Chapter 14 : The Wang Family’s Conspiracy

Chapter 14: The Wang Family’s Conspiracy

In the marketplace.

Lin Chang’an tidied his things and moved into the residence arranged by the Zhou Family.

Compared to his previous lodgings, this one was a courtyard.

There was a small garden, the environment was beautiful without a doubt, and the residence was far better than before.

Inside the room, Lin Chang’an looked at the first-grade mid-grade Golden Light Talisman manual provided by the Zhou Family, and the prompt appeared in his mind, but he fell into deep thought.

Because in the lifespan section, he seemed to have discovered an important issue.

“Although I can now earn Spirit Stones, and even my cultivation has broken through to the mid-Qi Refining stage, something still hasn’t changed.”

Before the power-up, I only lived to this hundred-year lifespan; after the power-up, I still live this hundred years—so the power-up was for nothing!

At this thought, Lin Chang’an’s earlier good mood vanished.

Perhaps this gathering had stimulated him, seeing others planning their Foundation Establishment stage.

Mainly it was that his awakening was too late.

If it had been twenty years earlier, he would probably already be preparing for Foundation Establishment, without needing to worry about lifespan now.

“Foundation Establishment cultivators start at a lifespan of two hundred years!”

“Given the talent awakened in me, it’s not unrealistic.”

Although the power-up didn’t grant immortality, it gave him infinite opportunities.

The more Lin Chang’an thought, the more energized he became.

“After sixty years old, the chance of establishing a foundation only decreases. I have twenty years left — first set a small goal: break through to Qi Refining Stage Seven within ten years.”

“If I can’t breakthrough before sixty, I must enjoy life while I still have decades left — otherwise the power-up would be wasted.”

With a goal in mind, Lin Chang’an felt full of drive. He put down the manual and moved to the prepared talisman-drawing table.

Calming his breath, Lin Chang’an took a deep breath. Instead of closing his eyes like other talisman masters, he raised his brush and dipped it in cinnabar without hesitation.

“Swish swish!”

The brush tip danced on the talisman paper like dragons and snakes, smooth and fluid.

“Puff!”

A cloud of thick smoke rose, causing Lin Chang’an to cough — clearly his first first-grade mid-grade talisman had failed.

“Again!”

When other talisman masters fail, they need time to readjust their state, but he was gifted and didn’t need to.

Lin Chang’an didn’t lose heart; instead, he focused his intent and began drawing again.

Mid-grade Golden Light Talismans are not only more demanding in materials and mana consumption, but also far more intricate and complex.

Swish swish!

As after repeatedly seeing white smoke rising from each talisman paper, finally on the sixth one, golden spiritual light flickered.

“It worked!”

Lin Chang’an smiled broadly, looking at the first first-grade mid-grade Golden Light Talisman he had ever drawn, unable to stop laughing.

“I never expected that I would be able to produce a first-grade mid-grade talisman.”

Half a year ago, he was a discouraged Qi Refining Stage Three cultivator, ready to return to mortal life, but in less than six months…

Now not only had he broken through to Qi Refining Stage Four, but he could also produce first-grade mid-grade Golden Light Talismans.

“A first-grade mid-grade talisman, a defensive Golden Light Talisman — on the outside its value is worth four Spirit Stones.”

From one Spirit Stone to four, he’d achieved another qualitative leap.

In the following days, Lin Chang’an returned to dwelling life.

In the eyes of the Zhou Family, Lin Chang’an was a talisman master with some talent. In just two months he mastered the craft and produced the first mid-grade talisman.

From the third month onward, Lin Chang’an began instructing the four apprentices assigned by the Zhou Family.

At the Wang Family.

In a secret chamber, iron cages held young demon-beast cubs crying out, and two of them bared fangs fiercely.

“Chief Elder, we captured thirty-eight Black Wind Wolf demon-beast cubs, and among them two have the bloodline of second-rank wolf kings.”

