The mid-grade spiritual artifact, the Spirit-Binding Rope, was standard equipnt for the Clearbrook Market Patrol.
Gao Jian had practiced with it for years and was incredibly proficient. In his hands, it moved like a swift serpent.
Crack!
Using the rope as a whip, he lashed out, striking Wu Jinyan squarely across the face.
Because he had held back, Wu Jinyan's flesh was rely torn open rather than his skull being shattered. It showed that Gao Jian still retained a shred of humanity.
"Why did you strike ?"
Wu Jinyan conjured a wooden bowl artifact to shield himself. Clutching his ruined face, he questioned the man in sheer terror.
Gao Jian's ambush had been too swift, throwing the hall into complete chaos.
Wang Rongyuan imdiately shielded the two brothers, Yulou and Yu'an. anwhile, Zhong Tianshuo surged his spiritual energy, pushing his daughter, Zhong Ningyao, into the back hall.
Tang Nianqiu seed frightened, belatedly stepping up to stand beside Wang Rongyuan.
"Why did I strike you?
The Unity Fee is collected to make Clearbrook Market a better place. My master spent an entire day calculating exactly how much each shop should contribute.
How dare you complain it is too much? Do you even have the right? Does your Wu family even own a shop in Clearbrook Market?
Or perhaps you are a rogue cultivator on the surface, but a bandit cultivator in secret, trying to sow discord among the cultivators of Clearbrook Market?"
Zhong Tianshuo and Wang Rongyuan had already stepped forward, both possessing cultivation bases comparable to his own.
Seeing that he could no longer continue the whipping, Gao Jian reluctantly retracted his Spirit-Binding Rope, though the accusations he hurled only grew wilder.
In truth, there was no complex reason behind it.
He could not afford to offend the Wang family, and he could not defeat Householder Redbrow.
So, who else could he strike but you?
If I cannot teach them a lesson, do you think I cannot handle a nobody like you?
"Brother Gao Jian, Brother Gao Jian, let us settle this. I will pay one hundred and twenty spirit stones. Here are the spirit stones, please say no more. Old Wu is definitely no bandit cultivator."
Receiving the small pouch handed over by Householder Redbrow, Gao Jian tossed it in his hand a couple of tis before offering a satisfied smirk.
"Ah, Fellow Daoist Hongi, wouldn't it have been better to just pay up earlier? Hahaha! Of course, it is not too late now."
As he spoke, he casually brandished the Spirit-Binding Rope in his hand.
Seeing that Hongi had paid, Tang Nianqiu had no choice but to follow suit, handing over fifty spirit stones—effectively wiping out a month and a half of the Flavorful Bistro's profits.
Gao Jian shot Wu Jinyan one final glare, gripped his Spirit-Binding Rope, and departed with an arrogant swagger.
These rogue cultivators simply lacked perspective. Without a proper beating, how could they ever understand unity?
For the sake of the many rchants and cultivators in Clearbrook Market, and for the properties of the Red Lantern Sect, did they think it was easy for him? Was it easy for his master?
Those who deserved a beating had to be beaten. With just one strike of the whip, the spirit stones were delivered imdiately.
What Wang family? In the face of the Red Lantern Sect, let alone a single Wang family, even a mighty dragon would have to coil up tightly!
"That man is nothing but a scoundrel!"
Zhong Ningyao erged from the back hall. Looking at the silent crowd, she cursed out of sheer indignation.
Householder Redbrow silently applied dicine to Wu Jinyan's wounds.
Wang Rongyuan shook his head and whispered to Yulou and his brother.
"This is your first lesson."
—
After seeing off Wu Jinyan, Wang Rongyuan, and the others, Householder Redbrow finally turned his gaze toward his disciples and his daughter.
"Father, Forge Peak Residence should not have paid so much! That man nad Gao and his master have pocketed a massive portion of it!"
Zhong Ningyao truly could not comprehend why Householder Redbrow had paid that ridiculous 'Unity Fee' so readily.
That was one hundred and twenty spirit stones—Wang Rongyuan only received one hundred spirit stones a year from his family!
To think that so many spirit stones were just handed over to Gao Jian over a few foul words!
Listening to the conversation between Zhong Ningyao and Zhong Tianshuo, Wang Yulou stood to the side, feeling sowhat awkward.
It was not because the Flavorful Bistro had paid less.
The Flavorful Bistro sold wine and food; its profit margins and revenue were nowhere near those of Forge Peak Residence.
What Yulou had not expected was that Householder Redbrow's daughter was actually the 'unclothed female cultivator' Yu'an had seen the previous day.
Yu'an, that fool, had stared at her a dozen tis today, completely humiliating the Wang family's reputation.
"A portion? They pocketed all of it! That man Jiang is nothing but a—"
Midway through his sentence, Zhong Tianshuo noticed Yulou and Yu'an, and promptly shut his mouth.
