70: Is it a sheep or a wolf?

Bitter Leaf Island, the market town.

The weather had been a bit gloomy these past few days, like the calm before a storm.

In the "Han Clan Artifact Maintenance" shop, Shopkeeper Han had recently developed a strange habit.

When repairing Magical Artifacts, he no longer focused only on the damaged parts as he used to; instead, like an old traditional doctor taking a pulse, he would close his eyes and rub his fingers over the artifact's handle for a long time.

Outsiders thought Old Man Han was "sensing the artifact spirit," but in reality, he was "sniffing out a scent."

Magical Artifacts are like people; when used close to the body year-round, they inevitably become tainted with the owner's spiritual power aura. Even if intentionally hidden, that "base scent" deep within the material's texture cannot be washed away.

Ever since he discovered the secret letter from the Qingyun Sect in the scrap bin that night, Zhou Wannian's nerves had been on edge.

"The undercover agent is right by my side."

"Is it Granny Wang, who sells buns with a smile all day? Or that butcher who looks fierce but only dares to kill fish?"

Zhou Wannian had been investigating for three days and had handled no fewer than fifty Magical Artifacts.

The result... was nothing.

Most were the scents of Loose Cultivators, mixed with the smell of sea brine and sweat, or the scent of Robber Cultivators with a faint blood Evil Qi. He never smelled that "Sect scent"—the kind belonging to a Righteous Path, balanced and peaceful yet exuding a high-and-mighty sense of detachment.

"Could I be wrong? Does the undercover agent not use Magical Artifacts much?"

Zhou Wannian put down a harpoon in his hand and sighed.

Just then, a brisk sound of footsteps approached, accompanied by the familiar clinking of copper coins.

"Brother Han! Busy?"

A middle-aged man wearing a robe with coin patterns, slightly plump with a mustache, walked in. He was always fiddling with two shiny golden iron balls in his hand, his eyes squinting into slits when he smiled, looking like a friendly businessman.

It was precisely the shopkeeper of the Bitter Leaf Island branch of the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce—Zhao the Abacus.

He was also the "major agent" who had been helping Zhou Wannian purchase heavy water sand during this time.

"Oh, Shopkeeper Zhao."

Zhou Wannian lazily lifted his eyelids, playing the part of being listless to perfection. "What wind blew you here? Today's goods are ready, but they have to be picked up tonight."

"Heh, it's not for the goods."

Zhao the Abacus pulled up a chair and sat down familiarly, leaning in and whispering, "I'm here to ask for a favor, brother. The beads on my 'Ruyi Golden Abacus' have been a bit stiff lately. I'd like to ask you for a deep maintenance."

As he spoke, he pulled a glittering small abacus from his robe.

The craftsmanship of this abacus was extremely exquisite; the frame was made of red gold, and the beads were high-quality white jade, faintly emitting the fluctuations of a Medium Grade Magical Artifact.

"The tools of the trade must be well-maintained."

Zhou Wannian agreed casually and took the abacus.

The moment his fingers touched the frame of the abacus...

"Buzz."

An extremely faint yet exceptionally pure clear spiritual Qi drilled into his perception through his fingertips.

This aura... condensed, pure, and carrying a sense of noble righteous Qi, was worlds apart from the mixed and impure spiritual power of a Loose Cultivator. This was clearly a Foundation laid since childhood by a Righteous Path Sect!

Zhou Wannian's heart skipped a beat.

The signature on the cylinder in the scrap bin was [Outer Sect Deacon · Zhao].

The person in front of him was called Zhao the Abacus.

"..."

Zhou Wannian felt a chill down his spine, and his heart pounded.

The dark under the lamp! The real undercover agent was actually this profiteer who called him brother every day and resold contraband Ores with him?

This was too damn exciting. A deacon of the Qingyun Sect, to cover his identity, actually lived his life as a profit-seeking fat man?

"Brother Han? What's wrong? Is it hard to repair?"

Seeing Zhou Wannian dazed while holding the abacus, a very subtle trace of vigilance flashed in Zhao the Abacus's eyes.

Alarm bells rang in Zhou Wannian's heart.

But on his weathered old face, not even a single extra muscle twitched.

