Chapter 9

• "No."
• "Please ask someone on the Sect Master's side to convey my apologies."
• Bowen shook his head, realizing without a doubt that this sect competition was just another event designed to confine him within the Starry Abyss Sect and provide Tim with time to develop.
• Compared to the stakes of his young life, the core disciple position held little significance.
• "Understood!"
• Elder Porter replied.
• He genuinely could not comprehend why Bowen placed such great importance on Tim.
• Holding back the numerous questions in his mind, Elder Porter retrieved a jade token and began sending a message.
• "Let's proceed."
• Bowen activated the formation and headed straight for Autumn Glory City, with Elder Porter following closely behind.
• Shortly after,
• "The Sect Master has consented!"
• Elder Porter stored the jade token and announced.
• "Hmm."
• Bowen gave a faint nod.
• Simultaneously, a system prompt echoed in his mind.
• [Ding! You have slightly altered the plot, earning 100 Villain Value points!]
• "Changing the plot again, even if it's a minor adjustment, it's quite satisfying!"
• A smile tugged at the corners of Jiang Chen's lips.
• By now, he had roughly grasped the notion that altering the plot centered around himself would likely be deemed minor adjustments.
• Only modifying the main character's plot direction would be considered a significant change, and the amount of Villain Value gained should be substantially higher.
• As he continued onward,
• Bowen retrieved his transmission jade token and contacted his second uncle, the current head of the Bowen Clan and Mysterious Platform Realm cultivator, Bowen Marshall.
• Leaving out details like the system, villain, and protagonist, Bowen provided Bowen Marshall with a general overview of the situation.
• To Bowen Marshall, it seemed that Tim had received assistance from a distinguished individual, had been granted immense fortune, and would pose a significant threat to Bowen in the future.
• Bowen's standing within the Bowen Clan was quite prominent.
• His father Bowen Marshall, had been the young master of the previous generation of the Bowen Clan, Bowen Marshall's older brother, who was also a Mysterious Platform powerhouse.
• His mother, too, was a Mysterious Platform powerhouse, and it seemed that many years ago, the couple had left Autumn Glory City in pursuit of attaining the Heavenly Origin Realm.
• Furthermore, it was almost a certainty that Bowen himself would reach the Mysterious Platform Realm and was already a core disciple of the Starry Abyss Sect.
• As a result, the entire Bowen Clan held Bowen in the highest esteem!
• Consequently,
• Bowen Marshall swiftly assured Bowen that he would dispatch Bowen Clan cultivators to secretly search for and observe Tim.
• Thus,
• The Bowen Clan, a colossus occupying half of Autumn Glory City, discreetly extended numerous tendrils!
• However,
• Autumn Glory City was indeed vast, and as the central city of the surrounding region, it harbored a substantial transient population.
• Pinpointing Tim amidst such a sprawling area and throngs of people would prove exceedingly challenging.
• Moreover,
• Tim still possessed the protagonist's status and was protected by the Heavenly Fate.
• Attempts to target him rarely unfolded smoothly.
• Until Bowen and Elder Porter reached Autumn Glory City, the Bowen Clan cultivators had been unable to locate Tim.
• At the eastern city gate of Autumn Glory City,
• Beneath the shadows cast by a nearby building,
• "He still hasn't been found."
• "No matter, I have the Aura Finder Smoke!"
• Bowen stored the transmission jade token in his possession and withdrew a black incense stick, already burnt a quarter of its length.
• Upon determining Tim's position,
• He had snuffed out the Aura Finder Smoke to conserve it. Now, it was primed for use once again.
• Fwoosh.
• A small portion of the Aura Finder Smoke flared up, swiftly pinpointing Tim's location.
• "How convenient!"
• "It wasn't a waste to spend 300 Villain Value points."
• The corners of Bowen's mouth curved slightly as he sent messages to Bowen Marshall and Elder Porter, hastening towards the direction of Vast Spirit Residence.
• Upon receiving Bowen's message, Bowen Marshall and Elder Porter immediately sprang into action.
