"Big Brother! What’s there to be afraid of!"

"There must have been more to that incident back then. I refuse to believe that kid really has a background so powerful that killing him would provoke retaliation from a True Cultivator at the Soul Emergence Realm!"

"Besides, if you’re worried about them settling scores later, we just won’t use our own men!"

"If we secretly pass the job through a few intermediaries and have someone else do the dirty work, it won’t be traced back to us!"

Seeing the hesitation and apprehension on his big brother’s face,

Lao Liu spoke urgently.

"Oh? It seems you already have a plan?"

"Indeed!"

"Big Brother, look. Right now, numerous outside Cultivators are entering the Border Desolate Land. All sorts of powerful figures, Tribulation Cultivators, and others have arrived. It’s a chaotic mix of good and bad, and the situation outside is a mess."

"If we send people to secretly contact some of these powerhouses and use a huge reward to entice them to attack Dawan Village, they’ll flee far away after they succeed. What can the Tian Nan Shen Clan do then?"

"What’s even better is that the little brat has now made a deal with the Sanhe Chamber of Commerce. After those people destroy Dawan Village, we can secretly spread a rumor that it was the work of the Sanhe Chamber of Commerce’s rivals, muddying the waters!"

"No matter how strong the Tian Nan Shen Clan is, what can they do when faced with such a mess?"

At this point,

Lao Liu’s eyes glinted, his face filled with confidence.

Upon hearing this,

the burly man in the main seat’s eyes also lit up.

"In that case, I’ll leave this matter to you. Can you handle it?"

"Don’t worry, Big Brother. I will not fail!"

...

Dawan Village. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

The eastern part of the village.

It was a hive of activity.

A large number of hired villagers were hard at work, carrying beams and laying bricks and tiles.

People came and went,

turning the area into a lively construction site.

The Shopkeeper of the Sanhe Chamber of Commerce, Si Houqing, stood nearby, patrolling and supervising.

He would occasionally offer his own suggestions,

making sure the villagers built according to the specifications.

This eastern part of the village had originally been a remote residential area. After Shen Changchuan designated it as a trading zone for Cultivators, all the villagers moved out.

But the original houses were old and dilapidated,

hardly suitable for a respectable shop representing a chamber of commerce.

So, taking advantage of the time before the caravan’s elite personnel arrived from Qing City with their goods, Si Houqing decided to tear down the houses Shen Changchuan had sold him and rebuild them completely.

Fortunately, although the villagers weren’t Cultivators, they had all practiced Mortal Martial Arts to some degree in order to farm the rock-hard Spirit Fields. They had condensed some Inner Strength and were quite powerful.

As a result, the construction progress shot up at an incredible speed.

He was certain that,

before the caravan arrived,

they would definitely be able to establish a proper shop and outpost.

’Over this period, some Loose Cultivators from the outside have already passed through. It seems Dawan Village’s location is excellent; the foot traffic should be quite high.’

’It’s just a pity the caravan hasn’t arrived yet. Otherwise, we could have made a few sales.’

’But it doesn’t seem to matter. It’s a perfect opportunity to use this time to spread the word and build our reputation here...’

Si Houqing stood on high ground,

watching the villagers come and go as the tall shops and houses from the blueprints were built piece by piece.

He was in a very good mood.

He could already foresee it:

in the near future, a great fortune was beckoning to him!

However, when his gaze fell upon the unassuming courtyard on the mountainside,

his good mood subsided somewhat.

’Sigh. Although Dawan Village is under the Tian Nan Shen Clan, which provides a clear advantage, it also has its shortcomings!’

Si Houqing thought to himself.

The reputation of the Tian Nan Shen Clan could make others wary, saving the chamber of commerce a lot of trouble in doing business here.

But sometimes, a reputation isn’t always enough.

Against certain vicious and desperate individuals, that reputation is no different from a dead object.

At times like these,

the weakness in Shen Changchuan’s strength as the master of Dawan Village was laid bare.

’A strength of Qi Introduction Sixth Layer is ultimately a bit low. It’s not enough to deter those who disregard the rules.’

’It seems I’ll have to send a message and have them bring more elite personnel over, just in case.’

’Right, after we’ve earned the initial wave of profits, if other chambers of commerce get jealous, we could also bring them in. By banding together for mutual protection, our security would undoubtedly increase significantly...’

Si Houqing’s expression didn’t change much,

but countless thoughts were already flashing through his mind.

There was nothing to be done.

The profits from this venture should be substantial, and to protect them, he had to consider every angle.

Doing business wasn’t so easy, after all.

Of course,

he didn’t hold Shen Changchuan’s level of strength against him.

Although in his eyes, Shen Changchuan’s strength wasn’t enough to suppress the covetous gazes from the outside,

when it came to the man himself,

Si Houqing felt a subtle admiration.

Ever since their negotiations concluded and the deal was struck,

Shen Changchuan had returned to the Half-Mountain Courtyard the very next day to enter secluded, arduous Cultivation.

And from the conversations among the villagers, he had learned that ever since Shen Changchuan returned to the village after the Wu Family Collection event, he had spent almost all his time in this state of high-intensity, secluded Cultivation.

No banquets, no socializing, not a single moment of leisure or play.

There was only day after day of arduous, secluded Cultivation; burying himself in his practice to improve his strength.

He was at an age for youthful recklessness,

yet he could endure the loneliness,

wholeheartedly focusing all his energy on Cultivation.

And this wasn’t just a fleeting whim,

but something he had been doing for months.

For someone with such outstanding talent and achievements to also be so self-disciplined and hardworking in his Cultivation—

how could Si Houqing not feel a trace of admiration?

’No wonder this young man is so powerful for his age, with hardly any rivals in the same Realm.’

’With such dedication, even someone with average aptitude would not be weak!’

Si Houqing sighed inwardly.

Moreover,

he also had a feeling that

the Shen Changchuan of today seemed a notch stronger than he had been a few months ago at the Wu Family Collection.

His Cultivation Realm seemed to have improved again during this time!

Although Si Houqing knew

this was mostly due to the effects of the Top Grade Qi Introduction Pills,

it was also clear that

it was inseparable from the young man’s own efforts.

With such a disposition,

and such a background,

his future achievements might be anything but small!

Si Houqing couldn’t help but sigh with admiration once again.

Fortunately,

he had forged a connection with him in advance; there was a bond between them.

If he were to truly achieve greatness in the future,

this bond,

would likely bring him immense benefits.

For a moment,

Si Houqing was lost in a myriad of thoughts.

Meanwhile,

as time quietly slipped by,

in the Half-Mountain Courtyard, Shen Changchuan had finished the Refinement of another Top Grade Qi Introduction Pill.

His Cultivation,

had already reached the Sixth Layer Middle Stage Peak,

his strength steadily increasing, drop by drop.