Chapter 102: Conflict Erupts at the Camp!

Xiong Ba's protection indeed gave Wang Shan quite a few peaceful days.

Each day, aside from making pills and talismans, he devoted himself to cultivation, occasionally offering guidance to Li Hu and his sister's practice, and his days were fairly fulfilling.

The pills and talismans he produced were of stable quality and outstanding effect; the cultivators in the camp gradually acknowledged his worth, and many even felt grateful toward him.

However, the tree desires calm but the wind will not cease.

The pioneers' camp was originally a gathering place for outlaws; the so‑called rules are fragile as paper before absolute profit and strength.

This afternoon, Wang Shan was inside the stone hut attempting to draw a new second‑rank talisman—the Armor Coagulation Talisman—which greatly boosts defensive power and is quite useful for his current situation.

Just as he was halfway through sketching, the stone hut's door burst open with a bang, kicked violently from outside.

"Wang Shan! Get out here, you bastard!" a furious shout accompanied by flying wood chips, breaking Wang Shan's concentration; the spiritual ink on the talisman paper instantly scrambled, about to be ruined.

Wang Shan frowned imperceptibly, slowly set down his talisman brush, and lifted his gaze.

He saw three or four men blocking the doorway; the leader was muscular, his face full of flesh, his eyes fierce, his cultivation around the seventh stage of Body Refining.

The men behind him were no pushovers either, each gripping a weapon, eyes narrowed in menace.

"Ma San?" Wang Shan recognized him as the captain of a small pioneer squad in the camp, usually active but with little prior contact. He spoke calmly: "Captain Ma, what makes you so furious that you don't even bother to knock?"

Behind Ma San, a sharp‑cheeked man leapt forward, pointing at Wang Shan and cursing: "Surname Wang! Stop pretending you're clueless! The broken talismans you sold us killed two of our brothers! If you don't give us an explanation today, we'll tear your bones apart!"

"Oh?" Wang Shan glanced over them, "Are my talismans faulty?" He thought, his own talismans, after system optimization, could only be of higher quality than the market's; such a flaw was impossible.

Ma San took a step forward, his palm like a fan almost poking Wang Shan's face: "Exactly! It's that damn 'Sharp Gold Talisman' of yours! The day before yesterday our squad went to Black Wind Pass to hunt Black Spotted Hyenas, encountered a second‑rank early‑stage pack leader, used your talisman, and what happened? It was useless! It couldn't even scratch that beast! It got my second brother and third son's necks bitten off on the spot!"

The more he spoke, the more agitated he became, spit flying: "We painstakingly saved our Family Contribution Points to buy your talismans—are you just trying to scam us? If we don't get compensation for our losses today, this isn't over!"

"Compensation? How?" Wang Shan remained unmoved.

"My two brothers' lives, plus our squad's mental anguish! At least… at least compensate us with five hundred Family Contribution Points! And bring out ten second‑rank talismans—no, twenty! Then we'll call it even!" Ma San shouted loudly.

Around them, a number of cultivators drawn by the commotion gathered, pointing and commenting.

"Ma San's squad really suffered; I heard only he and one subordinate made it back alive."

"Could Master Wang Dan Shi's talismans be problematic? Mine work fine for me…"

"Who knows? Maybe the talismans really are at fault."

Wang Shan gave a light chuckle, rose, walked to the doorway, and calmly looked at Ma San: "Captain Ma, you may eat your food however you like, but don't speak nonsense. As for my Sharp Gold Talisman, its power is clear to anyone who's used it. A second‑rank early‑stage Black Spotted Hyena pack leader has thick hide and tough flesh; if you can't properly manage the talisman's activation point and timing, or frankly if your strength is simply insufficient to face it, then blaming the talisman is laughable, isn't it?"

"What… what do you mean?!" Ma San's face flushed red, "Are you saying we're incompetent?!"

"Whether you're incompetent, you know it yourself." Wang Shan's tone stayed indifferent, "I, Wang Shan, sell goods without deceiving young or old. If the talisman itself is flawed, I'll naturally take responsibility. But if you yourselves lack skill, botched your tactics, and yet come here to extort me, you've picked the wrong target."

"Bullshit!" Ma San exploded in rage, "Today I'll show you what a hard fist means! Brothers, attack! Smash his shabby hut, let him know how tough we are!"

Behind him, two men smirked, drew their waist blades, and prepared to charge inside.

"Seeking death." Wang Shan uttered two words softly.

At the instant those two stepped over the stone hut's threshold, a terrifying aura far surpassing the seventh stage of Body Refining erupted from Wang Shan's body like an awakening primordial beast.

Refining Body Stage Eight Midphase!

That solid, mountain‑like pressure instantly enveloped the entire stone hut doorway. Ma San and his few followers felt a tremendous force press down from above, their breath catching as if bound by invisible shackles, unable to move.

"You… you…" The ferocity on Ma San's face instantly turned to shock; he never imagined that the usually refined and gentle Wang Shan, who made a living from pill‑crafting and talisman‑drawing, concealed such formidable power.

