“What exactly did you put in the food? Are you trying to sabotage us?”
“Ouch, it hurts so much! Why does it hurt like this?”
“Did you dose us to stop us from training? That’s just too malicious!”
“Are you trying to kill us?”
Panicked, the crowd rushed over to her, speaking all at once.
But that wasn’t the end. The other employees had never seen anything like this. Listening to the barrage of accusations, Shangguan Muqing was completely stunned.
“Senior Sister Shangguan, what do we do? Who did this?”
“Could it be that someone saw us cultivating too comfortably and deliberately set us up?”
“That must be it! I’ve long suspected that guy was up to no good, trying to branch out on his own!”
“Xiao Li bought the supplies. If he bought fake goods, that would explain it!”
“What nonsense are you spouting? How could I do something like that? I strictly followed Senior Sister Shangguan’s instructions! If you slander me again, I won’t be polite!”
“I’ve had it with you!”
“Come on then! If you want trouble, bring it! Do you think I’m afraid of you?”
With a shop full of guests clutching their stomachs in pain, and her subordinates on the verge of a fight over a single disagreement, Shangguan Muqing’s head was spinning.
Despite the overwhelming headache, she had to step in. She shouted angrily,
“Shut up, all of you! No more arguing! The next person to argue gets thrown out!”
Everyone calmed down, but still looked unconvinced, some even rolling up their sleeves as if ready for action.
Shangguan Muqing coldly swept her gaze over them and said in a low voice,
“This is probably not Xiao Li’s fault. It must be Lin Huanhuan! She loves using these dirty tricks! If we start infighting now, we’ll be playing right into her hands!”
Even though she wasn’t sure if it really was Lin Huanhuan, the situation urgently needed a common enemy. So even if it wasn’t her, she had to insist on it. Only then could they possibly get through the crisis.
Guests were still lying all over the floor.
Hearing this, everyone’s expressions softened a little, but the gloom hadn’t fully lifted.
Shangguan Muqing thought for a moment and quickly issued commands:
“Have those with stomachaches go to the restroom first and see if that helps.”
“And Xiao Zhao, Xiao Li—the two of you go fetch a physician immediately to check what’s going on with them and whether there’s any serious problem.”
Everyone followed orders, and work proceeded smoothly.
About half an hour later, the physician who treated the stomach-pained guests told them the cause:
“This is caused by a strong laxative. Check if any laxative was accidentally added to the food. They’ll be fine after resting for a few days. Have them drink plenty of water in the meantime.”
Shangguan Muqing immediately said,
“Just as I thought! This is definitely Lin Huanhuan’s doing, deliberately trying to throw us into chaos!”
Then she turned to the affected guests and said,
“Everyone, even though we didn’t put the laxative in, it’s still related to us. We can’t stop the other side from using underhanded tactics. But I can’t let you suffer for nothing. I’ll cover the physician’s fees and give each of you a one-month membership. Please don’t take offense and bear with me.”
The guests, who had been somewhat dissatisfied, immediately let their anger fade. The crisis was barely resolved.
The Formation Peak Water Army mingling in the crowd felt slightly disappointed. It was a shame they hadn’t managed to bring the shop to total ruin.
After seeing off the guests, the martial arts hall closed early—with such a big incident, it wasn’t good to stay open.
Inside, Shangguan Muqing rallied her people:
“Everyone, don’t worry. I’ve already countered the other side’s sinister schemes, and now we’re on guard. It won’t be so easy for them to pull this trick again.”
“They may seem strong, but they’re actually paper tigers. The more they resort to these underhanded tactics, the more they reveal their lack of confidence. They don’t dare to face us head-on!”
“We don’t need to do anything extra. The more we do, the more mistakes we’ll make. Just do your job properly, wait quietly, and in six days, we’ll win!”
“In short, the advantage is ours!”
Hearing this, everyone’s confidence soared, and the previous panic vanished.
After this incident, though the hall faced some risks, Shangguan Muqing had barely managed to unite everyone into one rope.
Shangguan Muqing nodded in satisfaction, suppressing the unease in her heart:
‘Lin Huanhuan, go ahead and use whatever tricks you have! I’m not afraid of you!’
Then she gave new orders: from now on, four people would keep watch at night to prevent such incidents, and checks would be strengthened in all areas.
…
“Wow, as expected of Boss Huanhuan! That move was way too powerful—completely threw them into disarray!”
“No wonder she has such high Array Dao cultivation. She’s so much stronger than ordinary people. I’m so jealous—I wish I had that kind of strength too!”
“It’s a pity that Shangguan Muqing reacted so quickly. Otherwise, that would have been the end of it. We could have won directly. But even so, she’s still being toyed with by Boss Huanhuan!”
Lin Huanhuan lounged leisurely in her recliner, surrounded by Formation Peak disciples showering her with flattery.
Even she couldn’t help feeling a little pleased.
‘Indeed, flattery never fails. Even if you know it’s insincere, it still sounds pleasant, much better than that so‑called good advice harsh to hear.’
After dosing the food, she had returned here and sent out the Water Army to wait quietly.
Not long after, good news came as expected.
Huyan Yazhi beside her frowned slightly:
‘These despicable guys have taken my spot. Are they trying to replace me? No way. I won’t be humiliated by them. I have to show some irreplaceable uniqueness.’
‘The other side is already on guard now, so probably won’t work anymore.’
‘So what should we do next? Keep attacking the same way?’
With that thought, Huyan Yazhi immediately asked:
“Boss Huanhuan, should we continue attacking with the same method next?”
Lin Huanhuan frowned slightly, puzzled:
“And? What are you trying to say?”
Huyan Yazhi gave a faint smile and said:
“I’m just pointing out your mistake, Boss Huanhuan. We may be in the lead now, but that can easily breed arrogance, so I have to remind you to stay humble and not get cocky. No need to thank me—I’m just that kind of good person!”
Lin Huanhuan’s mouth twitched. She directly kicked her away:
“Do you even need to remind me of that? Of course I’m not going to use the same trick over and over! Just wait—we’ll keep hitting them with this kind of attack occasionally to keep them on edge, drain their energy, and while we’re at it…”