Immortality begins with meditation puppets

Chapter 271: Dangerous City
"The Lin family is gone!"

"Even a centipede dies but does not fall down. Surely one or two members of a thousand-year-old family with Golden Core cultivators in charge should be able to escape?"

"Why are you running away! If the demons and the Yunshan Sect join forces, the egg yolk will be scattered!"

"That's such a pity!"

"That's not a pity. What's a pity is that some big fool last night, in order to extort money from the Lin family, actually used two fourth-tier talismans!"

"They're not stupid, are they? The Lin family has quite a bit of wealth!"

"Can any family fortune compare to a fourth-tier talisman? If he were to produce just one, do you believe the Lin family would have readily handed over their entire family treasury last night? Why bother stealing or robbing?"

"If the Lin family can agree, will the Yunshan Sect agree?"

"Whether he agrees or not, sigh, it's no use saying anything now. This big fool, it would have been better if he kept the talisman and charged into the city with us later!"

"Yes, fellow Daoist is right."

"Fellow Daoist Su, why has your Lizard Knight increased in price?"

"Isn't it because the Lin family is gone!"

"Fellow Daoist, you are truly cunning."

"Being cunning is fine, as long as you're not stupid."

After dealing with a fellow Daoist who was probably cursing her out in his mind, Su Qing told Qinghe and Xiong Er to quickly change the price tags on all the puppets in the shop.

Stepping outside the store, my gaze traveled from the east to the west of Baiyun Immortal City, and then from the south to the north.

The former liveliness is long gone. The nearby Baibaoge and Yuanlailou are deserted, and the Yuan and Lin families in the distance are now ruins.

The shantytown, where low-level cultivators and mortals lived together, had long been deserted, slowly wiped out by those red lanterns.

Only in the central area are there hundreds of thousands of spirit houses still emitting spiritual light.

These are all the remaining rogue cultivators in White Cloud Immortal City.

These rogue cultivators have survived to this day because they all possess some skill; they can handle the red lanterns every night and also help the Yunshan Sect resist demonic beasts and demonic cultivators.

The most important thing is that it can help Yunshan Sect so that they don't have no one to use!

"The four major markets, Yunluo and Baiyun cities, with over a million cultivators and tens of millions of ordinary people, have been reduced to less than one in a year or two. Were they all killed by the Yunshan Sect and Gao Erqiang?"

Su Qing shook her head and muttered to herself.

His gaze, dark and brooding, fell upon the Cloud Mountain Palace.

At that moment, streams of people were pouring out of there, flowing into all directions of the city.

Su Qing assumed that these people were there to take over the Lin family's various shops.

Unexpectedly, one of the streams headed straight for him.

"Senior Brother Lin, Senior Brother Hai!"

Su Qing bowed and greeted Lin Shuangmu and Hai Yunlou, who were leading the group, from afar.

"Junior Brother Su, why are you standing outside so early in the morning? Are you afraid we'll take over your shop?"

Lin Shuangmu smiled warmly. Since becoming a three-handed swordsman, he had made numerous meritorious contributions on the eastern battlefield. With Su Qing's constant monthly tributes, his strength and status had both increased. He was naturally very polite to Su Qing, who had crafted the dual-wielding sword for him.

"How could that be? Yunshan Sect is a prestigious sect. How could they do such a thing as plundering? Even if the war is not going well and resources are running out, and they have no choice but to confiscate the shops, it is out of necessity."

"If these things of mine can help the sect in even the slightest way, the sect is welcome to take them; I will have no objection!"

Su Qing spoke with righteous indignation, but he did not believe what he said, nor did Lin Rushan and the group of Yunshan disciples behind him.

"If everyone had the same awareness as Junior Brother, my mission today would be much easier. Don't worry, I won't confiscate your shops. I'm just here to check if there are any prohibited items. I'll trouble you all to open your storage bags and take a look!"

Lin Shuangmu said with a hint of helplessness, "This task is one that will offend people. Although Yunshan Sect is powerful, I don't think many people would dare to resist, but who knows?"

Last night, someone took out a fourth-tier talisman and killed even a Golden Core cultivator.

The sect ordered them to find this person's whereabouts. If they couldn't find him, they would inevitably suffer some punishment. If they did find him, that would be a real disaster. The thief gave them a fourth-tier talisman. How could they possibly survive?

"Last night, when all the high-ranking cultivators of the sect were guarding the immortal city, a thief dared to kill one of the pillars of my White Cloud Immortal City, a Golden Core cultivator. I wish I could tear such a thief to pieces."

"Senior brothers, investigate thoroughly, search the entire city, and make sure this thief is found!"

Su Qing, filled with righteous indignation, cursed the thief mercilessly, using words he had overheard from the rogue cultivators over the past few days. They had been cursing the Yunshan Sect, so he could curse the same person now, without any sense of incongruity.

During this process, he also welcomed Lin Shuangmu and the others into the shop and subtly handed five storage bags to Lin Shuangmu.

