Family Cultivation: My Ancestral Home Gets Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 117 Those who commit many unrighteous acts will surely perish.

The moonlight poured down, illuminating the desolate path with a chilly glow.

A half-spirited horse galloped swiftly, its rapid hooves echoing in the silent night, startling several night birds from the grass.

On horseback, Jiang Fu'an leaned slightly forward, his eyes as sharp as a night hawk's, constantly scanning both sides of the road.

He had already fastened several mid-grade first-tier talismans between the fingers of his right hand, guarding against possible attacks that might pounce out of the darkness.

Suddenly, his ear twitched.

Ahead, another sound of horses' hooves came.

The sound was faint at first, but quickly became clearer and was approaching him.

Jiang Fu'an's heart skipped a beat: "Could it be a stone?"

With a slight flick of his wrist, the reins tightened, and the half-spirit horse beneath him snorted, gradually slowing its pace.

A moment later, a blurry black shadow sped from the distance, shrouded in moonlight, its outline rapidly growing larger and clearer.

As the distance closed, the familiar riding posture finally put Jiang Fu'an's mind at ease.

It's a stone!

Almost at the same moment, the person on horseback opposite him also recognized him and exclaimed in surprise, "Father?! What are you doing here?"

Jiang Fu'an naturally couldn't mention that he knew about his injury, but said with concern, "Your father was worried because you hadn't come home by nightfall. He was afraid you might have encountered danger outside, so he went out to look for you."

These words made Stone's cheeks burn.

Thinking that he had just been intimately entwined with Bai Lan in the cave while his father was anxiously searching for him in this desolate wilderness, a wave of guilt washed over him.

He quickly spurred his horse closer, his tone apologetic: "I'm sorry to have worried you, Father. I did encounter some trouble on the way, but it's all resolved now, and I'm fine."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Fu'an's expression immediately turned serious, and he pressed, "What trouble? Tell your father in detail!"

Stone hesitated for a moment, aside from the intimate physical contact he shared with Bai Lan that was not something to be discussed with outsiders.

He recounted in detail his encounter with the assassins of the Rebirth Society, the fierce battle, and his eventual rescue by Bai Lan.

Jiang Fu'an's expression grew increasingly grim as he listened.

He never expected that simply opening a business would cause him to provoke a behemoth like the "Qiankun Pavilion," which dominates the entire Qingyun Continent!

After Shi Tou finished speaking, he asked in a deep voice, "Think carefully back, have you had any conflicts with the people of Qiankun Pavilion during this period?"

Stone pondered for a while before answering definitively, "No. Since the opening of the Spirit Talisman Pavilion, I've spent most of my time in the market."

"As you know, there are strict rules in the market prohibiting the use of force, and I have never fought with anyone."

That's strange.

Jiang Fu'an's eyes showed even deeper doubt.

Logically speaking, since Qiankun Pavilion has been able to do business all over the continent, it should have some rules and considerations in its actions. How could it be so unscrupulous and readily hire killers to commit murder?

If everyone acted this way, they would probably have enemies all over the world by now.

He pressed further, "Then think again, have you recently made enemies with anyone? Especially those people of unknown origin?"

This time, Shi Tou didn't think for long before nodding and saying, "Yes! About ten days ago, when I returned to Qinglu Mountain, I noticed someone following me suspiciously. Judging from their behavior, they were most likely rogue cultivators looking for a secluded place to rob me."

"So I didn't waste any more words with him and took the opportunity to deal with him first."

"Just kill them?"

Jiang Fu'an frowned slightly: "Why didn't you capture him first and ask him why he was following you?"

He had long suspected that his son was quite ruthless.

Apart from that voluptuous female cultivator, none of those who fell into his hands survived.

There's no right or wrong in this matter, so he didn't specifically correct it before.

Shi Tou shook his head, speaking matter-of-factly: "At the time, I only felt that this person had ulterior motives and that danger was imminent, so I didn't think much of it."

Although he didn't ask, Jiang Fu'an already had a guess.

This person is most likely a spy sent by the Qiankun Pavilion.

He recalled that when Lingfu Pavilion was still in the hands of the Wang family, Qiankun Pavilion had secretly contacted them and poached Xia Qingshan, the talisman master from the Wang family.

He had considered this issue at the time, but felt that since he and Xiangqian were the talisman masters of the Jiang family, and their foundation was there, there was no possibility that they could be taken away, so he did not investigate further.

Unexpectedly, the Qiankun Pavilion's actions were so insidious!

"Father, what should we do now? Should we continue operating the Spirit Talisman Pavilion?"

Stone's tone revealed worry; his business had just started to pick up when he got into this trouble, which weighed heavily on his mind.

Jiang Fu'an could not come up with a perfect solution at the moment.

He pondered for a long time before deciding, "Here's what we'll do: you go back to Qinglu Mountain first. Once you're back, you and your fourth brother should guard the house and be on high alert."

