Li Erhe Was Dead!

The days were as placid as water.

Tang Wanqing was still building her career in the Hunting Grounds and had not returned to the Living Area even once.

Zhang Hai remained in seclusion, seemingly prepared to either starve to death or achieve a breakthrough.

At the Gao Family Butcher Shop, two Head Lanterns were hung up every seven days. Gao Erqiang was frazzled beyond measure, but business continued nonetheless.

Su Qing spent every day refining puppets. Every few days, someone would come to his door to buy goods. Spirit Crystals poured in, and at night, he was even willing to spend two or three hours soaking in medicinal baths and practicing his fists.

More than twenty days later.

The materials for refining Lizard Puppets had finally run out. Not only had he completed Fate Comes Pavilion's task and Ge Changyuan's order, he had even assembled a whole squad of Lizard Warriors for himself.

A squad of twelve Lizard Warriors, all made from the finest materials. Their bodies gleamed brightly, green enough to shine.

That was not to say that, after deducting the orders, he only had those twelve Lizard Warriors. In fact, there were a full sixteen Lizard Puppets in his Storage Bag.

Twelve for himself, four to sell slowly.

"A single Lizard Warrior consumes three Spirit Crystals a day just for routine upkeep. In battle, that more than doubles. Raising twelve Lizard Warriors costs at least over a thousand Spirit Crystals a month. I really can't afford to raise any more."

They could replenish some energy by basking in moonlight when idle, but that was barely better than nothing. They needed to bask beneath the moon for half a month just to activate once. Charging them was far too slow!

Calling out six Lizard Warriors to guard his front and flanks, Su Qing pushed open his front gate for the first time with the majestic air of a proper Puppet Master.

A Puppet Master guarded by Combat Puppets truly had confidence. He felt much more valiant and imposing!

And in truth, he really was.

In those twenty-odd days, medicinal baths alone had cost him six or seven hundred Spirit Crystals, not even counting the cost of his time. At his current earning rate, including the time cost, it had amounted to several thousand Spirit Crystals.

After throwing so many Spirit Crystals at it, no matter how terrible his innate bones were, there had to be some results.

For instance, he now had more muscle on his body, and he had shot up more than two inches in height. It looked like he had gone through a second growth spurt. At the very least, when he ran into long-legged Sun Yan now, he no longer had to tilt his head up to look at her.

Besides that, when he had checked his panel last night, his status had changed from Slightly Deficient Qi and Blood to Normal Qi and Blood. His lifespan limit had also risen from ninety-two years to one hundred and thirty-eight years.

These gains had all come from the Immovable Wisdom King Technique, making Su Qing resolve to keep cultivating it. Even if it consumed more Spirit Crystals, he would not hesitate.

Having stayed cooped up at home for over twenty days, he planned to go to Fate Comes Pavilion today to deliver goods, then stop by the Hundred Treasures Pavilion to purchase more materials.

If it was not too late, he would also make a trip to the Spirit Field District. While delivering goods door to door, it was equally important to get the remaining twenty thousand-plus Spirit Crystals safely into his pocket.

Not long after stepping out of his courtyard.

He saw a group of cultivators gathered together, pointing and gesturing at a cultivator's courtyard less than two li from his home.

"Did something happen to someone?"

Su Qing's expression tightened as he moved closer and listened in.

"Li Erhe is dead!"

"How did he die? He was a Leather Craftsman. How could he die while staying at home?"

"He was found early this morning. Isn't it strange? Nothing in his house was missing—except his head!"

"That is truly bizarre. If it was the work of a Robber Cultivator, they should have been after his possessions. They only took his head. Could his head have been made of Spirit Crystals?"

"Could it have been a Demonic Cultivator? Demonic Cultivators love scaring people."

"Demonic Cultivators aren't idiots. Would they leave Spirit Crystals behind? Li Erhe still had over a thousand Spirit Crystals at home. Those bastards from the Enforcement Team got them all!"

"It must have been an Evil Entity. My spirit hound barked nonstop last night. It had to be an Evil Entity, no doubt about it!"

