Chapter 516: Chapter 454: Following the Clues

"Brother Liang, once you’re done with things on your end, come on over to the Dongfu District. The new shop will be open in a month at the soonest, but no more than three."

Back in Yanmen County, Zhao Lin told Liang Song that he was now the shopkeeper of Golden Core Hall and invited him to come help at the new store.

"Alright! I can leave as soon as the Stone Rock Turtle eggs hatch."

Liang Song agreed without hesitation. The two were the closest of friends. ’Since Zhao Lin is the one asking,’ he thought, ’I know he won’t treat me poorly.’

"The green mountains remain, the clear waters flow on."

"Be careful on your journey, Brother Zhao."

...

"Why aren’t they opening? Didn’t they say seven o’clock?"

"Relax. Good things are worth the wait. Sounds like something’s happening in there!"

Early one morning, on Fengming Street, the busiest part of the Dongfu District, a crowd of several hundred cultivators had gathered in front of a shop.

The shop’s sign, wrapped in red silk, bore three large words: Red Pearl Pavilion.

This was the new shop opened by Zhao Lin, dedicated to selling cultivation resources from Red Tail Island.

Before the grand opening, Zhao Lin had spared no expense, renting a hundred notice boards to announce the event for a full month. Nearly every cultivator who had visited the Dongfu District knew about it.

At nine o’clock sharp, the main doors swung open.

Zhao Lin walked out, followed by Gu Dezhao, Liang Song, Li Sancai, Gu An, and the others. He cupped his fist and bowed to the surrounding crowd. "Red Pearl Pavilion opens today! Thank you all for gracing us with your presence..."

"Shopkeeper, don’t waste our time! Open up!"

"That’s right! Skip the pleasantries and give us a better discount! That’s what really counts."

The cultivators clamored.

"Alright! All merchandise is ten percent off, until we’re sold out!"

Zhao Lin stepped aside and made an inviting gesture.

The cultivators immediately swarmed into the shop, scrambling over each other and snapping up merchandise as if it were free.

"Brother Zhao... I mean, Shopkeeper Zhao, business is a little *too* good, isn’t it!"

Liang Song exclaimed in astonishment.

Zhao Lin smiled. "Spirit Pearls are a scarce resource that everyone wants. Even if they don’t need them personally, they can take them to another market district and easily turn a profit. Things will settle down in a few days once we go back to our regular prices."

"Brother Liang, watch and learn from Elder Gu. Once you’ve got the hang of things, I want you to take the helm of this shop."

Liang Song had resigned from his post at the Beast Taming Hall in Yanmen County to join Zhao Lin in the market district. He’d expected to be a mere assistant, so he was shocked when Zhao Lin made him the Second Shopkeeper.

He was grateful, but also hesitant. "I don’t know anything about running a shop," he said. "Isn’t this a bit rushed?"

Gu Dezhao quickly reassured him, "Fellow Daoist Liang, you worry too much. No one knows how at the start. You’ll learn as you go."

Just then, Steward Liu from the district administration office approached, carrying a pot of lucky bamboo. He smiled and said, "Congratulations on your grand opening, Shopkeeper Zhao. On behalf of the administration, I wish you a prosperous business and great fortune."

"Shopkeeper Liu! What a pleasant surprise. Thank you."

Zhao Lin accepted the lucky bamboo. ’I’m a little surprised,’ he thought. ’It’s rare for the administration to send someone to personally offer congratulations for a shop opening.’

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Steward Liu shot Zhao Lin a meaningful glance and pulled him aside. His lips barely moved as he spoke using a Sound Transmission Skill, "Shopkeeper Zhao, our Master wishes to see you."

’So that’s what this is about...’

Zhao Lin gave an impassive nod. He said a quick word to Liang Song and Gu Dezhao, then followed Steward Liu toward the administration office.

’He was a bit curious. He had only ever dealt with Master Wei Zongchuan once, back when his Spiritual Vessel was attacked. They rarely interacted otherwise. Why would he be summoned so suddenly today?’

"Young Friend Zhao, we meet again."

When they reached the second floor of the administration office, Wei Zongchuan rose to greet him. He gestured to a chair and said, "Please, have a seat."

Zhao Lin sat down readily and asked, "Master Wei, you summoned me. What can I do for you?"

"You’re too kind, Young Friend Zhao. I have no orders for you."

Wei Zongchuan laughed. "I won’t beat around the bush, Young Friend," he said, getting straight to the point. "We have a spy in our market district."

"A spy?"

Zhao Lin wasn’t surprised. A market district was a crossroads where people from all over gathered; it was only natural for there to be informants.

’I can’t say for other sects, but there are definitely spies from the Earth Dark Sect. The attack on my shop’s Spiritual Vessel and the fact that Earth Dark Sect cultivators had locked onto my aura when I went out to sea were clear proof.’

’But why is Master Wei telling me this?’

Zhao Lin said nothing, waiting quietly for him to continue.

Wei Zongchuan, for his part, didn’t beat around the bush. He stroked his beard and began to recount the series of events.

As it happened, a month ago, a district patrol was on watch by the sea when their Spiritual Vessel accidentally struck an albatross.

The guard, moved by a moment of compassion, rescued the albatross from the sea. As he did, he was surprised to find a small paper note tied to its leg.

The note was covered in incomprehensible symbols. The guard suspected it was some kind of coded message, so after treating the albatross’s injuries, he set it free.

The albatross flew straight to Red Tail Island and entered the territory controlled by the Earth Dark Sect.

The guard had followed it, witnessing the entire flight. Upon his return, he reported the matter to Wei Zongchuan.

Relations between the Chenghua Sect and the Earth Dark Sect had been tense for the past two years, to the point where war was a distinct possibility. Wei Zongchuan, not daring to take the matter lightly, immediately assigned personnel to investigate.

After half a month of tracking and surveillance, they finally confirmed that a cultivator was indeed releasing albatrosses in the wilderness.

Furthermore, they identified the cultivator: a man named Yang Quan, an assistant at a local shop called Harmony Hall.

Hearing the name "Harmony Hall," Zhao Lin’s expression changed.

’Harmony Hall is a front for the Earth Dark Sect!’

’No wonder I always felt something was off about Shopkeeper Tian and his assistant whenever I visited Harmony Hall. I never thought there was a real problem.’

He suddenly felt that the revelation was both unexpected and, upon reflection, entirely logical.

Wei Zongchuan noticed his reaction. "Young Friend Zhao, do you know the people at Harmony Hall?" he asked.

"To be honest, Master Wei, I’ve visited their shop before. I remember thinking it was strange at the time—their business was terrible, yet they always managed to stay open."

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