In the tense atmosphere among the three people, Lu Xuan took out a Spirit Stone from his sleeve and warmly handed it to the mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator.
"Fellow Daoists, you’ve worked hard checking everything along the way. Here’s a small token of appreciation, please enjoy a cup of Spirit Tea on me."
A sincere smile appeared on Lu Xuan's face.
The leading mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator couldn't refuse and accepted the Spirit Stone. He weighed it in his hand, and with his experience, he quickly estimated the amount, revealing a satisfied smile.
Seeing him accept the Spirit Stone, Lu Xuan felt a bit more relaxed.
He didn’t want these three to enter his Spiritual Field and see the rare and precious spiritual plants like Sword Grass and Dark Marrow Fungus, fearing they might get greedy and cause trouble.
If it came to a fight, he was confident that with his own fifth-level Qi Refining cultivation, along with his special first-grade artifact, the Silver Splitting Blade, and second-grade talismans like the Sword Qi Talismans and Thunder Fire Pearl, he could easily take out the three of them.
But he couldn’t bear the aftermath. After all, there were too many people around, and it wouldn’t be easy to deal with them without anyone noticing.
With no other option, bribery seemed the way to go. Twenty Spirit Stones to avoid a possible conflict was something he could accept.
He wore a fake smile, mentally noting the three, especially the leading mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator, and secretly vowed to get back at them when he had the chance.
The mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator discreetly put all twenty Spirit Stones into his storage bag, while the two mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators beside him acted as if they hadn’t seen anything.
"I see you’re a talented person, straightforward and honest. You definitely wouldn’t have any dealings with evil spirits. How about this? Let my two subordinates take a look around your yard."
The mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator said to Lu Xuan with a smile.
Lu Xuan was taken aback, understanding the hidden meaning in his words, and a surge of anger rose in him.
"I already gave you twenty Spirit Stones. If you want to keep them all for yourself, that’s one thing, but now you want me to feed your two subordinates as well? Aren’t you afraid they’ll burst from overeating?"
If he was only thinking of getting back at them before, hearing the mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator’s words made him seriously consider killing all three.
He led the two mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators into the yard and handed each of them five Spirit Stones. They glanced at them casually and then left, satisfied.
"My Spirit Stones aren’t that easy to earn."
Lu Xuan followed them out of the yard, watching their figures with a cold smile in his heart.
Just as the three were about to head to another yard, Wang Shan suddenly walked out of his house.
Seeing the mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator, his eyes lit up.
"Senior Brother Tan, what brings you here? You didn’t even come in to see your junior brother?"
Wang Shan approached with a beaming smile.
"There's a task from above, and I’m busy with official duties. Evil spirits keep appearing in the market, so I have to come out and check more often. Junior Brother Wang, it’s been a while. Your cultivation has improved a lot."
The mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator replied with a smile.
"I see. This Lu Daoist is my neighbor. He loves cultivating spiritual plants and is honest and simple. Senior Brother Tan, you haven’t made things difficult for him, have you?"
"Of course not. Lu Xiaobrother looks like a very upright person, so he wouldn’t have any connections with evil spirits."
The mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator named Tan said, not mentioning the fact that he had just pocketed Lu Xuan’s twenty Spirit Stones.
"That’s good to hear. Let me introduce you to each other."
"This is Lu Xuan, a third-level Qi Refining cultivator and a Spiritual Plant Cultivator."
"This is Tan Xiaodong, the steward responsible for safety in the market. He has a deep cultivation and has been at the fifth level of Qi Refining for many years, so he’s considered my senior brother."
Wang Shan introduced them to each other.
"Nice to meet you, Tan Daoist. You are known for being fair and dedicated. Having such a strong steward to protect us is a blessing for many cultivators in the market."
Lu Xuan said with a hint of sarcasm.
"Wang Shan, why didn’t you come out earlier? If you had, I might have saved those dozens of Spirit Stones, and your senior brother might still have his life."
He couldn’t help but think to himself, feeling quite regretful over his loss of those thirty Spirit Stones.
"Roar~~!!"
In the yard, when Wang Shan entered, the Cloud Stepping Leopard, which had been quietly staying in the corner, suddenly let out a low growl.
"Be quiet!"
Lu Xuan gently patted the gray-white fur on its pointed ears.
The young Cloud Stepping Leopard, with its bright green eyes, stared coldly at Wang Shan and the others, no longer growling but showing its teeth.
After a few exchanges, Wang Shan left with Tan Xiaodong and the others.
Once they were gone, the young Cloud Stepping Leopard finally calmed down, returning to its graceful posture, and lightly jumped onto Lu Xuan’s shoulder.
"Don’t make noise randomly from now on, got it?"
Lu Xuan picked it up and set it down on the ground, tugging at the fur on its ear.
"Roar~~~"
The young Cloud Stepping Leopard tried to make a sound, but it came out as a squeak.
"Hmm?"
Lu Xuan suddenly felt something was off.
He clearly remembered that when Wang Shan entered just now, the young leopard's growl was not as affected as it was now; it was rough and straightforward.
Besides the first time it roared in front of him, this kind of sound had only appeared three times before.
Twice when Wang Shan entered his yard, and once when they spotted an altered cultivator at the market.
His expression turned serious. During that market incident, the young leopard had sensed something unusual about that cultivator. The two times it had roared when Wang Shan showed up—did it sense something as well?
"Did you find something unusual about that neighbor?"
Lu Xuan asked the young Cloud Stepping Leopard, recalling its extraordinary green eyes.
The Cloud Stepping Leopard, being a rare beast with high intelligence, looked at him with its round eyes and nodded its small head.
"Is it similar to that altered cultivator we saw at the market?"
Lu Xuan continued to ask.
The young beast nodded first and then shook its head.
"What does nodding and shaking your head mean?"
"Right, the altered cultivator at the market became that way after many cultivators returned from the secret realm. Evil spirits broke out, and the leopard had already warned me when it saw Wang Shan before."
"The nod means there’s evil or something unusual within Wang Shan, while the shake means it’s different from the altered cultivator at the market?"
Lu Xuan pieced together the information.
"With a ticking time bomb like this nearby, how should I handle it? Should I wait and see, or take the initiative first?"
"Staying passive is too risky; there’s no such thing as a thief that lasts a thousand days without being caught."
"But if I take action first, I don’t know if I can win."
"If it were just Wang Shan’s own fifth-level Qi Refining strength, I’d have hope, but with that unknown evil within him, it’s unpredictable."
"Plus, Wang Shan is a small leader of the patrol in the market, with an official background, which could lead to more complications."
"Most importantly, I don’t even know what kind of evil might be behind him."
Lu Xuan found himself in a dilemma. If he didn’t deal with it, living near Wang Shan would keep him on edge. But moving out wasn’t realistic either since he had already paid a lot for this place.
If he did take action, it could expose him to danger.
"What’s a safe and effective way to handle this?"
Lu Xuan pondered quietly.
"Wait, isn’t Linyang Market Town currently cleaning up evil spirits? I could use that as an excuse to let them handle it internally."
"If I can’t win, I can always report it!"
(End of Chapter)