"Now that you mention it, a few days ago, I seemed to see a headless figure through my window. When I looked again, it was gone. Maybe it really was an Evil Entity!"

Li Erhe tanned beast hides into leather paper and leather goods, supplying materials to professionals such as Talisman Masters and Artifact Refiners. Among Rogue Cultivators, he had lived a fairly decent life.

Su Qing had dealt with him before when refining other puppets. He was simple and honest, a decent man who made his living through his craft.

Yet such an honest man had stayed home tanning leather, offending no one and provoking no one, only to lose his head just like that.

The cultivators suspected some demonic evil was causing trouble.

But Su Qing was certain that the Gao Family Butcher Shop had brought this disaster about.

"Two heads every seven days. If every cultivator harmed by him turns into a Headless Evil Spirit, then over roughly this past month, eight Headless Evil Spirits have been born from that Wandering Evil alone!

"It looks like these Headless Evil Spirits are different from that Wandering Evil. They are not only plaguing the Gao Family Butcher Shop, but also harming the cultivators nearby!"

Su Qing silently analyzed the matter. He did not explain it in detail to the cultivators around him, but he could not help asking:

"This humble cultivator has been in seclusion for over half a month and does not know what has become of the Gao Family Butcher Shop. Today, it seems there are not many Fellow Daoists delivering meat there."

A cultivator with thick eyebrows and big eyes turned at the sound. When he suddenly saw six Green-skinned Lizardmen staring at him in perfect unison, a startled curse nearly burst from his lips. Only after he spotted Su Qing amid the lizard group did he calm down.

"Fellow Daoist Su, you sure know how to make an entrance. Why not have these Lizard Warriors carry you in a sedan chair?"

Perhaps startled by the Lizard Warriors, Long Feifan spoke with a strange, sarcastic tone.

Being a Puppet Master is such a big deal, huh? You even bring six puppets along when walking just to scare people. I can't even afford one yet, damn it!

"That could work, but having them carry a sedan chair would be a little too high-profile."

Su Qing thought it over. The Lizard Warriors probably would not mind carrying a sedan chair. He fed them three Spirit Crystals every day—what was wrong with carrying a chair?

But then memories from his past life struck him. Thinking of all those villains from his previous life who had people carry them in sedan chairs, he felt that style was a little inauspicious and immediately gave up on the notion.

You actually considered it!

Seeing Su Qing's serious expression, then looking at the Lizard Warriors, some burly and towering, others balanced and agile, Long Feifan said sourly:

"You don't exactly look very low-key as you are!"

After exchanging a few teasing remarks, the cultivators nearby answered Su Qing's question in a few scattered sentences.

"The Gao Family Butcher Shop? Fellow Daoist, don't go there lately. I heard that a few days ago, someone saw two Head Lanterns hanging in front of their door!"

"Their workers disappear every other day. Now no one dares work for them, and naturally, hardly anyone dares sell meat to them either!"

"I said it all along—why else would they set up a Golden Light Array? They must have run into an Evil Entity long ago!"

"Fellow Daoist, take the long way around their place lately. Better not get tainted by anything unclean."

Only then did Su Qing understand.

Cultivators were not fools. Over the past month, everyone had noticed the abnormalities at the Gao Family Butcher Shop.

It was simply that the cultivators present did not dare say outright that the Headless Evil Spirits had been brought about by the Gao Family Butcher Shop, lest Gao Erqiang hold a grudge against them.

After learning the situation, he cupped his hands to bid several fellow cultivators farewell and headed toward the Central District.

He had not gone far when the person approaching him head-on made his entire body tense.

It was Gao Erqiang!

But compared to the spring breeze and triumphant air he had possessed a month ago.

Gao Erqiang's hair was disheveled, his expression haggard, and his eyes were terrifyingly red, as though he had not slept in a very long time.

When he saw Su Qing, he suddenly appeared somewhat crazed. Like a madman, he blocked Su Qing, who had been preparing to take a detour.

