Shopkeeper Han's Wariness

"Ah, Spirit Stone!"

Chen Zhuo let out a long sigh. That Sword Qi Talisman had cost him dearly, and using it pained him.

After sighing, Chen Zhuo darted forward and deftly collected the two men's Storage Bags and Magical Artifacts.

That should cover the cost.

Two saber-type Magical Artifacts and a defensive shield-type Magical Artifact.

Between the two men's Storage Bags, there were roughly seventy or eighty grains of Spirit Sand, but only three whole Spirit Stones.

Beyond that, the hawk-faced man's Storage Bag actually contained a portion of Qi Gathering Powder.

This Qi Gathering Powder looked somewhat familiar.

It seemed to be one of the three portions he had sold.

That covers it.

Chen Zhuo murmured to himself as he weighed the Magical Artifact in his hand.

Of the two saber-type Magical Artifacts, one was a Black-Iron Profound Saber that looked thoroughly ordinary.

The other was a broad, ring-pommel saber with a faint smell of blood. It was plainly a demonic Magical Artifact, and had probably been through Blood Sacrifice.

There was no market for these Magical Artifacts in the Immortal Estate's world. Even if he tried to sell them there, they would probably fetch no more than the price of antiques.

After all, these Magical Artifacts were far too low in quality by the Immortal Estate's standards.

Talismans were more useful!

Their only use in the Immortal Estate was to be reforged into raw materials for further processing.

Rather than do that, he might as well sell them here in the market where they belonged.

The Qi Gathering Powder, however, gave Chen Zhuo pause.

"So it seems Shopkeeper Han really is running a scheme to rob the robbers..."

Killing intent filled Chen Zhuo's eyes.

On the surface, Shopkeeper Han of Jishi Hall ran a medicine shop. In secret, he colluded with these Robber Cultivators and singled out cultivators from out of town.

Then again, it was hardly surprising.

Who could open a medicine shop in a place like the Shantytown and sit there untroubled without being ruthless?

"All the better."

Chen Zhuo gave a cold snort. "Just as well. I can do another bit of business with Shopkeeper Han!"

With that, Chen Zhuo hesitated no longer.

Then Chen Zhuo formed a hand seal and cast the Fireball Technique, burning both corpses to ash.

Then he buried the remains with an earth spell. Only after making sure no trace was left did Chen Zhuo turn toward the Shantytown.

Destroying the bodies and erasing the evidence: the most respectful way to cultivate in the criminal underworld.

There would have been nothing wrong with leaving the corpses in the wilderness, but that would have shown Cloudford Market City a certain lack of respect.

It was only natural. In the lower district of Taiqing City, even low-level cultivators and mortal laborers who died from Pill Toxin had to be placed beside the trash bins. Otherwise, the sight might spoil the mood of some wealthy gentlemen from high society.

His Dao Heart firm after disposing of the evidence, Chen Zhuo strode toward the Shantytown.

He soon arrived outside Jishi Hall.

The Medicine Attendant stood at the entrance. At the sight of Chen Zhuo, he froze, then hurried forward. "Sir, you're back. Are you here to buy medicine or sell some this time?"

The Medicine Attendant was plainly surprised Chen Zhuo was still alive. He assumed those two wretches simply had not made their move yet. After silently cursing his bad luck, he quickly put on a welcoming smile.

Chen Zhuo glanced at him. "I'm looking for Shopkeeper Han."

"The shopkeeper is inside. Please follow me."

The Medicine Attendant hurriedly led Chen Zhuo into the inner hall.

When Chen Zhuo entered, Shopkeeper Han set down his old book and swept his gaze over him. He paused.

The brat isn't dead?

Despite his misgivings, Shopkeeper Han rose with a smile and cupped his hands. "What brings you here, fellow Daoist?"

Chen Zhuo wasted no words. He took four portions of Qi Gathering Powder and one Qi Condensation Pill from his Storage Bag and placed them on the table.

"Shopkeeper Han, I'd like to sell these pills."

His voice was cool.

Shopkeeper Han's gaze fell on the pills, and his pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.

How does this brat have so many pills?

Suspicious as he was, Shopkeeper Han picked up a portion of Qi Gathering Powder, removed the stopper, and sniffed gently. "Mm. Excellent quality, abundant Spiritual Qi, and almost no impurities..."

Once he had inspected every pill, Shopkeeper Han said politely, "Our shop would be willing to pay a high price. Twelve spirit stones per portion of Qi Gathering Powder and forty-five for the Qi Condensation Pill. That comes to ninety-three spirit stones in total. What do you think, fellow Daoist?"

The offer was considerably higher than last time.

But Chen Zhuo showed no delight. He merely nodded. "Fine."

Then he stopped pretending. He slapped his Storage Bag, producing a blood-red saber seething with Killing Intent, and dropped it onto the Medicine Hall's table. "Shopkeeper Han, I happened to find this Magical Artifact saber outside. Unfortunately, I have no skill in Demonic Art, so I'd like to sell it. Would you know anyone who might buy it?"

Shopkeeper Han's gaze stopped on the blood-red saber.

He knew that blade all too well.

