Joy for Some, Sorrow for Others

A chaotic night at the Market.

"Big Brother Lin, if I die, please take care of my wife and children for me."

Under the Zhou Family's summons, Li Erniu pleaded with a face full of grief.

As an External Talisman Master, Lin Chang'an naturally did not need to heed this summons. Even if he went, the Zhou Family would likely suspect him of harboring ulterior motives.

"Er Niu, don't worry. The Market's formation won't be breached so easily. You'll be fine."

With a grave expression, Lin Chang'an took two First-tier Mid-grade Golden Light Talismans and two First-tier Low-grade Godly Travel Talismans from his Storage Bag for Li Erniu.

"Er Niu, be careful. Don't act rashly!"

Li Erniu cast one last reluctant look at his family. After accepting the talismans, he left without looking back.

"Hide in the underground chamber."

Out of long-standing habit, Lin Chang'an had dug an underground chamber beneath his home. He had never expected that this newly built house would need it so soon.

After arranging for all of Er Niu's family to hide in the underground chamber, Lin Chang'an solemnly created the appearance of having fled in panic.

Beneath the reddened night sky, Lin Chang'an knew it was the glow of flames.

He quietly climbed onto the roof, and when he saw the distant scene in the Market once more, his scalp went numb.

Countless cultivators had gone red-eyed, crazily smashing, looting, and pillaging.

"There are too many cultivators this time. They all want to fish in troubled waters and make a fortune."

Lin Chang'an hurriedly hid beneath the eaves, simultaneously using his proficient Invisibility Technique and Breath Concealment Technique to suppress his presence to the lowest possible level.

The Market's night sky was filled with spells exploding in every color, while cries and wails rang out without end.

Zhou Family.

"Old Ancestor, many cultivators in the Market are plundering our properties. We have discovered traces of Divine Sword Sect Cultivator Bandits among them."

"Old Ancestor, there are not many Mid-grade Spirit Stones left in the clan. The Zhou Family has to maintain eight formation nodes—we may not be able to hold on!"

The Zhou Family's Foundation Establishment Ancestor listened to the reports from below, his authority imposing even without anger.

"Renmao, you said Divine Sword Sect Cultivator Bandits!?"

At this critical moment, the Zhou Family's Foundation Establishment Ancestor seemed to have grasped something. He could not help secretly transmitting his voice to his son.

After hearing this, Zhou Renmao, the Head of the Family for this generation, secretly transmitted his voice back.

"There's no mistake. Tie Shan was the one who escaped back and reported it."

"Good!"

At that moment, the aged Zhou Family Foundation Establishment Ancestor seemed to have seized an opportunity to turn the tables.

"Renmao, abandon these three formation nodes. Go do it yourself!"

"Father, you—"

Zhou Renmao was initially stunned, but upon seeing the bright, piercing light in his father's eyes, he immediately understood.

"I understand."

Zhou Renmao, Head of the Zhou Family, did not hesitate in the slightest. He directly unleashed a terrifying Foundation Establishment aura and openly led the clan's disciples toward the formation nodes, putting on the appearance of going to reinforce them.

Watching this scene, the Zhou Family Patriarch turned his clouded eyes toward the Wang Family's direction, a trace of ruthlessness within them.

"The Zhou Family will have a hard time this time, but don't you Wang Family think you'll get off easy either."

Monster beasts had attacked, and Divine Sword Sect Cultivator Bandits had appeared.

Yet the formation nodes guarded by the Zhou Family had been attacked and developed problems.

Meanwhile, the Wang Family had remained completely unscathed. That meant the Wang Family was suspected of colluding with the enemy.

The night-long unrest gradually subsided only after dawn broke on the second day.

It also marked the end of the lawless state.

Some laughed, while some cried.

Some households rejoiced, while others grieved.

Some had taken advantage of the chaos to loot and had grown rich overnight.

Others had been looted amid the chaos.

"Er Niu, are you all right?"

Li Erniu returned with one leg crippled, his expression still carrying the lingering shock of surviving a disaster.

"Thanks to your two Mid-grade Golden Light Talismans, Big Brother Lin. I almost didn't make it back."

