Overbearing

Fortunately.

As early as three months ago, He Song had discussed with him what might happen if Chengsan Real Person left and the Immortal Market fell into chaos.

Now that Chengsan Real Person had truly departed so suddenly, he did not panic.

Because over the past three months, he and He Song had made thorough preparations.

Spirit Talismans.

Magic Artifacts.

Magic robes.

He had not originally prepared any of these things for combat.

Because he had never encountered danger in the Immortal Market, he had felt there was no need to spend resources acquiring them.

But when He Song laid out the pros and cons for him, speaking with such convincing logic, he gritted his teeth and arranged some for himself.

Now, as a cultivator who had just broken through to the Qi Refining Late Stage, his combat strength was quite formidable.

He had also prepared some Spirit Talismans specifically meant for combat.

With this, even if Chengsan Real Person suddenly left, at least their safety would not be a concern.

"Fellow Daoist, please return to the courtyard. Leave what is outside to me. If there is any danger, use the Earth Escape Talisman and leave." Thinking of the Magic Artifacts and Spirit Talismans on his person, Wei Fan spoke, calmness appearing on his face as well.

Over those three months, he had not only acquired Magic Artifacts, Spirit Talismans, and magic robes to bolster his combat strength, but had also specifically bought two life-saving Spirit Talismans.

Earth Escape Talismans.

Earth Escape Talismans were high-grade Spirit Talismans. Once used, they could tunnel ten li through the earth in an instant, enough to escape the pursuit of Qi Refining stage cultivators.

Wei Fan had prepared one such life-saving Spirit Talisman for himself.

He had also lent one to He Song.

Although he was a Qi Refining Late Stage cultivator, and all those living around him were likewise Qi Refining Late Stage cultivators.

Still, it was better to be safe than sorry.

Having been friends with He Song for so long, he had also become inclined toward caution.

If he lost and the nearby Qi Refining Late Stage cultivators proved unreliable, with these two Earth Escape Talismans on them, they could swiftly flee. Perhaps they could escape with their lives and make a comeback.

These two Earth Escape Talismans were the trump cards they had prepared for themselves.

"Alright. Brother Wei, be careful." Nodding, He Song did not object. He immediately hid inside the courtyard and activated the Conceal Breath Art, causing his aura to vanish completely.

Not only would he be unable to help outside, but he would also easily become a target for evil cultivators.

A minor cultivator at the early Qi Refining stage, yet living in the home of a Qi Refining Late Stage cultivator.

In the eyes of evil cultivators, their relationship surely was not ordinary.

If he were captured and used to threaten Wei Fan, he would likely only become a burden.

Rather than becoming a burden, he might as well hide in the small courtyard, activate the Conceal Breath Art, and pretend he did not exist. That would allow Wei Fan to face the crisis with greater composure.

Up in the loft.

Wei Fan had only just put away the tea set when he sensed He Song's aura swiftly vanish within the small courtyard.

Sensing this, Wei Fan's expression remained unchanged, though inwardly he nodded.

His friend's cultivation was not high, but when it came to caution, he was second to none. At least among the people he knew, He Song was the most cautious one.

Wei Fan had also felt the benefits of caution.

If He Song had not been cautious, the Spirit Talismans and Magic Artifacts on him would probably still have been those he used during the Qi Refining Middle Stage.

But now?

The Spirit Talismans, Magic Artifacts, and even magic robes on him had all been replaced with ones used by Qi Refining Late Stage cultivators.

Thus, even though he was only at Qi Refining stage 7, he need not worry about his safety when facing other Qi Refining Late Stage cultivators.

It could be said that if not for He Song's caution, he might not have been so composed at this moment.

Much less waited at home with such confidence.

And so he waited.

An entire night passed.

That night, the Immortal Market remained as calm as ever.

It was as if Chengsan Real Person's departure had not stirred up much of a storm.

But after daybreak, the suddenly inflated prices of Spirit Talismans, Magic Artifacts, and magic robes in the Immortal Market allowed sharp-nosed cultivators to sense that something was amiss.

Some poorly informed Rogue Cultivators cursed and grumbled, all saying the Immortal Market had no shame in raising its prices.

Meanwhile, well-informed Rogue Cultivators silently took out Spirit Stones and began buying all manner of life-saving items.

The prices of Spirit Talismans, Magic Artifacts, and magic robes began rising once more because of this.

To purchase these life-saving items, many well-informed cultivators emptied their savings overnight.

Most of the cultivators within the Immortal Market responsible for selling these items did not know why, but faced with cultivators coming one after another to buy life-saving goods, they could only sell them as they normally did.

Though they did not know why those above had suddenly raised the prices, being at the very bottom themselves, they did not think too deeply about it.

Instead, seeing that even more people came to buy after the prices rose, they felt rather baffled.

On the first day.

He Song and Wei Fan remained behind closed doors in the small courtyard.

The vast majority of Rogue Cultivators outside continued as before, living, cultivating, entering seclusion, and seeking breakthroughs in the Immortal Market.

Meanwhile, the prices of Magic Artifacts, Spirit Talismans, and magic robes began to rise.

On the second day.

He Song and Wei Fan remained behind closed doors in the small courtyard.

The prices of Magic Artifacts, Spirit Talismans, and magic robes continued to rise.

Some Rogue Cultivators with fairly sharp instincts seemed to have noticed something and began purchasing life-saving items in droves.

Among the pedestrians on the streets, there were now more hurried figures.

On the third day.

He Song and Wei Fan remained behind closed doors in the small courtyard.

Several Rogue Cultivator corpses were discovered in dark corners of the Immortal Market.

The Immortal Market's Enforcement Squad came to investigate, but in the end found nothing and could only close the matter hastily.

At the same time.

Most of the Magic Artifacts in the Magic Artifact Pavilion had sold out. Although Rogue Cultivators still came endlessly to make purchases, the Magic Artifacts remaining in the Magic Artifact Pavilion were all outrageously expensive.

Yet even so, they were swiftly sold out.

The Spirit Talismans of the Spirit Talisman Pavilion had also sold out, and the Rogue Cultivators who came to buy them surged into the Stall Area.

However, the Spirit Talismans in the Stall Area had long since sold out as well.

As for the magic robes in the Spirit Garment Pavilion, those were not something ordinary Rogue Cultivators could afford. Only Qi Refining Late Stage cultivators, or wealthy Qi Refining Middle Stage cultivators, could buy them.

On the fourth day.

He Song and Wei Fan remained behind closed doors in the small courtyard.

Someone had heard the sounds of fierce combat last night, but no one had dared go and investigate.

Only in the morning did someone cautiously venture onto the streets.

Then, on one street, they discovered corpses strewn every which way.

Among them were unidentified cultivators clad in black with their faces covered, as well as nearby cultivators who had secretly come out to investigate.

When this news spread, the entire Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market immediately fell into a state of panic.

Very soon, the Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market Enforcement Squad sent out notices to every household.

"Evil cultivators have infiltrated Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market and are slaughtering freely. The Enforcement Squad is hunting them down."

"Those who shelter evil cultivators, die!"

"Those who shield evil cultivators, die!"

"Those who know and fail to report it, die!"

"Those who take the chance to loot, die!"

"Those who refuse to cooperate, die!"

"Those who collude with evil cultivators, die!"

"."

A string of blood-red characters for death lay glaringly before his eyes, making He Song frown slightly.

It was his first time seeing such a bloody notice. Whatever the matter, it was death.

Too overbearing.