The Clear Sky Sect Runs Wild! Who Gave You the Nerve?

The town was not large, but its gate was bustling. Several horse-drawn carts loaded with goods lined up to enter, and groups of Soul Masters walked together along the roadside.

After Li Qingshan and his disciple entered the town, they found an inn and settled in.

The driver led the carriage to the rear courtyard to feed the horses and rest. Yu Xiaogang took their luggage to the room, then went out with Luo Sanpao and Li Qingshan.

After asking an inn attendant for directions, the two had not gone far down the street when they caught the smell of blood mingled with the scents of cooking fires.

Several stalls stood on either side of the street.

Cut-up beast meat hung from wooden racks in front of them. Some pieces still had thick hides attached, while horns, sharp claws, and clay jars of beast blood lay nearby.

The stallholders were all Soul Masters who had returned from Soul Hunting.

"Teacher, they're selling Soul Beast meat here."

Yu Xiaogang's eyes lit up at the sight.

Li Qingshan nodded and swept his gaze over the stalls. There was plenty of Soul Beast meat for sale, but little from Dragon-Type Soul Beasts that would suit Sanpao.

He was about to move on when he noticed several exceptionally burly men at the other end of the street. Standing among the crowd, they towered over most of the people around them.

Li Qingshan gave them a second glance, then looked away and continued on with Yu Xiaogang. For now, they needed to buy suitable meat and blood for Sanpao.

The master and disciple asked at several stalls before finally stopping at one near the end of the street.

The stallholder was a middle-aged Soul Master with an old scar across his face. Half a gray-brown hide hung beside him, several thick scales still attached.

On the wooden counter

lay several cuts of meat.

Li Qingshan glanced over the hide and asked, "Is this Rock-Armored Earth Dragon meat?"

The stallholder looked up at him in some surprise, then nodded. "That's right. From a Rock-Armored Earth Dragon around a thousand years old. We hunted it yesterday, so the meat's still fresh."

As he spoke, he turned over a piece of meat on the cutting board.

"Take a look. All good cuts."

At that, Yu Xiaogang hurriedly looked down at Luo Sanpao.

The little creature had stopped in front of the stall. His small nose twitched a few times before he raised his head and stared fixedly at the meat on the counter.

"Teacher, Sanpao seems to like it."

Li Qingshan nodded.

The dragon bloodline within the Rock-Armored Earth Dragon was not particularly strong, but its meat would do to continue nourishing Sanpao.

He pointed to the meat on the cutting board and asked,

"Do you have any blood left?"

"I do. I set aside a jar." The stallholder lifted a sealed clay jar from beside his feet and placed it on the counter.

After inspecting it, Li Qingshan selected several cuts of meat and agreed on a price with the stallholder for them and the jar of blood.

"Wrap them up."

As he spoke, he took out some coins and placed them on the counter.

Yu Xiaogang removed the Storage Soul Tool he carried and stepped forward to take the goods. Just then, a booming voice rang out from the other end of the street.

"Our sect needs a large amount of Soul Beast meat for today's training! The Clear Sky Sect is buying all the Soul Beast meat on this street!"

As the voice carried down the street, the surrounding chatter abruptly quieted.

Li Qingshan turned and saw that the speaker was one of the burly men he had noticed earlier.

The man stood in the middle of the street, swept his gaze over the stalls on both sides, then beckoned to the men behind him.

"Split up and buy it. Don't waste time!"

"Yes!"

The men answered and immediately headed for the stalls on either side. Some paid, some carried meat, and others followed with wooden handcarts.

In moments, more than half the meat on the nearest stall's counter had been carried away.

A customer who had been choosing meat frowned, but before he could speak, his companion pulled him aside.

"Forget it. Let's try another town."

"We can't afford to cross the Clear Sky Sect!"

Listening to the commotion, Yu Xiaogang gradually frowned as well.

"The Clear Sky Sect? I've heard my father mention it. Their inherited Martial Soul is the Clear Sky Hammer. Their training places great emphasis on strength and demands a great deal of a Soul Master's body."

"They naturally expend a lot of energy training their strength, so they often eat Soul Beast meat to nourish their bodies."

At this point, he looked at the men buying up meat from stall to stall, displeasure showing on his face.

"But even so, shouldn't it be first come, first served? Just because they need it for training, does that mean no one else can buy any?"

Li Qingshan did not answer. He merely turned his attention back to the stall before him.

The stallholder, however, had stopped moving. He glanced at the money on the counter, then at the Clear Sky Sect disciple approaching them, looking troubled.

"Sir, about this..."

"I've already paid."

Li Qingshan's tone was calm.

"Just wrap up what I bought."

The stallholder opened his mouth, but in the end lowered his head and resumed wrapping the meat.

He had just folded the oiled paper shut when a broad hand reached in from the side.

"We'll take these too."

The newcomer was a burly man of about thirty. His gaze passed over the counter, and he casually pointed at the wrapped meat and the clay jar beside it.

"And that jar of blood. Load it all up."

The stallholder hurried to explain.

"Sir, these cuts have already been sold. I've taken the money. If you'd like some, there's more over there..."

"Then give him his money back." The man cut him off impatiently, anger rising in his voice. "Didn't you hear what we said? The Clear Sky Sect is taking all the Soul Beast meat today."

Yu Xiaogang's face darkened. He had already thought these men overbearing, but he had not expected them to take goods someone had paid for.

"Teacher, we already bought those for Sanpao." Yu Xiaogang clenched the cloth bag in his hand and lowered his voice. "Are they going to steal them?"

Li Qingshan stood where he was, his expression unchanged.

"They won't take them."

He had not spoken loudly, but the burly man heard every word.

The man's outstretched hand paused. He turned to size up Li Qingshan, then looked at Yu Xiaogang beside him.

A young man with a boy, and a little golden dog at their feet?

The corner of the man's mouth twitched. Clearly, he thought little of them. "If you want meat, come back tomorrow."

With that, he reached again for the wrapped Rock-Armored Earth Dragon meat. Before his fingertips could touch the oiled paper, however, a hand closed around his wrist.

The man's expression shifted. He instinctively tried to pull free, but the moment he put strength into his shoulder, a heavy force bore down on his wrist.

Bang!

His palm was slammed straight onto the wooden counter!

The cutting board shuddered, and the clay jar beside it wobbled.

The man jerked his head up.

Li Qingshan still stood exactly where he had been, one hand pinning the man's wrist. His expression was calm; not even his sleeve had shifted out of place.

"You dare steal from me? Who gave you the nerve?"