Lii Xiaolan returned to the second floor to quietly cultivate, while Lin Xuankong, having eaten and drunk his fill, walked out of the wooden building.
Although the Black Tiger Gang’s monopoly on dicinal herbs was sowhat botherso, Lin Xuankong’s cultivation realm had advanced. This gave him hope of regaining his youth, and his lifespan had greatly increased. Moreover, with his wife back ho, he was in a rare mood for a stroll.
This was the first ti in over two months he had wandered around without carrying his food stall, and it felt a bit strange.
After exiting his wooden house, he strolled to the entrance of Wutong Village and glanced at the chive pancake stand by the roadside.
After the Yin Talisman Sect exchanged Lishui Street and Cow and Horse Street with the Black Tiger Gang, Old Zhang, who sold chive pancakes, had moved his stand to the Wutong Village entrance on Cow and Horse Street.
Firstly, after the Black Tiger Gang took over Lishui Street, their notorious reputation caused foot traffic to plumt, making business difficult.
Secondly, the Black Tiger Gang’s street cleaning fees for the vendors were exorbitantly high. While the Yin Talisman Sect also charged fees, theirs were nearly thirty percent lower.
With the pancake stand relocated here, it was naturally a good thing for Lin Xuankong, as Old Zhang’s culinary skills were excellent. Now, enjoying his chive pancakes was much more convenient than when the stall was on Lishui Street.
"Brother Lin!" Old Zhang greeted Lin Xuankong from afar upon seeing him.
Lin Xuankong waved and walked over.
Old Zhang was about to chat with his old patron, but upon seeing Lin Xuankong’s raised right hand, he was stunned.
He stared at Lin Xuankong’s hand in amazent, then rubbed his eyes vigorously. Could I have rembered wrong? I rember Brother Lin’s hands being covered in wrinkles, like chicken skin. But looking at them now... Brother Lin is around sixty, yet his hands are as plump and smooth as a young man’s! Their smoothness is comparable to my daughter-in-law’s, and she’s only in her twenties...
Just then, many passersby near the pancake stand suddenly hurried to the sides of the street. Old Zhang looked up, his expression turning serious. Pushing aside his earlier confusion, he hastily moved his pancake stand further to the side.
In the middle of the street, dozens of individuals in Yin Talisman Sect Daoist Robes were escorting a sedan chair, walking along the road.
Passersby and rchants on either side of the street saw these Daoists and respectfully made way.
So well-dressed young masters and wealthy rchants even cupped their fists, calling out, "Daoist Masters!"
Unlike their encounters with Black Tiger Gang mbers, which filled passersby and rchants with fear, most now showed reverence when they saw the Daoists from the Yin Talisman Sect.
After all, the amount of the street cleaning fee directly impacted everyone’s livelihood. A thirty percent reduction ant a significantly better life for ordinary folk.
Lin Xuankong also moved to the side of the road with the crowd, then looked at the group of Daoists.
A faint smile touched his lips as he recognized an acquaintance among them.
Among the dozens of Daoists, one stood out: Gu Beicheng, whose life Lin Xuankong had saved at Guangju Pavilion. With three wisps of a long beard and a clean, tidy Daoist Robe, he was guarding the sedan chair.
Gu Beicheng was currently beside the sedan chair, speaking with a pretty Daoist Nun inside.
"Chief Steward Jiang, that’s all I know about the Conical Hat Strange Guest. He told sothing cryptic, ’Wanderer, do not ask,’ and I truly don’t even know his na!" Gu Beicheng said with reverence.
The pretty Daoist Nun, addressed as Steward Jiang, frowned faintly at him.
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"Little Cheng, you should at least address as Junior Sister Jiang. To be unwilling to disclose such a small matter makes you seem rather petty!"
They continued walking into the distance as they spoke.
Lin Xuankong’s expression flickered when he heard them discussing the ’Conical Hat Strange Guest,’ and he began to follow them.
He was now at the Early Stage of the Second Layer of Transcendence, his hearing vastly superior to that of ordinary people. Though Gu Beicheng and Chief Steward Jiang spoke softly, he could hear them clearly.
After walking for a while, Gu Beicheng sighed, "That Conical Hat Guest indeed saved my life, but I truly do not know him. Besides, the Black Tiger Gang now hates him to the bone, so he likely won’t dare show up in Great Marsh Prefecture again!"
