bookbashuk Chapter 38 Arrival at the Market
Chapter 38 Arrival at the Market
"Um... Ah! You, who let you in?!"
Li Fulai was startled, opened his sleepy eyes, and smacked his lips.
"Didn't I say that Pingyang Market is very stable and doesn't need any sect's assistance?"
Li Fulai's reaction was strange; there was no reason for him to question the sect about why they sent people.
Lu Qingyun looked at him suspiciously.
However, Lu Qingyun did not intend to get involved in his affairs. Even if Li Fulai wanted to betray the sect, as long as it did not implicate him, it was none of his business.
"I am from Lingzhi Peak. Elder Chu sent me to Pingyang Lingtian to serve as the manager. If Elder Li has any questions, he can ask Elder Chu."
"You mean Chu Ping, Old Master Chu?"
"Exactly."
Lu Qingyun answered calmly.
Li Fulai immediately perked up and quickly took the jade talisman.
The imperial edict was exactly the same as what Lu Qingyun had said, and Li Fulai's expression softened considerably.
"This kid is probably a spoiled brat who's here to get his resume polished. Chu Ping of Lingzhi Peak is of high status and has always been aloof from worldly affairs, yet he personally instructed me to take good care of him."
"I need to get rid of him quickly. As long as he doesn't ruin my plans, it's none of my business even if he causes chaos in Pingyang."
Li Fu's expression changed several times. He coughed and rubbed his greasy hands.
"Nephew Lu, you're too kind. I'll take you to the Lingtian in Pingyang right away."
"As long as you don't provoke the Zheng and Bai families in this market, your uncle will ensure your safety."
"Didn't the sect arrange for me to live in the Cloud Pavilion? Why didn't Uncle-Master Li arrange accommodation for me?"
Li Fulai was clearly unable to endure hardship. He was a large, fat man, and the Yunxia Pavilion was filled with the remnants and scraps of spiritual fruits and foods.
Can he resist the urge to have a maid?
Although Lu Qingyun had no intention of getting involved in his affairs, he still had to test the waters a bit, otherwise he would be taken for a fool and inevitably be plotted against in the future.
"My dear nephew!"
Li Fulai was crying with snot and tears streaming down his face.
"It's not that I don't want to keep you at Yunxia Pavilion, but I'm simply too poor to even afford a maid. How can I possibly take care of you?"
"Once we got to the spirit field, it was finally a bit quieter and less dirty and chaotic. Only now can Uncle-Master be at ease!"
Li Fulai's words were deeply moving, and given his surroundings, they were all incredibly sincere.
but,
Lu Qingyun didn't believe a single word of it.
As the resident elder of Pingyang Ward, Li Fulai had the power to supervise the entire ward and was also responsible for collecting the ward's taxes.
How could we be so poor?
Now, it's practically the same as living in a garbage dump.
Lu Qingyun said:
"How could a dignified elder of the neighborhood be so poor? Perhaps it's because he enjoys this situation?"
According to Mu Chuan, the elders of each ward are like local tyrants, and they can embezzle countless spirit stones just by intercepting tax revenue.
Is Li Fulai able to transcend worldly conventions and be upright and incorruptible?
Looking at his heavily pregnant appearance, Lu Qingyun expressed disbelief.
Although he didn't intend to offend Li Fulai to death, Lu Qingyun still had the guts to not let the sect send anyone to use this as leverage to blackmail him for some spirit stones.
"The joy of my martial uncle is the joy of my martial nephew. Why don't you tell me, so I can share in your joy?"
Li Fulai chuckled awkwardly, understanding the implication in Lu Qingyun's words about sharing the spoils.
However, he had already prepared his excuse and didn't want to give Lu Qingyun a single hair.
"Nephew, you may not know this, but the Zheng and Bai families in Pingyang Market are far too powerful. They pay less than one-tenth of the taxes they collect each year."
He cried out, "My uncle has no joy at all. He is clearly suffering from oppression and has no choice but to accept poverty and find happiness in it."
"That's not what my senior uncle said earlier. I remember when we first entered, he said that Pingyang Market was very stable and there was no need to send anyone."
"Perhaps my junior apprentice misheard."
Li Fulai gave a forced smile and sighed.
"The Zheng family and the Bai family are far more complex than my nephew knows."
