Medicine Thief Rat, a Turtle in a Jar

In addition, Xiao Chen noticed something different.

Although the five Bandit Cultivator in front of them indiscriminately killed innocent people and committed numerous evil deeds, they were still alive.

However, Gui Yun Sect only offered a reward ranging from a minimum of nine thousand Spirit Stone to a maximum of eighteen thousand Spirit Stone, depending on their cultivation level.

Even if you add them all together, it's less than 60,000 Spirit Stone.

However, this "Medicine Thief Rat" alone won a bounty of 80,000 Spirit Stone.

This greatly surprised the surrounding independent cultivators.

People were speculating about his background and whose spirit medicine he had stolen.

A young man, his eyes gleaming, stared at the number 80,000: "Hey, I saw someone wearing a black straw hat selling spirit medicine on the Er Dao Liang to the north just the day before yesterday."

"At the time, we didn't know he had such a high bounty on him."

"Otherwise, we would have already told the guys to take him down!"

There was a hint of regret in his voice.

That's 80,000 Spirit Stone! Even if it's split among several people, it's still a huge sum of money.

"Hey~, this matter seems simple, but it actually has a hidden Profound Mystery."

A middle-aged man with an aged appearance commented, "In my opinion, he definitely stole from the Four Great Families."

"Otherwise, they definitely wouldn't have offered such a high bounty."

"Such a person is not someone to be trifled with."

"Those of you should think carefully before you take action. It's a small matter if you mistake someone, but don't end up losing both your wife and your army."

His words elicited various reactions from those around him.

Some looked thoughtful, while others wore sarcastic expressions, but none of them spoke up.

Among the independent cultivators in Gui Yun Market, there are significantly fewer who are willing to strike up conversations with strangers compared to the Eastern Domain.

Moreover, young people are relatively more talkative.

Those cultivators who were a little older, on the contrary, mostly kept silent.

Xiao Chen pondered that this might also be related to the overall environment of the New Cultivation World.

This undoubtedly disappointed him a little. After all, when you're just joining in the fun, not having any inside information to hear is like putting too little salt in your food—it's bound to taste a bit off!

Since that was the case, he didn't linger and stepped into the market, leaving Secret Mark at the usual spot.

Before long, Zhang Cunfu arrived.

As it turned out, Xiao Chen's estimation was completely correct.

Although the Rebellious Immortal Alliance had obtained some spiritual items to replenish its resources through previous transactions.

However, the loss of a branch at Song Shan Blessed Land has actually made their situation even more dire than before the deal.

Even though Xiao Chen delayed delivering the goods for more than half a year last time.

They didn't say much, and instead settled the remaining four million Spirit Stone without hesitation.

Furthermore, they placed another order for Ten Million Spirit Stones and a deposit of five million Spirit Stone.

Xiao Chen glanced through the list; they were all items that weren't difficult to purchase in the Compassion Sea.

Although the reason is unknown, the proportion of Third-Order Spiritual Object has increased significantly by 20%.

If we only look at Azure Sea Market, we can probably only gather less than 30% of the resources.

However, given Xiao Chen's current relationships with the various sects, it wouldn't be too difficult for him to simply spend more time visiting a few more markets.

Moreover, the profit margin for Third-Order Spiritual Object is even greater.

If he closes this deal, he can earn about half of that, which is five million Spirit Stone.

If we include the profit from the previous order, we'll be halfway to our initial target of 15 million.

"Senior, they said a regular customer is in a bit of a rush this time."

Zhang Cunfu added, "If it can be delivered within this month, I'm willing to pay an extra 10% as an express fee."

"Furthermore, if we can maintain a stable supply of spiritual items, there will be more opportunities for cooperation in the future."

It's clear that the Rebellious Immortal Alliance is under immense pressure regarding their spiritual artifacts.

Even though Xiao Chen's price was already higher than the market price, he was still willing to add another 10% just to speed things up.

But this is a good thing; it's practically like getting a million Spirit Stone for free.

Nevertheless, he did not immediately agree to take on the entire responsibility.

