Chapter Thirty-Four: Domination

Fortunately, well before March, He Song had already discussed with him what might happen if Master Chengshan were to leave, and chaos broke out in the Immortal Market. Now that Master Chengshan had indeed departed suddenly, he did not feel flustered, for he and He Song had been thoroughly prepared over the past three months.

Spirit talismans. Magical artifacts. Robes imbued with power. These implements for spell dueling were things he had never bothered to prepare in the past. He had never encountered danger within the Immortal Market, and at that time, he saw no need to expend resources on such things. But when He Song laid out the pros and cons, reasoning so compellingly, he finally gritted his teeth and made arrangements for himself.

Now, having just broken through to the late stage of Qi Refinement, his combat strength was quite formidable. He had also prepared a number of spirit talismans specifically for dueling. In this way, even if Master Chengshan vanished abruptly, at least the two of them need not worry for their safety.

“Fellow Daoist, please return inside the courtyard and leave the matters outside to me. If any danger arises... just use the Earth Escape Talisman and flee,” Wei Fan said, his face showing composure as he thought of the magical implements and talismans he carried.

In three months, he had not only acquired magical artifacts, talismans, and robes to enhance his fighting capabilities, but had also purchased two life-saving talismans.

The Earth Escape Talisman—this was a high-grade spiritual talisman, capable of instantly burrowing ten miles underground, more than enough to evade pursuit from Qi Refinement cultivators. Wei Fan had prepared one for himself, and lent another to He Song.

Though he was a late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator, and all his neighbors were as well, one could never be too careful. Having been friends with He Song for so long, he too had become more cautious by nature. If it came to a situation where he was outmatched and the surrounding cultivators couldn’t be relied upon, these two Earth Escape Talismans would allow them to flee swiftly, perhaps even survive to make a comeback. These talismans were their trump cards, held in reserve.

“All right, Brother Wei, be careful.” With a nod, He Song offered no objection and promptly retreated into the courtyard, activating the Breath Concealment Art to erase all trace of his presence.

He would be of no help outside, and worse, could easily become a target for demonic cultivators. A low-level cultivator dwelling in the home of a late-stage one—demonic cultivators would surely suspect a special relationship. If captured, he could be used to threaten Wei Fan, and would only be a liability. Rather than hinder, it was better to hide away in the courtyard, using the Breath Concealment Art to pretend he didn’t exist. This would allow Wei Fan to face the crisis with greater composure.

Up in the loft—

Wei Fan had just put away the tea set when he sensed He Song’s presence vanish swiftly within the courtyard. Detecting this, Wei Fan’s expression remained unchanged, though inwardly he nodded in approval. His friend’s cultivation might be low, but in terms of caution, he was second to none among those Wei Fan knew.

Wei Fan had come to appreciate the benefits of caution. Had it not been for He Song’s prudence, his own magical implements and talismans would likely still be those suited for mid-stage Qi Refinement. But now? Everything he wore and carried was suited to the late stage—artifacts, talismans, even his robes.

Thus, even though his cultivation was only at the seventh level of Qi Refinement, he need not fear for his safety when facing other late-stage cultivators. It could be said that, without He Song’s caution, he would not be so calm now, nor would he have the confidence to wait at home as he did.

He waited.

A night passed.

That night, the Immortal Market remained as peaceful as ever. It seemed as if Master Chengshan’s departure had not stirred any waves. Yet, after dawn, the sudden rise in the prices of spirit talismans, magical artifacts, and robes was enough to alert sharp-witted cultivators that something was amiss.

Some less-informed itinerant cultivators grumbled, cursing the Immortal Market for shameless price hikes. Those more attuned to the news quietly spent their spirit stones on anything that could save their lives. Thus, prices for talismans, artifacts, and robes began to soar once more.

Many savvy cultivators spent the night depleting their savings to buy these life-saving items. The cultivators responsible for selling them within the Immortal Market mostly had no idea why, but seeing so many customers seeking protective goods, they could only sell as usual. Not knowing the reason for the sudden price increase, those at the lowest level did not dwell on it. In fact, they found it odd that the higher prices drew even more buyers.

On the first day, He Song and Wei Fan stayed shut within their courtyard. Most itinerant cultivators outside carried on as usual—living, cultivating, meditating, seeking breakthroughs within the Immortal Market. Meanwhile, prices for magical artifacts, talismans, and robes began their upward spiral.

On the second day, He Song and Wei Fan remained secluded. Prices for magical artifacts, talismans, and robes continued to climb. Some cultivators, sensitive to the change, began to suspect something and hurriedly purchased protective gear. More hurried figures appeared on the streets.

On the third day, He Song and Wei Fan still did not venture out. In a dark corner of the Immortal Market, several itinerant cultivators’ corpses were discovered. The Market’s enforcers investigated but found nothing and hastily closed the case.

At the same time, the majority of magical artifacts in the Artifact Pavilion were sold out. Despite the continual stream of buyers, only outrageously expensive items remained, and even those were soon snapped up. Spirit talismans at the Talisman Hall were also gone, and buyers swarmed the market stalls, only to find those talismans long since sold out. As for the Robe Pavilion’s magical robes—those were not for ordinary itinerant cultivators, but only affordable to late-stage cultivators or wealthy mid-stage ones.

On the fourth day, He Song and Wei Fan still kept their doors shut. Some reported hearing fierce magical duels during the night, but no one dared to investigate. At dawn, people cautiously ventured outside, only to find corpses strewn across a street—unknown masked figures clad in black, and some local cultivators who had tried to take a look.

With this news, the entire Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market was gripped by fear. The enforcer squad quickly issued a notice to every household:

“Demonic cultivators have infiltrated Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market and are slaughtering wantonly. The enforcers are hunting them down.

Anyone found sheltering demonic cultivators—death!
Anyone found abetting demonic cultivators—death!
Anyone who knows and does not report—death!
Anyone who uses this chance to loot—death!
Anyone who refuses to cooperate—death!
Anyone found colluding—death!
…”

A string of blood-red proclamations of death glared out from the announcement, causing He Song to frown slightly. It was the first time he had seen such a brutal notice—everything was punishable by death. It was tyrannical to the extreme.