He took a sharp breath, then revealed an incredibly exaggerated, even slightly greedy expression.

"Tsk tsk tsk! Good stuff! This is really good stuff!"

Zhou Wannian stroked the abacus frame as if he couldn't bear to let go, his look of having never seen the world instantly dispelled Zhao the Abacus's suspicions.

"Shopkeeper Zhao, you actually mixed 'Flowing Gold Sand' into this abacus? No wonder it's so heavy! This is a great material for making a Spirit Gathering Array!"

Zhao the Abacus's tense shoulders instantly relaxed, and his hand left his waist. He laughed and scolded, "I knew you were a money-grubber! What Flowing Gold Sand? It's just a layer of gold powder. Just tell me, what's with the stiff beads?"

"Well..."

Zhou Wannian pretentiously tapped the abacus beads and talked nonsense with a straight face, "It's because the 'wealthy aura' is too heavy, blocking the spiritual power circuit."

"Speak plainly."

"It's just that your business has been too good lately, and you've handled too many Spirit Stones. The stone dust and miscellaneous Qi from them have seeped in. It needs to be washed with special 'Heart-Cleansing Water'."

Zhou Wannian chuckled and rubbed his fingers. "But this Heart-Cleansing Water is a bit expensive..."

"You old thing, you're obsessed with money!"

Zhao the Abacus laughed and cursed, casually tossing out a Mid-Grade Spirit Stone. "Is this enough?"

"Enough! Enough! More than enough!"

Zhou Wannian caught the Spirit Stone, smiling so broadly his eyes were barely visible, looking every bit like a money-hungry commoner.

He took the abacus into the back room and pulled the curtain.

Only at this moment did the smile on his face instantly vanish, his back drenched in cold sweat.

"That was close."

"If I had shown even a slight abnormality just now, this fat man would probably have silenced me."

While cleaning the abacus with a Cleaning Talisman, Zhou Wannian quickly calculated in his mind.

Expose him? That would be seeking death.

Hint at it? That would be handing him leverage, making it easy to be countered.

The best way was to play dumb.

"I know who you are, but you think I'm just a greedy old man."

"As long as I continue to provide you with a large flow of 'heavy water sand' to help you brush up your performance and cover your identity, I'll be your most useful tool."

"In return, you, a Sect deacon, will have to use the Sect's power to protect me in order to protect your 'performance'."

This was the perfect parasitic relationship.

A cold sneer curled at the corner of Zhou Wannian's mouth.

A moment later, he lifted the curtain and walked out holding the refreshed abacus.

"Shopkeeper Zhao, it's fixed! Try it; this feel is guaranteed to be better than counting money!"

Zhao the Abacus took the abacus and flicked it a few times; the beads clicked like pearls falling on a jade plate, crisp and pleasant to the ear.

"Not bad, Brother Han's craftsmanship is indeed beyond reproach."

Zhao the Abacus nodded with satisfaction and lowered his voice. "By the way, things have been a bit unsettled in the market town lately. Those guys from the Blood Shark Group seem to have their eyes on the Black Algae Forest business and want to collect protection fees. But don't worry, Brother Han, no one dares to touch the goods of the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce."

"I've already arranged for two... well, skilled workers at the back door of the chamber of commerce to handle the nighttime handovers."

Zhou Wannian thought to himself: Here it comes.

These aren't workers; they're clearly secret sentries of the Qingyun Sect, right?

Having a Righteous Path Sect act as my free bodyguards—this business is solid!

"Then many thanks, Shopkeeper Zhao!"

Zhou Wannian looked moved to tears. "With those words of yours, I can put my heart at ease. Rest assured, I'll add another ten percent to tonight's goods; let's get rich together!"

"Hahaha! Let's get rich together!"

Zhao the Abacus left laughing loudly, his steps light.

He felt he had found an excellent cover: a greedy, skilled, and obedient Loose Cultivator old man was simply the perfect white glove.

Little did he know, in the shadows of the shop...

Zhou Wannian watched his back, his eyes as deep as the sea.

"Of course we'll get rich together."

"But if something happens then... this scapegoat's burden will have to be carried by you alone, Deacon Zhao."

He picked up his teacup and gently blew on the froth.

"After all, I'm just a poor repairman who knows nothing."