Divine Pressure, Spirit Talismans, and the Changing Hearts of Men

"Let me go!"

Immediately, a Divine Sense emanated from the Incense Burner, its Spiritual Qi surging and vibrating, making Qiu Yan feel as if he could not control it with one hand, as if he were holding a bomb that could explode at any moment!

"Interesting. It really is a Law Treasure. With such a clear self-awareness, it's not a low-level one; it's likely Mid-Tier Magical Treasure, or even high-level magic weapon. However, Jadebreaker once said that High-Tier Magical Treasure can suppress a sect's Fortune and subtly touch upon the Order. It must be incredibly powerful and not easily captured! The Spiritual Qi within this furnace is surging, as if it could erupt at any moment, but since no one is driving it, it's difficult to actually operate..."

Sensing the thoughts emanating from the Incense Burner, Qiu Yan remained unmoved. He sent his Divine Sense to suppress the consciousness, and the vibrations of the Incense Burner immediately ceased. Even the churning Spiritual Qi within seemed to calm down.

"Alright, this matter is settled, it's time to leave. This room has been through a fierce battle, it looks intact, but it's actually overburdened. The slightest change could cause it to collapse, affecting the entire inn. The silver I left behind can compensate for the room's damage, but it can't offset the responsibility for the inn's destruction. Therefore, another battle is needed."

Thinking of this, he raised one foot and stomped down. Divine power surged from the sole of his foot, accompanied by Qi and Blood, spreading throughout the entire room. The divine power exuded an aura of "protecting the peace of this area".

Then, the Qi and Blood spread, and the entire room shook violently. The image of Nine Spirits Mountain reappeared, empowering various parts of the room. The melted ground, roof, and walls writhed slightly, their colors changing as they were covered with a faint layer of divine power.

Immediately following, an Incense Faith rose from the divine power. As if by visualization, this wisp of divine power combined with the protective aura of the guards, all of which permeated the Eight Directions of the room.

Collapse!

The wall trembled slightly. Its appearance remained unchanged, but the feeling that it might collapse at any moment was gone. Instead, it exuded a strange aura, as solid as mountain rock.

Looking at his masterpiece, Qiu Yan pondered for a moment.

"The rooms are now uninhabitable, but they'd make a good tourist attraction. I just don't know what the innkeeper will decide."

Having done all this, Qiu Yan didn't linger. Carrying the Incense Burner and the two old Daoist priests, he slowly walked out of the room, made a few turns, and went downstairs to the main hall.

Inside the main hall, everyone—from the manager and waiters to the diners—was fast asleep. Some were slumped over the counter, some leaned against the pillars, and some lay sprawled on the tables.

Buzzing...

A few soft insect sounds came, and several mosquitoes slowly flew over. Qiu Yan was holding something in both hands. But with Divine Sense, a small porcelain bottle flew out from his arms, and with a "pop," the stopper on the bottle opened by itself. The mosquitoes flew straight in, letting the stopper seal the bottle opening.

"These Sleep Bugs are quite effective; I'll have to refine a few more when I have time."

It turned out that after Qiu Yan entered the inn, he released Sleep Bugs to put everyone inside to sleep, thus controlling the range of influence. When he fought with the two old Daoists, both sides deliberately controlled the range of their power. However, the room was, after all, part of the entire inn. Once it shook, the entire inn would be affected, inevitably exposing the room and attracting people to investigate, causing some trouble.

"The people inside will wake up soon, so I should leave first." With that thought, Qiu Yan didn't stop walking and went out the door.

"What should we do? Should we lead some men and charge in?"

Outside Wandering Immortal Residence, across the street, several groups of people were gathered. Leading them were several well-dressed wealthy merchants. These usually arrogant and domineering businessmen were now pacing back and forth like ants on a hot pan, looking extremely anxious.

Two or three of them had flushed faces and were drenched in sweat, their clothes completely soaked. One of them was panting heavily as he took off his clothes.

Apart from these two or three people, the others were also in poor condition, most of them trembling as if they were enduring something.

These people were the wealthy merchants who had been summoned to Wandering Immortal Residence by the two old Daoist priests from Golden Crow Dao and had the Blazing Sun Talisman planted on them.

This Blazing Sun Talisman was infused with a trace of intention, allowing it to automatically recognize the information the wealthy merchants saw and heard. Upon seeing Qiu Yan, it immediately activated, forcing them to take action.

In truth, if the old Daoists hadn't first used the Yin-Yang Substitution Method to remove impurities from the bodies of several wealthy merchants and strengthen their constitutions, some of them would probably have fainted the moment the Blazing Sun Talisman took effect, and the weak and obese one might have even died.

Even so, the group was still in bad shape. The Blazing Sun Talisman was constantly pulsating within their bodies, unleashing bursts of ethereal intent that urged them to attack Qiu Yan. However, the current situation was complicated. While many merchants were searching for Qiu Yan, he actually came knocking on their door and entered Wandering Immortal Residence. Judging from his appearance, he was clearly after the two old Daoist priests.