"Junior brother, isn't this a bit too much?" Lin Shuangmu said softly, raising his hand to return a few to him.

"The three small bags are for Senior Brother Lin, Senior Brother Yuan, and Senior Brother Hai, and the two large bags are for Elder Li and Elder Liu. Is that too much? Not at all!"

Su Qing shook her head and reached out to press Lin Shuangmu's hand down.

"Given our friendship with our junior brother, we don't need that much. One small bag is enough for the three of us! Senior brother wouldn't dare take more!"

Given the tacit understanding that Lin Shuangmu and Su Qing had developed over the past year or two, a single storage bag contained a million spirit crystals. One million for each person, three million for three people. Even though he was used to such windfall, he now felt that it was a bit too much to handle. He was even more afraid that his junior brother would ask him for something difficult after spending so much money.

"If Senior Brother Lin doesn't take it, how can Senior Brother Yuan and Senior Brother Hai take it? If the three senior brothers don't take it, how can the two elders take it? If none of you take it, how can this humble Taoist establish himself in this Immortal City? How can this small shop dare to open its doors and do business!"

Su Qing told Lin Shuangmu to keep the money bag in his pocket so that he could feel at ease.

"So, senior brother took it? That's taking advantage of junior brother again. I'm ashamed, I'm ashamed!"

Lin Shuangmu didn't really want to refuse. Seeing that Su Qing was only concerned about the shop, he immediately felt relieved and reached out with his third hand from his chest to quickly put the storage bag into his pocket.

As soon as he finished packing the money bag, Lin Shuangmu turned around and sternly addressed the group of disciples behind him:

"Although Su's Shop has a close relationship with my Yunshan Sect and has no connection with that thief, the sect has strictly ordered us not to let any shop go unchecked. Therefore, we must still search it. You all need to do your job well and not let the sect think that we are slacking off!"

After saying that, he waved his hand, and the disciples, in perfect unison, pretended to inspect the various puppets in the shop.

"Fellow Daoist Su, please trouble you to open your storage bag and take a look. It contains all the storage bags I have on me!"

A disciple who had just joined Lin Shuangmu's team and hadn't yet been subjected to the sweet talk and flattery walked up to Su Qing and replied in a deep voice.

Clap clap clap clap!
Lin Shuangmu used all three hands simultaneously, unleashing a rapid five-hit whip strike that left the disciple dizzy and disoriented, questioning his very existence.

"I told you to investigate, and you actually did! Junior Brother Su is a puppeteer, not a talisman master. Where did he get a fourth-tier talisman?"

"Who says puppeteers can't use talismans? Anyone can use talismans!" The junior brother covered his face, feeling aggrieved and unconvinced.

Lin Shuangmu gave him a cold look, then waved his hand to summon several junior brothers, ordering them to drag this stubborn and resentful young man away.

Several screams immediately came from outside, startling Huodan inside the shop.

When the group returned, they found that Junior Brother Ge was nowhere to be seen!
"Senior Brother Lin, Junior Brother Ge encountered villains on the road and sacrificed himself for the sect!" A Yunshan disciple with a face full of scars, clearly someone who had done dirty work, shouted. Lin Shuangmu then nodded, cupped his hands to Su Qing, and smiled, "The newcomer is ignorant."

"It's alright, it's alright. Senior brothers have important responsibilities to bear for the sect, so we still need to investigate."

Su Qing then took out another storage bag from his bosom and handed it to the disciple with the fierce face to take a good look at it.

He examined it very carefully, even putting the storage bag into his own pocket.

"Alright, Junior Brother Su, this is fine. We still have to go to the next place, so let's not delay their business here. These days, the rogue cultivators in Baiyun Immortal City are terrified of us Yunshan disciples!"

Lin Shuangmu waved his hand casually, and the group was about to leave the small shop and head to the shops next door.

Su Qing stepped forward and stopped them.

"Senior Brother Lin, please wait a moment. I also have shares in the Pang family's shop next door. Not only do I have shares, but all three of you senior brothers also have shares!"

"Is there any stock? Since you say so, Junior Brother, then this shop should be fine. Let's go to the Helian family's weapon-refining shop now!"

"To be honest, senior brother, that family is also related to junior brother."

"Liang Family Shop?"

"Fellow Daoist Liang and his junior brother have a close friendship despite their age difference!"

"Guo Family Medical Clinic?"

"Fellow Daoist Qiaolian has always been lusting after Junior Brother's body, so it's somewhat related!"

"As for the Shao family, forget it. Senior brother won't ask anymore. We'll trouble junior brother to search these shops for us. We'll go check out the stall area!"

"What you say is true, senior brother. That market area is a mixed bag, and thieves are most likely to be hiding there. Senior brothers, please investigate carefully. I'll take care of this for you!"

With a forced smile, they allowed the pack of jackals to steal a few of the lizard riders' weapons before finally sending them away.

The martial law imposed by the Yunshan Sect on Baiyun Immortal City lasted for a full month.

