Chu Daniu's Shock

"Thank you, Senior, for saving my life!"

Chu Daniu endured the pain of his injuries and shouted loudly.

In his eyes,

the cultivator who had killed two Rogue Cultivators with a single strike

had to be a Mid Qi Refining or even late-stage expert who had attacked from the shadows!

But in the next instant, he saw a familiar figure.

"Big Brother Li?"

Chu Daniu was stunned.

He thought his injuries were so severe that his vision had become blurred.

Li Chang'an wore a solemn expression and casually flicked a pill into Chu Daniu's mouth.

"Da Niu, don't just stand there. Meditate and regulate your breathing at once, and recover from your injuries!"

"Big Brother Li, is it really you?"

Chu Daniu murmured in disbelief.

At that moment just now,

he had thought of countless possibilities, but he had never imagined it would be Li Chang'an!

Li Chang'an wore a grave expression as he took the two Rogue Cultivators' storage bags. After confirming that they had nothing else on them, he slapped out two Fireball Talismans in succession.

With two booming explosions, two masses of scorching flames surged upward and swallowed the Rogue Cultivators' corpses.

As for the Rogue Cultivators' heads,

Li Chang'an did not burn them. Instead, he tossed them into his own fish basket and covered it with gray cloth.

"Both of these men are on the Zheng Family Bounty Order. With their heads as proof, perhaps I can completely break free of the Zheng Family's Spirit Contract and become a truly free Rogue Cultivator!"

The moment he struck, Li Chang'an had already made his plans.

Although the Eldest Miss Zheng had allowed him to do nothing for the next five years,

it had ultimately been no more than a verbal promise.

He was still bound by the Zheng Family's Spirit Contract.

What if the Zheng Family suddenly encountered a crisis one day and needed a large number of Rogue Cultivators as cannon fodder?

The possibility was small, but he still had to guard against it!

After finishing all this, Li Chang'an looked at Chu Daniu.

"Da Niu, how are you now? Can you move on your own?"

"I..."

Chu Daniu opened and closed his mouth, still immersed in shock.

But he quickly came to his senses and assessed his current condition.

That pill had been highly effective.

"Big Brother Li, I can barely move now."

His face was still somewhat pale as he struggled to prop himself up.

This was no place to linger.

The two immediately hurried toward the Marketplace.

On the way, Chu Daniu told him why he had been ambushed.

Early that morning, he had received a Spirit Wine contract. The other party had asked him to deliver the wine to a manor outside the Marketplace.

He had not thought much of it and had set off with the Spirit Wine.

As a result, he had encountered an ambush halfway there.

"Alas, I should have noticed that something was wrong. It's just that the Marketplace has been peaceful lately, so I let my guard down..."

Chu Daniu was somewhat remorseful.

That contract had called for a large quantity of wine, making it a major deal.

And he had been too eager to earn Spirit Stones, allowing greed to cloud his judgment.

If Li Chang'an had not intervened,

he would have left his life here!

Whenever he thought of the scene of Li Chang'an striking earlier, Chu Daniu still found it unbelievable.

"Big Brother Li, was that Golden Light just now a Talisman?"

"Mm."

Li Chang'an did not deny it.

After receiving confirmation, Chu Daniu calmed down a little.

After all, it had been the power of a Talisman, not his own strength.

A moment later,

Chu Daniu's body suddenly jolted as he thought of something even more unbelievable.

"Big Brother Li, you... have you become a Talisman Master?"

"Why do you ask?"

Li Chang'an glanced at him and asked in return.

"Could they not have been Talismans I bought?"

"Big Brother Li, you used two Fireball Talismans to deal with those two men's corpses just now. That was such a waste. You could have simply set them on fire."

Two Fireball Talismans—that was a full four Spirit Stones!

What ordinary Rogue Cultivator would dare waste them like that?

That was precisely why

Chu Daniu concluded that Li Chang'an had already become a Talisman Master.