"Be especially wary of that newly joined alchemist; do not trust him completely."

"Father will go to the market himself to see the situation before making any decisions."

There were still many talismans stored in the shop, and more importantly, his daughter-in-law was still guarding it there. He had to go there for both reason and duty.

"You're going alone? That's too dangerous!"

Upon hearing this, Shi Tou's face showed even greater worry, fearing that the people from Qiankun Pavilion might harm his father.

Jiang Fu'an didn't seem to mind, a relieved smile appearing on his face: "It's alright. Father has hardly ever shown his face at the Spirit Talisman Pavilion, so they don't recognize me."

"Even if we take a step back and assume that someone really wants to harm Father, as long as they are not Foundation Establishment cultivators, Father will make sure they never leave alive!"

'

As he said this, a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

He also cultivated the Dharma body and carried nearly a hundred different kinds of talismans.

Moreover, he has over two hundred years of lifespan to spare, so in critical moments, the "Blood Burning Curse" will be his trump card for fighting to the death.

If it really came down to a fight, even if he faced an attack from ten late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, he was confident that he could outmaneuver them and even win.

Seeing his father's resolute expression, Shi Tou knew that once he made a decision, it would be difficult to change it, and he had always trusted his father's judgment.

Suppressing his unease, he nodded and said, "Then I'll go back now. Father, please be careful."

"Okay, go ahead. Don't be careless on the way."

Jiang Fu'an gave his instructions.

Without another word, Shi Tou spurred his horse forward, continuing its journey towards Qinglu Mountain.

Jiang Fu'an watched his son's figure disappear into the moonlight until he could no longer see him before turning his horse around.

But he didn't rush on his way. Instead, he loosened the reins and let the horse trot at a steady pace.

There's still some time before Moon Spirit Market opens in the early morning, so going too early would just mean waiting outside in vain.

More importantly, he needs to keep his body in top condition to cope with any unforeseen circumstances.

When Jiang Fu'an arrived at Yueling Market, the market was already bustling with people and noise.

He walked slowly in with the flow of people, his gaze seemingly casual, but actually sweeping over the shops on the street and the faces of the monks coming and going.

Everything seemed the same as always.

However, when he passed by Qiankun Pavilion, his gaze narrowed slightly.

The vermilion gate was tightly closed, and there wasn't a single maidservant to greet them at the entrance.

Not open for business?

He was slightly surprised, but showed no sign of it on his face, and continued walking in the direction of his own Spirit Talisman Pavilion.

From afar, one could see that the wooden doors of the Lingfu Pavilion were already open, and an unfamiliar maid in green was carefully sweeping the dust in front of the threshold with a broom.

Upon seeing a customer approach, the maid immediately stopped what she was doing, her face breaking into a friendly smile. She said in a crisp voice, "Please come in, senior! Our shop has a complete range of talismans, the prices are absolutely the lowest in the market, and the quality is top-notch. Your satisfaction is guaranteed!"

Inside the shop, Wang Zhaoyun, who was organizing accounts behind the counter, heard the noise at the door and looked up.

Upon seeing Jiang Fu'an, a look of surprise immediately appeared on his face: "Father? What brings you here?"

She quickly came around from behind the counter.

Jiang Fu'an breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that his daughter-in-law was safe and sound.

His biggest worry was that the other party would also fall victim to the same evil.

He replied casually, "Shi Tou has some other matters to attend to today and can't get away, so I'm bringing him some newly made talismans."

"Zhaoyun, come with me for a moment, there's something I need to tell you."

As he spoke, he walked straight to the wooden staircase leading to the second floor inside the shop.

The first floor is bustling with people, so it's clearly not a place to talk.

Wang Zhaoyun keenly sensed something unusual in her father-in-law's calm tone, quickly responded, and hurried after him.

In a small room on the second floor used as a storeroom, Jiang Fu'an closed the wooden door tightly before turning around, his tone becoming serious: "Yesterday afternoon, Shi Tou was ambushed by bandits on his way back and was injured."

"What?!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhaoyun's face turned deathly pale, her eyes filled with horror: "How badly is Shi Tou injured? He was attacked yesterday too?"

"Don't worry, it's not serious. You'll be fine after some rest."

Jiang Fu'an offered a word of comfort, then noticed the oddity in his daughter-in-law's words: "Were you also attacked? Zhaoyun, what do you mean by that?"

"Besides Stone, who else was attacked yesterday?"

Upon hearing that her Daoist partner was unharmed, Wang Zhaoyun felt a little relieved.

He replied in a light tone, "Yesterday afternoon, the manager of Qiankun Pavilion was assassinated outside the market!"

"Dead?!"

This time, it was Jiang Fu'an's turn to be taken aback. He hurriedly asked, "Was the deceased a female cultivator named Zhao Linlan?"

"That's right! It's all over the market, it's all about the Zhao family."

