After several days of hiding in the wilds, the battle at Qingliu Ruins finally subsided.
The once-invincible Demon Cultivators suffered a crushing defeat the moment a Foundation Establishment Elder from the Qingyang Sect arrived. They were forced to abandon a sea of corpses and flee in disarray.
By the time Lü Zhong returned to Qingliu Ruins, he found it had been reduced to rubble.
The streets where the fighting had been most intense were hit particularly hard. Not a single complete building remained standing. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but crumbled walls and shattered ramparts. Lingering traces of Magic Skills were everywhere, and the devastation was comparable to a heavy artillery bombardment.
The corpses of mortals lay scattered everywhere. After Qingliu Ruins was corrupted by Demonic Qi, anyone who hadn't escaped in time had been turned into a mindless living corpse, only to be eliminated one by one by the Qingyang Sect disciples.
He walked to his small hut and, just as he expected, found it had collapsed into a heap of rubble.
After rummaging through the pile of wooden planks for a moment, he found that all his belongings were still there. He also found an unexpected addition: a trapped living corpse.
Lü Zhong figured it must have been a looter trying to cash in on the chaos, who ended up being corrupted by the Demonic Qi.
In the end, not only did the person fail to get rich, but they lost their life in the process.
He drew his blade and finished it.
Upon inspection, he was surprised to find two stacks of Talisman Paper on the body.
"Heh, turns out he was a Money-Sending Boy after all!" Lü Zhong couldn't help but laugh.
Including these two stacks, which made up nearly a full ream of Talisman Paper, he had now acquired almost seven Spirit Stones' worth of valuables alone.
And that wasn't even counting the Small Earth Spirit Ring.
'I can't believe how quickly it's happened. It's been less than a year, and I've already been assimilated by this world. I don't even feel fear when I see a corpse anymore; I even think about looting it.'
Lü Zhong sighed internally, staring blankly at the scorching sun.
After a long moment, he laughed again.
'Adapt and survive. Well, so be it!'
Recalling the incident, Lü Zhong realized he had made several mistakes.
First, he hadn't checked his condition before leaving home, so he failed to notice the Yin Qi invading his body and giving him that ghastly appearance. Second, despite knowing something was wrong, he'd still foolishly run off to watch the commotion like he used to, completely forgetting the danger right in front of him.
Then there was going after Li Dong. He didn't know what had possessed him, but after escaping Qingliu Ruins, he had mindlessly followed the man, never once considering the wickedness of the human heart or the possibility that he was being set up.
The only reason he was still alive was pure luck.
But a person's luck can't hold out forever. If he didn't start being more cautious, he could easily end up like the desiccated corpse beside him, his life snuffed out by some unknown danger.
'Sigh, in the end, I'm just too naive.'
Lü Zhong sighed again, resolving to be more prudent from now on.
...
With the battle at Qingliu Ruins over, reconstruction was put on the agenda.
After suffering a major loss, the Qingyang Sect finally decided to upgrade Qingliu Ruins into Qingliu Market.
In truth, the Qingyang Sect had been planning this for some time.
Qingliu Ruins was situated in a crucial location on the main route between Yanling Mountain Market to the north and the Qingyang Sect. It had grown from a simple farming estate, bit by bit, by catering to passing merchant caravans and Loose Cultivators.
More importantly, once upgraded to a proper market, a Protective Array could be established there.
The array would shield the entire market. Aside from a designated entrance, all other areas would be blocked by the Grand Array, making it impossible for outsiders to infiltrate and preventing a repeat of the Demon Cultivator invasion.
With such a powerful Grand Array for defense, the Qingyang Sect would only need to guard the market's entrance, making any future invasion by Demon Cultivators nearly impossible.
Once the plan was settled, construction of Qingliu Market began swiftly.
Thanks to the establishment of Qingliu Market, Lü Zhong was finally able to leave his shabby little hut behind and move into a brand-new courtyard home.
Compared to his previous patched-up hovel, his new residence wasn't much larger, but it at least had separate rooms and a main hall. He could even set aside a small space as a Talisman Making Room.
