Make Them Pay More!

As night deepened, the city's dazzling lights gleamed like stars set into the earth, answering the sparse stars in the sky. Yet Lin Fan's rented apartment seemed like a world unto itself, cut off from the noise and prying eyes outside. On the windowsill, the "Breath Soil" statue radiated a gentle, peaceful Dao rhythm, its presence blending with the lively clay beasts Goddess Nüwa had recently sculpted. The cramped space was filled with an indescribable serenity and spiritual vitality.

Lin Fan sat cross-legged in the open space at the center of the room, eyes half-closed and breathing long and steady as he tried to enter the meditative state required to practice the Supreme Clarity Heart-Cleansing Mantra. After experiencing the wonder of drawing out that wisp of Innate Qi, his enthusiasm for cultivation had soared. Though he had failed to recapture the essence of all things in his subsequent attempts, each time he meditated, he could feel his spirit receive the faintest nourishment. His mind grew clearer, and his senses seemed a little sharper.

Not far from him, Master Tongtian still sat as steady as a rock on his yoga mat. But he wasn't simply regulating his breath. He had turned part of his attention inward, toward the supreme source of sword intent buried deep within him. Ever since the sword light in his eyes had driven off the thugs that day, and he had used his extraordinary powers of deduction to make a small foray into the financial markets, he seemed to have found a way to take the initiative in this "land devoid of spiritual energy." If he couldn't absorb spiritual energy, he would hone his will and temper his sword heart. Like the most patient of craftsmen, he used his sacred soul as a hammer, refining again and again the true meaning of the Sword Dao, which the laws of heaven and earth had clamped down on but which remained unyielding. He hoped to chisel a crack of his own into the solid wall of those laws. The faint sharpness surrounding him seemed just the tiniest bit more substantial than when he had first arrived.

Nüwa sat beside the table by the window. Before her lay better-quality rice paper and a set of decent brushes and ink sticks that Lin Fan had recently bought. She had set aside her pencil sketches and was trying the traditional art of brush and ink from this world. Holding a wolf-hair brush delicately in her hand, she dipped it in dark ink but did not hurry to put it to paper. She closed her eyes and focused for a moment, as though recalling and sensing something. When she opened them again, her gaze was clear and serene, as if it reflected the world at the moment of its creation. The brush touched down like a dragonfly skimming water, then swept across the page like a spirit snake. With just a few strokes, the outline of a vast, towering mountain, grand and imposing, appeared on the paper. It wasn't a study of any famous mountain in the real world, but it held the weighty Dao rhythm of "supporting the heavens and bearing all things" and "unchanging through the ages." It seemed like a lingering image of Mount Buzhou from her memories, and perhaps also a manifestation of her understanding of the very concept of "earth." The painting was unfinished, but the moment she lifted her brush, the sheet of paper seemed to grow heavier, faintly radiating a calming, reassuring aura.

In the little rented apartment, the three of them each went about their own business without disturbing one another. Yet their auras were connected, forming a strange and harmonious scene.

However, their peace did not last long.

A faint electronic interference, carrying a particular frequency, seeped in from outside the window like the buzz of a mosquito. Ordinary people could barely have noticed it, but to those whose senses far surpassed the norm, it was as clear as a drumbeat.

Almost simultaneously, Master Tongtian and Nüwa opened their eyes.

A cold glint flashed through Master Tongtian's gaze. His restrained sword intent stirred like a disturbed abyss, sending out a chill ripple. He looked toward a spot outside the window: a window in the opposite apartment building, where the curtains were always drawn tight—one of the official surveillance points.

Nüwa furrowed her brow slightly and set down her brush. The Dao rhythm in her unfinished Depiction of Mount Buzhou gradually faded as well. She could sense that the sudden interference signal carried an obvious air of probing. It wasn't an attack, but rather a precise scan of energy fluctuations, aimed directly at the clay statues she had imbued with Dao rhythm—especially the "Breath Soil" on the windowsill!

"Hmph. How noisy." Master Tongtian gave a cold snort, clearly displeased by the repeated probing. He joined his fingers like a sword, but instead of pointing them outside, he lightly sliced through the air in the room.

An invisible, formless, yet incomparably sharp sword of intent silently shot forth! It did not cut at matter, but at the specific frequency rippling through the room!

