I Couldn't Have People Saying I Ordered a Junior Around for Nothing
[Looking at the array within an array set up by the Mystic Nether Pavilion, you muttered to yourself, put down your teacup, and returned to the rented cave abode in the corner of the city.]
[For the next three days, you shall remain indoors.]
Three days later, two tokens will silently float before you.
[The one on the left is a "cheat code" you painstakingly created based on the "whitelist" mechanism of the Baojia Token and the flaws in the Formation Technique you deduced.]
[As long as you bring this, even if you activate your Spiritual Power to the Nascent Soul Realm within the Disarm Armor and Push Mountains Formation, the Formation Technique will treat you as "one of their own" and completely ignore you.]
As for the one on the right...
[You turn the token over, and there are two words clearly engraved on the back: Zhang San.]
[This is an internal waist tag of the Mystic Nether Pavilion.]
[The aura, material, and anti-counterfeiting Array Patterns are exactly the same as those worn by the black-armored Guards of the Mystic Nether Pavilion.]
[Fake-ID Forging Technique, effective.]
[This has been officially verified by the system.]
The day before the Auction, a massive black Flying Boat pierced the sky and slowly landed in the courtyard of the Mystic Nether Pavilion.
The news spread quickly.
[The Steward of the Mystic Nether Pavilion headquarters has arrived.]
It is said that the most important, final items of this Auction are all on that Flying Boat.
[With the arrival of the Mystic Nether Pavilion's Steward, the Mystic Nether Pavilion officially announced that, from now on, it will cease accepting any consignments for auction.]
The person you're waiting for has arrived.
[Options pop up.]
[A: Just attend the Auction properly and see what good stuff is there.]
[B: Go directly to the head Steward and ask him questions.]
[C: With the cheat code clutched in your left hand and the "Zhang San" badge hanging from your right, you kick open the Flying Boat's door. The doorframe still rattles as you pull out a megaphone and shove it in the Steward's face: "Zhang San, the outlaw, is here! Mystic Nether Pavilion owes me wages, and today's final auction item will be used to pay off that debt!" Then you unleash your Nascent Soul Spiritual Power, causing the array to blast all the arriving Guards out of the city. Right in front of the Steward, you rip the auction item and the Flying Boat's steering wheel together, stuff them into your Storage Ring, and flee that very night.]
Auctions and similar events are all sites where cause and effect occur.
Lu Ping was already a qualified old silver coin, so naturally he wouldn't join in such a commotion.
Lu Ping chose B.
[You chose B.]
[You weren't really here for the Auction.]
[You put on the Self-Made Mystic Nether Pavilion waist token, activated the Formless Myriad-Breath Cloak, and your clothes transformed into the uniform of the Mystic Nether Pavilion Array Master. Then, your entire figure vanished.]
A drab gray Crow soared into the clouds, surveying the entire Doushu City.
[You arrive at the gate of the Mystic Nether Pavilion.]
Since the "Disarm Armor and Push Mountains Formation" was set up a few days ago, the number of people on the streets covered by the Formation Technique has increased several times over.
Many Rogue Cultivators simply found an open space on a street corner, sat cross-legged, and refused to leave the Formation Technique even if they didn't buy or sell anything.
This neighborhood, where violence is strictly prohibited, has become the safest haven.
[With this single arrangement, the Mystic Nether Pavilion earned immense prestige among the cultivators throughout the city.]
The streets were packed with people; it was hard to even find a place to stand.
[But strangely, no matter how crowded it was outside, a large expanse of white space remained blank in front of the Mystic Nether Pavilion's imposing gate.]
Everyone consciously made sure the path directly in front of the gate was completely clear, and no one dared to take an extra step forward.
At the entrance of the Mystic Nether Pavilion, four Golden Core Stage black-armored guards stood ramrod straight.
You vanished from sight, casually passing through them.
[Upon entering the Mystic Nether Pavilion, the defenses became even more stringent.]
[A sentry every three steps, Killing Formation every five.]
[You Formless Myriad-Breath Cloak; those sentries will have no way of detecting your presence.]
[You arrived at the innermost courtyard of the Mystic Nether Pavilion without any obstacles.]
There were no Guards here, and even the door wasn't closed.
There was only one person inside.
[You casually walk into the courtyard and go straight to the stone table in the center, where you sit down.]
[With a thought, you dispelled the Concealment effect of the Formless Myriad-Breath Cloak, but instead simulated the aura of a mortal.]
[As you revealed yourself, you casually picked up the teapot from the table and poured yourself a cup of tea. The tea flowed gently, as if this were your own backyard.]
[With a creak, the door was pushed open from the inside.]
[An old man stepped forward.]
He stared intently at you, his eyes filled with barely suppressed horror.
[He instinctively wanted to unleash the oppressive power of his Spirit Transformation Stage to kill you on the spot.]
But he stopped.
He saw your face clearly.
[You are wearing the attire of an ordinary Array Master from the Mystic Nether Pavilion.]
[Handsome appearance, refined demeanor, yet seemingly devoid of any cultivation.]
[Just then, a spark rose from your shoulder, then transformed into a drab gray Crow.]
The Gray Crow yawned listlessly, opened its beak, and a terrifying aura of Great Demon in its Transformation Stage flashed past.
[Commercial Espionage, effective.]
[Workwear Thugs, in effect.]
Gu Wusuan stood frozen in place.
[A seemingly ordinary young cultivator silently entered his courtyard. He was still wearing the clothes of one of his lowest-ranking employees, yet a Transformation Great Demon was perched on his shoulder as a pet?]
What level of skill does this young man possess?
[Void Refining? Body Integration?]
[Gu Wusuan old fox who had lived for over a thousand years, quickly abandoned his Spirit Transformation Stage airs, clasped his hands in a respectful bow.]
"I am unaware which fellow Daoist has graced the Mystic Nether Pavilion with their presence. Gu Wusuan, the Steward of the Mystic Nether Pavilion. I apologize for not greeting you properly!"
[You didn't get up; your voice was flat, even a little languid.]
"Steward Gu, there's no need to be nervous."
"I'm bothering you so late at night, but I just wanted to ask you about something small."
[You finished speaking, but didn't continue.]
[You raise your hand, and a Spirit Stone pouch pops from your fingertip, flying towards Gu Wusuan.]
[Gu Wusuan instinctively reached out and caught it, his expression momentarily stunned.]
[When Gu Wusuan caught your Spirit Stone, he felt even more that you were unfathomable.]
[I'm the Client, this agreement is effective.]
[He scanned the Storage Bag with his Divine Sense, and his entire body froze.]
[Inside the bag, 500,000 Low-Grade Spirit Stones were piled up into a small mountain.]
What's this all about?
[He's lived for over a thousand years; he's seen it all. He's faced countless situations—coercion, bribery, and attacks without warning.]
[But this was the first time he'd ever seen money thrown away like this.]
[As the Steward of the Mystic Nether Pavilion and a powerful Spirit Transformation Stage, 500,000 Spirit Stones were naturally nothing to Gu Wusuan.]
[But the other party casually tossed out 500,000 Spirit Stones just to "ask about a small matter."]
This level of spending and this attitude goes beyond simply being described as "wealthy and powerful."
[This is blatant, naked class-based oppression, achieved through the sheer force of Spirit Stones.]
[As you watched the changing expressions on Gu Wusuan's face, you thought of Song Fuan.]
[You imitated the manner of the Demon-Suppressing Tower Master, casually adding a sentence.]
"Take it. It wouldn't be good for people to say I'm making a living off my juniors."