"Granny Ruan," Rong Ju said, peering out the window at Chu Zhong's retreating figure, her voice tinged with unease. "Isn't it too harsh to simply drive him away like that? Miss specifically instructed us to look after him."
Manager Ruan sipped his spirit tea, his expression indifferent. "Miss places too much value on these common folk, which makes them overconfident. A mere First-Tier spirit wine brewing technique? Such talents are a dime a dozen in Prefecture City. Besides, we promised to protect him from the Azurewood Sect's persecution the moment he brews one of the two Second-Tier spirit wines Miss needs. Even if he ultimately fails, I'll pull him back from the brink—that's what true kindness looks like."
Rong Ju lowered her head, saying nothing more.
Granny Ruan values profit above all else, manipulating hearts with cold calculation. While this ruthlessness is essential for the Chamber of Commerce's survival, it grates against my conscience. If Miss hadn't intervened back then, I'd be nothing but withered bones by now. The same goes for my three sisters.
Seeing several figures tailing Chu Zhong's escape light, Rong Ju remembered her Miss's instructions. She bowed deeply to Manager Ruan and prepared to follow them.
I can't resolve his troubles with the Azurewood Sect, but I can't just stand by and watch him die without knowing why.
Noticing Rong Ju's actions, Manager Ruan set down his teacup with a soft sigh. He lightly tapped his right foot, causing ripples to form at his feet.
That Loose Cultivator can die, but Rong Girl must not come to harm.
With a flick of his wrist, he activated a formation that teleported him out of the Market City. Concealing his presence, he began to shadow Rong Ju's escape light.
As Wei Zhong left the Market City, he sensed several figures pursuing him.
The arrival of the Cloud Gathering Merchant Guild has greatly stimulated cultivators' spending, even attracting more Robber Cultivators.
He tossed a few more spirit stones into the Green Boat, causing its azure escape light to accelerate slightly. Wei Zhong had no intention of engaging with them. The paltry wealth of ordinary Foundation Establishment Tribulation Robber Cultivators held no appeal for him.
Besides, his time was precious. He needed to hurry back to his island for cultivation, with no leisure for playing "cat and mouse" with these fools.
Seeing Wei Zhong's flying magical artifact suddenly accelerate, the Robber Cultivators grew even more eager in their pursuit.
"He's speeding up—he must be scared," one of the Robber Cultivators said. "Fellow Daoists, let's accelerate and keep chasing. This brat has been at the Cloud Gathering Merchant Guild for so long; he's bound to be carrying a fortune."
Greed flickered in the eyes of the man beside him.
"Fellow Daoist Gu, don't be hasty," another said. "I've already contacted Fellow Daoist Zhang to intercept him ahead. When the time comes, we'll swarm him and take him down easily. For now, let's conserve our mana for the upcoming fight."
Hearing that another fellow Daoist was lying in wait, the two exchanged glances, each secretly hoping Zhang would exhaust the newcomer from the Market City first.
When the snipe and the clam quarrel, the fisherman profits.
"That makes perfect sense!"
The trio maintained their original escape speed, tailing Wei Zhong closely without attempting to intercept him.
Wei Zhong reclined in the Green Boat's cabin, even taking the time to sip some spirit wine.
This Second-Tier Azure Spirit Brew nourishes the physical body. I often enjoy a few sips when I have nothing else to do.
Suddenly, an unfamiliar Qi Aura intruded into the range of his divine sense. Wei Zhong set down his wine cup.
"So there are more accomplices?"
He stepped from the cabin onto the deck, watching the approaching escape light grow steadily closer. Wei Zhong showed no sign of panic.
His fingers tightened around the small black sphere, ready to unleash the Flying Throwing Technique. But sensing something amiss, he swiftly switched to a fragment of a broken magic tool.
A fiery red Flying Sword streaked toward Wei Zhong. He activated the Flying Throwing Technique to intercept it. The impact shattered the Robber Cultivator's control over the sword, sending its furious assault veering wildly off course. The cultivator was forced to recall the faltering blade.
Holding the fragment in his palm, Wei Zhong noticed significant damage. Repairing it would cost at least several hundred spirit stones, a prospect that stung deeply.
He conjured a golden talisman and hurled it at Wei Zhong. In mid-air, the talisman transformed into a golden crescent moon, which then fragmented into a hundred smaller arcs, each arcing toward Wei Zhong's Green Boat.
Wei Zhong sighed softly, stowed the Green Boat beneath his feet, and activated the Cloud Soaring Technique. He vanished from his position just before the attack arrived.
The Robber Cultivator blocking his path wore a surprised expression, clearly taken aback by Wei Zhong's swift evasion of his Spirit Talisman's attack.
With a flick of his fingers, the hundred crescent hooks curved sharply mid-air, as if guided by eyes, and continued their pursuit.
Wei Zhong summoned a blue shield with his left hand. Infused with spiritual energy, the palm-sized shield instantly expanded to the size of a door panel.
With a flick of his index finger, Wei Zhong thrust his shield forward, actively meeting the incoming attack head-on.
The robber cultivator tried to redirect his crescent hook, but Wei Zhong's proactive maneuver disrupted its trajectory, leaving only a few stray sparks to strike him.
Blackwater Spirit Garment
A cyan aura enveloped Wei Zhong's body, merging with his Second-Tier Magic Robe to intercept the attack.
Ever since witnessing Yao Zheng Sheng of the Azurewood Sect unleash his dark mana, Wei Zhong had grown cautious, always concealing his spellcasting in public.
As the talisman shattered, a slender green sword shadow flashed from Wei Zhong's sleeve—the Green Bamboo Sword he had purchased at Bright Moon Market City.
The robber cultivator hastily activated his magic sword to parry, but when he glanced back at Wei Zhong, he found him vanished.
