The Yulong District was a rather complicated place.
That said, with his current standing, he didn't need to worry about running into any trouble in the Yulong District.
The last time Jiang Chen had come here, it was with
After all, the Wei family at that time was nothing more than a declining ninth-rank clan in everyone's eyes—not worth anyone's special regard.
This time around, Jiang Chen returned alone. He hadn't invited Wei Jie, nor had he asked Young Master Ji the Third. Both of them were equally busy these days, preparing for their entry into the Glazed King Pagoda.
Wei Jie had made it onto the Genius Ranking, which meant he could enter the Martial Tower.
Young Master Ji the Third had broken into the Young Masters Ranking, which naturally granted him access to the Main Pagoda of the Glazed King Pagoda. During this three-day preparation period, no one was idle.
Besides, with Jiang Chen's current status, no one in the Glazed King City would dare cross him. Even the Shura Great Emperor's faction, which hated him to the bone, would never dare take action against him at a time like this.
The Peacock Great Emperor's discerning gaze was boundless—who knew whether he was secretly watching?
If anyone provoked Jiang Chen now, they might just get dragged out by the Peacock Great Emperor as a cautionary example.
Of course, Jiang Chen didn't want to stir up trouble either. With a few attendants in tow, he headed into the Yulong District.
After the Glazed King Pagoda Grand Assembly, Jiang Chen was no longer just that mysterious Pill King. He had become an idol known to every resident of the Glazed King City.
The moment he set foot in the Yulong District, he was recognized by a great number of people. One after another, they stepped forward to greet him. Even the most unruly and wild among them lowered their heads and showed respectful deference before him.
Clearly, what commanded their respect wasn't merely Jiang Chen's current title—it was the way he had conquered their hearts through his performance. Their admiration was genuine and heartfelt.
"Young Master Zhen, do you still remember this humble one?" A figure suddenly parted the crowd and approached. The man was dressed in strikingly flashy attire, his outfit dazzlingly vibrant.
If such clothing had been worn by a woman, no one would have thought twice about it.
On a man, though, it came across as rather overdone.
"You're Lin Ming?" Jiang Chen naturally remembered him. The first time Wei Jie had brought him to the Yulong District, they had gone straight to Lin Ming's shop.
He recalled that back then, although Lin Ming had been polite enough, he hadn't exactly been warm and welcoming.
He had given Wei Jie a measure of courtesy, but hadn't gone out of his way to be friendly. Now, however, Lin Ming was the picture of intimacy. He sidled up, wearing an ingratiating smile: "Young Master Zhen, I heard that you've been appointed as the Young Master of Peacock Sacred Mountain. This humble one figured that a young master of your stature might need some high-end slaves, so over the past few days, through many channels, I've managed to gather a batch of rather premium slaves. Might Young Master Zhen honor my humble shop with a visit?"
Jiang Chen had no particular ill will toward Lin Ming. The man had been somewhat cold toward him before, but that was only human nature.
To Lin Ming, Jiang Chen had been nothing but a stranger at the time—it would have been unreasonable to expect overly enthusiastic hospitality.
Moreover, some of the intelligence Jiang Chen had later obtained had come from Lin Ming. That was, of course, after Jiang Chen had cured his ailment.
Still, that transaction had been genuinely useful. It had allowed Jiang Chen to track down critical information—the whereabouts of the group of disciples from Dangian Palace—and to discover the Sikou family's Myriad Puppet Hall, which had ultimately led to the successful rescue of Shen Sanhuo, Gouyu, and the others.
Though it had been nothing more than a transaction, Jiang Chen had to admit that Lin Ming's intelligence had been invaluable. If they had waited even two more days, those people might have been sold off to various places.
So, this favor—Jiang Chen still remembered it.
"Boss Lin, looks like things have been going well for you lately." Jiang Chen smiled at Lin Ming and noticed that the man no longer applied powder to his face.
The white patches had clearly disappeared. It seemed his illness had been completely cured.
Speaking of this, Lin Ming still felt a lingering chill. He counted himself extremely fortunate—he knew that if it hadn't been for Pill King Zhen last time, he would likely be a corpse by now.
He had been unknowingly keeping a Netherworld Cat Beast, which summoned waves of sinister yin energy every night at midnight. If Pill King Zhen hadn't identified the problem…
Had the illness dragged on any longer, he, Lin Ming, would have been nothing but a dead body. All the money in the world wouldn't have saved him.
So deep down, he was truly grateful to Pill King Zhen—and even to Wei Jie. Later, when he heard of Pill King Zhen's great achievements and witnessed his steady rise, culminating in his appointment as the Young Master of Peacock Sacred Mountain, Lin Ming was consumed with regret.
He regretted his dismissive attitude back then. He regretted waiting until the man himself had to propose a transaction before he'd agree to share his intelligence.
If he had been friendlier, more courteous from the start, he could have forged a real relationship—climbed aboard Pill King Zhen's ship.
Once connected to Pill King Zhen, Lin Ming's prospects would have soared beyond imagination! Just think—if he had Young Master Zhen backing him, with a patron whose influence reached all the way to Peacock Sacred Mountain, who in the entire Yulong District would dare slight him? Who would dare give him a cold look?
Even the Sikou family's Myriad Puppet Hall had only ever relied on the Royal Court Powerhouse as their backer. And the Royal Court Powerhouse's own backing was the Shura Great Emperor.
Never mind that there was an intermediary in that chain—that very intermediary meant the Sikou family's Myriad Puppet Hall could never reach the truly highest echelons. Their influence could only extend as far as the Royal Court Powerhouse level. It could never reach the Shura Great Emperor's tier.