine Sense in it for a moment. Although he couldn't instantly verify the authenticity of a Rank 6 Pill Formula, the ancient, rustic aura and complex pharmacological structure on the Jade Slip made it seem somewhat plausible.
He nodded, "Hmm, acceptable. One thousand Spirit Crystals, I'll take it."
As he spoke, he was about to take out the Spirit Crystals.
Just then, Chen Yuan's clear voice rang out from the side: "Old Sir, wait a moment."
Ge Hong paused, frowning as he looked at Chen Yuan, this seemingly young Cultivator, feeling somewhat displeased: "Young friend, what advice do you have?"
Chen Yuan said lightly, "I wouldn't dare offer advice. I merely wish to remind Old Sir that this place is a mixed bag of good and bad. When trading such a valuable Pill Formula, one must be careful in distinguishing its authenticity, lest you spend money needlessly."
Hearing this, a trace of impatience flashed across Ge Hong's face. How could he, a dignified Inner Sect Elder of the Pill God Sect, be mistaken?
Moreover, in this Pill God Domain, who would dare try to deceive him?
If this person dared to deceive him, he would just chase after them and kill them with a palm strike, just like before.
In the Pill God Domain, the Pill God Sect was heaven itself.
Even if the seller of the fake Pill Formula was an Elder from a Rank 2 Family or a Rank 3 Family, what of it? Upon hearing the name of the Pill God Sect, wouldn't they still have to obediently wash their necks and wait for him to chop them off?