Wang Shan's form flickered, swift as a ghost, and he appeared before the two knife‑wielding men.

"Crack!" "Crack!"

Two sharp bone‑cracking sounds rang out, accompanied by two short cries; the two men's waist blades clattered to the ground, their wrists twisted at a strange angle, and they collapsed to the floor, writhing in pain.

All this happened in the blink of an eye; even the onlooking cultivators couldn't see clearly how Wang Shan struck.

"With just you lot, do you even deserve to be arrogant here?" Wang Shan's voice was ice‑cold and piercing as he stepped toward the pallid Ma San.

Ma San felt a chill surge from his soles straight to the crown of his head; he wanted to retreat, but discovered his legs felt as heavy as if filled with lead. A cultivator at the eighth stage midphase of Body Refining—such power, in the camp only Xiong Ba and a handful of core figures could match; at his seventh stage, he was nothing but an ant before them.

"Wang… Wang fellow cultivator, it's a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding!" Ma San's voice trembled, none of his earlier arrogance remaining.

Wang Shan didn't halt, his gaze icy: "You only realize it's a misunderstanding now? Too late."

He reached out, seemingly slow, yet Ma San could not evade; he seized Ma San's shoulder in one grip.

"Ah—!" Ma San let out a piercing scream, feeling a violent force surge into his body, instantly shattering his meridians and rushing straight toward his dantian.

"Pfft!"

Ma San's dantian flared with pain, as if struck hard; his whole body went limp like a deflated balloon, his face ashen, his eyes filled with despair and hatred.

His dantian was ruined!

In this lifetime, he's basically finished!

The remaining sharp‑cheeked man, already terrified out of his wits, fell to his knees with a thud, kowtowing like pounding garlic: "Wang… Elder Wang, spare me! Grandpa Wang, spare me! It's not my fault—it's all Ma San… Ma San has lost his mind!"

Wang Shan didn't even glance at him, merely casting a cold gaze over the surrounding onlookers who were silent as cicadas in winter.

"Anyone else think my talismans are problematic?"

Not a sound from sparrows or crows—utter silence.

Everyone was stunned by Wang Shan's thunderous methods. Though they knew he was skilled in pill and talisman arts, none expected him to strike so ruthlessly and decisively! Crippling someone's dantian is, among cultivators, already a deep grudge and great hatred.

"Hmph, a bunch of trash." Wang Shan retracted his aura, as if nothing had just happened.

Just then, a deep, resonant voice boomed: "What's going on? Who dares to cause trouble in my camp!"

The crowd automatically parted, and Xiong Ba strode over like a dragon and tiger, with Li Hu and Zhang Mei following behind. Seeing Ma San's group sprawled on the ground and then Wang Shan's calm face, Li Hu and Zhang Mei each flashed a hint of surprise. They knew Wang Shan wasn't simple, but they hadn't expected him to act so swiftly and cleanly.

Xiong Ba's gaze swept the scene; upon seeing Ma San's miserable state and the lingering fierce aura still clinging to Wang Shan, his copper‑bell eyes flickered with a barely perceptible ripple—surprise, scrutiny, but above all, appreciation.

"Boss!" the kneeling man crawled and rolled to Xiong Ba's feet, "It's Wang… Elder Wang, he…"

"Shut up!" Xiong Ba barked at him, then turned to Wang Shan, "Wang Shan, what's happening?"

Wang Shan clasped his hands, gave a brief, unbiased rundown of what had occurred.

After listening, Xiong Ba stroked the steel whiskers on his chin, looked at the limp Ma San on the ground, and asked, "Ma San, is what he said true? Did you come to trouble Master Wang Dan Shi just because your hunt failed?"

Ma San's eyes brimmed with resentment, but he dared not argue further, squeezing out a few words through clenched teeth: "I… I admit defeat…"

"Hum! Trash!" Xiong Ba kicked him away with one foot, "You lack ability, yet you dare to extort? Our pioneers' camp doesn't keep this kind of weakling! Come, drag these troublemakers out and deal with them according to camp rules! From now on, whoever dares to cause trouble for no reason, this will be their fate!"

Immediately, Xiong Ba's personal guards stepped forward and dragged Ma San and the others away like dead dogs.

Xiong Ba then turned to Wang Shan, his tone softening considerably: "Wang Shan, you did right. Our camp may value strength above all, but we also need rules. Whoever thinks their fists are strong enough to do as they please, I, Xiong Ba, will be the first to object!" He paused, then raised his voice a bit so everyone around could hear: "Wang Dan Shi is someone I, Xiong Ba, value highly; his pills and talismans are of great help to our camp, and everyone knows it! From now on, whoever dares to harbor ill intentions toward him, don't blame me, Xiong Ba, for turning against them!"

Bear Leader, wise!

Wang Dan Shi, mighty!

The surrounding cultivators echoed in agreement, their gaze toward Wang Shan shifting from mere admiration to a hint of deep apprehension.

