Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

The commotion must be significant, but actions must still be conducted within the sect's rules.

In this way, the attention of the sect's higher-ups will be drawn, increasing the pressure on Master Canglang and making him more likely to make mistakes in his haste.

In order to appease this troublemaker with "some powerful connections," Master Canglang will most likely have to offer some benefits to settle the matter.

Kill two birds with one stone.

Before parting, Fang Yue gave him a rare serious warning: "Be careful not to be used as a pawn and get stuck in the quagmire of the Core Formation stage. Your life is your own, so keep your distance and stay clear-headed."

Lin Zhao expressed her sincere gratitude.

He knew that this person was referring to the Core Formation Realm cultivator in the Enforcement Hall; this was his friend's advice, and he kept it in mind.

However, on the way back, Lin Zhao was somewhat troubled.

"Making trouble...that's not my forte," he muttered, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the table on the Azure Scale.

He has always been in the habit of planning carefully before acting; he either doesn't act at all, or if he does, he has to be confident.

But this time, I have to take the initiative to be that "unstable factor".

He recalled some protagonists from stories he had read in his past life, who seemed to be born trouble magnets, causing chaos wherever they went.

"Don't underestimate a young man's potential," but he himself is almost fifty, long past the age of "young man."

A broken engagement? He doesn't have a fiancée;

Hatred at its peak? He had long since cleaned up those personal grudges in the Yunxia Mountains.

"I can't exactly set up a stall in Zhenhai Cliff Market and shout, 'My master is True Man Qianqiu, come and cause me trouble,' can I?" Lin Zhao shook his head and chuckled at his own thought.

Even as the Azure Scale flew over the bustling docks and neighborhoods outside Zhenhai Cliff, looking down at the crowds, the rows of shops, and the ships in the distant docks, Lin Zhao still hadn't figured out exactly how to cause trouble in a "gentle yet effective" way.

One cannot go too far, lest one incur the sect's wrath and suppression, which would backfire; nor can one engage in trivial matters, which would be like scratching an itch through a boot.

It still has to be within the rules...

"Making trouble is an art." He sighed, suppressed the brilliance of his spirit boat, and slowly descended towards the noisy place below the cliff.

-----

After returning to Zhenhai Cliff, Lin Zhao did not rush to turn in the mission.

He spent several days wandering around the market town that stretched for hundreds of miles below.

It must be admitted that Master Canglang governed the region quite well.

Nearly 100,000 cultivators come and go here, and countless merchant ships return from the sea, all in an orderly manner with few mistakes.

With Lin Zhao's discerning eye, it wouldn't be easy to find fault with her.

That day, he was sitting by the window on the second floor of a teahouse facing the street.

The streets below were teeming with people, a mix of mortals and cultivators, with shouts, bargaining, and the sounds of goods being moved blending into a buzzing background noise.

His gaze swept casually across the area, then suddenly stopped.

An acquaintance. It was Su Qing, the daughter of the elder of the small merchant guild she had met on the way here.

She was standing on a street corner talking to a young man who looked somewhat like her—her brother—who had an unhappy expression on his face.

Lin Zhao's divine sense stirred slightly, and he caught a few words.

"...They clearly said that the second-tier seagoing vessel would be delivered this month, and we've already paid the deposit for three years! Now, with a simple 'distinguished guest cutting in line,' we have to wait another six months?" Su Qing's tone was filled with suppressed anger.

Her brother gave a wry smile: "That 'Spirit-Fixing Shipyard' is an established shipyard, and according to the rules, they've already compensated us with a sum of spirit stones... We'll just have to bear with it. After all, our merchant guild is weak and doesn't have any Foundation Establishment cultivators of our own."

Lin Zhao's eyes lit up.

The opportunity has arrived!

He tossed down the tea money, flashed downstairs, and walked a few steps to the brother and sister, revealing what he thought was a rather warm smile: "Young friends, I happened to overhear what you just said. How can such queue-jumping be tolerated? Don't worry, I will take care of this for you."

Having said that, without waiting for their reaction, he waved his sleeve, and a gentle yet irresistible spiritual force swept the two of them up, taking them with him to the Azure Scale Ship that was hanging to the side.

"Senior, this..." Su Qing was a little flustered and wanted to explain that the shipyard had already given the Chamber of Commerce spirit stones as compensation according to the rules.

Her brother, however, secretly pulled her aside, his face quickly breaking into a grateful smile, and said eagerly, "Thank you for your kindness, senior! The shipyard is just twenty miles ahead, the largest dockyard in Linhai!"

He quickly and urgently transmitted his voice to his sister: "This Foundation Establishment senior has an extraordinary aura. Do not disobey him! Protect yourselves first. There are Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed at the shipyard, so there won't be any trouble. We'll just have to see how things go and then we'll leave."

Lin Zhao's lips curved into a barely perceptible smile.

clever.

With a thought, the Azure Scale Ship transformed into a streak of light and headed straight for the Dingling Shipyard.

The shipyard covers a vast area, built along the coast, with dozens of large and small docks lined up, and the unfinished skeletons of giant ships lying like ferocious beasts.

The presence of spiritual energy fluctuations indicates that there is a protective array.

Lin Zhao, along with Su Qing and her brother, landed directly at the main gate.

The brother and sister's eyes darted around, already preparing to find a chance to slip away.

"Wait here for a moment." After saying this, Lin Zhao walked inside with his hands behind his back.

He had only taken a few steps through the gate when several angry shouts came from inside, followed by the muffled sound of spiritual energy colliding violently and the sound of objects shattering!

"boom--!!!"

A deafening roar, far more "restrained" than it sounded, suddenly erupted! The upper half of the main building of the shipyard, which was a hundred feet long and three stories high, facing the street, was smashed as if by an invisible giant hand. Countless fragments of wood, stone, and bricks, mixed with the spiritual light of the array that had been cleverly dispersed, shot into the sky!

The debris rained down, covering an area of ​​several miles, causing countless people in the dock area to stare in horror.

However, what is even more alarming is that the seemingly terrifying rain of fragments, as it fell, seemed to have eyes, strangely bypassing all pedestrians and even the items on the stalls, hitting the open ground with a ping-pong sound, without harming a single person or item, and not even raising the dust too high.

Su Qing and her brother turned pale, their legs went weak, and they really didn't dare to walk anymore.

As the dust settled, Lin Zhao and a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, dressed in a steward's robes, with prominent dark circles under his eyes and what appeared to be blood at the corner of his mouth, emerged one after the other.

Lin Zhao nodded to the brother and sister, his tone calm: "We've reached an agreement with the manager. Your ship will be delivered on schedule this month, without any further delays."

The brother and sister were at a loss for words, and could only force themselves to bow and thank him.

Lin Zhao casually tossed a storage bag to the manager, his voice clear enough for anyone listening nearby to hear: "For the damage to your establishment's appearance, a few spirit stones will be offered as compensation."

Then, he looked at Su Qing and her brother, raising his voice slightly: "These two are people I, Lin Zhao, have taken care of. I hope you will do me a favor when you are doing things at Zhenhai Cliff in the future."

The steward grunted and wiped his mouth: "...No problem."

Lin Zhao then, as if he had just finished a small matter, boarded the Azure Scale and left with a carefree air.

The steward then said impatiently to the stunned brother and sister, "Come in with me!"

He led the two to a relatively intact side hall at the back.