Chapter 68: Chapter 68: Wang Tong

Yang Jing took out a stack of Red Fire Talismans. He had prepared a great many of these, as they were the best for erasing traces of Magical Power. To avoid being tracked, he had even made sure to buy them from a variety of different vendors.

He activated the Red Fire Talismans, incinerating the corpses on the ground until they were nothing but dust. Because the Sword Gang contained condensed Sword Intent, it was exceptionally sharp and tenacious, so he deliberately used a few extra talismans.

Only after cleaning up all traces did he take out the Jade Scroll and carefully examine the Crimson Yin Blood Coagulation Technique.

This Magic technique bore the heavy markings of a Demon Sect Skill and seemed to have drawn heavily from the Nine Yin Blood Evil Scripture. Fortunately, it didn’t require a specific Cultivation Technique to practice. Yang Jing would be able to use it smoothly with his Five Talisman Scripture Magical Power.

’The only remaining problem now is the Bone Marrow Transformation Pills,’ Yang Jing thought.

In the past, he had just been an ordinary Independent Cultivator with a low-level Cultivation and no backing. Wang Tong was confident he could easily control him, certain that Yang Jing couldn’t cause any real trouble under his watch. As long as he supplied the elixirs regularly, the two of them would get along just fine.

But now that Yang Jing had broken through to the Middle Stage of Qi Cultivation using the Five Talisman Scripture and become a prospective disciple of the Five Elements True Spirit Sect, the balance between them had been shattered.

It was now almost impossible for Yang Jing to purchase Spirit Medicines from Wang Tong as he had before.

He fiddled with the Jade Scroll in his hand. Between him and his two disciples, they needed at least twelve Bone Marrow Transformation Pills a month, and the Three Cities Bloodthirsty Mosquito Mother required at least sixty. Besides the smuggling organization Wang Tong belonged to, no one could reliably supply such a large quantity of the Spirit Medicines listed in the pill’s formula.

Furthermore, only that organization could gather all the various Spirit Medicines from the Nine Infant Pill Scripture.

Yang Jing put the Jade Scroll into his Storage Bag, his mind already made up.

As the Third Shopkeeper of the Celestial Treasure Tower, Wang Tong held a position that countless Independent Cultivators envied.

The Celestial Treasure Tower was a behemoth that spanned several continents, its Power in no way inferior to the Six Great Sects, and its ability to mobilize resources was perhaps even greater.

Wang Tong’s status was comparable to that of an Outer Disciple from one of the Six Great Sects.

It was precisely because of this status that he had been targeted by the Spirit Pill Smuggling Organization, and he had even risen to become a mid-level member within it.

Through these two identities, Wang Tong had amassed a considerable fortune. If not for the fact that these Spirit Stones were illicit, he would have already used the Celestial Treasure Tower’s internal channels to purchase a Foundation Establishment Pill and prepare for his own Foundation Establishment.

Recently, however, Wang Tong had become quite troubled. He was vexed about how to handle the ridiculously lucky Yang Jing.

The man had actually managed to survive an encounter with a Demon Cultivator, not only making a huge fortune in the process but also catching the eye of a True Disciple from the Taixu Sword Sect. It was as if every good thing that could possibly happen was happening to him.

Wang Tong fiddled with his thumb ring in frustration.

He was hesitating over whether to report his subordinate, Yang Jing, to his own superior in the organization. Yang Jing’s current status was no longer something he could easily control.

But Yang Jing’s talent for Alchemy was simply too good, and Wang Tong was reluctant to let him go.

Naturally, any Cultivator who joined this smuggling organization was the type to love money as much as their own life, an insatiably greedy sort. The higher they climbed, the greedier they became.

If Yang Jing were handed over to his superior, Wang Tong wouldn’t get a single Spirit Crystal from the Spirit Pills he refined.

How could someone like Wang Tong, who would pluck a feather from a passing goose, possibly tolerate that?

For the past few days, he had been mulling it over, tossing and turning at night, so worried that he’d lost a few strands of hair. It wasn’t until Yang Jing still hadn’t come to find him after all this time that he finally made up his mind.

This pill-providing cash cow of his was about to slip the leash. He decided he would meet with him one last time to test the waters. If Yang Jing truly didn’t know his own place, then he would just hand him over to his superior.

