235 The Fourth Golden Essence

"I'm afraid people like me, who requite evil with good, are quite rare in this world, right?" Zhou Donghuang asked with a faint smile.

From the time he had reincarnated and returned to this world a thousand years ago, Zhou Donghuang had always felt out of place in this world. In the eyes of others, he seemed completely unapproachable.

He appeared more human only when he was in front of his mother, Lin Lan and his younger sister, Yun Lu.

It was not that he did not want to fit in with this world, but that he could not.

He had tried but failed.

Although he had to start practicing from scratch after reincarnating, it still could not change his disposition, which was befitting of someone who stood at the pinnacle of the vast universe.

From a bird's-eye view, the numerous mountains were small.

He had seen what he should see. He had also been through what he ought to have gone through.

In this lifetime, it was only a matter of time before he returned to the peak.

It was only after coming to the Lightning Sword Sect this time and seeing one of the most important people in his previous life, his third senior sister, He Mengxi, that he finally felt a sense of belonging and identified with this world that he had reincarnated into.

It was precisely because of this that great changes unknowingly occurred in his mentality. Now, he could even crack a few jokes with the people of the Summer Valley.

The group of people in Ziyun who were familiar with Zhou Donghuang were not here either. Otherwise, their jaws would definitely drop open in shock if they witnessed this scene.

Because they had never seen this side of Zhou Donghuang before.

However, apart from Da Zhuang's slightly blank expression, the people present from the Lightning Sword Sect did not expect this taciturn junior brother to have such a side to him.

On the contrary, the others did not feel the same way. They felt strongly that Zhou Donghuang was shameless!

Clearly, he had deliberately sold counterfeit goods to the detriment of the people of the Summer Valley. But now, he was actually speaking of it as if he had done it for their good?

The eight people of the Summer Valley were all staring at Zhou Donghuang with predatory gazes.

If not for their worry that they would say something vicious and follow in the footsteps of the Summer Valley elder who was heading towards the Law Enforcement Hall, they would've started abusing him a long time ago and even threaten him.

"Elder Han, you've seen it too... this Zhou Donghuang is clearly going against the Summer Valley!" the remaining Summer Valley elder said to Han Ku with fury on his face.

Han Ku was in slight disbelief too.

"Little brat. When it's possible to let people off, you should spare them," Han Ku looked at Zhou Donghuang and said with a bitter smile.

"Elder Han."

Zhou Donghuang looked at Han Ku with a face filled with surprise. "Earlier, I was merely repeating what you'd said that day... What's more, didn't you say that day that successfully selling counterfeit goods was a type of skill too?"

"Yesterday, I took out nine fake goods in total and I sold all of them... furthermore, all the Summer Valley people have done the same thing."

"You can't be telling me now that whatever you told me that day was false, right?" Zhou Donghuang asked mockingly.

"I..."

Han Ku went silent and was left speechless.

"Hmph!" the Summer Valley elder scoffed.

After glancing at Zhou Donghuang with a knife-like gaze, he called out to the rest of the Summer Valley people, "Let's go!"

Zhou Donghuang had already shown them that he wanted to fight to the death. They would only be humiliating themselves if they continued staying here, so they would rather leave.

"Elder Yu, are we going to just leave it at that?"

On the way back to the Summer Valley, Fang Baiwei's face was filled with indignation.

"If we don't just leave it at that, what else can you do? If not, why don't you go and kill him? Exchange your own life for his and protect our Summer Valley?"

The Summer Valley elder turned around and glared at Fang Baiwei impatiently, retorting with a question.

Fang Baiwei instantly shut his mouth.

No way he was that noble.

"After we return this time, let's go and meet the Valley Head together. As long as the Valley Head is willing to get involved in this matter, whether we seek out the sect leader or the Autumn Valley Head... that Zhou Donghuang definitely won't dare to mess around again!",

the Summer Valley elder continued.

Hearing his words, the eyes of several Summer Valley disciples all lit up.

After returning to the Summer Valley, the elder brought Fang Baiwei, Zhong Yin and the remaining seven disciples straight to visit the Summer Valley Head, Lian Kun.

Lian Kun was a middle-aged man with a short and strong figure and dark tan skin. He was at most about 1.5 meters in height. When he stood beside his direct disciple, Lian Can to give him pointers, he had to suspend himself in midair so as to maintain eye contact with Lian Can, who was around 1.8 meters in height.

Right now, Lian Kun was teaching Lian Can how to use his Dharma power more effectively in order to display stronger combat power.

As an ultimate Primordial Soul adept, Lian Kun had even come up with a few know-hows to exert force such that it unleashed the power of inner Yuan to a greater degree.

"Valley Head."

Lian Can only stopped what he was doing when the eight Summer Valley people came to visit. He stood behind Lian Kun, who was floating in midair with his feet a foot above the ground.

Even so, Lian Kun's shoulders were only at the same level as Lian Can's shoulders.

"Is something up?"

At the sudden appearance of so many people at once, even Valley Head Lian Kun could not help but frown and ask coolly.

"Valley Head."

The Summer Valley elder stepped forward and recounted the sequence of events in detail. He also related the words which Zhou Donghuang, the Autumn Valley disciple, had said earlier.

"That Autumn Valley disciple actually wanted me to kneel and kowtow to him and that Da Zhuang in apology?"

Standing behind Lian Kun, Lian Can's eyes suddenly turned steely. In the span of a moment, a layer of ice-cold frost also seemed to form on his face.