Now, a quarter of an hour has passed since Qiu Yan went into the building, yet many wealthy businessmen are still undecided.

"That man entered Wandering Immortal Residence, probably to find the two old immortals. Logically, if we capture him, we should hand him over to the old immortals. But what should we do now? Should we rush in?"

"Charge in? What if we offend those two immortals? You've all seen it; they don't care about the lives of us mortals at all."

"That may be true, but right now we're both burning up inside. If we don't act soon, the consequences could be dire!"

Just as the group was arguing and caught in a dilemma, a man suddenly walked out of the gate of Wandering Immortal Residence. He looked like a scholar and was carrying two old men dressed in Daoist robes, which attracted the attention of passersby who were all curious.

However, this scene, witnessed by several wealthy businessmen, left them utterly astonished and horrified.

"Old Immortal! How did Qiu Yan manage to capture two old immortals?"

These wealthy merchants, having undergone purification and been imprinted with the Blazing Sun Talisman, had the appearance of the two old Daoists etched into their very bones—a memory they would never forget. Therefore, they immediately recognized the two men being carried by the scholar as the "old immortals" they had spoken of. And who else could that scholar be but Qiu Yan?

Upon recognizing them, the group exchanged bewildered glances.

"What's going on with Qiu Yan? He went straight to their door, and in less than a quarter of an hour, he came out with two old immortals. Could it be that Qiu Yan isn't just an ordinary scholar, but also an immortal?"

The thought of this possibility immediately filled everyone with fear.

The two old Daoist priests had already made them suffer greatly and dared not disobey in the slightest, but Qiu Yan defeated and captured them. Doesn't that mean Qiu Yan is even more powerful? If they really made a move, the consequences would be unimaginable!

But after the initial fear, they fell into despair.

"Even the old immortal is no match for Qiu Yan, so how can we possibly make a move? How dare we even try? But if we don't act, the Blazing Sun Talisman on our bodies will be difficult to remove, and we'll truly be burned to ashes!"

Immediately, the emotions of many wealthy merchants collapsed. The suppressed and desperate emotions emanating from them affected the servants, guards, and thugs around them, causing their faces to turn ashen.

Just as the group was in a panic, Qiu Yan, who had just emerged from Wandering Immortal Residence, calmly approached them. With a sweep of his Divine Sense, he left a golden, shimmering figure in their minds, suppressing the restless Blazing Sun Talisman.

"This..."

Once the heat subsided, the wealthy merchants returned to normal. They were initially puzzled, then startled when they noticed Qiu Yan. After regaining their senses, they realized that they had been saved by him and wanted to express their gratitude.

Qiu Yan shook his head and said, "Don't thank me yet. Whether you can be saved depends on yourself. But you can't hang up that evil painting of the Golden Crow Dao, or it will stir up your inner turmoil."

After saying that, without caring whether the wealthy businessmen could understand, he turned and left.

Watching Qiu Yan's departing figure, the wealthy merchants remained silent for a long while, trying to understand the meaning behind Qiu Yan's words.

After a while, the portly merchant suddenly said resentfully, "Well! We've all been fooled by those two old scoundrels! They made us hang up some portrait of the Golden Crow Dao Master and worship him morning and night. They clearly have ill intentions. If we actually worship him, we'll probably be manipulated and driven around by him in the future!"

Immediately, someone chimed in, "That's right! We knew those two old bastards weren't good people. They said they'd remove impurities and improve our physique, trying to buy us off with small favors. If it weren't for Young Master Qiu pointing that out, we'd still be in the dark, being used by them!"

With these two starting, the others also let go of their burdens and began to curse the two old Daoists of Golden Crow Dao.

However, some hesitated, saying, "I have a feeling that the Blazing Sun Talisman wasn't eradicated, but rather suppressed by a radiant figure. I don't feel at ease."

His words resonated with many, and others followed suit.

Human Path, "That figure looks vaguely familiar; he resembles my new cook, who's like a statue in the kitchen!"

Upon hearing this, the quick-witted one immediately understood. "That's it! Young Master Qiu said that whether one can save oneself depends on oneself. It seems that the key lies with the golden figure. Old Li, quickly summon your cook... no, let's go and ask him for advice ourselves!"

Another Human Path, "Yes, once we figure this out and eliminate any potential problems, we can find out where Young Master Qiu is staying so we can pay him a visit."

Upon hearing this, the others began to have their own ideas. The fact that they had been able to amass such a large fortune demonstrated their abilities, and they were more resourceful than the average person. Now that they had no worries about the future and knew that Qiu Yan was more powerful than the two old Daoist priests, they were not about to let him go. Even if they didn't apologize, they wanted to at least befriend him and see if they could gain some benefits.

"The human heart..."

On the other side of the street, Qiu Yan shook his head. (To be continued...)

P. S.: Thank you to "My Sister Is Xuanxuan" for the donation!

The third watch is finished...