Chapter 1574
A Gang of Bad Guys Came to the Market
Chapter 1574 A Gang of Bad Guys Came to the Market
The setting sun, like blood, was using its last bit of strength to cast its last rays, dyeing the western sky a magnificent yet eerie crimson.
The rosy light pierced through the clouds, casting dappled shadows across the sky and earth, dreamlike yet carrying a touch of desolation at the end of the road.
Su Fan stood on the back of the ghost crow and looked up. The market town hidden in the valley was shrouded in this glow.
It should have been the height of the fireworks display, but there was an indescribable sense of deathly silence.
He looked around, his gaze sweeping over the withered grass and trees at the edge of the valley and the sparse banners on the outskirts of the market, and then took a deep breath.
The evening breeze, carrying the unique dampness of the valley, entered my nostrils.
"Let's go over there..."
After saying that, he raised his hand and patted the slick back of the ghost crow, signaling it to find a safe place to land.
The ghost crow, being sentient, responded with a cry, circled twice, and then landed steadily in a relatively flat ravine outside the market.
The sharp claws crushed the thin frost on the ground, making a faint cracking sound that was particularly clear in the quiet atmosphere.
Su Fan and Qin Yu landed side by side and slowly walked towards the market town deep in the valley.
This market town is not large in scale. It is built against the mountain and has only one main street paved with bluestone running from north to south.
The shops on both sides of the street are mostly low stone and wood structures. The lanterns hanging under the eaves are not yet lit, and the faded cloth banners hang listlessly in the evening wind, occasionally swaying and making a dull sound.
The shops along the street were diverse, including shops selling elixirs, magical artifacts, and general merchandise, which for a moment reminded Su Fan of the Shaoyang Market of yesteryear.
The bustling and lively Shaoyang Market was a world apart from the desolate and lifeless state of the market before them.
As the two stepped into the market, Su Fan's brows furrowed the moment his shoes touched the bluestone street.
Dust had accumulated in the cracks of the bluestone path, indicating that it had not been cleaned carefully for many days, and the surface felt cold and sticky underfoot.
The market was deserted, with hardly a soul in sight. Only the wind whistled through the cracks in the shop doors and windows, sounding like someone sobbing softly.
What chilled him even more was the sinister killing intent emanating from several directions, like lurking venomous snakes, silently locking onto every corner of the market.
Su Fan is someone who walks on the edge of danger year after year. His experience on the verge of life and death has given him an instinctive and keen sense of danger.
Without consciously activating their divine sense, a deep-seated unease already lingered in their minds. A heavy, oppressive atmosphere permeated the market, like dark clouds pressing down, making it hard to breathe.
The source of this aura was those few places that exuded murderous intent.
Based solely on the aura they sensed, Su Fan was able to determine that each of those locations was guarded by a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator.
It should be noted that the highest level of the family cultivators guarding this market is only the Golden Core realm.
In such a remote and impoverished place, Nascent Soul Realm cultivators are already high-level beings who can turn the tide of events at will, and ordinary forces simply cannot afford to provoke them.
Su Fan's face instantly darkened, a cold glint flashed in his eyes, and a chilling sneer curled at the corner of his mouth.
Could someone dare to make a move against the Su family?
That's just asking for death.
I want to see which fool is so reckless as to try and pull a tooth from a tiger's mouth.
Qin Yu's cultivation was still shallow, so he did not sense the deadly danger, but he keenly noticed the change in Su Fan's expression.
His heart tightened, his nerves tensed instantly, his steps slowed subconsciously, and his voice trembled slightly.
"Senior...this is..."
Su Fan didn't speak, but simply raised his hand and waved it gently, signaling him to be quiet.
Before coming, in order not to attract attention, the two had already suppressed their cultivation to the Golden Core stage.
Therefore, as soon as they stepped into the market, several hidden divine senses swept over them like searchlights from the places where Nascent Soul cultivators were hiding.
My divine sense, filled with scrutiny and vigilance, lingered on the two of them for a moment.
After confirming that the two were only at the Golden Core stage, he casually withdrew them, as if he had only swept away two insignificant specks of dust.
"When was the last time you came here...?"
Su Fan kept his voice low, his gaze still scanning the surroundings of the market, not missing any abnormalities.
Upon hearing the question, Qin Yu panicked, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead. He quickly bowed and explained.
"Reporting to you, senior, the last time I came was two years ago. In order to avoid attracting attention, I usually only come once every three or four years, and each time I only stay for a short while before leaving..."
