In the main hall of the bookstore, Wu Jinliang leaned on the counter to strike up a conversation with Dongliang Ying, the third miss, entangled in the topic of assuring he really didn't smell.

Occasionally, he would be interrupted by those scholars gathered inside discussing matters from heaven to earth. Wu Jinliang found them a bit bothersome; they always seemed to know everything about the universe. The third miss might be into this line of work, as she appeared to enjoy their style. When she met someone who could create good poetry, her eyes would light up, and she would even offer things for free.

Since that's the case, he wanted to blend in with these scholars as well, as he often came to read too, but he was eventually discouraged by their endless poetry competitions and finally understood why the Master could only sit in the corner.

The only comfort he could offer himself was that, even if they gathered together, he could easily snap them apart.

Of course, there were moments of satisfaction too; once, he unexpectedly heard these scholars discussing Shi Chun. One person even mentioned his name, Wu Jinliang, which amused him greatly. Even in such a remote place, people had heard of his name!

Having thought it through, he decided not to bother with these scholars anymore.

As usual, he failed to win the favor of the third miss this time, so he mingled a bit and took his leave.

There was no choice; he had important business assigned by the Master to attend to.

He was well aware that if the Magical Treasure could be repaired, it would be the most significant matter at hand. The reason for hiding was because his strength was inadequate, and Magical Treasures were part of that strength.

It would definitely take a long time for them to improve their cultivation, but if they had a batch of advanced Magical Treasures during this period, they could at least avoid most dangers.

After all, they were attracting a lot of people they shouldn't have provoked without sufficient strength.

When Chun Tian heard of An Wuzhi's breakthrough to the Earth Immortal realm, he suddenly decided to expedite the search for 'Death Refusing Incense', the reason of which he could more or less guess.

One must have a batch of substantial items in hand.

Soon, the next day, Chu Jingtang, Lao Changtai, and Xiao Sheng were ordered to rush to Dazhi City.

The meeting place was on a knoll in the grassland outside the city, a slope visible from afar once you left the city.

Though standing at a high spot, the tall Heart-wrapping Grass encompassed them.

The three waited quietly for a while before suddenly hearing rustling sounds from the swaying grass forest; shortly after, Wu Jinliang appeared, weaving through the grass on a slender unicorn horse.

The three, on their guard, relaxed their vigilance and smiled.

Wu Jinliang jumped off his mount in front of the three, patted the animal to let it graze on its own.

The three looked around, not seeing Shi Chun. Chu Jingtang curiously asked, "Boss Wu, where is the Master?"

Here, 'Boss Wu' is not meant in a formal sense but rather because Wu Jinliang is tall, which satisfies his sense of feeling above the rest. Both sides accepted this form of address.

Wu Jinliang said, "I'm called 'Gao He' here, and the Master is called 'Wang Ping' here. If we meet outside, pretend not to recognize each other."

"Wang Ping, Gao He," the three muttered as they suddenly realized something, each turning to look at one another.

The names 'Wang Sheng' and 'Gao Qiang' were not unfamiliar to them as they were victims back then. Although that incident has passed, their point was: couldn't you put a bit more thought into these names? That's so lazy!

"To the main issue, the Master is currently unable to free himself, so he sent me to convey..." Wu Jinliang muttered out the plan and plot on the spot.

A few days later, a store named "Treasure Hunting Pavilion" opened in Dazhi City, selling some minor curios from the Cultivation World.

It has to be said, once you have money, the efficiency in handling matters is different. Without worrying about profit, a store can be set up without delay. Back when Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang had just escaped Life Prison, this capital alone was worth their efforts.

As for where the curious items in the shop came from, it was simpler. Young Master Nan had similar shops under his name, and Wu Jinliang directly sent Chu Jingtang to pack up a batch of items worth tens of millions.

Without paying, just took them to sell first, settle accounts with Young Master Nan's shop later, and return unsold items.

Originally, Young Master Nan offered to give them away for free, but Shi Chun refused, insisting on keeping business matters separate.

While selling curiosities tends to attract greedy hands, Young Master Nan contacted friends on this side to look out if necessary.

For such minor matters, Young Master Nan's face was rather influential.

The shop was thus opened overnight. The three managing the shop weren't at the forefront, as Wu Jinliang's idea was to hire people to handle things publicly, in case the name 'Death Refusing Incense' went out and attracted those who had seen Chu Jingtang and the others.

About a month after Treasure Hunting Pavilion opened, once Chu Jingtang and the others got a rough understanding of the shop's operations, under Shi Chun's instructions, the news of 'Death Refusing Incense' was spread.

Soon, related discussions began appearing in the bookstore.

"Have you heard? In the city, there's a curio shop called 'Treasure Hunting Pavilion' with 'Death Refusing Incense'."

The sudden sound of conversation made Shi Chun, reading in the corner, slightly lift his gaze. It was a bearded scholar.

"Heard it, and it's causing quite a stir. I wanted to go in for a look, but they don't allow free viewing; you have to pay. Apparently, just a look costs a Sandalwood Gold."

"Right, they say it's the shop's prized possession, not for sale, only for viewing."

"Not for sale? Just to look costs a Sandalwood Gold? Crazy for money, only a fool would waste money like that."

The woman listening on the side suddenly asked, "Is it the thing that caused the corpse transformation in the early years?"

