69: Chapter 69 Undercurrents in Qinghe Town

Lin Muchen opened his eyes.

It was already broad daylight outside the window.

The street vendors' cries were louder than yesterday.

"Selling steamed cakes! Fresh out of the oven!"

"Green vegetables are cheaper!"

He sat up and rubbed his neck.

After a sleep, he felt much more refreshed.

"System, scan the status of the Chen Tribe on the Origin Star."

[Scanning...]

[Origin Star Chen Tribe: Population 100, status stable.]

[Farmland reclamation complete, seeds sown.]

[Wooden fences reinforced, defensive capabilities improved.]

[Food reserves: Approximately 200 catties of dried beast meat, various wild fruits.]

[Feedback Efficiency: 9.4%.]

[Slightly increased compared to yesterday.]

[Tribe's average awe value: 79/100.]

Not bad.

Lin Muchen got out of bed and walked to the window to look outside.

Qinghe Town wasn't large, and there weren't many people on the street.

A few old men sat by the roadside basking in the sun.

Children ran back and forth.

It looked quite peaceful.

But he knew there was something beneath the calm.

"System, conduct a comprehensive scan of Qinghe Town, focusing on whether there are any Cultivators or abnormal energy points."

[Starting comprehensive scan.]

[Scan range: Entire area of Qinghe Town.]

[Progress: 10%... 30%... 70%... 100%.]

[Scan complete.]

[Result: Seven weak spiritual energy fluctuations detected, all from Loose Cultivators at Qi Refinement Stages One to Three.]

[One fluctuation is stronger, located at the "Fuyuan Pawnshop" in the east of town; the manager is at Qi Refining Stage Three.]

[The backyard of the pawnshop is concealed by a simple Formation, suspected to be a Cultivator stronghold.]

[Suggestion: The Host can go and investigate.]

A pawnshop?

Lin Muchen raised an eyebrow.

A small place like this actually has a Cultivator stronghold?

"Can you analyze what the pawnshop does?"

[Energy signature analysis: Residual fluctuations from multiple low-grade Magical Artifacts inside the pawnshop, suspected of purchasing stolen goods.]

[The Formation is a simple Warning Formation with a single function.]

[Comprehensive judgment: This pawnshop is a gray-market trading point for Loose Cultivators, possibly involving black market intelligence or the disposal of stolen goods.]

Interesting.

Lin Muchen thought for a moment.

He needed Spirit Stones now.

The ordinary valuables looted from the Black Wind Stockade were useless to carry around; it was better to exchange them for Spirit Stones.

At the same time, he could ask around about the movements in Black Rock City.

"System, plan a route; I'm going to check out the pawnshop."

[Route planning complete.]

[Exit the inn and turn right, walk straight for two hundred meters, turn left into East Street; Fuyuan Pawnshop is at the end of the street.]

[Suggestion: The Host can go in disguise to avoid exposure.]

Lin Muchen nodded.

He took out a Disguise Mask and put it on.

His face transformed into that of an ordinary man in his thirties.

He also changed into a set of coarse cloth clothes.

He looked like a passing Loose Cultivator.

He went downstairs.

The innkeeper was still dozing behind the counter.

Lin Muchen didn't say hello and walked straight out the door.

There weren't many people on the street.

He followed the path indicated by the System.

Two hundred meters, turn left.

East Street was narrower.

There were old houses on both sides.

Walking to the end of the street, he saw a sign.

"Fuyuan Pawnshop".

The characters were written crookedly.

The door was open.

Lin Muchen walked inside.

The light in the shop was dim.

Behind the counter sat a lean old man, clicking away on an abacus.

Hearing footsteps, the old man looked up.

"Guest, are you pawning something or redeeming something?"

His voice was raspy.

Lin Muchen glanced at him.

Qi Refining Stage Three.

His aura was superficial, and his Foundation was unstable.

A typical Loose Cultivator.

"Pawning some things."

Lin Muchen took several items out of his Storage Pouch.

They were all ordinary gold and silver jewelry taken from the Black Wind Stockade's warehouse, plus two ordinary iron sabers.

There were no spiritual energy fluctuations.

The old man picked up a gold bracelet and weighed it in his hand.

"The quality is average. Three taels of gold, I'll give you fifteen taels of silver for it."

"Fine."

Lin Muchen didn't haggle.

The old man looked at the two sabers again.

"Ordinary iron, not worth much. Five taels of silver for both."

"That's fine."

The old man put the items under the counter and counted out twenty taels of silver to hand over.

Lin Muchen took it but didn't leave.

"Manager, I'd like to ask about something."

The old man looked up.

"What is it?"

"Is there any news from Black Rock City lately?"