Instead, she nodded slightly. "A month, I understand. I'll try my best."

"After all, these things are not easy to obtain, and it's not certain that it can be done so quickly."

Having finalized the new deal, Xiao Chen asked as usual, "Is there anything else?"

If not, I'll be going now.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Cunfu unusually reported, "Reporting to Senior, the sect has recently issued a new Wanted Notice."

"The situation is still not very clear, but I've heard some rumors that are not quite right."

Therefore, I would like to ask for your advice.

Wanted Notice?

Xiao Chen countered, "You're not talking about those five Bandit Cultivator, are you?"

"Don't worry, they definitely won't threaten our guests."

"Trading merchants do business all over the world, and they've long been accustomed to the clash of swords in various places."

However, Zhang Cunfu shook his head. "I have something to report about them."

"It's that new Spirit Thief appeared out of nowhere— the Medicine Thief Rat."

"Senior, you may not know this, but this person might have a problem, and a big one at that!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Chen immediately became interested. "Oh? What big problem?"

If he wasn't mistaken, the ' Medicine Thief Rat ' mentioned on the Wanted Notice should be Chen Fan, who helped him peddle spiritual items around.

Firstly, the timing clearly matches.

Secondly, this matter might also be related to Xiao Chen.

That means that nearly half of the spiritual items he gave out were spirit medicine.

Actually, you can't blame him for this. After all, when he was choosing things in the market, he naturally chose based on the price difference between the two sides.

However, as everyone knows, the spirit medicine in the New Cultivation World are all kept in tightly guarded Spirit Herb Garden.

Moreover, once they mature, they are often not sold directly, but are first processed and refined into different elixirs to extract more profit.

Because the market supply of spirit medicine in the New Cultivation World has always been relatively scarce.

This inadvertently raised the price, creating a significant profit margin compared to the spirit medicine from the Sea of the Compassion Sea.

Xiao Chen made his selection based on the price difference, and in the end, he unwittingly chose more than half of the spiritual items as different spirit medicine.

He only realized this when he saw the Wanted Notice.

This made me even more curious—what big problem could this be?

Zhang Cunfu, unaware of anything, was explaining his conjecture, "I've been subtly inquiring about this with several fellow disciples these past few days."

"Whether it's the sect's Spirit Herb Garden, or the spirit medicine spirit medicine or mountains of the Four Great Families."

"There have been no thefts or similar incidents."

"But the problem is, someone has inspected the spirit medicine sold by that ' Medicine Thief Rat '."

"They were all freshly picked from the Spirit Field, no more than six months old; the roots aren't even completely dry yet."

"That's very strange!"

At this point, Zhang Cunfu unconsciously raised his voice a few decibels, then quickly suppressed it again.

However, he seemed somewhat agitated. "Senior, this most likely means there are hidden Spirit Field nearby!"

"He picked these spirit medicine from an unknown Spirit Field and then brought them here to resell them."

"If we can catch this ' Medicine Thief Rat,' we can find the location of the Spirit Field before Gui Yun Sect."

"That's like finding a treasure trove!"

ah?

Zhang Cunfu's speculation surprised Xiao Chen, who was in the know.

As the saying goes, "You can't see the true face of Mount Lu because you are in the mountain yourself."

He knew the inside story beforehand, so he didn't think much of it.

Only then did I realize just how strange this matter seemed to outsiders.

It's important to understand that vendors setting up stalls in Azure Sea Market will naturally try their best to choose the freshest spirit medicine to sell.

Moreover, for them, if a certain spiritual item doesn't sell for a long time...

I would never waste my time by delaying for more than six months, but would instead sell the medicines at a discount to the local Spirit Herb Shop as soon as possible, and then go and select other spirit medicine.

Therefore, when Xiao Chen was making purchases, all he saw were fresh spirit medicine.

Naturally, they didn't notice this.

Moreover, even if he wanted to buy used items, it would be difficult to find a source.

The result was that they originally thought that selling low-level spiritual items scattered throughout the wasteland would not arouse suspicion from the blessed land.

