"Elder Zhao, what you're saying is too sensational. It's not that I don't want to take it, but I'm afraid I won't be able to handle it."
Lu Fan forced a wry smile and said, "I need to consult with my superiors."
Zhao Bo suddenly changed the subject, saying, "Steward Lu, you should be close to the Late Bone-Forge Realm, right?"
Lu Fan was taken aback, then nodded and said, "Yes, I plan to go into seclusion during this period to try and break through to the Late Bone-Forge Realm. Elder Zhao is truly insightful; he could even see that."
"Of course I can see that," Zhao Bo snorted, raising an eyebrow. "But Steward Lu, when you took my master Luo Heaven Pill, you didn't mention asking for permission from above."
Lu Fan's ability to break through to the Bone-Forge Realm so quickly was indeed largely due to the Luo Heaven Pill that Gu Chen gave him!
So upon hearing this, he could only chuckle dryly and say, "Elder Zhao, you need to give me time to process this. Your Heavenly Pivot Sect wiped out the Zhou Family so easily, and you even have a conflict with the Steel Tremor Sect. Now you want us to spread rumors that the Steel Tremor Sect orchestrated the Wuji Manor... This whole series of events is bewildering. Even if I wanted to take it on, I need to have the capability. I'm just a manager in the black market; how can I represent the Water Cloud Sect..."
"You don't need to represent the Water Cloud Sect," Zhao Bo said. "Master said you only need to represent the Black Market. How many people believe this news is not important."
Lu Fan was sweating profusely, and the bitterness on his face was even more pronounced.
This Zhao Bo is no pushover.
Although Lu Fan had known Zhao Bo before, Zhao Bo was just a receptionist for their black market back then. He never imagined that Zhao Bo would be so strong, and that he would be an elder of a major sect.
A thought suddenly flashed through his mind, and he couldn't help but ask, "Elder Zhao, you've been hiding in Zhou City for so long. Has the Heavenly Pivot Sect already laid a plan? What is its purpose?"
"There's no need to worry about Steward Lu."
Zhao Bo coldly replied, "As long as Steward Lu is on the same boat as us, with my master's ability to casually give you third-grade pills, and the foundation of the Heavenly Pivot Sect, do you think you'll be shortchanged on benefits?"
"This matter is of great importance, involving the Steel Tremor Sect and even the Wuji Manor..." Lu Fan said with a wry smile, "Our Water Cloud Sect is not even as good as the Steel Tremor Sect. I am just a small, unofficial member. How dare I presume to be associated with them?"
Although Zhao Bo's offer was tempting, Lu Fan was no child at heart. After weighing the pros and cons, he politely declined.
"Good!"
Zhao Bo stood up and said, "Since Steward Lu won't accept, then we don't need to talk anymore. There's a black market in the south of the city; I think they'd be interested in our Heavenly Pivot Sect. I've troubled Steward Lu for the time being; farewell."
"Etc..."
Upon hearing Zhao Bo's words, Lu Fan was immediately shocked.
Seeing Zhao Bo walking towards the VIP entrance without stopping, he immediately took two steps forward and stopped him.
Lu Fan looked troubled and said, "Elder Zhao, please don't make things difficult for me. I'm just a nobody; I really can't get involved in the struggles between your major sects."
"I didn't force you, so what's the meaning of stopping me?" Zhao Bo said coldly.
Although Lu Fan didn't want to get involved, he couldn't let such a big piece of information and opportunity slip away to his competitors. In Huaxia, there are many sects that control the black market. These trading markets are extremely lucrative and information flows quickly. In Zhou City, one of the two major black markets is backed by the Water Cloud Sect, and the other is controlled by the Three Rivers Sect.
Although Lu Fan couldn't make the decision on this matter, if his superiors found out that he had passed the benefits to the Three Rivers Sect, they probably wouldn't let him off the hook. So, caught in a dilemma, he could only stop Zhao Bo.
