Raise a sword!

Northeast corner of the market.

As usual, Jiang Peng comes here every seven days, finds his own secluded corner, and sets out five bottles of Qi-Gathering Pills.

With higher profits, his enthusiasm for alchemy also increased significantly.

The neighbor next door was still Qian Laosi, but today Qian Laosi was no longer as talkative as before, and he seemed listless.

"Fellow Daoist Qian, what troubles you? Don't keep it bottled up, it's bad for your health. Why don't you tell me so I can relieve your worries... no, I mean, offer you some comfort."

Qian Laosi rolled his eyes.

"I imagine Fellow Daoist Jiang has also heard about the recent outbreak of monster riots in the Earth-Ringing Mountains."

"I've heard about it, but hasn't Cangshan Pavilion never shown its face? If something serious had happened, Cangshan Pavilion should have given us a warning long ago." Jiang Peng pretended to be confused, feigning ignorance.

Upon hearing Jiang Peng's words, Qian Laosi's face fell.

"Fellow Daoist Jiang also knows what kind of work we do."

Jiang Peng nodded.

Qian Laosi also begged for food in the Diming Mountains.

However, he neither searched the land for medicinal herbs nor joined the demon-hunting team to hunt demons.

He was a corpse collector.

Even if a cultivator dies in the Earthly Roaring Mountains, but there are still family members in the market who want to give them a proper burial, they will find someone like Qian Laosi to enter the Earthly Roaring Mountains and bring back the body or belongings.

Although Qian Laosi was a rogue cultivator, he still had a lineage.

This guy can tell fortunes.

He cannot calculate the past or future, nor can he know his past and present lives, but he can roughly calculate where the deceased perished based on their belongings.

Qian Laosi also kept a strange dog with a very keen sense of smell.

With this skill, he could obtain a lot of good things without taking too many risks in the Earth-Ringing Mountains.

He gained something from most of the corpses he recovered.

Qian Laosi was a heartless man. Apart from the belongings mentioned by the family, he accepted everything else and even demanded payment from the family for his services.

The junk magical artifacts, low-level talismans, and other miscellaneous items that Qian Laosi displayed at his stall were all relics of the dead.

"Did the commotion in the Earth-Ringing Mountains affect your ability to collect the corpses?" Jiang Peng asked.

Qian Laosi shook his head.

"I had a business deal yesterday, but I was stopped when I went out... Haven't you noticed that this market area in the northeast corner is much quieter today?"

Jiang Peng looked around.

"That's true."

Qian Laosi sighed, "Cangshan Market is now sealed off; entry is permitted, but exit is not!"

"Why is that?" Jiang Peng asked in surprise.

"If you count the time, it's been almost twenty years." Qian Laosi curled his lips. "What else could it be? The upper sect thinks there are too many people in the market... But I'm only telling you this, fellow Daoist. I will never admit it if anyone else asks."

Jiang Peng quickly put on a smile, picked up a bottle of Qi Condensation Pills from the stall, and stuffed it into Qian Laosi's hand.

"Please explain in detail, fellow Daoist."

"Getting on track!" Qian Laosi finally smiled a little after seeing the benefits.

...

After Qian Laosi's explanation, Jiang Peng understood the reasons for the series of abnormalities in the market recently.

Every twenty years or so, the northern foothills of the Earth-Ringing Mountains will experience a monster riot.

According to the Cangshan Sect, the reason given was that a third-tier demon, comparable to a Golden Core cultivator, deep within the mountain range sent demonic beasts out of the mountains to attack in order to compete with the human race for the spiritual veins on the northern slope.

At first, this explanation was convincing.

Because the Earth-Ringing Mountains cover a vast area, and the depths of the mountains are forbidden territory for humans, even Foundation Establishment cultivators dare not easily venture in.

So it's not wrong that a powerful demon is causing trouble.

Even if a fourth-tier demon king were to emerge from the Earth-Ringing Mountains, it wouldn't be surprising.

