The Wang Family's Conspiracy

Inside the Market.

After tidying up, Lin Chang'an moved into the residence arranged for him by the Zhou Family.

Compared to his previous lodging, this was practically a courtyard estate.

It had a small yard, and the elegant surroundings were no exaggeration. The residence was far better than before as well.

[Golden Light Talisman +5 (Proficiency 18/1000)]

Inside the room, Lin Chang'an studied the First-tier Mid-grade Golden Light Talisman manual provided by the Zhou Family. A notification sounded in his mind, yet his expression sank into thought.

Because of the lifespan section, he seemed to have discovered an important problem.

[Lifespan: 40/98]

"Although I can earn Spirit Stones now, and my cultivation has even broken through to Qi Refining Mid-Stage, it seems there is still one thing that hasn't changed."

Before the golden finger came, I could only live to a hundred. Now that it has come, I can still only live to a hundred. Wouldn't that mean it came for nothing?

At that thought, Lin Chang'an's previous good mood instantly vanished. Perhaps this gathering had affected him—seeing that everyone else had already begun planning for Foundation Establishment.

More importantly, he had awakened too late. If it had happened twenty years earlier, he would probably already be preparing for Foundation Establishment. Why would he be worrying about lifespan like he was now?

"Foundation Establishment cultivators have a lifespan of two hundred years!"

"With the talent I have awakened now, aiming for that may not necessarily be reaching for the stars."

Although the golden finger had not granted him immortality, it had given him endless opportunities.

The more Lin Chang'an thought about it, the more fired up he became.

"After the age of sixty, the chances of Foundation Establishment will only grow smaller and smaller. I still have twenty years. First, I'll set a small goal: break through to the Qi Refining Seventh Layer within ten years."

"If I can't break through before sixty, then while I still have a few decades left, I must enjoy myself. Otherwise, wouldn't I have come here for nothing?"

With a goal in mind, Lin Chang'an was full of drive. He put down the manual and walked to the talisman-drawing table that had long been prepared.

Lin Chang'an held his breath and focused his mind. After taking a deep breath, unlike other Talisman Masters who would close their eyes to compose themselves, he decisively picked up the talisman brush and dipped it in Cinnabar.

Swish, swish!

The brush tip danced across the talisman paper like dragons and snakes, his movements flowing like drifting clouds and running water.

Pfft!

A cloud of thick smoke rose up, making Lin Chang'an cough repeatedly. Clearly, the first First-tier Mid-grade talisman of his life had failed.

"Again!"

After a failure, other Talisman Masters needed to adjust their state once more. Yet with his extraordinary talent, he had no need for that at all.

Lin Chang'an was not discouraged in the slightest. Instead, with his full attention fixed on the task, he raised his brush and began drawing another talisman.

A mid-grade Golden Light Talisman consumed not only more materials and spiritual power; more importantly, it was far more intricate and complicated. The increase in difficulty was utterly incomparable to the simple low-grade talismans from before.

Swish, swish!

As sheet after sheet of talisman paper emitted white smoke, golden spiritual light finally flashed on the sixth sheet.

"Success!"

With a broad smile on his face, Lin Chang'an looked at the first First-tier Mid-grade Golden Light Talisman of his life and could not help laughing aloud.

"I never thought the day would come when I could draw a First-tier Mid-grade talisman too."

Half a year ago, he had still been a dejected Qi Refining Third Layer cultivator, prepared to return to the mortal world and drift through the rest of his life.

Yet in less than half a year, not only had his cultivation broken through to the Qi Refining Fourth Layer, he could even produce First-tier Mid-grade Golden Light Talismans.

"A First-tier Mid-grade talisman, and a defensive Golden Light Talisman at that—it is worth four Spirit Stones outside."

From one Spirit Stone to four Spirit Stones, he had achieved another qualitative leap.

Over the following days, Lin Chang'an returned to his reclusive lifestyle.

In the Zhou Family's eyes, Lin Chang'an was merely a somewhat talented Talisman Master. In just two months, he had thoroughly mastered the craft and produced his first mid-grade talisman.

Starting from the third month, Lin Chang'an began teaching the four apprentices arranged by the Zhou Family.

The Wang Family.

Inside a secret chamber, Black Wind Wolf cubs howled from cage after iron cage. Two of them bared their fangs with particular ferocity.

"Great Elder, we captured a total of thirty-eight Black Wind Wolf pack cubs. Two of them carry the bloodline of a Second-tier Monster Beast Wolf King."

In the dim secret chamber, the Wang Family's Foundation Establishment elder nodded with a satisfied smile upon hearing the report.