• Before long,
• Bowen materialized in a courtyard near the Vast Spirit Residence.
• Gazing at the Vast Spirit Residence just a short distance away, he thought,
• "Is he here?"
• Bowen's eyes narrowed with a hint of caution.
• Although he possessed divine sense that allowed him to detect everything within a 100-meter radius with remarkable clarity,
• He suspected that a formidable figure had escorted Tim to Autumn Glory City.
• If such a powerhouse were indeed present, it would be problematic if he were to inadvertently alert them.
• To address this concern,
• He had already requested Elder Porter to dispatch someone to investigate, and Bowen Marshall's side was conducting inquiries as well.
• The subsequent course of action would depend on the findings of these probes.
• Before long,
• A message reached Bowen.
• "Besides the patrons at the Vast Spirit Residence Inn today, only one black-clad, cloaked man has entered the Vast Spirit Residence, and he was alone?"
• "Based on his silhouette, he closely resembles Tim."
• "Hmph, excellent!"
• Upon reading the message, the corners of Bowen's mouth twisted into a cold smirk, and he promptly expanded his divine sense!
• Instantly!
• Everything within a hundred-meter radius, encompassing more than thirty thousand square meters, became astonishingly clear.
• This transformation
• Felt as if a severely nearsighted person had suddenly regained their vision and beheld an entirely new world.
• Naturally,
• As an inn, the Vast Spirit Residence was committed to safeguarding the privacy of its guests.
• Each room had its own independent protective formation.
• At this moment, the room Tim occupied had its formation already activated.
• Aside from that,
• The public areas of the Vast Spirit Residence were not shielded by formations, allowing Jiang Chen's divine sense to pass through unobstructed.
• Consequently,
• The yellow-shirted maiden Valerie, a brown-robed elderly woman, and several cooks and waitresses all came into Bowen's view.
• "Huh!"
• "This maiden is stunning!"
• "And she's an Elemental Movement cultivator as well."
• "Did I just stumble upon something? She's so beautiful and appearing near Tim; could she be the unpursued heroine?"
• Bowen instantly recognized Valerie's extraordinary beauty and promptly activated his Villain's Eye.
• Immediately,
• Some information appeared before him.
• [Name: Valerie
• Realm: Early-stage Elemental Movement
• Status: Heroine (Unpursued)
• Fate Value: 2243]
• "Unbelievable! As expected, she's a heroine."
• "Or perhaps one of the heroines."
• "But she's an unpursued heroine, like a pristine flower bud."
• Bowen observed Valerie's information, his mouth curving into a wide grin.
• The heroine was one of the most significant means to undermine the protagonist!
• Valerie would undoubtedly play a crucial role in Tim's rapid ascent to power.
• At this moment, she had minimal contact with Tim, merely a passing acquaintance, which made it the perfect opportunity to intervene.
• Once he succeeded in influencing Valerie, he would not only significantly weaken Tim's Heavenly Fate Value but also capture a beautiful girl, essentially reaping enormous benefits.
• Just imagine a beauty of the heroine's caliber; who wouldn't be captivated?
• "System!"
• "Just to be prepared for the worst, if the instigation fails, can I kill Valerie?"
• The smile on Bowen's face faded away as he inquired in his mind.
• [Ding! You can't!]
• [Remind the host that the heroine's 'Fate Value' and the protagonist's 'Heavenly Fate Value' are closely related!]
• [If the protagonist loses his protagonist status when you kill the heroine, the severity of the consequences is no less than directly killing the protagonist!]
• "Okay."
• "I'm just considering it, I'm not the kind of person who would heartlessly trample flowers."
• Bowen smiled, then took out his transmission jade token to send a message to his second uncle Bowen Marshall, asking him to investigate the background of Vast Spirit Residence.
• Valerie had a heroine template, so she must be no ordinary person!
• Bowen wasn't going to take any chances and rush in recklessly.
• Not long afterwards.
• Bowen Marshall sent a reply.
• It had to be said that the Bowen Clan did have a lot of influence in Autumn Glory City!