Chapter 361: So They Came Looking for Trouble? Too Bad We Brought It First! (I)

Outside Danxia Hall, Zheng Kejian came to a sudden halt.

He had originally planned to step inside and take a look at this new shop. But now, his eyes were fixed not on the building itself, but on the lower-left corner of its hanging sign where a peculiar badge gleamed under the sun.

Bathed in a golden glow, a three-legged bronze cauldron appeared to be breathing in and out a perfectly round orb. The sphere resembled both a pill and a blazing sun.

This was the emblem of the Luo Tian Society! Its design had been inspired by its founder, Luo Chen! He was skilled in alchemy, with a formidable Solar Flare, and the society was based on Danxia Peak, forever bathed in a myriad of sunset hues. Thus, the image was born. Bathed in rosy light, the cauldron released a glowing pill just as the sun began to rise. Seen from the right angle, it looked as though the sun itself had risen from the cauldron

The image had even been personally designed and illustrated by the grand formation master, Min Longyu, and it made perfect sense that a master of formations would also possess some artistic talent.

However, what caught Zheng Kejian’s attention wasn’t the beauty of the badge’s design. His gaze was drawn instead to the right side of the image, where a crystal-white flower spun slowly, as if caught in eternal motion.

It was a snowflake and not just any ordinary snowflake; it was the emblem of one of the Seven Jade Cauldron Sects—Ice Fortress!

Placed beside the Luo Tian Society’s sun-and-cauldron design, the two emblems looked entirely mismatched.

Zheng Kejian hesitated. That jarring contrast struck him hard because he understood exactly what it meant. After all, his own Zheng family crest had a similar mismatch, a unique flame emblem, indicating that their family on Rolling Dragon Ridge was a vassal of the Flame Alliance.

At this moment, waves of turmoil erupted in Zheng Kejian's heart.

By this logic, does this mean that Danxia’s Luo Tian Society is a vassal of the Ice Fortress?

If that were true, all the schemes he had devised to suppress the Luo Tian Society would be meaningless. All those tactics, whether open and justified or hidden and devious, had been devised under the assumption that the Luo Tian Society was just a minor faction with no strong backers.

Now, the other side was openly declaring that they were backed by a Golden Core major sect. In that case, none of those tactics could be brought to use because doing so would offend a Golden Core major sect.

And worse, Ice Fortress was currently the governing sect of Tianlan Immortal City. During such times, not even the Flame Alliance could throw its weight around; even the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect had to abide by the Ice Fortress's regulations during their tenure.

After all, Tianlan Immortal City had been jointly built by all seven sects. During their respective tenures, all revenue generated by the city belonged to the managing sect.

Under such conditions, who would dare provoke Ice Fortress? Even if it were just one of their vassal forces! There were precedents for what might follow such an offense.

Zheng Kejian suddenly recalled a tale from a century ago.

He recalled the fate of the Min family a century ago. Back then, they were just as powerful as the Zheng family. But they made one wrong move. They offended the cultivators from the Flame Alliance, the governing sect of that time, which then led to their complete wipeout. Their so-called allies had merely watched from the sidelines, unwilling to defy the authority of the sect in power.

In the end, the Min family endured a yearlong siege. Their mountain was crushed. Their family was wiped out.

Emotions surged in his heart: hesitation, dread, suspicion.

In the end, Zheng Kejian still stepped into Danxia Hall and thought,

Even if I can't make a move against you, I still want to see how you've been encroaching on my Zheng family's pill market!

***

The moment Zheng Kejian entered, he sharpened his senses and began observing the interior of Danxia Hall.

His first impression struck him immediately; there were far too many people.

No fewer than a dozen Qi-Refining rogue cultivators moved about the space. Some browsed through pill selections, others inquired about enchanted artifacts, while a few simply lounged by the windows, sipping on fragrant drinks, nibbling on snacks, and chatting merrily with their companions.

It was... strange.

