Moonlit Ambush

"What kind of steel Demon Beast is that?"

"I don't know, but I think it looks cool."

The group was clearly awestruck by the epoch-making creation before them. They didn't understand it, but it looked impressive.

Qin Fei offered no explanation. He casually took out a piece of Spirit Essence and pressed it into a recess in the vehicle's body.

Then he swung a leg over it and gently twisted the throttle.

"Vroom-"

A tremendous roar rang out, stirring an inexplicable surge of excitement in everyone's hearts.

"Good heavens, could it be a puppet that attacks with sound waves?"

"Doesn't look like it, but my soul seems to be trembling for some reason."

Hearing their discussion, three black lines appeared on Qin Fei's forehead.

Was the soul of a rider burning?

He decided to give them a demonstration.

"Vroom-"

"Vroom-"

Several roars of the engine drew everyone's attention. Then he shot off like an arrow released from a bow.

In the blink of an eye, he vanished at the end of the alley.

When he returned, he had intended to ask whether he looked cool.

Instead, he found that no one was paying him any attention. They were all gathered around the motorcycle, examining it.

"What a great thing! I've been looking everywhere for sources of goods these past two days, and the Lin Household just happened to issue a ban on flying. I nearly ran my legs off. If I'd had this thing, I'd have covered the whole city already."

"Tell me about it. The Demon Beast shop in the East Market rents out Demon Beasts for transport, but the prices are frighteningly high, and you have to return them when you're done. It takes time and effort."

"Exactly. After that group of refugees arrived, the outer city grew by nearly half, and now we aren't allowed to fly either. It's inconvenient to do anything."

Everyone chimed in, turning it into what seemed like a complaint session.

But they all understood how much value they could create if they managed to bring this thing into widespread use.

"Qin Fei, this thing..."

"This puppet is called the Zhang Yu Motor Vehicle. It's powered by Spirit Essence. I intend to entrust it and the improved Puppet Soldiers to you to sell."

Everyone was thrilled to hear the news. Only Tiezhu innocently asked:

"What's Zhang Yu?"

Qin Fei looked at him helplessly, then replied:

"Zhang Yu is the champion."

Then he began teaching everyone how to use the motorcycle.

Tiezhu alone was left standing there, repeatedly muttering Qin Fei's words as he tried to understand what they meant.

The group picked it up quickly. Even Old Zhang swiftly mastered riding the motorcycle.

Only Xu Meiniang seemed to have little talent for it, riding with some difficulty.

Qin Fei reassured her that she only needed to practice often, then discussed the sales arrangements with the group.

The Zhang Yu Motor Vehicle cost about the same to make as the Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse, so it would likewise be sold to the merchant guild for thirty pieces of Spirit Essence apiece.

As for the guild's selling price, Tang Zhan and the others would discuss it among themselves.

At this point, Tang Zhan suddenly said:

"Brother Qin, these two gifts are too valuable. Why don't we put them toward the cost of that formation?"

Qin Fei shook his head and firmly refused.

"I'm not just being polite. The money for that formation belongs to the merchant guild. I'm already very grateful that you'll let me pay in installments. These gifts are a token of my goodwill; the two things can't be lumped together."

Seeing how firm he was, everyone could only drop the matter.

The two sides settled a few more details before leaving in high spirits.

Tiezhu and the others had little regard for anyone else, riding their motorcycles around and roaring through the streets. This was destined to be a sleepless night for Shangyu Market.

Qin Fei walked home alone, thinking about his plans for the future.

As he saw it, the motorcycle's price probably wouldn't be low when it first went on sale, and its development curve should be much like that of the Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse.

Although it wasn't a hard currency, many cultivators could still afford the price of forty or fifty pieces of Spirit Essence apiece.

And the timing was good: the Lin Household's ban on flying would be the best possible boost to sales.

The only thing Qin Fei had to do was increase production capacity.

The Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse was still on sale, and now he had motorcycles to produce as well. In the past, even with an automated production line, he wouldn't have been able to keep up.

But his cultivation had broken through to Qi Refinement Fifth Layer, and his Divine Sense had grown considerably.

He had also cultivated the Divine Soul Sensing Chapter. His Divine Sense grew stronger by the day, and the number of puppets he could control kept increasing, so he could just barely manage.

Once he had cultivated the Divine Soul Sensing Chapter to a profound level, things should become much easier.

It was worth mentioning that he hadn't given the merchant guild the right to sell the Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse, nor had he asked Wang Hu to sell the motorcycles.

If the two got mixed together, they would end up competing.

And if any conflict arose, the loss would outweigh the gain.

As Qin Fei walked, he considered whether he had overlooked anything.

When he reached a dilapidated residence, however, he suddenly stopped.

"Fellow Daoist, you've followed me all this way. Are you planning to come home with me?"

He turned toward the shadows behind him, his whole body taut, though his expression remained unchanged.

Something in those shadows made his heart pound with fear.

Ever since he began cultivating the Divine Soul Sensing Chapter, he had often experienced premonitions, and they were usually accurate.

"Oh? A mere Qi Refinement Fifth Layer cultivator actually managed to detect our presence."

A sinister voice came from the shadows, and then two figures, a man and a woman, stepped out.

The man was hunched over, his body almost touching the ground. He wore a vicious ghost mask with "Eighty-Four" written on its forehead.

The woman wore a tight black outfit and had a voluptuous figure. Everything that should have been exposed, and everything that shouldn't have been, was on display.

Like the man, she wore a vicious ghost mask, though the number on its forehead was "Seventy-Seven."

They were actually two great Late Qi Refining cultivators at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer!

"This prey is mine. Go find that group."

The woman's voice was somewhat seductive, but it carried an unquestionable authority.

"There's a Late Qi Refining cultivator in that group, along with two at the Sixth Level of Qi Refining. They won't be so easy to deal with."

A deep voice answered.

"Wasn't there another one on his own?"

"You mean that old man? He's only at the Qi Refining Third Layer. I doubt he has anything valuable."

The two chatted among themselves as though Qin Fei were thin air.

Qin Fei, however, picked up some clues from their conversation and grew anxious.

If he had guessed correctly, these two had set their sights on the people who had attended their gathering.

Tang Zhan's cultivation was profound, and he had Tiezhu and Meiniang with him. Presumably, these two wouldn't dare do anything to them.

But Old Zhang had returned to his residence alone, and it now appeared that he had become their target.

"Eighty-Four, I said this prey was mine. Don't you understand?"

The woman licked her lips and gazed coldly at her companion.

The man seemed somewhat afraid. He stepped back twice, then leaped onto the courtyard wall.

"Heh heh, I'll go."

Before leaving, he didn't forget to remind her:

"Seventy-Seven, finish this quickly. Don't draw the enforcement team here, or we'll both have more than we can handle."

Then the man's figure disappeared into the darkness.

Qin Fei's expression darkened. He hurled several spheres onto the ground, then darted into the alley without looking back.

He took out a voice transmission talisman, his lips moving slightly. Clearly, he was calling for help.

"Little brother, where are you going?"

The woman was incredibly fast. In the blink of an eye, she blocked his path.

Qin Fei was inwardly alarmed. The several Puppet Soldiers he had thrown down hadn't slowed her in the slightest.

But he didn't waste words. He immediately changed tactics, darting wherever he found an opening.

Facing a Late Qi Refining cultivator, Qin Fei had no intention of fighting at all.

Although the Flame Martial Envoy also possessed Late Qi Refining strength, who knew which of them was stronger? He didn't dare take the risk.

And the outer city was, after all, Lin Household territory, patrolled by the enforcement team. If he could hold out until they arrived, the crisis would naturally be resolved.

There was no point in trying to act tough. Staying alive was what mattered.