The sudden attack not only startled the intruders but also stunned the team of cultivators.
"Go, see what's going on!" a steady voice commanded.
Lü Zhong's heart skipped a beat when he heard this.
'Something's wrong. These aren't people from the Law Enforcement Team!'
He had lived here long enough to memorize everyone on the Law Enforcement Team. He immediately sensed that something was amiss.
Looking closer, the five-colored attire worn by this team of cultivators was not the standard uniform of the Qingyang Sect at all.
It was clearly the style of another Sect.
Without the slightest hesitation, Lü Zhong gave up the idea of finishing off the man and retreated at top speed.
At almost the same moment, several figures rushed into the small courtyard one after another, running right into the three intruders.
"Kill them. Leave no one alive!"
The burly giant emerged from the darkness and gave the order to silence them.
A man in black looked in the direction Lü Zhong had fled, stepped forward, and bowed. "One got away. Should we..."
As he spoke, the man in black made a throat-slitting gesture.
"There's no time," the burly giant said, shaking his head.
Their mission was to take over all of Qingliu Square; there was no need for further complications.
Meanwhile, Lü Zhong had run into trouble again.
He had just jumped down from a roof, only to land right in front of a man in black.
The sudden encounter left no time to react.
On the surface, Lü Zhong's face was calm, but inwardly he was cursing his luck. He tightened his grip on the Fireball Talisman in his hand, ready to activate it at a moment's notice.
"Hold on, I don't think we need to fight!" the man in black across from him said suddenly.
The familiar voice stunned Lü Zhong.
"Fellow Daoist Chen?"
He knew that voice well; it was clearly Chen Dongyang's.
Realizing this, Lü Zhong didn't lower his guard. Instead, he subtly backed away.
"Fellow Daoist Lü, no need to be so cautious. If all goes as planned, by the time tonight is over, Qingliu Market will belong to the Five Spirits Sect." Chen Dongyang seemed a little excited now, and actually started laughing as he spoke. "Once that happens, the Great Commerce Association that exploits us will no longer have a place in Qingliu Square!"
Hearing this, Lü Zhong thought, 'So that's your reason for joining the Five Spirits Sect? What a roundabout way to go about it.' He didn't let his guard down one bit.
He knew he was a nobody; it was never wrong to be a little more guarded.
Especially in a situation like this.
Chen Dongyang pulled down his mask and spoke in a low voice. "I suppose Fellow Daoist Lü is unaware that the Five Spirits Sect is actually a rival Sect to the Qingyang Sect. The previous invasions by Demon Cultivators were all staged by Five Spirits Sect cultivators in disguise, all to weaken the Qingyang Sect step by step."
"And tonight, the Five Spirits Sect has decided..."
As he spoke, Chen Dongyang suddenly dropped his pretense. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes as he raised his hand and shot out a cold gleam.
The cold gleam was not a Magical Artifact, but a hidden weapon.
But he was certain that, caught off guard, it would be enough to take Lü Zhong's life.
Unexpectedly, just as the cold gleam neared Lü Zhong, a protective shield suddenly materialized.
With a DING, the hidden weapon was deflected by the Little Earth Spirit Shield.
'That was close,' Lü Zhong thought. 'Thank goodness I didn't let my guard down, or I'd really be dead.'
Men's hearts are treacherous. He never would have imagined Chen Dongyang would attack him.
Lü Zhong didn't dwell on it. They were both at the Qi Refining Third Layer, their strength roughly equal. He couldn't afford the slightest distraction.
He formed a Sword Gesture, and a Sword Aura shot out instantly.
At almost the same instant, Chen Dongyang produced a small crossbow and pulled the trigger.
The Sword Aura was much faster than the crossbow arrow, and a spray of blood erupted from Chen Dongyang's chest.
A split second later, the crossbow arrow shattered the Little Earth Spirit Shield and continued, its momentum unchecked, toward Lü Zhong's heart.
The arrowhead had a purple sheen and was carved with multiple blood grooves—vicious to the extreme.
If it hit, he could practically be pronounced dead.
But to Chen Dongyang's surprise, the crossbow arrow was blocked once again.
"It's an Arrow Avoidance Talisman!"
With both sneak attacks having failed, he finally began to panic.