It was his longing for a dedicated Talisman Making Room that convinced him to spend an extra four Spirit Stones to rent the courtyard.
For Lü Zhong, who had already mastered the Seven Profound Arrow Avoidance Talisman, this wasn't a significant burden. Better living conditions could improve his mood, which might in turn even increase his success rate with Talisman Making.
Besides, a proper brick-and-tile house wouldn't leak, which was crucial with summer fast approaching.
He remembered well that summers in the area of Qingliu Market were filled with rain, often featuring sudden, torrential downpours.
Thus, having a leak-proof Talisman Making Room was exceptionally important.
...
「Two months after the second Demon Cultivator invasion ended.」
That afternoon, another heavy downpour began. The raindrops fell as densely as a beaded curtain, and a damp mist filled the main hall.
Lü Zhong sat lazily in an armchair. On the recently purchased tea table sat a small charcoal stove, upon which a copper kettle billowed steam. The mountain spring water inside had been boiling for some time.
Remembering that he was expecting an important guest, he stopped gazing absently at the curtain of rain and took a small, oil-paper packet from the Golden Thread Bag at his waist.
He opened the packet to reveal six Cyan Jade tea leaves.
'Six leaves, and each one costs ten talismanic coins. This Cyan Jade Spirit Tea is truly expensive!'
But no matter how expensive the Spirit Tea Leaves were, he had to use them. He couldn't risk offending his important guest with poor hospitality.
Before long, the sound of footsteps approached from outside.
A cultivator wearing a Conical Hat and a straw raincoat strode into the hall.
The moment Lü Zhong saw the man, he immediately went to greet him with a wide smile, clasping his hands in courtesy. "Steward Lin, I'm so sorry to trouble you and take you away from your busy schedule. This is a new batch of Cyan Jade Spirit Tea. Please, have a taste."
The man who entered first removed his raincoat, hanging it on a wooden rack along with his Conical Hat.
Hearing Lü Zhong's words, the portly man, now revealed to be wearing luxurious silk robes, patted the water from his clothes. A smile spread across his pale, plump face. "Not at all, not at all! Talisman Master Lü, you're too modest. Your Seven Profound Arrow Avoidance Talismans are in such high demand in Qingliu Square that it is we at Xingwu Pavilion who should be paying you a visit."
After a round of mutual flattery, the two exchanged a few more pleasantries before taking their seats.
Lifting the cup of Spirit Tea before him, Steward Lin broached the purpose of his visit with a smile. "Talisman Master Lü, have you considered Xingwu Pavilion's offer? The terms are quite generous. As per our prior discussion, Xingwu Pavilion will purchase all the Talismans you produce at a ten percent premium. We will absolutely honor our word!"
Though Lü Zhong was inwardly displeased, he maintained a smile. "Since your esteemed pavilion is treating me with such generosity, I certainly know what's good for me. Let's proceed with the terms as discussed. I'll be counting on you in the future, Steward Lin."
"Hahaha, of course, of course!" Seeing his objective met, Steward Lin's plump face broke into a wide grin.
After seeing the steward off, Lü Zhong sank back into his armchair and sighed softly.
The newly established Qingliu Market was like a fresh side of meat thrown to a pack of hungry wolves.
He didn't know about other industries, but in the Talisman Making trade alone, three major players had already flooded the market.
They were the Qingyang Commerce Association, which was backed by the Qingyang Sect; the Li's Commerce Association, from a nearby Golden Core Cultivation Family; and Xingwu Pavilion, the very one whose steward had just visited, which in turn was supported by the formidable Celestial Cloud Commerce Association.
The three Commerce Associations were now locked in a fierce battle for market share, and it was the Independent Cultivator Talisman Makers, like Lü Zhong, who were suffering the consequences.
In their quest to squeeze every last Spirit Stone from the market, the Commerce Associations first signed contracts with all the Spirit Plant Cultivators who grew Talisman Grass, paying high prices to monopolize the entire supply. They then used the threat of cutting off the Talisman Paper supply to force the Independent Cultivator Talisman Makers into submission.
Lü Zhong was one of those targeted by Xingwu Pavilion, leaving him no choice but to accept their terms.