Chapter 101: Assassination

Indeed.

Using spirit talismans, especially finished ones, provides significant power without consuming one's own spiritual energy. Most importantly, they can be cast instantly, which naturally makes them highly popular among cultivators.

The Bai family, evidently sensing the pressure from the Chen family, was already making preparations well in advance. Small talisman shops like "Talisman Fate Abode" were not unique; the shopkeeper Bai Shaofeng had notified were certainly more than just Wei Xingyuan.

"Master Zhou," Wei Xingyuan said hurriedly. "Since you are capable of crafting finished spirit talismans, I have a request, and I hope you might agree to it."

"Speak," Zhou Changwang nodded.

"If you craft finished spirit talismans in the future, please sell them all to me. Of course, I will not let you suffer a loss. If the Bai family is willing to pay a ten percent premium, I will offer twenty percent. This, of course, applies only to finished spirit talismans," Wei Xingyuan stated.

"Is that necessary?" Zhou Changwang asked, surprised. "You only need to fulfill his procurement quota, why spend extra spirit stones on this?"

It was not that he didn't want to earn more; rather, Wei Xingyuan was genuinely honest and fair in business. Furthermore, he often shared news from the marketplace without keeping secrets from Zhou, so Zhou held the man in considerable regard.

"If it were just the Bai family, that would be one thing. The critical issue is the Chen family. Although no one has come yet, I suspect that before long, someone will order me to surrender spirit talismans as well. I dare not offend either side; otherwise, even if a conflict hadn't broken out yet, I wouldn't be able to continue my business at all," Wei Xingyuan said with a bitter face.

This was the sorrow of low-level cultivators. Although Wei Xingyuan was the owner of Talisman Fate Abode and possessed property, he could not be considered "low-level," yet precisely because of this, he was even more subject to the control of others. Both the Bai and Chen families were effectively managers of the marketplace, wielding immense power. He could not afford to be manipulated by either one. Thus, he had no choice but to please both sides. As for seeking the protection of one? He lacked the qualifications. If one side squeezed him, the other would not necessarily stand up for him.

"Rest assured, Shopkeeper Wei. If I decide to sell my finished spirit talismans, your shop will be my first choice. There is no need for a twenty percent premium; a ten percent premium, matching the Bai family's offer, will suffice," Zhou Changwang finally promised.

After leaving the shop, Zhou Changwang quickly changed his appearance and visited several other talisman shops. Naturally, he also visited the Six Directions Pavilion, the Bai Clan Trading Firm, and even the Water Cloud Pavilion. Although the larger shops offered lower prices for the talismans, his output was simply too high—almost every sheet of talisman paper resulted in a successful talisman—so he had to spread his sales out to move them effectively. To this end, he had established cooperative relationships with several small shops under different identities.

In the final tally, the spirit talismans he sold this time brought in about eight hundred low-grade spirit stones, even after deducting the cost of purchasing a sufficient supply of beast-skin talisman paper.

"Eight hundred low-grade spirit stones is not a small amount. If I do this a few more times, I can accumulate quite a stash. Most importantly, I haven't sold a single one of the three first-grade early-stage Golden Light Shield talismans yet." Walking down the street, Zhou Changwang felt calm.

It wasn't that he didn't want to sell the Golden Light Shield talismans. However, the Golden Light Shield was a mid-grade talisman. A first-grade mid-stage talisman master could potentially craft ordinary or fine-quality versions, but a finished first-grade early-stage talisman would inevitably draw attention. After all, talisman masters capable of crafting finished mid-grade talismans were relatively rare in the Fengming Dock marketplace, and almost all of them were well-known. A new one appearing out of nowhere would naturally invite scrutiny. Without a foolproof method to change his appearance and aura, Zhou Changwang would not risk selling them.

