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"An Intermediate Yellow-grade Artifact Forger..." Jiang Lin removed his helmet and greatsword in the carriage as they set off again, his gaze freezing slightly as he looked at the Black Blade Dagger in his hand.

"That should be it. If they were a higher-level Artifact Forger, they wouldn't be so interested in me. So was the trouble caused by the Purple Cloud Sword I sold last time?" Jiang Lin muttered inwardly.

At that moment, Uncle Fu, who was driving the carriage ahead, spoke. "Young Master, people always believe what they want to believe. A strange Artifact Forger suspects that you obtained some incredible Artifact Forging Legacy and wants to get something from you. But since they did not act personally or draw in anyone at the Da Dou Shi level, that strange Artifact Forger is probably no more than a Dou Master and does not dare make a move in person."

Mr. Yao was indeed raising Jiang Lin as though he were his adopted son, so it was perfectly natural for Uncle Fu to call him Young Master.

"So the false information last time, meant to lure me into a Magical Beast trap, was originally intended to target Mr. Yao?" Jiang Lin suddenly asked.

"That should be the case," Uncle Fu said. "Anyone daring to enter the mountains in the middle of the night most likely assumed Mr. Yao was accompanying you. As long as something happened to Mr. Yao, or he was injured, they could come at you directly. Though they failed afterward, they also learned Mr. Yao's approximate strength, even if it was false."

"...It won't do to always have the enemy in the shadows while I'm out in the open." Jiang Lin fell silent for a moment, feeling that he could not remain so passive.

Uncle Fu replied, "There are only three Mercenary Groups in Qingshan Town with Da Dou Shi-level strength: the Lionheart Mercenary Group, the Fierce Beast Mercenary Group, and the Qingshan Mercenary Group. The Lionheart Mercenary Group and the Qingshan Mercenary Group both have old ties with Myriad Medicine Hall, but the Lionheart Mercenary Group has already left Qingshan Town to develop in Black Rock City. This is common among mercenaries. Once their strength reaches a certain level, they move on to larger cities."

"The Qingshan Mercenary Group has also been actively opening up new markets outside town lately. They will leave before long, leaving only the Fierce Beast Mercenary Group."

Jiang Lin's eyes flickered. "So Mr. Yao suspects the Fierce Beast Mercenary Group was involved in the ambush against Myriad Medicine Hall?"

Uncle Fu answered calmly, "It is not suspicion. It is certainty. Mr. Yao is certain that someone in the Fierce Beast Mercenary Group has joined forces with the Wolf Head Mercenary Group. Mr. Yao had a grudge against Rock Tiger, the leader of the Fierce Beast Mercenary Group, years ago. Rock Tiger's cultivation is not much weaker than Mr. Yao's, but Mr. Yao has enough confidence in Young Master's strength. They will always fail."

"Then what do we do now?" Jiang Lin asked.

"That depends on what you think, Young Master. Mr. Yao said that, as long as we do not consider him taking action, we may proceed according to your wishes."

"Mm... Mr. Yao said this was not to be told to you, Young Master. But since you now possess the ability to stand on your own, you must not take Mr. Yao's strength into account when considering matters." Uncle Fu paused, as though making some kind of decision, before continuing. "Mr. Yao suffered severe injuries in Chuyun. His Dou Qi is slowly fading, and his strength is gradually declining."

Mr. Yao had also been a genius of the Chu Yun Empire in his youth, a Sect Prodigy. However, after clashing with someone over certain matters, he was afflicted with Mysterious Poison that damaged his Dantian. This prevented him from improving his Dou Qi cultivation, and as time passed, his cultivation would even slowly regress. That was why Mr. Yao had devoted himself to medicine over the years, partly in hopes of curing his own poison. But he had never fully succeeded and could only barely slow the rate at which he weakened.

Mr. Yao was currently at the Da Dou Shi level, but if he exerted himself fully even once, the stimulation to his Dou Qi could cause him to fall to the Dou Master level.

"...I understand." Jiang Lin fell quiet after hearing this, then answered in a deep voice.

"We'll leave it alone for now and pretend we never encountered them. Give me one year, and I will clear everything away."

"Mm, everything will proceed according to Young Master's arrangements." Uncle Fu nodded, then drove the carriage toward Wutan City.

Wutan City, Magical Beast Market. Jiang Lin wore the Black Knight Armor beneath a layer of black robes, with a hood over his head, making him look extremely mysterious. However, such attire was not uncommon in Wutan City. Jiang Lin spotted several black-robed mysterious figures dressed just like him on the street alone.

Jiang Lin dressed this way precisely because such attire was common throughout the Dou Qi Continent.

"Did you hear? That genius from the Xiao Family has fallen!"

"Huh? How did he die?"

"Pah, pah, pah! He didn't die. His talent fell! They say that after a whole year, his Dou Qi cultivation has not improved at all. He even dropped from a One-star Dou Practitioner to the Dou Qi Ninth Stage!"

"What? Good thing I didn't introduce my precious daughter to him back then, or she would have suffered terribly!"

"...Can you stop obsessing over that iron-armored pig of yours all day? Old Wang, the pork butcher at the market, quite likes your precious daughter."

"Fuck your mother! Who the fuck is spreading rumors about my daughter again? Come out and fight me one-on-one!"

"..."

Beneath the concealment of his armor and black robes, the unusually burly Jiang Lin picked up a wordless Mysterious Beast Skin Scroll from a roadside stall. Without even haggling, he directly took out a crystal card worth one thousand Gold Coins and tossed it to the seller. The seller had originally wanted to go back on his word and squeeze more out of Jiang Lin, but when he saw Jiang Lin's enormous frame and felt the heavy presence of the armor scraping as Jiang Lin crouched down, the stall owner wisely shut his mouth.

Jiang Lin stood and tucked the beast skin scroll into his pocket, then looked toward the place where the disturbance had just erupted. Two grown men were rolling around on the ground in a brawl, cursing nonstop.

From the conversations around him, Jiang Lin understood the cause and course of events.

"Xiao Yan's cultivation has regressed as well?" A trace of doubt surfaced in Jiang Lin's heart.

After some thought, Jiang Lin headed toward the Xiao Family Mansion in the city. Compared with a year ago, Jiang Lin now possessed the identity of a Yellow-grade low-tier Artifact Forger in Wutan City, which was quite useful and would keep the Xiao Family from making things difficult for him. Uncle Fu was currently representing him at the Mite'er Auction House, selling items and purchasing more precious materials, while Jiang Lin was browsing the Magical Beast Market in Wutan City to see whether he could find any overlooked treasures.

Sure enough, Wutan City had produced another beast skin scroll that interested Jiang Lin.

Ever since the attack on the road, Jiang Lin had used the same Dou Technique to defeat the previous owners of those two Dou Techniques head-on. With their minds resonating, his cultivation had successfully reached the level of a Two-star Dou Practitioner.

Sure enough, killing with firearms lessens a person's sense of guilt. Wearing armor gives one an overwhelming sense of security as well.

Standing before the gates of the Xiao Family, Jiang Lin quietly let out a breath. Only now had he finally begun to ease himself out of the pressure from killing someone for the first time.

Compared to the usual faintness, weakness, and pale complexion, Jiang Lin appeared far more resolute. He merely felt somewhat stifled inside.

Now, Jiang Lin had already prepared himself for the possibility of being killed, and the oppression in his heart vanished completely.