CHAPTER 428: CHAPTER 281: THE BLACK TECHNOLOGY OF THOUSAND MECHANISM PAVILION

Li Yueqi looked at Zhang Ze and finally gave up the idea of fighting him here.

She put away the challenge letter and, after chatting with Zhang Ze for a few more moments, stood up to leave.

Just as she stood up, she frowned slightly, noticing a gaze from across the street staring in this direction.

Or more accurately, staring at Zhang Ze.

With her back to the window, Li Yueqi transmitted a message to Zhang Ze, "Someone is watching you."

"I know, recently there have been quite a few people watching me, I’m used to it."

Zhang Ze put down his teacup, reached into the floor, and pulled out a small Fuji.

"Hehe, good morning, senior brother."

"Good morning."

After feeding it a bit, he stuffed the little spy sent by Lily back into the floor.

"Aren’t you worried?" Li Yueqi asked.

"Why should I worry?" Zhang Ze responded.

"What if someone has ill intentions against you? Or,..." Li Yueqi’s words were cut off by Zhang Ze.

He waved his hand, "I’m not a celestial maiden, and even if someone does have ill intentions, so what, I’m part of a sect, and my mother-in-law’s got my back."

Li Yueqi thought for a moment and realized it made sense, she was indeed being overly cautious, and said no more, transforming into a streak of cyan light as she left the teahouse.

After the female hero Li left, a cultivator in the shop across from the teahouse turned and left as well, going back to report to his young master.

A rented residence in the south of the town.

The young master of the Song family, Song Chang, was discussing the recent observations in Thousand Mechanism Town with some fellow family members.

The Song family is a noble family of immortal cultivation, primarily focusing on artifact refining; their ancestors were once beneficiaries of Medicine King Valley. After establishing themselves, they did business with Medicine King Valley and the West Continent, with half of the family’s industries located in the west.

Before the rise of the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion, their artifact refining skills were considered top-tier in the world.

Now, with the rise of the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion, though they are far from Cyan Thorn, they have still been affected somewhat.

This time, the family sent Song Chang, the future patriarch, here to get a feel for how influential the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion really is and how to respond in the future.

The family entrusted Song Chang with full authority to decide how to handle the situation.

Just as Song Chang and two family members were examining the Demon-Subduing Pestle they bought from the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion, the person who had been monitoring Zhang Ze entered to report back.

"Young master, I’ve done what you asked."

"Did you see the man?"

"I did."

"Tell me more." Song Chang set down the Demon-Subduing Pestle and gestured for the man to continue.

"That Zhang Ze appears unremarkable, his cultivation only at the Golden Core stage, nothing unusual about him, but he seems to have affairs with many women. Subordinate believes he might be a lecher.

"Subordinate heard from street gossip that this man gained favor because he caught the attention of the Sword Sect’s sect leader’s young daughter, otherwise, he probably wouldn’t be as successful as he is now.

"I just saw him having a secret meeting with a woman in the teahouse. This might be a leverage point we can use to threaten him."

This man rambled on, leaving Song Chang utterly baffled.

All he wanted was for this guy to deliver a greeting letter, so why was he spying on someone?

But seeing Song Chang silent and unmoving, this subordinate idiotically misinterpreted the situation.

He then cleverly assumed that this was an opportunity given by the young master to show his abilities, so he explained all his plans.

"Subordinate believes the best strategy is to use a beauty trap to seduce this man, making him our puppet. I heard he’s also participating in the Qinghe Association, perhaps we can disgrace him there, suppress him first, and then he..."

"Enough, you go rest in the back, I have matters to discuss with the Second Master." Song Chang interrupted this typical villainous monologue coldly.

He initially wanted to impart some wisdom, but seeing the man’s expression, he decided against it and waved for him to leave.

The Song family has endured a thousand years, not by brute force, but by navigating social situations.

If business fails, then make friends. If it doesn’t work out, make connections.

Several family crises were resolved by calling in favors.

Once, when the Song family was declining and nearly wiped out, a single arrow through the clouds summoned seven Divinity Transformation cultivators, three Tribulation Crossing, and two sect elders to avert the disaster.

These big shots had all received favors from the Song family before achieving fame.

Therefore, the kind of reckless, antagonistic talk like that subordinate would never be welcomed in the family’s history.

"Second Master, who was that guy?" Song Chang turned to look at his somewhat older cousin.

The task of delivering the letter was entrusted to Second Master Song.

Second Master Song was a bit embarrassed, "That man is the son-in-law of our third uncle. This time he came... you know."

"Did he marry into the family?"

"Not yet, after this Qinghe Association, he’s planning to go back and marry the young cousin."

Song Chang naturally knew about the family’s minor issues, relatives were a hassle. But hearing it was a future son-in-law, he was somewhat relieved.

As long as he wasn’t a cultivated descendant of the family, it was fine. If someone from the family violated ancestral teachings, that line might have issues.

For now, it’s just uncle’s lack of judgment.

Besides, the ideas and judgment on Zhang Ze by that guy seemed self-reflective.

"Expel him from the Song family, let him return home to raise pigs. I’ll deal with the third uncle and young cousin, you don’t have to worry about it."

After handling that naturally villainous son-in-law, Song Chang pondered the Demon-Subduing Pestle in his hand. After a moment, he rose and said.

"I will personally go pay my respects, someone acknowledged by the Sword Sect cannot be ordinary. He must already be aware of our intentions. In this situation, honesty is the best policy."

With that, Song Chang called for the most powerful ancestral magical artifact of the Song family.