Consequently, after buying a "Four Seasons Array" and the corresponding flags at the Six Directions Pavilion for one hundred low-grade spirit stones, he hurried to the rogue cultivator market and purchased a manual on "Physiognomy and Bone-Shrinking." This technique was not a spell, but a physical cultivation method similar to martial arts, capable of fundamentally altering a cultivator's height and facial features. It was fundamentally different from illusion-based camouflage spells. Illusion spells could easily be seen through by anyone practicing the "Spirit Eye" technique, whereas this physical technique changed a cultivator's appearance and stature at the root; even someone with divine eyes capable of piercing through illusions could not find a single flaw.

The only drawback was the cultivator's unique aura. However, locking onto an aura was a capability only possessed by Foundation Establishment cultivators who had developed divine sense. Ordinary cultivators, even those at the ninth level of Qi Refining, could not use a person's aura to determine if they were someone they knew.

In the rogue market, news about the upcoming performance troupe was everywhere. Information about several performers had already spread: the flying acrobat "Flying Mouse" Wu Yuntian, the "Blue Moon Fairy" Zhao Yueqing who performed dances of magic, and the beast tamer Zhuge Hongyu who fought with men and snakes... Every one of them was a powerhouse at the seventh level of Qi Refining or higher.

Zhou Changwang looked toward the North District square, which was enclosed by a massive black curtain; it was predictable that the place would be extremely lively when the performance began. Even though the show was scheduled for the night, there were many who were willing to spend spirit stones to watch.

"Ten low-grade spirit stones for a basic ticket. Front-row seats are as high as one hundred. VIP seats aren't even for sale to the public..." Zhou Changwang merely glanced in that direction before walking away. Compared to the performance, he was more interested in the final tournament. It was said that two cultivators with a deep blood feud were using the troupe's platform to conduct a duel, and they had already signed a life-or-death pact. Only one of them would walk off the stage alive. The survivor would even receive a portion of the ticket sales.

But ten low-grade spirit stones for a single show? Zhou Changwang felt it was too extravagant. He hadn't forgotten the days when he had to work hard for half a year just to earn those ten spirit stones. Now, with his own spirit stones in short supply, he felt it didn't matter whether he watched the performance or not.

...

When he returned to his courtyard, the sky had already darkened. Zhou Changwang finished the process of deploying the array in his backyard, then returned to the front yard to cook a meal before entering his talisman room to begin his routine. Since he now understood the demands of the upper echelons in the marketplace, he would naturally not waste time on ordinary talismans. He threw himself into crafting Fireball Talismans, Lightning Talismans, and Light Shield Talismans.

He alternated between the three types. From time to time, the flash of light signaling a successful talisman would flicker, and periodically, the unique spiritual glow of a finished talisman would rise. Currently, Zhou Changwang’s probability of crafting a finished talisman for Fireball and Lightning was around ten percent. It was almost as if for every ten talismans drawn, one would be a first-grade early-stage finished talisman.

Such a probability was not low. Ordinary talisman masters first had to ensure their success rate—that is, how many sheets of paper it took to produce a single talisman. Even experienced first-grade mid-stage talisman masters could usually only maintain a fifty to sixty percent rate, while lower-level ones usually only managed ten to thirty percent. Then, among the talismans produced, they had to ensure the quality of the ordinary ones; if they could manage a fine-quality talisman, it was a pleasant surprise. A first-grade early-stage finished talisman? That required pure luck. Most would only produce one or two after a hundred successful attempts. This was why many had complex ritual processes before crafting; sometimes it truly felt like the favor of the gods of fate was required to produce a finished item.

A finished talisman was often three to five times more expensive than a fine-quality one. The stark difference in spirit stone income was why many talisman masters believed in metaphysics. Zhou Changwang, however, was ten times more efficient than them, and he had no possibility of failure.

"It is a pity that the probability for the Golden Light Shield is relatively lower, only five percent. It usually takes twenty attempts to succeed once," Zhou Changwang thought, his hands moving ceaselessly, turning him into a talisman-crafting machine.

...

The next day, in addition to his daily cultivation, Zhou Changwang added practicing the "Physiognomy and Bone-Shrinking" technique to his schedule. Furthermore, he had to spend time studying the "Four Seasons Array" manual he had bought. Compared to sound-insulation or mist arrays, the Four Seasons Array was much more complex. Although it was far inferior to the "Small Spirit Gathering Array" he had been studying, the difficulty of setting it up was still significant.

