187: Chapter 187 Internal Turmoil, Chen Wuwang Warns

The morning light had just crawled over the earthen walls of the Eastern Wasteland market, and dew still clung to the bamboo curtains of the apothecary.

As Chen Wuwang stepped into the street entrance, his footsteps paused for a half-beat.

The stalls on both sides of the alley had opened half an hour earlier than usual, but the people were acting strangely.

A bearded man from the Xuansha Tribe was squatting in a corner sharpening his blade, his eyes sweeping toward the main gate of the Chen Clan's residence from time to time.

A young steward from the Beipo Liu Clan stood by the well, clutching a communication Jade Slip. His knuckles were white, as if he were gripping some news he was unwilling to let go of.

Those warriors from Chiji Ridge, who usually loved to brag, didn't say a word today; they just gathered in a circle whispering. When they saw him approaching, they immediately dispersed.

He didn't stop or greet anyone, walking leisurely to the front of the apothecary as if patrolling the street normally.

"Morning, Head of the Chen Family." The old apothecary master kept his head down, pounding herbs, his voice kept extremely low. "The harvest of Spiritual Plants is good today, it's just... there are fewer buyers."

Chen Wuwang gave a grunt of acknowledgement, his gaze sweeping over the counter—three stalks of Cold Marrow Crystal Grass were arranged neatly; they were the same type of Materials that Lu San had sold to the West Desert Sand Clan caravan last night.

But the Miasma-Repelling Pills that should have been placed next to them were gone.

His fingertips tapped lightly inside his sleeve, as if he were calculating something.

The System interface didn't pop up, but his mind had already reviewed the abnormal records of yesterday's resource approvals: the Cangling Clan's exploration application was blocked, the Nangu Lin Family's Talisman order was withdrawn, and the Blacksmith Alliance's new forging hammer blueprints were frozen...

Everything was concentrated in the past twelve hours.

It was no coincidence.

He turned and walked toward the mech maintenance area, passing a group of clansmen who were repairing shield generators.

When they saw him, their movements stiffened slightly, then they immediately sped up their work, and no one looked up.

In the distance, three young Cultivators from different clans gathered under the plaza stele, holding slips of paper filled with writing. They spoke one after another, their voices not loud, but every word was clear:

"The Chen Clan talks about sharing resources, but who actually gets to use them? We request Materials once and wait seven days! They build three new mechs a day for themselves!"

"The Quality Inspection Center claims it's for standards, but it's actually a barrier to entry! If you don't listen to them, your goods won't even get out!"

"Did you hear? The Zhao Clan of Xiling's transport line was cut off? That's the consequence of not obeying!"

Before the words had even faded, someone saw him approaching and clamped their mouth shut.

Chen Wuwang didn't stop or get closer, merely standing five steps away, listening quietly.

No one spoke again.

Only then did he lift his foot, walking step by step onto the bluestone platform in the center of the plaza. He stood still, took off his outer robe and draped it over his arm, revealing the black combat suit underneath and the faintly glowing Mechanical Prosthetic Eye in his left eye.

"I've come to listen to what exactly you are complaining about."

The crowd went silent.

A young man from the Xuansha Tribe couldn't hold back: "Can you hear us? Or are you pretending not to? We aren't against cooperation, but what do you call this now? A joint Alliance? Or just the Chen Clan's dictatorship?"

"Where is the evidence?" Chen Wuwang's voice was neither loud nor rushed. "You say I blocked resources; which specific transaction? You mention annexation; who signed the papers? You say the transport line was cut; have you checked if it was the Zerg who did it?"

The young man was choked speechless.

Another person chimed in: "The matter with the Zhao Clan of Xiling is being spread throughout the entire market! How could it be false?"

"Spread?" Chen Wuwang sneered. "I was communicating with the Leiyin Pavilion delegation last night. They arrive tomorrow, and I haven't heard a single word about a 'cut line' on the road. Yet, this morning, this rumor suddenly exploded. Interesting."

He scanned the crowd. "Some people are dying for us to fight; do you know that?"

No one answered.

"Very well." He spoke slowly. "If there is truly oppression, please provide evidence. If there is a misunderstanding, I will clarify it in person. But if you are just listening to what others say..." He paused. "Then we are all being led by the nose."

After speaking, he raised his hand and beckoned. Two administrative clansmen stepped forward quickly, holding a registration book and a pen.

