Mi Shuhua returned to Dahe Market three days ago.0

Wang Yuan's words echoed in Luo Chen's mind repeatedly.0

He had returned three days ago, yet with the Poshan Gang on the verge of collapse, why had he remained hidden?0

And now, he had sought me out in such a hurry, using every psychological ploy at his disposal, even going so far as to offer a Foundation Establishment pill. What was his true intention?0

Luo Chen thought back to the old man who once carried a ruddy complexion, always grinning like a content landlord. Today, however, his face was ghostly pale, completely devoid of color.0

A memory surfaced, the pile of mid-grade spirit stones in the chamber’s corner, reduced to mere dust. Doubt and suspicion churned within Luo Chen. Then, in a flash of realization, he understood the truth. Mi Shuhua was merely putting up a strong front.0

"Even a small spirit-gathering array is costly to maintain, let alone a second-tier one!0

"If these formations were truly that effective, why would rogue Foundation Establishment cultivators willingly submit to powerful factions or seek refuge as guest elders?0

"I don’t know how long a second-tier spirit vein created by a second-tier spirit-gathering array can last, but no Foundation Establishment cultivator could possibly afford its cost indefinitely."0

All eight corners of the stone chamber had ten mid-grade spirit stones each. That was a total of eighty mid-grade spirit stones which is equivalent to eight thousand low-grade spirit stones!0

Mi Shuhua had spent eighty thousand spirit stones in a single auction on enchanted treasures. For a rogue cultivator of his age to have advanced to the mid stage of Foundation Establishment, the amount of resources he must have consumed was unimaginable.0

Which meant that his savings… were likely depleted! That was precisely why, now grievously injured, Mi Shuhua found himself nearly at the end of his rope.0

"That’s why he would go to any lengths to force me into refining Jade Essence pills at full cap...0