“This fellow…”
Zhou Donghuang, who had just put away the core drug, could not help but shake his head when he heard the voice coming from outside.
As expected of a profligate.
How could he actually find something like this fun?
But he himself would be glad to have someone help him dispose of the counterfeit goods without having to do it himself.
After asking Liu Lang which goods were on the bounty list of the Summer Valley people, Zhou Donghuang then told him to prepare some low-cost materials.
“Zhou Donghuang, are you sure… that you can counterfeit those few items on the bounty list of the Summer Valley people, with just these cheap materials?”
When he delivered all the materials to Zhou Donghuang after helping him gather them, Liu Lang stared wide-eyed at him with an expression of complete disbelief.
However, when he witnessed firsthand Zhou Donghuang turning garbage into treasure, refining a bunch of cheap materials into the various kinds of items on the bounty list of the Sumer Valley people, he could not help but be dumbstruck.
“Good lord!”
Liu Lang browsed through the items in front of him. He realized that he was totally incapable of telling that they were counterfeit goods. If they were not damaged, it was completely impossible to identify them as counterfeit goods.
As for the people selling these goods, even if they were selling genuine goods, there was no way they would let anyone damage them.
This was the same logic underlying the nine types of counterfeit items Zhou Donghuang had sold a month ago.
“I’m even kind of looking forward to it now… The expressions on the faces of those few Summer Valley elders after buying these items and discovering that they’re counterfeit goods.”
Liu Lang, who wished for chaos to befall the world, complied with Zhou Donghuang’s request for him to select the goods on the bounty list that could be counterfeited. He specifically chose a few of the most expensive types. What’s more, the Summer Valley elder was offering a bounty for all of them.
Even the item with the smallest bounty was a much as 300 high-quality spirit stones.
As for the item with the largest bounty, that nearly hit 1000 high-quality spirit stones.
Because the few items had a high price tag, all the elders and disciples of the Lightning Sword Sect would leave the sect and take great pains to look for them.
Ordinarily, the sect members who had gone out would be able to find what they wanted in less than half a month.
However, this time, they were destined to come second to Liu Lang.
It was more accurate to say that the person instructed by Liu Lang would beat them to it.
“Zhou Donghuang, I’ve gotten someone to help. I won’t be taking any commission… I’m planning to give the person I instructed 10% for his efforts. What do you think?” Liu Lang asked Zhou Donghuang.
“Hm.”
Zhou Donghuang nodded. “Do as you see fit… Meanwhile, I’ll continue to practice in seclusion. Before I come out of seclusion, don’t disturb me.”
Now, the core drug that would assist him in charging towards the Dharma stage had already been produced. He wanted to try out his own idea and see if he could directly enter into the Dharma stage!
Upon seeing Zhou Donghuang return to his room after passing him the items, Liu Lang could not help but curl his lip. “He’s so crazy about practice.”
After speaking, he looked at the few items in his hands. A brilliant smile immediately bloomed on his face. “I have these things to play with now.
“I’m really curious about what facial expressions those Summer Valley elders will show when they discover that these things are counterfeit goods.”
…
Three days later in the Summer Valley.
“Valley Head, you must do something about this… this time, the Summer Valley has already suffered losses exceeding 2000 high-quality spirit stones!”
The Summer Valley elders came to the residence of Valley Head Lian Kun. One of the Summer Valley elders flew into a rage out of humiliation. “That Autumn Valley disciple has gone overboard!”
Upon hearing the words of this Summer Valley elder, Lian Kun’s expression did not change. However, he could not help but look down upon them internally.
“It was clearly you old fellows who were blind and bought counterfeit goods. You yourselves lost the spirit stones, but now you’re saying that these are losses suffered by the Summer Valley?
“When I usually refined batches of core drugs for the Summer Valley disciples and asked for some spirit stones from you people and make some contribution to the Summer Valley, weren’t all of you stingy and pretending to be poor?”
Of course, Lian Kun only thought about these words in his mind. It was impossible for him to verbalize them.
“Valley Head, you really must deal with this matter. If we continue on like this, the Summer Valley people will definitely be alarmed,” another Summer Valley elder said.
“Valley Head, even if you don’t seek out the sect leader, you should at least visit the Autumn Valley Head. If the Autumn Valley Head says the word, I think the Autumn Valley disciple Zhou Donghuang will probably exercise restraint,” yet another Summer Valley elder said.
“Fellow elders, are you sure that the counterfeit goods you bought came from that Zhou Donghuang?” Lian Kun asked.
Without waiting for their response, Lian Kun said again, “To my knowledge… ever since that Zhou Donghuang returned to the Autumn Valley a month ago, no one has seen him leave the Autumn Valley again.
“Perhaps the counterfeit goods you bought have nothing to do with him?”
“Valley Head, although the person who sold me the fake goods was an elder of the outer sect, the Gold Hall, and the other party was not willing to tell me the source of the counterfeit goods either… is there even a need to ask this? It must be the work of that Autumn Valley disciple.”
“Yes, Valley Head. Apart from him, who has that capability? Before he came into our Lightning Sword Sect, counterfeit goods were never this ubiquitous. Ever since he came, counterfeit goods have been so prevalent. And he’s even been targeting our Summer Valley.”
“Valley Head, make a trip to Autumn Valley. Visit the Autumn Valley Head and let him know… with one word from the Autumn Valley Head, that Zhou Donghuang definitely won’t dare to mess around!”
…
The Summer Valley elders bowed collectively to Lian Kun and requested of him in unison, “May our Valley Head please give us and the Summer Valley justice!”
