Miaoyin City.
In a small courtyard.
Lu Qingfeng awoke to find Lu Qingshan and Lu Qingyu gathered before him, their faces brimming with fury.
"What happened?" Lu Qingfeng asked as he rose.
In the real world, it had already been eight months since the three of them arrived in Miaoyin City. They had also been working with the Azure Jade Sect, represented by Kang Zizai, for half a year.
For the past six months, everything had been peaceful, with all sides keeping steady.
Lu Qingshan and Lu Qingyu had woken him today. It was clearly nothing good.
Sure enough.
Lu Qingyu quickly cut in, puffing up angrily. "Big Brother, today the Return to Truth Sect announced throughout Miaoyin City that no one was allowed to buy or sell medicine at the Black Sand Apothecary. Otherwise, they would be enemies of the Return to Truth Sect. After Second Brother heard that, he went to the Black Sand Apothecary and found Zhang Chong, a menial steward of the Return to Truth Sect, inside!"
"Zhang Chong?"
"That Zhang Chong?"
Lu Qingfeng was very familiar with that name. On Lu Qingshan's little booklet, that name appeared more often than any other, holding the top spot unshaken.
"That's right!"
"That damned Zhang Chong!"
Lu Qingyu angrily recounted everything from beginning to end. Only then did Lu Qingfeng let out a sigh of relief.
"Well done."
Lu Qingfeng patted Lu Qingshan on the shoulder and praised him.
As the saying went, when enemies met, their eyes burned red!
Zhang Chong had deliberately appeared at the Black Sand Apothecary and repeatedly provoked Lu Qingshan with his words. Yet Lu Qingshan had managed to restrain himself and not strike. Such self-control was something few youths could achieve.
"Zhang Chong is nothing more than a grasshopper in autumn. He won't be jumping around for long. If I'd let him provoke me, then been caught by the guards of Miaoyin City for attacking him, that would've been falling right into his trap!"
The corners of Lu Qingshan's lips lifted slightly, a trace of smugness showing.
Although he was simple and blunt by nature, during those six months on Huangzhi Mountain, he had honed the art of forbearance to perfection.
"Not bad."
"Zhang Chong won't live much longer!"
Lu Qingfeng's eyes flickered.
The three siblings had already been in Miaoyin City for more than half a year. It was entirely within expectations that the Return to Truth Sect would discover their whereabouts and move against them.
But for the Return to Truth Sect to try to frighten them into affecting the Black Sand Apothecary's business and cutting off the Lu siblings' source of income was simply wishful thinking.
Not to mention that Lu Qingfeng and the other two had enough savings to live for a long time, the Black Sand Apothecary's partnership with the Azure Jade Sect alone would never be affected by the Return to Truth Sect.
The two sides were enemies.
If the Return to Truth Sect wanted to deal with the Black Sand Apothecary, then if Lu Qingfeng were the Azure Jade Sect, he would instead lend it a hand!
However, Lu Qingfeng had guessed wrong this time.
"Linchuan Pharmacy, Spring Rejuvenation Pharmacy, and Benevolent Heart Pharmacy have refused to supply medicinal ingredients. This batch of Golden Wound Powder, Blood Jade Paste, Detoxification Pills, and the like has also been rejected!"
Lu Qingfeng was discussing the Return to Truth Sect with Lu Qingshan and Lu Qingyu in the courtyard when a shop assistant from the Black Sand Apothecary came running over with extremely bad news.
"The three major pharmacies have refused to provide ingredients and rejected the apothecary's medicines?"
Lu Qingfeng's brows drew together slightly.
The three major pharmacies worked for the Azure Jade Sect. How could they have joined hands with the Return to Truth Sect?
"Boss, I came to report that I'm afraid I won't be able to go to the apothecary anymore."
"Please forgive me, Boss!"
After reporting, the shop assistant wore an apologetic expression. He said one last sentence, then turned and left, as though afraid of being dragged into the fire.
"The Return to Truth Sect has gone too far!"
Lu Qingshan roared angrily!
There was no need to say it—the shop assistant had certainly been threatened by the Return to Truth Sect. The other two shop assistants and the manager at the Black Sand Apothecary likely wouldn't escape either.
"Quite a move!"
Lu Qingfeng laughed aloud.
