Chapter 43
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Chapter 43: The Battle of the Factions
Time flew by once again. In the blink of an eye, Lin Jiang was already one hundred and forty years old. This year, Lin Jiang finally reached the ninth level of Qi Refining.
On this day of breakthrough, Lin Jiang drank a jar of spirit wine alone to celebrate. He didn’t use his spiritual power to dispel the alcohol, allowing himself to get drunk.
“Third Sister, Lin Ying, when can we go visit our mother?”
The drunken Lin Jiang kept muttering, but unfortunately, there was no one to listen. Only two Shadiao were left, stealing the leftovers and spirit wine that Lin Jiang had.
“Friend Wu, it seems that Brother Liu and his family haven’t come for a few days.”
That day, Lin Jiang went to the big market and saw that the stalls beside him were empty. He couldn’t help but ask the vendor on the other side.
“Don’t you know, Friend Lin? The Trident Fish Gang and the Giant Wave Fish Gang have been at war these past few days. Liu Hui and his family are key members of the Trident Fish Gang. How can they be absent?”
“Gang war?”
“Yes. If Taoist Friend Lin usually buys groceries and cooks, you should know that prices in the city have been skyrocketing these days. Not only has the price of monster fish soared, but also other goods.
They keep fighting and have caused damage to many passing ships. Those who run restaurants are complaining too.”
The vendor explained that the Fish Gang not only monopolized the fishing in the Yuntuo River but also controlled the river itself.
The two Fish Gangs fighting each other had also affected some shipping, causing a disruption in the supply of goods to Yunzhong City and directly leading to a sharp rise in prices.
“What about Zhonghang Sect and Cloud Sword Sect?”
Lin Jiang was somewhat surprised. The fighting between the two gangs had affected the stability of Yunzhong City. Shouldn’t it be the Thunder Sects that intervened?
“Taoist Friend Lin, are you really foolish or just pretending to be? Without the agreement of those two sects, would the two gangs dare to fight?”
“That’s true. I didn’t think it through. I don’t know the current situation. Which gang has a higher chance of winning?”
“I don’t know either, but I’ve heard that both gangs are recruiting people to help in the battle. If Taoist Friend Lin is interested, he could make some money.”
“I’ll pass. I don’t like fighting. It’s better to live a peaceful and honest life.”
Lin Jiang shook his head. The leaders of the fish gangs outside the city all had advanced cultivation, and there were also many senior members with strong skills.
He didn’t want to get involved in this—it wasn’t easy money.
Afterward, Lin Jiang investigated the reasons for the war between the two families. It was said that the cause was trespassing while fishing.
Members of the Giant Wave Fish Gang were driving fishing boats, chasing a group of monsters. They ended up intruding into the territory of the Trident Fish Gang. The Trident Fish Gang sank their fishing boats, and that was when the war started between them.
But the real reasons were likely far more complex. The conflict involved a power struggle between two major sects, clashes of interest, and unresolved grievances.
Fueled by numerous contradictions, both families were willing to do whatever it took to annihilate each other. They had been fighting for five or six days now, with dozens of casualties on both sides every day.
The battle was intense, and it seemed like they wouldn’t stop until one family was completely wiped out.
At first, this whole thing seemed far removed from Lin Jiang and had nothing to do with him. However, when Lin Jiang arrived at the marketplace the next day, Liu Yuan was already waiting for him.
As soon as Lin Jiang saw her, he realized something and ran away.
“Taoist Friend Jiang.”
Liu Yuan was also at the ninth level of Qi Refining cultivation. Although her aptitude was not very good, she was indeed a cultivation maniac.
Apart from the necessary time for daily activities, she spent all her time practicing.
“Miss Liu, why are you stopping me?”
“Then why are you running?”
“We’re still cooking at home. Don’t let it burn.”
“I didn’t come to invite you to join our Trident Fish Gang.”
Liu Yuan explained that during the fight between the two gangs, they were rapidly recruiting members, often by hiring poor independent cultivators as cannon fodder.
Many of those who had died in Yunzhong City these days were this kind of cannon fodder.
Liu Yuan knew Lin Jiang’s personality, so she wouldn’t say something like that to him.
“Then why did you come looking for me?”
“To do business. Buy spiritual talismans.”
“That doesn’t make sense. If you want to buy spiritual talismans, shouldn’t you go to a big trading company like Duobao Pavilion or Star Gathering Tower? They have at least a hundred Talisman Makers.
At the very least, you could go to a medium-sized trading company like Four Seas Trading Company, where they have about thirty to fifty Talisman Makers.”
Lin Jiang explained that these trading companies had their own Pill, Talisman, Item, and Formation Masters, though not many.