The old man's eyes flickered.

"Black Rock City? That's three hundred miles from here; how would I know?"

"I heard something big happened in Black Rock City a while ago; a mountain stronghold was wiped out."

The old man's fingers tapped on the abacus.

"You're quite well-informed, guest. That did happen—the Black Wind Stockade. I heard even the village chief was captured."

"Did that village chief... have any accomplices?"

The old man laughed.

"Guest, why are you asking this?"

"Curiosity."

"Curiosity killed the cat." The old man shook his head. "But since you asked, I'll say one thing."

"The Black Wind Stockade was entrenched for so many years; is it possible they didn't have any backing?"

"I heard the village chief had someone in the City Lord's Manor, and now that person is desperately looking for something."

Lin Muchen's heart stirred.

"Looking for what?"

"An Account Book." The old man lowered his voice. "An old Account Book that records many things that can't see the light of day."

"Whoever gets that Account Book can hold leverage over that 'Lord'."

"Now in Black Rock City, someone is offering a high price to buy it; as long as it's the Account Book, the price is open."

"High price? How high?"

"Higher than you can imagine." The old man squinted. "At least this much."

He held up five fingers.

"Five hundred Spirit Stones?"

"Five thousand."

Lin Muchen raised an eyebrow.

Five thousand Spirit Stones.

Even for a Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator, that was a massive sum.

That mole was truly desperate.

"Manager, since you're so well-informed, do you have a way to contact that buyer?"

The old man stared at Lin Muchen for a few seconds.

"Guest, you wouldn't... happen to have that Account Book, would you?"

"I'm just asking."

"Just asking is fine." The old man looked away. "That kind of hot potato—whoever touches it dies."

"I'll give you a piece of advice: if you really have something you shouldn't, throw it away quickly. Saving your life is what matters."

Lin Muchen smiled.

"Thanks."

He turned and walked out of the pawnshop.

The sunlight on the street was blinding.

"System, analyze the conversation just now."

[Analyzing...]

[Credibility of the manager's words: 92%.]

[Key information: The Black Rock City mole is still offering a high price for the Account Book, bidding five thousand Spirit Stones.]

[Inference: The mole's status is not low, they can mobilize significant resources, and the Account Book poses a massive threat to them.]

[Suggestion: The Host can use the Account Book to set a trap and counter the mole.]

Lin Muchen thought as he walked.

Set a trap?

How?

He was currently in Qinghe Town, while the mole was in Black Rock City.

A distance of three hundred miles.

The opponent was in the shadows, and so was he.

"System, if I release news of the Account Book, saying it appeared in Qinghe Town, will the mole send people?"

[Probability analysis: 87%.]

[The mole desperately needs the Account Book and won't let any clues slip by.]

[Risk: It might attract a large number of pursuers, including the mole himself or his top experts.]

[Advantage: The Host can set traps in advance and wait at leisure for the exhausted enemy.]

Lin Muchen returned to his inn room.

He closed the door.

He sat on the bed and took out the Account Book from his Storage Pouch.

The Account Book wasn't thick, with a sheepskin cover and worn corners.

He flipped it open.

Inside, it was densely packed with dates, names, and amounts.

"On X day of X month of X year, sent 200 Spirit Stones to Steward Wang."

"On X day of X month of X year, Commander Li received 5,000 taels of silver."

"On X day of X month of X year, Lord Zhao..."

There were quite a few names.

Their official ranks were not low.

Lin Muchen closed the Account Book.

This thing could indeed cost lives.

"System, formulate a counter-plan. Requirements: Use the Account Book to draw out the mole or his subordinates, set an ambush in Qinghe Town, and minimize the risk as much as possible."

[Formulating plan...]

[Option 1: Forge a duplicate of the Account Book, set up a fake transaction to lure the mole's subordinates out, and interrogate them for the mole's identity after capture.]

[Pros: Clear objective, controllable risk.]

[Cons: The mole might not show up personally and only send subordinates.]

[Option 2: Beat them at their own game, using the Account Book as bait to negotiate with the mole for resources or safety guarantees.]

[Pros: Potential for actual gain.]

[Cons: High negotiation risk, potential for backlash.]

[Comprehensive suggestion: Adopt Option 1, forge a duplicate, and set up a fake transaction.]

Lin Muchen thought about it.

"Option 1 it is. What are the specific steps?"

[Steps:]

[1. Forge a duplicate of the Account Book (the System can assist in generating a fake book with a similar appearance).]

[2. Spread news through the pawnshop manager that a mysterious person is willing to sell the Account Book, with the transaction location set outside Qinghe Town.]

[3. Set up a Trapping Formation and a Killing Formation at the transaction location in advance.]

