Chapter 228 : Someone Takes the Fall

Chapter 228: Someone Takes the Fall

Bibo Island Marketplace.

Lin Changan entered the renowned black market, wearing a bamboo hat to conceal his identity.

Upon entering, he used a voice-transmission talisman to confirm safety with Old Hu, and then, without hesitation, made his way toward a certain shop.

With the aura of a False Core Cultivator, no one dared provoke him in this place.

He entered a familiar shop, where the corpse puppets were mechanically chopping demon-beast meat.

“Whoa, Fellow Daoist, you sure have brought quite a batch of goods.”

The shop owner, Boss Lei, a fat and hulking man, trembled slightly. When his narrow eyes saw what Lin Changan brought out, a smile naturally surfaced on his face.

Magical artifacts, spirit tools, and all sorts of resources—these were materials previously scavenged by the Wind-Chirp Bird.

Of course, the talismans and pills in the storage pouch, which Lin Changan could use himself, were not taken out for sale.

“Fellow Daoist Lei, these magical and spirit tools are all top-grade among top-grade.”

With a hoarse smile, Lin Changan made the sale before the Long Clan had a chance to react.

After all, once the Long Clan caught wind, these things would be much harder to offload.

Moreover, unlike pills or talismans, these magical and spirit tools could be used without drawing suspicion.

Still, to be cautious, he replaced all the pills with new bottles, and exchanged the talismans for other resources within the marketplace.

“Good, our shop never cheats buyers or sellers.”

Boss Lei was all smiles—this was quite the windfall for his first deal of the day.

Usually, such black-market goods would be heavily underpriced. But since the seller was also a False Core Cultivator like himself, he gave 80% of the value.

He could still turn around and make a 20% profit.

“Fellow Daoist Lei is truly generous.”

Lin Changan squinted, and after receiving the spirit stone pouch, he cupped his hands and left with a smile.

Boss Lei noticed nothing out of the ordinary and happily stored the valuable spirit tools and magical artifacts.

“Looks like today’s a lucky day.”

With a grin on his face, Fatty Lei patted his round belly, unable to hold back his laughter.

Meanwhile, the disguised Lin Changan left the shop and exited the marketplace directly.

He even made a detour at sea, then changed his disguise once more and returned.

This time, he was a late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

“Fellow Daoist, your pills are decent. I’ll trade a second-rank high-grade talisman with you.”

“Mm, this spirit fruit is nice. I have a quasi–third-rank talisman…”

After making several rounds, within half an hour, Lin Changan had cleared out nearly all the suspicious and traceable items from Long Changfeng’s storage pouch.

He even purchased several jade slips, and using imprinting techniques, copied the contents of those left behind by Long Changfeng before destroying the originals.

With multiple entries and exits, he also contributed to Bibo Island Marketplace’s income.

After all, each entry required a fee of ten spirit stones.

…

Meanwhile, on Five Dragon Island, within the Long Clan.

With the extinguishing of Long Changfeng’s soul lamp, the Long Clan was enraged.

Even the Island Lord, a late-stage Core Formation Cultivator, flew into a fury—Long Changfeng was one of his most beloved grandsons.

“Find out! Who had the audacity to harm this old man’s grandson!”

Tension gripped Five Dragon Island.

By then, the spirit vessel on the outer sea had long been seized.

“Spare me! I truly don’t know! It was Elder Li and the others guarding the Young Master. I was merely…”

The cultivator world's investigation efficiency was terrifying. In no time, Five Dragon Island uncovered the events' origin.

“Tracking an injured, elderly third-rank demon beast, and my grandson ends up dead? That Elder Li is missing? Even the follower Rong Qing is out of contact…

Then why are their soul lamps still lit, yet only my grandson is dead?!”

The Island Lord roared in fury, his mind immediately conjuring countless conspiracies.

This was a plot against the Long Clan.

A plot against him!

“Find them! That Li fellow and this Rong Qing—bring them back alive! I want to see who dares to scheme against me!”

“Yes, sir!”

…

As the dominant force in the Five Dragon Island waters, once the Long Clan mobilized, things moved quickly.

At that time, in Bibo Island Marketplace, the shop's False Core Cultivator Boss Lei reclined in his chair, face full of joy as he enjoyed a cup of spirit tea.

Suddenly, a spirit bird landed in his shop, squawking.

“What now? Even Old Black is alarmed?”

In the Sea Abyss of Beasts, incidents were frequent, so Fatty Lei wasn’t surprised. Instead, he squinted happily and received what the spirit bird delivered.

First was a jade talisman, transmitting news of a major event.

“Tsk tsk, who’s the madman this time? Actually pissed off the Long Clan of Five Dragon Island. Not only that, even killed the guy’s grandson…”

As Boss Lei grinned, he opened another jade slip—his smile gradually froze.

The slip slowly unfolded, glowing with light, displaying a list of magical artifacts, spirit tools, and talismans.

Except for the talismans, nearly all the magical and spirit tools were so familiar that his eyes bulged wide.

