Immortal of the Nine Realms

The cultivator who had guided him here looked anxious. ”Oh no, this is bad. My big brother’s brush was quite valuable!”

Lin Yue sighed. ”Forget it, forget it. Since you’re brought here by Brother Lu Ping, just compensate me with fifty low-grade spirit stones.”

There was a moment of silence.

Suddenly, Fang Chen cut the silence with a laugh. ”Are you guys trying to scam me?”

”What do you mean ‘scam you’? Shouldn’t you compensate me for breaking my brush?” Lin Yue’s expression turned grave. ”I don’t like the way you’re talking, brother.”

”Yeah, that’s right. Boss Lin’s Sky Blue Brush was his treasure. Others would find it difficult to buy it even if they offered forty or fifty low-grade spirit stones. Now that you broke it, Boss Lin is showing you kindness by only asking for just fifty low-grade spirit stones,” said Lu Ping, making it seem as though they were doing charity. ”Honestly, if it were me, you wouldn’t get out of here without forking at least a hundred low-grade spirit stones.”

”We can always find the Ridge Master to settle this.”

By now, a group of onlookers had gathered outside the door, some from neighboring shops, some vendors, and some passing customers.

The shopkeepers were eager to join in, voicing their support.

”Brother, I kindly brought you here, don’t ruin my reputation,” said Lu Ping, his tone hardly pleading. ”Just fish out the spirit stones so we can settle the matter. If it escalates any further, it wouldn’t be any good for you.” After a pause, he tested, ”If you don’t have enough spirit stones, do you have any treasures or something? They can be used as collateral.”

Fang Chen nodded with a smile. ”I do have spirit stones.”

Lu Ping exchanged a glance with Lin Yue, feeling a bit pleased.

Fang Chen’s lips curled. ”But... taking me for a pushover and trying to scam me isn’t a particularly good idea.”

Lin Yue’s face turned serious. ”Brother, are you trying to get out of this without paying? Don’t blame me for being unfriendly. I’ll go and have the Ridge Master come out and make things clear!”

”Let’s not involve the Ridge Master in this. I’ll handle this for you,” said a middle-aged man, chuckling and leading a group of more than ten people slowly into the shop. When people saw this middle-aged cultivator, their faces turned greasy, with plastered smiles and all. They quickly bowed. ”Greetings, Manager Li.”

”Oh, no wonder I’ve been a bundle of nerves all morning. It turns out we have an esteemed guest visiting today. Manager Li, please, this way.”

Lin Yue warmly welcomed, personally offering a chair to Manager Li.

Manager Li sat down contentedly, then crossed his legs, surveying Fang Chen up and down. ”Young man, I see you’re an unfamiliar face. May I know your name? I’m surnamed Li. I work for the Ridge Master and I usually handle all disputes here.”

Fang Chen smiled. ”I’m surnamed Fang. Your timing is perfect, Manager Li. These two individuals are colluding together to scam me. I wonder how Dragon Ridge usually deals with such behavior?”

”So, you’re Brother Fang. My apologies, my apologies....” Manager Li casually smiled. ”You’re saying Boss Lin is scamming you? I find that hard to believe. In Dragon Ridge, everyone knows Boss Lin conducts his business very honestly, never deceiving anyone or cheating them. Sometimes, he even helps some of the poor wandering cultivators. How could such a person engage in this kind of unscrupulous activity?”

After speaking, Manager Li glanced at the broken pieces of the Sky Blue Brush on the ground. His subordinate immediately picked them up and respectfully handed them to Manager Li.

”Oh, this was indeed a good brush. When inscribing talismans with it, the efficiency is doubled. As far as I know, there aren’t many Sky Blue Stones to be found, right? Everyone knows that no matter how turbulent one’s spiritual energy is, as long as it passes through some Sky Blue Stone, it becomes all gentle and tame. How could anyone fail when crafting talismans with this tool?” said Manager Li. “Inscribing talismans goes against the natural order, after all, and seizing the creation of heaven and earth is challenging. How can the Heavens allow you to easily have your way? During the inscription procedure, spiritual energy becomes extremely violent and difficult to control. Every stroke is an unbelievable challenge.” Manager Li let out a sight

. ”Otherwise, why would talismans cost such high-sky prices? Even a casually crafted Movement talisman can fetch an astronomical price of two or three low-grade spirit stones.”

