Don't Hurt Them by Mistake

Silence fell over the room.

Wang Cheng'an was stunned, and True Person Moxuan's eyebrows also twitched slightly.

A mere Qi Refinement Fifth Layer cultivator, in front of a Golden Core and a Foundation Establishment cultivator, turned on them without warning and even dared to utter such harsh words.

Looking at Shen Jingchuan's expression, it was clear he wasn't faking it; there was no way he was lying.

True Person Moxuan stared at him for a moment, and a chill ran through him.

Who is he? He could crush this Qi Refinement Fifth Layer brat with a single finger. Daring to act wildly in front of him, is he tired of living? Unless—this brat's fearlessness is an act, and a superb one at that.

He looked Shen Jingchuan over carefully again.

No. There wasn't a trace of panic on the other person's face; their eyes even held a hint of disdain. This kind of thing can't be faked.

The cautiousness he had cultivated his entire life tightened again. Better safe than sorry; it wasn't worth offending a powerful Lineage with Nascent Soul or even Spirit Transformation cultivator over something that had no basis in reality.

Thinking of this, he immediately laughed heartily, stood up, and spoke in a warm tone as if he were a completely different person:

"Hey, Young Friend Shen, what are you saying? We didn't mean it that way. We just found this matter strange and were wondering about it, so we just asked a couple of questions casually. Please don't take it to heart."

Wang Cheng'an quickly chimed in, explaining with a forced smile:

"Young Friend Shen, here's what happened. A few days ago, our people discovered someone was secretly following you."

"We didn't intentionally investigate you. We noticed someone was tailing you, which piqued our curiosity, so we followed the trail and discovered your activities of buying mid-grade and selling high-grade items."

"To be honest, we meant well. We wanted to find out the details so that if anything happened, we could lend a hand."

"Good."

True Person Moxuan nodded in agreement:

"I'll deal with those people who were following you later. It's inconvenient to take action in the market. On the day you leave, I and Steward Wang will personally escort you out of the market to ensure your safe departure, and we'll also take care of those scoundrels while we're at it."

Escort?

Shen Jingchuan inwardly scoffed. If he had let them follow him all the way, all his secrets would have been exposed. But he showed no sign of it on his face. Instead, he stubbornly stuck out his neck, like a skinny donkey trying to pull out a hard turd—pretending to be tough.

"Tch, if that's what you're worried about, then you're really overthinking it."

He leaned back in his chair, his tone casual:

"I don't know who's so blind as to follow me, but whether they're Foundation Establishment cultivator or Golden Core cultivator—"

He knew perfectly well that those few were only at the Qi Refinement Realm, but he deliberately exaggerated their abilities:

"Anyone who dares to mess with me will only face death. You two don't need to worry about this; my Shen Household isn't so weak that we can't protect one person. And don't underestimate me just because I'm only at the Qi Refinement Fifth Layer. Just wait and see; whoever follows me can just wait to collect their corpse."

True Person Moxuan and Wang Cheng'an exchanged a glance, both of them startled.

He's not afraid of Foundation Establishment or Golden Core cultivators, so why would he need to collect corpses?

This reaction was unmistakable. They had thought that Shen Jingchuan would panic at least a little when he heard that he was being followed, and might even beg for help from the market, but who knew that he didn't take it seriously at all.

Judging from this, this kid definitely has a powerful Lineage backing him up, giving him a strong sense of security.

Shen Jingchuan continued, his face full of disdain:

"This tiny Spirit Creek Market— " He tapped the table, "I can come and go as I please."

That's absolutely true; he really can come and go as he pleases.

"Alright, if there's nothing else, I'll be going now." Shen Jingchuan said, getting up to leave.

"Hey, Young Friend Shen, please wait." True Person Moxuan quickly called out to him.

He took out a jade pendant from his Storage Ring; the jade was warm and lustrous, and handed it over.

"I apologize for my rudeness today, which has caused you to misunderstand. This is a protective jade that I used to carry with me in my younger days. It could withstand a full-force attack from the Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator. I no longer need it, and it's just sitting there anyway, so you can take it as a little trinket."

He smiled, his tone sincere:

"Firstly, to calm my young friend down, and secondly, to thank your Shen Household for being willing to do business with Spirit Creek Market. There's a long road ahead, and our business will only grow bigger."

Seeing that the time was right, Shen Jingchuan decided to stop while he was ahead.

He reached out and took the jade pendant with both hands, bowing respectfully.

"I dare not refuse such a gift from my elders; I, a junior, will respectfully accept it. Thank you, True Person."

The jade pendant felt warm and smooth to the touch. He didn't examine it closely, casually putting it into his Storage Ring. Then he took out a blueprint and handed it to Wang Cheng'an:

"Steward Wang, these are the blueprints for the renovation of the restaurant's kitchen. I've drawn down where to build the stoves, where to install the chimneys, and all the other differences from ordinary restaurants. Just follow the blueprints."

Wang Cheng'an quickly accepted it with both hands, repeatedly saying "thank you."

"I originally planned to stay in the market for a few more days."

Shen Jingchuan stood up, his tone casual:

"Since someone's blindly following me, I'll see who they are. I'll head out of the market for a couple of days, leave for a while, take care of some business back home, and deal with these lackeys while I'm at it."

He curled his lip:

"My cultivation level is low, and they're hiding well, so I can't find out who they are. But if he dares to show his face—just wait and see how I deal with him."

As he reached the door, he seemed to suddenly remember something, turned back, and added:

"By the way, you two don't need to worry about my safety, nor do you need to send anyone to follow me. If a fight really breaks out, I'm afraid my Shen Household members might not know the situation and mistakenly injure your people, thinking they're allies. That would be unseemly."

After saying that, he didn't linger.

True Person Moxuan and Wang Cheng'an exchanged a glance, and the last vestiges of doubt in their hearts dissipated.

Sure enough, big Lineage have their Lineage plans. On the surface, they only send out a member from a collateral branch for training, but who knows what methods they might use behind the scenes.

They were both Rogue Cultivators; they had no idea about these intricacies.

Wang Cheng'an immediately laughed and said:

"Since Young Friend Shen puts it that way, then we won't make things unnecessarily by insisting on sending someone to escort you. We wish you a safe journey."

He paused, then said:

"You don't need to worry about the restaurant renovation. I've asked the craftsmen, and it should be finished in about two months. When you come back, just bring the seasonings and teach the chefs your skills."

"Two months is enough." Shen Jingchuan clasped his hands in a fist salute. "Alright, I'll take my leave now. See you later."

After saying that, he put his hands behind his back and swaggered out of the office, his demeanor even more composed than when he came in.