76: Chapter 76 A Lively Scene

Chapter 76: The Sacred Land's Counterattack: "The Law on the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage"

Tianshu City, that brilliant pearl suspended above the sea of clouds, had not been this "lively" for hundreds of years.

This liveliness was not the grand scene of sect gates opening wide with all sects coming to pay respects, but rather a commotion originating from the lowest levels, carrying the scent of soil and the stench of copper.

The long queue in front of "Ancestors Specialties" had become a spectacle in the south of the city.

The line wound from the street head to the street tail, then doubled back, and ninety-nine percent of them were low-level servants, loose cultivators, or even servants of large families responsible for procurement.

Their faces were filled with a near-fanatical joy, as if they were not queuing, but walking on a shortcut to the Great Dao.

"Spirit-Returning Pills for three spirit stones a bottle! I couldn't afford a few bottles of proper pills after ten years as a servant, but now I can get a bottle in a day!"

"That Mind-Clearing Talisman is also very useful! Although it has nothing mysterious, the effect of calming the mind is real. One spirit stone for a piece, you can't buy a loss or be fooled!"

"Limited purchase! Did you hear that? This is called 'hunger marketing'! I tell you, this shopkeeper is definitely a master who is well-versed in this!" a loose cultivator who claimed to be knowledgeable analyzed with spit flying.

However, for others, this bottom-level carnival was a bone-chilling winter.

Chen De, the shopkeeper of Ling Caotang, stood in his own empty shop with an ashen face, listening to the news brought back by his clerk, trembling with rage.

"Three days! Only three days! Not a single low-level pill from my Ling Caotang has been sold! The 'Hundred Talismans Studio' next door hasn't even sold the lowest-grade warding-off talisman!"

Chen De slammed his palm on the counter, and the counter made of century-old ironwood actually cracked.

"It's not just us," the clerk said with a mournful face, "The whole street, no, the entire South City, all shops involved in low-level pills, talismans, and artifacts have seen their business fall off a cliff! Those mud-legged people now only recognize that 'Ancestors Specialties' shop!"

Chen De's gaze crossed the street, staring fixedly at the dilapidated but bustling little shop, his eyes full of resentment and fear.

He had not failed to study those "industrial product"-like pills; it was precisely because he had studied them that he felt a fear that went deep into his marrow.

That was not alchemy; that was a subversion of the Dao of Alchemy!

It was a ruthless trampling on the century-old inheritance of artisans like them!

"We can't wait any longer!" Chen De gritted his teeth, "This kind of evil path is digging up the roots of all of us! We must go to the Heavenly Law Court! We must ask the Zhenren to uphold justice for us!"

His proposal immediately received the response of all his peers around him.

Soon, a "Victims Alliance" composed of dozens of shopkeepers of pill shops, talisman shops, and artifact workshops marched imposingly towards the center of Tianshu City, to the "Heavenly Law Court" that symbolized order and Majesty.

...

Heavenly Law Court, side hall.

Xuan Tian Zhenren had just sent away a disciple who had come to report.

"The people from Fairy Yunshang's side seem to be paying attention to this shop too..."

That sentence flashed through his mind, and was immediately waved away by him with contempt.

Yun Shang?

A woman who only knew how to play with power and win people's hearts.

What she was concerned about was nothing more than whether this "mudslide" could be used to attack her political enemies, and whether it could bring her some benefits.

Her perspective was too small.

In the eyes of Xuan Tian Zhenren, maintaining the purity and stability of the Sacred Land's ten-thousand-year orthodoxy was the true principle of the Heavenly Dao.

Any "anomaly" that might shake this stability must be mercilessly crushed in its budding stage.

"A bumpkin's trick..." He picked up his teacup, blew on it, his eyes as calm as an ancient well.

Just at this moment, a commotion came from outside the hall.

A disciple hurried in to report: "Reporting to the Zhenren, Chen De of the Baicao Hall in the south of the city has united with dozens of shopkeepers and is petitioning outside the court, accusing 'Ancestors Specialties' of spreading heresy, disrupting the market with evil arts, and requesting the Heavenly Law Court to seal their shop and punish the ringleaders!"

Xuan Tian Zhenren put down his teacup, a faint, imperceptible sneer curling at the corner of his mouth.

It came just in time.

He had already ordered an investigation, and now that public opinion was surging, it was the perfect time for him to have a legitimate excuse to make this an ironclad case.

"This seat understands," he said lightly, "Public sentiment cannot be defied, and the orthodoxy cannot be insulted. Issue my decree, immediately promulgate the 'Sacred Land Traditional Crafts Protection Act', and order the third commander of the City Guard Bureau to lead a team personally to seal 'Ancestors Specialties'. Post the act throughout the city as a warning to others!"

"Yes!"

As the disciple received the order and left, an invisible pressure began to envelop the small grocery store in the south of the city.

...

Inside the "Ancestors Specialties" shop.

All Realms Connector was still in that lazy posture, leaning on the counter, dealing with the frantic customers outside.

But in the dimness behind it, the eyes of the Wolf of Wall Street were as sharp as an eagle's.

On the sand table in front of him, not only were the positions of all competitors marked, but lines representing "loss of interest" were drawn in red cinnabar.

