Old Friends Reunited

At noon the next day.

Qin Fei was in no hurry to go out. He prepared tea at home and waited quietly.

Before long, Wang Hu came to his door, wearing a cloak.

He had come to collect the goods.

After the barbarians' border raid ended, the market had quickly come back to life.

The happiest part of Wang Hu's day was counting how many Spirit Stones he had earned. He even spent less time going into the mountains with his brothers from the hunting team.

Demon Beasts ran rampant in the mountains. If he could earn money at home, who would want to take that risk?

"Brother Qin, if you ask me, the next time there's a border raid, you should come stay at my place. That way, we can look after each other."

He was terrified that something might happen to Qin Fei, his "God of Wealth."

Unfortunately, he had extended the invitation several times, only to be turned down each time.

His brothers had also advised him that, since he had a way to make money in his hands, he should hold on to it tight, lest it fly away one day.

Though they did not know where the puppets came from, they all hoped Wang Hu would keep the source in his grasp, so they could share in the benefits.

Wang Hu had never taken their advice. As a Late Qi Refining cultivator, he had his pride. Since the two of them had an agreement, he would abide by it.

But as more of his brothers spoke up, he could not help having some doubts.

In particular, the recent drop in the price of Wooden Oxen and Flowing Horses had left quite a few of his brothers grumbling.

Qin Fei was perceptive and had also sensed the recent change in Wang Hu.

The two were merely business partners. One was a great Late Qi Refining cultivator, while the other still lingered at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer. The disparity in their status could indeed cause problems.

He could tell that Wang Hu was very considerate of him now, and perhaps he would continue to be so.

But that did not mean he did not need to be on guard.

Rather than gamble on human nature, he would bet on himself.

If all was well, everyone would naturally be happy.

Qin Fei smiled and declined Wang Hu's suggestion, then snapped his fingers lightly.

A puppet, black and red all over, walked out of the kitchen, carrying two cups of freshly brewed tea.

"This is..."

Wang Hu shot to his feet and stared at the puppet before him, his heart and mind reeling.

He could sense that the puppet's presence was extremely dangerous. Its strength was probably on par with his own.

"Brother Qin, this..."

"Don't take offense, Brother Hu. My master was afraid I'd be in danger out here, so he left me a puppet for protection.

"I often tell him he worries too much. With a great Late Qi Refining cultivator like you here, Brother Hu, who in Shangyu Market would dare bully me?

"But the old man is stubborn. No matter how I explained, he wouldn't listen, so in the end I had no choice but to keep it."

Wang Hu had already formed a suspicion when he saw the puppet. Now that it had been confirmed, he immediately played along:

"Senior is worried about you. You should be considerate of his feelings. The next time Senior comes, you must introduce me to him."

He did not doubt a word Qin Fei had said.

As he saw it, someone who could casually leave behind a Late Qi Refining puppet had to be a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator.

Surely Qin Fei could not have refined it himself?

Besides, the puppet could move on its own, which showed just how accomplished this senior was in the art of puppetry.

No wonder Qin Fei's output had increased so much lately. It seemed he had received help from his master's sect.

To him, everything now fell neatly into place.

He was suddenly glad he had not listened to his subordinates and forcibly brought Qin Fei under his control. Otherwise, wouldn't he have needlessly provoked a formidable Foundation Establishment Realm enemy?

Indeed, a full belly breeds lust.

Now that life was good, he had let it go to his head.

He quietly resolved to kick those few ill-intentioned men out of the hunting team when he returned.

But how could he have imagined that Qin Fei really was controlling the puppet himself?

Who would believe that someone at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer could control a puppet at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer?

That was right. This was what Qin Fei relied on.

Precisely because such a thing could not be explained, the existence of a master's sect became the natural explanation.

No one would doubt it.

"My master dislikes people discussing him behind his back. Brother Hu, once you leave, please don't mention this to anyone. Let it be a secret between the two of us."

"Of course. I, Wang Hu, will never breathe a word."

Wang Hu patted his chest in assurance. Then he took this batch of goods and left a small bag of Spirit Stones before departing.

