This night was destined to be a chaotic night for the people of the Summer Valley!
This was because all nine of the Summer Valley disciples who had bought items they had desired off the bounty list had first felt excitement and happiness, but had all found out later on that the items they had purchased were fake!
None were spared, and all were inauthentic goods!
Out of the nine, if only one or two they had received were fake goods, one could possibly believe that it was merely an unfortunate coincidence.
However, all the items that they had bought turned out to be fake!
“When I first heard about the nine people of the Summer Valley from the trade center, I had thought that our people’s luck had been good today! It’s amazing that nine items managed to be found off the bounty list all in the same day… However, I had not anticipated that all these purchased items would turn out to be fake!
“My gut instinct tells me that something is amiss…
“This is abnormal, something is definitely wrong!”
…
With the news of the fake goods being bought by the nine people of the Summer Valley, the entire Summer Valley was shocked.
Out of the people who had bought fake goods, there were seven disciples and two elders of the Summer Valley.
Just as the Summer Valley flew into chaos, the nine who had unfortunately purchased fake goods also gathered together. Among them, there were five elderly folk and four middle-aged men.
Out of the five elderly folk, two were elders of the Summer Valley and both were mid Primordial Soul adepts.
As for the other seven, they were all disciples of the Summer Valley.
Zhong Yin was, of course, one of the nine present.
“To our two elders as well as fellow seniors and disciples… This matter can almost be certainly labeled as a trick played on us people of the Summer Valley!” Zhong Yin said to the remaining eight with a stony expression on his face.
One of the elders of the Summer Valley replied gravely, “As long as one is not a fool, that is definitely clear.”
“That’s right!”
Another elder of the Summer Valley added, “This is an urgent matter, and we have to find out who tricked us. If we manage to catch him, I’ll definitely mete out a suitable punishment!”
“It’s not about the money as a hundred high-quality spirit stones are a small matter. However, we have lost face in this incident! I, Li Dahu, am a widely respected inner elder of the Lightning Sword Sect, a mid Primordial Soul adept who was too careless today and actually bought fake goods… If news of this travels out, what will happen to my reputation?”
As the two elders of the Summer Valley spoke up, both were so angry that one could almost see them spit fire.
“Dear elders, the fake goods that Brother Fang and I purchased were both from a disciple of the Winter Valley, Bai Liqing… However, I have already confirmed that Bai Liqing had also purchased these goods from another seller and was not the original owner of them.”
Towards the two raging elders of the Summer Valley, an uncomfortable look glazed over in Zhong Yin’s eyes, but he nevertheless spoke with a forced smile on his face.
“Now, what we need to do is to examine the fake goods that you are holding on to and check whether they are from the same original seller!”
Just as Zhong Yin had spoken, Fang Baiwei immediately seconded his sentiments and spoke up, “Brother Zhong is correct! Tonight, we should carry out a proper investigation and examine whether the same troublemaker was the one who sold us the nine items. If it is, he’s dead!”
For Zhong Yin and the remaining eight, tonight was to be a sleepless night.
Although the items of the remaining seven were only purchased from five people, however, out of the five people, one such seller was the Spring Valley’s Head’s only child, the famous rich playboy of the Lightning Sword Sect.
Unless he chose to leave his quarters, no one else would dare to disturb his slumber and training.
“Let’s wait and see.”
In the courtyard of the Spring Valley’s Head, Zhong Yin and the others waited patiently for two days until they finally heard the sound of a door opening.
Creak…
As the door to the room in the yard was opened, a young man dressed in lavish silk walked out as he stretched lazily and yawned to himself at the same time.
This young man looked to be about twenty years old. He had well-shaped eyebrows and a sharp nose and lips, giving him a graceful look overall. If he was female instead of male, one would definitely think of her as charming and beautiful.
This man was the Spring Valley’s Head’s only child, Liu Lang.
“Brother Liu, you’re finally up.”
Seeing as Liu Lang had appeared, Fang Baiwei gave a sigh of relief and immediately greeted him.
Liu Lang raised his head and was suddenly made aware of the presence of the nine people floating in the skies of his yard.
“People of the Summer Valley? What do they want from me?”
Liu Lang immediately realized that out of the nine people from the Summer Valley, one of them was an elder of the Summer Valley who had purchased something from him previously.
It was that one item that had managed to earn him 130 high-quality spirit stones easily.
“What did you call me?”
Liu Lang ascended into the sky and glanced at Fang Baiwei, who had called out to him.
“Brother Liu,” Fang Baiwei repeated with a charming smile.
Although the man before him was merely a Primal Core adept, he still had a powerful father backing him.
The Spring Valley Head was the strongest out of the four leaders of the four valleys.
As for this person before them, he was the only child of the Spring Valley Head. Be it anyone within the Lightning Sword Sect, much less the people of the four valleys, not many dared to disrespect or irritate him.
“Is the title ‘Brother’ one you can use to call me?”
Liu Lang’s gaze was cold, and he replied in a stony way.
“Do you think you are fit to call me Brother?”
Fang Baiwei’s facial expression changed dramatically, and cold sweat began to drip down his forehead. It was now that he remembered that this rich playboy did not like hearing disciples of the sect label him as “Brother.”
To him, only the core disciples of the Lightning Peak were qualified to call him “Brother.”
Furthermore, out of the core disciples of the Lightning Peak, he only called certain individuals.
“Senior.”
“Master Liu, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Fang Baiwei apologized profusely.
“Hmph!”
