You Have to Pay More!

As the night deepened, the city's brilliant lights resembled stars embedded in the earth, mirroring the sparse stars in the sky. Lin Fan's rented room, however, felt like a world unto itself, isolated from the clamor and scrutiny of the outside. On the windowsill, the "Breathing Soil" statue emanated a warm and peaceful Dao rhythm, mingling with the aura of the lively clay beasts Nüwa had recently crafted, filling the small space with an ineffable tranquility and spirituality.

Lin Fan sat cross-legged on the floor in the center of the room, his eyes slightly closed, his breathing long and steady, attempting to enter the cultivation state of the Supreme Clarity Heart-Cleansing Mantra. With the profound experience of drawing upon that wisp of "Innate Qi" before, his enthusiasm for cultivation had soared to unprecedented heights. Although several subsequent attempts failed to capture the essence of the origin of all things again, each time he entered a state of tranquility, he could feel his spirit being nourished to an almost imperceptible degree, his mind becoming clearer, and his five senses seemingly becoming a little sharper.

Not far from him, Master Tongtian remained seated on his yoga mat, as steady as a rock. However, he wasn't simply regulating his breath; he was sinking a portion of his consciousness into the profound origin of his supreme sword intent, hidden deep within him. Ever since the day his eyes flashed with sword light, driving away the thugs, and he had achieved a small success in the financial market through extraordinary deduction, he seemed to have found a path to actively operate in this "spirit-deprived land." If he couldn't absorb spiritual energy, he would temper his will and refine his sword heart. He was like the most patient craftsman, using his own soul as a hammer, repeatedly forging the defiant true meaning of the sword path, which was fiercely suppressed by the laws of heaven and earth, trying to carve out a sliver of his own space in this monolithic wall of rules. The faint sharpness emanating from his body seemed to have solidified by an almost imperceptible degree compared to when he first arrived.

Nüwa, meanwhile, sat by the window at the table, a new ream of better quality Xuan paper Lin Fan had bought, along with a set of decent quality brushes and inkstones, spread out before her. She no longer used a pencil for sketching but was trying her hand at the traditional brush and ink art of this world. Her delicate hand lightly held a wolf-hair brush, dipped in thick ink, but she didn't rush to put brush to paper. She closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment, as if recalling and sensing. When she opened her eyes again, they were clear and empty, as if reflecting the scene of the world's creation. The tip of the brush touched the paper, like a dragonfly skimming the water, or a spirit snake slithering. With just a few strokes, the outline of a vast, majestic, and imposing mountain range sprang to life on the paper. This mountain was not a sketch of any famous mountain in reality, yet it contained a profound Dao rhythm of "carrying heaven and earth" and "unchanging through the ages," as if it were a remnant shadow of Mount Buzhou from her memory, or a manifestation of her understanding of the concept of "earth." The painting was not finished, but the moment she stopped, the entire sheet of Xuan paper seemed to gain weight, faintly emitting an aura that calmed the heart and spirit.

In the small rented room, the three individuals went about their own business, not interfering with each other, yet their energies were connected, forming a strange and harmonious picture.

However, this tranquility did not last long.

An extremely faint electronic interference sound, with a specific frequency, seeped in from outside the window like a gnat. This sound was almost imperceptible to ordinary people, but to beings with senses far beyond the norm, it was as clear as a drumbeat.

Almost simultaneously, both Tongtian and Nüwa opened their eyes.

A cold glint flashed in Tongtian's eyes, and the restrained sword intent around him rippled like a disturbed abyss, emitting a cold ripple. He looked up towards a certain direction outside the window, where it faced a window of the opposite building, whose curtains were always drawn—one of the official surveillance points.

Nüwa frowned slightly. She put down her brush, and the Dao rhythm on the unfinished Mount Buzhou Intent slowly receded. She could feel that the sudden interference signal carried a clear probing intent, not an attack, but more like a... precise energy wave scan, directly targeting the clay sculptures imbued with Dao rhythm that she had previously shaped, especially the "息壤" on the windowsill!

"Hmph, noisy." Tongtian snorted coldly, clearly displeased by these repeated probes. He formed his fingers into a sword and, without pointing outside, lightly slashed the empty space within the room.

An invisible, formless, yet incredibly sharp sword of intent was silently unleashed! It wasn't aimed at matter, but at the specific frequency waves that had permeated the room!