Qin Fei weighed the Spirit Stones in his hand and smiled with satisfaction. He shut the door securely and disappeared into the alley.

The Gathering Immortals Pavilion was the largest restaurant in Shangyu Market.

It stood seven stories high. The bottom three floors were for ordinary patrons, the middle three held private rooms, and the top floor was reserved for distinguished guests and closed to the public.

At that moment, several people were chatting enthusiastically in a private room on the fourth floor.

"Brother Qin, it's been years since we last met. I never expected you and Old Zhang to become a First-Tier Puppet Master and a First-Tier Talisman Master. That's really impressive!"

Tiezhu raised his cup. There was no envy in his eyes, only the affection they had shared in years past.

"Haven't you reached the Sixth Level of Qi Refining yourself? I remember you were always at the tail end back then."

"Heh heh, after joining the Azure Wood Palace, if my cultivation still wasn't a little ahead, I might as well give up cultivating immortality, hurry home to inherit the family trade, and slaughter pigs with my father."

The others at the table laughed, all recalling the time they had spent together.

Aside from Qin Fei and Old Zhang, there were two men and one woman at the table.

The honest-looking man who had just offered a toast was named Li Tiezhu. He had once made a living selling Demon Beast meat in the market.

The other man was named Tang Zhan. He had the greatest aptitude among them. He had now reached the Qi Refining Seventh Layer and become an inner disciple of the Azure Wood Palace.

The last was a woman named Xu Meiniang. She and Tang Zhan had formally become dao companions, and she was also at the Sixth Level of Qi Refining.

When their assignment came up, Tiezhu recounted everything in detail.

After joining the Azure Wood Palace, they had all been busy with their own affairs and had not had much contact.

They had originally been full of ambition, eager to distinguish themselves on the great path of immortal cultivation. Only after joining the sect had they learned how many heaven's chosen there were, and that they were merely ordinary people.

Their cultivation had progressed slowly, and the sect was filled with countless affairs and endless schemes and intrigues. They had all grown somewhat weary, and a wave of homesickness had swept over them.

As it happened, Senior Caiyi intended to establish a merchant association in Shangyu Market and needed people to oversee it.

They were all locals, which naturally gave them an advantage in the competition.

But when it actually came to leaving a sacred place of cultivation like the Azure Wood Palace, each of them hesitated.

After all, the Azure Wood Palace's Spirit Vein was far beyond anything in the outside world. Even leaving for a time would set their cultivation back considerably.

So they had gathered for a small reunion and shared their worries, only to find that they all hit it off at once.

They had immediately decided to follow Senior Caiyi back to Shangyu Market and make preparations for the merchant association.

After hearing their story, Qin Fei instead felt a trace of admiration.

To gain, one must give up; only by giving something up could one gain something.

Had he been in the Azure Wood Palace himself, he knew he might not have been willing to leave it.

They reminisced about the past and talked about their plans for the future, as though they had returned to the old days.

Their conversation ranged from one end of the world to the other, from cultivation to household matters, until at last they came to the major events on the border.

"Have you heard? Qinghe Market was razed by the barbarians!"

"What happened?"

"Apparently, during the last border raid, the Lu Household of Qinghe Market led a counterattack and angered the barbarians. The barbarians sent out an army and took Qinghe Market in a single stroke."

Qin Fei and Old Zhang exchanged a glance, both finding it hard to believe.

Qinghe Market was the closest market to Shangyu Market, only three thousand li away.

With something so momentous happening so close to home, it felt as though they might be next.

Still, everyone admired the Lu Household for daring to fight back.

In all their years in Shangyu Market, the outer city had suffered constant barbarian raids, yet they had never seen the Lin Household make any response.

There was nothing to be done. That was the norm.

Qin Fei sank into deep worry.

Things had just begun to improve for him, and he did not want the situation to grow so dire.

For a moment, he even considered leaving.

But the outside world was no more peaceful. With his current strength, he probably would not get far.

Just as he was weighing his options, Tang Zhan, who had barely spoken, suddenly stood up and gave everyone a reassuring word.