Wang Zhaoyun nodded in confirmation, then looked at her father-in-law with a puzzled expression: "Father, do you recognize her?"

Jiang Fu'an didn't answer immediately; the news came too suddenly, and his mind was a bit confused.

Why was there such chaos outside the market yesterday?

Zhao Linlan, the mastermind behind hiring someone to kill Shi Tou, was also killed yesterday!

Is it because Zhao Linlan has committed too many evil deeds that she has finally offended a tough nut and was retaliated against by her enemies?

Or is there something else going on here?

The most crucial question is whether this matter will affect the Jiang family.

"Father? What's wrong?"

Seeing her father-in-law lost in thought, his expression shifting, Wang Zhaoyun couldn't help but call out softly.

Jiang Fu'an came to his senses and, after a moment's thought, felt that his daughter-in-law needed to know the inside story so that she could be on guard.

He then briefly recounted how Zhao Linlan had hired someone through the "Rebirth Society" to kill Shi Tou.

Wang Zhaoyun was initially shocked, her eyes widening in disbelief. Then, indignation welled up on her face: "This Zhao Linlan, how could she be so vicious!"

"If they can't win fair competition in business, they resort to such underhanded and vicious schemes!"

"No wonder he was assassinated in the street; he deserved to die!"

Jiang Fu'an did not echo his daughter-in-law's indignation. His mind raced as he considered how the Jiang family should respond next.

He originally planned to have Lingfu Pavilion temporarily close down after arriving at the market to avoid possible retaliation from Zhao Linlan.

But now that Zhao Linlan is dead, closing the door seems unnecessary.

But he still had some worries in his heart.

Will Zhao Linlan's death trigger an investigation by the Qiankun Pavilion?

If the investigation traces back to the Jiang family, even just a suspicion, it would be a huge problem.

After a moment's hesitation, he looked up at his daughter-in-law and instructed her, "Zhaoyun, tell me the details of Zhao Linlan's murder in detail."

Wang Zhaoyun gathered her thoughts and said, "I didn't see it with my own eyes. It was all spread in the market yesterday afternoon. I heard a lot about it."

"It is said that the one who made the move was a lone female cultivator with extremely high strength. Although she was only at the late stage of Qi Refining, she took the life of Zhao Linlan, who was also at the late stage of Qi Refining, with a single strike!"

"What's even more astonishing is that after the incident, a Foundation Establishment cultivator from Qiankun Pavilion immediately gave chase with nearly ten late-stage Qi Refining guards."

"That female cultivator actually managed to escape from the encirclement and even killed two of her pursuers!"

As she spoke, a hint of admiration and satisfaction appeared in her eyes, and her goodwill towards the mysterious female cultivator who had avenged her greatly increased.

Jiang Fu'an felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing this.

He was in the late stage of Qi Refining and escaped from an ambush led by Foundation Establishment cultivators, even killing two of them in the process.

This level of strength is beyond the reach of ordinary people.

At the same time, he also noticed a problem:

Given that Qiankun Pavilion clearly has so many experts in Yueling Market, why did Zhao Linlan choose to go to such lengths and use the "Rebirth Society" to deal with Shi Tou?

If the reason is that they are afraid that Qiankun Pavilion will take action itself and ruin its reputation.

Wouldn't it be easier to leave evidence and spread the word if they went to the Rebirth Society?

After all, the Robbery Cult wouldn't keep her secret.

After pondering for a long time, Jiang Fu'an's conjecture gradually became clear: "It seems that hiring someone to kill Shi Tou was likely just Zhao Linlan's personal decision, and Qiankun Pavilion may not have known about it."

When he first heard that Qiankun Pavilion had resorted to such ruthless tactics in order to compete for business, he was deeply puzzled.

Such behavior is not in the style of a large organization that can open shops all over the continent; otherwise, it would have enemies everywhere and be unable to move an inch.

Upon reaching this conclusion, Jiang Fu'an immediately felt relieved.

With Zhao Linlan dead, most of her personal grudges also dissipated.

From now on, Qiankun Pavilion will likely focus its efforts solely on investigating the true culprit who murdered Zhao Linlan.

His expression softened, and he looked at his daughter-in-law, instructing her, "Zhaoyun, now that Zhao Linlan is dead, this matter can perhaps be put to rest."

"The shop can continue to operate as usual, but you still need to be extra careful since you are here alone."

"Once Stone has recovered from his injuries, I will have him come back to help you as soon as possible."

"Father, don't worry, I'll be careful."

Wealthy families within the market maintain order, and as long as one stays within the market area, safety is relatively guaranteed.

Moreover, her father-in-law's special risk to come and deliver the news touched her deeply.

Jiang Fu'an nodded, said nothing more, and turned to go downstairs.

After leaving the Spirit Talisman Pavilion, he did not head straight for the market exit, but instead went towards the area where independent cultivators set up stalls.

Since we're already in the market, we might as well go over there and find out more about Ning Zhiyuan.