The agreed time arrived at noon.
Lin Xiuyuan went to the outer city ahead of time, sold all the talismans he had accumulated to the shops, and then waited at the northern edge of the scattered cultivator market.
Then a group of people emerged from the city gate on their swords, looking menacing.
They wore uniform clothing with interwoven gold patterns, and their chests were embroidered with a pattern of surging waves.
It was indeed the guard team of Jinhe Market, mostly composed of outer disciples of the Jinhai Sect, with a small number of elite cultivators recruited from within.
They appeared to be just an outer guard team, but they were all at the fifth level of Qi Refining or above, with most of them at the late stage of Qi Refining.
In the past, I had only seen them patrolling casually in the market to maintain order. This was the first time I had ever seen them so menacing, with such a chilling murderous intent.
All eyes turned to him, and each person's expression became serious.
"What's going on? This is the first time in all these years that I've seen the guards like this, so full of murderous intent..."
"Could it be that the demon race has made a comeback?"
"No, no, that's not the case. If it were really a demon race, it wouldn't be them who were dispatched, but rather the stewards from the City Lord's Mansion, or even a great cultivator appearing!"
"That's a bit strange..."
Just as everyone was filled with curiosity and making various guesses.
Someone whispered, "My friend just sent me a message via jade talisman. Two experts at the late stage of Qi Refining are fighting in the bungalow area. It seems they've destroyed a house and injured quite a few innocent people..."
"So that's why the guards came out looking so menacing..."
"However, Jinhe Market has become increasingly chaotic lately. I wonder what kind of opportunity has appeared in the wilderness that has attracted so many cultivators."
"Yeah, in my area, sometimes the fighting goes on until the middle of the night, which makes it hard for me to sleep!"
Lin Xiuyuan listened to the discussions not far away, his gaze fixed on the departing figures of the guards, his expression slightly somber.
Not long after.
Lin Xiuyuan then saw Liao Cai'er walk out of the outer city, looking somewhat dejected and disappointed.
Only after seeing Lin Xiuyuan's figure did she regain her composure.
Lin Xiuyuan sighed inwardly. Since Liao Yong's gang had been preparing for this trip for so long and seemed extremely cautious, how could Liao Cai'er possibly find out anything by going there rashly?
Lin Xiuyuan said, "You're back? How was it?"
Liao Cai'er pouted and shrugged, saying, "Nothing much, it's not like it's my first time here. I just wanted to relax and unwind."
"Alright!" Lin Xiuyuan didn't beat around the bush. Although he knew Liao Cai'er wasn't in a good mood, the relocation to the outer city was very important, so he said directly:
"The chaos in the market shows no signs of abating; on the contrary, it seems to be escalating! Therefore, we can no longer stay in the bungalow area."
Now that I've become an entry-level rune master, it's easy to find a place to stay in the outer city. I'll go back and pack my things, then join the group that moved here this afternoon!
Upon hearing this, Liao Cai'er instinctively shook her head in objection, saying, "No, we have to wait for my brother to come back. Besides, I'm quite strong, what am I afraid of? This is Beihe Market after all, and it's under the jurisdiction of the Jin Hai Sect!"
"No matter how strong you are, you can only reach the mid-stage of Qi Refining at most... Just now, two late-stage experts fought a fierce battle in the bungalow area, injuring countless innocent people! They also destroyed a residence, which attracted the guards to attack."
"What if it happened on the street where we live? What would happen then? Would you or I be able to withstand the power of a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator?"
"You must listen to me. Given the situation, only going to the outer city is safe enough. Don't forget what your brother said before he left—you must listen to me!!"
Lin Xiuyuan's expression turned stern.
When Liao Cai'er saw Lin Xiuyuan bring up Liao Yong, a hint of hesitation flashed across her face.
Then Lin Xiuyuan continued, "Don't worry about Brother Yong not being able to find you. I will continue to rent that house of yours. I will leave a letter."
Having said that, Liao Cai'er nodded, glanced at Lin Xiuyuan, and said, "Alright, but don't misunderstand, I'm not afraid of you. Otherwise, judging from your tone, I would have beaten you up already. I'm just following my brother's instructions!"
Liao Cai'er snorted, flicked her ponytail, and walked forward.
Lin Xiuyuan couldn't help but smile...
After returning to the bungalow area, the two went back to pack their belongings.
They waited for the afternoon's round of people to travel to and from the outer city, but the wait was quite long, and it was getting dark.
Thinking that settling in the outer city would not only guarantee safety but also provide a richer spiritual environment, Lin Xiuyuan felt certain in his heart.
Liao Cai'er's expression also revealed a hint of anticipation.
Coincidentally, Liu Rong was also among them. When his eyes fell on Liao Cai'er and the other woman, he couldn't help but take a couple of steps closer. With his sycophantic nature, he naturally wouldn't miss such an opportunity to build connections.
Moreover, they were also somewhat curious as to why Liao Cai'er and Lin Xiuyuan would be heading to the outer city at this time.
Cultivators in the early stages of Qi Refining have low combat strength. They generally only go there early in the morning when it is relatively safe. Not to mention, with the situation somewhat chaotic and the night dark and windy, even fewer people set off at this time.
It took nearly an hour to gather this team, with cultivators from several nearby streets all coming together.
Even as a cultivator at the sixth level of Qi Refining, she wouldn't have chosen to go out at this time if there wasn't something good waiting for her.
"Oh? What a coincidence, Cai'er." Liu Rong walked over with a kind smile, giving Lin Xiuyuan only a slight nod as a greeting.
"Didn't you already go to the outer city this morning? Why are you going again at night? This time of day is a bit dangerous."
However, before Liao Cai'er could utter a perfunctory response...
Some noises could be heard from all around.
One by one, figures emerged from the night and surrounded their small group.
In an instant, all twelve of them showed solemnity and panic.
Lin Xiuyuan immediately gripped the talisman in his hand and pulled Liao Cai'er behind him.
There were five figures in total. Although the number of them seemed to be far outnumbered, their auras completely overwhelmed their side.
Their group consisted of twelve people: seven cultivators at the mid-stage of Qi Refining, four cultivators at the early stage, and Liao Cai'er, a Xiantian martial artist!
However, among the five people who surrounded them, two were late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, and the remaining three were all at the sixth level of Qi Refining!
The leader, a gaunt middle-aged cultivator with a sinister face and a dangerous smirk at the corner of his mouth, swept his serpentine gaze over the crowd and said:
"Hand over the stuff willingly? Or should we take action...? The former will spare your lives, but if you choose the latter, this place will be awash in blood tonight!!"
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