It took Zhou Changwang three days to fully understand the array and successfully deploy it across the five acres of spirit fields in his backyard. Suddenly, under his control, the weather in the backyard could be cycled. If he wanted it to be as warm as spring, he simply had to manipulate the array's seals; if he wanted summer heat, the array could immediately simulate the corresponding environment. Even if the outside world were freezing cold, one could stand inside the array for a while and break into a sweat.

Three days later, at night, Zhou Changwang had just finished his daily crafting and was about to enter his cultivation room when he suddenly saw the distant sky light up brightly. Then, faintly, he heard a clamor of noise.

"Is that in the direction of the North District? Right, the performance troupe is performing tonight. I didn't expect it to still be going on. It looks quite lively, doesn't it?" Zhou Changwang felt a flash of surprise, but he wasn't overly curious. He had seen many such troupes in his previous life; although the forms were different, they were essentially the same. In his view, the more people there were, the worse the experience. After attending once or twice in his past life, he couldn't be bothered to join the crowd; it was far more enjoyable to stay home and look at beautiful women...

Thus, he quickly entered his meditation chamber and began his routine training.

The night passed without incident. When Zhou Changwang woke up the next day, he performed three sets of the "Heavenly Origin Eight Forms." This physical cultivation technique felt like his body was growing stronger with every practice, and the effect did not diminish with repetition. This was because each time he performed it, he was resisting the power of heaven and earth, using the pressure of the world to compress and strengthen himself. The stronger his power became, the stronger the pressure that descended from heaven and earth, resulting in even better tempering effects.

"Also, it seems that every time I break through a realm, the movements of this technique are optimized. Currently, I have reached the 'Proficient' stage (197/200). I estimate that by tomorrow, I will be able to break through to the 'Small Success' stage. At that point, the cultivation effect will be even faster. It’s far more useful than eating those Blood-Qi Pills or Body-Forging Pills." Zhou Changwang felt a sense of anticipation. He had also discovered that while his aptitude for Qi Refining was weak, he was a genius at physical cultivation, and his progress was visible to the naked eye. By now, he felt his physical strength was not far from the third level of Body Refining.

After a quick "Cleansing Spell" to wash himself, Zhou Changwang was about to walk toward the kitchen when a knock sounded at the door.

"Who is it?" Zhou Changwang asked vigilantly.

"Marketplace Guard Captain, Yan Zhenxi," a low voice came from outside.

"Guard Captain Yan Zhenxi?" Zhou Changwang paused. He had heard of Yan Zhenxi; he was one of the eight major guard captains of the marketplace, with a cultivation base at the sixth level of Qi Refining. In fact, all eight captains were at this level and were formidable fighters. Before becoming a captain, Yan Zhenxi had actually been a well-known monster hunter in the Fengming Dock; Zhou Changwang's father had once worked in his team for a period. It was said that he was extremely strong and fair; he hadn't been overly harsh to the low-level "porters" like his father, and the pay had been decent.

However, the sudden arrival of this captain surprised Zhou Changwang, and he worried that his killing of the insect king Xue Tong had been exposed. He asked hurriedly, "What is the matter?"

"Open the door first. There is something I need to notify you about," the man replied.

Zhou Changwang couldn't delay further. Hearing that it was just a notification, he set aside some of his worry and opened the door. Standing outside was a sturdy-looking middle-aged cultivator in a guard uniform. He had thick eyebrows and sharp eyes, and a claw mark on his face added a layer of ferocity to his demeanor. Not far behind him, another guard was talking to his neighbor, the grave-robbing cultivator "Ghost Eye" Zhao Shanher.

"I don't know what brings Captain Yan here today?" Zhou Changwang asked calmly.

"Last night, there were several assassination incidents in the marketplace. Some rogue cultivators were killed on the spot, while others took advantage of the chaos to escape. I want to ask you if you heard any commotion last night," Yan Zhenxi explained.

"Assassinations? Where?" Zhou Changwang asked, then quickly added, "I didn't hear anything. I stayed home all night and didn't go out."