The thieves were not found, but the rogue cultivators were severely harmed by them.

I originally thought that with these jackals using the pretext of searching for thieves to plunder the Immortal City, the rogue cultivators would suffer heavy losses, and the small shop's business would decline.

Unexpectedly, the shop's business flourished even more over the next two months.

Not only his small shop, but also the shops of Pang Feifan and others were making a fortune every day.

However, the independent cultivators had all come to a realization: rather than being like the Lin family, guarding their treasure trove and wealth only to have it ultimately benefit others.

It would be better to convert all of one's accumulated resources into combat power and go all out; perhaps then one could still carve out a path!
A group of independent cultivators in the city are preparing to flee.

After Baibaoge, Yuanlailou and the Lin family all disappeared.

This is the only shop in the Immortal City that still sells puppets.

Su Qing naturally took on the important responsibility of sharing the burdens of his fellow comrades.

Fearing they wouldn't be able to buy the puppets, they kept introducing new products to the store.

"Dog-headed lizard, a first-tier high-grade puppet, combining the advantages of a dog-headed giant and a lizard warrior. Five thousand spirit crystals per puppet, bulk purchases get a better price!"

"Soul-Exploding Lizard, a fierce puppet containing twenty soul demons, capable of self-destructing twenty times, 30,000 spirit crystals per piece, first come, first served, no exceptions!"

"Rainbow Horse, with wings of rainbow light, galloping ahead of the crowd, a must-have for home, and the top choice for running!"

"Pig Vanguard, wielding a rake, skilled in combat techniques, charging into battle, unstoppable in bravery!"

As usual, Ge Ling led Xiong Er to call out to customers outside the shop.

Unlike usual, today there were no customers at all, so much so that even Xiong Er, who was handing out flyers, became listless and listless.

"Come back, stop busying yourself. Those who needed to buy puppets have already done so. After we finish today, it's time to close the shop and go home!"

Qinghe poked her head out and beckoned back to Ge Ling and Xiong Er with a wave of her hand.

Two women, a bear, and a dog stood inside the shop, staring blankly outwards.

They watched from day to night until they finally came to terms with reality, took down the signboard of Su Ji Puppet Shop, and locked the shop door tightly.

At that moment, Su Qing also came downstairs.

Qinghe and Ge Ling both turned their gazes to him.

Su Qing was slightly taken aback, but after realizing what she meant, she smiled and said:
"Don't worry, if this shop closes, so be it. It's not like we're closing down in another place. I'm not going to fire you all right now!"

Upon hearing this, Qinghe and Geling felt relieved, and even Xiong Er perked up a bit.

"The shop is gone, what do we do next?" Qinghe asked softly, her beautiful eyes sparkling.

A storm is brewing, and a great calamity is imminent. In just ten or twenty days, the Nascent Soul Cave will be born, and at that time, the fate of the rogue cultivators in this city will be decided.

Qinghe and Geling knew that Su Qing was prepared and relied on him, but it was impossible not to be nervous.

Compared to Qinglian, Ge Ling seemed more nervous.

Despite Su Qing's protection, the Ge family village, which originally had thousands of people, is now reduced to just over a hundred due to the nightly harassment by the red lanterns.

Her mother, an ordinary person, suddenly fell seriously ill and died a few days ago, while her father, Ge Changyuan, is still alive.

Ge Ling dared not hope that Su Qing would take the burdens of Gejia Village with him when he fled. Asking Su Qing about his plans now would allow her father and the villagers to make preparations in advance.

"Let's go and bring warmth to the rogue cultivators in the Immortal City! In the past few years, thanks to their support, my small path has been able to survive today. At this critical moment of life and death, I have no use for these puppets I have made, so I will give them to them!"

Su Qing said generously and magnanimously, and with a flick of his sleeve, he threw out dozens of storage bags from his storage pouch.

When Qinghe and Geling opened the storage bags, they found that each one contained a strange puppet.

"Xiaodao does good deeds anonymously. Ge Ling will distribute these storage bags to the people of Gejia Village and ask them to quietly deliver them to the various independent cultivators in the city tomorrow, without making a fuss."

Although the disciples and elders of the Yunshan Sect have rarely shown themselves lately, being discovered by them will inevitably cause trouble!

Su Qing gave Ge Ling a few words of advice, then turned and went upstairs to the second floor.

On the second floor, there was a strange puppet shaped like a yellow-black cauldron, with legs growing from the bottom and arms growing from the body, which was emitting steam.

This is his biggest achievement over the past two months.

The Lin family was too generous. Their family treasury contained not only mountains of materials for the strange puppets, but also many rune inheritances collected by the family over the years.

The Soul-Demon Runes, which his family relied on for their expertise, were prominently featured.

These past few days, Su Qing has been working day and night, utilizing the materials in the Lin family's treasury. He hasn't even had time to refresh the red lanterns, devoting all his time to refining puppets and farming runes!

(End of this chapter)