Villain Targets Fat Sheep

While Su Yun was frantically sweeping up goods, several dark gazes remained quietly glued to him.

Deep within the Azure Cloud Market, in a shadowy corner, stood a dilapidated, low-slung stone house. It was secluded and deathly silent, with no one else around.

The air inside the room was foul, permeated with a faint scent of blood. Six cultivators in coarse, ragged clothing and with fierce expressions sat in a circle.

The six of them exuded a cold aura, their eyes vicious, with the lingering, murderous stench of violence clinging to them.

The man at the lead had a dark complexion, prominent cheekbones, and a back of the hand covered in scars. His cultivation base was impressively at the ninth level of Qi Refining.

Of the remaining five, the lowest cultivation was at the sixth level of Qi Refining, with three at the seventh level and two at the eighth.

They were all cutthroats.

These six were rogue cultivators who prowled the outskirts of the Azure Cloud Market.

What was a rogue cultivator?

They cultivated no virtue and followed no rules. They specialized in lying in ambush, tailing, and intercepting lone cultivators to plunder their spirit stones, pills, materials, and storage bags.

They killed for goods, living life on the edge of a blade. Their movements were erratic, and they never left a trace. They were notorious in the vicinity of the Azure Cloud Market.

The market stewards had attempted to encircle and suppress them many times, but they could never catch them. No one knew their real names, and no one knew their origins or backgrounds.

Scarface narrowed his eyes, a greedy, sinister grin curling his lips. "Did you see him? That middle-aged man in black from earlier."

"In just one hour, he cleared out seven or eight material shops in a row."

"He was lavish with his spending, tossing out thousands of spirit stones without a second thought."

A sharp-featured youth beside him swallowed hard, his eyes turning red. "He is definitely a fat sheep!"

Another burly man wheezed in a low voice. "I saw it clearly just now. When he paid, his storage bag flashed with a brilliant light. There must be a mountain of spirit stones inside."

The breathing of the six men grew heavy, the greed in their eyes nearly overflowing. Scarface tapped his fingers lightly against the wall and spoke gloomily.

"We've been tight on funds lately. Let's pull this job."

"We'll split the spirit stones we grab equally; it'll be enough for the six of us to live in luxury for an entire year."

A year without having to risk their lives robbing others, without having to brave dangerous lands. Everyone's heart skipped a beat.

Someone hesitated, brow furrowed. "Boss, let's be cautious. This guy spends so lavishly; he must have a significant fortune. Perhaps he has a major sect backing him, or high-level cultivators guarding him. If we provoke a hard target, we'll end up without a corpse to bury."

As soon as these words were spoken, the room fell silent. Some were hesitant, others wary.

Scarface sneered, his face full of disdain. "What are you afraid of?"

"I used my divine sense to probe him just now; this person is only at the sixth level of Qi Refining."

"He is alone, with no followers and no guards. His clothing is ordinary, his background unknown—he's just someone out shopping by himself."

His eyes turned fierce as he spoke in a low voice.

"As long as we do it cleanly."

"We pick a remote mountain path, kill them to silence them, and burn the bodies directly."

"Who could ever trace it back to us?"

"The market sees tens of thousands of people every day; who would care if one Qi Refining Level 6 cultivator dies?"

"The Azure Cloud Sect stewards only guard the interior of the market."

"Once you step outside the market's formation, it's the wild, desolate mountains. Who is going to police that?"

He swept his gaze over the group, his tone growing increasingly ruthless.

"Wealth is found in danger!"

"We've been rogue cultivators for so long, when have we ever feared the dead?"

"All these years, haven't we always lived on the edge of a blade?"

"This fat sheep is loaded; it would be a waste not to slaughter him!"

"If we don't pull this job, are we just going to keep squatting by the roadside, scraping for scraps?"

"Are you content with that?"

That single sentence completely ignited the greed of the five men.

The six of them were already bloodthirsty by nature, their hearts wicked and cruel.

Lured by the spirit stones, their concerns were instantly cast to the back of their minds.

The burly man clenched his fists, a fierce light flashing in his eyes.