"Chh—"

A barely audible sound, like a bubble popping, echoed in the room. The uncomfortable electronic interference instantly vanished, and the night outside returned to its usual silence. Inside the surveillance point in the opposite building, the screen of a special frequency energy detector, which was in operation, suddenly displayed a chaotic stream of data, followed by a series of garbled characters and error messages. The probe immediately overloaded and began to emit smoke. The operator was startled and quickly filed a report.

Chen Jing soon received the message. Looking at the report stating, "Equipment suspected to be damaged by unknown high-intensity mental interference," she rubbed her temples, a hint of helplessness appearing on her face. As expected, this level of probing had immediately provoked a counterattack. She ordered, "Halt all active probing activities. Maintain only basic optical and acoustic surveillance. Do not provoke them further."

In the rented room, Lin Fan was also jolted awake by the momentary anomaly and Tongtian's silent "sword," breaking his cultivation state. He looked at Tongtian and Nüwa with confusion, "Seniors, just now..."

"It's nothing, just some gnats peeping, already driven away." Tongtian said lightly, closing his eyes again, as if he had merely swatted a mosquito.

Nüwa also smiled gently at him, "No need to worry, continue with your cultivation."

Seeing that both Sages were so calm, Lin Fan felt relieved. His understanding of Tongtian's strength deepened. From such a distance, causing official precision instruments to malfunction without a trace—this skill was simply divine.

Just as Lin Fan was about to attempt to enter tranquility again, his phone on the table vibrated urgently, and the screen lit up, displaying an unfamiliar local number.

Lin Fan's heart tightened instinctively. After experiencing so much, he had developed a conditioned reflex of vigilance towards unknown callers. He glanced at Tongtian and Nüwa, and seeing no objection from them, he picked up the phone, answered it, and pressed the speakerphone button.

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

There was a two-second silence on the other end, followed by a deep, slightly hoarse male voice with an undeniable assertiveness, "Is this Lin Fan, Mr. Lin?"

"It is. Who are you?" Lin Fan's vigilance intensified. The voice was unfamiliar and carried a certain underworld swagger.

"Who I am is not important." The other party's tone remained unchanged. "I heard you have some... 'health supplements' with good effects? Our boss is very interested and wants to talk to you."

Lin Fan's heart jolted! It was indeed about Old Lord's "candy"! Had the news leaked so quickly? Was it that Li Fugui? Or from the hospital? Or... did the official surveillance discover something?

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. Following the strategy they had discussed with the two Sages (mainly his own ideas, with Tongtian and Nüwa remaining noncommittal), he replied with a tone of slight confusion and detachment, "Sorry, I think you might have the wrong person. I don't have any health supplements."

"Mr. Lin, let's not beat around the bush." The other party's voice turned colder, with a hint of threat. "We heard about what happened with Boss Li. Something that can bring him back from the dead is no ordinary health supplement. Our boss is very sincere, and price is not an issue. Tonight at ten o'clock, VIP Room 3 at the 'Blue Note' bar, our boss wants to meet you. We hope Mr. Lin... won't refuse."

"Blue Note" bar? Lin Fan knew the place. It was a well-known money pit in the city, a melting pot of all sorts of people. The fact that they chose to meet there made their background and intentions obvious.

Lin Fan frowned. He instinctively wanted to refuse this threatening invitation. But on second thought, constantly avoiding them probably wouldn't solve the problem. These underground forces were like persistent sores; if not dealt with thoroughly, they would eventually cause bigger trouble. Moreover, with Tongtian and Nüwa here, he didn't seem to have anything to fear? A sense of inexplicable confidence rose from the bottom of his heart.

He glanced at Tongtian, who still had his eyes closed, but the corner of his mouth seemed to curve into an almost imperceptible mocking arc. He looked at Nüwa, who nodded gently at him, her eyes warm yet encouraging, as if saying, "Don't be afraid, just act according to your heart."

Lin Fan steadied himself and said into the phone, "It's too late, it's inconvenient. Besides, I don't know your boss, and there's nothing to talk about."

The other party seemed taken aback by Lin Fan's refusal, and their tone immediately turned sinister. "Mr. Lin, I advise you to think carefully. Some opportunities, once missed, are gone forever. Some respect, if not given... the consequences can be severe. Our boss's influence is not comparable to that of a nouveau riche like Li Fugui. Making you lie in a hospital for the rest of your life is just a matter of his word."

