Chapter Fifty-One: Gains and Losses, Ambitions and Desires (Complete)

Daoist Huifeng straightened his Daoist crown and squeezed his way out of the bustling crowd. Even in Wu Gou City, his cultivation at the upper stage of Returning to the Essence allowed him to gain a bit of privilege. Moreover, he did not fuss over other matters, so no one made things difficult for him. As for the others, however, things were not nearly so smooth. "You people are extorting us on the spot! The Talisman Bridge transit fee from Sky Horse City to Wu Gou City has always been fifty, regardless of which merchant clan it is. How dare you folks at Suixin Pavilion raise it? And you raise it fivefold all at once? Do you really think everyone here is an idiot?" "Hehe, you're welcome to go back to Sky Horse City and try walking across another merchant clan's Talisman Bridge instead." "Preposterous! I'm going to report you to the City Guard Sword Hall!" "Bah, if you've got the guts, stay in Sky Horse City. What are you doing in Wu Gou City? Reporting me? Right now, those bigwigs at the City Guard Sword Hall can hardly wait to use their swords to plow through the main city ten times over and sweep it clean as a whistle. Go on and report them, see who gets beheaded by their swords!" "Hey, hey, Old Liu, don't be so hot-tempered. Now look here, customer, you're from the inland, so you've got it a bit better. Go ask the folks coming across from the northern outer seas how fierce the heavenly tribulations outside have grown. Never mind charging them two hundred and fifty; even for two thousand five hundred, there are plenty of people breaking their heads just to get in. To put it bluntly, the City Guard Sword Hall is