Su Fan nodded slowly, having already made up his mind.
It seems the family must have encountered some serious trouble recently, otherwise they wouldn't have allowed these outside forces to infiltrate the market so brazenly.
He carefully sensed the auras in those places and found that there was obvious hostility between them. There were even subtle fluctuations of spiritual energy spreading out when the auras collided, so they were obviously not a group of people.
Su Fan couldn't think of any other reason besides profit that would make several forces simultaneously set their sights on this desolate place.
Moreover, this is the territory of the "Demon Sun Divine Palace". These forces dare to openly confront each other here. If the Demon Sun Divine Palace is completely unaware of this, it would be utter self-deception.
Perhaps the Demon Sun Divine Palace was secretly behind this, or at least it was related to the family forces within the sect.
After all, it is a super demonic sect, and its methods have always been despicable and ruthless, which is completely different from the hypocrisy of the immortal sect.
Even though the Immortal Sect is vying for power and profit, at least they still have some sense of shame. The Demonic Sect, however, has no bottom line and will do anything despicable for profit.
However, in Su Fan's eyes, the Demon Sun Divine Palace was nothing more than a clown.
If they dare to be so reckless and cause trouble, and really piss me off, I'll just tear down this Demon Sun Divine Palace.
At this thought, a flash of crimson light suddenly appeared in Su Fan's eyes, like a blood-red lightning bolt.
With a thought, he secretly activated the Blood Path Secret Technique of the Demonic Sect.
The crimson spiritual energy flowed quietly within his body, instantly locking onto three faint yet blood-related auras—all of whom were his direct descendants.
"Let's go... let's go see my family here first..."
As soon as he finished speaking, Su Fan took a step and walked deeper into the market.
The bluestone path beneath his feet echoed dully with each step, standing out starkly in the deathly quiet market.
Not far along, a slightly dilapidated tavern came into view.
He looked up and saw a little girl of seven or eight years old sitting on the windowsill of the second floor of the tavern.
She swung her two slender legs back and forth, clutching a blade of grass in her hand, happily teasing a few sparrows perched on the window frame.
The afterglow of the setting sun fell on her face, casting a soft halo that dispelled some of the oppressive atmosphere of the market.
Su Fan's tense expression softened instantly, and a warm, fatherly smile unconsciously appeared on his lips. His entire demeanor became gentle, and his previous hostility vanished without a trace.
This little girl looks somewhat like me, so I suppose she must be my granddaughter.
His gaze swept over the plaque hanging at the entrance of the tavern. The three large characters "Yingkelou" on the plaque had faded, but still exuded a sense of everyday life.
He then stepped into the tavern, the wooden threshold creaking softly, breaking the silence. Perhaps the oppressive atmosphere in the market these past few days had scared away customers; the tavern was empty, with only a few tables and chairs covered in a thin layer of dust.
There wasn't a single worker in sight, making it seem particularly desolate.
The two went straight up to the second floor and sat down by the window, deliberately choosing a seat very close to the little girl.
The wooden chair made a slight creak, startling the little girl on the windowsill.
The little girl quickly jumped down from the windowsill and dusted herself off.
Her little face showed a hint of shyness, yet she forced a mature demeanor and asked in a clear voice, "Senior... are you going to eat...?"
Seeing her feigned maturity, Su Fan smiled, her eyes crinkling, and spoke in an exceptionally soft voice.
"Child, what are your signature dishes here...?"
Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in the little girl's eyes, her bright eyes sparkling as if they were filled with starlight.
She clearly regarded Su Fan as a major customer, and immediately puffed out her chest and crisply recited the names of the dishes.
"Senior, we have stir-fried spirit vegetables, braised spirit rabbit, stewed spirit chicken, and tender stewed spirit deer meat! These are all our signature dishes..."
Su Fan laughed heartily and said loudly, "Alright... then bring one of each of these signature dishes, and a jar of your best spirit wine..."
The little girl's eyes lit up immediately, and she grinned, revealing two tiny tiger teeth.
"Senior, please hold on tight. I guarantee you'll be satisfied with your meal..."
After saying that, she took short strides and ran into the kitchen, her clear shouts echoing in the empty tavern.
"Grandpa Wang...we have a guest! They want our signature dish, and also a jar of the finest spirit wine..."
Her shouts alerted the kitchen staff, and a middle-aged man in a coarse cloth jacket hurriedly ran out.
Upon seeing Su Fan and his companion, they quickly cupped their hands in a deep bow.