"Pfft—"

A nearly inaudible pop, like a bubble bursting, echoed through the room. The unpleasant electronic interference vanished at once, and the night outside returned to its proper silence. In the surveillance point across the street, the data on a special-frequency energy detector suddenly scrambled, then filled with garbled characters and error messages. The probe overloaded in an instant and began to smoke. The operator jumped in fright and immediately reported it.

Chen Jing received the news soon afterward. Looking at the report on the screen—"Equipment suspected to have been damaged by unknown, high-intensity psychic interference"—she rubbed her brow with an exasperated look. As expected, probing them to this extent had immediately provoked retaliation. She ordered, "Suspend all active probing. Maintain only basic optical and acoustic surveillance. Don't provoke them again."

In the apartment, Lin Fan was also jolted out of his cultivation by the sudden strange sensation and Master Tongtian's silent "sword." He looked at Master Tongtian and Nüwa in confusion. "Senior, just now..."

"Nothing. A few pesky flies were spying on us. They've been driven away," Master Tongtian said coolly, closing his eyes again as if he had merely swatted a mosquito.

Nüwa smiled gently at him, too. "Don't worry. Just continue your cultivation."

Seeing how calm the two saints were, Lin Fan put his mind at ease. His understanding of Master Tongtian's strength deepened. From this far away, he had silently disabled the government's precision instruments. The technique was practically divine.

Just as Lin Fan was preparing to try meditating again, the phone on his desk suddenly began vibrating urgently. Its screen lit up, showing an unfamiliar local number.

Lin Fan's heart instinctively tightened. After everything that had happened, he had become wary of unknown callers almost by reflex. He glanced at Master Tongtian and Nüwa. When neither reacted, he picked up the phone, answered, and turned on speakerphone.

"Hello? Who's this?" Lin Fan tried to keep his voice calm.

There was a two-second silence on the other end, followed by a low, slightly hoarse male voice. It carried an unquestionable air of authority. "Is this Lin Fan, Mr. Lin?"

"It's me. Who are you?" Lin Fan grew more wary. The voice was unfamiliar, and it had a distinctly underworld edge.

"Who I am doesn't matter." The other man's tone did not change. "I hear you've got some... 'health supplements' that work pretty well. Our boss is very interested and wants to talk to you."

Lin Fan's heart jolted! So they were after Laojun's "sugar pills," after all! How had the news leaked so quickly? Was it Li Fugui? Someone at the hospital? Or had the official surveillance picked up on something?

He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. Following the response strategy he had discussed with the two saints—mostly worked out by himself, since Master Tongtian and Nüwa had neither approved nor objected—he answered in a confused, distant tone. "Sorry, I think you've got the wrong person. I don't have any health supplements."

"Mr. Lin, let's not beat around the bush." The man's voice cooled, taking on a hint of menace. "We heard about what happened with Boss Li. Anything that can bring him back from the dead isn't an ordinary health supplement. Our boss is sincere, and price is no object. Ten tonight, Blue Note Bar, VIP Room 3. Our boss wants to meet you. I hope you won't... refuse to show him the respect he deserves."

Blue Note Bar? Lin Fan knew the place. It was one of the city's most famous money pits, and a gathering place for every kind of crook and thug. The choice of venue made the other party's connections and intentions obvious.

Lin Fan frowned. His instinct was to refuse an invitation that came with an implied threat. But then he thought better of it. Avoiding them wouldn't solve anything. These underworld forces clung like burrs; if he didn't deal with them properly, they would cause even bigger problems sooner or later. Besides, with Master Tongtian and Nüwa there, what did he have to fear? A strange confidence rose within him.

He glanced at Master Tongtian. The latter still had his eyes closed, but the corner of his mouth seemed to curl in the faintest trace of disdain. Lin Fan looked at Nüwa next. She gave him a gentle nod, her warm eyes encouraging him, as if to say, "There's no need to be afraid. Just follow your heart."

Lin Fan steadied himself and spoke into the phone. "It's too late, and it's inconvenient. Besides, I don't know your boss. We have nothing to discuss."

