Chapter 185: Stirring Up Trouble
The next day, while Mo Hua was inscribing formation patterns inside the Refining Workshop, the Qian Family sent people to cause trouble.
The outer walls of the workshop were still unfinished, and the formations were not yet complete, giving the Qian Family an opening to exploit.
Several cultivators from the Qian Family disguised themselves as ordinary rogue cultivators, sneaked into the Refining Workshop, and picked a secluded corner. Once they confirmed no one was nearby, they began their sabotage.
They smashed several walls, broke parts of the foundation stones, and chopped apart wooden beams. Some of the formations that had just been drawn were smeared and ruined.
A few craftsmen discovered them and tried to stop them, but were instead beaten.
When a few demon hunters arrived to help, they fought several rounds before the Qian Family's cultivators realized the situation was turning against them and fled.
In the afternoon, the Qian Family came again. Though they were once more driven off by the demon hunters, they still managed to destroy quite a bit of the construction.
Master Ban was deeply troubled, the very thing he feared had happened.
When Elder Yu heard of it, his fury exploded. He first pretended to leave, then secretly circled back, blending in among the craftsmen, wanting to see who had the audacity to cause trouble right under his nose.
Before long, that same group of cultivators arrived again.
Thinking themselves unseen, they started to repeat their sabotage, preparing to smash walls and cut beams.
However, their every movement was already within Elder Yu's Divine-Sense.
Before they could act, Elder Yu leapt forward and struck out—one slap per person—sending several cultivators crashing to the ground, vomiting blood.
He had restrained his hand and did not kill them.
The leader, whose face was covered and whose cultivation had reached the ninth level of Qi-Refining, turned to flee upon seeing Elder Yu.
However, as a mere Qi-Refining cultivator, how could he possibly escape from Elder Yu, who was at Foundation Establishment?
Within a few breaths, Elder Yu caught up with him. After a few futile counterattacks, the man was struck down with another palm, forced to his knees, shoulder bones cracking in pain.
Elder Yu tore off the black cloth covering his face and roared,
"Qian Shunzhi! So it was you, you little bastard turtle spawn!"
Qian Shunzhi gritted his teeth. "I've fallen into your hands, Elder Yu. If you want to kill or torture me—"
Elder Yu squeezed his shoulder harder, drawing a scream from him.
"Quit pretending to be tough! You think I don't know what kind of trash you are?" Elder Yu cursed.
Qian Shunzhi immediately cried, "Elder Yu! Please, let's talk this out. I was… acting under orders!"
"Whose orders?"
Qian Shunzhi said nothing.
Elder Yu spat, "What, under orders from that old turtle bastard Qian Hong? What's so hard about saying that out loud?"
Qian Shunzhi gave a bitter smile. "You already know. Why ask?"
"I just wanted to see if you'd be honest," Elder Yu said coldly.
"Elder Yu, whatever you say is right. You're magnanimous, could you let me go?"
Elder Yu sneered. "Dream on. Even if you hadn't fallen into my hands, I'd still come looking for you. Now that you've come to provoke me first, you think I'll just let you go?"
He called over others, had Qian Shunzhi and the rest tied up, and then dumped them at the gates of the Qian Family estate.
"Qian Hong, you cowardly turtle! Too scared to show your face, scheming in the dark like a sneaky rat! Are you even a man? If you aren't, have your wife remarry and your son change his surname!"
Elder Yu shouted a torrent of abuse.
The Qian Family gates remained tightly shut, no response.
Elder Yu continued, escalating his curses from top to bottom, until he was insulting even the Qian Family's ancestor, calling him ungrateful, shameless, and despicable.
At last, the Qian Family could not hold back. A Foundation Establishment elder stepped forward and rebuked,
"Yu Changlin! This is the Qian Family! Watch your tongue!"
Elder Yu was utterly unbothered. "Where's that old turtle Qian Hong?"
The Qian elder frowned. "The Patriarch isn't here. If you have business, tell me."
Elder Yu snorted. "Not here? Probably hiding under a woman's quilt, too scared to come out."
"Yu Changlin!" the Qian elder bellowed.
Elder Yu decided that was enough, he hadn't come merely to curse people, only to make a point before leaving.
The Refining Workshop still had plenty of matters awaiting him, after all.
He said, "Your people came to my place causing trouble."
The Qian elder deflected, "How do you know they were from our family?"
Elder Yu's expression darkened, and before he could curse again, the Qian elder quickly interjected, "Alright then, what do you want?"
They both knew the truth, so there was no need to play games.
"Spirit stones," Elder Yu said bluntly.
The Qian elder frowned. "How many?"
Elder Yu named an outrageous number offhand.
The Qian elder snapped, "Don't push your luck!"
Elder Yu grinned. "We're just bargaining, no need to get worked up."
Eventually, they settled the matter, one hundred spirit stones per person. The Qian Family would redeem their captured men, and Elder Yu would let it go.
Elder Yu returned with nearly a thousand spirit stones in hand.
Part of that would be used to compensate the injured craftsmen and demon hunters, covering their healing and offering some comfort.
The rest, he planned to spend on wine and meat, rewarding everyone and lifting their spirits.
Still, Elder Yu knew the Qian Family would not stop there.
When Qian Shunzhi was brought back, the Qian Family elder scolded him, "Useless fool! Can't even manage a bit of sabotage properly!"
Qian Shunzhi grimaced. "Elder, it wasn't my fault. Who could've guessed that old fox Yu Changlin was so crafty? I saw him leave the Refining Workshop myself before acting, but he secretly doubled back disguised as a craftsman. No one could've recognized him!"
The Qian elder sighed. "That old fox truly is cunning."
And, above all, shameless, his face thicker than a refining furnace.
Qian Shunzhi asked, "Elder, what should we do next?"
"Continue as planned," the elder said. "But be cautious. Go at night, or when they're resting. Keep causing disruptions, don't let them stop work entirely, but slow their progress as much as possible."
"What about Yu Changlin?" Qian Shunzhi asked quietly.
"He's an elder of the Demon Hunters. He can't watch over the Refining Workshop constantly. There will be times when he's away or distracted."
"But… if he catches us again?" Qian Shunzhi muttered.
The Qian elder said indifferently, "Then take a beating. At worst, we'll pay him some more spirit stones. He can't actually kill you, or he'll have trouble explaining himself to the Dao Court Division."
Qian Shunzhi's expression soured.
A Foundation Establishment cultivator's beating was hardly something easy to endure.
His body still ached now, his shoulder bones shattered, and the lingering Foundation-stage spiritual energy within his wounds gnawed painfully at him like maggots in the flesh.
And that was with Elder Yu holding back, otherwise, he would already be dead.
The Qian elder frowned. "What are you afraid of? Have some backbone!"
Qian Shunzhi lowered his head silently.
The elder continued, "Don't worry. The Patriarch has promised that once this matter is done, you will all be rewarded. If you perform outstandingly, even Foundation Establishment pills may be granted to you."
Qian Shunzhi's eyes gleamed. "The Patriarch truly said that?"
"Of course. Would I lie to you?"
Qian Shunzhi's blood burned with renewed determination. "Then I'll risk my life this time if I must. I'll see this task through!"
The Qian elder nodded. "Good. This work is like a weasel stealing chickens, it requires patience. There are a thousand days for thieves, but not a thousand for guards. They can't be vigilant forever. Keep watching, and you'll find your chance."
Qian Shunzhi bowed deeply. "I will obey, Elder."
(End of Chapter)