Bribing Public Opinion

Lin Feng was munching on potato chips as he looked around the shopping mall. He felt like there was something very wrong. All around where he was sitting, there was a bubble of space where no one else intruded.

It had been more than a month since he had first gotten customers but only Mei and Yang Xinhe regularly talked to him, and Yang Xinhe was very obviously just there for the benefits. Lin Feng felt like he had painted himself into a corner.

When Wang Mu and the people from Yashan city first showed up, he had been a little over-excited, Lin Feng could admit that. He could understand the shopping mall being a bit overwhelming and the situation had not been ideal. The people in the first group not having a good first impression of him was understandable.

The second group to come, the imperial delegation, had an even better reason to be scared of him. Most of their group had died and Lin Feng had personally killed two Core Formation Realm cultivators in front of them.

Other than that though, Lin Feng had been a normal person and he was quite unwilling to accept his reputation among his customers.

He supposed that it made sense. Those two original groups had spread his reputation to the newer customers and by now it was a self-perpetuating thing.

He tried to talk with other people, but they had little in common. Most of the people who came here were cultivators and most of them stayed precisely to cultivate. Whenever he tried to talk to anyone here, they would normally be talking about topics that he knew nothing about. It was very obvious to Lin Feng that he was not from this world and had failed to acclimate to it very well.

Lin Feng looked down at his potato chips contemplatively. Maybe people would be less scared of him if he gave out gifts.

He shrugged. It was worth a shot.

The nearby conversation quieted as Lin Feng stood up from the couch he was lounging on.

Looking around, Lin Feng spied a group of relatively new people talking near one of the hallways. A young woman in the group glanced up at Lin Feng as he stood up before returning to his conversation.

Lin Feng figured they were a good choice and started walking across the room toward the group.

When Lin Feng was about halfway across the room, the same woman as before happened to glance up again. Seeing Lin Feng so much closer seemed to startle her and she hurriedly looked away again.

Lin Feng walked a little closer and the woman looked up again. Seeing Lin Feng even closer seemed to alarm her, a panicked expression coming across her face. She hurriedly whispered something to the group of people around her, causing all of them to look up.

When they all saw Lin Feng walking their way and looking straight at them, they all stepped back and looked around uncomfortably.

Seeing no one else around that could be the focus of Lin Feng's attention, the group seemed to panic and mill about uncertainly for a moment. One of them made a hurried suggestion to the rest of the group and they all nodded before quickly filing into the hallway behind them.

Lin Feng stopped walking and watched with a complicated expression as the group ran away. He was just going to offer them a free sample.

Looking around awkwardly, Lin Feng saw another group he was unfamiliar with standing next to the pillar nearby. Lin Feng walked up quickly, not giving them a chance to notice his approach.

The conversation slowly ground to a halt as the people in the group realized who had just walked up. Everyone stood stiffly and looked at each other fearfully.

Lin Feng very purposefully kept a smile on his face. He knew any suggestion that he was upset would only make it worse.

"…Senior Lin? How can we help you?"

"Have you all tried the food from the vending machines?"

The group collectively broke out in a cold sweat.

"Yes, Senior Lin! We have all bought some food from the vending machine." A young man hurriedly replied, "But if Senior Lin would prefer that we stop crowding the main room, then we will leave right away! Just say the word!"

The group was already turning to leave and run into the nearby hallway when Lin Feng hurriedly spoke up.

"Wait! Stop!" The group of people froze in their tracks, not daring to even turn to look at Lin Feng. Lin Feng didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "That's not what I meant. You can stay in the main room if you want, I'm not the one who made the rule about people needing to make a purchase to stay out here.

"I was just going to offer you some free food if you wanted it. It's very good for your body. As your senior, I should help my junior's martial cultivation."

Normally, Lin Feng tried to avoid claiming to be anyone's senior, but, at the moment, he would take any excuse he could get.

The group marginally relaxed and turned back to face Lin Feng but still seemed very confused.

"Forgive my ignorance, Senior Lin. What is martial cultivation?"

Lin Feng was bewildered for a second before cursing in his heart. This is always what happened when he tried to pretend to know anything about cultivation. His only exposure to cultivation came through pop culture, and he would regularly say something that didn't line up with this world's concept of cultivation.

"You know, cultivating the martial path. Martial arts, overflowing vitality, and powerful bodies?" Seeing the group's uncomprehending expression, Lin Feng shrugged with fake confidence and waved it off. "Ah, maybe not. Forget I said anything. Do you want some free food though?"

The group seemed stunned. The young man slowly nodded before coming to his senses and nodding much faster.

"If Senior Lin is offering then we can only humbly accept." The young man hesitated for a moment before continuing, "If it would not trouble Senior Lin, could you tell us more about this martial cultivation?"

Lin Feng felt conflicted as he looked around at the group's excited and hopeful expressions. On one hand, they seem to have gotten over their fear of him, on the other hand, Lin Feng had no idea what he was talking about outside of novels.

Lin Feng debated with himself for a second before nodding. If they wanted to hear whatever he could come up with from his experience of reading cultivation novels, then he would tell them. He made no promises that it would be useful information though.

There was some commotion as Lin Feng led the group over to the vending machines to get food.

After Lin Feng sat down on one of the benches next to the vending machines, the group of cultivators sat respectfully on the ground in front of him.

The feelings in Lin Feng's heart were very complex. He was around the same age as this group of cultivators, he was probably younger than some of them. Despite that, he felt like he was at the head of an elementary school class about to tell them a story.