The Taiming Sect was in chaos, and the internal situation wasn’t any better.
Elder Tie, the Taiming Sect’s Great Elder, was currently sitting in the acting Sect Leader’s seat, overwhelmed by the reports coming in from the various peaks.
He never expected that Kuanglong Hall’s methods would be so vicious—they had long since bribed some Taiming Sect disciples to spread rumors and disrupt morale at this critical moment!
Before the Taiming Sect was even financially strained, the peaks were already in a state of panic, with disciples even contemplating how to escape the mountain and which sects would be suitable as their next home after leaving Taiming Sect.
And, to make matters worse, the Sect Leader had gone out and hadn’t returned, unreachable by any means, leaving Elder Tie without any effective countermeasures.
Yet even in such dire circumstances, he received even more devastating news—
“What? Not coming back? Returning in seven days?!”
Upon receiving the message from Jiang Ke’er and the others, Elder Tie nearly exploded on the spot!
Seven days—how could the Taiming Sect possibly hold on that long?
If a few of you elite disciples could return and stabilize morale, maybe they could survive those seven days, but if you didn’t come back…
Elder Tie trembled.
Could it be that even these elite disciples were thinking of betraying the Sect? A chill ran down Elder Tie’s spine.
“Return! Immediately return! Otherwise, you will be charged with the crime of sect betrayal!” Elder Tie sent out a message with a harsh tone, even laced with murderous intent.
At the same time, he summoned the peak masters of Lingyin Valley, Qingjin Peak, and Starfall Peak, ordering them to use the same stern tone to urge Jiang Ke’er and the others to return.
Master Yiqin wore a worried expression as she messaged Jiang Ke’er.
【What on earth are you all doing? Come back quickly! The Great Elder is furious because of you!】
But the reply Yiqin received remained unchanged.
【Seven days, please trust me, Master.】
Trust you my foot! The sect might be in shambles by then!
【Return! Immediately! Right now!】 Master Yiqin sent a message filled with anger.
Unfortunately, Jiang Ke’er did not reply after that.
Jiang Ke’er did not assign tasks to Xuanyang and the others for the time being but instead took them to the Auction House’s consignment goods area.
Along the way, they passed by the Taiming Sect’s Medical Hall and shops, where Jiang Ke’er saw—just as Xuanyang had said—a sea of rioters blocking the entrances to the Medical Hall and shops, loudly shouting curses and protests.
They even held up banners that read: 【Heartless! Taiming Sect Medical Hall profits by endangering lives!】
【Fake medicines everywhere! Lingyin Valley are wicked she-devils!】
Hmm… quite the rhyme.
Opening a Medical Hall naturally led to some doctor-patient conflicts; Taiming Sect’s Medical Hall had experienced such troubles before and usually resolved them quickly. But this time was different.
Medical disturbances typically aimed to extort money, but for these people, even if the Medical Hall offered hush money, they refused to leave.
The young ladies inside the Medical Hall looked wronged and were trying to reason and negotiate with the rioters, hoping to ease the tension.
But the other side was resolute—they were willing to drag the Medical Hall and shops down with them, refusing to let them operate normally!
“Those beasts from the Blood-Stopping Pill Sect!” Xuanyang gritted his teeth.
“Not just the Blood-Stopping Pill Sect,” Jiang Ke’er sneered. “That’s the Dan Sect Alliance, composed of dozens of massive Pill Cultivator sects. Almost all of Dongsheng Shenzhou’s top Dan Cultivator sects are involved.”
Xuanyang was puzzled. “How does Kuanglong Hall have so much face?”
“It’s not that Kuanglong Hall has that much face. Kuanglong Hall is only one among many now.”
At that moment, Jiang Ke’er and the others arrived at the Dan Sect Alliance flagship store.
They hadn’t noticed before, but it was located not far from the Taiming Sect’s pill shop. The bustling, prosperous scene inside was a stark contrast to the Taiming Sect pill shop.
Though it wasn’t the first day of operation, the store was still packed, requiring a queue just to enter. Xuanyang and the others looked on with a mix of envy and frustration.
“Taiming Sect has the largest Medical Cultivation Institute in all of Shenzhou—Lingyin Valley. If Taiming Sect falls, Lingyin Valley will fall with it. Who will be the happiest then?” Jiang Ke’er raised an eyebrow.
“…”
No need to say—it would be those Pill Cultivator sects.
Besides their peers, Lingyin Valley was the biggest obstacle on the path to profit for these Pill Cultivator sects.
They dreamt of seeing the Medical Cultivators decline, so that in this ceaselessly war-torn cultivation world, cultivators would have no choice but to rely solely on their pills to survive…
Controlling the cultivators’ lives meant controlling an endless stream of money.
Caught off guard, Xuanyang hadn’t had time to process everything, but Jiang Ke’er’s words enlightened him, and he suddenly understood the cause and effect.
“This isn’t just a minor sect dispute or a conflict sparked by accident. It’s an inevitable war waiting to erupt,” Jiang Ke’er said.
“Blocking financial routes is like killing your own parents. Even if Taiming Sect doesn’t care, some definitely will… Especially if cheap Medical Cultivator forces grow stronger, it will be a disaster for many sects that rely on monopolizing life-saving pills.”
“So… what can we do?” Xuanyang couldn’t help but feel despondent, deeply sensing how insignificant his power was in this massive war sweeping across all of Dongsheng Shenzhou.
“Don’t worry. Follow me.”
Talking as they walked, the group soon reached the Auction House’s consignment area.
The number of customers here wasn’t any less than the outside market.
Jiang Ke’er led them through the long, crowded street until they found her Lucky Bag stand.
A thousand Lucky Bags were stacked like a small mountain, and from Jiang Ke’er’s observation, the number hadn’t changed at all.
It shouldn’t be like this…
Jiang Ke’er was puzzled. Logically, since the sales clerk had been instructed to give away ten bags for free, once people opened those bags, they would quickly become repeat customers.
Nearly two hours had passed, and there were only two hours left before her consignment time expired, forcing her to pack up.
Jiang Ke’er wasn’t anxious. She brought the group to sit in a second-floor tavern opposite the stand, watching the stand through the tavern’s window.
“What are we doing?” someone asked, confused.
“Watch that stand. Don’t rush,” Jiang Ke’er said.
Soon, Jiang Ke’er saw through the situation.
The substitute sales clerk seemed to think these goods wouldn’t sell anyway, and his attitude was extremely slack. He neither called out to customers nor moved.
With only half an hour left, he lazily climbed out of his recliner and shouted, “Garbage bags… oh no, what are these called again…”
He walked up to the stand and glanced at the promotional sign with the product’s name, then remembered and muttered weakly, “First Issue Super Value Spiritual Pill Lucky Bag—Free giveaway! First ten free, first come first served!”
At least he had some conscience—not pocketing the ten free giveaway bags himself.
However, even free, these eyesore Small Universe Bags didn’t attract much interest.
Only one vagrant leisurely strolled over.