Simultaneously activating the Green Bamboo Sword and the Cloud Soaring Technique, Wei Zhong had already materialized beside the cultivator. Wielding his massive, thick black greatsword, he brought it crashing down in a thunderous, vertical strike.
Years of nurturing his physique with Azure Vine Intoxication had transformed Wei Zhong's body, making him no longer the frail Spirit Cultivator he once was. His raw strength now rivaled that of a half-fledged Body Refinement Cultivator.
Combined with the heavy, earth-shattering force of his dark spiritual energy and the greatsword's inherent weight, the blow carried the force of a full-strength attack from an ordinary Early Foundation Establishment cultivator.
The Robber Cultivator snapped out of his daze to see Wei Zhong's sword hurtling toward him, terror etched across his face. Without hesitation, he hastily summoned his defensive shield, but his hurried incantation was no match for Wei Zhong's full-powered strike.
The shield's spiritual light flickered once before shattering. The Robber Cultivator scrambled to evade, but in an instant, half his arm and a foot were severed.
Blood gushed freely, and the searing pain forced a terrified roar from his throat. Gathering his spiritual energy, he prepared to unleash an escape technique to distance himself from Wei Zhong.
Wei Zhong seized the opportunity. Dropping his heavy sword, he closed the gap empty-handed. A tiny shard materialized in his palm, spinning so rapidly under the flow of spiritual energy that it blurred into afterimages.
A palm strike to the chest sent violent tremors through the Robber Cultivator's body. The spiritual light of his First-Tier magic robe flickered and died, its defense instantly shattered. The shard, now enveloped in concentrated spiritual energy, pierced through his chest and abdomen, tearing through his internal organs. Emerging from his back, it dragged with it a mass of unrecognizable crimson matter.
Terror and confusion lingered in the Robber Cultivator's eyes. He couldn't believe he had fallen so easily in just a few exchanges with this man.
Wei Zhong's water bullet pierced through the Robber Cultivator's head, extinguishing his life force completely. After retrieving the man's Storage Pouch and magic tools, Wei Zhong finally noticed the three Robber Cultivators approaching belatedly from behind.
The three men exchanged uneasy glances, struggling to believe that Fellow Daoist Zhang had fallen so easily. This plump lamb might be more than we bargained for, they thought.
Wei Zhong stowed his spoils, gripped his heavy sword, and levitated the Green Bamboo Sword in the air, poised for action. "Fellow Daoists, what urgent matter brings you here after tailing me?" he asked with a confident smile, radiating unwavering resolve.
The three newcomers possessed cultivation bases similar to the one Wei Zhong had just slain—Early Foundation Establishment. Though outnumbered, Wei Zhong remained unfazed. If he weren't aware of someone watching nearby, he would have decisively eliminated all four Robber Cultivators already.
Seeing Wei Zhong's composed demeanor, the trio reacted differently. One had already begun to waver. Noticing his companion's hesitation, the cultivator surnamed Gu roared: "Fellow Daoists, why hesitate now? He's alone, and his previous battle must have drained his energy. With all three of us in peak condition, how could we possibly fail to defeat him?"
Hearing this, the two cultivators exchanged glances. One of them suggested, "Fellow Daoist Gu, why don't you lead the charge?"
Fellow Daoist Gu cursed inwardly but replied, "It would be safest if all three of us attacked simultaneously."
Wei Zhong observed them with amusement. Such a timid group, hesitant and afraid to commit—they couldn't even be decent Robber Cultivators.
But Wei Zhong understood that this was typical of Loose Cultivators. After years of cultivation, he had witnessed countless Fellow Daoists perish on the Dao Path due to carelessness. Loose Cultivators naturally harbored deep suspicion toward both people and situations.
One had to constantly guard against their own companions, lest they strike from behind. Moreover, these three could hardly be considered companions; they were merely a hastily assembled group of Robber Cultivators.
Wei Zhong watched as they hesitated to join the fray, waiting for him and his partner to wear each other down.
A moment's inattention had cost his partner his life. Realizing the situation was more challenging than expected, the group had retreated into their current defensive posture.
As Wei Zhong pondered this, his divine sense suddenly detected a familiar Qi Aura approaching. Grinning, he taunted, "Are you three going to act or not? If you hesitate any longer, my reinforcements will arrive."
No sooner had Wei Zhong finished speaking than Rong Ju arrived. She frowned slightly as she surveyed the three cultivators confronting him, then glanced at the mangled corpses below. With a polite bow to Wei Zhong, she inquired, "Fellow Daoist Chu, do you require assistance?"
"Haha! Just a few petty Robber Cultivators—Immortal Rong needn't trouble herself," Wei Zhong boasted.
Hearing Wei Zhong's arrogant words, the three cultivators glared at him, anger flickering in their eyes. However, one of them caught sight of Rong Ju and froze. After exchanging a few whispered messages with his companions, a hint of wariness crept into their expressions.
"Fellow Daoist," one of them said hastily, "this is all a misunderstanding. We saw you being harassed by those Robber Cultivators and merely wanted to help. We had no ill intentions toward you. Now that you're safe, we'll take our leave. Farewell until fate brings us together again."
With that, the trio turned and fled in three directions, each employing their own escape techniques.
A smile played on Wei Zhong's lips as he bowed to Rong Ju. "Many thanks for your assistance, Immortal Maiden."
He incinerated the corpses with a fire spell, then retrieved the magic tools, spirit stones, and other treasures he had acquired, tossing them along with the Storage Pouch to Rong Ju. "Consider this my humble token of gratitude, Immortal Maiden."
Rong Ju opened her mouth to reply, but Wei Zhong had already summoned his Green Boat, transforming it into a streak of azure light as he departed.