"The people of the Merchant Association really have rotted through. They actually let a source of trouble like this slip by."
"No need to be surprised. The Money Dao is all about making money through harmony, negotiating and compromising. That erodes a cultivator's heart for bold advancement and forging ahead without retreat. Given enough time, they fall into depravity without even realizing it.
"Otherwise, did you think commercial warfare really involved all that masterful strategizing and meticulous maneuvering in the legends? In practice, it's nothing but projecting souls to spy on secrets, stewards poisoning managers' tea, storming the Hall of Affairs with a gang to seize official seals, and smashing colleagues over the head with sledgehammers..."
After returning his soul to his body, Li Ling discussed the matter with his wife and offered this assessment.
He decided to bypass the Merchant Association and eliminate those potential threats himself.
He was already conspicuous enough, and the incense array might become a thorn in the Blood Shark Bandits' eyes and flesh. Standing idly by would be unwise, but rashly stepping forward to shoulder the burden would be even more foolish.
Fortunately, he still had soul projection at his disposal and could put it to good use.
Following the clues he had obtained in the dreamscape, Li Ling focused on finding people who had been active near that dock.
Many days had passed since the incident. With so many people and scents mingling at the scene, distinguishing them was extremely difficult. Even Li Ling's fragrance-sensing talent could no longer track his targets directly.
However, he had memorized the faces of several key figures in the dreamscape and deliberately reinforced those memories after waking. They soon proved useful.
One of them turned out to be a Blood Shark Bandit operative concealed at the dock.