Rumors of Robber Cultivators

"Since you can craft High-Quality Frostwind Talismans, if you work a little harder, it's not impossible for you to succeed with Frostfall."

Zhou Qingxuan's delicate brows drew together as her bright, lively eyes fixed intently on Lan Chang'an, seemingly trying to exert some kind of pressure.

An ordinary cultivator might have been trembling with fear when faced with Zhou Qingxuan, whose background was so formidable.

After all, she was the beloved granddaughter of a Pseudo-Core True Person. Even if Mu Renlong of the Mu Family, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, came in person, he would have to treat her courteously.

"Miss Zhou, please seek someone more skilled." Lan Chang'an replied blandly.

He had been a Golden Core Realm Old Ancestor of a cultivation clan in his previous life. Why would he fear this little granddaughter's borrowed might?

"Miss Zhou, capturing a First-Order Late-Stage Firefowl does not necessarily require Frostfall."

Mu Xiuyun gently tried to persuade her.

"I am a Beast Tamer. I must defeat and capture that Firefowl on my own so that it will truly fear me, making it easier to tame later. Frostfall is the best choice, and it will not harm it."

Zhou Qingxuan stood rooted in place, her pearly teeth biting her rosy lips, looking very much like she would not rest until she achieved her goal.

Lan Chang'an silently mused that this little girl pursued perfection. She wanted to capture the Firefowl alone, without anyone's help, yet could not injure the target.

Seen that way, Frostfall was indeed highly suitable. Its attribute countered the target's, and it possessed powerful restraining effects.

For this little girl to value it so highly, that Firefowl's bloodline grade was likely not low—at the very least, it had a High Grade Bloodline.

"Talismans Master Lu, are you really unwilling to do me this favor?"

Seeing that Lan Chang'an remained unmoved, Zhou Qingxuan wrinkled her delicate nose and leaned closer with her exquisite, flawless face, as tender as if a breath could break it. She lightly inhaled.

Less than half a foot separated them. The faint breath and body fragrance of the young girl, light as a clear lotus, drifted over.

A strange feeling rose in Lan Chang'an's heart. Could this little girl be trying to use a beauty trap?

He was twice her age.

If he had married as early as Er Shun, Zhou Qingxuan would probably have been about the same age as his daughter.

The thought had barely arisen.

Zhou Qingxuan's lovely eyes shifted, a trace of slyness flashing through them. Her rosy lips moved as she sneered through voice transmission:

"I never expected Talismans Master Lu to like monster beasts such as Earth Rock Rats?"

Lan Chang'an's heart jolted at those words, and he no longer dared underestimate her in the slightest.

Zhou Qingxuan truly possessed exceptional talent in beast taming. When she had leaned close and inhaled earlier, she had not been playing at intimacy; she had been confirming through scent that he kept an Earth Rock Rat.

That Earth Rock Rat was Spoils of War from killing Ge Alchemist.

Ge Alchemist, in turn, had obtained Beast Taming Token support from Zheng Yuanhua.

And the ultimate source had been the Beast Taming Zhou Family!

"If this young lady remembers correctly, my Zhou Family does not seem to have sold Earth Rock Rats to your Mu Family. Oh, your surname is Lu. You may not necessarily be a member of the Mu Family."

Zhou Qingxuan's lips curved, her smile growing even more pronounced, as if she had suddenly seized Lan Chang'an's weakness.

Lan Chang'an's expression changed slightly, though he was far from panicked.

Indeed, a spirit beast with a Middle Grade Bloodline corresponded to a cultivator's Mid-Grade Spiritual Root and was worth quite a bit. Every Earth Rock Rat sold by the Zhou Family was strictly controlled and recorded.

But as long as more than one or two Earth Rock Rats had been sold, it would be difficult to identify the source precisely.

Besides, it was possible to obtain Earth Rock Rats through other channels as well.

"What exactly do you want, Miss Zhou?"

Lan Chang'an remained expressionless as he took a step back, keeping his distance from Zhou Qingxuan.

He had no ties or burdens. If he could not afford to provoke someone, he could simply flee at any time; he would not be easily coerced.

"Talismans Master Lu, if you can successfully craft the Frostfall I need, this young lady promises to owe you a favor."

Zhou Qingxuan broke into a smile, looking innocent and playful.

Lan Chang'an understood. This was a carrot-and-stick approach.

At such a young age, she already possessed such methods.

Of course, her ultimate aim was still to make Lan Chang'an obediently exert his utmost effort in crafting the talismans.

Hearing Zhou Qingxuan promise a favor, Mu Xiuyun and Shopkeeper Xu of Rainbow Dress Pavilion were both surprised and tempted.

A favor from the beloved granddaughter of a Pseudo-Core True Person carried no small weight.

Given Zhou Qingxuan's spiritual root, talent, and background, it could be predicted that she would become, at the very least, a powerful Foundation Establishment Realm Beast Tamer in the future.

"Give me ten sheets of High-Quality Cold-Attribute Talisman Paper. I can only give it a try; I cannot guarantee success."

Lan Chang'an sighed, looking as though he had no choice but to accept.

Cold-Attribute Talisman Paper was a non-universal type of talisman paper, made from monster beast hide and spiritwood of corresponding attributes.

Its price was often more than twice that of universal talisman paper, and it gave a slight boost to the success rate of talisman crafting.

"High-Quality Cold-Attribute Talisman Paper? Fine! I'll give you twenty sheets. If you can craft four talismans, I'll give you this First-Order Magical Artifact Talisman Brush as well."

With a smile in her eyes, Zhou Qingxuan seemed prepared as she took out the talisman paper, then handed over a fine white talisman brush.

Lan Chang'an paused, then accepted the talisman paper and brush.