The man seemed not to have expected Lin Fan to refuse. His voice immediately turned ominous. "Mr. Lin, you'd better think this through. Some opportunities don't come twice. And if you refuse to show someone respect... the consequences can be serious. Our boss has far more clout than a nouveau riche like Li Fugui. He could have you lying in a hospital bed for the rest of your life with just one word."

A blatant threat!

Lin Fan was furious, but above all, he remained calm. Then he suddenly remembered the scenes he'd seen in novels. When dealing with people like this, he couldn't seem too weak, but he also couldn't be too forceful and escalate the conflict. He needed to strike... just the right pose.

He fell silent for a moment, as though weighing the pros and cons, then spoke in a calculating, somewhat mercenary tone. "...Since your boss is so 'sincere,' I suppose I can consider it. But a place like Blue Note is too chaotic. I don't like it. If we're going to talk, pick somewhere else."

The man on the other end paused, apparently not expecting Lin Fan to make demands after being threatened. "Where do you want to meet?"

"Tomorrow at ten in the morning, the Jingxin Teahouse downtown. Bamboo Charm Room." Lin Fan named a relatively public place with a peaceful atmosphere. "I'll wait ten minutes. Don't be late."

The other man fell silent again, apparently checking with someone. A few seconds later, he spoke once more, his voice laced with suppressed anger and... curiosity. "Fine! We'll do it your way! Tomorrow at ten in the morning, Bamboo Charm Room at Jingxin Teahouse! I hope you... bring enough 'goods'!"

"We'll talk about the goods when we meet." Lin Fan gave no commitment and hung up.

After setting down the phone, Lin Fan let out a long breath. His palms felt a little sweaty. He had seemed calm just then, but there was no denying he was nervous facing such a blatant underworld threat.

"Your response was acceptable," Master Tongtian said, opening his eyes at some point and glancing at Lin Fan. "You neither grovelled nor provoked them, and you left yourself room to maneuver. If those ants dare to act up, we'll simply wipe them out."

His tone was calm, yet it carried an incomparable killing intent. To him, dealing with these mundane forces seemed even simpler and more direct than dispelling the government's surveillance signal.

Nüwa furrowed her brow slightly and said softly, "This world has its own rules for settling disputes. Lin Fan, you must tread carefully and not incur bloodshed lightly. It will not benefit your cultivation. However, if they go too far, you need not keep yielding." Her words were full of compassion, but she was no pushover without principles.

Lin Fan nodded. "I understand, Goddess Nüwa. I'll see what happens and act accordingly." He knew Master Tongtian could disregard the rules and settle everything with brute force, but he couldn't. He still had to live in this world and needed to solve problems within certain bounds. Tomorrow's meeting would be another test of his ability to adapt.

"It seems Laojun's 'sugar pills' are even more enticing than we imagined," Lin Fan said with a wry smile. "They've even drawn in a local big shot like this."

"Possession invites trouble. It has always been so," Nüwa said softly. "Even under this world's restrictive laws, Senior Brother Taishang's alchemy is far beyond the ordinary. It is only natural that it would attract covetous eyes."

Just then, Taishang Laojun, who had been quietly sitting in a corner, slowly opened his eyes. He had been resting with his eyes closed, seemingly indifferent to everything around him. Now he looked at Lin Fan with his customary, all-knowing, unhurried smile and spoke leisurely.

"Fortune conceals misfortune; misfortune lurks within fortune. Young friend, trouble can also be an opportunity. Since they have something they want, we can put them to use."

Lin Fan's heart stirred. He looked at Laojun. "Senior Laojun, what do you mean?"

Laojun stroked his snow-white beard and chuckled. "They want medicine, so give them some. But the highest bidder gets the goods... and the goods come second."

Lin Fan froze for a moment, then suddenly understood. His eyes gradually lit up!

Laojun's meaning couldn't be clearer! These people wanted "sugar pills"? Fine! But they'd have to pay more! And he didn't necessarily have to give them the same elixir that could bring the dying back to life. He could offer a "basic" or "youth" version, with much weaker effects instead! That way, he could satisfy some of their needs and reap huge profits, while controlling the potential impact of the "miracle medicine" spreading too widely. He could even use the opportunity to learn more about these forces!

It was the perfect solution!

"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!" Lin Fan couldn't help giving him a thumbs-up, filled with admiration for Laojun.