The Profound Carp Association’s power was not to be underestimated. Forget the fact that Yang Jing wasn’t even in the Outer Sect of the Five Elements True Spirit Sect yet; even if he made it into the Inner Sect, he would still be at their mercy.

Having made his decision, it felt as though a great weight had been lifted from Wang Tong’s heart. He immediately relaxed, his usual leisurely demeanor returning.

When it was closing time at the Celestial Treasure Tower, he sauntered out of the tea room with his belly stuck out, pinched a maid’s rear, and finally left the building amidst her shy but indignant rebukes.

As the Third Shopkeeper of the Celestial Treasure Tower, he naturally didn’t have to live outside the Marketplace like an Independent Cultivator; he had a large residence within it. The residence was connected to the main branch of the Huangyuan Marketplace’s Spirit Vein, and the abundance of the Spiritual Mechanism was enough to reach Tier Two.

The estate had a Quiet Chamber for secluded cultivation, a Fire Room for Alchemy and Artifact Forging, and even a small, cultivated Spirit Field. Though the sparrow is small, it has all its vital organs.

His residence was located on the mountainside. The people living in this area were all influential figures in the Huangyuan Marketplace—either shopkeepers of the great trading houses or elders from Foundation Establishment Clans.

The residences were spaced far apart, with towering ancient trees planted all around.

Halfway there, the hustle and bustle of the Marketplace had already faded, replaced by a cool tranquility.

Wang Tong thought of his wives and concubines at home, and a flicker of heat rose in his heart. Just as he was about to quicken his pace, a hand like an iron clamp descended on the back of his neck, locking his spine. A sharp pain followed from his back as several Long Needles pierced his body, instantly sealing his Magical Power and making it impossible to circulate even a trace.

Such a skilled and ruthless attack made Wang Tong’s soul nearly leap from his body; all the fat on him seemed to jiggle in terror.

To dare make a move within the Huangyuan Marketplace—what kind of desperado was this?

“Spare me, brother! Don’t do it, don’t do it! I don’t have many Spirit Stones on me! They’re at my house, I swear! I’ll go get them for you right now!”

The person behind him didn’t speak. They simply knocked Wang Tong unconscious, pulled a black hood over his head, and hoisted him onto their shoulder.

Yang Jing snapped his fingers, and Iron Head began to put away the Stealth Array’s disc and banners.

Wang Tong had lived a pampered life for many years. Although his Magical Power was high, he had almost no instincts for Magical Combat. He was even easier to deal with than expected.

When Wang Tong came to, he found himself tied to a chair, unable to move an inch.

Worse, the Long Needles embedded in his body felt as if they had a life of their own, continuously siphoning away his Magical Power.

The next moment, the black hood was suddenly ripped from his head.

Wang Tong immediately let out a squeal like a stuck pig and squeezed his eyes shut.

“I didn’t see anything! Brother! I didn’t see anything at all! Don’t kill me!”

“Shopkeeper Wang, no need to be so nervous. We’ve known each other for years. Why would I kill you?”

An exceptionally familiar voice suddenly sounded beside his ear, making Wang Tong involuntarily open his eyes.

He stared at the man standing before him—Yang Jing—and was so stunned his jaw dropped, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

“You… you… you’re Yang Jing!”

Wang Tong was so shocked he was tongue-tied, barely able to speak.

He never would have imagined that the one who kidnapped him was Yang Jing. The revelation left him both shocked and terrified; his captor was clearly no ordinary Independent Cultivator.

’Could it be that Yang Jing had been deliberately getting close to me from the very beginning?’

Wang Tong’s mind started racing with wild thoughts.

“Brother Wang, I’d like to have a talk.”

Yang Jing said, placing a hand on Wang Tong’s shoulder.

Wang Tong gave a bitter laugh.

“What a coincidence. I was just about to have a talk with you too, Little Brother Yang. Go on, what do you want?”

He hadn’t held a secure position in the smuggling organization for so many years by being a complete fool. After his initial panic, he quickly calmed himself down.

Yang Jing hadn’t killed him on sight, which meant he must be after something.

Talk. If it could save his life, there was nothing that couldn’t be negotiated.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep