Unveiling the Remains of the Past

"Since the opening of the Pearl Tower, I have never seen such a crowd before. Young Hero Li, your methods are truly remarkable."

Under the colossal Sea King Pearl atop the Pearl Tower, the former owner of the establishment sighed with emotion.

Ever since the introduction of "group buying" and "slash the price" promotions, the Pearl Tower had become a must-visit spot for everyone attending the Rare Treasures Bazaar.

Previously, the Pearl Tower was only famous within the bazaar, but now its reputation had spread across the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands.

"However, there's one thing I'm still curious about," the current second owner hesitated before asking, "The subsidies didn’t need to be so generous to achieve the same effect. Why has Young Hero Li been so exceedingly generous?"

He had initially assumed Li Mo's promotions were mostly gimmicks, but to his surprise, Li Mo had truly invested a fortune in them—so much that it pained him to watch.

Though the advertisements contained some theatrics, the promises within were genuine.

Every subsidy came directly from Li Mo's own pockets.

"Consider it an investment," Li Mo replied, nibbling on an ice pop while gazing at the bustling crowd with a smile.

"But there’s no return on this. How can it be considered an investment...?"

"Just think of it as me accumulating virtue," Li Mo said, his tone sincere.

He had examined every guest with his Heavenly Fate Divine Eye.

Those deemed worthy of investment received extra subsidies from the Mirage Spirit Pearl—some even got items for free, with silver thrown in as a bonus.

Those unworthy received only modest discounts.

As for those with ill intentions...

Even if the entire population of the Eastern Sea were gathered, they’d never manage to "slash the final price"!

Factoring in the returns from his investments, it seemed he hadn’t lost anything—in fact, he’d profited even more...

"If I were to write a story about this, I’d call it I Really Didn’t Mean to Lose My Way to Becoming the Richest Man..."

Feeling the monotony of wealth, Li Mo sighed and handed another ice pop to Lan Tian, who was staring at him eagerly.

"Virtue... No wonder everyone says Young Hero Li is a true gentleman, generous and righteous."

"Today, I’ve witnessed it firsthand. From now on, the Pearl Tower will follow Young Hero Li’s lead without question!"

"By the way, there are quite a few rare treasures among the auction items—things too precious to be openly priced. Would Young Hero Li like to take a look first?"

The Pearl Tower’s major shareholders quickly weighed the pros and cons in their minds.

They weren’t just merchants; many had ties to sects. The former majority shareholder, now the second-largest, had roots in the Penglai Star Sect.

Normally, outsiders wouldn’t find it easy to meddle in the bazaar’s business.

But Li Mo was young, terrifyingly talented, and richer than some nations. It was certain he would one day stand among the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands’ most formidable experts.

Even more frightening was the fact that an equally dazzling woman was soon to become his wife.

To them and their factions, investing in him—even gifting the Pearl Tower as a favor—was more than worth it.

Besides, Li Mo didn’t seem interested in interfering much with the Pearl Tower’s operations. He had only one demand:

The "Golden Mountain Subsidies" and "Slash the Price" promotions must continue indefinitely.

"As for the auction items, just send me a list," Li Mo said, not refusing outright. After a moment’s thought, he added, "But don’t reserve anything for me privately. I’ll bid normally if I need something. We shouldn’t break the Pearl Tower’s rules right from the start."

The shareholders exchanged glances. This young prodigy had more restraint than they’d expected.

"Hm?"

Li Mo suddenly let out a soft sound of surprise as his gaze fell upon the crowd below.

Among the people participating in the event, one individual’s information had caught his attention.

[Name: He Chi]

[...]

[Evaluation: Disciple of the Spirit Rhyme Sect, Eastern Wasteland Domain.]

[Recent Activity: Sent by the young sect master Qiao Ziyu to the Pearl Tower to "slash the price."]

He Chi wasn’t the only one. In the teeming crowd, many others were also disciples of the Spirit Rhyme Sect, blending in unnoticed.

In just this short time, Li Mo had spotted no fewer than several hundred of them.

"The Spirit Rhyme Sect of the Eastern Wasteland Domain... Are they that poor?"

Li Mo couldn’t help but chuckle. While many came to take advantage of the promotions, this was the first time he’d seen an entire sect mobilized just to "slash the price."

"The Spirit Rhyme Sect? They’re far from poor."

Elder Qian raised an eyebrow. "They were once the largest sect in the Eastern Wasteland Domain. If not for us, they might have become the first sect to dominate the entire region."

"Their disciples excel not only in martial arts but also in esoteric techniques, including curse magic... Hm?"

At this point, Old Qian’s voice trailed off. With the keen instincts of his Innate Free-Meal Constitution, he sensed something amiss.

Curse magic wasn’t widely practiced, yet on their very first day at the bazaar, they’d encountered a swindler skilled in it.

Wasn’t that a little too coincidental?

Li Mo was no naive fool in the outside world. Narrowing his eyes, he continued scanning the crowd until his gaze settled on a square-headed young man in purple robes.

[Name: Qiao Ziyu]

[Age: 31]

[Root Bone: Life-Micro Dharma Bone.]

[Cultivation: Inner Scenery, Fifth Heaven.]

[Fate: Blue-Purple (Perfectly ordinary for his tier.)]

[Evaluation: Skilled in both esoteric and martial arts, ranking among the elite of his realm. His methods are unpredictable, placing him at 48th on the Human Ranking.]

[Recent Activity: To ensure the Spirit Rhyme Sect’s rise as a regional hegemon, he devised a series of schemes—including sending swindlers to lure Li Mo out to sea, delaying his betrothal ceremony. To this end, he mobilized three thousand disciples to "slash the price"...]

"Tsk..."

One of the Pearl Tower’s shareholders suddenly shivered, his hair standing on end.

He instinctively turned around—

Only to see the usually cheerful and amiable "Sword Hero Li," now wearing an expression as cold as ice.

Lan Tian was so startled she nearly dropped her ice pop. The look on his face felt eerily familiar.

In short—utterly terrifying!!

"Young Hero Li, what has angered you so?"

"If I were to toss someone into the sea as fish food... would that be a problem?"

"Heh... We certainly have the means for that. Anyone who dares offend Young Hero Li must be a vile wretch. How many should we throw in?"

"Three thousand."

"Thr—how many?!"

The shareholders recoiled slightly.

Fish food? This wasn’t feeding the fish—this was land reclamation!

"Young Hero Li, weren’t you accumulating virtue? Why the sudden change of heart...?"

"What’s the point of hoarding virtue if I don’t spend it?!"