The crowd nodded in agreement.

”Manager Li makes a valid point.”

”It’s a pity that this brush was broken,” said Manager Li as he shook his head slightly. He then smiled at Fang Chen. ”Brother Fang, how about this? You compensate Boss Lin with sixty low-grade spirit stones, and we’ll consider this matter settled. I’ll also advise Boss Lin not to trouble you anymore. Does that sound fair to you?”

Lin Yue and Lu Ping looked at Fang Chen with smirks on their faces, seemingly quite pleased with themselves. Having been in Dragon Ridge for many years, they had formed their own relationships with people. They often offered small favors to Manager Li, and now it proved useful.

”Brother, Manager Li is asking you a question. Why aren’t you answering? And why have you been keeping your eyes closed? Are you trying to disrespect us by doing that?” said Lu Ping with a laugh.

Fang Chen smiled and slowly opened his eyes. His gray-white pupils showed no emotion, yet inexplicably, when everyone saw these eyes, their scalps tingled, and a subtle chill crept up from their hearts.

”What was that just now? An illusion?” Manager Li furrowed his brow slightly. To ease the eerie chill in his heart, he couldn’t help but joke, ”Do your eyes not work, Brother Fang?”

”So, he’s blind.”

”Is he a disabled person? How can he still cultivate?”

”Perhaps he just recently lost his sight.”

Whispers spread among the crowd.

”Whether I can see or not doesn’t matter. What the naked eye can see, I can still see, and what the naked eye can’t see, I can also see.” Fang Chen smiled. ”Manager Li, your words just now clearly favored these two lowly individuals. Is this Dragon Ridge’s way of doing things? If so, I’m quite disappointed.”

”Who are you calling lowly?” Lu Ping’s face darkened, and he began to circulate his spiritual energy.

Lin Yue’s expression turned grim. A cold smile appeared on his lips. Fang Chen, of all times, chose not to compromise after Manager Li intervened!

There was no need for him to take action next; consequences would naturally befall Fang Chen!

Manager Li suddenly stood up. ”You’ve got quite the nerve.” A powerful surge of spiritual energy emanated from him. He had reached the seventh level of the Qi Refining Realm!

Everyone’s faces were suddenly wreathed in shock. Even the nearby cultivators were astonished by the spiritual energy fluctuation that had appeared. They turned to look at the source.

In Dragon Ridge, most cultivators were wandering practitioners, and it was rare to encounter someone with a legitimate inheritance. Their cultivation levels generally ranged from the first to the fourth level of the Qi Refining Realm. In fact, one would be considered an expert if they were in the fourth level of the Qi Refining Realm!

Only a very small number of wandering practitioners were able to reach the fifth or sixth level of the Qi Refining Realm in Dragon Ridge. Such individuals were well-known, and ordinary people dared not provoke them. Manager Li was a genuine expert in the seventh level of the Qi Refining Realm!

For wandering cultivators to reach this level was extremely rare. If they joined any of the prominent sects, they would still be shown an appropriate amount of respect.

However, to the surprise of everyone present, a terrifying aura, several times stronger than that of Manager Li’s, suddenly broke out and enveloped the area!

There was no wind, yet strangely, Fang Chen’s hair fluttered in the air as a dreadful aura entwined around him.

”This... is he at the eighth level of the Qi Refining Realm?” exclaimed one of the people in the crowd in astonishment.

The faces of Lin Yuezheng and Lu Ping turned sour, both seeing a hint of shock in each other’s eyes.

Manager Li’s expression changed constantly, like he was making faces. “Who exactly are you?!” he barked with uncertainty.