A Sword Aura struck, and his vision went dark.
Seeing Chen Dongyang's body fall limp, Lü Zhong leaned against the wall, his heart pounding wildly. He couldn't stop his body from trembling.
'In the end... in the end, I still killed someone!'
Although he had long expected it, knowing that this day would come sooner or later, he never thought it would be so soon.
'What's done is done. There's no use dwelling on it...' Lü Zhong decided not to think about it anymore.
He glanced at the body on the ground. After a moment's hesitation, he fought back his nausea and began to search it.
He didn't find much: a money pouch containing Spirit Stones, a set of Talisman-Making Tools that Chen Dongyang carried with him, and about a hundred-odd blank Talisman Papers.
After putting the spoils into his Storage Bag, Lü Zhong didn't forget to disturb the scene before disappearing around the corner of the alley.
...
The chaos continued until dawn before finally subsiding.
Just as Chen Dongyang had said, cultivators claiming to be from the Five Spirits Sect began to appear on the streets.
They maintained order while going from street to street, knocking on every door.
"The Qingyang Sect is incompetent and corrupt, which is why Qingliu Square has been invaded by Demon Cultivators time and again... Starting today, Qingliu Market will be protected by the Five Spirits Sect! We have the strength and the ability to do so... Fellow Daoists, please do not panic. Lock your doors and windows and wait for the situation to calm down... The Five Spirits Sect has always treated Loose Cultivators favorably. Let us work together to build a better Qingliu Square!"
A cultivator in five-colored robes shouted at the top of his lungs, trying to calm the populace.
From a corner, Lü Zhong peeked out.
He saw that the team of cultivators from last night wore the exact same attire as these Five Spirits Sect members.
'The ones I attacked were Evil Cultivators. The Five Spirits Sect probably won't hold me accountable...'
With that thought, Lü Zhong headed toward his home.
Turning a street corner, he came across a passing squad of Five Spirits Sect cultivators.
His gaze fell on one of them, and he recognized his former neighbor, Zhao Fugui. He was in the squad, wearing the Five Spirits Sect robes.
'It seems Chen Dongyang wasn't lying.'
His mind heavy with thoughts, he walked to his rented home. He didn't forget to use his Qi Observation Skill beforehand to check for ambushes. Seeing no one around, he pushed open the courtyard gate.
As soon as he entered, he was greeted by the sight of three corpses.
'All killed in a single blow. These Five Spirits Sect people are truly ruthless!'
After a second glance, Lü Zhong's eyes suddenly lit up.
A moment later, he had pulled out a small pile of items.
There was blank Talisman Paper, eleven Spirit Stones, and some other miscellaneous junk.
The items were a mess; it was clear the three had looted them.
Although he didn't know why the Five Spirits Sect hadn't searched the three bodies, that didn't stop Lü Zhong from pocketing everything.
Just like that, he had pocketed nearly twenty more Spirit Stones.
"Hiss... Murder and arson truly are the most profitable ventures. This is almost equal to two months of my income from Talisman Making!" Lü Zhong forcibly suppressed his delight, not wanting to find pleasure in looting corpses.
Otherwise, he was afraid he might one day lose control and go down the wrong path.
'Those who kill will always be killed by others.'
'With the Gray Mist Space, there's no need to abandon a perfectly good path just to covet some quick money.'
Taking a deep breath, Lü Zhong finally calmed down.
He didn't know when the corpse-disposal team would arrive, so he decided to drag the three bodies out first, then fetch water to wash down the courtyard and get rid of the smell of blood sooner.
After finishing these tasks, Lü Zhong closed the door and prepared to take stock of his spoils.
The items from the three intruders were about what he had estimated, worth around twenty Spirit Stones.
Next were the things from Chen Dongyang: a total of one hundred fifty-three sheets of blank Talisman Paper, the Talisman-Making Tool set which was worth a bit more—probably sellable for two Spirit Stones—and then the linen money pouch.
He opened the pouch and poured its contents onto the table.
His gaze fell upon a jade hairpin, and his expression froze.
'This is Huang Shuyuan's...'
A hairpin is a personal item. Given Huang Shuyuan's character as a well-bred young lady, she would never give it away so casually.
For it to now be on Chen Dongyang's person, he was afraid she had...