Wang Shan's move was undoubtedly a case of killing the chicken to scare the monkeys, thoroughly intimidating those potential troublemakers.

After the crowd dispersed, Xiong Ba patted Wang Shan on the shoulder: "Kid, not bad! Refining Body Stage Eight Midphase—you've hidden it deep enough! I like guys like you who are capable yet calm."

Wang Shan smiled: "If not forced, I, the junior, wouldn't want to act rashly."

"Haha, well said!" Xiong Ba laughed loudly, "But, Wang Shan, today's incident also serves as a warning. The camp has many people and many voices; although I keep things in check, there are always a few who don't see reason. If this continues, it won't do."

Wang Shan's heart stirred; this was exactly the result he wanted. He went along and said: "Bear Leader, you are absolutely right. I, the junior, dare to make an immature suggestion."

"Oh? Let's hear it." Xiong Ba became interested.

"Although the camp now has a leader presiding, the rules are still incomplete."

"Regarding conflicts among cultivators, as well as how to more effectively organize hunts, allocate resources, and guard against beast raids, perhaps we could establish more detailed regulations."

Wang Shan spoke at length: "For example, clearly prohibit private fights as a baseline, establish a disciplinary hall composed of those trusted by the leader to handle daily disputes with clear rewards and punishments. Furthermore, for high-value hunting targets, the camp could uniformly organize them, distribute by labor, avoid internal strife, and also improve efficiency."

He paused, then continued: "This way, not only can we reduce internal waste, but also let everyone focus on strengthening their strength to jointly face the dangers of the wild lands. I, the junior, am willing to contribute my modest effort to the camp."

Xiong Ba listened, his eyes growing brighter. Although he was martial, he indeed was somewhat lax in management. Wang Shan's suggestions each hit the mark. A more stable, efficient camp would obviously benefit him as leader.

"You kid, your mind works fast!" Xiong Ba slapped his thigh, "Fine! Just do as you say! I've long felt that some things in the camp are in a mess! This way, starting today, you, Wang Shan, will be our pioneers' camp 'Elder'! You will be in charge of supplying and allocating pills and talismans, and also participate in decision‑making for all camp affairs big and small! How about that?"

This appointment is no light matter. The Elder's position in the camp is second only to the leader.

Li Hu and Zhang Mei, standing nearby, were stunned, then overjoyed. The higher Wang Shan's status, the more beneficial it is for them siblings.

"Thank you for your trust, Leader!" Wang Shan bowed, "I, the junior, will surely do my best." He knew this was Xiong Ba's effort to win him over and further acknowledge his value. With this status, his actions in the camp would undoubtedly become much easier.

After becoming the camp's Elder, Wang Shan immediately demonstrated his ability.

He assisted Xiong Ba in reorganizing the camp's rules, establishing a simple merit‑exchange system, making resource distribution more transparent.

At the same time, he used his Elder's authority to legitimately mobilize camp resources, gathering for himself a considerable amount of rare spirit plants and materials from second‑ and third‑tier beasts.

On the system panel, the Spirit Plant Points number was slowly and steadily increasing.

Wang Shan began selectively exchanging for more advanced pill formulas and talisman schematics, preparing to break through to a higher realm.

For example, a schematic for the second‑tier pill "Qi Gathering Powder" effectively increases the spiritual power accumulation speed of high‑stage Body Refining cultivators—exactly what he currently needs.

Days passed, and Wang Shan's position in the camp grew ever more stable. In his spare time, he would also subtly probe Xiong Ba for news of the outside world.

"Bear Leader, have the Wan family of Qingyang City had any recent movements?" During a casual drink, Wang Shan asked seemingly offhand.

Xiong Ba gulped a big mouthful of wine, smacked his lips: "The Wan family? Hmph, those big‑city clans are all stuck‑up. They're still stirring things up in Heishi Town, heard they've sent a lot of people—no one knows whether they're after some treasure or hunting down enemies. It's left the merchants and loose cultivators of Heishi Town grumbling."

He lowered his voice and leaned in: "Old Brother Wang, let me tell you frankly, the Wan family's waters run deep. When I was young, I hung around the outskirts of Qingyang City and heard that behind the Wan family there seems to be some mysterious organization, its power huge and frightening. For a small camp like ours, it's best not to provoke them, lest we bring fire upon ourselves."

"A mysterious organization?" Wang Shan's heart tightened.

"Yes, I can't recall the exact name, but it seems… it seems related to wild beasts?" Xiong Ba scratched his head, clearly just repeating hearsay.

Related to wild beasts? Wang Shan could almost certainly say that the mysterious organization Xiong Ba mentioned was most likely the Ten Thousand Beasts Gate!

It seems Wan Tianjue's pursuit is far more troublesome than he imagined.

This pioneers' camp is ultimately just a makeshift measure.

He must quickly increase his strength and find an opportunity for Foundation Establishment, only then can he truly escape his current predicament.

The road ahead is long and dangers abound, but the light in Wang Shan's eyes grows ever firmer. He knows he has drawn another step closer to his goal.