Chapter 467: Prepare Early

After seeing Chu Fengping off, as soon as Song Qingming returned to his cave dwelling, he immediately sent a sound transmission, calling Song Qingyu, Huang Siyuan, and Song Yuanli, who were still busy on the mountain, to his place.

"Seventh Brother, calling us over so urgently, did you ask something from Senior Chu's side?" A moment later, Song Qingyu and the other two, who had hurried over, asked with puzzled expressions as soon as they entered the door.

Song Qingming looked at them calmly and nodded directly, "I just asked Senior Brother Chu. There should be some problems on the sect's side. Next, during the beast turmoil, I am afraid they will not be able to look after Jin Shan Market."

Hearing Song Qingming say this, the expressions of Song Qingyu and the other two changed instantly, and they asked with some surprise, "The sect handed over this vast area to us to guard. If the next beast turmoil is the same as the last time, and two third-tier beasts come at once, I am afraid we will be difficult to deal with."

"That's right, Seventh Grand-uncle, relying on us alone to hold Jin Shan Market is too difficult. Even if the Xiaoyao Sect cannot send Jin Dan cultivators, they cannot just leave us alone like this!"

Song Qingming sighed with a solemn face, "The beast turmoil concerns the fate of the human race in the entire Wei Guo. The Xiaoyao Sect naturally cannot ignore it. It is just that there is a problem on the sect's side now. Whether they can send forces to support us by then is truly hard to say."

"Regardless of what happens next, we must prepare ourselves first and try our best to block the beasts at Jin Shan Market. Otherwise, once Pingyang County is breached by the beasts, our Qinghe County will also not be able to escape the disaster. The family cultivators and mortals are all near Mount Funiu, and our Song family does not have many choices."

Huang Siyuan nodded and said, "Husband is right. We cannot escape what we must face. While the beast turmoil has not yet begun, we must prepare early to avoid being caught off guard."

"Hmm! I have already decided. In a few days, I will directly move into Jin Shan Market. Qingyu and Siyuan, you take a group of people to go with me first."

"Since the last time the beasts breached Jin Shan Market, the entire Pingyang County has been severely damaged. Although it has recovered over these years, the overall strength of Pingyang County today is probably still worse than a hundred years ago. We must hurry over to help them strengthen the overall defense of Jin Shan Market."

Because the beast turmoil in the Northern Frontier is approaching, the number of loose cultivators entering the Fuyun Mountain Range from Jin Shan Market on weekdays has already decreased by more than half, so the entire Jin Shan Market is becoming increasingly depressed.

Song Qingming looked casually at the burly man with a square face who was respectful to him and said softly, "The two of us are going to the market to handle some matters and will take the opportunity to purchase some spirit items."

"That's good! Seventh Brother, you and Sister-in-law can set off first. After I have selected suitable candidates, I will immediately hurry over to meet you." Hearing Song Qingming's arrangement, Song Qingyu hurriedly agreed.

"Yuanli accepts the order. Please rest assured, Seventh Grand-uncle, I will definitely guard the clansmen well!"

——

A few days later, outside Jin Shan Market in Pingyang County.

After discussing with Song Qingyu and the others, Song Qingming quickly packed his things and took Huang Siyuan to arrive at Jin Shan Market first.

On this day, of the few Qi Refining cultivators guarding the entrance, except for one who was still checking the cultivators and mortals entering and leaving in twos and threes, the others were all hiding in the side room drinking tea and chatting.

"Senior Brother Lu! Two seniors have come from the front."

Not long after, two rays of spiritual light suddenly appeared in mid-air and landed together outside Jin Shan Market. After the spiritual light dissipated, the figures of a man and a woman soon appeared.

Hearing the shout, the three Qi Refining cultivators wearing the same attire immediately ran out from the side room. The burly man with a square face who was the leader among them took a look at Song Qingming and the other who were walking over and immediately ordered the others, "Hurry to the back and open the city gate protection formation. All of you, be sharp."

After Song Qingming nodded, he said to Song Yuanli, who was waiting on the side, "Yuanli, you should still stay behind to guard Mount Funiu. The clan is temporarily entrusted to you. If you encounter matters, you should discuss more with the family elders. If there is anything unusual in Qinghe County, you must send a letter to inform us in time."

After the burly man with a square face finished speaking, he hurriedly walked toward Song Qingming and the other, bowing and saluting with a smile, "Two seniors, may I ask what business you have coming to the market?"

Seeing two unfamiliar Foundation Establishment cultivators suddenly walking toward the market, the market guard who was checking the people entering and leaving hurriedly shouted, calling out all the other cultivators guarding the gate.

"Senior! Our Jin Shan Market has already begun martial law. Foundation Establishment cultivators must have a long-term pass to enter. If the two seniors are not local cultivators, please wait a moment. I will first report this matter to the market elder and ask Senior Cao to come and provide a guarantee for the two seniors." After the burly man with a square face finished speaking, he immediately turned around, wanting to return to the market.

"Husband, it seems the guards here at Jin Shan Market are still somewhat cautious. They have already started martial law so early." Seeing that these market guards immediately opened a protection formation at the gate just as the two of them walked over, Huang Siyuan smiled and praised.