"Do it!"

The sharp-featured youth licked his cracked lips and let out a sinister grin.

"He's only at Qi Refining Level 6."

"There are six of us, and our leader is at Level 9."

A crushing blow!

A victory without a shred of suspense.

Another man spoke with a sinister, chilling tone: "Once we finish this job, we'll head straight to another market to lay low. No one will ever know."

Scarface curled his lips, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, his killing intent sharp and cold.

"Good."

"As soon as he leaves the market, we strike!"

The shopping spree was over.

Su Yun strolled leisurely out past the formation barrier of the Azure Cloud Market.

He was in a fantastic mood, the corners of his mouth turned up as he hummed a little tune.

"Making money, making money, I don't even know how to spend it..."

He kept calculating his gains in his head.

The cost of this batch of talisman materials was twenty thousand low-grade spirit stones.

With his Thousandfold Amplification ability in talisman crafting.

The lowest quality would be high-grade, and the vast majority would be peak-grade.

A single peak-grade low-tier talisman sold for far more than a standard one.

Once he finished crafting and selling them all, he conservatively estimated a net profit of at least one hundred and fifty thousand low-grade spirit stones.

One hundred and fifty thousand.

Converted to mid-grade spirit stones, that was over fifteen hundred pieces.

The more Su Yun thought about it, the happier he became; his eyes crinkled, and his face beamed with joy.

He needed to get back to the sect quickly.

He would first master the fundamentals of talisman crafting, familiarize himself with the rune patterns, and push his crafting skill to the ceiling in one go.

The path ahead was wide open, and resources would be no concern.

Life was good.

Su Yun walked with his hands behind his back, his steps light as he followed the mountain path toward the distant woods.

He was completely oblivious.

Behind him, six cold, icy gazes were glued firmly to his back.

Deep in the shadows of the distant forest.

The six rogue cultivators lowered their silhouettes, trailing quietly at a distance that was neither too far nor too close.

The six of them suppressed their auras and moved with light, cautious steps, their years of banditry having honed their exceptional stealth.

They exchanged glances, the greed in their eyes growing increasingly intense.

Su Yun, walking ahead, appeared leisurely, but in reality, his divine sense remained loosely spread out.

He walked for three miles.

His divine sense trembled slightly as six distinct fluctuations of spiritual energy from behind were clearly reflected in his mind.

At first, Su Yun paid them no mind.

There were many travelers in the mountains, and it was normal for others to be heading in the same direction.

He deliberately remained calm, turning his feet to intentionally veer off toward a secluded side path on the left.

The next second.

The six auras behind him shifted in unison, clinging tightly to his trail.

Su Yun paused his steps, the relaxed smile on his face slowly fading as a cold chill flickered in his eyes.

He understood.

He had run into rogue cultivators.

It must have been his reckless spending spree at the market earlier; his overly generous display of wealth had made him a target for these desperate outlaws.

Six of them.

Five were at the sixth, seventh, and eighth levels, while the leader possessed the most profound aura—the ninth level of Qi Refining.

In this desolate wilderness, such a lineup was enough to walk sideways without fear.

Any ordinary loose cultivator would surely die upon encountering these six.

What a pity.

They had set their sights on him.

A mocking curve tugged at the corner of Su Yun's mouth.

Since they were seeking death, he would oblige them.

He also happened to want to test his true combat strength.

"The area is too open; it's not convenient to make a move."

Su Yun scanned his surroundings. Not far ahead, there was a narrow, deep valley.

The valley entrance was hidden and rarely visited, surrounded by steep cliffs.

It was the most suitable place for killing, and also the most suitable for disposing of bodies.

Su Yun did not hesitate further; he channeled his spiritual power into his feet, and his figure suddenly accelerated.

Acting as if he had sensed danger and was intentionally fleeing, he moved at high speed, heading straight into the depths of the valley.

In the woods behind.

Scarface's eyes narrowed, and he let out a low shout.

"Damn it! We've been discovered!"

"This guy has high vigilance!"

"Chase him! Don't let him run into the deep mountains!"