FreeBooksOnline Chapter 156 - 135: Bee Queen’s Advancement
Chapter 156 - 135: Bee Queen’s Advancement
After a rather unremarkable battle, the White Mountain Cultivator perished on the spot. He never would have dreamed that he would die here for killing a mere mortal.
Fang Qingyuan had been watching coldly from the sidelines. The White Mountain Cultivator’s cultivation level was considerable and he had plenty of combat experience, but he still couldn’t escape the Array formed by the four She Family disciples.
The She Family were truly formidable fighters. These four were the family’s core members, and their leader, She Xuanyan, was especially formidable. He had suppressed their opponent all by himself, to say nothing of the fact that he had backup. It was clear that She Xi Yu had spared no expense for the family’s stake in Yuanling Square Marketplace.
"Workshop Master, we have struck down the villain who resisted arrest. Please instruct us on how to handle the rest."
After killing the White Mountain Cultivator, She Xuanyan approached Fang Qingyuan and bowed. Fang Qingyuan looked at the blood-soaked man, patted his shoulder, and said,
"Good work. Take the White Mountain Cultivator’s storage pouch. From it, take three hundred Spirit Stones and give them to the Shopkeeper as compensation. Then, hang the murderer’s corpse at the crossroads for three days as a warning to others."
Hearing Fang Qingyuan’s orders, smiles appeared on the faces of the four She Family members. Their life-and-death struggle had been worthwhile.
After receiving the Spirit Stones, the Shopkeeper came to Fang Qingyuan’s side to express his thanks. He said gratefully,
"Thank you, Workshop Master, for seeing justice done on my behalf. That White Mountain murderer deserved to die. But since he died here, I’m worried there might be repercussions if someone comes looking for him."
Fang Qingyuan smiled and reassured him,
"Don’t worry. This is a Beast Taming Sect property, and I won’t tolerate these White Mountain People running wild here. If I had spared this man today, I’d lose all authority in the future. If anyone wants to avenge him, let them come. The Beast Taming Sect will be ready."
Hearing Fang Qingyuan invoke the Beast Taming Sect’s name, the Shopkeeper felt a wave of relief. He had opened his inn here precisely for the protection that the sect’s reputation afforded. Now that he saw Fang Qingyuan act so decisively when trouble arose, his fears vanished.
After reassuring the Shopkeeper, Fang Qingyuan turned to the dozen or so diners who had been watching the commotion and announced loudly,
"As you have all witnessed, this White Mountain Cultivator started trouble for no reason, brutally murdered a mortal attendant, and then resisted arrest, injuring our law enforcement officers. His execution on the spot was a fate he brought upon himself.
I deeply apologize that this incident has disturbed your meal. To make amends, the Yuanling Square Marketplace will cover your food and lodging for the next three days. Furthermore, anyone present who returns to the marketplace within the next six months will receive a twenty-percent discount on all purchases."
As soon as Fang Qingyuan finished speaking, a wave of cheers and praise erupted. Whether the White Mountain Cultivator lived or died mattered little to these people; the tangible benefits, however, were very real.
Only after Fang Qingyuan and the She Family disciples had carried the White Mountain Cultivator’s corpse out the door did a young Cultivator in the corner dare to let out a heavy breath. Just moments ago, a Cultivator with a much higher cultivation level than his own had been turned into a corpse in the blink of an eye. The sight had left a deep impression on him.
As Fang Qingyuan walked down the main street, the local merchants came up to greet him. After acknowledging each of them, he turned to She Xuanyan, who was beside him, and said,
"The corpse is to be hung for three full days. Post a sign next to it detailing the entire incident from start to finish. Don’t hide anything, and don’t try to glorify our actions. We killed him, and that’s that. The Beast Taming Sect can handle the fallout from one Qi Cultivation Cultivator. If no one comes to claim the body after three days, send it to Yuanling Mountain. I’ll find a final resting place for him."
Seeing She Xuanyan nod repeatedly, Fang Qingyuan dismissed him and the others. He then went to a shop that sold Spirit Beasts. The moment he walked in, he found a withered old Daoist and said,
"Old Zhao, I just dealt with a fool of a White Mountain Cultivator. I also promised a dozen or so other Cultivators a twenty-percent discount for the next six months. Send someone over to the inn to record their information so there are no mix-ups."
The "Old Zhao" Fang Qingyuan addressed was Zhao Laqian, a clansman of Zhao Liangde. Zhao Liangde had sent him here to Yuanling Mountain to manage a Spirit Beast shop, which was primarily responsible for selling the Beast Taming Sect’s various Spirit Beasts.
In addition, Zhao Laqian held another title: General Manager of Yuanling Square Marketplace. Generally speaking, the mundane affairs of the marketplace were all left to him to handle.
Hearing Fang Qingyuan’s words, Zhao Laqian stroked his goatee and said,
"So, a White Mountain Cultivator died? That’s no big deal. The fighting over at White Mountain is out of control right now; people die all the time. Even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator dies every now and then. It’s nothing to worry about."
Zhao Laqian’s cultivation was only at the Early-stage of Qi Cultivation, yet he showed little reaction to the news of a fellow Qi Cultivation Cultivator from White Mountain dying.
After settling that matter, Fang Qingyuan continued,
"This marketplace has been open for three months. When will the first round of dividends be distributed? My Yuanling Mountain is in need of funds."
The accounts for Yuanling Square Marketplace were also under Zhao Laqian’s management. Fang Qingyuan knew he should have kept such an important matter firmly in his own hands, but he currently had no suitable candidates to delegate to. Not wanting to be disturbed from his own cultivation by such trivialities, he had handed the responsibility to Zhao Laqian, which also served as a favor to Zhao Liangde.
The Yuanling Mountain Marketplace had been open for three months. For the first two, its income couldn’t cover expenses. Things had only improved this month, finally turning a small profit.
Seeing that Fang Qingyuan wanted his dividend, Zhao Laqian took out an abacus. Cross-referencing it with a ledger, his fingers flew across the beads with a series of sharp CLACKS. A moment later, he said,
"There aren’t many Spirit Stones left over this month. Your Yuanling Mountain gets a fifty-percent share, which comes to just two thousand. How about we reinvest it in the marketplace and save it for later?"