Song Qingming looked at the formation at the market gate and shook his head calmly, "This level of protection formation can only deal with those ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators. If one encounters an expert above the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, I am afraid that before other Foundation Establishment cultivators in the market can arrive to support, the market gate will have already fallen."

"Usually, Foundation Establishment cultivators wouldn't come here anyway. It's already not bad that they can do this. You don't need to be too harsh on them now. Changing these things still requires a process."

Just as Song Qingming and Huang Siyuan were chatting at the market gate, a middle-aged woman dressed in red palace attire had already walked out of the market quickly.

As soon as this woman in red saw Song Qingming and Huang Siyuan, she hurriedly stepped forward with a look of surprise and bowed, "This concubine, Cao Rongxue, pays respects to Senior Song and Fellow Daoist Huang."

Cao Rongxue was the head of the Cao family, the largest Foundation Establishment family in Pingyang County. A few days ago, when the Song family held the banquet to celebrate their promotion to a Jin Dan immortal family, Cao Rongxue also represented the Cao family and went to Mount Funiu.

Back when Song Qingming was still a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he had some friendship with Cao Rongxue. The two had fought side by side on the front line in Lu Guo. At that time, Cao Rongxue's cultivation was even higher than Song Qingming's.

Seeing Song Qingming, who had now become a Jin Dan True Person, Cao Rongxue was also very envious in her heart. Although her current cultivation had reached the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment, she had also tried to form a core once over these years, but she failed to do so. Instead, she damaged some of her vitality. To this day, she still has no confidence in breaking through to the Jin Dan realm.

Seeing her old friend Cao Rongxue, Song Qingming hurriedly nodded with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Cao, please rise quickly. I remember back on the front line in Lu Guo, Fellow Daoist Cao and I were old friends who fought side by side for many years. From now on, let us not be so overly polite."

Seeing that the Foundation Establishment senior Cao Rongxue, who usually held a very respected status in the market, actually called this man "Senior," the guards at the market gate were suddenly dumbfounded, thinking they had misheard just now.

Cao Rongxue's cultivation had already reached the peak of Foundation Establishment, and her age was not small among Foundation Establishment cultivators. For her to call someone "Senior" so respectfully, could this person be a Jin Dan True Person?

"In that case, this concubine thanks Senior Song. Just now, hearing those juniors with no eyes say that two unfamiliar cultivators had come to the market, I didn't expect it to be the two seniors."

"The senior has just successfully formed his core, and the people below have not yet seen the senior's portrait. It was rude and negligent just now. I hope Senior Song will not mind."

"We were rude, we hope the ancestor will forgive our sins!"

The news of Song Qingming forming his core had spread throughout Wei Guo these days, and Jin Shan Market had naturally heard this news long ago. Hearing Cao Rongxue confirm that the person in front of them was indeed that Senior Song who had become a Jin Dan cultivator not long ago, the guards who had just blocked Song Qingming at the gate immediately broke into a cold sweat and hurriedly knelt on the ground, begging for mercy loudly.

Song Qingming waved his hand calmly, "As the saying goes, the ignorant are not guilty. All of you, rise. My trip to Jin Shan Market also has important matters to discuss with the fellow Daoists in Pingyang County. In a moment, I will have to trouble Fellow Daoist Cao to work hard and invite the managers of all the major Foundation Establishment families in Pingyang County to come to Jin Shan Market."

"Please, Senior, go to the market to rest for a moment. This concubine will go down and arrange it immediately!"

Cao Rongxue's efficiency in handling matters was still good. After only half a day, Song Qingming saw the cultivators from the major Foundation Establishment families in Pingyang County who had rushed here after receiving the news in the Jin Shan Market discussion hall.

In addition to the major Foundation Establishment families, several Xiaoyao Sect Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed in the sect's mineral veins in Pingyang County also rushed over after learning the news of Song Qingming's arrival at Jin Shan Market.

Pingyang County was the same as it was a hundred years ago; there were only seven Foundation Establishment families within its territory. Like Qinghe County, Pingyang County had also experienced many things in these hundred years. Among the original seven major Foundation Establishment families, two had already changed their surnames to newly promoted Foundation Establishment families.

Compared to Qinghe County, whose strength had gradually increased with the rise of the Song family over these hundred years, although Pingyang County still had seven Foundation Establishment families, the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators was now two fewer than a hundred years ago, totaling only fourteen Foundation Establishment cultivators. The overall strength had still decreased somewhat.

This was also because a hundred years ago, the beasts breached Jin Shan Market, bringing a huge disaster to the entire north of Pingyang County. Many cultivators and mortals were lost, causing the overall strength of the Pingyang County cultivation world not only not to grow in these hundred-plus years, but instead to weaken slightly.

Song Qingming, sitting at the head of the discussion hall, scanned the dozen or so Foundation Establishment cultivators present and said softly, "All of you should have received the sect's decree recently. Now the beast turmoil is approaching, and our Jin Shan Market will inevitably suffer attacks from the northern beasts. This time I came to Jin Shan Market precisely to discuss with everyone how to deal with this matter!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 468 =====