“Damn it! I’ve been swindled!”

In the next moment, Fatty Lei shot up, stomping and cursing.

Even among illicit goods, there were grades. If they had high-profile origins like this, he’d only offer 30% at most.

Yet today, he had actually paid 80%!

“That damn Li guy, you’ve screwed me!”

To Boss Lei, the other party—being a False Core Cultivator—was very likely that Li-named Guest Elder.

“Damn it, how am I supposed to sell this batch?!”

This was a massive headache.

Inside the shop, many customers stared in confusion at the usually cheerful Boss Lei, now raging with fury.

Meanwhile, just arriving at Bibo Island, the False Core Cultivator surnamed Li and Rong Qing had disguised themselves.

But no sooner had they landed and inquired about the news, both of their faces turned green.

“Master Li, this is bad—Five Dragon Island is now hunting us down everywhere, even the Fog Sea of Tongtian has bounties from the Long Clan…”

Rong Qing looked extremely bitter. As the Five Dragon Island Patrol Leader, he had been living quite comfortably—now he was a wanted man.

Damn it!

Master Li’s rugged face twitched. Though he had expected trouble, he didn’t think Five Dragon Island would react this quickly.

“If we flee now, we’ll hide on a small island within the Fog Sea of Tongtian for ten or twenty years.”

“What?!”

“Do you think we can escape? The Long Clan’s power is vast. If we take a spirit vessel to another sea, we’ll easily be tracked. Only the Fog Sea of Tongtian is safe.”

Master Li felt bitter too. Who could’ve known Long Changfeng would die just like that?

The boy had decent strength and should’ve been able to at least hold his own against a third-rank demon beast.

But he had the misfortune of encountering an avian beast known for speed—worse yet, its beak countered protective auras.

It was a crushing mismatch. Had it been any other third-rank beast of similar strength, Long Changfeng wouldn’t have died without a fight.

Damn it. One moment he was a high-and-mighty Guest Elder of Five Dragon Island, and the next, he was a wanted fugitive.

“Go!”

Master Li didn’t hesitate, coldly choosing to flee and hide first.

He was just over three hundred years old and had at least another two hundred years to live. Hiding for ten or twenty years wasn’t a big deal.

He would wait for the storm to pass, then look for an opportunity.

But Rong Qing’s face darkened. He was at a crucial stage. If he hid for ten or twenty years, he’d miss the best age for Core Formation.

His life would be over.

“Master Li, I…”

Rong Qing hesitated. He had finally reached the black market and didn’t want to stick with Master Li. What if he was silenced?

Master Li snorted coldly and left without a second thought.

However, as he departed, a glint of cunning flashed in Master Li’s eyes.

Wasn’t keeping Rong Qing around just to take the fall for him?

Though he knew he’d still be wanted by Five Dragon Island, reducing a bit of trouble was worth it.

“Little Friend Rong, don’t blame this old man. That Wind-Chirp Bird exotic beast likely still has eyes on us in secret, and you colluded with outsiders.

As a Guest Elder of Five Dragon Island, I no longer have the face to return…”

Master Li sighed and turned back into the marketplace, suppressing his aura, disguised as a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Then, in secret, he began spreading word that Rong Qing, a Foundation Establishment cultivator of Five Dragon Island, had colluded with a cultivator from the Palace of Blazing Fire to murder a member of the Long Clan, seeking Core Formation spirit items…

Master Li even used his own identity to send a message to the Long Clan, claiming he no longer had the face to return.

In other words, he dumped all the blame onto Rong Qing. Still feeling it wasn’t enough, he pondered for a long time, then recalled which faction currently opposed the Long Clan most and was rising in influence.

…

“It’s all a mess! A total mess!”

Inside a private room of a tavern in Bibo Island, Hu Jin spoke with wide eyes, annoyed as he relayed the latest intel.

“Old Lin, we’ve clearly been dragged into this mess for no reason. That Rong Qing colluded with robber cultivators from the Palace of Blazing Fire, secretly harmed the Long Clan’s young master, and the Guest Elder ran off for fear of being blamed…”

Things had changed too quickly—it was now an entirely unfamiliar situation.

Lin Changan was also stunned, but he had no interest in delving into the specifics.

“Old Hu, we’d better stay cautious these days. Even if those two are the only ones officially wanted, in the end, the Long Clan’s young master died because of us.

The Long Clan surely knows about the third-rank Emerald Alligator Turtle. To be safe, don’t sell the materials from that beast just yet.”

Lin Changan spoke with a solemn expression. Hu Jin wasn’t stupid either—he knew that selling those materials now would only bring trouble.

Who knew how many were watching right now? If anyone tried to offload materials from the third-rank Emerald Alligator Turtle, they’d immediately be targeted.

This matter was too big—it involved the Long Clan’s allies, their bounties, all highly enticing.

“Damn it, what kind of nonsense is this? We just went out hunting a demon beast and somehow got dragged into this mess.”

Hu Jin cursed loudly, while Lin Changan wore a strange look. He had never imagined the person killed by the Wind-Chirp Bird would have such powerful backing.

