"Stop!"
Following the shout, a burly man erged from the crowd of onlookers.
He was over two ters tall, with a large, round face covered in a thick, bristly black beard. His arms were brawny, and his build could be described as bearish. The cultivation he exuded was not low—he was already at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer.
As he strode forward, he carried the intimidating presence of a Fierce Beast unleashed from its cage.
"Fellow cultivator, I am Wanlan Shan. I apologize on behalf of my younger brother. Could I ask you to let him off the hook?" the dark-faced man rumbled, his gaze burning as he stared at Lü Zhong, his aura pressing down on him.
Wanlan Shan?
The na sounded familiar to Lü Zhong. Hearing the chatter of the gossips in the crowd, he instantly recalled the man’s origins. This was a notoriously ruthless figure from the neighboring Celestial Vast Square.
He had once fought in the war between the Three Sects, where he famously defeated three hired cultivators from the Golden Rainbow Sect all by himself, making a na for himself overnight.
’In that case... I’ll let you live until tonight.’
Lü Zhong gave the man beneath his foot a deep look, then lightly lifted his foot and stepped over him. The distinct sound of bones cracking echoed out. Ignoring Wanlan Shan’s darkening expression, he walked straight into the West River Courtyard.
Behind him, Wanlan Shan’s fists tightened, but in the end, he relaxed them.
In Yongling City, the laws of the Heling Sect were absolute. As a re Qi Refining Seventh Level Cultivator, he didn’t have the right to kill soone in public, or he would be thrown into the Bitter Mine Prison to mine until he died.
Rage surged in Wanlan Shan’s heart.
’Just you wait. If I get the chance, I’ll tear you to pieces!’
His gaze shifted to Wanlan Hai on the ground, a hint of indulgence flashing in his eyes. He turned to the surrounding thugs and said in a low, grim voice, "Get him. We’re leaving!"
"Yes!" The thugs snapped out of their daze, their voices trembling.
With his own younger brother Wanlan Hai injured so badly, they knew that given Wanlan Shan’s usual temper, they were in for a world of hurt tonight.
...
In the courtyard, Lü Zhong learned the full story.
It was the sa old story: Spirit Stones attracted jealous eyes.
Influenced by the war between the Three Sects, people had once again been reminded of the importance of strength. As a result, the trend of cultivation grew ever more fervent, even causing the price of Pills to rise by ten to twenty percent. Novels were supposed to be a trivial pasti, but their content happened to align perfectly with the current mood, and sales had skyrocketed.
In terms of profit, this translated to nearly three hundred Spirit Stones a month!
Such a massive profit was bound to attract prying eyes.
Especially when the Lü Zhong of before had only been a Mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator.
"Master, are we still going to print the books?" Hong Fu asked, her face a little pale.
She had been badly frightened just now. A few days ago, she had even been followed while out selling books. Her heart was already filled with unbearable fear, terrified she would be kidnapped.
Seeing her expression, Lü Zhong could only feel utterly disappointed. A dignified Qi Refining First Layer cultivator, yet her ntal fortitude couldn’t even compare to that of a re mortal like Li Hejun. It seed she was not fit for any important tasks.
He glanced over at Li Hejun. She, in contrast, looked composed, and even offered a smile when she saw him looking her way.
Although he could tell it was forced, it was still much better than Hong Fu’s reaction.
"Print them. Keep printing," Lü Zhong said, his gaze resolute.
How could he casually give up a source of inco worth three hundred Spirit Stones a month? Not to ntion, this profit was projected to increase in the foreseeable future, making it even more impossible to abandon.
Longevity can’t be achieved just by ditating and refining Qi.
Returning to his room, Lü Zhong sat cross-legged in ditation.
His heart was as tranquil as still water, calmly awaiting the arrival of night.
...
「Late at night.」
Wanlan Hai sat on the edge of his bed. Beside him lay the breathless bodies of two young won. He had tried several tis to vent his rage, but his attempts had failed, so he had cruelly taken their lives.
His body trembled violently with rage as he recalled being stomped on in the face. The hatred for Lü Zhong in his heart burned like a blazing furnace.
CRACK! The teacup in his hand shattered. Wanlan Hai glared in the direction of West River Square and snarled, "That bastard Lü, and those two little bitches. Just you all wait!"
"Oh, no need to wait."
A voice like a vengeful spirit co to claim a soul rang in Wanlan Hai’s ears.
He turned his head and saw a gray-robed figure who had appeared in his room at so unknown ti. It was none other than the man he deeply hated, the Talisman Maker from West River Square, Lü Zhong.
Why let a grudge last overnight?
Lü Zhong had heard every word Wanlan Hai had just said.
He could only say that he had truly made the right choice in coming here.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to sleep well in the future.
"You!" Wanlan Hai was both furious and terrified, his face a mask of disbelief.
Before he could speak, Lü Zhong expressionlessly materialized the Late Sun Magic Sword.
"You—you can’t kill ! Brother, where are you, brother?" Wanlan Hai’s anger evaporated, replaced by a profound terror. He suddenly realized that his surroundings were unnaturally quiet.
Normally, the courtyard outside would be bustling with noise. How could it be like this?
Silent.
Moreover, Wanlan Shan lived right next door. Logically, he should have already heard their conversation.
Suddenly thinking of a certain possibility, Wanlan Hai’s eyes widened. "You... Don’t tell you..."
PSHCHT!
A head with wide-open eyes rolled to the floor.
"You guessed right." Lü Zhong dispelled the Magic Sword in his hand, his heart completely unmoved. ’Too bad there’s no prize...’
Thanks to the advantage of his Divine Sense and Magic Skills, and with the elent of surprise, even a ruthless man like Wanlan Shan—who had once defeated three opponents at once—had been defeated in a single exchange. He too had been decapitated.
After taking all the valuables and destroying the scene, Lü Zhong left without a backward glance.
With his Divine Sense, avoiding the notice of anyone nearby beca much easier.
He quickly returned to the West River Courtyard, completely undetected.
He took stock of his spoils: three Lower-grade Magical Artifacts, one Middle-grade Magical Artifact from Wanlan Shan’s Storage Bag, five hundred sixty-seven Spirit Stones, and various other miscellaneous treasures.
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