Beneath the bustling Market.
Every day, quite a few Chambers of Commerce arrived. Shen Lie and Lu Qingqing's merchant caravan did not draw any attention.
After all, there were far too many cultivators hoping to make a killing off the Market's prosperity.
In just three days, Shen Lie and Lu Qingqing had picked out a location, paid the Spirit Stones, and opened their shop with remarkable speed.
Given the Market's current bustle, every day wasted meant one less day of earning Spirit Stones.
With the name of a Li Fire Palace inner disciple backing them, the shop opened all the faster.
Inside the shop.
"Brother Lin, we truly have you to thank for this."
"Brother Shen, how could this be my credit? The clan sent me here."
Li Erniu's face reddened slightly. He knew his own worth; this procurement list was merely something the Zhou Family had arranged through his hands.
Yet when this scene fell into Lin Chang'an's eyes, he began to ponder in secret.
It was understandable for the Zhou Family to befriend Yun Yao. Adding flowers to brocade was easy, but delivering charcoal in a snowstorm was difficult.
Although Yun Yao had yet to reach Foundation Establishment, befriending her in advance could not hurt. Even if she failed to reach Foundation Establishment, they would still have gained the friendship of a Li Fire Palace inner disciple.
And if she truly did reach Foundation Establishment, no matter how one calculated it, they would not lose out.
"But the Zhou Family's recent movements seem rather excessive."
Lin Chang'an frowned inwardly. Over the past few days, he had noticed that the Zhou Family's efforts to recruit outside cultivators were clearly too large in scale.
"Senior Brother Lin, we truly have you to thank."
Junior Sister Lu Qingqing said with a smile, while Li Erniu beside her nodded honestly as well.
"Big Brother Lin has spent all these years cultivating diligently. He knows more people and has more connections than I do."
"You flatter me, Junior Sister."
Lin Chang'an smiled and waved his hand. Whether it was because of Elder Lu's kindness in guiding him, this Junior Sister's gift of books, or his own interests, he had to help with this matter.
During this time, Lin Chang'an had also introduced quite a few ordinary Talisman Masters, as well as some other cultivators.
After all, a shop opened by a Li Fire Palace inner disciple was far more reliable than those casual street stalls outside.
But then a trace of hesitation flashed across Lin Chang'an's face, and Lu Qingqing happened to notice it.
"Senior Brother Lin, could it be that you have some unspeakable difficulty?"
Seeing this, Shen Lie and Er Niu laughed awkwardly and pretended not to notice, preparing to excuse themselves.
However, Lin Chang'an merely shook his head gently.
"It's nothing much. It's just that the Market has become a den of dragons and snakes lately. As for some Talismans and Medicinal Pills that cannot see the light of day, I don't know..."
Though he did not spell out the rest, Lin Chang'an had already made himself perfectly clear.
"Senior Brother Lin, there is no need to worry."
Upon hearing this, Lu Qingqing was not surprised in the slightest. Instead, delight appeared on her face as she nodded with a smile.
"As long as the quality is sound, I doubt anyone would dare stir up trouble on Li Fire Palace's turf."
This Junior Sister Lu Qingqing was quite formidable. Though she spoke softly and gently, every word revealed the backing behind her.
Yun Yao was, after all, an inner disciple. Naturally, the matter of establishing a Chamber of Commerce had been reported to the sect.
With a Sect as their backer, many problems could be avoided.
"That is good, then."
Lin Chang'an nodded lightly. The Cultivation World was full of cultivators who had committed crimes, fled from enemies, or possessed rotten character.
Such people could neither rise high nor settle low. Cultivation lineages were unwilling to recruit them, while they themselves did not dare show their faces openly. They could only hide within the Market.
He had spent twenty years drifting through the Market. Though he knew few great cultivators at Qi Refining Late Stage, he knew a great many cultivators from all walks of life.
"It still has to be you, Big Brother Lin."
Shen Lie and Lu Qingqing then smiled as they discussed the purchase price they could offer with Lin Chang'an.
Only when people exchanged favors with one another could their relationships last longer.
Lin Chang'an nodded in agreement, while secretly calculating that he would temporarily sell a small quantity of his Talismans through Shen Lie's channel. Comparatively speaking, it was safer.
But if he wanted this to last, he truly had to hurry and learn another First-Order Mid-Grade Talisman.
Otherwise, if he kept producing nothing but First-tier Mid-grade Golden Light Talismans in such large quantities, suspicion would arise sooner or later.
"Big Brother Lin, do you think the Little Princess can reach Foundation Establishment this time?"
On the way back, Li Erniu could not help asking curiously.
