Chapter 417

Chapter 417: Eradication of Bandits (Continued Four)

By the banks of the Lanqiang River, Liuma Gather bustles with life.

The Lanqiang River, originating from Beijie Mountain, stretches for thousands of miles, nourishing the vast grasslands. For hundreds of years, many herding tribes have established settlements along its lush banks to protect themselves from disasters during winter and to conduct trade.

Liuma Gather is one of the largest of these settlements.

As spring fades into summer, the grasslands reach their peak, and this large gathering becomes especially lively, with many caravans arriving to purchase robust cattle, sheep, and horses from the local herders.

Waving smoke rises, and the sounds of bustling voices fill the air, as white tents lift their flaps, warmly welcoming merchants from the north and south.

In addition to livestock trading, Liuma Gather also features plenty of spiritual herbs and spiritual materials from the grasslands, which attracts various loose cultivators with differing attire.

These white tents, resembling Mongolian yurts, serve as shops.

Some white tents have stood for hundreds of years or even longer.

In a white tent at the southeastern corner of the market, a plump manager, resembling the Maitreya Buddha, commands his helpers to unload goods.

Suddenly, a tall and burly man pushes open the flap and storms into the tent.

A helper quickly greets him with a smile, “Sir, we are still counting inventory inside. We won’t be open for another half hour. Could you please…”

According to the rules of Liuma Gather, only tents with their flaps opened are allowed to conduct business.

“Get lost!”

However, the intruder is extremely rude, shoving the helper down to the ground: “Who do you think you are?!”

This man wears the leather armor typical of hunters and is muscular all over. His short hair stands up wildly, and his fierce features, with wide nostrils and a prominent jaw, are intimidating.

His left eye is covered with a dark brown patch, clearly blind.

This makes him look even more ferocious!

The manager, who just turned around, observes this scene and calmly says, “You all step outside; I’ll entertain this esteemed guest.”

The helpers, filled with righteous indignation and ready for a fight, are taken aback.

The manager glares, “What are you standing there for?”

The group of helpers, as if waking from a dream, quickly helps their fallen companion and leaves.

Anyone working under the manager knows people from all walks of life; one must conduct legitimate business while also engaging in murky dealings to survive.

Every tent has its own secrets, and the helpers understand that some matters are not meant for them to know.

Once all the subordinates exit the tent, the manager’s expression turns dark: “Lone Wolf, do you have the courage of a bear to come here and cause trouble?”

With a wave of his hand, he activates the restrictions set in the tent, temporarily blocking out the outside world to prevent eavesdropping.

Although the intruder’s cultivation level is at the ninth level of Qi Training, exuding a powerful aura, the manager shows no fear, gazing confidently at him.

“It’s not like this place is a dragon’s den. Can’t I come here?” the man, referred to as "Lone Wolf," sneers.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about!”

The manager suppresses his anger and lowers his voice, saying, “I told you last time, don’t come here if you don’t have business. My life is worthless, but if you disturb the lord’s business, not even three of your lives would be enough to pay for it!”

“I want to see your family head.”

Lone Wolf waved his hand and said, “Let’s talk business.”

The manager was momentarily taken aback, then burst into laughter: “Lone Wolf, you really overestimate yourself. Do you think my lord is someone you can meet whenever you want?”

Although this man was a notable figure among loose cultivators, compared to his master, he was nothing more than a lowly creature!

The manager’s voice dripped with sarcasm: “Just tell me what you want; I can handle business matters.”

At the same time, he secretly gripped a jade talisman, ready to activate it at any moment.

Lone Wolf, known for being a lone ranger and ruthless, made the manager cautious; he couldn’t take chances on whether the man would suddenly go mad.

However, Lone Wolf did not get angry. Instead, he looked at the manager with contempt: “Can you really handle matters concerning the Golden Core Cave?”

“What?”

The manager was taken aback, hardly believing his ears.

When it came to the Golden Core Cave, he certainly did not have the authority to make decisions. But how could a mere Qi Training loose cultivator be linked to such a place?

The manager was skeptical: “Lone Wolf, you better not be speaking nonsense about the Golden Core Cave!”

Even as he said this, there was a hint of caution in his tone.

Lone Wolf did not bother to explain. Instead, he stretched out his right hand, flipped his wrist, and revealed a small, ancient bronze Little Cauldron in his palm.

In the next moment, the Little Cauldron suddenly expanded several times, releasing a deep, resonant vibration.

An ancient, profound, and majestic aura spread throughout the tent!

The manager stared intensely at the copper cauldron in Lone Wolf’s hand, his eyes nearly popping out of his head.

To be a manager inside a white tent, one must first be sharp-witted and possess the basic ability to discern truth from falsehood.

Though he didn’t know the origins of this cauldron, just by its appearance and the aura emanating from it, he could tell it was a rare artifact, at least at the level of a spirit tool.

It might even be a treasure!

If he had confidence in capturing Lone Wolf, the manager might have activated the jade talisman in his hand right then and there.

He took a deep breath: “Did you get this from the Golden Core Cave?”

If the manager had only three parts belief in Lone Wolf’s earlier words, he now had at least nine!

What kind of fortune did Lone Wolf possess to have something like this!

“You know that much,” Lone Wolf put away the copper cauldron and said proudly, “so now I have the right to see your family head, right?”

The manager thought for a moment and replied, “This is a serious matter; I can’t make that decision. I need to contact them first.”

He was well aware that if his master learned of this, they would not let it go, no matter what.

“I’ll wait in Liuma Gather for two days.”

Lone Wolf said lightly, “Just two days. If I can’t make contact, I’ll look elsewhere.”

“Don’t get any strange ideas.”

The one-eyed loose cultivator stared at the manager, grinning menacingly: “If I dare to do business with your family head, I won’t fear ambushes. If things go sideways, no one will walk away with a profit!”

The manager was silent—he indeed had such a thought.

But seeing Lone Wolf so fearless made him anxious. After some hesitation, he replied, “Alright, I’ll definitely contact you within two days.”

Lone Wolf flicked his hand and produced a message crane: “Two days.”

With that, Lone Wolf turned and left the tent, leaving the manager with a changing expression.

After a moment, he sat down at the table, pulled out a piece of talisman paper, and wrote a few lines on it with a brush.

Then he folded it into a paper hawk.

“Go!”

The paper hawk in the manager’s hand Instantly transformed into a streak of light, darting out of the tent and disappearing without a trace!