Is It Wrong to Bully the Novice Village for System Rewards?

Chapter 202: The Other One Is Me Pretending

“Why are you asking these questions?”

Linghu Gao eyed Qi Yuan warily, suspicion written all over his face. “Does my employer have anything to do with you selling materials?”

“Of course it does.”

Qi Yuan smiled professionally, adopting the earnest tone of a dedicated salesman.

“Master Linghu, there is no need to be nervous. As a supplier, I need to understand the client’s actual needs. Only then can I provide a deeply customized, exclusive solution tailored to your…”

“You are speaking human words, but why can’t I understand a single sentence?”

Linghu Gao looked utterly confused. Deciding not to dwell on it, he pulled a list from his sleeve.

“Young Master Qi, the alchemy materials I need are extremely rare. Can you provide them?”

“Especially these ones at the top. If you have stock, I will take everything. Spirit Stones are not a problem.”

Qi Yuan took the list and scanned it. His expression remained calm, but his mind raced.

“I can,” he said slowly. “But I don’t have the goods on hand. Please give me some time to source them, Master Linghu.”

Qi Yuan wasn’t an alchemy grandmaster, but he knew enough. Every single item on this list was a core ingredient for life-extending pills.

What is wrong with the Ji Family?

They were sparing no expense to hire a Heaven-rank alchemist to mass-produce longevity pills. This wasn’t normal.

While many heavenly treasures could prolong life, raw consumption was inefficient. To get real results, one needed pills. However, life-extending pills were notoriously rare and expensive. Even the lowest-grade Life-Knowing Pill could start a bloodbath among Nascent Soul cultivators.

Worse, the effectiveness of these pills diminished with the user’s cultivation level. A pill that gave a Foundation Building junior a hundred years might only give a Great Ascension patriarch a week.

This created a cruel paradox: those who needed the pills most—the dying high-level monsters—received the least benefit, yet they hoarded the entire supply. For them, even one extra day was worth a kingdom.

The Ji Family’s desperate spending could only mean one thing: A VIP in the clan was dying.

Qi Yuan’s curiosity peaked. He didn’t care if the Ji Family burned, but Ji Chan’er was a direct descendant. If the clan fell, she would be dragged down with it.

“Fine,” Linghu Gao nodded. “When you have the goods, bring them to the Ji Clan’s ancestral estate. Mention my name at the gate, and no one will harm you.”

Qi Yuan wasn’t ready to let the conversation end. He decided to probe.

“Senior Linghu… I am preparing to attend the Ji Clan Patriarch’s 80,000th birthday celebration. I plan to offer a generous gift to curry favor.”

He lowered his voice. “I heard rumors that the Patriarch has become obsessed with health preservation lately. Would a life-extending treasure be the most appropriate gift?”

Linghu Gao’s face changed instantly. His gaze turned sharp and heavy.

“Young Master Qi. Who told you that?”

Qi Yuan’s heart skipped a beat. Jackpot.

“To be honest,” Qi Yuan whispered, flashing the Ji Family Token Ji Chan’er had given him. “My close friend is a direct descendant of the Ji Family. I have always been under their protection, so I pay close attention to their affairs.”

Linghu Gao saw the token and relaxed slightly.

“I see.”

He waved his hand dismissively. “In the Ji Family, I only refine pills. I do not involve myself in politics. If you have the materials, bring them. I will pay market price on the spot.”

He leaned in, his voice dropping to a warning whisper.

“But do not speak of this carelessly outside. If you do, disaster will find you.”

“Understood,” Qi Yuan assured him. “I know the weight of this.”

Seeing Linghu Gao’s secrecy, Qi Yuan was now certain.

The Ji Family Patriarch’s lifespan is running out.

This was massive news. If the Patriarch fell, the tripartite balance of power that had stabilized the Demon Sect for tens of thousands of years would shatter. A storm of blood was coming.

After bidding farewell to Linghu Gao, Qi Yuan suppressed his shock and returned to the materials shop.

Inside the secret chamber, Xu Qingquan was waiting respectfully.

“Fellow Daoist Pangolin. Do you have further instructions?”

Qi Yuan nodded, his expression grave.

“As you have seen, to complete my mission, I am currently impersonating a specific individual. His name is Big Qi (Qi Da), an Outer Sect disciple of the Demon Sect.”

“This means there are effectively two ‘Big Qis’ active in the sect. One is the real target; the other is my cover identity.”

“To prevent the Sanctuary from receiving false intelligence and accidentally targeting me, you are to issue a Priority Order to all sleeper agents.”

“From this moment on, suspend all reporting on ‘Big Qi’. Furthermore, absolutely no one is to take action against this person without my direct authorization.”

“In short: Big Qi is off-limits until my mission concludes. Do you understand?”

Qi Yuan had deliberately dropped the name earlier to set this up.

He was currently notorious in the Outer Sect—a “Peerless Demon” hated by everyone. If the righteous spies reported this back to the Supreme Mystery Sanctuary, the sect might send assassins to eliminate the “future threat.”

Getting assassinated by his own colleagues because he did his job too well would be the ultimate tragic comedy. He had to nip it in the bud.

Xu Qingquan paused, then his eyes lit up with realization. He bowed deeply.

“Understood! Fellow Daoist Pangolin, rest assured. This subordinate will instruct all agents to fully cooperate with your cover!”