"After the performance troupe finished. Oh, right, here are the descriptions of the suspects seen by someone. Take a look, memorize them, and if you find anything, report it to us immediately. We will provide a reward," Yan Zhenxi looked at Zhou Changwang, naturally not suspecting any connection. In fact, before investigating, they had checked the rental records at the General Affairs Hall and knew Zhou Changwang was a native of Fengming Dock, formerly a spirit farmer with low strength, who would have no connection to such rogues.

He produced several sketches and displayed them. Zhou Changwang glanced at them—three men and a woman—none of whom he recognized. But immortal cultivators had countless means; it was possible they used the bone-shrinking technique or illusion spells, so their faces might not be real.

Zhou Changwang shook his head and asked curiously, "What is the reward?"

"Reporting the location of a rogue earns you one hundred low-grade spirit stones; if you manage to kill one, it's one thousand," Yan Zhenxi said, then glanced at Zhou Changwang and added, "You shouldn't get involved in this."

He paused, then said, "Actually, I knew your father. He was a capable and thoughtful innate warrior. It’s a pity he was born at the wrong time without a spirit root; otherwise, he could have achieved great things. I haven't seen him in years. When I checked your rental records and saw his name, I remembered an old friend. How is he doing now?"

"I didn't expect Captain Yan to remember my father. My father did mention you, saying you took good care of him in the hunting team. As for him, he has returned to the mundane world to retire and enjoy life," Zhou Changwang said with surprise. He wasn't surprised that the guard could check these records; he had rented his previous house under his father's name.

"Returned to the mundane world? That's good. Returning to the mundane world is indeed a good choice for him," Yan Zhenxi sighed in relief.

"Uncle Yan, do you know who was assassinated? How many died? If it were just ordinary people, it shouldn't be enough to cause such a massive commotion, right?" Zhou Changwang asked, seizing the opportunity to probe further.

"Don't ask what you shouldn't. In any case, stay inside for a while and don't go looking for trouble. I have work to do, so I won't talk further," Yan Zhenxi glared at him, offered a warning, and hurried off to the next house.

Across the way, "Ghost Eye" Zhao Shanher had finished his questioning and walked over to Zhou Changwang, saying with surprise, "I didn't expect you to have such a connection with Captain Yan."

Zhou Changwang didn't take the bait. He knew that the only reason the guard had been friendly was because he had recognized his father's name. If he tried to push that connection too far, it would only cause annoyance.

"Just a link between our fathers," Zhou Changwang said dismissively.

"That's not bad at all. That captain is the strongest of the eight, and the most likely to break through to the seventh level of Qi Refining. Once he does, he'll likely become a Commander," Zhao Shanher said, feigning envy.

Zhou Changwang remained indifferent; he relied on his own strength, not others.

"By the way, there was a big stir last night. It seems the market will be restless for a while," Zhao Shanher changed the subject.

"Oh? What exactly happened?" Zhou Changwang asked.

"It's simple. After the performance, someone assassinated a few people. Seven dead, thirteen injured—all from the Bai family. Then, other rogues took advantage of the chaos to kill many low-level cultivators. The seven Bai family members were all low-to-mid-level, but they all had skills: two alchemists, two talisman masters, one array master, one spirit planter, and one artifact refiner. The Bai family has suffered a huge loss; they are going mad," Zhao Shanher sighed.

"I see," Zhou Changwang nodded. Low-level cultivators were easy to replace, but skilled professionals were a massive investment. Losing seven at once would indeed make the Bai family furious.

"With the market in chaos, our safety is no longer guaranteed. Friend Zhou, I think you should consider my previous proposal. I am willing to sign a spiritual pact not to attack each other, and we can split the profits fifty-fifty. A Foundation Establishment cultivator's tomb—the treasures are immense. I've confirmed the identity of the tomb owner; he was a loner, and all his treasures would be inside..." Zhao Shanher tried to invite him again.

"Not interested. Goodbye!" Zhou Changwang didn't bother listening further, bowed, and turned back into his courtyard.