Encountering Robber Cultivators on the Road, Qingyang Market!

Zhou Taoyao looked at Li Qingshan: "Grandfather, what do you think? Is it too far?"

Li Qingshan nodded, looking quite satisfied: "It is excellent, not far at all! This is the one. Peace and quiet are all this old man seeks."

With Zhou Taoyao present, all procedures were simplified and completed quickly.

Li Qingshan collected his mission token and a simple map, then departed with Zhou Taoyao.

"Taoyao, I wonder how Senior Sister Ye Lingshuang has been lately? I have always felt grateful for her recommendation when I first entered the sect."

Li Qingshan inquired.

Zhou Taoyao smiled and replied: "You mean Senior Sister Ye? She is a legend among us disciples! It is said that she obtained a great opportunity not long ago, and upon returning, she immediately went into seclusion, saying she intends to break through to the Foundation Establishment realm!"

Ye Lingshuang was in seclusion attempting a breakthrough to Foundation Establishment!

Li Qingshan understood, and this only strengthened his resolve to leave for a while.

With his protector in seclusion, if Zhang Hongxiu came looking for trouble after leaving her own seclusion, there would be no one to help him in time.

Zhou Taoyao gave Li Qingshan many more reminders about things to watch out for while traveling, stuffed a few communication talismans into his hand, and then left with obvious reluctance.

Li Qingshan did not delay for a moment, returning to the Hall of Discarded Treasures to pack his things.

In truth, there was little to bring; he kept the most important Wish-Fulfilling Gourd hidden close to his body, stored the Crimson Dragon Sword in his dantian, and placed the Diamond Talisman and Golden Needle Talisman within easy reach.

He tidied up the Hall of Discarded Treasures slightly, then took his mission token and left the place that had given him a chance at rebirth for over two years.

Following the map's guidance, Li Qingshan exited the gates of the Spring Autumn Sect and summoned the crude, low-grade flying artifact issued by the sect—a Single Leaf Skiff—wobbling as he flew toward the direction of Qingyang Market.

He intentionally kept his speed slow, maintaining the pace expected of a second-layer Qi Refining cultivator.

After flying several hundred miles away from the Spring Autumn Sect's territory and entering a desolate, mountainous region, three streaks of light suddenly shot out from the forest below, intercepting his path in a triangular formation.

They were three fierce-looking rogue cultivators; the one with the highest cultivation was a scarred man at the fifth layer of Qi Refining, while the other two were at the fourth layer.

"Hey! You old geezer, stop right there!"

The scarred man shouted with a sinister grin: "If you know what's good for you, hand over your spirit stones and anything valuable. If we're in a good mood, we might just spare your miserable life!"

Li Qingshan sneered inwardly; as expected, bandit cultivators ran rampant outside the market.

However, he wore an expression of extreme terror on his face, trembling as he controlled the flying skiff: "G-good sirs... this old man is just on an errand for the sect; I really don't have any wealth on me..."

"Less talk! Sect disciples are even fatter targets! Do it!"

The scarred man clearly lacked patience. With a wave of his hand, a Ghost Head Blade artifact whistled through the air, hacking toward Li Qingshan.

The other two also drove a flying fork and a talisman to attack.

As the attacks were about to land, the terror in Li Qingshan's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by icy coldness.

With a thought, the Crimson Dragon Sword, which he had been nourishing in his dantian for a long time, emitted a faint hum and transformed into a crimson streak of light, striking before the others could react!

"Clang!"

With a flash of crimson sword light, the low-grade Ghost Head Blade was easily severed like rotten wood!

"Damn it! A top-grade flying sword? How is this possible?"

The scarred man was terrified. Only now did he realize that Li Qingshan was no second-layer Qi Refining cultivator.

He was clearly a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator who had been hiding his true strength.

Panic seized him, and he turned to flee immediately.

But it was too late.

The Crimson Dragon Sword's light did not lose momentum, and in the scarred man's eyes of utter horror, it instantly pierced through his throat!

At the same time, Li Qingshan performed the Flying Rainbow Technique, his figure flickering like a ghost to easily dodge the attacks from the flying fork and the talisman.

With a flick of his divine sense, the Crimson Dragon Sword shot out once more, piercing the foreheads of the other two bandit cultivators!

All of this happened in the blink of an eye.

The three bandit cultivators, who had been so arrogant just moments ago, were now three cooling corpses, their faces still frozen in expressions of disbelief and terror.