The beautiful Chief Steward Jiang spoke, "I’ve been hearing more rumors about the Conical Hat Strange Guest lately. They say his Concealed Weapon Technique is unparalleled, allowing him to kill as effortlessly as slaughtering chickens. And he’s acquired the priceless Twin Vine Demon Pearl! So, I’m incredibly curious about this Conical Hat Strange Guest! It’s surprising you know so little about him... But that phrase, ’Wanderer, do not ask,’ is quite amusing. You must have been completely exasperated at the ti!"
At this, she turned to look west, her expression growing a little somber.
"If only there were more interesting people like the Conical Hat Guest in this world! Instead, my father assigned to guard this area, forcing to constantly watch those disgusting Black Tiger Gang mbers—it’s truly infuriating! Those Black Tiger Gang bastards are vicious, arrogant, and shaless. The sight of any one of them makes want to slap them to death with a single palm strike!"
Gu Beicheng felt a headache coming on at her words. This Junior Sister Jiang has a temper like a skyward-pointing chili pepper... Still, what can you do? She’s the daughter of our Yin Talisman Sect Leader; a young lady’s temperant is to be expected!
Chief Steward Jiang continued, "By the way, the Black Tiger Gang has likely already locked down dicinal herb sales. What arrangents does our Great Marsh Hall have?"
Gu Beicheng frowned and said, "The sect’s dicinal herb plantation at Four-direction City isn’t large, but it should suffice for the Stewards’ cultivation. Disciples will need to economize and complete tasks to earn their dicinal herbs."
Chief Steward Jiang nodded, "We’ll have to be frugal then... Hmph, I swear I’ll tear down that Black Tiger Gang Great Marsh Hall soday!"
After speaking, she let down the sedan’s curtain, ignoring Gu Beicheng.
But her muttering ca from inside the sedan, "If only there were more Conical Hat Strange Guests around to batter the Black Tiger Gang into a frenzied state! Hmm, ’Wanderer, do not ask’... I really want to catch that Conical Hat Strange Guest and see what that old oddball actually looks like!"
Lin Xuankong, secretly following them, touched his face as he heard Chief Steward Jiang muttering.
It was getting late. Ahead lay the Yin Talisman Sect’s station on Cow and Horse Street. Lin Xuankong stopped following and turned towards the apothecary shops on Lishui Street.
Upon reaching an apothecary shop, he found it was just as Li Xiaohu, Lii Xiaolan, and Chief Steward Jiang had said: most of the dicinal herbs essential for cultivation had been cleared out. The few remaining items were far from enough to concoct the Nine Revolutions Qi Replenishing Soup.
Outside one apothecary shop, dozens of Independent Martial Cultivators like Lin Xuankong, unable to buy dicinal herbs, were angrily discussing the Black Tiger Gang’s control over the supply.
Lin Xuankong moved closer to listen and soon learned what had happened. Near Great Marsh Prefecture City were three major dicinal herb cultivation grounds. Recently, powerful Demons had occupied two of them. This caused a drastic drop in herb production, making it impossible to et the demands of Great Marsh Prefecture’s many Martial Cultivators. This was one reason the Black Tiger Gang, along with several other gangs and families, had ford an alliance to control the dicinal herbs. With production so severely reduced, competition had naturally beco fierce and brutal.
One round-faced Independent Martial Cultivator, visibly frustrated, couldn’t help cursing amidst the crowd, "Those damn Black Tiger Gang bastards! They never do anything decent! They’re trying to cut off the path for us Loose Cultivators!"
Just then, a group erged from the street corner. Leading them was a Bearded Martial Cultivator with an imposing aura. Behind him followed dozens of Black Tiger Gang mbers, among whom was Zhang Wu, recently promoted to Deputy Steward.
Zhang Wu had beco a Deputy Steward, likely commanding two to three hundred underlings, with several Leaders under his authority. Yet, his position in this particular group was surprisingly low, as he trailed at the very back.
The Bearded Martial Cultivator at the head of the group had exceptionally sharp hearing. He caught the round-faced Martial Cultivator’s words from over twenty zhang away.
His expression darkened, and he bellowed coldly, "Such audacity! Daring to slander my Black Tiger Gang behind our backs and insult us!"
Before his voice faded, he leaped towards Lin Xuankong and the other Independent Martial Cultivators. This Bearded Martial Cultivator’s strength was terrifying. He pounced like a ferocious tiger, covering over twenty zhang in a single bound, creating a WHOOSHING sound as he tore through the air with unmatched montum!
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