When he saw Lin Chang'an again, Li Erniu burst into tears and snot, his face filled with the aftermath of surviving death. Only then did Lin Chang'an suddenly realize something.

The greatest difference between Li Erniu and himself was that Er Niu had family ties. He was no longer the rogue cultivator from back then who could treat his own life as nothing.

Li Erniu wiped at his disheveled appearance as he recounted what had happened last night.

"What? The Wang Family colluded with Divine Sword Sect Cultivator Bandits?"

Lin Chang'an was deeply shocked. He had not expected so many twists and turns to occur in a single night.

"Yes. Even the Head of the Family was injured last night. I heard the Cultivator Bandits were vicious and destroyed three formation nodes, allowing quite a few monster beasts to rush into the Market.

And according to the Head of the Family, those Cultivator Bandits were Divine Sword Sect Cultivator Bandits..."

Well, damn.

First, monster beasts attacked the Market. Then the Market's formation was sabotaged by Cultivator Bandits, and now word had spread that the Wang Family had colluded with them.

While Lin Chang'an was pondering this, Li Erniu excitedly embraced his wife and children as they emerged from the underground chamber.

Lin Chang'an, however, fell somewhat silent.

He had just thought he had found a Foundation Establishment great clan to rely on, but it seemed they were not so reliable after all.

The Zhou Family had not exactly abandoned him last night. After all, their contract did not include such an obligation.

He had obtained the handbook for crafting First-tier Mid-grade Golden Light Talismans and was required to exchange a set amount every month for ten years. This relationship resembled a loan more than anything else.

"The only thing I can rely on is my own strength."

Lin Chang'an pondered in silence. He had to improve his strength as soon as possible.

The Market was in turmoil, and crises came hand in hand with opportunities. This was also his best chance.

At noon, Lin Chang'an arrived on the Market streets.

"Brother Shen? Junior Sister?"

Looking at the shop that had been looted clean, Lin Chang'an's expression changed.

No one knew how many Chambers of Commerce had suffered misfortune during last night's unrest.

Just as Lin Chang'an was asking around about the whereabouts of the cultivators from this shop, other voices of discussion and argument rose from the street.

"Damn it, this time it's all because the Zhou Family captured the cub of a Second-tier Monster Beast. Otherwise, those Black Wind Wolves wouldn't have gone mad and driven monster beasts to attack the Market."

"I heard that Cultivator Tian and his wife, who bought the Black Wind Wolf Cub a few days ago, were both buried in wolf jaws."

"Nonsense. Clearly, it was the Wang Family colluding with Cultivator Bandits."

"Last night, after the formation broke, I saw it with my own eyes. From far away, I saw the Wolf King."

Everyone had their own version, each flinging mud at the others.

"Big Brother Lin!"

Just then, a familiar voice rang out. Lin Chang'an turned around and saw the somewhat bedraggled Lu Qingqing in a distant alley.

"Junior Sister, are you all right? Where is Shen Lie?"

"Big Brother Lin, Shen Lie is fine. He was slightly injured while protecting me as we escaped last night. He's recovering inside now. I came over to see how the shop was doing."

Yet as she looked at the disorderly shop, Lu Qingqing's smile was somewhat bleak.

Seeing this, Lin Chang'an also let out a breath of relief and comforted her, "As long as you're alive, that's what matters."

Following Lu Qingqing back to their residence, Lin Chang'an found Shen Lie lying weakly on the bed, his face deathly pale.

"Shen Lie, it's good that you're all right."

But the weakened Shen Lie wore a mournful face.

"Brother Lin, what kind of mess is this? These goods were all meant for Fellow Daoist Yun's Foundation Establishment preparations, but now they're all gone."

It would have been one thing if the losses had been his own, but all of this belonged to someone else.

Lin Chang'an inwardly sighed upon hearing that. This Little Princess Yun Yao truly was unlucky.

The Chamber of Commerce she had painstakingly supported had only just begun, and now everything was gone.

If the losses were not a thousand Spirit Stones, they were at least seven or eight hundred.