111: Chapter 111 Showing off wealth attracts attention

Xia Shaoxin was very surprised.

The Immortal Market of the Weiming Sect was guarded by Sect Disciples, and these Alchemy Rooms were key areas of the Immortal Market city; how could someone break in without notice?

He rose vigilantly and quietly drew his sword, but the door had already been kicked open.

Taking a closer look, it was his neighbor, a Loose Cultivator and Alchemist named Yue Bin.

This person was usually reticent, only nodding when they met, but kicking the door open in the middle of the night—he had clearly come with ill intent.

"Fellow Daoist Yue, what do you want to do?"

Yue Bin was also holding a sword in his hand, his usual bland expression completely gone, his eyes filled with a vicious look.

"You must have a lot of Spirit Stones on you; hand them all over to me, quickly!" Yue Bin commanded imperiously.

Xia Shaoxin was shocked; this was so straightforward—he had come to rob him.

He asked calmly, "I don't have many Spirit Stones, and even if I did, why should I give them to you?"

Yue Bin flourished his sword and pointed the tip at Xia Shaoxin.

"It exhausts me just to sell two furnaces of qi gathering pills a month, yet you sell a furnace almost every two days. Do you dare say you haven't earned any Spirit Stones!"

Xia Shaoxin's heart sank.

He had been targeted by a thief.

Thinking back carefully, it was indeed his own mistake.

Alchemy required both strength and money; for an Alchemist to be able to refine a furnace of qi gathering pills for their own consumption in a month was already a sign of great wealth.

If one wanted to earn some money, they would need to refine one or two extra furnaces, which was the limit for an Alchemist in a month.

Although the Weiming Sect's Immortal Market was large, there was only one place to sell Medicinal Pills, and after staying for three months, they had become familiar with each other.

He had been too eager to sell his goods and had sold too much, making himself a bit too conspicuous.

Xia Shaoxin was blocked in the room with nowhere to run.

He wanted to stabilize the situation first, so he said, "Brother Yue, have you been drinking? You're talking nonsense. I have no Spirit Stones left; I've spent them all."

"No Spirit Stones? What did you buy then? Magical Artifacts? Talismans? Hand them all over." Yue Bin was very impatient, as if he wanted to finish this robbery and hurry back to sleep.

This showed that Yue Bin had indeed come to rob him.

"Fellow Daoist Yue, this is the territory of the Weiming Sect. If you act recklessly like this, the Weiming Sect will not spare you."

"Oh, really?" Yue Bin said with an indifferent expression, "Don't worry, I placed a Magical Artifact outside your door. Even if I tore this house down, no one would hear a thing."

This person seemed hurried in his actions, but his movements were very steady.

"I know you only have Level 2 Qi Refining cultivation, and I am at the Middle Stage of Qi Refining. I've come to rob you today. Hand over your Spirit Stones, Magical Artifacts, Medicinal Pills, and talismans obediently, and I won't make things difficult for you."

Xia Shaoxin felt this person was too rash; he seemed to have some unspeakable hidden trouble.

He would probably rob him and leave overnight; even if he reported it to the Weiming Sect, nothing would come of it.

He had been working hard to refine lingyuan pills these days, taking one every day, and had hoarded three months' worth. In the Immortal Market, one lingyuan pill was worth five and a half Spirit Stones.

Three months' worth, nearly one hundred pills, meant over five hundred Spirit Stones.

This was a huge fortune.

The monthly allowance the Chiyan Sect gave to an Elder was only that much for a whole year.

Xia Shaoxin had only spent a few Spirit Stones to buy the cheapest medicinal herbs; he had converted the rest himself.

If it fell into Yue Bin's hands, he would truly strike it rich.

Xia Shaoxin tried hard to recall what Yue Bin's cultivation level actually was.

After staying in the Immortal Market for a long time, chatting with some friendly Loose Cultivators, they would intentionally or unintentionally reveal their cultivation levels.

Generally, the Lower Stage of Qi Refining and the Middle Stage of Qi Refining could be distinguished, but the specific level was not easy to see.

It was true that Yue Bin was at the Middle Stage of Qi Refining, but it seemed he was only at Qi Refining Level 4.

Xia Shaoxin thought, although he was a major stage higher, it wasn't insurmountable, right?