Unexpectedly, it not only attracted attention right from the start, but also created a major suspicion concerning the Spirit Field.

Good news: Xiao Chen did not participate in the sale.

So in the end, no matter what, they probably won't be able to trace it back to him.

Bad news, Chen Fan might be in trouble. He might already be being targeted by the Gui Yun Sect.

Given the immense importance of hiding the Spirit Field, the risk might be considerable.

"Um... that might be a big problem."

Xiao Chen asked directly, "So, how many people do you think know about this now, and what is the Gui Yun Sect's attitude?"

"Is it too late for us to go now?"

What he really wanted to ask was whether the Gui Yun Sect had taken this seriously, and whether it was too late to stop the sale now.

Since he had unintentionally dug a pit for Chen Fan, he would definitely try to get him out of it.

"Well... I'm not entirely clear on the situation of the True Lord."

Zhang Cunfu wasn't entirely sure either. "But since even the youngest can guess a thing or two, there must be quite a few people in the know by now."

"At the very least, the Four Great Families should have already noticed the problem."

"They might have already sent people to the wasteland to make the capture."

He wasn't being modest, after all, his status within the Gui Yun Sect wasn't particularly high.

They are far inferior to the Four Great Families, even to a once-powerful Lineage like the Cai Family family that has already declined.

"But the wasteland is so vast, finding someone won't be easy."

Zhang Cunfu added, "Moreover, since that ' Medicine Thief Rat ' dared to do such a thing, he must be a capable person."

"I doubt they'll be caught so easily."

"With our strength, it's very likely we can still make it in time."

Zhang Cunfu still believes that Xiao Chen is a cultivator from the Rebellious Immortal Alliance.

Therefore, when he says "us" here, he is referring to the Rebellious Immortal Alliance.

They are actually revealing important information to show their loyalty after discovering something amiss.

However, after hearing what he said, Xiao Chen felt that Chen Fan seemed to be in some danger.

He knew perfectly well that the other party had only recently broken through to the Golden Core stage and didn't actually have any special abilities.

Originally, I felt that as a Golden Core cultivator, selling some low-level spiritual items shouldn't be a problem.

But now, the situation is probably beyond his control.

Fortunately, these were just speculations made by Zhang Cunfu.

Therefore, the specific circumstances could vary greatly and require further confirmation.

"Okay, I understand."

Xiao Chen praised him, saying, "If there are any further gains, I'll give you credit for it."

Is there anything else?

Zhang Cunfu smiled obsequiously, "Hehehe, I was just idly thinking about it, but I'm always thinking about our Immortal Alliance."

"I'm just daring to say a few nonsensical things today; everything depends on the senior's decision."

"If the Immortal Alliance truly gains anything, it will all be thanks to the wisdom and prowess of our predecessors."

Then he shook his head. "That's all, I'll take my leave now."

After saying that, he left on his own.

However, after Zhang Cunfu said that, Xiao Chen also realized that the Rebellious Immortal Alliance might have already set its sights on Chen Fan.

It's almost fair to say that both the legitimate and criminal worlds are looking for him now.

Tsk tsk tsk, in the past, he was usually the one enjoying this level of treatment.

"Luckily, I found Chen Fan, otherwise my name or code name might be on the Wanted Notice."

Xiao Chen, who had been on the Wanted Notice for years, had finally escaped this predicament. "It seems having a subordinate is quite useful; they can definitely help me avoid trouble."

"No wonder many cultivators like to establish Lineage or sects, or even start a business guild."

"That should be one of the reasons."

If Xiao Chen were the one being targeted, he might not be able to calmly observe and consider the next steps from a third-party perspective.

And that's not all.

Given Chen Fan's cultivation level, the people who are targeting him shouldn't be very strong.

At least it wouldn't be several Nascent Soul True Lord mobilized at once, much less a mere Golden Core thief alarming a Spirit Transformation cultivator.

Therefore, the difficulty for Xiao Chen to sort out the situation naturally decreased by a level.

Moreover, all parties involved are likely still speculating.

If he acts quickly enough, he should be able to nip the potential crisis in the Nascent Soul before it even reaches the Nascent Soul level.

