Chapter 419

"If that's the case, just give them the big stall and leave for now," Ding Huan said helplessly.

Now he truly understood the difference between a free cultivator and a sect disciple.

This big stall costs only three thousand inferior immortal crystals a month—still inferior ones. Converted to superior immortal crystals, it's merely thirty.

Just now in the Ancient Immortal Tower, those sect disciples displayed immortal crystals for duels, all starting at a thousand—and superior ones at that.

"I haven't repaid the immortal crystals, so they caught me," Tao Xiaomei wanted Ding Huan to help her, but she knew this request was too much.

Not to mention whether Ding Huan would help her—even if he did, he couldn't produce so many immortal crystals.

Moreover, she had already dragged Ding Huan into this; he broke through the protective array here, and these men will surely demand an exorbitant price from him next.

She knew Dong Han's character too well—right now he's silent, but he's definitely plotting something vile.

"How much did you borrow from them?" Ding Huan asked.

Tao Xiaomei said, "I borrowed sixteen hundred inferior immortal crystals."

Ding Huan widened his eyes: "Sixteen hundred inferior immortal crystals? You can't repay that?"

Even if Tao Xiaomei was poor, she must have had at least sixteen hundred inferior immortal crystals on her, right?

Tao Xiaomei's face was bitter: "When I borrowed it, it was sixteen hundred—but now it's become sixteen thousand. I already paid them six thousand inferior immortal crystals, and now I still owe ten thousand."

If I don't repay them in time, soon I'll never be able to pay it back at all."

Ding Huan sucked in a sharp breath—this wasn't usury, this was stratospheric usury.

Seeing Ding Huan's shock, Tao Xiaomei said helplessly:

"Because I owe them immortal crystals, according to the Ancient Market's rules, they have the right to seize my big stall. As long as I haven't repaid the debt, they also have the right to detain me."

"I wanted to send you a message telling you not to come, but they took my ring."

"Return Tao Xiaomei's ring to her—her debt I will assume," Ding Huan said slowly, looking at the handsome male cultivator.

The handsome male cultivator chuckled: "You just shattered our stall's protective array. According to the Ancient Market's rules, you must compensate us with ten thousand immortal crystals."

"Dong Han, I also have a share in this big stall!" Tao Xiaomei fumed.

Ding Huan waved his hand, smiling as he looked at Dong Han: "That's only fair—if it's within the rules, compensation is due. Aren't you going to return the ring to Tao Xiaomei first?"

Dong Han snorted, too lazy to even acknowledge Ding Huan.

Seeing he couldn't retrieve Tao Xiaomei's ring, Ding Huan's spiritual sense shattered Dong Han's ring open and scanned it—no Ancient Market regulations jade slip found.

He then shattered the rings of several nearby stall cultivators, finally finding one jade slip containing the Ancient Market's regulations in a cultivator's ring.

This market was truly bizarre—it actually had a rule that if you owed anyone immortal crystals, even if you were just vending in the Ancient Market, the creditor could seize your stall, even steal your ring.

So if you rented a big stall here, your creditor could still take it away and detain you.

Ding Huan sighed—such a rule, and yet this market hadn't collapsed? Clearly, the number of people coming to the Ancient Immortal Dao City was truly immense.

Ding Huan quickly finished reading the regulations, and a plan formed in his mind.

He looked at Tao Xiaomei: "Where did you rent your big stall?"

"At the Ancient Market Big Stall Rental Office," Tao Xiaomei answered quickly.

"And where are my and Zhixi's entry-exit array tokens?" Ding Huan asked via mental voice.

Tao Xiaomei didn't react, replying offhand: "In my ring."

Almost the moment she finished speaking, Ding Huan kicked out.

"Crack!" A grating sound of snapping bones echoed.

By the time other stall cultivators realized Ding Huan had kicked Dong Han flying, Ding Huan raised both feet again and kicked the other two companions of Dong Han into the air as well.

"Call the Market Enforcement—" Dong Han screamed, face pale.

If he'd known Ding Huan was this formidable, he'd have been more cautious.

Before he could summon Market Enforcement, Ding Huan stepped forward, his foot landing on Dong Han's chest—then came a series of tearing pains.

Dong Han stared at Ding Huan in horror: "You shattered my meridians..."

Ding Huan smiled: "Not quite right."

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He lifted his foot and kicked Dong Han's forehead again—Dong Han felt waves of dizziness; his eyes no longer held fear, but despair.

Ding Huan had destroyed his spiritual sea too—this was no different from killing him. No wonder Ding Huan had said his statement was incomplete; the destruction wasn't over yet.

The other two, seeing how formidable Ding Huan was and how Dong Han couldn't even fight back, had no choice but to activate the market alarm on their identity tokens.

But before Market Enforcement arrived, Ding Huan did the same to them—shattered their spiritual seas and meridians as well.

Not only that—he took all their rings.

The surrounding stall cultivators watched in terror—this man was ruthless.

This was a kill-one-hundred-lose-eighty tactic; once Market Enforcement arrived, this man was dead.

Dong Han lay on the ground in despair—if he'd known Ding Huan was such a brute, he'd have never gone after Tao Xiaomei's crystals here.

Even if he'd known Tao Xiaomei had a friend like this, he'd have rather forfeited the crystals. They grew rich lending crystals, targeting helpless cultivators—not people like Tao Xiaomei.