In the dim secret chamber, upon hearing the report, the Wang Family’s Foundation Establishment chief elder smiled in satisfaction and nodded.

“Good, very good—this time we must make the Beast-Taming Zhou Family suffer a major setback.”

The Qi Refining late-stage cultivator following behind the chief elder winced at the remark.

“Chief Elder, should we abandon the two second-rank bloodline demon-beasts?”

It wasn’t stinginess; once these second-rank cubs matured, they could rival Foundation Establishment cultivators.

But the chief elder snorted coldly.

“Demon-beasts! Forget about cultivation difficulty — consider the time and resources spent raising beasts. Wouldn’t it be better used on our own younger cultivators? Our Wang Family is populous; we shouldn’t be compared to beast-rearing Zhou Family.”

“Yes, yes.” The Qi Refining cultivator cupped his hands.

“Be cautious.”

Looking at the cages, the elder’s face revealed greed.

“While the marketplace is in chaos, we’ll sell these wolf cubs on the black market. Zhou Family won’t miss this opportunity. Then we’ll leak the news to boost their reputation – let all cultivators know that the Beast-Taming Zhou Family obtained two second-rank demon-beast cubs.”

The nearby Qi Refining cultivator also wore a sinister smile.

“Chief Elder, rest assured. I led the capture myself. We kept Zhou Family disciples’ clothing and talisman scents, even fragments of their clan’s Spirit Beast Xuan Shui Turtle’s armor. These beasts are surely enraged.”

“When the demon-beasts attack the marketplace, that blame will fall squarely on the Zhou Family!”

When the elder heard “Xuan Shui Turtle,” a flash of hatred appeared in his eyes.

“Twenty years ago, it was because of that beast—otherwise this marketplace would’ve been the Wang Family’s. This time we will crush the Zhou Family!”

Twenty years ago, the Wang and Zhou families had a grudge over marketplace resources. The Zhou Family relied on their trump card, the Xuan Shui Turtle, to avoid defeat, though they were also severely weakened.

Because of that, Li Erniu was able to marry into the Zhou Family.

In the Yunwu Mountain Range, wolf howls echoed from a valley.

In the moonlight, dens had been emptied. There were traces of a battle between cultivators and demon-beasts.

The scene was grisly: cubs and mother wolves dismembered everywhere, indicating brutal vengeance.

Pairs of oil-green eyes filled with human-like anger appeared. Above the valley, two Black Wind Wolf demon-beasts exuded terrifying aura.

They stared fixedly in the direction of Qingzhu Mountain Marketplace, then howled to the sky in moonlight.

The howls shook loose stones in the valley, and hundreds of miles away, countless demon-beasts sensed it, their fur bristling in alarm.

Meanwhile, denser howling rose within the valley.

Under cover of night, led by the wolf kings, a dense mass of black shadows raced out of the valley—not toward Qingzhu Mountain Marketplace, but deeper into the Yunwu Mountains.

The leading wolf king glanced once more toward the marketplace, its oil-green eyes showing humanized, profound hatred.

As the wolf pack disappeared, the night fell into terrifying silence.

But on the vaulted tree at the valley’s edge, a figure slowly emerged.

“Terrifying aura. That wolf king must be late second-rank, and the other’s early second-rank.”

The figure, watching the wolves depart, revealed a sinister smile.

“A bunch of beasts — now go into the mountains to drive out demon-beasts. Then the marketplace will relive the disaster of demon-beast attacks from fifteen years ago.”

In a hoarse laugh, recalling the massacre fifteen years ago caused fear to flicker in his eyes.

“But this time is different — all the cultivators’ anger will be unleashed on the Zhou Family.”

The figure wore an icy grin and tossed out a flying vessel before vanishing into the night.

Black Wind Wolf demon-beasts are not only vengeful but highly intelligent.

Facing the human marketplace, they didn’t rush impulsively into revenge, but as planned by the Wang Family, headed into the mountains to herd out demon-beasts, thereby causing chaos in the marketplace.