Chapter 15: Horse Selling
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Lu Mingsi was so angry he laughed.
“Go away.”
That person had a fearless expression. “If you do not sell it today, the price will drop to 90 Spirit Stones tomorrow. If you still do not wish to sell it, you can dream about selling the horse after that. Or you could try selling it at Luyi.”
The second half of the sentence was tinged with an evil tone.
“You need not worry.”
Lu Mingsi saw that another person had been stopped by the cultivators farther away after he said that.
He recognized that person. That person had approached him for the price in the morning and seemed to be interested in buying the horse. After they haggled on the price the entire morning, they settled on 210 Spirit Stones. That person left longingly and said that he was going to gather the money.
That person seemed to be very interested in buying the horse. He did not leave like the other people after the cultivator stopped him and told him something. Instead, he stood at his original position. He had a hesitant and longing expression. He even started arguing with the cultivators blocking his way after they spoke.
Lu Mingsi pushed the person in front of him away and walked toward them.
“Who dares to be so insolent in Pingyao County?” Lu Mingsi shouted when he was still a dozen steps away from the group.
The cultivators ignored the person they were blocking when they saw Lu Mingsi walking toward them. Instead, they faintly approached Lu Mingsi and surrounded him.
Lu Mingsi felt a little threatened.
His abilities were merely at the fifth tier of the Qi Refining Stage. Even though the most powerful unaffiliated cultivator in the group was at the same level as he was, their group consisted of six people. Along with the “100 Spirit Stones” who had followed him from behind, he had seven opponents.
However, Lu Mingsi thought about it. This was not the dangerous outskirts where a corpse would go unnoticed. This was Pingyao County. Cultivator’s Lane was not open to ordinary humans and was thus not as busy. However, the sensory abilities of cultivators were much stronger than the average human could imagine. Someone would definitely notice if a person were killed on the streets.
With courage, Lu Mingsi continued, “You are obstructing the regular operations of Cultivator’s Lane. Do you want to be jailed for 10 years?”
The jail Lu Mingsi had mentioned was not a place that was made to imprison normal humans since those places were not much of an obstacle for cultivators. Jails that were specially made to house cultivators could seal off a person’s spiritual strength. It was a place where there was no supply of spiritual energy.
A person could be jailed for 10 years for theft and 20 years for robbery. A person who killed a criminal could walk scot-free...
To a cultivator, 10 to 20 years was still a long time. More importantly, a person would not be able to train if they were locked in a place without spiritual energy for 10 years. Their cultivation level might decrease by half. A person with a low cultivation level might be reduced to become a normal person with their spiritual energy completely depleted if they were locked in for 20 years.
The unaffiliated cultivator at the front of the group said with an eccentric tone, “We are not obstructing the operations of Cultivator’s Lane. It is just that there is a problem with your horse. Is it a crime to tell buyers about it?”
“His horse had no problems,” the customer who was being stopped said. “I saw it in the morning!”
The leader of the unaffiliated cultivators turned around and stared at him. “You still want to buy the horse? Don’t leave Pingyao County if you ever buy the horse. Otherwise, I’ll take your life!”
When these words rang out, Lu Mingsi responded in a fury without waiting for the customer to react. “You’re still saying that you are not obstructing the operations of the public market? You’re threatening a customer and disrupting the order. Come with me to the magistrate’s office!”
He quickly took two steps forward after he spoke and grabbed the shoulder of the leader of the group.
The magistrate’s office was where the officer of the county worked. They were responsible for the security and safety of the county. A cultivator took up the role of the officer. The Zhao Clan would have the position for 20 years, then the Lu Clan for 10 years, and so on and so forth.
It was the same for the minister who attended to the daily operations of Pingyao County, though a cultivator need not take up that position. The county’s magistrate could not be from the two families. Instead, the Dayan Dynasty would send over an official to take up the role. However, the magistrate of Pingyao County was basically a piece of furniture. They could disregard him.
The current officer was a member of the Zhao Clan.
Lu Mingsi knew that the Zhao Clan was backing the actions of these unaffiliated cultivators. However, if they made this matter public, even the Zhao Clan had to tread carefully. They at least had to act reasonably.