"From now on, any questions, complaints, or suggestions can be written down. Name, clan, and the reason—not a single detail is to be missed."

He looked at the crowd. "Tomorrow morning, the Chen Clan's resource allocation ledger will be open for inspection by all collaborating clans. If you want to see a specific transaction, I'll pull it up for you on the spot."

The crowd stirred.

"For real?" someone asked hesitantly.

"Why would I lie to you?" Chen Wuwang's voice deepened. "I, Chen Wuwang, can be insulted, but I will not be a scapegoat. If you want to believe, I won't stop you; if you want to doubt, I will let you investigate. But if anyone tries to stir up trouble or sow discord..."

His eyes turned cold. "Don't blame me for being heartless."

After saying this, he didn't linger and turned to leave.

The sound of discussion rose again behind him, but it was no longer the boiling anger of last night; it was mixed with hesitation, doubt, and even a trace of wavering.

He walked out of the plaza without stopping, heading straight for the side hall of the Chen Clan's Council Hall.

The moment the door closed, the calmness on his face faded. His fingers tapped rapidly on the edge of the table, the rhythm chaotic yet orderly, as if he were entering some kind of password.

"Someone, come in." He commanded in a low voice.

A clan guard pushed the door and entered.

"Pull out all public announcements, transaction records, and communication logs from the last three days. Focus on checking the terms 'merger,' 'quality inspection,' and 'transport line,' and mark their frequency and source locations."

"Yes!"

After the person withdrew, he stood alone in front of the window, his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye flickering slightly as he pulled up the fluctuation spectrum of the internal database.

Several abnormal curves popped up—yesterday afternoon during the Shen period, the keywords for the rumors suddenly erupted in concentration, with the source pointing to three adjacent stalls in the southwest corner of the market, right at the intersection of the herbalist, the ore merchant, and the caravan supply point.

He narrowed his eyes.

It wasn't spontaneous; it was guided. Someone was precisely deploying emotions.

Just as he was thinking this, several young clansmen rushed in, their faces filled with anger.

"Head of the Chen Family! The Cangling Clan just sent an official reply, refusing to share the Spiritual Vein data!"

"The Nangu Lin Family not only withdrew their order but also issued a public announcement claiming we are monopolizing Talisman technology!"

"Even the Northern Plains Sun Clan has started taking inventory, saying they need to 'reserve for self-preservation'!"

Chen Wuwang sat in his chair, motionless.

"What else did they say?" he asked.

"They said we are using the name of cooperation to carry out control! They said the last joint defense drill wasn't to defend against the Zerg at all, but to monitor them!"

The atmosphere in the room was tense.

He suddenly laughed, the laughter not loud, but it made everyone shut their mouths.

"So what? If they don't cooperate, we just stop everything?" He stood up, his voice turning cold. "My order: all external cooperation processes are to proceed as normal. If refused once, submit it a second time; if they don't want it the second time, send it a third time."

"Even if they burn the documents, we must personally place the thirty-first one on their tables."

"But this... is too stifling!" someone couldn't help but say.

"Stifling?" He turned to stare at the person. "Compared to being stabbed in the back, what does this little grievance amount to? The bigger the storm outside, the more we need to steady our footing. If anyone acts impulsively and causes trouble, don't blame me for dealing with my own people first."

After finishing, he waved his hand. "All of you, get out. Proceed according to the original plan."

The people exited one after another, leaving him alone in the room.

He walked slowly into the secret chamber, locked the door, and activated the isolation Formation. Rows of data streams appeared before him.

He quickly filtered, compared, and marked the data. Finally, in a market stall rental record, he discovered an unfamiliar name—Lu San, an herbalist accompanying the West Desert Sand Clan caravan, check-in time: last night during the Hai period.

And the stall this person rented happened to be located in the core triangular zone where the keywords erupted.

He stared at that line of text, his fingers slowly tightening.

Footsteps came from outside the door; it was the duty clan guard on routine patrol.

He immediately composed his expression, closed the interface, opened the door, and walked out.

Twilight had arrived, and the lights of the market lit up one by one.

He stood at the entrance of the Chen Clan's residence, watching the figures in the distance still gathering in groups of three or five to discuss, a barely perceptible data stream flashing through his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye.

The wind had not yet stopped.

But he already knew where the wind was coming from.

He turned and walked toward the Council Hall, his pace steady, his silhouette merging into the corridor under the dim yellow light.