The layout of the shop defied common sense. A cultivation supply store that doubled as a tea lounge? A marketplace blended with a leisure hall? To Zheng Kejian, it felt out of place or perhaps even improper.

Yet, because of the sheer number of customers, every attendant inside was swamped with work, rushing about with barely a moment to spare, so much so that no one greeted Zheng Kejian when he entered.

He didn't mind and thought,

That's fine. I can look around on my—

Just as Zheng Kejian thought that, a gentle voice drifted over and caught him slightly off guard. "Fellow Daoist, is this your first time visiting our Danxia Hall?"

Looking up, he saw a radiant and stunningly beautiful woman approaching him with poise and elegance.

Zheng Kejian realized the woman was speaking to him. He nodded calmly and said, "Yes, it's my first time here. May I ask what special pills your shop offers?"

Luo Chen had been right. He is here to inquire about pills!

Gu Caiyi thought. Her heart tensed for a moment, but her expression didn't change.

With warmth, she guided him toward the window. "Little Lian, bring the tea!"

Zheng Kejian sat down reflexively, intending to say he only had a few questions and didn't need any refreshments. But before he could speak, the female cultivator cheerfully said, "No need to decline, Fellow Daoist. Every first-time visitor to our store receives complimentary milk tea and a selection of snacks."

Soon, an attendant arrived carrying a tray with a pure white beverage and several plates of snacks.

"This is White Ripple Boba Milk Tea, made with spirit spring water from Tianlan Peak, milk from Bobo fish, and a blend of spirit fruits. It's wonderfully delicious. Would you like to try some, Fellow Daoist?"

Zheng Kejian hadn't been interested at first. But since she presented it so enticingly, he figured there was no harm in trying. The moment it touched his lips, a refreshing sweetness spread through his mouth.

After swallowing, he was surprised to feel a lingering sweetness in his throat.

Even more unexpected was the faint wisp of spirit energy that gently seeped into his meridians like springwater.

He paused, stunned.

What in the world is this? So tasty, and it carried spirit energy too?

If this had been served at the Zhongding Restaurant or the Flowing Goblet Pavilion, it would have made perfect sense. But to find it in a medicine shop? That was truly odd.

"Please, try some of the snacks as well, Fellow Daoist. Browse through our offerings while you eat. Isn't this a relaxing shopping trip for a weary cultivator like yourself?"

Zheng Kejian grabbed a handful of popcorn and stuffed it into his mouth. Strangely, even though the popcorn had a great texture and faintly radiated spirit energy, it tasted utterly bland to him.

Why was that? Because deep down, he knew the truth. The stores under the Zheng family of Rolling Dragon Ridge had never offered anything like this.

He couldn't help but wonder,

Are these services actually useful?

The answer was most likely. This was especially true for those rogue cultivators who were reluctant to spend their spirit stones at places like Spirit Herb Pavilion or Green Pill Valley. These small indulgences were exactly what drew them in.

A cup of milk tea and a plate of popcorn each contributed just a bit to their cultivation. Not to mention, a beautiful and charming female cultivator was eagerly explaining the pill selection beside them. And what did the Zheng family's shopkeepers do? They would say "Buy it or leave, we don't care!"

Zheng Kejian chewed in silence, the blandness lingering not just on his tongue but deep in his pride.

"Myriad Wonders pills are excellent, but you look like a dedicated cultivator, Fellow Daoist, so I doubt you'd need them. Perhaps you'd be more interested in."

"No, I need them!" Zheng Kejian interrupted.

Gu Caiyi blinked, surprised by his firm tone, then smiled slightly. "Certainly. I'll set aside a full bottle for you shortly, Fellow Daoist. Would you like to learn more about our essence nurturing liquid?"

"Go ahead!" Zheng Kejian said as he continued chewing on roasted Sky Silkworm Cloud Beans while still unable to taste anything.

Gu Caiyi began carefully explaining the effects and pricing of various pills. It took quite a while, but he listened with focused attention and never once showed any impatience.