"I will give you the Magical Artifacts, and the talismans too," Xia Shaoxin said in a deep voice.

The sword tip swayed in front of his nose.

"That's good, hurry up."

Xia Shaoxin pulled out a Thunderbolt Talisman.

"Do you want this one?"

"Yes."

"Alright, here you go, catch!"

The talisman ignited without fire. A dark cloud suddenly appeared above Yue Bin's head, and a wild thunderbolt struck down, jolting Yue Bin so hard he bounced in place.

No sooner said than done, Xia Shaoxin's sword thrust out almost at the same time.

Yue Bin was struck by the Thunderbolt Talisman, his whole body going numb, but his reaction was quick; he struggled to twist his body and dodged Xia Shaoxin's sword.

"Good, you're dead today."

Yue Bin gritted his teeth, and after recovering, he launched a fierce counterattack.

The room was cramped, and neither of them could maneuver properly. Although Yue Bin was stronger, because he had lost the initiative, he didn't immediately gain the upper hand.

Seeing that the Thunderbolt Talisman had missed, Xia Shaoxin immediately threw a Thunder Fire Talisman.

Yue Bin slashed fiercely with his sword, dancing it in a circle around himself, sweeping away the thunder fire, and Xia Shaoxin was unable to get close.

The Thunder Fire Talisman only burned living beings, not objects.

Xia Shaoxin dared not use a Bright Fire Talisman, as that would burn everything indiscriminately.

"You really are rich; as soon as you started, you spent ten Spirit Stones!" Yue Bin was furious.

Xia Shaoxin threw out a dagger; this was something Senior Brother Shao Junwei had given him. He had wanted to keep it as a memento, but he couldn't worry about that now.

The dagger circled in the air, attacking Yue Bin.

Clang, clang—it was knocked down by two of Yue Bin's sword strikes.

Xia Shaoxin immediately felt a pang of heartache—not for the financial loss, but because Senior Brother Shao's gift had been damaged.

"You dare use my Magical Artifact to attack me!" Seeing the Magical Artifact knocked down, Yue Bin felt even more heartache than him.

With his back against the wall, Xia Shaoxin launched continuous attacks with talismans and Magical Artifacts, making Yue Bin both angry and anxious.

"I knew you'd struck it rich, but I didn't expect you to be this rich!" Yue Bin was shocked.

He had originally thought he could rob a few dozen Spirit Stones, but he hadn't expected Xia Shaoxin's flurry of attacks to be worth over one hundred.

The way he looked at Xia Shaoxin became increasingly strange, as if he were looking at the God of Wealth.

The room was only so big; no matter how agile Yue Bin was, he couldn't block the bombardment of talismans and Magical Artifacts that seemed to cost nothing.

One careless move, and he was struck on the forehead by a Magical Artifact, his eyes spinning.

Xia Shaoxin seized this golden opportunity, rushed forward, and struck with his sword.

This sword strike did not miss; it landed right in his abdomen.

"Ah?!"

Yue Bin had a look of disbelief.

Xia Shaoxin hurriedly stabbed again.

Yue Bin swung his sword in a desperate counterattack, and Xia Shaoxin retreated, using a Magical Artifact to protect himself.

"I am at the Middle Stage of Qi Refining!" Yue Bin roared, "I was defeated by your wealth, not by you."

Xia Shaoxin said in a deep voice, "Didn't you want to rob me of my Magical Artifacts and talismans? I gave them all to you; what are you dissatisfied with?"

Yue Bin turned to run outside, but how could Xia Shaoxin let him escape? He chased him out into the courtyard, where there was more space and it was easier to maneuver, and stabbed him in the chest with another sword strike.

Yue Bin fell to the ground, on the verge of death.

He stared straight at Xia Shaoxin with disbelieving eyes, "I am at Level 5 Qi Refining, how could you..."

"It's Level 5 Qi Refining that I'm killing!"

Seeing that Yue Bin was still breathing, Xia Shaoxin didn't dare to dally. Stab, stab, stab—after a few sword strikes, Yue Bin's body was full of holes, and he was dead through and through.

He reached out to search Yue Bin's body, but there was nothing.

He quietly went out and first went to check Yue Bin's courtyard next door.

It was truly bare, with nothing of value to be found.

Xia Shaoxin found it hard to believe; what could have happened to an Alchemist to make him this poor!