40: Bait

Somewhere in a street corner.

A soul shadow entered Lu Ming's glabella.

"Hoo... As expected of a Cultivator at the Qi Refining Stage Eighth Level, even if he can't see, his spiritual perception is extremely keen."

The one who was peeking at their conversation in the Chunxiang Brothel earlier was naturally Lu Ming.

Or rather, it was the Clone he had condensed.

Utilizing its invisible and formless characteristics, it was very convenient for gathering information.

"However... a Qi Refining Stage Eighth Level Cultivator already sensed it."

Lu Ming rubbed his chin, lost in thought.

"Luckily, I reacted quickly and directly controlled the Clone to return."

However, Lu Ming thought of their conversation and sneered.

"To deal with me? You've picked a fight with the wrong person."

Zhou Yang said in the Talisman that he had noticed someone recently inquiring about his information, and upon investigation, he found that it was someone from the Talisman Cultivator Alliance.

Lu Ming didn't want to give up on this good employee for now, so he planned to first understand the situation.

He then asked Zhou Yang about a few names that appeared in the golden book, and after getting the desired answers, he immediately sent out a Clone to gather information.

He saw that the owners and shopkeepers of several major Talismans shops gathered at the Chunxiang Brothel tonight to conspire against him, or more precisely, against his alias 'Wu Daoren'.

Tian Hao, Lai Zhiwen, and Wang Youwei were the owners of Little Talisman Hall, Qingfu Shop, and Talismans Hall, respectively.

There were also some other names, who were shop assistants or their subordinates.

As for Yu Qing and Ling Feng, their identities were also known from their conversation.

They were the junior manager of the Talisman Cultivator Alliance and the one-eyed Cultivator at the Qi Refining Stage Eighth Level.

"Feng Sha's original name is Ling Feng, so wouldn't his brother be called Ling Yun... That name isn't very auspicious."

"It seems that the names displayed in the golden book will not change due to nicknames or Daoist titles."

Lu Ming was also thinking about how to deal with this group of people.

The safest approach was to rely on attrition tactics, which would be more than enough to deal with such a group of people.

Just feeding a few of them to the Divine Soul Clone could raise the Clone by several levels.

But he felt that the returns were not high enough.

"Cultivating all day long is stifling. How about we make a bigger stir this time and attract more people's attention?"

Anyway, if things went awry, he could just abandon the 'Wu Daoren' identity; it would just be tough on Zhou Yang.

However, Lu Ming still had some confidence, enough for someone as cautious as him to make this somewhat risky decision.

More importantly, he had learned that the Murong Family's Foundation Establishment Old Ancestor was no longer in Green Bamboo Market.

He had far fewer concerns; now, even if he faced a Qi Refining Stage Ninth Level Cultivator, he could escape if he couldn't win.

Lu Ming's eyes gleamed. After this matter was over, many people would probably be wary of him, but there would definitely be more people targeting him.

By then, his reserve food would increase significantly, and perhaps he wouldn't lack resources even for the Qi Refining Stage Ninth Level.

'But I still can't be careless; I need to arrange things properly.'

Lu Ming took out a Talisman, said a few words into it, and then quickly left the place.

...

...

Two days later.

Zhou Yang, as usual, sold his Talismans and walked towards his small courtyard.

Without his usual leisurely pace, his steps were somewhat hurried, even a little flustered.

"Isn't it just selling a few more Talismans? How many customers can I steal from you? Is it really necessary!"

Zhou Yang cursed in a low voice.

However, he also knew that he had been a bit too complacent recently.

Simply put, he had too much money and got carried away.

Since he started offering Medium Grade first-tier Talismans, he had become more popular among the Loose Cultivator community.

Coupled with the superior quality of his Talismans and their cheaper price compared to those in shops, more Loose Cultivators came to him than ever before.

He had also lost his usual caution, and by the time he came to his senses, he had already been targeted by people from the Talisman Cultivator Alliance.

In desperation, he could only seek help from 'Wu Daoren', as only he could help him solve his predicament.

Fortunately, 'Wu Daoren' did not abandon him, but the task he asked him to do...

Just thinking about 'Wu Daoren' instructing him to attract the attention of these people made Zhou Yang's heart pound.

"I hope Senior Wu is reliable..."

Zhou Yang prayed in his heart, already approaching his residence.

However, as soon as he reached the vicinity of his small courtyard, he saw some shifty-looking people loitering in front of his door.

"These damned guys, it seems my identity has already been exposed."

Zhou Yang cursed inwardly.

But he had no way out now.

Zhou Yang braced himself, pretending not to notice the people watching him, and walked towards his small courtyard.

Opening and closing the door in one smooth motion.

He leaned against the back of the door, calming his nervous heart, and muttered to himself.

"Fortunately, these guys are wary of the Market Law Enforcement Team and dare not act openly, but it's hard to say what will happen at night."

"That makes sense."

At this moment, a familiar voice echoed in his mind.

Zhou Yang was startled and looked around but did not see Wu Daoren's figure.

"Se... Senior?"

Zhou Yang stammered.

"Mm, no need to be nervous."

The voice still echoed in his mind.

Zhou Yang swallowed, his heart filled with shock.

It was normal for Cultivators to transmit sound through spiritual sense, but the distance was limited by the strength of the spiritual sense.

Wu Daoren was clearly not nearby, yet he could still transmit sound to him, which already exceeded the limits of spiritual sense.

Unless...

'Divine Sense transmission!'

'Could it be that Senior's spiritual sense has already transformed into Divine Sense?'

'Doesn't that mean Senior is at least at the Qi Refining Stage Ninth Level Cultivation!'

Zhou Yang's mind was filled with complex thoughts, but he still forced himself to calm down.

In the market, with no Foundation Establishment Cultivators present, a Qi Refining Stage Ninth Level Cultivator was the strongest.

If his guess was correct, he actually didn't need to worry too much.

"Senior, what do you need me to do?" Zhou Yang asked.

"You don't need to do anything. This Seat will handle the matters outside."

"Afterward, you..."

......

In a restaurant not far from Zhou Yang's small courtyard, Lu Ming sat in a private room by the window.

At this time, he had already changed his appearance; he was now an old man with a hooked nose, dressed in a grey burlap robe, and with a sinister look.

This was the 'Wu Daoren' image he had specially created for himself.

At this moment, Lu Ming withdrew his gaze, having finished his conversation with Zhou Yang. He had just used his Clone to enter Zhou Yang's Sea of Consciousness, achieving the effect of Divine Sense transmission.

It must be said that with a Clone, he had reached a new level in playing tricks.

Just looking at Zhou Yang's bewildered expression, one could tell.

After Lu Ming finished instructing Zhou Yang on a few things, he didn't pay any more attention. Zhou Yang was just a subordinate, and no one would bother him.

Zhou Yang's role was merely bait; he didn't need to do anything else.

Lu Ming controlled his Clone to a small courtyard in mid-air, observing inside from a distance.

He saw Feng Sha cultivating cross-legged inside. It seemed that if Lu Ming didn't show up, he would stay inside.

Lu Ming snorted and withdrew his Clone, avoiding alerting the enemy.

He had checked the vicinity and found that only Feng Sha, at the Qi Refining Stage Eighth Level, posed a threat to him.

The others were all minor characters responsible for surveillance, with the highest being only at the Qi Refining Stage Fourth Level.

"Besides, I'm not in a hurry. I just want to make a big fuss, not be a fool..."

"Hehehe..."

Lu Ming let out a strange laugh, which, combined with his image as a hooked-nosed old man, appeared particularly eerie and sinister.