"Th-three sirs, could you give me a few more days? The shop really hasn't brought in much. A few days, just a few more days, and I will certainly-"
Old Man Sun begged incessantly. A cultivator beside Xu Quan secretly transmitted his voice: "Brother Xu, I reckon there's really no more oil to squeeze out of this old thing. Might as well send him into the abyss for hard labor. His son's crippled, so let the father take his place."
Xu Quan raised his eyebrows.
"All right!" he interrupted Old Man Sun, smiling. "I'm not some unreasonable brute. Of course I can give you a few more days."
"Thank you, Master Xu! Thank you, sirs!"
Old Man Sun was moved to tears. He hunched over, almost dropping to his knees in gratitude.
"Now, don't thank me yet." Xu Quan reached out and hauled the old man up off the ground.
"Come with us to the central building-and sign a labor contract."
His words startled the surrounding cultivators watching the spectacle.
It seemed Old Man Sun really did not have long to live this time.
Many, many years ago, although Luohou Abyss had also been chaotic, anyone could enter to search for treasures. Even mortals could venture inside, provided they were not afraid of dying.
But at some unknown point, the Death Baleful Qi that had accumulated in the Spirit Abyss over the years began billowing outward. Only Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators could move freely within it, relying on their protective spiritual power to keep the Death Baleful Qi at bay.
Even now, Luohou Abyss remained a place of great opportunities.
The Rogue Cultivator Association controlled the passages into it from this ring of the Abandoned City. Sometimes, they forcibly recruited Qi Refining cultivators who could not afford the spirit stones