Chapter Fifty-Three: I Am a Law-Abiding Person

Su Jian did not forget to ask, “Nothing unexpected happened today, right? No rivals giving you a hard time or setting up little tricks?”

Zhao Qianxue’s beautiful eyes flickered. “Of course not. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be in such a good mood now.”

Su Jian had only asked casually. Their shop was still in its early stages. It was far from being noticed by the powerful Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion. But that was only a matter of time; he certainly wouldn’t be content with bringing in just thirty-some spirit stones a day. If things kept on like this, it might take him a year or more to unlock a truly valuable item. He couldn’t just keep robbing and killing for treasure forever.

Suddenly, Zhao Qianxue thought of something. “Little Jian, more than one person came today asking about Foundation Establishment Golden Pills. Later, after some inquiries, I learned that even the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion hasn’t had many in stock recently. We could take advantage of the opportunity to sell them ourselves.”

Su Jian waved his hand. “There’s no rush. We’ll discuss it in a few days.” First of all, he hadn’t accumulated enough spiritual energy to unlock such an item. Second, it wasn’t yet time to fall out with the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion. In his mind, the best plan was to bring down the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion of Yingdu first, and only then could their own shop rise up in the aftermath. Otherwise, if they had to compete while constantly watching out for underhanded tricks, it would be like fighting for market share—much easier to expand after the rival was gone. What he needed most right now was time to build his strength. Otherwise, he’d soon find himself beset on all sides.

Just as Su Jian was preparing to cultivate the Mysterious Maiden Sutra with Zhao Qianxue, a system message appeared:

[Player Ouyang Feng has left secret signals at the north gate of Yingdu and other places to contact Ouyang Ke, and is now using his position in the Department of Punishing Evil to secretly search for Ouyang Ke’s whereabouts.]

Su Jian’s eyes lit up at this message. It was as if someone had handed him a pillow just as he was about to doze off. After a moment’s thought, he had a plan. First, he gently extricated himself from Zhao Qianxue, who was clinging to him like an octopus.

The joy on Zhao Qianxue’s face instantly froze, replaced by a look of wistful grievance.

Su Jian apologized, “Please wait a moment—I just remembered there’s something important I need to do.”

Zhao Qianxue replied, “...Hurry back.”

Su Jian went to the table and took out brush, ink, and paper.

As for meeting Ouyang Ke in person, that was out of the question—but a letter from Ouyang Ke could certainly be arranged. Su Jian believed Ouyang Feng would trust it implicitly. The problem was, he didn’t know Ouyang Ke’s handwriting. But that was not too hard to solve...

Su Jian didn’t hesitate any longer and began to write. The handwriting wasn’t particularly artistic, but he didn’t go out of his way to make it look messy.

“Uncle, I imagine you, like me, were brought to this world by that mysterious force. I have barely managed to enter the immortal path, but am now being hunted by the Alliance of Righteous Dao and the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion... and I have lost my right arm.

“In addition, three tasks have appeared in my mind. The first is to spark conflict between the Alliance of Righteous Dao and the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion—hence the pursuit I now suffer.

“The second is to track down a villain named Xi Wang. Here is a description of his appearance...

“The third is to kill a thousand cultivators from the Alliance of Righteous Dao. I have already dispatched quite a few in recent days, so this task should be the easiest.

“I am currently being hunted and it is not safe for me to meet you in person, but as long as we complete these tasks quickly, we shall be able to return to our original world and be reunited.”

Satisfied with his work, Su Jian reread the letter several times, ensuring there were no omissions, then put it away. He had no intention of delivering it to Ouyang Feng immediately—after all, it was Ouyang Feng who ought to be anxious now.

For the moment, his priority was to tend to Zhao Qianxue’s feelings. He couldn’t afford to fall behind on their cultivation progress with the Mysterious Maiden Sutra, either.

...

The next morning, Zhao Qianxue set off for the shop early. Su Jian had wanted to fit in some morning cultivation, but seeing her so energetic, he let it go. Taking the finished letter, he left home, glancing in the direction of Ruan Chidao’s residence as he went. There had still been no sign of trouble since yesterday, suggesting the Department of Punishing Evil had not yet realized Ruan Chidao was missing. Besides, Ruan Chidao seemed to be a solitary cultivator without connections.

Soon, Su Jian arrived at the north gate. He looked around to make sure there was nothing unusual, then approached the spot where Ouyang Feng had left his secret signal. He tucked the letter at the base of the wall and hastily concealed it, lingering no longer than necessary before leaving. Ouyang Feng would certainly come to check, and would surely notice something amiss. He reasoned that Ouyang Ke might have some kind of code, but the key was that he, Su Jian, knew nothing about it. Still, that hardly mattered—even if Ouyang Feng suspected something, he would likely fill in the gaps on his own. He might think Ouyang Ke was in such a hurry that he had no time to leave a proper code.

Su Jian couldn’t be bothered to stick around and play lookout. He had done his part; the rest was up to fate.

Not long after he returned to his courtyard, someone knocked at the gate. Su Jian frowned. Could this be about Ruan Chidao? He knew no one else in Yingdu—who else would come knocking for no reason? To be safe, Su Jian took out a stack of protective talismans. He carried so many now that even he had lost count; if their effects stacked, they might even withstand a blow from a Nascent Soul cultivator.

He opened the gate. Standing before him were several fierce-looking men in the uniform of the Department of Punishing Evil.

“We’re investigating a case,” one of them announced. “We need your cooperation.”

Their noses were practically in the air! Su Jian secretly scoffed, but outwardly, he put on a pleasant smile. “Of course, it’s only right to help. After all, I’ve always been a law-abiding citizen.”

One of the men sneered, “Being law-abiding isn’t just something you say. Do you know your neighbor, Ruan Chidao?”

“I’ve met him once or twice,” Su Jian replied, “Why, has he committed some heinous crime? He always looked shifty to me—definitely not the sort you’d trust. You must bring him to justice!” As he spoke, he pretended to recall the meeting, offering his own commentary as well.

He made no attempt to deny having met Ruan Chidao—otherwise, if there were any witnesses, his denial would be a dead giveaway.

“He’s already dead,” one of them said.

Su Jian breathed a sigh of relief. “Good riddance, then. I knew no villain could escape the hand of justice.”

The investigators were speechless. But they made no effort to explain further, simply turning and leaving at once.

Su Jian called after them, “Gentlemen, do drop by for a visit if you’re ever free!”

Only when they had returned to Ruan Chidao’s courtyard did Su Jian’s smile vanish in an instant.