"That's right, it's that thing. Even giving it away, no one might want it. You have to pay to even look at it. I really don't know what they're thinking. It must be a black market shop. Everyone should avoid buying things from there in the future."

"Ah, you're overthinking it. Those kinds of shops aren't places ordinary people like us can indulge in."

Shi Chun chuckled knowingly. From what he knew, quite a few people were still willing to spend money to savor the scent these past few days.

After staying here for a while, he learned that listening to these people's chatter was enough, and he lowered his head to continue reading his book.

Unbeknownst to him, Dongliang Ying, the third young lady behind the counter, was secretly observing him from behind a vase.

Initially, the talk of the 'Death Refusing Incense' did indeed cause a stir in the city, with many rushing to appraise it. To be honest, if it weren't for Young Master Nan's foresight in making arrangements, something might have actually gone wrong.

This was because some people, regardless of whether the 'Death Refusing Incense' was real or fake, wanted to take it away for appraisal.

As time passed, a couple of months later, the hype gradually died down. At least in Dazhi City, it was no longer a hot topic.

The results weren't satisfactory either. After all this time, no one particularly suspicious had been discovered.

Wu Jinliang also began to doubt whether this method was effective or not, unsure whether to continue the shop, especially since rumors were circulating outside saying the 'Death Refusing Incense' was a fake and that the Treasure Hunting Pavilion was scamming people.

Thus, he took advantage of visiting the library to have a meal and pulled Shi Chun aside to voice his concerns in the backyard.

Shi Chun thought for a moment and said, "We really don't have any other options at the moment. Everyone's idle anyway, so keep the shop open. The rumors about it being a fake shouldn't bother those truly involved with the 'Death Refusing Incense.' If it were me, the more disputes over authenticity, the more I'd want to verify it myself."

Wu Jinliang pondered and nodded slightly, "Alright, I'll explain it to them later."

Shi Chun: "Chu Jingtang and the others won't make a mistake, right?"

Wu Jinliang: "They shouldn't. I've repeatedly instructed them. They take turns observing and won't miss anyone. They have that level of discernment ability, so don't worry."

After the two confirmed this matter, just as they walked back to the backyard entrance, they suddenly heard Dongliang Ying in the front hall calling, "Dad."

Then a man's voice followed, "Why are you alone, where's Wang Ping?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Jinliang's face changed, and he murmured, "Oh no, bought the cabbage in vain."

He then turned and ran, not exiting through the front door but climbed over the wall from the courtyard, causing the spirit cat on watch to meow in alarm, jumping into the alley as Wu Jinliang ran even faster.

Once back on the main street, he finally calmed down. He intended to leave the city and return to the racetrack but had barely taken a few steps when he slapped his forehead, almost forgetting the important business. He thought it best to clarify the conversation he had with Shi Chun directly with Chu Jingtang and the others.

He decided to grab something to eat on the way since he had been saving his appetite since yesterday.

On his way to the Treasure Hunting Pavilion, despite it being his own shop, he couldn't help but inspect it with a scrutinizing eye from the street to see if there were any issues he should remind Chu Jingtang and the others to rectify.

Just before he could head to the store entrance, a familiar hissing voice came from behind, calling him, "Little Gao, Little Gao, over here."

Turning around and looking about, Wu Jinliang spotted a familiar small eatery stall diagonally across the Treasure Hunting Pavilion. Under the canopy, a thin, small old man was vigorously waving at him.

The old man wasn't good-looking, with a sharp face, thievish eyebrows, and a small tuft of mustache under a scruffy goatee, all with a mischievous grin.

The old man had a somewhat feminine name, Huang Yingying, and was a demon cultivator, the husband of the Spirit Rice Shop's boss in the city, a son-in-law sort of arrangement.

He was a likeminded friend Wu Jinliang had met here, with their acquaintance beginning in the brothel.

They first met at the brothel. Without knowing each other, Huang Yingying, in utter panic, stumbled upon Wu Jinliang entering, fell to his knees, hugged Wu Jinliang's leg for rescue, begging to borrow money from Wu Jinliang.

He owed a debt to the brothel, and if not paid, they'd go to the Spirit Rice Shop to collect it from his wife.

The thing is, did Wu Jinliang look that gullible? Of course not. He told him to die somewhere else, kicking him away.

But then Huang Yingying, noticing he was an outsider, turned from sweet to hard and was kicked by Wu Jinliang into making a scene, wailing and pretending to be beaten, shouting for help.

Wu Jinliang wasn't one to be trifled with, yet he fell for this tactic that time.

Helplessly, not wanting to reveal his identity or make a name for himself in the brothel, fearing it might affect his image among the three sisters at the library, he ate this silent loss and paid twenty pieces of Sandalwood Gold to settle things quietly.

Afterward, he learned about Huang Yingying's background more clearly.

Daring to scam me with such a background?

Wu Jinliang immediately retaliated in kind.

The next day, Huang Yingying, while walking in the street, was suddenly covered by a black cloth bag and taken away, unaware of what had happened until he was dragged out of the city and beaten up. Only after the beating did he see who had done it.

Wu Jinliang held a knife to his neck, forcing him to write a debt note for a thousand pieces of Sandalwood Gold, threatening that if he didn't comply, he'd go to his wife and have a good discussion about the brothel incident.

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