The man's name was Feng Deng. As the name suggested, he was from the renowned Feng Family. Many who were unaware of his true status would treat him with respect, but Wei Xin knew the truth.
"He's just from a branch family," she scoffed.
"Not even qualified to be called a young master of the Feng Family. His talent is mediocre at best. If not for the resources handed to him, he wouldn't have made it this far. Even now, at the age of forty-five, despite all those resources, he's only reached the 7th layer of the Qi Refining Realm."
She crossed her arms, her expression darkening. "He kept pestering me, thinking I'd become his Dao companion just because of his background. When I joined the Li Family as a guest herbalist, I learned the truth about his status and ignored him completely."
Her voice turned cold, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes. "I thought he wouldn't dare disturb me anymore, but to think he's still stalking me… and even threatening to kill you." A chilling aura emanated from her. "That bastard dares…"
She clenched her fists, suppressing her killing intent. "You don't have to worry about him. I'll deal with him myself."
Lan Rui hadn't expected the man who had threatened him to have such a background. Well, if Sister Wei planned to handle it, there was nothing for him to be concerned about.
"Alright, let's keep exploring the market," he said with a smile.
As they continued walking, the air around them grew heavier. The distant sound of chains clinking sent a shiver down Lan Rui's spine. Soon, they arrived at an area lined with wooden platforms, where men and women in ragged clothes were displayed in iron chains.
Slaves.
The further they walked, the grimmer the sights became, a woman with fresh wounds, an old man whose eyes had lost all light, a burly man with darkened skin, his muscles twitching from some unknown torment.
Lan Rui's heart clenched. He wasn't naive, he knew this was the law of the cultivation world. If one was weak, they were nothing more than cattle, bound in chains at the mercy of the strong.
Wei Xin caught the pity in his eyes but chose to tease him instead. "What's with that look? Do you want to buy a slave to warm your bed at night?"
Lan Rui's face instantly turned red. "Sis Wei, it's not like that!" He quickly looked away. Well… maybe in the future… but not now.
He cleared his throat and changed the subject. "Do slaves with professions get sold here too?"
"Yes," she replied. "But they're extremely expensive, and most of them aren't worth the price. If you really want a professional, it's better to buy an apprentice and train them yourself. Though that requires time and a great deal of resources."
Lan Rui nodded in understanding. Even with his system, advancing in talisman-making required countless materials. Supporting an unknown talent would be too much of a burden.
After some time, they decided to leave, having found nothing of interest. Wei Xin led the way until they stopped in front of a small wooden hut.
"This is?" Lan Rui asked, puzzled.
"Oh, I forgot to mention," Wei Xin said casually. "The array we used earlier can only bring people into the market. It can't be used to leave."
She gestured at the wooden hut. "This transfer array is the only way out. But once we step onto it, we'll be teleported to a random location outside the market."
She handed him a tracking talisman. "This talisman will let us track each other. It only shows direction, not exact location or distance."
Lan Rui frowned slightly. "Random teleportation?"
Wei Xin nodded. "Once you land, just wait or follow the arrow displayed on the talisman."
Lan Rui sighed and stepped onto the jade array plate. A bright light flashed, momentarily blinding him. After a few breaths, he found himself standing in an unfamiliar area. Looking around, there was no jade plate beneath his feet.
"So that's why it's random…" he muttered. Taking out the tracking talisman, he followed the arrow's direction.
After walking for a while, he suddenly halted. His sharp instincts flared.
Without turning around, he spoke. "Come out. You've been following me since the start. Stop hiding and make your move."
Silence.
Then, a glint of silver flashed through the air.
Hidden weapon!
Lan Rui twisted his body, narrowly dodging the knife. In the same motion, he formed a hand seal and thrust his finger forward.
Geng Metal Finger!
A sharp surge of golden light shot toward the darkness. A figure emerged, a translucent barrier flickering in front of him as he blocked the strike.
Lan Rui tapped his storage bag, activating a talisman.
A fireball materialized and shot forward. The black-cloaked attacker dodged and retaliated with another flying knife.
Lan Rui sidestepped and activated another talisman. This time, he cast Geng Metal Finger simultaneously, launching a double attack.
The two clashed for several breaths, exchanging spells and flying weapons. Their distance rapidly closed.
The moment Lan Rui saw an opening, he flicked out a five talisman.
Fireball Talisman!
Five massive fireballs erupted in front of him, engulfing the entire area in flames. The heat distorted the air, and the ground sizzled under the scorching force.
The black figure, unable to see through the blaze, shifted his stance, searching for Lan Rui's movement.
Suddenly, a sharp pain bloomed in his chest. Looking down, he saw a sword impaling him.
Lan Rui's figure materialized from within the dying embers. The moment the flames had soared, he had leaped into the fire, gripping his sword while activating Concealing Talisman to vanish from sight. When the blaze settled, he struck with precision.
But he wasn't finished. With his other hand, he formed a seal. Geng Metal Finger! A thin, sharp strand of Metal Qi shot forward, piercing the assassin's skull. The black-cloaked figure convulsed before collapsing.
Lan Rui exhaled heavily. His spiritual energy was nearly depleted. He stumbled slightly but steadied himself. Walking over to the corpse, he retrieved the attacker's storage bag before burning the body. After ensuring there were no traces left, he immediately left the scene.
After a short distance, he found a secluded spot and sat down to recover his spiritual energy.
Just as he was regaining his breath, the sound of approaching footsteps snapped him out of meditation. He grabbed a talisman and turned toward the source.
A familiar figure emerged. Relief washed over him.
"Why is your position shifting all over the place?" Wei Xin frowned. "I thought the talisman was broken." Lan Rui sighed and explained everything.
Wei Xin's expression darkened slightly. "I should have warned you about the risk. But the chances of encountering someone in a random teleportation are one in a thousand… This shouldn't have happened."
"It's fine, Sis Wei," he reassured her. "Let's just go home. I'm so tired I want to collapse into bed."
She nodded, her expression softening. "Alright, let's go. You won't have to worry about another ambush."
.....