However, they also had a large number of cooperative Talisman Makers.
Although the prices the Talisman Makers offered them were slightly lower, they were preferred because of their stability and convenience.
As long as they could draw spiritual talismans, the Talisman Makers would purchase them.
That was why it was considered quite desirable to work with them.
Many trading companies had approached Lin Jiang, but he turned them down because his life was too monotonous. Setting up a stall was more of a way to spice up his life.
“Taoist Friend Jiang, you don’t know. The conflicts between the Fish Gang have always had rules. Small-scale conflicts are ignored, but once the two gangs officially go to war, Yunzhong City’s businesses take a neutral stance, refusing to sell spiritual talismans to either side.
This applies not just to businesses in Yunzhong City, but also to the influences within a three-thousand-mile radius outside of Yunzhong City.”
“Because of the two sects?”
“Yes. Everyone knows that behind the Fish Gang are two major sects. They don’t personally get involved because they don’t want to divide themselves.
As small soldiers, we can only fight with determination. If we survive, we enjoy fame, wealth, and honor. If we lose, we die.”
“Strange and weird.”
Lin Jiang shook his head, finding these rules quite strange. But he could understand. This was a war fought by proxies of the two sects. The sects themselves wouldn’t personally engage unless one of them weakened.
“Taoist Friend Jiang, please help. The consumption of spiritual talismans is very high now.”
“I want to take a neutral stance.”
“I’m willing to pay more money.”
“I don’t want to meddle in your affairs. I just want to live a peaceful life.”
“Taoist Friend Jiang is very famous in East City Market. If we don’t ask for your help, the Giant Wave Fish Gang will. Taoist Friend Jiang can choose to remain neutral, but please don’t help them.”
“I won’t help, I won’t help. But if I set up a stall and someone wants to buy something, I won’t refuse.”
“Of course. I’m here to buy charms from Taoist Friend Jiang, and I will be staying in East City Market for the next few days.”
Liu Yuan explained that independent cultivators were usually not controlled by the major factions, so the rules of gang wars didn’t apply to them.
Both factions had sent people to the market where independent cultivators gathered to collect all the available resources.
Lin Jiang sighed. Liu Yuan’s mind worked quickly. It seemed inevitable unless he decided not to set up a stall at all.
Indeed, it didn’t take long before a young man, ignoring Liu Yuan’s presence, personally approached Lin Jiang and proposed a partnership.
If both sides cooperated, the Giant Wave Fish Gang would provide the materials for drawing talismans, and Lin Jiang would only need to focus on creating them.
For every talisman he sold to them, the price could be negotiated, and they would even offer a slight increase from the market price. If he met a certain quantity, he could even be rewarded with some spirit stones.
“Taoist Friend Jiang, the conditions he proposed—our Trident Fish Gang can also provide. The price can be negotiated.”
Liu Yuan couldn’t afford to be angry and couldn’t make a move here, so they began competing for combat supplies.
Whoever managed to gather more supplies would have a better chance of winning.
“Children make choices, adults take everything. Anyway, I now have eight talismans every day. The price remains unchanged, and the time for setting up a stall every day is also unchanged.
Whoever wants to buy can buy.”
Lin Jiang spoke directly. Both families had gone crazy, but he didn’t want to get involved.
His attitude was simple—”I am a talisman seller. Whoever wants to buy, can buy.”
After Lin Jiang advanced to the ninth level of Qi Refining, his strength had reached a higher level.
His spiritual power was extremely abundant. Plus, he had been practicing the Soul Refining Technique for decades and had taken Soul Nourishing Pills.
This made his spiritual awareness very strong. He could draw around eight first-grade premium spiritual talismans every day, which was twice as efficient as other Talisman Makers.
Moreover, Lin Jiang now had a one hundred percent success rate with over seventy types of first-grade premium spiritual talismans.
He wouldn’t waste a single talisman because he had been drawing first-level premium spiritual talismans for decades.
His consistent effort over the years had made his talisman drawing technique one of the best among his peers.
This was also the reason why both families approached Lin Jiang first.
He had truly built a reputation in East City Market and had a number of regular customers.
When the two people heard Lin Jiang say this, they didn’t say anything more, nor did they threaten him.
They were afraid of pushing Lin Jiang to the other side.
A single talented Talisman Maker might not significantly impact the battle, but if there were a hundred or more, it would make a real difference.
And a hundred or more Talisman Makers were made up of independent cultivators like Lin Jiang.
The two immediately divided the spiritual talismans brought by Lin Jiang.
Lin Jiang went straight home after finishing work.
He even felt the need to avoid the situation entirely.
He always kept away from such troublesome matters.
