SWDnovel Chapter 39: Counterattack and Suppression
Chapter 39: Counterattack and Suppression
"Hey, I heard there's been some trouble on that lake lately."
At the next table were three men and two women. Li Wuling scanned them and found that, apart from the middle-aged man at the head who was at the mid-stage of Qi Refining, the other four were at the early stage of Qi Refining.
"I heard that many people on the lake were robbed and lost both their lives and their money."
The middle-aged man at the head of the group had a serious expression and said in a deep voice:
"We'll stay on the lake tonight and set off early tomorrow morning to get to Pukou Market as soon as possible."
Pukoufang Market?
Li Wu and Zhang Zai exchanged a glance, and Li Wu whispered:
"Sect Leader, judging from their behavior, these five people seem to be itinerant merchants as well."
Li Wu nodded slightly, showing no emotion; he was not interested in the identities of these people.
However, it was their words that caught his attention.
"Zhang Zai, shall we stay on the lake tonight?"
Zhang Zai nodded and said in a low voice:
"Yes, there are many small islands on the lake, and each island has a large courtyard, which is a place for traveling merchants to stay."
The traveling merchants carried a large number of spiritual items, so they naturally couldn't stay in restaurants like ordinary cultivators.
Soon, Niu Er and the others returned.
After everyone had a meal together, they boarded a large boat and headed to the island in the lake.
…………
The island is not large, with only one large courtyard. Pushing open the gate, you'll see a carriage parked in the courtyard.
There were ten side rooms on both sides, which was more than enough for them to stay in.
After a long and tiring journey, and having just eaten, everyone was feeling quite exhausted.
Niu Er was giving instructions to the people on night watch, while Li Wuze walked outside the courtyard and looked at the clear lake water.
"There are no formations to conceal this island, so if we encounter a cultivator who has undergone a tribulation, there is really no way to defend against it."
He pondered for a moment, then took out an array plate, threw in a few spirit stones, and in an instant, an illusion array covered the entire island.
"I've set up a formation. If you come again tonight, don't blame me for being ruthless," Li Wuxin thought to himself.
…………
That night.
Moon stars are rare.
The calm lake surface was suddenly rippled, disturbing the reflection of the bright moon in the water.
Then we saw several small boats cutting through the waves at a very fast speed.
The small boat soon arrived at a small island.
"Senior brother, this is it. I've been watching them ever since they entered the town. There's no mistake!" a shrewd male cultivator whispered.
Another person on the same boat as him hesitated and said:
"Senior brother, I see this island is shrouded in mist. Could it be an illusion array? Perhaps we should find another one?"
The monkey-spirited cultivator immediately rebuked:
"What are you talking about? This caravan is from Youyang County. These damned cultivators are trying to steal our business. Today we'll teach them a lesson they won't forget: when you come to someone else's territory, you have to pay protection money!"
"But... being able to set up an illusion array at any time, could they be a caravan from a Foundation Establishment sect?"
Upon hearing this, the leading cultivator shook his head and said:
"Impossible. Our informants said those companies haven't made any moves recently."
"Alright, that's enough. Let's rob them today."
Seeing that their senior brother had made up his mind, the others said nothing more and used their magic to propel the small boat closer to the island.
On the island, Li Wu, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them.
The array plate in front of me is moving, which means someone has entered the array.
Li Wuling expanded his spiritual sense and said in a deep voice:
"Three mid-stage Qi Refining experts and three early-stage Qi Refining experts, that's quite bold."
"Since you refuse to take the path I've given you, then don't blame me."
Having said that, Li Wu's figure flickered and disappeared.
…………
The six of them had already reached the shore, and with concealment talismans affixed to their bodies, they quietly approached the courtyard wall.
Then one person said:
"Senior brother, there are only three people inside, all of them are in the early stage of Qi Refining."
The cultivator addressed as "Senior Brother" nodded slightly and said in a deep voice:
"Don't hold back, aim for a fatal blow."
"clear!"
The six people summoned their magical artifacts, forming hand seals, and the artifacts shimmered with spiritual light.
Just as they were about to rush into the courtyard, a figure suddenly appeared in front of them and blocked the gate.
"You guys are really bold."
"I set up this illusion array hoping you would back down, but I didn't expect you to still dare to come to the island."
"Who are you!"
The monkey-like cultivator was startled. He stared at the figure standing in mid-air, holding a long halberd, with lightning flashing around him.
The oppressive aura made it hard for them to breathe.
Who are you?
Li Wu shifted his gaze to the speaker and said calmly:
"You're their senior brother?"
"Knowing it's a dangerous place, why did you bring your junior brothers and sisters here to die?"
As Li Wu finished speaking, a thunderous boom shook the six people to their core.
The men immediately lost their will to resist and knelt down to beg for mercy.
"Please spare me, senior! Please spare me, senior!"
They all thought to themselves:
"Such an aura! Could this person be a Foundation Establishment cultivator?"
"Damn it, how did I get involved with a Foundation Establishment cultivator!"
"How could a Foundation Establishment cultivator be transporting a caravan!"
At this moment, regret filled their hearts, and they wished they could leave right now.
Faced with their pleas for mercy, Li Wu shook his head and said:
"I gave you a chance, but unfortunately..."
As soon as he finished speaking, several bolts of lightning struck down, crashing directly onto them with a deafening roar.
Cultivators in the Qi Refining Realm have never paid much attention to Qi and blood, and their vitality is far inferior to that of cultivators in the Qi Gathering Realm.
A bolt of lightning struck, and before they could even cast a spell to resist, they screamed in agony as their bodies shattered and scattered across the ground.
Having experienced the trials of the Qi gathering world, Li Wu was able to remain unmoved by it.
"There's another storage bag?"
Li Wu made a hand seal and picked up the storage bag. Since its owner was dead, the restrictions on it were naturally lifted.
A few spirit stones, two talismans, two bottles of pills, and a token.
Li Wu took out the token and looked at it closely. It had three large characters written on it: "Sunset Valley".
"Sunset Valley...the forces here? I wonder if they're Qi Refining forces or Foundation Establishment forces."
Li Wu accepted the storage bag, deciding to investigate further once he reached the market there.
Afterwards, Li Wu cleaned the ground, dispelled the formation, and returned to meditate and cultivate.
…………
They traveled for another two days.
We finally arrived at our destination.
Sanlukou Market
This Sanlukou Market is the largest market in Guang'an County. The area is open and has convenient waterways.
It is very convenient for cultivators to travel, whether by water or land.
Adding the air route of the shuttle, a three-way route consisting of land, water, and air is formed.
Therefore, it was called "Sanlukou Fangshi".
Inside the carriage, Zhang Zai introduced Li Wu to:
"Sect Leader, although Guang'an County is not as strong as our Youyang County, its markets are much more bustling."
"The trade fair, which is held every three years, is especially lively."
"I was fortunate enough to participate once three years ago, and it is said that a spiritual object at the Foundation Establishment level appeared at that time."
Upon hearing this, Li Wu raised an eyebrow and asked:
"When will the trade fair begin?"
"Hmm...it will probably take another month and a half."