Chapter 462

Arriving at the granary, Yan Buji looked at the cultivator asleep in a chair and cupped his hands: "Fellow Daoist?"

"You.... ah~ ha~~" the Sun and Moon Palace cultivator rose, yawned and rubbed his eyes, looking at Yan Buji: "Who are you?"

"I am Yan Buji, an Alchemist, and I wanted to ask if there are any Spiritual Materials here...."

"Oh~ come over."

Yan Buji followed him straight into the granary, which originally was a storehouse prepared by merchants for Qi Cultivators or anyone needing food, after large quantities of grain were purchased from the outer sea and stored here.

But now, everything has actually been replaced with Spiritual Materials, piled everywhere.

Yan Buji frowned, but said nothing.

"Which ones do you want? Make it clear beforehand—don't come to me for any deal under ten thousand."

"I won't." Yan Buji smiled, looked around nearby, pointed over there, and said: "I want those Spiritual Materials over there; this is ten thousand Spiritual Stones."

"Fine."

That cultivator waved his hand, and some Spiritual Materials flew to Yan Buji's front.

Yan Buji froze for a moment: "Just these?"

"How much do you want? Ten thousand Spiritual Stones now only buys this much—if you don't like it, get lost. Don't say the Spiritual Materials have gone up in price; now that the wartime management order has been issued, even if you wanted to buy, there's nowhere to buy them!"

Yan Buji's face stiffened, and he smiled: "Okay, okay."

"But you can rest assured, no one will check you for the Spiritual Materials you take out of here."

"Alright, thanks."

After Yan Buji took the Spiritual Materials, the other party did not continue to force buying or selling.

But just as Yan Buji stepped out the door, a group of law-enforcement cultivators suddenly approached, sneering at him: "You, suspected of profiteering Spiritual Materials—come with us."

Yan Buji turned to look at the cultivator guarding the Spiritual Materials nearby; that person frowned: "Liu Er, what do you mean? This person is my customer."

"Zhang Hong, I advise you not to meddle—you're just from the Flowing Moon Sect, while our leader is a direct descendant of the Liu family!"

Zhang Hong's face fell: "Liu Ziguang?!"

"Since you know, don't interfere—you do your thing, we'll do ours."

Zhang Hong took a deep breath, waved his hand, and glanced at Yan Buji.

Yan Buji sighed and followed that law-enforcement group on a trip.

Soon, he arrived at a manor.

The law-enforcement cultivators entered the gate, and a few beside them looked at Yan Buji and shouted: "Wait a moment, our chief will be out shortly."

"I don't know why you brought me here—what's the issue?"

"An issue? That offense would be serious."

The surrounding law-enforcement cultivators chuckled, looking quite sinister.

Yan Buji frowned, not asking further.

Soon after, a Golden Core Cultivator walked out from the inner hall, sat in the chief seat, and looked at Yan Buji, sizing him up:

"You're the Alchemist in the city, right?"

"Yes, I am Yan Buji; may I ask who you are?"

"I am Liu Ziguang, appointed as the captain of the law-enforcement team stationed on Yuheng Island by the Sun and Moon Palace."

"Greetings, Captain Liu." Yan Buji cupped his hands.

"I had you come over—do you know what crime you've committed?"

Yan Buji thought: "Is it because I went to buy Spiritual Materials?"

Smack!

Liu Ziguang slammed the table, glaring at Yan Buji: "Those Spiritual Materials were all prepared for the heroes of our human race on the front lines resisting the beast tide—you cultivator, so shameless, dare to collude inside and out and secretly profiteer Spiritual Materials!"

Yan Buji's pupils contracted.

Yan Buji was all too familiar with this tone; back when he was a mortal and his business grew, the officials spoke the same way.

Yan Buji immediately bowed and said: "Please, Captain Liu, show mercy—I know I was wrong."