The Return to Truth Sect truly deserved its status as a major martial-world sect that had stood in Guangyuan Prefecture for more than two hundred years. Its influence could not be underestimated.
Although it feared the City Lord of Miaoyin City and did not dare employ bloody methods within the city, with the Return to Truth Sect's power, cutting off the livelihoods of Lu Qingfeng and the other two was far too easy.
Lu Qingfeng simply could not understand why even the Azure Jade Sect would fear the Return to Truth Sect.
He couldn't figure it out.
For now, he would stop thinking about it.
"The pills we've accumulated over the past six months are enough to last us two or three years. Don't go outside for the time being. Focus on cultivation. Since the Return to Truth Sect has set its sights on us, we won't let it have an easy time either."
Lu Qingfeng looked toward the west, in the direction of the Return to Truth Sect, and smiled.
"Big Brother, right now—"
Lu Qingyu understood what her elder brother meant, and her little face immediately lit up with excitement. Lu Qingshan froze for a moment, then reacted at once—
"Truth-Destroying Type One?!"
Night fell.
Following orders from the sect, Zhang Chong left Miaoyin City.
"Such an obvious trap. They won't fall for it, will they?"
Zhang Chong was in his forties. He slipped out through the city gate under cover of darkness, his heart trembling with unease.
In his early years, he had also been a menial disciple of the Return to Truth Sect. With a smooth-talking tongue, he had not only lived comfortably on Huangzhi Mountain, but after growing older, he had even been promoted by the master he had always followed to become a menial steward.
With dozens of menial disciples under him, he had cut quite an imposing figure.
About a year and a half ago, a menial disciple named 'Lu Qingshan' had been assigned to him.
Zhang Chong had paid him little attention.
The beatings and abuse he had inflicted on Lu Qingshan had not been deliberate targeting.
After all, there had been plenty of menial disciples under him whom he had beaten, and even beaten to death.
Who could have imagined that this inconspicuous Lu Qingshan would not only kill Wu Yuan, a newly promoted inner disciple of the Return to Truth Sect, but also flee from Huangzhi Mountain!
Afterward.
During the pursuit, quite a few Return to Truth Sect disciples died at the hands of Lu Qingshan and his brothers. When word reached the Return to Truth Sect, it immediately caused an uproar of astonishment. Later, as the struggle between the Return to Truth Sect and the Azure Jade Sect grew white-hot, people gradually stopped paying attention to the matter.
Unexpectedly, a few days ago, the Punishment Hall of the sect had sought him out and ordered him to go to Miaoyin City.
They intended to use him as bait to lure out the Lu brothers in Miaoyin City.
Zhang Chong had not dared resist. When he saw Lu Qingshan today, he had acted arrogant and provocative on the surface, but in truth, he had been scared out of his wits.
Just as he was now.
His legs trembled, yet he still had to pretend to be calm and composed as he walked along the pitch-black road at night.
The night was silent.
The farther Zhang Chong went, the more terrified he became.
Lu Qingshan had indeed been inconspicuous at first! But he had first killed Wu Yuan, then escaped the Return to Truth Sect's pursuit—and had even killed an enforcer from the Punishment Hall in return.
No one knew whether encountering this enemy would cause him to lose control and pursue Zhang Chong out of the city to take his life.
As he thought about it.
The hairs all over Zhang Chong's body suddenly rose.
"Someone!"
Zhang Chong shouted. His voice was so warped by fear that it almost tore apart. Yet his cry abruptly ceased—
Bang!
A sharp arrow shot through the air from somewhere, striking Zhang Chong squarely in the left side of the chest. The arrow's force was tremendous, carrying his entire body several yards before smashing him heavily into the ground!
The sharp arrow pierced through his chest and shattered his heart.
Zhang Chong's eyes were wide open, but he was already dead.
"Move!"
A booming shout came from the darkness all around them. In the next instant, more than a dozen figures suddenly appeared.
The man at their head held a ring-pommel saber. Who else could it be but Zhao Zhou, the chief of the Punishment Hall of the Return to Truth Sect!
Rustle!
Movement came from the woods not far away.
"Over there! After them!"
Zhao Zhou charged ahead, leading the pursuit. More than a dozen Punishment Hall experts followed close behind as they chased into the woods.
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