Conflict

As it turned out, Yang Qingyun had been overthinking it.

If there were heavenly treasures everywhere in the mountains and wilderness, then the martial world of Huangshi Town would not be so feeble. The highest realm any martial artist in the entire town had reached was merely the Viscera Refining Realm.

In other words,

if this place truly had so many good things, countless martial artists would have long since come here to roam the wilds. How could these ordinary villagers have been allowed to risk their lives harvesting them?

Never underestimate a martial artist's greed.

Perhaps good things that the villagers and farmers did not recognize would occasionally appear at this market.

But to actually run into one,

the odds were so low that they were hardly any different from the chance of winning the grand prize in the lottery in his Previous Life.

After wandering around for a while,

he naturally found nothing.

However, Yang Qingyun had come up with a few ideas.

Although he could not find anything good, perhaps he could use this place to offer some silver as payment and ask the villagers of Huangshi Town who had gathered here to trade about dangerous areas beyond the wilderness and mountains, the terrain in the mountains, forbidden zones where vicious beasts dwelled, and other such perilous places.

Although this was the impoverished old era before the Spiritual Qi Resurgence,

there were always some wilderness areas where spiritual qi gathered because of the terrain, or because they were rarely visited by humans, and these places produced heavenly treasures!

Using the knowledge from his Previous Life to calculate where heavenly treasures were likely to appear, then exploring those places one by one—would that not be far more effective?

"Brother Qingyuan, are you looking to buy medicinal herbs for martial training?"

Zhou Weilong, who had been accompanying Yang Qingyun, followed him around the market and took the initiative to ask.

"This is a market formed spontaneously by the villagers from more than a hundred villages around Huangshi Town. Although good things occasionally appear, they are usually extorted by the Black Tiger Gang. Drugstores from the city even send people here to keep watch. Trying to trade for good things from the mountain villagers and farmers is basically impossible here."

"I see. Thank you for the reminder, Master Zhou!"

"No need to be polite. If Brother Qingyuan needs medicinal herbs, my Zhou Family Martial Academy happens to have dealings with several drugstores in the city. Just tell me what you need, and I'll have them delivered."

While they were chatting idly,

a commotion suddenly erupted in the livestock-trading area not far away, where the air was thick with stench.

Quite a few people in the market raised their heads and looked toward the commotion.

"Damn country bumpkin! Your Master Qing lost a batch of fine horses three days ago, and I never thought they'd been stolen by a little thief like you! You dare come to my turf and act tough? Beat him! Beat him to death!"

As a string of furious curses rang out, several vicious-looking men were brutally beating a thickset, honest-looking figure nearby.

Two fists could not fight four hands. The figure could only raise both arms to shield his head as he was forced backward again and again beneath the savage blows of the thugs!

Several fine horses were snorting beside wooden stakes not far away.

Clearly, this was a dispute over a transaction.

The surrounding villagers and passersby hurriedly moved aside, leaving a large open space as they pointed and watched the spectacle with relish.

Yet when many of them saw the domineering Master Qing leading the group, disgust appeared on their faces.

Their gazes toward the man being beaten also grew somewhat sympathetic.

"This man's really unlucky!"

"Yeah, but who told him to bring something so valuable here?"

"One horse costs more than twenty taels of silver. These fine horses must be even more expensive, worth over a hundred taels in total. And he came alone. No wonder that thug Qing got greedy."

"Valuable things are best not brought here!"

"The Black Tiger Gang aren't exactly kindhearted people."

The surrounding passersby discussed the matter animatedly, none of them surprised by such an incident.

Before long,

that figure had been beaten until his face was swollen and bruised, then collapsed to the ground beneath the onslaught.

The man who called himself Master Qing had a blue tattoo on the upper-right side of his forehead. A ferocious smile spread across his face as he somehow produced an iron rod, raised it high, and prepared to smash it down viciously onto the man's head, finishing him off completely!

But in midair, a clean hand suddenly reached out and caught the rapidly descending iron rod, leaving it unable to move!

The newcomer lowered his gaze to the bruised and battered figure on the ground, his brows knitting slightly.

"Wang Zhu, what happened here?"

Ignoring Master Qing's ugly expression and shouting, he spoke in a calm voice.

Hearing the familiar voice, Wang Zhu's body shuddered. He quickly lowered the hands covering his head and raised his face, revealing Yang Qingyun standing before him!

"Young Master Yang, you're here?!"

The man on the ground was none other than Wang Zhu of Wang Family Village!

Upon seeing Yang Qingyun, delight appeared on Wang Zhu's swollen and bruised face.

But soon,

that delight turned into anxious guilt over failing in his duty. He hurriedly knelt on the ground and kowtowed.

"Young Master, I failed to handle the matter you entrusted to me. Please punish me!"

"There's no need for that. What happened here?"

Yang Qingyun frowned slightly,

then bent down and forcibly helped him to his feet.

"Kid, your Master Qing is a member of the Black Tiger Gang. Don't meddle in other people's business!"

Master Qing's iron rod was still clutched tightly in Yang Qingyun's grip. Unable to wrench it free no matter how hard he tried, his face flushed red as he threatened him with a show of strength masking his fear.

"If you offend our Black Tiger Gang, no one in Huangshi Town, above or below the heavens, will be able to save you!"

"Is that so?"

Yang Qingyun replied blandly.

His palm suddenly tightened.

Crack!

The iron rod caved inward, cracks spreading across it.

Terror appeared on Master Qing's face.

Bang!

Yang Qingyun's foot shot out like lightning, kicking him flying and sending him tumbling to the ground.

There was no need to ask. He could already guess almost the entire story.

Earlier, the Second Boss and Third Boss of Black Wind Stronghold had died at his hands one after another. Before going up the mountain to deal with the First Boss, Golden-Eyed Leopard, Yang Qingyun had asked Wang Family Village to take the seized spoils to the city and sell them for cash.

Thus, Wang Zhu had brought those horses to this market in town to sell them, exchanging them for silver for Yang Qingyuan.

However, Wang Zhu looked simple and honest, was no martial artist, and had come alone while carrying such considerable wealth. Naturally, he had attracted the covetous attention of that Black Tiger Gang member called Master Qing.

And so the earlier scene had occurred.

Robbery under the guise of taking what was rightfully theirs—

it could hardly be more blatant.

Unfortunately for him, he had run into an iron wall.

"Kid, who are you? If you've got the guts, leave me your name!"

Not far away, Master Qing clutched his chest and climbed to his feet. After wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, he glared viciously at Yang Qingyun and threw down a threat.

A flash of killing intent passed through Yang Qingyun's eyes.

But before he could do anything, Zhou Weilong arrived as well. Seeing what had happened, he stepped forward and looked down at Master Qing from a superior position.

"Qingwen Long, this is an honored guest of mine, Zhou Weilong. Do me a favor and let this matter end here!"