"The two patriarchs have already broken through the half-step Foundation Establishment stage, and are only one step away from successfully establishing their foundations."
"My martial uncle's cultivation is only at the seventh level of Qi Refining, how can he not be ostracized by both families?"
"In that case, why don't you return to the sect, or have the sect send someone else?"
Lu Qingyun's gaze was intense, and the more Li Fulai spoke, the less he believed him.
"I don't think my uncle is being honest. Since my uncle has suffered such a great humiliation, why don't I report this to Elder Chu and ask him to stand up for him?"
"No need, no need!"
Li Fulai shook his head like a rattle-drum, waving his hands repeatedly.
"To be honest, my junior brother, the earth dragon beast in my possession is very compatible with the earth veins of this place. If I go elsewhere, I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to break through to the Qi Refining Perfection stage again."
He lowered his voice, sounding pained, and said, "If you, my nephew, would do me the honor of working diligently in the spirit fields, I'll give you one hundred spirit stones every month. How about that?"
"Then let's do as my uncle says."
Lu Qingyun nodded, subtly accepting the brocade pouch handed to him by Li Fulai, showing no trace of his earlier aggressive demeanor.
The two chatted and laughed as they walked out of Yunxia Pavilion, discussing the layout of Pingyang's market districts.
However, before leaving...
Lu Qingyun's fingers inadvertently touched his waist, and a golden spirit bee slid down his trouser leg and darted into a pile of garbage. It was fortunate that Li Fulai hadn't hired any maids, as his Yunxia Pavilion was full of hiding places for spirit bees.
During the conversation,
Lu Qingyun then realized that the Zheng and Bai families were not to be trifled with.
The ancestors of these two families obtained two manuals, one Yin and one Yang, from the secret realm of clouds and water.
Among them, the "Red Fiend Melting Lotus Scripture" was acquired by the Zheng family, and the "Mysterious Frost Devouring Flame Technique" was acquired by the Bai family.
Both of their contemporary patriarchs wanted to devour each other's magical power to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage.
Therefore, they fought fiercely.
But no matter how they fought, the Zheng and Bai families each had no fewer than five people at the late stage of Qi Refining, and they held absolute power in Pingyang Market. Li Fulai was no match for them.
However, Li Fulai was reluctant to give up his carefree life in Pingyang Market and the power of the local earth veins.
Naturally, they helped the two families cover up the truth and deceive the sect.
"I think my uncle finds more enjoyment in this than just that; otherwise, how could he have stayed here for fifteen years?"
Lu Qingyun walked to the front of the spirit field, which was overgrown with weeds.
Compared to when they first went to the Spirit Plant Peak, Cloud Cliff, and Spirit Field, they were about the same.
If Li Fulai had no benefit to offer, why would he not even care about planting spiritual fields?
Even if you just casually plant some spirit rice, you can still harvest a dozen or so spirit stones every month.
It is evident how many benefits Li Fulai embezzled.
Just as Lu Qingyun was about to enter the spirit field and cast a spell.
Li Fulai was about to say something.
A voice of dissatisfaction rang out.
"Senior Li, this spirit field wasn't promised to my Zheng family, so how did it get given to someone else?"
The newcomer was dressed in a magnificent black robe, his face was gloomy, and his aura was roughly equivalent to that of Lu Qingyun at the fourth level of Qi Refining. His every move exuded extraordinary bearing.
Behind him, several followers at the early stage of Qi Refining also stood in ambush with unfriendly expressions.
"Young Master Zheng, the sect has allocated the spirit fields to my nephew; there's nothing I can do about it!"
Li Fulai revealed Lu Qingyun, his face showing a rather innocent expression.
He cursed inwardly at the Zheng family brat for breaking his promise.
He had made an agreement with Zheng Tianxuan that he would hand over the spirit field to him the next day.
If he waits until tomorrow, Lu Qingyun will be there to face him, and whatever the outcome, it will be none of his concern.
Who knows, it might even lead to a fight between Lu Qingyun and the Zheng family boy.
But he arrived at the spirit field a day early and happened to run into Lu Qingyun, which made things difficult.
Lu Qingyun looked at the newcomer and, from Li Fulai's words, knew that this person was probably Zheng Tianxuan, the current young master of the Zheng family.
Li Fulai must have made some kind of deal with the Zheng family, and now they want him to take the blame.
However, he had no intention of confronting Zheng Tianxuan.