Liu Lang glanced at the bowing and stuttering Fang Baiwei scornfully before glancing at the rest of the people present.
“You Summer Valley people are all here at the crack of dawn, is there something I can help you with?
If there is nothing important, do not disturb me from my daily routine.
“If I’m lucky, maybe my fortune today will be as good as yesterday’s. I was merely browsing around casually, but I still managed to meet a fool who was selling what others were looking for on the bounty list at a tiny stall.”
As Liu Lang spoke, he started to become more and more impatient as he glanced at the several people of the Summer Valley.
Upon hearing Liu Lang’s words, the people of the Summer Valley glanced at each other and a look of understanding appeared in their eyes.
“Master Liu.”
One of the elders of the Summer Valley spoke up, and he displayed a sketch in his hands.
“Yesterday, was it this man who sold you the item that you sold me?”
If Zhou Donghuang were here, he would immediately recognize that the man in the picture was him.
However, the standard of the sketch was definitely subpar as compared to the version that Freezing Wind had drawn for his sister, Yun Lu.
Liu Lang paused and glanced meaningfully at the sketch before laughing.
“This sketch is indeed rather similar to how he looks in real life… However, this sketch has no soul.
When I looked at the seller, from his appearance alone, I had to admit that he was much more soulful and confident than me!
“What is this about? You are all here so early in the morning to investigate this person? Are you all trying to find him in hopes that he would possess other items on the bounty list?”
That was what Liu Lang assumed.
“No.”
The elder of the Summer Valley’s face darkened as he put the sketch away, and he thanked Liu Lang multiple times.
“Thank you, Master Liu… Now, we can confirm that this is indeed the man who had sold fake goods to you and to other sellers as well!”
As this elder of the Summer Valley spoke, several of the other disciples of the Summer Valley yelled out furiously as well.
“This disciple of the Autumn Valley is really cunning and deceitful! He wanted to step up to help that foolish big brute from the Autumn Valley and in doing so, dared to play tricks on us people of the Summer Valley? What nonsense!
“Let’s find him and get our revenge!”
…
The bunch of people from the Summer Valley yelled out in an enraged manner and were about to turn and leave the Spring Valley for the Autumn Valley.
“What is this situation? That man in the sketch is a disciple of the Autumn Valley?
“Also… Make yourselves clear! What do you mean, I sold fake goods to you people?”
…
The words spoken aloud by the people of the Summer Valley aroused Liu Lang’s curiosity, and he chased up to them and asked several questions.
Since Liu Lang had personally expressed interest, the people of the Summer Valley freely shared about the entire incident.
Once Liu Lang had heard the story, he immediately gained a clear understanding of the situation.
“The item he sold me yesterday… was fake? Furthermore, he passed on eight other fake items to other sellers like me and got people to sell them to you nine of the Summer Valley?
“I even thought he was a fool for not bothering to even glance at the bounty list in the trade center… Now, it seems like he was not a fool and even managed to trick me!
“Interesting, interesting…”
After he had regained his composure, Liu Lang’s eyes glistened as he processed the matter.
“He has only entered the Lightning Sword Sect for such a short period of time and is a new disciple of the Autumn Valley. Yet, he actually dared to offend so many people of the Summer Valley?
“Interesting, truly interesting.
“His name is Zhou Donghuang?”
…
Very quickly, Liu Lang and the nine people of the Summer Valley arrived at the Autumn Valley.
The people of the Summer Valley asked a traveling disciple of the Autumn Valley for directions to Zhou Donghuang’s living quarters. Once they had gotten the instructions, they headed for the mountains where Zhou Donghuang lived.
However, once they arrived near Zhou Donghuang’s yard, all they saw was another disciple of the Autumn Valley sitting cross-legged in mid-air calmly.
Once they approached, this disciple of the Autumn Valley opened his eyes and glanced at them blearily.
“Are you all here to find Brother Zhou?”
“Ask Zhou Donghuang to come out!” Fang Baiwei replied stonily with a dark expression on his face.
“Brother Zhou wants me to tell you all that if you wish to urgently meet him, you should find him at the trade center.”
This disciple of the Autumn Valley was not a normal person. He was Huang Long, the person who had first brought Zhou Donghuang to find He Mengxi when he had first arrived at the Autumn Valley.
This morning, Huang Long had also naturally heard of the news from the Summer Valley.
This was, of course, the news that nine people from the Summer Valley had bought fake goods yesterday.
His first thought was that someone had purposefully sold the fake items as revenge against the people of the Summer Valley.
Huang Long had thus found Da Zhuang to ask him whether he was aware of the mastermind behind the entire incident. As for Da Zhuang, who had been made aware of the events, had told Huang Long the whole truth.
“It was him!?”
At that point, Huang Long had been extremely shocked. He could not believe that such a ploy could have been thought up by a new disciple who was not even at the Dharma stage yet!
“Brother Zhou is really smart and ingenious! He had guessed that they would come… Now, it’s time for me to watch the show and enjoy this drama as well…”
Just as the nine people of the Summer Valley turned away angrily and headed for the trade center, Huang Long caught up with them and followed them.
“I remember you… Your name is Huang Hu, right?”
Liu Lang slowed down his walking pace to match that of Huang Long and the two trailed behind the nine of the Summer Valley as he asked his questions.
Even though he was aware that Liu Lang was not someone to be messed with, Huang Long’s face still darkened as he replied, “I am not Huang Hu, my name is Huang Long, Master Liu!”