Tao Xiaomei was utterly stunned; only after Ding Huan crippled all three did she snap back, frantically shouting: "Big Brother Ding, run now!"

Whoosh! Two figures landed beside Ding Huan—one male, one female.

Ding Huan saw they were two Xuan Immortals, and thought the market's strength was pitiful.

In a situation like this, why not send a Da Yi Immortal? What could Xuan Immortals do?

"What happened?" the woman asked coldly.

Dong Han's eyes were lifeless—he made no reply.

Ding Huan spoke up: "They seized my big stall. I merely gave them a mild lesson, in accordance with market rules."

Ding Huan's words finally jolted Dong Han awake—he glared red-eyed, screaming: "They owe me immortal crystals! We came to collect. Since they couldn't repay, I seized the stall. This man, relying on his strength, shattered my spiritual sea and meridians!"

That person, relying on being stronger than me, actually crippled my Sea of Consciousness and meridians."

"Is that so?" the female enforcer coldly fixed Ding Huan with her gaze.

Ding Huan looked at Dong Han: "I didn't even know you before—how could I owe you any immortal crystals?"

"I'm talking about Tao Xiaomei," Dong Han decided that even if he died, he'd drag someone down with him.

Ding Huan said calmly: "If Tao Xiaomei owes you immortal crystals, go find her. Why break the seals on my big stall and seize the spot I share with my friends?"

"That big stall was rented by Tao Xiaomei," Dong Han immediately retorted.

Ding Huan turned to the female enforcer: "This big stall was co-rented by three of us—Tao Xiaomei, Ding Huan, and Wen Zhixi. If they wanted to take Tao Xiaomei's spot, I had no objection."

"But they seized my spot instead—I don't owe them a single immortal crystal."

Hearing Ding Huan's words, the woman immediately pulled out a communication pearl: "Check who rented Big Stall #176 in Sector C."

Soon, her communication pearl lit up, and a voice replied: "Big Stall #176 in Sector C was rented by three people: Tao Xiaomei, Ding Huan, and Wen Zhixi. The representative handler was Tao Xiaomei."

Ding Huan spread his hands: "See? You heard it yourself—this stall was indeed rented by me. He seized it, so I have every right to act against him."

The female enforcer nodded: "You indeed have the right to act. All three of you, get out."

These three had their dantians, cultivation bases, and meridians all destroyed, and their rings stolen—they had nothing left to compensate. Better to just let them go.

"No—he also destroyed my stall's protective array! So he still owes me immortal crystals. Since he owes me, I have the right to claim this spot," Dong Han cried out, panicked as he saw Ding Huan unharmed.

Ding Huan chuckled: "The mind is a wonderful thing—too bad you don't have one. You seized my stall spot first, so I merely reclaimed it."

"How can you twist the order of events like that? I could just as well say you'll owe me your life tomorrow—what do you think?"

Dong Han shuddered. What right did he have to argue here?

"Leave Genggu Market, or be executed on the spot," the male enforcer snorted.

Dong Han and his two companions dared not utter a sound. They knew that stepping outside Xiancheng meant certain death—but they had no choice but to leave Genggu Immortal Dao City.

Watching the three limp away with shattered meridians and ruined cultivation bases, the surrounding cultivators sighed inwardly: this Ding Huan was ruthlessly skilled.

He had turned a dead end into a victory by strictly following market rules.

Of course, only because his power could crush Dong Han and his two companions.

"Senior Brother Ding, you actually drove them away…" Tao Xiaomei exclaimed, trembling with excitement.

Driving them away was one thing—but she knew clearly that no one would ever come asking her for repayment again.

Ding Huan raised his hand and activated the stall's defense and shielding seals, then handed all the rings in his palm to Tao Xiaomei: "One of these is yours. The rest are yours too—I don't need anything."

"Thank you, thank you, Senior Brother Ding," Tao Xiaomei bowed deeply.

"We're friends—this is nothing," Ding Huan said dismissively.

"Big Brother Ding, where's Sister Wen?" Tao Xiaomei asked again.

Ding Huan didn't hide it: "Zhixi joined the Chiyunu Sect. She'll have far fewer chances to come out now."

"Ah…"

Tao Xiaomei gasped in shock, her eyes filled with disbelief.

The Chiyunu Sect was notoriously hard to join—and Wen Zhixi had been a lone cultivator.

A lone cultivator joining the Chiyunu Sect? In her eyes, it was like a dream.

After a long while, Tao Xiaomei snapped out of her shock and asked Ding Huan: "Senior Brother Ding, what are your plans now? Will you join an immortal sect?"

Ding Huan shook his head: "My talent is average—I won't join an immortal sect. I haven't decided where to go yet—I'm still uncertain."

He came to Genggu Immortal Dao City mainly to accompany Wen Zhixi. Now that she's joined the Chiyunu Sect, he must think about his own future path.

"Big Brother Ding, if you don't have a good place to go, why not wait until the Dao Debate ends and come with me to the Immortal-Beast Battlefield? Resources gather faster there, and the immortal qi is denser than here," Tao Xiaomei said.

(Two chapters combined into one. Wishing all Daoists a happy National Day and all the best!)

October 1st is Double Moon Ticket Day. Lao Wu is here begging for moon ticket support! Moon tickets are vital—I must say it again!