With this in mind, Xiao Chen immediately set off for Xu Dayou's house.

Just a quarter of an hour later, he saw a small courtyard with its gate tightly closed and no one around.

Upon entering, one finds that all the doors and windows in the courtyard are closed.

The previously scattered Failed Pills Residue Jars have now been neatly stacked against the wall.

"They've all left."

Seeing this, Xiao Chen smiled slightly, "Chen Fan is quite clever; he ran pretty fast."

Since nothing looked messy inside or out, it meant they weren't in a rush when they left and had time to tidy up the yard.

This also indicates that they had sensed the danger and had gone into hiding.

"Should I continue looking for people now?"

Xiao Chen wasn't actually familiar with this place and didn't know where the other party had hidden.

He also considered. "Chen Fan shouldn't be in such a bad situation, so maybe we should let him weather this storm on his own?"

"Perhaps he'll even watch helplessly as his childhood sweetheart is captured during the chase, and from then on, he'll vow to completely overthrow this dark world."

That being said, we still have to keep looking.

Xiao Chen couldn't just let it go like this.

After all, as Nascent Soul True Lord, his Divine Sense Range covers thousands of miles.

Even though they were unfamiliar with the terrain, their search efficiency far surpassed that of the Golden Core cultivator sent out by various parties.

Moreover, the quality of his Divine Sense is higher, making him unafraid of lower-level concealment techniques.

To avoid overlooking the obvious, Xiao Chen first searched the small plain where the Wasteland Rogue Cultivator gathered in the wasteland.

Unfortunately, it didn't yield any results.

He then gradually expanded the search area, starting to judge from his own perspective which places might be hiding places.

It's worth mentioning that Xiao Chen also encountered a group of the Gui Yun Sect disciples during his search.

That was a small team of three Golden Core cultivator, also searching for Chen Fan's whereabouts in a valley.

For Xiao Chen, this was good news.

This shows that Gui Yun Sect has not yet fully taken it seriously and has not directly mobilized its own Nascent Soul True Lord to conduct an investigation.

He didn't attack that squad either.

Firstly, there's no need for that, and secondly, it would be better to avoid alerting the enemy.

If a Golden Core cultivator were to mysteriously disappear, it would undoubtedly exacerbate the situation.

Twelve hours passed quickly.

Xiao Chen, however, still gained nothing.

However, he did not give up and continued to patiently venture into those desolate mountains and wilderness areas.

Finally, while passing by an ordinary low mountain, I saw a Mnemonic on a protruding rock at the top of the mountain.

Those are just six simple words: Respect the stars, pray for the light of day.

Outsiders who see this will likely be completely baffled.

However, Xiao Chen knew that it was a set of communication codes that the Heaven Star Sect had included in the <All Heaven Stars Spirit Induction Secret Method>.

Theoretically speaking, with the demise of the Heaven Star Sect, this set of codes has long been abandoned.

Unexpectedly, Chen Fan took it out again and used it as a secret communication Secret Mark in emergencies.

Since there's a code word, everything becomes much easier.

Xiao Chen recalled the contents of the Heaven Star Sect's inheritance, and then calculated the location based on the constellations.

They successfully spotted a specific number of small pebbles below a rocky outcrop on the opposite side, thus obtaining the most crucial location.

Then they followed it in a direction slightly north of northwest.

While he was hurrying on his way.

Twenty thousand miles away, Chen Fan and the three members of the Xu Family had already arrived at a cave.

Because of the scarcity of Spiritual Qi outside, many cultivators in the wasteland, especially those far from the market, choose to dig a cave underground.

They then used these caves as their hiding places.

There are two major advantages to doing this.

First, it is more discreet and less likely to be noticed by outsiders.

If necessary, it is sufficient to set up means at the entrance of the cave to block Spiritual Sense Probe, without having to hide the entire courtyard.

Secondly, it can effectively isolate the fluctuations of Spiritual Qi during cultivation.

For example, using Spirit Stone or spiritual objects to cultivate in a cave is difficult for outsiders to detect.

