Pity, You Forced My Hand With Blades!

Under the night sky, the Patrol Prefecture in the west of the market town was brightly lit. The sound of singing could be heard even from outside the prefecture, a scene that surely filled many with envy.

Whether one had high cultivation or was an Alchemist, it was indeed good. They could live so freely without anyone interfering, and it seemed perfectly natural.

Inside the main hall, various delicacies and fine foods on the wine tables emitted an enticing aroma, accompanied by faint fluctuations of spiritual energy. This sight made Li Han and Qi Feng's appetites stir.

"Come, drink up."

Lin Chang'an cheerfully invited everyone to eat and drink. He even acted as if he hadn't seen Liu Yanran and her sister leave the main hall.

Under the starlit sky, Liu Yanran, her face veiled, looked at her sister and said in a low voice, "Feiyu, why do you think that Wang fellow isn't afraid of me? Even with my strength at the sixth layer of Qi Condensation, which I can unleash when I'm afflicted by the Black Thread Poison, my power is still something the Wang Family can't handle."

Upon hearing this, Liu Feiyu's eyes showed a look of guilt. "Sister, if it weren't for me, you wouldn't be like this."

Seeing Liu Feiyu's distressed state, Liu Yanran, who had always doted on her sister, showed a rare glint in her eyes. "That's right, my weakness has been seized, and you don't need to blame yourself!"

As she spoke, under Liu Yanran's determined gaze, Liu Feiyu silently nodded. "I understand."

"What if I were a robber cultivator? Would your Wang Family be afraid of me then?" Liu Yanran's sudden question made Liu Feiyu's expression turn anxious.

"Sister, you can't!"

Liu Feiyu, whose tone had suddenly stopped, looked back with astonishment. She nervously covered her mouth and turned to look at the people inside the main hall enjoying the music. From this distance, her sister's words had been spoken without any concealment, and it seemed everyone inside could hear them.

"Sister!" At this moment, Liu Feiyu showed a look of sudden realization. Although Liu Yanran's face was hidden by a veil, she could see clearly that her sister was smiling—the first time she had smiled since the Liu Family's troubles.

"You go back first."

Liu Yanran smiled faintly. As expected, when she openly walked out of the Patrol Prefecture, Lin Chang'an and his group acted as if they hadn't seen her. A smile then curved her lips.

A favor returned! Drawing swords!

Looking down at the Soul-Confusing Incense that Lin Chang'an had subtly handed her at the wine table earlier, she suddenly understood something. So that's how it was.

Inside the main hall.

When Liu Feiyu returned alone, her expression was clearly a little off. After all, for someone as young as her, telling a blatant lie with a straight face made her blush a little.

"Brother Lin, I'll toast you."

With a flushed face, Liu Feiyu picked up her wine cup, her expression still unnatural. Lin Chang'an seemed not to notice, his eyes fixed on the dancing girls singing in the hall.

At this moment, Liu Feiyu felt a bit awkward. Li Han and Qi Feng were engrossed in eating; they hadn't seen or heard anything.

Only Zhang Qing secretly gave him a thumbs-up. "Good job, this is clearly playing both sides, and it only took a few words."

Under the starlit sky, a shop in the west of the market town was lit up. The patrolling cultivators outside were strangely keeping their distance.

Inside the room.

"Father, that pig Lin is too ruthless! He actually demanded so many spirit stones from us."

Inside the room, Wang Sheng looked aggrieved, his eyes filled with anger. Although his father, Shopkeeper Wang, felt the pinch of the spirit stones from today, he knew better than to be stubborn.

"You brat, what do you know? This kid is greedy, but he still follows the rules."

Shopkeeper Wang sighed, "I've already received news that the Liu sisters have been taken to the Patrol Prefecture and haven't come out all day."

Upon hearing that Liu Yanran and her sister had been taken to the Patrol Prefecture for a whole day, a lecherous glint flashed in Wang Sheng's eyes, quickly followed by fear.

"If not for the Black Thread Poison, that Liu Yanran!"

Wang Sheng then said with a hint of sourness, "That pig Lin got lucky. Liu Yanran's sister is also a stunner."

Seeing his son's lustful thoughts, Shopkeeper Wang snorted impatiently. "If you want to die, go find Liu Yanran!"

Scolded by his father, Wang Sheng flinched and said aggrievedly, "I was just saying! Who knew Liu Yanran would be poisoned?"

When Liu Yanran was mentioned, Shopkeeper Wang sighed. "This is fate. If that weren't the case, I wouldn't have had to forcibly take them. We could have just married into the family, and the shop would still be ours. Liu Yanran's spiritual root would surely produce very outstanding offspring."

As the two were talking, they didn't notice a masked black figure outside the shop. This figure was holding a nearly burnt-out incense stick and was using the Clear Wind Technique to slowly blow the colorless and odorless Soul-Confusing Incense into the room.

Inside the room.

Looking at the bulging spirit stone bags on the table, Wang Sheng's eyes showed greed. "Father, look!"

A father knows his son best. With just one look from his son, he knew what he wanted. Shopkeeper Wang snorted impatiently and hit the table, scolding, "These spirit stones are the savings of our family for generations. Don't even think about them."

After being reprimanded, Wang Sheng pouted. "Fine, if you won't give them, you won't. Father, don't worry, I will definitely break through to the late Qi Condensation stage, and then you'll be admired alongside your son."

Looking at his filial son, Shopkeeper Wang smiled and nodded with satisfaction. "It's good that you know this. You should cultivate diligently while you're young. When your potential is exhausted and your cultivation stagnates, there will be plenty of time to enjoy the pleasures of the world."

Crack!

The room door was suddenly pushed open, and a black-masked figure stared intently at the father and son. At this moment, Shopkeeper Wang's face changed, and he exclaimed in terror, "Robber cultivator!"

"Father, my mana!" It must be said that Wang Sheng was not useless. The moment he heard the commotion, he tried to circulate his mana for a surprise attack. To his horror, he suddenly found that he couldn't mobilize his mana at all.

"Soul-Confusing Incense! Colorless and odorless, for such a long time!" Under a cold laugh, the masked person removed their mask, revealing a face with dense black veins connecting the jaw to the neck, indicating a poisoned body.

"Liu Yanran! You dare to impersonate a robber cultivator!"

Upon seeing Liu Yanran, Wang Sheng shouted in shock and anger. Shopkeeper Wang, on the other hand, turned pale and quickly waved his hands, "Let's talk nicely. This is the market town, and there are patrols outside all the time."

The moment he saw Liu Yanran remove her mask, Shopkeeper Wang knew that today's situation was unlikely to end well. He waved his hands in panic to appease her, while he himself frantically circulated the mana within his body.

Looking at the ugly and timid faces of the Wang father and son, Liu Yanran let out a cold laugh, her eyes filled with ruthlessness. "If I don't kill you two, I'm not worthy of my mother!"

"No, no!"

Shopkeeper Wang retreated in disarray, while Wang Sheng, standing beside him, showed a rare ruthlessness. "Come on! If you dare, Liu Yanran, make your move!"

However, Liu Yanran sat calmly before the table, her gaze towards the two men filled only with coldness.

"Today, Brother Lin said that if I came to find him early and brought him spirit stones, he would do me a favor, and then there would be no need for swords."

"Unfortunately, you insisted on forcing me to draw my sword!" As Liu Yanran's calm voice echoed, the Wang father and son immediately began to curse Lin Chang'an.

How greedy! Not only did he take their benefits, but he also wanted to have it all!

Utterly shameless!

Thank you, fellow cultivators, for your support. We've secured our spot in the second round.