From beginning to end, it looked as though he had been completely manipulated by the Zhou Family's genius granddaughter.

Yet who could know that Lan Chang'an already had completed Frostfall Talismans in his Storage Bag?

These were resources and a favor delivered right to his door.

The talisman brush Zhou Qingxuan had promised was a fine item among First-Order Magical Artifacts, superior to the one Lan Chang'an currently used.

"I can only do my best." Lan Chang'an cupped his hands.

"I'll give you six days."

After saying that, Zhou Qingxuan swung her beautiful hair and departed with the Old Servant.

"Are you confident?"

Mu Xiuyun came to his side, her voice soft and clear, a hidden fragrance lingering in her sleeves.

Meeting her expectant gaze, Lan Chang'an pondered before saying, "With the boost from this talisman brush and the Cold-Attribute Talisman Paper, I have a twenty to thirty percent chance."

Six days passed in the blink of an eye.

Zhou Qingxuan arrived at Mu's Spirit Talisman Shop as promised and sat in the reception room behind the first floor.

"Miss Zhou, here is the Frostfall you requested. I am sorry; Lu's skills are lacking, and I barely managed to draw three. Please take this talisman brush back."

Lan Chang'an looked somewhat ashamed.

He would not be foolish enough to truly draw four Frostfall Talismans for the sake of a talisman brush.

Giving her three should have reached her psychological bottom line.

If he had crafted four, then for a talisman as difficult as Frostfall, he would practically rival a First-Order High-Grade Talisman Master.

"Forget it. Keep this talisman brush."

It was impossible to tell whether Zhou Qingxuan was satisfied or disappointed.

After giving Lan Chang'an one final look, she left with the talismans.

Lan Chang'an put away the talisman brush, the corners of his lips tightening slightly. Given her status, this outcome had been expected.

Mu Xiuyun smiled happily. Though they had not reached the target of four talismans, they had basically satisfied Zhou Qingxuan.

"Talismans Master Lu, congratulations. Obtaining a favor from the Zhou Family's genius granddaughter is enough to make others green with envy."

As soon as Zhou Qingxuan left, Shopkeeper Xu from next door came over with a beaming smile to offer congratulations, seemingly uncertain and probing.

"Just luck, just luck." Lan Chang'an answered modestly. This matter was not something he could conceal anyway.

Receiving a favor from the Zhou Family's heaven-blessed daughter was enough to make anyone envious.

Not to mention that crafting those Frostfall Talismans had also netted him a substantial batch of materials.

Lan Chang'an was in an excellent mood.

Over the following few months, the flow of people in the Marketplace steadily increased.

The Spirit Talisman Shop, which had only been open for a year, actually began turning a stable profit.

Though the profits were not substantial.

The shop had been purchased cheaply by the Mu Family, so there was no rent to pay, but the holding costs and the Marketplace's management fees still had to be considered.

The Marketplace's management fees were used for array maintenance and for cultivators who patrolled and enforced the law.

Lan Chang'an's days remained leisurely.

On the one hand, Bamboo Leaf Mountain was rich in Wood Spiritual Qi, so he only needed to cultivate for an hour and a half each day.

On the other hand, the apprentice Mu Shan could craft simple First-Order Talismans, while Mu Er Shun could also craft some Basic Talismans.

Lan Chang'an did not spend all his time cultivating bitterly upstairs.

He often visited the tea houses and wine taverns of the Marketplace, drinking tea and tasting wine.

Such places gathered cultivators from all corners of the world and often brought in bits of news.

Shopkeeper Xu of Rainbow Dress Pavilion occasionally joined Lan Chang'an for tea, chatting idly about all manner of things.

This man knew the identities and backgrounds of every notable figure in the Marketplace like the back of his hand.

"Have you heard? Some Qi Refining rogue cultivators were killed by Robber Cultivators a while back."

"What is Bamboo Leaf Mountain Market doing? It has only been open for a year, yet several vicious incidents of murder and robbery have already occurred outside."

Several rogue cultivators complained indignantly in the wine tavern.

"Robber Cultivators?" Lan Chang'an wore a thoughtful expression.

Murdering people for treasure was not necessarily the work of professional Robber Cultivators.

Within the Marketplace, someone from any profession could temporarily play the role.

Once the Marketplace gained popularity, the appearance of Robber Cultivators was perfectly normal. The patrolling cultivators of the Marketplace could at most maintain safety within the Marketplace and near its entrance.

"Talismans Master Lu, there is no need to worry about Robber Cultivators. Have you heard of any shop owners in our Marketplace being robbed?"

Shopkeeper Xu poured a cup of wine, calm and composed.

"That is true." Lan Chang'an smiled. He did agree with that point.

Robber Cultivators mostly picked soft persimmons to squeeze.

Most people who ran shops in the Marketplace had backing. Either their cultivation was formidable, or they traveled outside in groups.

Robber Cultivators generally targeted rogue cultivators and did not dare casually provoke merchants with powerful affiliations.

"Lan Chang'an, my young master requests your presence."

As the two chatted, a servant came over and spoke in a lowered voice.

"Your young master?" Lan Chang'an looked at the servant, whose cultivation was at the Qi Refining Third Layer.

Shopkeeper Xu warned through voice transmission, "Talismans Master Lu, he is a runner under Young Master Huang."

Young Master Huang?

Lan Chang'an recalled how, a year ago, Huang Yu had visited the newly opened Mu's Spirit Talisman Shop. At the time, Huang Yu had treated him as a mere passerby and had not even asked his name.

Yet today, Huang Yu had actually taken the initiative to invite him.

Shopkeeper Xu's expression turned grave as he transmitted his voice:

"Young Master Huang is one of the Marketplace's administrators, second only to the Foundation Establishment Ancestor stationed here. You had best go. Do not offend him."