"Senior...don't worry, all the signature dishes in our restaurant are truly top-quality. I'll go and fetch you a few of the most authentic ones right away..."
Su Fan waved his hand, his gaze still fixed on the kitchen, his voice calm.
"No need, I've already had that girl arrange it. She seems quite likable, so let's just listen to her..."
The waiter was taken aback for a moment, then quickly replied with a smile, "Yes, yes, yes... Senior is right, I'll go and instruct the kitchen to make the arrangements right away..." After saying that, he hurriedly ran into the kitchen.
Su Fan pricked up his ears and vaguely heard the voices of the kitchen staff coming from the back kitchen.
"Uncle Wang...something's wrong! A senior has arrived and insists that the young lady arrange the dishes..."
A moment later, the sound of pots and pans clattering came from the kitchen.
Before long, the waiters brought the dishes up one after another, and the young girl followed behind, helping to pass a plate or set out a bowl from time to time, busy as a bee.
Occasionally, she would steal a glance at Su Fan, her expression endearingly naive.
Seeing this, Su Fan couldn't help but burst into laughter again.
Su Fan had always heard people say that grandparents and grandchildren are closer, and today he finally understood it for himself.
The little girl's every move exuded innocence and naivety, making her pleasing to the eye no matter how he looked at her, and most of the repression and anger in his heart dissipated.
What's more, this little girl is indeed very pleasing to the eye, with a pair of big, bright eyes and two shallow dimples when she smiles, making people unable to help but feel affection for her.
After a while, several steaming plates of signature dishes and a jar of spirit wine were served.
The rich aroma of the spirit wine filled the air, dispelling the gloomy atmosphere in the tavern.
The little girl ran to the windowsill again, straddled it once more, clutching the blade of grass she had just eaten, and watched with a smile as Su Fan and his companion enjoyed their wine and food.
Su Fan picked up his wine glass and took a small sip of the spirit wine. The wine was mellow and the spiritual energy was gentle; it was indeed a fine brew.
He turned to look at the little girl on the windowsill, and with a flick of his finger, a crystal-clear spirit crystal flew out of his storage ring and landed lightly in front of the little girl.
"Hey girl, take this and play with it..."
The little girl curiously picked up the spirit crystal. This spirit crystal was only the size of a fingernail, and it was crystal clear. In the afterglow of the setting sun, it reflected seven colors of light, and it was extremely beautiful.
Her eyes were instantly glued to it. She carefully held the spirit crystal, bringing it close to her eyes to examine it closely, chuckling as she looked at it, as if she had obtained the most precious treasure.
"Thank you, senior..." She looked up and thanked him in a clear, cheerful voice.
Children are children after all. They don't know the origin of spirit crystals. They just think that these things are crystal clear and very beautiful, so they treat them as ordinary toys.
However, Qin Yu's expression changed drastically. His eyes were fixed on the spirit crystal in the little girl's hand, and his breathing became rapid.
This...this is a spirit crystal from the upper realm.
In the entire lower realm, spirit crystals from the upper realm are extremely rare. Even if they exist, they are treasured heirlooms of major sects and top families, priceless and enough to drive countless cultivators crazy.
But Su Fan casually gave it to a little girl as a toy.
Qin Yu was filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred, but dared not show it in the slightest.
He instantly understood that this little girl must be a direct descendant of Senior Su Fan, otherwise the senior would never have been so generous.
Su Fan ate while chatting with the little girl.
"Girl... your tavern is doing way too slow..."
The little girl sighed heavily after hearing this.
"Senior, business here used to be booming..."
At this point, she jumped down from the windowsill, leaned close to Su Fan, and whispered something.
"A bunch of wicked thugs have recently come to the market, and all the independent cultivators in the neighborhood are too scared to come here..."
"Girl, how long has it been..."
"It's been almost a month, and they're still staying here. Business is slow for all the shops in the market..."
"Do you know why those bad guys came..."
"I don't know either, but I heard that a mine was discovered near our family's..."
Su Fan and Qin Yu exchanged a glance, and they roughly understood the reason for the matter.
In this world of cultivation, cultivator families generally live within the sphere of influence of various sects and depend on these sects for survival.
However, each cultivation family also has its own territory, and all resources within the family's sphere of influence should, in principle, belong to the family.
The principle is sound, but if the interests involved are too great, then it's a different story.
It seems that a mine has been discovered within the family's territory, which has attracted the surrounding tigers, leopards, and wolves.
(End of this chapter)