Liu Wu's Bloodbound Saber!

The Bloodbound Saber was a low-grade Magical Artifact created through the Blood Sacrifice of four or five thousand mortals. Blood-red energy coiled around its blade, and its Killing Intent was fierce. It was the signature weapon of that pair of Robber Cultivators.

For it to appear in Chen Zhuo's hands, there was only one possibility...

Zhao Si and Liu Wu had been killed by this brat at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer!

Shopkeeper Han was shaken to his core, but his face betrayed nothing. He quickly regained his composure.

He picked up the Bloodbound Saber and studied it for a moment before speaking slowly. "The blood-soaked Killing Intent in this Bloodbound Saber of yours is dense, fellow Daoist. It was clearly made through the Blood Sacrifice of four or five thousand mortals. Though it is only a low-grade Magical Artifact, it is a fairly common type of killing weapon."

He continued, "Magical Artifacts of this kind are generally worth sixty or seventy spirit stones. Since you're willing to sell it here, though, you can spare yourself a trip to other shops. If you don't mind a lower price, I'll buy it for fifty-five spirit stones."

Fifty-five Spirit Stones?

Chen Zhuo sneered inwardly.

Shopkeeper Han was an old fox indeed. He had clearly recognized the blade, yet was haggling over its price to pretend he knew nothing.

Chen Zhuo did not care about such details.

The saber was an unexpected windfall. Turning it into spirit stones was all that mattered.

Nor could he be bothered to visit other shops, have someone decide he was rich, and attract yet another ambush...

Once or twice was manageable, to be honest.

But after a few more times, he would inevitably slip up.

Killing was a sure road to riches, but it was dangerous. What if the next person who came to rob him had a trump card too?

He could not underestimate others just because he had trump cards of his own!

"Fine."

Chen Zhuo nodded his brief assent.

Once Chen Zhuo agreed, Shopkeeper Han wasted no time. He took Spirit Stones from his Storage Bag, counted them out, and pushed them across the table.

One hundred and forty-eight Spirit Stones sat piled on the table like a little mountain.

Chen Zhuo swept them with his spiritual sense. After confirming the count, he put them all into his Storage Bag.

With the Spirit Stones secured, he turned and left.

Only Shopkeeper Han and the Medicine Attendant remained in Jishi Hall.

The boy stared after Chen Zhuo in horror. He went up to Shopkeeper Han and blurted out, "Shopkeeper, isn't that..."

"Shut your mouth!"

Shopkeeper Han's face darkened as he barked at the Medicine Attendant.

The sudden rebuke made the boy jump, and he dared not speak again.

Only after a long pause did Shopkeeper Han say in a low, fierce voice, "If something shouldn't be said, don't say it!"

The boy's skin crawled under his stare. He hurriedly lowered his head and kept silent.

Shopkeeper Han fell quiet for a moment before saying slowly, "Zhao Si and Liu Wu are both dead."

The boy's face went deathly pale. "What?! They were both at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer. Together, they could even hold their own against someone at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer. How could they..."

"Yes. How could they?"

Shopkeeper Han gave a cold laugh. "That brat is only at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer. No matter how many trump cards he has, he couldn't have killed two cultivators at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer."

"Unless..."

Shopkeeper Han paused, his voice growing graver. "Unless that brat isn't a Rogue Cultivator at all, but comes from a cultivation clan! And he has at least one cultivator at the Late Qi Refinement stage, perhaps even at Qi Refinement Peak, protecting him nearby!"

The boy sucked in a cold breath. "Qi Refinement Peak?!"

A cultivator at Qi Refinement Peak stood at the very limit of the realm, only one step from Foundation Establishment!

Someone like that was a formidable figure in Cloudford Market.

Apart from a few Foundation Establishment Realm stewards from the higher sects, such a person could all but walk sideways through Cloudford Market.

Shopkeeper Han nodded and continued, "And though he isn't wearing a Daoist Robe, look at his clothes. The fabric and stitching are so neat and dense that a cultivator must have used spiritual sense to tailor them specifically for him. He must come from a great cultivation clan! And the Qiwu Sword Sect is about to open its gates to take disciples..."

Shopkeeper Han clearly did not know that the other Immortal Estate world had something called machine processing. Faced with such fine, even workmanship on ordinary clothes, he could think of no explanation other than a cultivator's Divine Sense guiding the needle.

"You mean he's here for the Sword Gate's disciple selection?" the boy asked cautiously.

"Almost certainly."

Shopkeeper Han spoke gravely. "Children of cultivation clans are often sent to train in major sects. As the foremost sect in the Xu Kingdom, the Qiwu Sword Sect is naturally the best choice."

"He's probably here for the Sword Gate's recruitment! And whoever is protecting him may be just outside the Shantytown right now, or already inside the market."

Shopkeeper Han's expression shifted uncertainly. "If he comes again, treat him with every courtesy. Serve him Spirit Tea, and don't be stingy with the leaves!"

"We'll close the shop for today. I'm going into the market to ask the master's forgiveness. If that man comes from a Foundation Establishment clan, only the master can step forward and settle this grudge."