Li Qingshan remained expressionless, waving his hand to retrieve the Crimson Dragon Sword.

Although this was his first time killing, Li Qingshan felt no discomfort at all. Having lived for a hundred years, what had he not seen?

Slaughtering these bandits seemed no different from when he killed bandits in his past life.

"Three poor wretches!"

Li Qingshan searched the three bandits and found only a few spirit stones and a few bottles of pills; beyond that, they didn't even have a storage bag.

The most valuable item, the large blade, had been snapped by the Crimson Dragon Sword.

He cast the Fireball Technique, flicking a fireball to reduce the three corpses to ash.

After finishing, he brushed the non-existent dust off his clothes and continued to pilot the slow, wobbling skiff toward Qingyang Market, as if nothing had happened.

The skiff wobbled along for another two days until the terrain ahead leveled out, and a market nestled in a mountain basin appeared before Li Qingshan.

The scale of Qingyang Market was indeed small, far less prosperous than the market at the foot of the Spring Autumn Sect.

The surroundings were enclosed only by a low fence of spirit wood serving as a simple defense. Within the market, houses were scattered about, none exceeding three stories in height. Cultivators walked the streets, most lingering at the mid-stage of Qi Refining. Occasionally, a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator would pass by, drawing sidelong glances and a measure of awe from the others.

At the entrance to the market stood a stone tablet inscribed with the four large characters "Qingyang Market," accompanied by the emblem of the Spring Autumn Sect, indicating the ownership of this place.

Li Qingshan landed his flying boat and walked slowly into the market.

Following the mission instructions, he quickly located the Deacon Hall in the center of the market—a slightly imposing two-story building.

The person receiving him was the one in charge of this place, a middle-aged deacon at the eighth level of Qi Refining named Zhao Kun.

Zhao Kun had a slightly dark complexion, his expression carrying a hint of the weariness and impatience that comes from handling miscellaneous chores year-round. He inspected Li Qingshan's mission token and identity jade plaque, his brows furrowing imperceptibly.

"Li Qingshan? The one assigned to guard the Hall of Discarded Treasures?"

Zhao Kun looked Li Qingshan up and down, sensing his weak aura at the second level of Qi Refining and observing his aged appearance. His tone was flat, tinged with a trace of disdain: "At your age and cultivation level... never mind. There is a yard at the east end of the market where sundries and waste are piled; it will be under your management from now on."

"Your duties are simple: first, collect the discarded talisman paper, smelting slag, and medicinal dregs produced by the various shops in the market every day, and transport them to the east yard for incineration. You must not leave any lingering odors that might lead to complaints."

"Second, you are responsible for the daily food and lodging arrangements for the five outer sect disciples here. Just purchase some spirit rice, fruits, and vegetables, and ensure they don't go hungry."

"Third, if there are any ordinary documents or messages sent from the sect, you are to receive them and forward them to me. Do you understand?"

Zhao Kun spoke quickly, laying out the instructions clearly, evidently not expecting Li Qingshan to accomplish anything of note.

"This disciple understands and will certainly do my best."

Li Qingshan hunched his back and replied respectfully, though he felt a surge of joy in his heart.

Incinerating trash? This was perfectly suited to his expertise and exactly what he had hoped for!

Even if the "waste" in this Qingyang Market was of poor quality, it should still be better than the pure garbage at the sect, right?

Perhaps he would be able to scavenge something good.

"Hmm."

Zhao Kun waved his hand, signaling a young disciple at the fifth level of Qi Refining standing nearby: "Wang Hai, take him to his living quarters, show him around, and brief him on the situation with those five people."

The disciple named Wang Hai acknowledged the order, cast a curious glance at Li Qingshan, and led him away.

Li Qingshan's living quarters were right next to the waste-piling yard at the east end of the market—a simple, crude stone hut. It was better than the one at the Hall of Discarded Treasures; at least it didn't leak when it rained.

In the yard, there was a massive pit, clearly used for burning trash, with some unprocessed waste piled nearby, emitting a pungent, mixed odor.

Wang Hai gave a rough introduction to the other four outer sect disciples, all of whom were at the fourth or fifth level of Qi Refining and assigned to idle roles like patrolling the market or guarding warehouses.

They reacted indifferently to Li Qingshan's arrival. To them, a centenarian at the second level of Qi Refining sent to burn trash and manage logistics had no value in being befriended, so they merely offered a faint greeting before returning to their own business.

Li Qingshan was happy to have the peace and quiet, and he did not mind their attitude in the slightest.