He was especially attentive when it came to the Jade Essence Pill, asking in detail about its effects and contraindications, afraid to miss even the slightest detail.

In the end, he spent two hundred spirit stones, purchasing every type of pill and snack that Danxia Hall offered.

When he left, Gu Caiyi personally escorted him to the door. "Fellow Daoist Zheng, we look forward to your next visit!"

As Zheng Kejian, a mid stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, met Gu Caiyi's gentle and warm smile, he felt an unexpected wave of helplessness rise within him.

Why does such a medicine shop exist in the cultivation world? Its quality was exceptional, yet its prices were absurdly low.

Despite being located in a remote area, their service was remarkably attentive. It was as if they didn't understand the dignity of a cultivator at all.

Could the Zheng family's shops truly compete with something like this using legitimate means?

***

On the third floor of Danxia Hall, behind a partially drawn window, a pair of dark eyes quietly followed Zheng Kejian’s departing figure.

"He's surnamed Zheng and seems to be at mid-Foundation Establishment. Liuzi, do you know who he is?"

Xu Xiaoliu, standing behind Luo Chen, tensed instantly. "Reporting to the President, he's likely Zheng Kejian, the head of the Zheng family from Rolling Dragon Ridge. He's confirmed to be at the fourth stage of Foundation Establishment."

"Zheng family from Rolling Dragon Ridge..." Luo Chen repeated the name softly.

Xu Xiaoliu said worriedly, "Aside from major sects, they're one of the most prominent alchemy families. Their Flame Ganoderma pill has a large following among rogue cultivators.

"When we first started selling the Jade Essence pill, things were fine. But now... it seems their business is taking a hit.

"President, do you think they'll make a move against us?"

If it had been any other minor sect or family, Xu Xiaoliu wouldn’t have been worried at all. The Luo Tian Society was not as weak as it appeared on the surface. The longer he had been with the Luo Tian Society, the clearer this had become to him.

On the surface, the Luo Tian Society already had two Foundation Establishment Initiates, President Luo Chen and Duan Feng.

They also had a Physical-Refining cultivator who seemed to be at Perfected Mastery of Qi-Refining, but according to others, that person had fought and bested Foundation Establishment Initiates several times.

Moreover, the President appeared well-connected and could easily call upon several Foundation Establishment peers.

Even putting aside their top-tier battle prowess, their mid-tier strength was made up of veteran Qi-Refining cultivators, ruthless and seasoned in battle.

However, the Rolling Dragon Ridge Zheng family was not like those small factions! They were a well-established cultivation family within Tianlan Immortal City!

Though their recorded history dated back only three centuries, in truth, they had been part of the Flame Alliance even before the Jade Cauldron Domain was established.

Their heritage was ancient.

Even though they hadn't produced a Golden Core cultivator in recent years, they still boasted three Foundation Establishment cultivators within the family!

After hundreds of years of development, their vast network of connections was far beyond what the newly rooted Luo Tian Society could compare to.

If they did want to make a move...

"It doesn't matter. They won't resort to open conflict." Luo Chen's calm voice brought some relief to Xu Xiaoliu.

Xu Xiaoliu looked curiously at Luo Chen's back.

Luo Chen closed the windows, turned around, and started heading downstairs.

As he walked, he said, "At the very least, it won't be violent."

Xu Xiaoliu froze.

No violence? In other words, they might resort to subtler tactics instead?

However, Luo Chen didn't bother to explain further. They descended the stairs together.

Gu Caiyi was already waiting respectfully. "As you expected, that senior indeed inquired about our situation in great detail. I gave a thorough explanation of our pills, though I did hold back on some things."

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Luo Chen nodded. "Good. Let's leave it at that."

Watching his unshaken composure, Gu Caiyi couldn't help but ask, "The visitor seemed to come with ill intent?"

Luo Chen smiled. "We're the ones who've come knocking."