Lin Chang'an shook his head after hearing that and let out a long sigh.
"Er Niu, even competition among Li Fire Palace inner disciples is this fierce. One can imagine how difficult it is for ordinary cultivators like us to seek Foundation Establishment."
Li Erniu shook his head in confusion.
"Luckily, we are only at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer. We do not need to think about so much."
Lin Chang'an laughed silently at Er Niu's optimistic attitude. Raising his head to gaze at the bustling Market, his eyes carried a complicated emotion that no one could see through.
How many people had come this time for the Foundation Establishment Pill, and yet how many would ultimately succeed?
Had he not awakened his golden finger, he likely would not have dared dream of Foundation Establishment either.
The calm before Green Bamboo Mountain Market's Land Reclamation was suddenly shattered one night ten days later.
Lin Chang'an had been cultivating inside his room when the thunderous roar from the Market abruptly jolted him awake.
"How is that possible?!"
That familiar sound made Lin Chang'an's expression change drastically, because it was the sound of Green Bamboo Mountain Market's Mountain Protection Array.
The last time it had sounded was during a Demon Beast tide eighteen years ago, and the memory remained vivid to this day.
He swiftly took out the Low-grade Magical Tool Green Bamboo Sword from his Storage Bag. The moment he stepped outside, he saw the Array Barrier shrouding the Market beneath the night sky.
"Big Brother Lin, what happened?!"
Li Erniu from next door was even more terrified. Dragging his entire family along with him, he hurried over with his children.
"Someone is attacking the Market! Er Niu, hide quickly."
Lin Chang'an's heart trembled. At a time like this, the most dangerous people were not the enemies attacking the Market, but their own people within it.
The flickering light of the array above the Market illuminated everything under the night sky, and the terror in Li Erniu's pupils reflected the scene from eighteen years ago.
At the same time, the entire Market erupted into an uproar, becoming incomparably noisy.
Before the Market's Array Barrier had been activated, a cultivator covered in blood had charged in and cried out in terror.
"Monster Beasts! The Monster Beasts from the Cloud Mist Mountain Range have rushed out!"
Outside the Market, wolf howls rang out one after another, driving countless Monster Beasts charging toward the Market.
Meanwhile, at the Wang Family.
"Old Ancestor, those beasts have finally come."
The Wang Family's Great Elder could not help laughing loudly this time.
"The Market's grand array has been activated. This time, I would like to see how many Mid-grade Spirit Stones the Zhou Family still has to maintain it."
The two Second-tier Monster Beast cubs from before had been nothing but bait.
Demon Beasts attacking the Market was not a problem in itself. But if something went wrong with the Market's array, then it became a problem.
Both the Wang Family and the Zhou Family were lineages under Li Fire Palace's rule. Since they had established themselves in the Market, they had to bear responsibility for its security.
At Green Bamboo Mountain Market, the Wang Family and Zhou Family were positioned in the east and west respectively, each responsible for operating the Market's grand array.
And an array of this level consumed Mid-grade Spirit Stones.
Even to Foundation Establishment Cultivators, Mid-grade Spirit Stones were precious.
At the Beast-Taming Zhou Family, the Bronze Bell was rung as well. Countless cultivators and Spirit Beasts grew restless and roared in agitation.
"Defend the Market's grand array."
The Beast-Taming Zhou Family's Old Ancestor was furious. At this moment, he finally understood the Wang Family's sinister intentions.
Too vicious!
This was drawing firewood from beneath the cauldron!
"Gather every cultivator of the Zhou Family and prepare to meet the enemy!"
At the same time, several mysterious cultivators who had infiltrated the Market stared at one another wide-eyed.
"What is going on? We have not even started acting yet. How did the Market already fall into chaos?"
The leading cultivator looked at the chaotic Market, a savage grin spreading across his face.
"Sooner or later, our Divine Sword Sect will wage war on Li Fire Palace anyway. This is a heaven-sent opportunity."
The Yue Kingdom had Three Great Sects: the Divine Sword Sect, Li Fire Palace, and Mystic Sound Pavilion.
Among them, the Divine Sword Sect was the strongest.
Yet the hidden Divine Sword Sect cultivators did not even need to create unrest within the Market.
The very moment the Market's grand array activated, chaos had already erupted inside the Market.
Excitement filled some cultivators' faces, agitation filled others', and quite a few wore savage, twisted expressions.
Arson, murder, and plunder—shops were smashed, while naked greed and slaughter between cultivators were laid bare for all to see.
No one knew who shouted, "Foundation Establishment Pill!" but countless cultivators' eyes instantly turned red.
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