"Did all the fake goods you bought come from him alone?"

Unlike Lian Can's one-sidedness, Valley Head Lian Kun saw many more issues. "If so... his methods are indeed remarkable."

"Master," Lian Can said indignantly, "that Zhou Donghuang is but an insignificant Golden Essence adept. So what if he has some devious tricks up his sleeve? He can't cause any waves with them!"

"Are you looking down on his methods?" Lian Kun asked.

Lian Can tacitly agreed.

"In that case, how do you think we should resolve this matter?" Lian Kun asked again.

"I..."

Upon hearing Lian Kun's words, Lian Can did not know how to respond for a moment. This was because the Summer Valley elder in front of him had already said that whatever the other party had done complied with the rules of the sect. They could not punish him.

If he could not punish him, what other method did he have?

"Hmph!"

Lian Kun sneered. Without any consideration for Lian Can's feelings, he chided him, "So, don't look down on anyone. And don't look down on Zhou Donghuang's methods.

"If you had the same tricks, you would be more than capable of defrauding the Autumn Valley and ultimately force Zhou Donghuang to dispel any thoughts of continuing to harm the Summer Valley."

Lian Kun was slightly angry after hearing the Summer Valley elder speak. Now that Lian Can had himself sought trouble, he instantly vented all his anger on Lian Can.

As for Lian Can, he could only keep nodding sadly like a chick pecking at grains. "Master is right in reprimanding me. Master is right..."

However, in Lian Can's heart, he now hated Zhou Donghuang even more.

"Valley Head, if you don't get involved in this matter, I'm afraid this will arouse panic in our Summer Valley if it goes on," the Summer Valley elder said with a bitter smile.

"If I were to get involved now, wouldn't it be even more of a joke? In a contest between an Autumn Valley disciple who hasn't even entered the Dharma stage and I can't believe I, the Summer Valley Head, have to personally attend," Lian Kun sneered.

The Summer Valley elder immediately went silent.

"Master, in my opinion that Zhou Donghuang must have said that on purpose too... yesterday, he cheated Elder Yu and a few of my senior brothers. You can say that he has already helped Da Zhuang take revenge."

At the right moment, Lian Can said, "I bet that even if we increase his guts tenfold, he wouldn't dare to continue offending our Summer Valley."

The Summer Valley elder and the other people felt that Lian Can's words had some logic to them.

As for Lian Kun, from the outset he had never intended to get involved.

...

In the blink of an eye, a month had passed.

During this month, although the Summer Valley people were all cautious when dealing in the trade center, none of them bought any more counterfeit goods.

Any news of the Autumn Valley disciple, Zhou Donghuang, was like a pebble that had sank to the bottom of the sea.

"Looks like that Zhou Donghuang just spoke without thinking the matter through at the time. I actually thought that he really dared to challenge the entire Valley... I overestimated him."

"It's normal if you think about it. He's already had his revenge. And in comparison, he benefited considerably at their expense. Naturally, there's no need for him to continue being hostile towards the valley."

...

The Lightning Sword Sect disciples who had personally heard Zhou Donghuang say a month ago that he was going to continue cheating the Summer Valley with counterfeit goods, shook their heads collectively at this moment. They felt that Zhou Donghuang had merely said those words without any meaning behind them.

During the span of this month, the Summer Valley people gradually started to let down their guard too.

Even then, they still did not buy any false goods.

However, they did not know that the reason why everything had been quiet in the Summer Valley for the past month was all because Zhou Donghuang had shut himself off completely to practice ever since returning to the Autumn Valley.

"The last Silver Essence finally transformed into a Golden Essence."

After a month, the last Silver Essence remaining in Zhou Donghuang's diaphragm successfully transformed into a Golden Essence.

Henceforth, Zhou Donghuang cultivated all four Primal Cores in his diaphragm into Golden Essences.

"Now, I'm going to charge towards the Dharma stage... I wonder if anyone tried to sell me those medicinal herbs I offered a reward during my time in seclusion."

When the thought came to mind, Zhou Donghuang walked out of his room and went looking for Da Zhuang.

This time, he had left Da Zhuang with sufficient spirit stones before going into seclusion to practice. If anyone wanted to sell him the medicinal herbs in exchange for the reward, Da Zhuang could help him trade.

"Little Junior Brother, I managed to buy the last type of medicinal herb you wanted ten days ago," Da Zhuang said, smiling foolishly as he handed the medicinal herbs to Zhou Donghuang.

"Very good."

Zhou Donghuang had just returned to his room and finished refining the core drug when an excited voice traveled from outside.

"Zhou Donghuang, you chap. You're finally out of seclusion.

"A month ago, you agreed to let me join you in selling counterfeit goods. But in the end, you immediately shut yourself off to practice.

"Recently, everyone in the sect has been calling you a coward and saying that you dare not deceive the Summer Valley people with fake goods again... quick, bring some counterfeit goods here and I'll get someone to sell it to them."

The person standing outside Zhou Donghuang's door right now was none other than the Spring Valley disciple, Liu Lang.

Liu Lang was the only son of the Spring Valley Head and was famously known for being a profligate disciple in the Lightning Sword Sect.

A month ago, Liu Lang had pestered Zhou Donghuang relentlessly. He had told him that if he continued to make counterfeit goods, he had to hand them over to him so he could get someone to resell them to the Summer Valley people.

May the whole world be in chaos!