"This is my daughter, Zhong Ningyao. You may address her as senior martial sister.
Ningyao, teach them the foundational Fire Control Spell. I must go out for a while."
Householder Redbrow seed to have urgent matters to attend to. After briefly assigning their coursework, he left Forge Peak Residence imdiately.
Zhong Ningyao looked at Yulou, then at Yu'an, feeling a bit nervous.
She desperately wanted to grab her father's hand and ask why he believed so blindly that his daughter could teach these two cheap disciples of his.
"Um... you two don't look very old, do you?"
"Thirteen, Senior Martial Sister Ningyao. I am thirteen this year," Yu'an chid in eagerly.
Yulou discreetly took a step to the left, maintaining a subtle distance from Yu'an—far enough to separate himself from the boy's behavior, but not close enough to break ties completely.
Zhong Ningyao was only fifteen, a young girl in the pri of her youth. However, having received her father's command, she tried her absolute best to appear mature and composed as she responded to Yu'an.
"Mm, thirteen. That is an excellent age to practice the Fire Control Spell."
The mont the words left her mouth, the girl realized how foolish she sounded.
How stupid...
She was clearly trying to imitate her father's manner of speech, but she had failed to draw a tiger and instead drew a dog.
At that thought, a nervous flush crept up her pale cheeks.
Yu'an did not understand why his senior martial sister was blushing. He rely asked with a sycophantic grin.
"Senior Martial Sister Ningyao, what is the difference between the Fire Control Spell and the Fire Shot Spell?"
Yulou knew about the Fire Shot Spell. It was similar to the fireball spells described in仙俠 novels, a common magic technique used by Qi Induction and Qi Refining cultivators.
However, the Fire Shot Spell was far more refined, focusing on using the minimal amount of spiritual energy to achieve the maximum offensive effect.
The raw power itself was not what mattered; what mattered was coordinating it with other spiritual artifacts and spells to create a systematic approach to magical combat. Relying solely on brute force was a dead end for ordinary cultivators.
Ordinary rogue cultivators lacked the heritage of sects or prominent families, so their execution of the Fire Shot Spell was often crude and unrefined.
Despite both being at the second layer of Qi Induction, Yulou could easily cast a dozen Fire Shot Spells consecutively.
In contrast, an ordinary rogue cultivator at the sa level might deplete their spiritual energy after just three to five casts.
"The Fire Shot Spell is used for magical combat, and it becos useless once you reach Foundation Establishnt.
The Fire Control Spell is the introductory technique for the fire cultivation system, primarily used for the artificing path.
The Wang family sent you here precisely to learn artifact refining, didn't they?"
Yu'an wanted to continue his flattering chatter, but Yulou could no longer wait.
"Please guide us, Senior Martial Sister."
Cultivation required making use of every single mont. He did not have the ti to waste watching Yu'an act like a fool.
"Very well, follow ."
Casting a grateful glance at Yulou, Zhong Ningyao led the two young n into the back hall of Forge Peak Residence.
In the center of the back hall stood a massive artifact refining furnace. Its entire body glowed a deep crimson, and silver-white light flowed through the intricate engravings on its surface, making it look exceptionally extraordinary.
On one side of the furnace was a pile of charcoal that rose higher than Yulou's height, which appeared to be so sort of spiritual material.
On the opposite side was a platform crafted from refined iron, which seed to be where Householder Redbrow placed his materials during artifact refining.
"There are water basins over there. Go to the well and fetch two basins of water, then we can begin practicing the Fire Control Spell."
Pointing toward the basins in the corner of the back hall, Zhong Ningyao finally found her footing as an instructor of the Dao.
"Using water to practice a fire spell?"
It was unclear whether Yu'an had suffered a montary lapse in judgnt or simply wanted to converse more with his beautiful senior martial sister, but he actually voiced such a question.
"Yes, hurry along now."
Zhong Ningyao actually preferred Yulou much more. Yulou did not ask such aningless nonsense. Yu'an not only rambled incessantly but also kept staring straight at her like an idiot.
Before long, under Zhong Ningyao's guidance, the two of them subrged their hands into the water basins. They then looked blankly at Zhong Ningyao, awaiting her next instructions.
The young girl crossed her hands behind her back, pacing around the refining furnace like a little adult, recalling the words her father had used when he taught her years ago.
"The first step of the Fire Control Spell is to manifest fire within water, generating flas purely through your own spiritual energy without relying on any external ignition sources.
The nature of fire is violent and fierce. Even my father occasionally struggles to control the flas when the refining process reaches a critical, difficult stage.
The reason I had you fetch water is because you need it to suppress the external influence of the world's fire-attributed spiritual energy on the Fire Control Spell. This allows you to master control over the fla step by step.
Next, I will teach you the incantation for the Fire Control Spell—this is a secret transmission, so you must absolutely never reveal it to anyone else!"
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