But as time went by and the beast tides came one after another, many people gradually began to figure it out.

Each beast tide occurs every twenty years or so, how can they be so well-prepared and so perfectly timed?

It is a monster in the mountains large enough to form a beast tide, which takes twenty years to produce a new batch.

Nonsense.

Even the great demons themselves felt they didn't have enough to eat.

"It's an agreement between the Upper Sect and the great demon in the mountains," Qian Laosi said with a bitter face. "I only found out about this by participating in the last beast tide and inquiring about it openly and secretly."

"Fellow Daoist, think about it. A Qi Refining cultivator has a lifespan of about 120 years. A Qi Refining level nine cultivator is enough to support a family to establish itself and survive in the market."

"Every year, the Cangshan Sect selects at least a dozen Qi Refining Ninth Level cultivators to descend the mountain. Among them, at least a third choose to stay in the market and make a living by leveraging the sect's connections."

Qian Laosi grinned and said meaningfully, "How can a mere market town support so many families? But we can't drive people away. Those who can settle here are all those whose ancestors have contributed to the sect. The Cangshan Sect is a reputable sect and would not do something like discarding a donkey after it has served its purpose."

Jiang Peng suddenly realized.

"It's too difficult to discard someone after they've served their purpose, so the only option is to use someone else to do the dirty work."

"That makes sense," Qian Laosi nodded. "Every time there's a beast tide, the powerful families in the market are always at the forefront, followed by the independent cultivators. No one can escape unless they have connections in a sect and can make arrangements in advance."

"But unfortunately, by the time we junior repairmen found out about this, it was too late. The market only allowed entry, not exit! Alas, such a tragic fate."

Jiang Peng then asked, "The families in the market must know about this. Are they willing to participate?"

"We've already enjoyed the benefits of the Spirit Gathering Array while staying in Cangshan Market. How can we just take the benefits and not do anything? The same goes for recruiting rogue cultivators... Outside, you won't find a place as safe and with such abundant spiritual energy as the market."

After saying that, Qian Laosi leisurely packed up his stall and left.

Watching the other person's departing figure, Jiang Peng ultimately did not reveal that her name had been removed from the conscription list.

The image of Lan Yingying with her veil shrouded in mist flashed through his mind.

"I do owe Fellow Daoist Lan a huge favor."

...

A few days later, Jiang Peng went to Cangshan Pavilion to pay the rent.

Just before I was leaving, I was stopped and taken to the second floor of Cangshan Pavilion once again.

The one in charge was still that fellow Daoist Liu Quan.

Upon seeing Jiang Peng, Liu Quan took out a low-level storage bag and placed it in front of her.

"Among them are the materials for five 'Rejuvenation Pills,' and the formula is also included... You will need to submit ten Rejuvenation Pills in one month. This pill is only a low-grade first-tier medicine; if you don't submit enough, you'll have to find a way to make up the difference yourself."

After saying that, Liu Quan waved his hand to send Jiang Peng away.

Jiang Peng had no room for negotiation and could only agree.

On her way home, Jiang Peng passed by Baicaotang and asked about the price of Huichun Dan.

"Each one costs 10 spirit stones, and each person can only purchase three," the clerk at the counter said.

"What about the materials?"

"One serving is 15 spirits."

Upon hearing the price, Jiang Peng suddenly felt the storage bag she had just acquired become incredibly heavy.

The materials for these five Rejuvenation Pills alone are more than his entire fortune.

Jiang Peng reluctantly bought a Rejuvenation Pill.

When taking the new pill for the first time, the process of refining the pill will appear in your mind... As long as you think about it carefully, Jiang Peng feels that she should not fail.

Go home.

Jiang Peng took the Rejuvenation Pill.

Sure enough, the figure whose face was obscured appeared before them, refining pills in front of the purple-gold cauldron.

Jiang Peng watched intently, not daring to miss any detail.