Li Chang'an nodded slightly.

"That's right. Your guess is correct."

"You're really a Talisman Master!"

Chu Daniu's eyes widened until they were round as saucers, as if he were meeting Li Chang'an for the first time.

Although he had been mentally prepared, he was still utterly shaken.

The Way of Talismans!

In the ranking of the Hundred Arts of Cultivation, it far surpassed his Spirit Wine skills.

In terms of status and standing, Talisman Masters were also far above Winemakers!

"Alas, I got a Spirit Wine Inheritance and became so pleased with myself that I practically wanted everyone to know! Big Brother Li, you had already learned Talismans, yet you never made it known."

By comparison, Chu Daniu could not help feeling ashamed.

Those two Rogue Cultivators had known that he possessed the Spirit Wine Inheritance. They must have been watching him for a long time rather than acting on a sudden impulse.

If only he had been a little more low-key.

Perhaps he would not have suffered this calamity today.

Chu Daniu made up his mind.

From now on, he would follow Li Chang'an's example in everything, placing caution above all else and never taking risks lightly!

The two chatted as they hurried toward the Marketplace.

Before long,

the Marketplace came into view in the distance.

"We're finally back."

Chu Daniu breathed a sigh of relief.

At that moment, a squad of Zheng Family cultivators patrolling nearby spotted them and approached.

The man leading them was named Zheng Yunting, a Mid Qi Refining expert.

He shouted at Chu Daniu:

"What happened? Why are you covered in blood?"

"Senior, we encountered Rogue Cultivators!"

Seeing the patrolling cultivators, Chu Daniu finally let his guard down and recounted everything that had happened in full.

After hearing him out, the many Zheng Family cultivators were somewhat surprised.

"You killed those two Rogue Cultivators?"

Zheng Yunting looked at Li Chang'an.

Li Chang'an immediately nodded, lifted the bloodstained gray cloth, and took out the heads of the two Rogue Cultivators.

"Senior, I was lucky enough to be carrying a Frenzied Blade Talisman, and I also had the advantage of striking first."

"Well done!"

Zheng Yunting praised him, a trace of approval appearing in his eyes.

"Whether it was an ambush or not, the fact that you killed them means it was your ability!"

Then, he took the two heads from Li Chang'an's hands.

According to the Bounty previously issued,

Li Chang'an could receive a very good reward.

He asked, "Senior, could I change the contents of the reward?"

"Oh?"

Zheng Yunting was taken aback.

"What reward do you want?"

"Senior, I want to dissolve the Spirit Contract and become free."

"This..."

Zheng Yunting pondered for a moment.

"I can't decide that. I only handle patrols. The Spirit Contract is under the Young Miss's authority. I'll take you to see her. Whether it works out will depend on your luck."

"Thank you, Senior!"

Li Chang'an was delighted and cupped his hands.

That Young Miss was extremely clever and considerate, and she was quite easy to talk to.

This should be a sure thing!

Before long,

Zheng Yunting brought the two of them to the Marketplace's central Hall of a Hundred Affairs, where the Zheng Family handled the Marketplace's affairs.

He went in to report first, then brought the two of them into the Main Hall.

Zheng Qingqing was inside the Main Hall. She wore a blue-green dress, her long hair reaching her waist, her brows and eyes as exquisite as a painting.

When she saw Li Chang'an, a trace of surprise flashed through her beautiful eyes.

"Li Chang'an, it really is you!"

"Greetings, Young Miss."

Li Chang'an bowed slightly, his attitude respectful.

Zheng Qingqing smiled sweetly, her tone extremely gentle.

"I told you before, there's no need to be so formal when you see me."

She had already learned what had happened from Zheng Yunting.

That was why she felt slightly surprised.

After all,

based on what she had understood before,

Li Chang'an's strength had been utterly ordinary. There was no way he could have been a match for two Rogue Cultivators.