That unaffiliated cultivator was unwilling to head to the magistrate’s office with Lu Mingsi. He knew that he had said something wrong just now.
“Let go! Let go!” he shouted. However, Lu Mingsi was unwilling to loosen his grip. In his anxiety, the unaffiliated cultivator activated his spiritual strength and punched Lu Mingsi’s face.
The body of a cultivator was much stronger than an average human. That punch, coupled with the boost from the spiritual strength, broke Lu Mingsi’s nose.
Lu Mingsi retaliated immediately. A shining golden spirit sword flew out of his sleeve and rushed rapidly toward the unaffiliated cultivator.
The other party had attacked first. He could explain himself out of most things later!
Faced with the attack, the unaffiliated cultivator formed a hand gesture and retreated quickly. He shouted while he avoided the sword’s light, “You dare to attack me in Cultivator’s Lane?!”
Lu Mingsi did not reply. He controlled the sword flying in the air and made it cleave downward.
The leader of the unaffiliated cultivators was both fearful and shocked. He even felt a little bit of regret.
He had only come to cause trouble and disturb someone. He did not wish to blow the matter up. He did indeed come under the instructions of the Zhao Clan. However, once the situation became too serious and had escalated to a duel between the higher-ups of the Lu Clan and the Zhao Clan, he would no longer be able to survive in Pingyao County, no matter what the outcome of the situation was.
He was to blame for infuriating a customer just now. He had made a slip of the tongue and threatened the customer. He then acted too rashly when he was caught by Lu Mingsi, who said that they were going to the magistrate’s office, and attacked first. He gave the other party the chance to use his magic equipment.
However, now that the situation had already become like this, what else could he do?
Something bad would definitely happen if he continued just dodging the attacks. Any cultivator who could survive in this world would have immense battle experience. After he avoided the attack, he immediately summoned his magic equipment. It was a piece of equipment that resembled a whistle called the Fire Whistle. As its name suggested, a person could produce an intense flame if they blew into the whistle.
After spewing a ball of flames that scorched the golden magic sword, he shouted once again, “What are you waiting for?! This person has already attacked! All of you, attack!”
The rest of the six people were a little hesitant when they heard his words.
Were they really going to do battle in the public market?
The rest of the people looked at one another after they saw the fight between Lu Mingsi and the leader of the unaffiliated cultivators become more and more intense. Finally, someone else summoned their magic equipment. Fog circled the area and surrounded Lu Mingsi.
Then, more and more people took action.
Lu Mingsi could not hold on anymore. He summoned another piece of magic equipment. This was called the Suppression Jade Plate. It was a common Level One mid-grade defensive equipment.
With his abilities as a fifth-tier Qi Refining cultivator, operating two pieces of magic equipment at once was his limit. Also, he only had these two pieces of magic equipment.
At this moment, he no longer cared to control the golden magic sword and unleash his attacks. He spent all of his spiritual strength on sustaining the Suppression Jade Plate and tried his best to defend himself against the attacks.
The quality of the unaffiliated cultivator’s magic equipment was not high. There was also not a significant gap in ability between them. It was hard for them to break through his defense in one strike.
However, with the constant attacks from these many people, Lu Mingsi’s spiritual strength was being exhausted at a rapid rate. The force that had seeped in through the Suppression Jade Plate posed a great impact on his organs and nerves.
Blood flowed out of his nose and mouth. Several cracks appeared on the Suppression Jade Plate.
“Don’t kill him!” the leader of the unaffiliated cultivators shouted. “Retreat quickly!”
When was he going to escape if not now? He would be fine if he ran off from the scene without getting spotted by members of the Lu Clan. It would be easier to deal with anything after that.
...
The pressure softened, but Lu Mingsi’s brain still felt murky.
However, he had a persistent thought. “Don’t let that bunch of people escape!”
Now that something had happened here, the members of his family stationed here would rush over. They would be here in a moment. As long as he held the bunch of people back, the cultivators of his clan would arrive to capture them back to the magistrate’s office. If the matter were blown up, the people behind the matter would not be able to hide. The Lu Clan would have an opportunity to shame the Zhao Clan!
That premise was he could take advantage of the current situation and not let the group of people escape!