"Hmm, knowing you're wrong is good." Liu Ziguang rose, hands behind his back, approached Yan Buji and looked down at him: "This matter—whether big or small—depends on how you want to handle it."

Yan Buji narrowed his eyes, feigned trembling, and said in extreme fear: "I'll fully follow Captain Liu's wishes!"

"Good, I have two options for you: one, replenish the three hundred kinds of Spiritual Materials we currently need...."

"This.... I, a mere loose cultivator, don't have that many Spiritual Materials. If I did, why would I still need to buy them?" Yan Buji said tremblingly.

Liu Ziguang laughed: "So second, you aren't working for True Lord Longxuan, are you? Remember you lot have refined a three‑turn pill called the 'Suppress‑Qi Pill'; just prepare a hundred of those for me."

"A hundred?!" Yan Buji widened his eyes.

This guy's appetite is huge—clearly he plans to use me to line his own pockets.

"What, you're not willing?"

"This.... the City Lord's side only gave one pill and two portions of Spiritual Materials; even counting loss, it's nowhere near enough...."

"That's your problem. Remember, I want to see the pill next month—or else you're on your own! See you out!" Liu Ziguang turned and left.

Yan Buji still wanted to say something, but a law-enforcement cultivator beside him stepped in front of him.

"Fellow Daoist Yan, let's go—do you still want to spend the night here?"

"Sigh, yes."

Soon, Yan Buji returned to his dwelling.

Now the path before Yan Buji has only two options: either leave or keep muddling along.

"For me, refining the Suppress‑Qi Pill isn't difficult—even if I only had the materials from the City Lord's manor I could meet their demand—but why should I do it?"

Yan Buji narrowed his eyes and looked at the law-enforcement cultivators moving outside the door.

"Have they set their sights on me? I'll guard against my going to find someone." Yan Buji chuckled and took out a scroll.

Afterwards, Yan Buji spread his arms, and several talismans flew from his cuffs, sticking to the doors and windows; immediately after, a few small formation flags were planted in the four directions.

Then Yan Buji sat on the stool, took out a scroll and placed it on the table, unfolded the scroll and touched the flowing wind pattern on it.

The pattern glowed, and Yan Buji waited a moment.

"Yan Daoist, what's wrong?" Chen Zhen's voice came over, and Yan Buji said: "Chen Daoist, is anyone causing you trouble over there?"

"What do you mean...?"

"Looks like there is; now I've been targeted, and if I don't give them what they want, I'm afraid I won't get off easy."

"Yan Daoist, we hospitable ones are the same." Hua Xianzi's voice came over; they were originally a family, and likely at this moment they are also by Chen Zhen's side.

Yan Buji thought: "If this continues, us being caught by the law enforcement team and having our weaknesses exploited for endless extortion is no good; can we think of a way to report to the City Lord so he can help us handle it?"

Hua Xianzi snorted coldly: "You think the City Lord doesn't know? Have you heard the name of that law enforcement team's Liu Ziguang?"

"It is said to be the direct lineage of the Sun Moon Palace's Liu Clan."

"That's right. Although the Sun Moon Palace still mainly consists of its own cultivators, in recent years various forces have gradually developed, and the Liu Clan is among them. Moreover, the Liu Clan has five Spirit Transformation cultivators, three Dao Union cultivators, and one Great Vehicle elder; do you think the City Lord dares to cause trouble for Liu Ziguang?"

"Although that may be so, factions within the Sun Moon Palace are numerous; there will always be someone who can oppose the Liu Clan, and they probably dislike each other."

"You want to draw them into their feud? The City Lord would never agree. Jade Balance Island itself lacks precious resources, focusing on commerce. Even if the Liu Clan comes, just sending them away is already difficult, let alone other factions." Hua Xianzi said helplessly.

"Then we really have no way out?" Chen Zhen also sighed.

Yan Buji pondered for a while, then suddenly said: "If you two trust me, let's total up."

"Oh? Yan Daoist, do you have an idea?"