"Fellow Daoist Su, what is the meaning of this? I, Gao Erqiang, do not believe I have ever offended you. Why are you avoiding me?"

Gao Erqiang questioned Su Qing, who stood protected in the middle of the Lizard Warriors.

"Fellow Daoist Gao misunderstands. This humble cultivator merely happened to be planning to take a side path to save some walking."

Between the Living Area and the Central District lay a broad road paved with bluestone, wide enough for horses and carriages. Many cultivators traveled it, making it safer. There were also several side paths, lined with strange rocks and tangled woods, where Robber Cultivators often appeared.

Thus, even though the side paths were shorter, Su Qing generally chose the safer main road. Using the excuse of taking a side path to brush off Gao Erqiang was reasonable enough at this moment.

Gao Erqiang cupped his hands. He knew Su Qing was humoring him, but everyone now found him unpleasant to be around, so he did not take it to heart.

"You must never walk side paths at night. This old man simply refused to believe in such things, and that is how I ended up in my current state.

"Ha, why am I telling Fellow Daoist this? I stopped you today because I want to buy two of your puppets. Quite a few Fellow Daoists who come to my place to sell meat have sung the praises of your puppets!"

Buy puppets?

Su Qing was stunned. Shouldn't you be shutting down and fleeing for your life right now? What use was there in buying Lizard Puppets? Even if they self-destructed, they likely could not do anything to an Evil Entity.

Though puzzled, business had come knocking, and he had no reason to refuse it.

"Eighteen hundred Spirit Crystals each. If Fellow Daoist accepts, this humble cultivator can sell you two," Su Qing said directly.

"Why are they so expensive? Before, even the most expensive heavy-armored model was only fourteen hundred Spirit Crystals!" Gao Erqiang was somewhat angered, feeling that Su Qing was taking advantage of him.

That's right, I am taking advantage of you. I'll charge you more than everyone else. Who told you to bring in an Evil Entity and make me spend extra Spirit Crystals on evil-banishing equipment?

Su Qing thought to himself, though his face turned cold.

"This humble cultivator naturally knows how to price his puppets. My skills had not yet reached perfection when I made those previous puppets, and they had slight flaws, which was why they were cheaper.

"However, these two puppets I am selling Fellow Daoist are flawless. Working together, the two of them can defeat a Tier-1 Mid-Grade Body Cultivator without difficulty. If Fellow Daoist thinks they are too expensive, then forget it!"

As Su Qing said this, he had already secretly prepared to release the six puppets in his Storage Bag. Together with the ones outside, he would have twelve Lizard Warriors protecting him. He truly was not very afraid of Gao Erqiang now.

Fortunately, Gao Erqiang did not seem to intend to make trouble for him.

Although business at the Gao Family Butcher Shop had gradually grown cold recently, and he had spent a considerable number of Spirit Crystals greasing palms and dealing with those dead workers.

He had made a large sum trading demon beast meat before this. Now, with Evil Entities making him frantic and harried, he did not scrutinize Su Qing's extra three to five hundred Spirit Crystals too closely.

"Fine, eighteen hundred it is. I'll take both!"

He was straightforward, and Su Qing was equally straightforward. After handing him two Lizard Warriors.

Su Qing watched Gao Erqiang hurry toward the Gao Family Butcher Shop in a panic, growing even more puzzled.

He clearly knew that place had been targeted by Evil Entities, so why was Gao Erqiang still jumping into the fire pit?

It had been understandable when there was money to be made. After all, it was the workers dying, and it did not affect his earnings.

But now, no one was willing to work at the Gao Family Butcher Shop, and Rogue Cultivators were avoiding it as well. With no workers and no money, and Evil Entities coming to his door, would they not have to target Gao Erqiang himself?

"Could it be that the Evil Entity has targeted not only the Gao Family Butcher Shop, but Gao Erqiang as well?"

Recalling Gao Erqiang's bloodshot eyes just now, Su Qing could not help shuddering. He had the Lizard Warriors close ranks around him and strode toward the Central District.