[4. Appear during the transaction, capture the arrival, and interrogate them for the mole's identity and subsequent plans.]

[5. Decide on the next move based on the intelligence.]

"How many points are needed?"

[Forge Account Book duplicate: 50 points.]

[Set up simple Trapping Formation (can trap Early Foundation Establishment Stage): 200 points.]

[Set up Killing Formation (can severely wound Mid-Foundation Establishment Stage): 300 points.]

[Total: 550 points.]

[Host's current points balance: 3,474 points, sufficient.]

Lin Muchen glanced at his points.

Not bad.

"Forge the duplicate first."

[Starting forgery...]

[Consumed points: 50.]

[Current points balance: 3,424.]

[Forgery complete.]

An Account Book appeared in the Storage Pouch.

Its appearance was exactly the same as the real one.

But the content inside was empty.

Lin Muchen put away the real Account Book and held the fake one in his hand.

"Next step, how do I get the pawnshop manager to help spread the news?"

[Suggestion: The Host can go to the pawnshop again, approach as a "seller," express willingness to sell the Account Book, and ask the manager to contact the buyer.]

[As a middleman, the manager can take a commission and will likely agree.]

[Risk: The manager might try to double-cross you.]

[Countermeasure: The Host can display some of his strength to intimidate him.]

Lin Muchen nodded.

He stood up, preparing to go to the pawnshop again.

Reaching the door, he stopped again.

"System, scan the manager's detailed strength."

[Scanning...]

[Target: Fuyuan Pawnshop Manager.]

[Cultivation: Qi Refining Stage Three.]

[Cultivation Technique: Basic Breathing Technique (Fragmented).]

[Combat assessment: Extremely low; the Host can easily crush him.]

[Personality analysis: Greedy, cautious, values his life.]

[Prediction: He will cooperate for sufficient profit but will protect himself if things look bad.]

Alright.

Lin Muchen pushed the door open and went out.

He arrived at the Fuyuan Pawnshop once more.

There was no one else in the shop.

The manager saw him and was momentarily stunned.

"Guest, is there something else?"

Lin Muchen walked to the counter.

"Manager, you said earlier that someone is offering a high price for the Account Book."

The manager's gaze changed.

"What do you mean, guest?"

"I have an Account Book in my hand," Lin Muchen lowered his voice, "from the Black Wind Stockade."

The manager's hand shook.

The abacus fell onto the counter.

"You... you really..."

"It's real." Lin Muchen pulled out the fake Account Book from his robes and waved it. "Sheepskin cover, worn corners, and it records quite a few names inside."

"Want to verify it?"

The manager stared at the Account Book, his eyes wide.

"Guest, this thing is a hot potato."

"I know it's a hot potato." Lin Muchen put the Account Book back. "That's why I want to sell it quickly."

"Manager, you have the connections; help me contact the buyer. After the deal is done, I'll give you a ten percent commission."

"Ten percent?" The manager swallowed hard. "The buyer is offering five thousand Spirit Stones; ten percent would be five hundred..."

"Correct."

The manager's breathing quickened.

Five hundred Spirit Stones.

He wouldn't earn that much in ten years in this broken pawnshop.

"Guest, do you really trust me?"

"I trust money," Lin Muchen said. "You help me with the contact; if it works out, we all get rich. If not, I'll find someone else."

"Don't, don't, don't!" The manager waved his hands frantically. "I'll contact them! I'll definitely contact them!"

"Guest, leave an address, and I'll notify you as soon as I contact the buyer."

"No need for an address," Lin Muchen said. "Three days from now, at noon, at the ruined Earth God Temple five miles outside of town."

"Tell the buyer to bring the Spirit Stones, and I'll bring the Account Book."

"Only one person is allowed to come; if there's more than one, the transaction is canceled."

"This..."

"It's settled." Lin Muchen turned around. "See you in three days."

He walked out of the pawnshop.

The manager stood behind the counter, watching his back with a complex expression.

Lin Muchen returned to the inn.

He closed the door.

"System, scan the terrain around the Earth God Temple and plan the Formation placement."

[Scanning...]

[The Earth God Temple is located five miles east of Qinghe Town, abandoned for many years, surrounded by woods and earthen slopes.]

[Best Formation points: Main hall inside the temple (Trapping Formation), woods outside the temple (Killing Formation).]

[Suggestion: The Host can go and set them up one day in advance.]

Good.

Lin Muchen sat on the bed.

The Account Book was placed by his side.

His gaze turned cold.

The bait for fishing has been cast.

Now, just wait for the fish to bite.

That 'Lord' in Black Rock City.

No matter who you are.

This time, it's my turn.