Lu Qingyun looked at Li Fulai with an unfriendly expression and said, "Uncle Li, your words are surprising. I have never asked the sect for this spiritual field. It was because I came to the market that you specifically brought me here."
"If my uncle has other plans for the spirit field, you might as well take me elsewhere."
"My dear nephew..."
Li Fulai was sweating profusely and secretly transmitted his voice.
"This young Zheng may be tough, but how dare he go against a sect?"
"You'd better be firm. It's not that your uncle doesn't want to take you elsewhere, it's just that all the other spirit fields in this market are already taken!"
Lu Qingyun kept his eyes down and pretended not to hear.
This guy from the Zheng family looks like a vengeful and scheming person.
I have decided to cultivate myself here in seclusion.
He had no intention of doing what Li Fulai wanted and facing Zheng Tianxuan instead.
Zheng Tianxuan frowned: "You're not from the Bai family?"
"Brother Tianxuan truly lives up to his reputation as the eldest son of the Zheng family; his insight is indeed remarkable."
Lu Qingyun said innocently, "It's all my uncle's fault. He's really getting senile. If Brother Tianxuan is interested in this place, I will report to the sect and ask Uncle Li to change it for me."
Li Fulai coughed twice but did not speak.
He sold off all the spiritual fields in the entire Pingyang market area; there was nowhere else left.
In the end, Zheng Tianxuan took the initiative to back down.
Zheng Tianxuan snorted coldly and looked at Li Fulai.
"Since the sect has already made arrangements, how can I, Zheng, interfere? This spiritual field will naturally be left to the sect's arrangements."
"Then thank you very much, Brother Zheng."
Lu Qingyun accepted the gift without hesitation.
This spiritual field was rightfully his, and there was nothing he wouldn't dare to take.
Seeing Lu Qingyun's shabby clothes, Zheng Tianxuan seemed to feel that it would be beneath him to speak to someone like him. He glanced at Li Fulai and turned to leave.
As for whether the two communicated telepathically, Lu Qingyun had no idea.
"Nephew, you've really put your uncle through a lot of trouble."
Li Fulai looked worried, knowing he couldn't get Lu Qingyun and Zheng Tianxuan to fight.
The benefits they received from the Zheng family must be given back for nothing.
Lu Qingyun didn't want to waste words with this greedy, filthy, and cunning old man.
"I think my uncle is regretting that he didn't manage to harm his nephew."
Lu Qingyun snorted coldly and walked towards the spirit field.
"Uncle-Master, please leave. If there's nothing else, don't come looking for me."
"Sigh...it's all a misunderstanding, my junior apprentice..."
Li Fulai gave an awkward laugh.
"Living in the market is not easy. My uncle can only survive by scraping together scraps from here and there."
"Uncle-Master is too modest. Being able to sell the sect's spiritual fields to poor local clans who lack land shows that you are kind-hearted. How can you say that you are barely able to survive?"
"I just hope that one day my uncle won't sell his nephew for a high price."
"How could this be..."
Li Fulai looked aggrieved, but Lu Qingyun didn't have time to play along with his act.
A single [Minor Weeding Spell] was cast, and a large area of the spirit field in front of them was immediately cleared out.
Next, he activated the sect's jade talisman to summon the formation and seal off the spirit field.
Li Fulai was kept outside. Seeing that Lu Qingyun was indeed not going to let him in, he raised an eyebrow and returned to Yunxia Pavilion with a big smile.
Don't let him in.
He's still not going in!
Once inside the Cloud Pavilion...
Li Fulai laughed heartily.
"No matter how clever this little fox is, I can still easily deal with it."
Although he lost a lot of blood today, he promised to give Lu Qingyun one hundred spirit stones every month.
But compared to getting him away, the gains were negligible.
Li Fulai closed the bedroom door.
He whispered, "Earth Dragon Beast!"
A yellowish-brown lizard suddenly emerged from the ground, flicking its tongue and letting out a cry. The aura around it was as strong as that of the eighth level of Qi Refining.
Li Fulai was no longer the slovenly and lazy man he once was; his eyes were fixed intently as he communicated with the earth dragon beast.
After a long while, he nodded.
"Not bad! Although the two families fought over the spiritual essence this time, they didn't even give me a share."
"But only fifteen years later, I will be born with the spiritual essence and directly excavate the spiritual vein and its source here..."