Blatant threat!

Lin Fan's heart flared with anger, but more so with calmness. He suddenly recalled scenes from novels he had read before. When facing such forces, one couldn't appear too weak, but also couldn't be too aggressive and escalate the conflict. A certain... appropriate posture was needed.

He remained silent for a moment, as if weighing the pros and cons, then said in a tone of careful consideration and pragmatism, "...Since your boss is so 'sincere,' I can consider it. However, 'Blue Note' is too chaotic, I don't like it. If you want to talk, let's change the venue."

The voice on the other end paused, seemingly seeking instructions. After a few seconds, the voice returned, with a hint of suppressed anger and... a trace of curiosity. "Where do you want to talk?"

"Tomorrow morning at ten o'clock, at the 'Jingxin' teahouse in the city center, Bamboo Rhyme private room." Lin Fan named a relatively public and tranquil place. "I'll only wait for ten minutes, no latecomers."

The other party was silent again, seemingly conferring. A few seconds later, the voice returned, with a hint of suppressed anger and... a trace of curiosity. "Alright! We'll do as you say! Tomorrow morning at ten o'clock, Bamboo Rhyme private room at 'Jingxin' teahouse! I hope Mr. Lin... brings enough 'goods'!"

"We'll discuss the 'goods' when we meet." Lin Fan replied noncommittally and hung up the phone.

Putting down the phone, Lin Fan let out a long sigh, feeling his palms were a little sweaty. Although he had appeared calm just now, facing such a blatant threat from the underworld, it was a lie to say he wasn't nervous.

"Adequate response." Tongtian opened his eyes at some point, glanced at Lin Fan, and said lightly, "Neither servile nor overbearing, leaving room for maneuver. If such ants dare to cause trouble, they shall be annihilated."

His tone was indifferent, yet it contained an unparalleled aura of killing intent. To him, resolving such mundane troubles seemed simpler and more direct than dispelling the official surveillance signals.

Nüwa frowned slightly and said softly, "The struggles in this world also have their rules. Lin Fan, you must be careful in your dealings and avoid getting entangled in karma, as it will not benefit your cultivation. However, if they push too far, there is no need to tolerate it." Her words were filled with compassion, yet not without principle or weakness.

Lin Fan nodded, "I understand, Goddess Nüwa. I will act according to the situation." He knew that Tongtian could disregard rules and break through with sheer force, but he couldn't. He still had to live in this world and needed to follow certain rules to solve problems. Tomorrow's meeting would be another test of his ability to adapt.

"It seems that Senior Old Lord's 'candy' is much more attractive than we imagined," Lin Fan said with a wry smile. "It's even attracting these local thugs."

"Possessing treasures invites calamity, both ancient and modern," Nüwa said softly. "Senior Taishang's elixirs, even under the suppression of this world's laws, are extraordinary. It is natural for them to attract covetous eyes."

Just then, Taishang Laojun, who had been quietly staying in the corner, slowly opened his eyes. He had been resting with his eyes closed, as if indifferent to everything around him. At this moment, he looked at Lin Fan, a hint of his usual, all-knowing, detached smile on his face, and said slowly:

"Fortune lies hidden in misfortune, and misfortune lies hidden in fortune. Young friend, trouble is also an opportunity. Since they have a request, they can be used by us."

Lin Fan's heart stirred, and he looked at Old Lord, "Senior Old Lord, what do you mean?"

Taishang Laojun stroked his snow-white beard and chuckled, "He seeks medicine, you provide it. However, the highest bidder gets it. The goods... are secondary."

Lin Fan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized, his eyes gradually lighting up!

Taishang Laojun's meaning was crystal clear! These people wanted the "magic beans," didn't they? Fine! But they'd have to pay extra! And what they got might not be the original resurrection elixir, but a "simplified" or "youth" version with greatly weakened effects! This way, he could satisfy some of their needs, gain immense profit, control the potential impact of the "divine medicine" spreading, and also use this opportunity to gauge the true strength of these factions!

It was a plan with multiple benefits!

"Brilliant! Truly brilliant!" Lin Fan couldn't help but give a thumbs-up, completely awestruck by Taishang Laojun.