Chapter 22: Bandit Cultivators on the Loose

Qingyang Marketplace.

Qin Ming exited the Juxuan Pavilion and walked slowly along the main road of the marketplace.

The street was filled with a constant stream of cultivators of all kinds, bustling with activity.

But now, the marketplace seemed to have far more unfamiliar faces than usual.

Qin Ming was strolling down the street.

“Comrade, why not indulge in some passionate spending?”

At the entrance of a nearby pleasure house, a young female cultivator in a light green robe threw him a sultry glance.

Qin Ming paused briefly, his expression blank, then turned away and walked off quickly.

“Oh? A righteous gentleman?” the woman muttered in surprise, her confident gaze vanishing instantly.

She rolled her eyes at the direction Qin Ming had taken, then turned to greet the next passerby.

After Qin Ming left.

From inside the pleasure house stepped a burly man with a goatee, squinting as he asked, “Didn’t bite?”

“Mm. A greenhorn. Boring,” the green-robed woman replied coolly, rubbing her nails.

The man nodded silently and returned inside.

…

Outside the marketplace.

Qin Ming thought with disdain: ‘As if I’d take free stuff.’

‘Would I even want yours, paid or not?’

‘Just common grease and powder. Lucky my Dao heart is firm.’

…

Evening.

Qin Ming returned to the shantytown.

For dinner he boiled another pot of premium Beast Tooth Rice, then began cultivating the Hundred Treasures Glazed Scripture.

Over the past six months.

The amount of premium Beast Tooth Rice he’d consumed was undoubtedly terrifying; had he not been lucky enough to continuously refresh the ‘Ripen’ term,

such consumption would have left even him unable to keep up with the demands of his Body Refinement technique.

Ruan’s description of a ‘bottomless pit’ was indeed no exaggeration.

Ordinary cultivators simply couldn’t sustain such a drain on spiritual materials.

Qin Ming discovered that with each subsequent layer of the Hundred Treasures Glazed Scripture, the amount of spiritual material needed to boost blood qi increased geometrically.

Though the cost was high,

the technique did have extraordinary qualities—the first three layers already surpassed ordinary Body Refinement methods by a wide margin.

Qin Ming’s current stock of premium Beast Tooth Rice was still sufficient.

Bang bang bang! As soon as Qin Ming finished his cultivation, a frantic knocking erupted at his door.

He frowned.

‘Who’s in such a hurry?’

Qin Ming rose, tucked away the Beast Tooth Rice, then went to open the door.

He cautiously peered through the crack.

Outside was Cai Laojiu.

But now he was drenched in sweat, visibly panicked.

Qin Ming opened the door and asked urgently, “Laojiu, what’s wrong? Why are you so flustered?”

“O-out! Out of control!” Cai Laojiu stammered.

His voice trembled, as if gripped by terror.

“Dao Friend Long… has perished!”

Cai Laojiu’s face turned deathly pale as he forced out the words.

Qin Ming’s mind went utterly blank. This news—truly staggering!

“Are you certain? Could you be mistaken?”

“Dao Friend Long was a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator. His abilities far surpassed ordinary cultivators. How could he suddenly perish?”

“Did he go to the frontier?”

As Qin Ming spoke, doubt began to stir within him.

Cai Laojiu snapped, “What kind of time is this to be mistaken?”

“Dao Friend Long didn’t go to the frontier. He was killed by a bandit cultivator. His corpse was just discovered nearby, in the river. Come see for yourself.”

With this even more shocking revelation, Qin Ming panicked.

Without another word, the two rushed toward the riverbank.

Less than half a cup of tea passed.

They arrived at the scene.

Only then did Qin Ming realize the corpse had been found alarmingly close to his own hut—only a few hundred zhang away. By the time he and Cai Laojiu arrived, a large crowd of nearby cultivators had already gathered along the river.

Each of them trembled, pointing and whispering at the body in the water.

Qin Ming forced his way through the crowd and looked up.

“It really is Dao Friend Long!” He had no words left.

Where Qin Ming looked, Long’s pale corpse had been stripped bare—all storage bags and possessions vanished.

Dozens of horrifying blood holes marred his body; his neck and heart had been pierced through by magical artifacts.

He likely hadn’t even had time to cry for help. “Ah, so tragic. Word is Wang Dao Friend and others found the body while washing clothes by the river.”

“Exactly. He’s been dead a while—probably got stuck under the bridge last night, washed out only now.”

“Could this be the work of a bandit cultivator? But given Long Dao Friend’s strength, what level of bandit could kill him so silently?”

Those around exchanged uneasy glances; a sense of dread settled over the crowd.

The atmosphere turned oppressive.

Not long after,

the Lingyu Sect’s patrol team arrived in haste.

Their leader dispersed the onlookers, glanced into the river, and immediately showed signs of shock.

He asked himself: even if he faced the killer who murdered Long Dao Friend, he’d have zero chance of survival.

“Could a Foundation Establishment bandit be behind this? But… it doesn’t look like it.”

The Lingyu Sect leader rubbed his chin, then decisively pulled out a message talisman to report to the sect—this clearly exceeded his authority.

Qin Ming returned to his hut in a daze.

He hadn’t expected danger to be this close.

“It seems the shantytown is no longer safe.”

“Qingyang Marketplace is protected by a second-rank array—it can withstand even Foundation Establishment cultivators.”

“I must plan ahead. Find a way to move inside the marketplace—it’ll be safer.”

Qin Ming’s mind churned.

“And in the spirit fields—may Lingyu Sect increase patrols.”

“Sigh. Even farming will require constant fear now. It’s exhausting.”

“I hope the bandit, having taken a late-stage Qi Refining target, won’t bother us lowly spirit farmers.”

“He probably… doesn’t even want us.”

Long Dao Friend’s death struck Qin Ming deeply.

Even a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator met a fate of death and dissolution.

Qin Ming’s sense of danger surged to its peak.

‘After killing Long Dao Friend, the killer didn’t even bother hiding the body—he just dumped it openly in the river. Clearly, he has no fear.’

‘It’s almost a blatant act of intimidation.’

For years, Long Dao Friend—a righteous late-stage Qi Refining cultivator—had deterred nearby scoundrels.

That’s why they dared not act recklessly.

Now that Long Dao Friend was dead, the region’s safety had become the greatest problem.

Qin Ming took out a mid-grade Thunder Arrow Talisman and slipped it into his sleeve, which brought slight relief.

‘After reaching the third layer of the Hundred Treasures Glazed Scripture, the blood qi boost from premium Beast Tooth Rice has begun to slow.’

‘I need better spiritual rice to enhance blood qi, to accelerate my Body Refinement progress.’

‘What if I upgraded the premium Beast Tooth Rice to supreme grade?’

‘But the [Quality Upgrade] term hasn’t appeared since the first time—half a year now.’

As Qin Ming pondered this, his gaze hardened with resolve. He still had enough premium Beast Tooth Rice to last a year.

To hell with it—full gamble! This time, he planned to use his final [Ripen] term on the three mu of Yin Ning Flowers.

He’d bet everything on one [Quality Upgrade] term appearing! (End of Chapter)