Li Fulai became increasingly agitated.
"Perhaps, one could even reach the pinnacle of Qi cultivation in one step!"
At the same time, the golden bees quietly flew out of the Cloud Pavilion from the pile of garbage.
The earth dragon beast suddenly turned cold and locked its gaze in the direction of the golden spirit bee, only to find that it was just a small insect.
It immediately lay lazily on the ground, flicking its tongue, while Li Fulai massaged it.
Li Fulai had no idea what illness had struck the little darling again, assuming it was just tired, so he quickly brought it two more spirit chickens to soothe it.
Lingtian, Pingyang.
The Golden Spirit Bee slowly flew back, and Lu Qingyun reviewed the fragmented information it had sent and pieced it together.
After carefully considering the matter for a moment, Lu Qingyun narrowed his eyes slightly.
"This Li Fulai actually dug a cave in Pingyang Mountain, leading directly to the spiritual spring at the mountain peak, intending to seize the spiritual source while the spiritual marrow was being born!"
No wonder this man is so cowardly and bloated, yet he doesn't have a single maid in his household.
So he's got his eye on that spiritual essence and doesn't want to be discovered!
At the Yunya Spiritual Field, Lu Qingyun had examined many of the sect's books.
They certainly knew what the spiritual source was.
This substance is the essence of a spiritual vein, often hidden from view, and can only be nurtured by spiritual veins of the second rank or higher.
If it is lost, the spiritual veins will be depleted, turning the place into a land devoid of spiritual energy.
Spiritual energy has no effect on Foundation Establishment cultivators, so naturally, they wouldn't kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.
However, it is very beneficial for refining Qi; consuming and refining it can lead to the perfection of Qi refining.
"Isn't the Pingyang spiritual vein a first-tier one?"
Lu Qingyun gazed thoughtfully at the magnificent cave dwelling on the opposite mountain, where the spiritual energy was abundant and the cave was approaching the second level.
After so many years of nurturing, the spiritual veins of Pingyang Market have shown signs of upgrading.
Li Fulai cultivated this place for many years, and after some observation, he discovered the spiritual source.
However, the source of spiritual energy is often hidden, and it only reveals its traces when the essence of spiritual energy is being nurtured.
Therefore, the plan was to secretly carry out a treacherous scheme, killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.
"Fifteen years from now, this item may come into my possession."
Lu Qingyun pondered for a moment.
His cultivation level is currently only at the fourth level of Qi Refining. If he breaks through to the seventh level of Qi Refining, he can ambush Li Fulai at Yunxia Pavilion.
Even if one dies in this life, obtaining the spiritual source is not a loss.
Of course, if a breakthrough cannot be achieved, it should be widely publicized to avoid ruining the good things that the dormitory is trying to achieve.
For the next few days, no one came to the door.
Lu Qingyun used the [Minor Weeding Technique] to clear away the weeds in the spirit field and planted high-grade spirit rice, including white corn and green corn.
Thus, cultivating the spiritual field and practicing in one's spare time is quite enjoyable.
……
In the blink of an eye, half a year has passed.
Hundreds of acres of fertile land are covered with lush, green corn.
Under the infusion of Lu Qingyun's longevity magic, there seemed to be signs of mutation, with each stalk of green corn being much taller than described by the sect.
In the quiet room of the spirit field, Lu Qingyun sat cross-legged with his eyes closed. As the green corn ripened, he seemed to feel strands of vitality flowing into his body along the hundred acres of spirit rice.
Lu Qingyun seemed to be deep in thought.
"The method given by Elder Chu is indeed full of hidden secrets."
The longevity magic power was not completely consumed after casting the [Minor Cloud Rain Technique], but instead formed a magic power cycle within the spiritual rice.
After the Lingmi rice matured, the feedback was given to him.
"In this way, I only need the green corn to mature three more times before I can break through to the fifth level of Qi Refining."
Lu Qingyun smiled.
Although his speed was much slower than that of the direct descendants of Foundation Establishment families like Zhang Tianlie, it was still considered fast compared to ordinary disciples.
At that moment, a voice came from outside the spirit field.
"Brother Lu, are you here? I am Zheng Tianxuan, and I have something to discuss with you."
Upon hearing this, Lu Qingyun frowned.
"What does this cunning, triangular-eyed man want from me?"