These lines all converged to one place—the Heavenly Law Court.

"They're here," he said calmly.

The figure of Gossip Reporter Little Trumpet slid out from the shadows of the backyard like a ghost; she had just finished a new round of intelligence gathering.

"Wolf, at least thirty shop owners have gathered at the entrance of the Heavenly Law Court, led by Chen De of Baicao Hall. The City Guard Bureau has also moved; the third commander, 'Shi Gangdang', is leading the team personally. One hundred city guards, all at the Foundation Establishment stage, are heading our way. And..."

She paused and lowered her voice: "I saw the secret agents of the 'Tingyu Tower' under Fairy Yunshang in the crowd too. They didn't do anything; they were just watching."

The Wolf of Wall Street tapped his fingertips lightly on the sand table, making a dull sound.

Everything was as expected.

Their dimensionality reduction strike hit the bottom-level market, but it hurt those middle-level vested interests, and those who would truly react would inevitably be the rule-makers at the top.

"Tell the 'Infrastructure Maniac' at the Guixu stronghold that the first phase of the 'stress test' is over, and the data collection is complete," he said without lifting his head, "Start the second plan. Get 'Keyboard Warrior Governing the Nation' and the others ready to start 'steering the narrative'."

"Understood!" Gossip Reporter Little Trumpet immediately began to transmit information through the player channel.

All Realms Connector stretched, loosened its muscles, and shouted to the queue outside: "Everyone, everyone! We're closed for today! The pills and talismans are all sold out, please come early tomorrow!"

A wail of dissatisfaction erupted from the crowd, but no one dared to cause trouble here.

Just as All Realms Connector was about to close the shop door, a heavy, mountain-like aura crashed down from the street entrance.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The uniform footsteps were like the heartbeat of a giant, making the ground of the entire street tremble slightly.

One hundred city guards in heavy black iron armor, holding rune-inscribed spears, marched in a strict formation.

They were expressionless, their eyes cold, and the iron-blooded murderous aura they emitted made the surrounding temperature drop by several degrees.

The leader, as burly as an iron tower, was the third commander of the City Guard Bureau, a cultivator at the early stage of Golden Core, "Shi Gangdang".

His gaze was like lightning, locking directly onto the crooked "Ancestors Specialties" sign, his eyes filled with undisguised disgust.

"By the decree of the Heavenly Law Court!" Shi Gangdang's voice, like a great bell, resounded through the entire street, "Upon investigation, the 'Ancestors Specialties' shop has been using 'petty tricks' not refined by ancient methods to impact the Sacred Land's market, corrupting the orthodoxy, and shaking the foundation of the ten-thousand-year inheritance! Their hearts are punishable!"

With a wave of his hand, two city guards stepped forward and "slapped" a golden decree onto the shop's door panel.

On the decree, golden light flowed, and lines of majestic text emerged, each word carrying the power of law, branded into everyone's soul.

"Sacred Land Traditional Crafts Protection Act"

1. From this day forward, within the territory of the Sacred Land, it is strictly forbidden to manufacture, sell, or use any pills, artifacts, or talismans that are not inherited from the Sacred Land's ancient methods.

2. All shops must obtain the "Orthodoxy Craft Certification" issued by the "Heavenly Works Court" before they can operate.

3. Violators will face the sealing of their shops and confiscation of assets for minor offenses; for major offenses, their cultivation will be crippled and they will be thrown into the Heavenly Prison!

...

Each decree was cold and domineering, allowing no rebuttal.

This was no longer commercial competition, but a comprehensive slaughter of "heretics" by the entire ruling class of the Sacred Land!

The surrounding air froze instantly.

Those low-level cultivators who had just been rejoicing in buying cheap pills were now pale, their eyes filled with fear.

They subconsciously hid the pills in their arms deeper, for fear of being searched on the spot and ending up as "violators".

"Seal!"

Shi Gangdang gave a cold shout.

Two city guards immediately took out a huge seal, with runes flowing on it, and stuck it directly on the shop door.

The seal lit up, and a light screen as heavy as a mountain enveloped the entire shop.

After doing all this, Shi Gangdang's cold gaze swept over All Realms Connector and the others looming in the shop, and he snorted coldly: "Considering this is your first offense, we will only seal the shop for now. If you dare to offend again, the Heavenly Law Court prison will be your final destination!"

Having said that, he led the one hundred city guards and turned to leave, leaving behind a street full of silence, and that slightly swaying piece of broken wood with "Ancestors Specialties" written on it in the wind.

Inside the shop, it was dim.

All Realms Connector looked at the golden seal on the door and curled its lips: "Tsk, these natives, they play pretty big. They sentenced us to death directly from the legislative level."

The Wolf of Wall Street slowly stood up, walked to the door, looked through the crack at the terrified crowd outside and the glaring act notice.

Instead of feeling any frustration, a faint smile of interest appeared on his face.

"Blockade? Monopoly? Defining standards?"

He whispered to himself, a light called "excitement" flashing in his eyes.

"This is more like it. If it were just a simple price comparison, that would be too boring."

He turned around, looked at his team, his voice calm and clear.

"They think this is the end, but for us, the game has just begun."