Faced with Zhao Bo's questioning, Lu Fan couldn't very well tell him to stay away from the black market in the south of the city, so he could only swallow hard and say, "Well then, Elder Zhao, let's discuss this further. Please have a seat..."
"My master gave me a strict order: the message must get out today."
Zhao Bo coldly replied, "I don't have time for lengthy discussions with you."
"Well then..." Lu Fan thought for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "I can send a message saying that the Zhou Family's massacre is related to the Steel Tremor Sect. As for the Wuji Manor, I still need to consider it."
"Since Steward Lu isn't sincere, let's stop talking."
Zhao Bo refused to budge an inch.
Seeing his expression, Lu Fan couldn't help but wipe the sweat from his forehead and said with a mournful face, "Elder Zhao, please stop messing with me. I can't afford to offend either Wuji Manor or Steel Tremor Sect. I've already made a huge concession by doing this much. If the news gets out, I'll be blamed by the higher-ups, and I can't bear that responsibility!"
"Now that things have come to this, I'll just have to tell Steward Lu a little bit about it."
Zhao Bo said ominously, "Didn't Steward Lu just ask me why our Heavenly Pivot Sect has been in Zhou City for so long? Well, I can tell you now, our goal is the Shennong Grass!"
"What?!"
Lu Fan was utterly horrified!
Shennong Grass?! Although he wasn't a master, how could any martial artist not know about Shennong Grass!
That's a level four medicinal herb!
A once-in-a-century opportunity! Something every sect would fight tooth and nail to acquire!
Even in their black market, one such plant might not appear for decades!
"The Shennong Grass will appear in Zhou City!" Zhao Bo said, enunciating each word clearly. "The Steel Tremor Sect and Wuji Manor are both here for this! And with my master's abilities, he is determined to obtain it! If Steward Lu cooperates, and my master obtains the Shennong Grass, you will surely receive a share!"
Since bragging is free, Zhao Bo spoke without any inhibitions.
But Lu Fan's mind was a complete mess at the moment. He had to admit that the Shennong Grass had a huge impact on him. Considering Gu Chen's mysterious and unpredictable nature, as well as Zhao Bo's "long period of dormancy," he couldn't tell the truth from the falsehood and believed most of it!
Furthermore, what Zhao Bo just said is not that Water Cloud Sect has a share, but that Lu Fan himself has a share!
This temptation is undeniably great!
"I've already passed this message on to you behind Master's back. Steward Lu, give me your answer on what to do!" Zhao Bo said coldly. "If it weren't for the black market's ability to transmit information, and Master's desire to suppress the matter of the Shennong Grass, do you think such a good thing would have fallen into your lap? I'll give you one more minute to consider. This is an immense opportunity; if you don't cherish it, then there's no hope for you!"
Time passed second by second, and a minute felt like an eternity. Lu Fan's expression changed dozens of times.
Finally, just as Zhao Bo was growing impatient, Lu Fan gritted his teeth and said, "Elder Zhao, please tell Mr. Gu that I agree!"
The next morning, after waking up from his cultivation, Gu Chen let out a heavy sigh.
"I've absorbed one-tenth of the Cold Spiritual Qi, and my cultivation at the Revolving Illumination Realm has gradually stabilized," Gu Chen Jade Guanyin. "The Cold Spiritual Qi and the ' Heaven and Earth Creation Art ' truly complement each other. Before my Emperor's Vein is fully opened, this is absolutely my best tonic. And Zhao Haiqing has been a great help to me, getting this from the Liu Family from who knows where."
After getting up, Gu Chen stored the Jade Guanyin in the Emperor's Vein and left the room.
Arriving at the door of his father's room, Gu Chen did not go in. Instead, he extended his Divine Sense and found that Gu Beichi was concentrating on cultivation.
Having obtained the "Secret Records of Divine Light," a cultivation method dozens of times superior to worldly techniques, Gu Beichi was like a child who had found a priceless treasure. Without Gu Chen's reminder, he no longer cared about company affairs and focused solely on cultivation.
Just then, the phone rang; it was Su Qingqing calling.
"Gu Chen, my dad wants to see you."