"Good. Very good. This time, we must make the Beast-Taming Zhou Family suffer a crushing defeat."

However, the Wang Family's Qi Refining Late Stage cultivator standing behind him winced at those words.

"Great Elder, are we abandoning even those two monster beasts with Second-tier bloodlines?"

It was not that he was being petty. Once a Second-tier Monster Beast was raised to adulthood, it could rival a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Yet the Great Elder merely snorted coldly.

"Monster beasts! Setting aside the difficulty of raising them, wouldn't the time and resources spent cultivating a beast be better used on the younger cultivators of our clan?

Our Wang Family is flourishing with descendants. We are not comparable to the Zhou Family, which keeps company with beasts."

"Yes, yes." The Qi Refining Late Stage cultivator clasped his hands.

"Be careful."

Looking at the cages in the secret chamber, the Wang Family Great Elder revealed a greedy smile.

"While the Market is in chaos, release these wolf cubs into the Black Market. The Zhou Family will never let such an opportunity pass. Then we will spread the word and help the Zhou Family build momentum.

Let every cultivator know one thing: the Beast-Taming Zhou Family has acquired two more Second-tier Monster Beast cubs."

Upon hearing this, the Wang Family's Qi Refining Late Stage cultivator beside him likewise revealed a sinister smile.

"Rest assured, Elder. When we captured the wolf cubs, I personally led the team. We left behind Zhou Family disciples' clothing, the scent of their Talismans, and even fragments of the Black Water Turtle's shell armor, the Zhou Family's Clan-Protecting Spirit Beast. Those beasts must have gone mad by now."

"Once the monster beasts attack the Market, the Zhou Family will have to wear this hat whether they want to or not!"

At the mention of the Black Water Turtle, hatred flashed in the Wang Family Great Elder's eyes.

"Twenty years ago, it was because of that beast. Otherwise, this Market would already have been the Wang Family's domain. This time, we must take down the Zhou Family!"

Twenty years ago, the Wang Family and Zhou Family had clashed over the Market's resources. The Zhou Family had relied on their last-resort Black Water Turtle to avoid defeat, but they had still suffered grievous losses.

It was precisely because of that that Li Erniu had the chance to marry into the Zhou Family.

In a valley within the Cloud Mist Mountain Range, waves of chilling wolf howls rang out.

Under the moonlight, wolf dens had been dug empty one after another, while traces of battle between cultivators and monster beasts remained at the scene.

The sight was especially unbearable. Wolf cubs and mother wolves lay dismembered everywhere, brutally slaughtered. It seemed less like an attack and more like an act of vengeance.

As pairs of oily green beast eyes filled with humanlike fury emerged, two Black Wind Wolf monster beasts radiating terrifying auras appeared above the valley.

They stared fixedly in the direction of Green Bamboo Mountain Market, then raised their heads beneath the moonlight and howled toward the heavens.

The waves of wolf howls shook loose rocks from the valley walls. Countless monster beasts a hundred li away seemed to sense something and were instantly frightened into panic, their fur standing on end.

At the same time, even denser wolf howls rose from within the valley.

In the night, led by the Wolf King, dense black shadows shot out of the valley. Yet their destination was not Green Bamboo Mountain Market, but the depths of the Cloud Mist Mountain Range.

As the leading Wolf King rushed toward the Cloud Mist Mountain Range with its pack, it looked back toward Green Bamboo Mountain Market. In its chilling beast eyes lay a humanlike hatred carved into its bones.

As the wolf pack vanished, the night became deathly silent. Yet atop a large tree at the edge of the valley, a figure slowly emerged.

"What a terrifying aura. That Wolf King is likely already at the Second-Order Late Stage, and there is another Second-Order Early Stage monster beast."

The revealed figure looked at the distant wolf shadows disappearing into the darkness, a sinister smile spreading across his face.

"A pack of beasts. Go obediently drive the monster beasts out of the mountain range now. Then Green Bamboo Mountain Market will witness the same tragic scene of monster beasts attacking the Market from fifteen years ago."

With a hoarse laugh, the man recalled the monster beast attack on the Market fifteen years ago, and fear still involuntarily surfaced in his eyes.

"But this time is different. When the time comes, the fury of every cultivator in the Market will be vented upon the Zhou Family."

Still wearing that cold smile, the figure tossed out a Flying Boat and disappeared directly into the night.

Black Wind Wolf monster beasts were not only extremely vengeful; they were highly intelligent as well.

When facing a human Market, they did not rashly seek revenge. Instead, just as the Wang Family had anticipated, they chose to charge into the mountain range and use their advantage to drive countless monster beasts out, throwing the Market into chaos.