"We should be safe here for now."

Xu Dayou let out a long sigh of relief, then smiled and began to introduce himself, "Brother Wang, you know my sister-in-law, this is my daughter, her full name is Qing Yi."

"Quickly call someone, just call him Uncle Wang."

Upon hearing this, Xu Qingyi immediately stood up to greet him.

Uncle Wang chuckled and replied, "Hey, Old Xu, you know what? This child looks exactly like her mother when she was young."

"Especially those big eyes and high nose, thank goodness I didn't inherit them from you, they're so handsome."

Xu Dayou was not annoyed by this; instead, he chuckled.

Then he introduced, "This is the orphan entrusted to me by a close friend, Chen Fan."

"He has always been a filial child and is especially grateful for kindness."

"He's already in the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, and there's hope for him to form his core in the future. You can't underestimate him."

Xu Dayou knew, of course, that Chen Fan had already formed his core, and he had no intention of hiding it from him.

But just as he was preparing to seek refuge with a friend...

Chen Fan then disguised his cultivation level and specifically asked him to keep his true cultivation level a secret.

At the time, Xu Dayou also stated that although he and Daoist Wang did not interact much, they had actually shared a life-or-death bond in their early years, and there would absolutely be no problem.

However, after Chen Fan's repeated insistence, he agreed to keep it a secret.

At that moment, I felt a little guilty for deceiving my friend.

He decided that once things had calmed down, he would bring wine and a generous gift to apologize to the other party.

Hello, Uncle Wang.

Chen Fan also bowed respectfully, showing no airs of Golden Core cultivator, as if he were just a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

After sitting for a while, he suggested that he go out for some fresh air.

Actually, I wanted to go and check out the surrounding area.

"Oh, that's not a good idea."

The Wang-family cultivator said, "You are all unfamiliar faces; it would be best if you remained hidden and did not show yourselves."

"Around You Hour, I'll go out and scout out some things for you."

"Just tell me if there's anything I need to be careful about."

What he said made sense, so Chen Fan didn't insist.

Anxin waited patiently in the cave.

That Wang-family cultivator was indeed quite kind to them.

Not only were they as close as family, but they also specially brought back several kilograms of first-tier demon rabbit meat to entertain them.

"I was afraid that someone with ulterior motives would notice that I spend money recklessly, so I didn't dare to buy too much. It's not that I'm stingy."

"You can all eat it later, I won't eat any."

Upon hearing this, Xu Dayou and his wife were naturally deeply moved, offering Spirit Stone as payment.

Chen Fan felt somewhat relieved.

On the evening of the third day, after the Wang-family cultivator went out to patrol the surrounding area, he returned a full half hour later than usual.

They also brought along several cultivators from the Gui Yun Sect: "Reporting to Your Excellency, they are currently inside the cave."

"It wasn't just that ' Medicine Thief Rat,' but also his three accomplices."

The advantage of a cave is that it has only one entrance, but the disadvantage is that it has only one exit.

When three Golden Core Gui Yun Sect stood guard outside the cave, sternly rebuking them to surrender,

They were completely trapped, like turtles in a jar.

Xu Dayou was completely stunned, and shouted in disbelief, "Brother Wang, why?"

"Have you forgotten that we crawled out of a pile of corpses together back then?"

Upon hearing this, the Wang-family cultivator sighed softly, opened his mouth but ultimately did not respond.

He did feel really bad, but that was 80,000 Spirit Stone!

Although betraying a brother of nearly a hundred years is an act of utter depravity, it still cost 80,000 Spirit Stone!

Chen Fan was also filled with regret at this moment.

But he hated himself.

I hate myself for choosing to believe in the first place, and I also hate myself for not being strong enough.

Nevertheless, he quickly suppressed these emotions, which were already futile.

He then condensed a Star Energy in his hand.

Now that things have come to this, we absolutely cannot waste any more time.

If they can fight their way out before Gui Yun Sect's reinforcements arrive, there's still a glimmer of hope.

Otherwise, if they are captured and taken back to the blessed land, they will face certain death.