But what did it have to do with him?

It was clearly an internal conspiracy within Five Dragon Island—cultivators colluding with robbers to carry out a bloody scheme.

“Rong Qing is being watched closely now!”

Lin Changan’s eyes flickered. A False Core master under a bounty wasn’t easy to track, but Rong Qing was different. He was merely late Foundation Establishment, and now rumors claimed he coveted the Long Clan’s Core Formation spirit items. That temptation alone would drive many robber cultivators mad.

“Core Formation spirit items—like they’re that easy to get!”

Lin Changan shook his head internally. He knew exactly what that young master carried.

It wasn’t that the spirit items didn’t exist—but with a powerful clan like the Long Clan, given Long Changfeng’s talent and status, if he ever reached the bottleneck of Foundation Establishment, the clan would definitely provide a Core Formation guardian and fetch the spirit items from their vault.

They wouldn’t have him carry such valuables around on his person.

He wasn’t some lone rogue cultivator like Lin Changan who had to carry his entire fortune everywhere.

“But no one will believe that. After all, that Long Changfeng was hailed as the most talented Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Long Clan’s new generation.”

Everyone would just assume Rong Qing got greedy for the spirit items and turned on his master.

The two met in the tavern and decided to observe for a while longer before returning.

They concealed their identities, choosing to recover here for now.

…

“Have you heard? Next year is the birthday of the two Palace Masters of Bihai Palace. The island lords, sects, and major clans of the outer seas are all preparing.”

“Of course! But Five Dragon Island is really out of luck—losing such a gifted grandson, and right under the nose of a False Core Elder.”

“So what? Countless prodigies fall in the cultivation world. Even Bihai Palace lost a genius with a Heaven-grade Spirit Root a hundred years ago.”

With the birthdays of Bihai Palace’s two Palace Masters approaching—the greatest power in the Sea Abyss of Beasts—many factions began preparing, selecting the rarest birthday gifts.

Not the most expensive, but the rarest.

After all, what did Bihai Palace not already have?

Thus, countless clans and sects under Bihai Palace began elaborate preparations.

But for rogue cultivators and outer-sea cultivators, what they saw was the chance to encounter all kinds of rare treasures at the grand celebration.

“Five Dragon Island will hold a grand event. I heard Core Formation spirit items will be auctioned.”

Inside Bibo Island Marketplace, Lin Changan looked at the recent intelligence in his hand, sinking into thought.

Those Core Formation spirit items were rare indeed.

“Should I go?”

He hesitated. Previously, he wouldn’t have considered it.

Even low-quality Core Formation spirit items cost twenty to thirty thousand mid-grade spirit stones. Better ones went for fifty to sixty thousand.

But now things were different. After selling the top-grade spirit tools and magical artifacts found in the Wind-Chirp Bird’s storage pouch, he had nearly twenty thousand mid-grade spirit stones.

“Core Formation spirit items can wait. What I really need are the pill formulas and third-rank talisman inheritances being auctioned.”

From start to finish, what Lin Changan focused on was third-rank pill formulas—like the one for the Crystal Condensing Pill.

【Second-rank High-grade Alchemist (Mastery 4011/5000)】

Looking at his alchemical skill, Lin Changan nodded slightly to himself.

“In six or seven more years, I’ll break through to third rank. By then, I can refine the Crystal Condensing Pill myself and avoid a lot of trouble.”

Foundation Establishment Pills alone could draw killing intent—let alone Core Formation spirit items.

Even Core Formation cultivators would get greedy.

“Refining Crystal Condensing Pills myself not only saves a fortune in spirit stones—it avoids many unnecessary risks.”

Then there was the third-rank talisman inheritance.

Talisman Treasures could only be used as a last resort, as they damaged magical treasures too much.

But third-rank talismans were different. Though not as powerful, they were flexible and convenient—currently the most suitable for him.

“With my False Core Realm divine sense, I can handle two third-rank talismans at once. That’s one of my trump cards.”

Lin Changan’s eyes gleamed as he contemplated his Core Formation path.

His spiritual root aptitude was poor, so he had to cultivate the Three-turn Core Condensation Art, which required three wood-attribute third-rank low-grade demon cores.

At present, he had one third-rank Corpse Core and a third-rank Tortoise Shell. Exchanging these for two wood-attribute third-rank demon cores wouldn’t be hard.

“In other words, to cultivate the Three-turn Core Condensation Art, I only lack one wood-attribute demon core and a Core Formation spirit item.”

The better and more numerous the spirit items, the higher the success rate.

Fully cultivating the Three-turn Core Condensation Art only increased the success rate by 30%.

“Looks like I still need to find one or two more Core Formation spirit items—to at least raise the odds to seventy or eighty percent.”

At this thought, Lin Changan glanced deep toward the Fog Sea of Tongtian.

Wasn’t the Blackwater Liquid—found where Sinister Spirits congregated—a rare Core Formation spirit item?

With the Wind-Chirp Bird by his side now, things were far easier than before.