Sensing the situation, Lian Kun instinctively frowned. He really disliked this feeling of being a duck driven onto a perch.
However, since the Summer Valley elders had already made their intentions clear, he would inevitably lose popular support if he continued to refuse. “I’ll make a trip to Autumn Valley within the next two days.”
The Summer Valley elders left satisfied after obtaining Lian Kun’s response.
After the few of them left, Lian Kun’s expression darkened considerably and turned incomparably unpleasant.
Not long after, the elders of the Summer Valley bought counterfeit goods again. Furthermore, after a total of more than 2000 high-quality spirit stones had been squandered, there was a commotion among more than half of the Lightning Sword Sect.
“That Autumn Valley disciple has such audacity?”
“I thought that he had learned his place… I didn’t expect him to stir up such a major incident again in the short span of one month.”
“This time, the losses suffered by the Summer Valley people are even more extreme than the last time.”
“He’s simply defrauding the Summer Valley of everything it has!”
…
Now, even the Lightning Sword Sect elders and disciples who had not known Zhou Donghuang before this also found out about his existence from those of the same sect.
Of course, apart from his identity as an Autumn Valley disciple, their knowledge of Zhou Donghuang was limited to him having top-notch counterfeiting techniques, to the extent where he could easily deceive Primordial Soul adepts.
“Senior Brother Lian, this matter is becoming more and more serious… If I had known that this would happen, we should not have sold fake nine-ringed bamboo to Da Zhuang of the Autumn Valley,” in Lian Can’s residence in the Summer Valley, Pan Yilin said with a bitter expression on his face.
There was no way he could have imagined that just because he and Lian Can had done so in the spur of the moment, they had actually caused so many people in the Summer Valley to suffer damage in the form of counterfeit goods.
During this time, he could tell that a few of the Summer Valley elders and disciples looked at him differently than in the past. Previously, they had ignored him. But now, they were hostile towards him.
He was absolutely sure that if not for the rule of the Lightning Sword Sect, which prohibited members of the same sect from harming each other, those Summer Valley elders and disciples might have laid a hand on him a long time ago.
After all, in the eyes of those Summer Valley elders and disciples, it was him, Pan Yilin, who had indirectly led them to buy counterfeit goods and lose a large number of spirit stones.
“Since we’ve already done the deed, there’s no room for regret,” Lian Can said coolly.
“My master has already gone to Autumn Valley to look for the Autumn Valley Head. He’s going precisely because of this matter… From today onwards, you can say that this matter has come to an end.”
“But…”
In a split second, a hint of a sneer appeared at the corner of Lian Can’s mouth. Bloodthirsty killing intent also surfaced in his eyes.
“How dare this Zhou Donghuang raise the condition that I must kneel before him and kowtow to him. He has basically started this feud!
“As soon as I get a chance, he’s dead meat for sure!
“The curtain has dropped on the counterfeiting incident, but the show between him and I have only just begun… As long as he remains in the Lightning Sword Sect, I will suppress him!”
The more Lian Can spoke, the more sinister the sneer at the corner of his mouth became.
Just then, Pan Yilin also flattered Lian Can at the opportune moment. “Since Zhou Donghuang has offended you, he’ll get in trouble sooner or later!”
“There’ll be ample time for that later. Let’s toy with him slowly.” Lian Can smiled contemptuously.
Meanwhile, Summer Valley Head Lian Kun was presently in the courtyard of Autumn Valley Head He Jin’s residence, sitting opposite of He Jin.
“Senior Brother Lian Kun, you came specifically to visit me. Something’s the matter, right?” He Jin smiled and asked.
Lian Kun nodded. “I didn’t intend to come at first. But the group of elders in the Summer Valley came to my doorstep together and requested this of me… I had no choice but to come.”
“Oh? What is it that’s so serious?”
He Jin was completely astonished.
“Junior Brother He, the Autumn Valley took in a new disciple just two months ago. His name is Zhou Donghuang… you probably know this, right? He has not entered the Dharma stage yet but was taken in by the Autumn Valley. This required your personal approval,” Lian Kun said.
“Zhou Donghuang? Of course I know him.”
He Jin nodded. “Come to think of it, he was a new disciple brought into the Autumn Valley by that lass back home. Initially, I merely felt that his talent in martial arts was not too bad. It was only after Han Ku told me some time ago that I found out he was also good at counterfeiting. The level of his ability could even deceive Primordial Soul adepts.
“Senior Brother Lian Kun, you can’t be visiting me now because of what he did to your Summer Valley a month ago, right?” He Jin asked.
“If it were just that incident a month ago, I could let it go.”
Lian Kun shook his head. “Yesterday, a few of the Summer Valley elders bought another batch of counterfeit goods. In total, they suffered losses exceeding 2000 high-quality spirit stones.
“They suspect… that those counterfeit goods were also made by your Autumn Valley disciple, Zhou Donghuang.
“Unlike what happened a month ago, when the person who sold the counterfeit goods to us Summer Valley people personally confessed that it was Zhou Donghuang, the person who sold us the counterfeit goods to our Summer Valley elders this time were unwilling to tell us the source of the counterfeit goods.
“The main reason I came to look for you, Junior Brother He, is because I hope you can help me ask that Zhou Donghuang… If he wasn’t the one who did it, so be it. If it was him, tell him not to overdo it. After all, being obsessed with such unorthodox methods will affect his practice. It could even tire him out such that he can’t continue staying in the Autumn Valley when he reaches 30 years old.
Nearing the end of his words, Lian Kun seemed instead to have Zhou Donghuang’s interests at heart.
