97: Chapter 97 Meeting

Xilin Market, Management Office Hall.

The floor was paved with green bricks, and the beams and pillars were neatly arranged. The spacious meeting hall was solemn and square. At this moment, Lin Qing sat boldly in the main seat in the center of the hall.

His current status was merely a Disciple; in terms of seniority and experience, he was inferior to Yuan Kun and Elder Fang beside him.

But Yuan Kun and Elder Fang knew that Lin Qing's strength and talent far surpassed theirs. Furthermore, since he was the one handling this matter, the two Elders insisted that Lin Qing take the seat of honor.

Lin Qing did not feign modesty or refuse. At the moment, the priority was to handle the business at hand.

As time passed, the shopkeepers and Managers of various businesses arrived one after another.

There were dozens of large and small merchants in Xilin Market, covering various trades such as Medicinal Pills, Vicious Beast meat, weapons, restaurants, and inns.

As everyone stepped into the hall, they immediately noticed the young figure sitting in the main seat.

In a corner of the hall, two familiar shopkeepers lowered their voices to talk.

“I recognize one of the newcomers; he's an Elder of Luoxia Valley named Yuan Kun. But who is that young man in the middle? He's actually able to suppress two Elders and sit in the main seat.”

“Could he be a Genius scion from some other major power?”

A shopkeeper nearby overheard and chimed in, his tone carrying a hint of uncertainty:

“Do you think he might be the recently famous Lin Qing?”

“Lin Qing?! The Lin Qing who made such a splash at the Heavenly Pride Competition?”

“Coming to Xilin Market at this point in time, I'd say it's highly likely!”

Another shopkeeper nearby heard this and said mockingly:

“So what if he's a Prodigy? In the end, he's just a Junior Disciple of Luoxia Valley.”

“With two Sect seniors present, he actually has the nerve to sit in the main seat. He simply has no manners; he's far too arrogant and conceited about his talent!”

The familiar shopkeepers gathered in small groups to talk. Meanwhile, the two men from the inn whom Lin Qing had specifically mentioned also arrived, blending into the crowd.

They quietly watched Lin Qing sitting in the main seat, a flicker of disdain and amusement in their eyes. They wanted to see what this famous Lin Qing intended to do today.

Soon, the time it takes for an incense stick to burn had passed. With a flicker of his Divine Thought, Lin Qing closed the doors of the management office. Inside the sealed hall, the atmosphere suddenly became oppressive.

The originally fragmented and noisy chatter gradually faded away. The shopkeepers took their seats and composed themselves, a trace of inexplicable tension rising in their hearts.

Lin Qing ignored the crowd and instead turned to speak to Elder Fang:

“Elder Fang, take a count. Any merchants who are absent without cause shall not be allowed to remain in the market henceforth.”

These uncompromising words, however, did not frighten the shopkeepers below.

They had seen this kind of tactic—a new official taking office and trying to establish authority—far too often. It was nothing more than posturing to intimidate everyone. As shopkeepers themselves, they were very familiar with this.

Only then did Lin Qing turn his head to look at the crowd, taking in everyone's expressions. He instantly knew what these shopkeepers were thinking, but Lin Qing didn't care. He wasn't there to scare anyone; he was simply conducting business.

Ignoring the thoughts of the crowd, Lin Qing scanned the room again, his cold voice echoing through the hall:

“I am aware that some time ago, you secretly colluded with Songyun Temple to set a trap, intending to swindle my Luoxia Valley.”

The shopkeepers' expressions became unnatural. They naturally hadn't hoped that this matter could truly be hidden from Luoxia Valley.

But shouldn't such things be settled privately? Bringing it up publicly like this was equivalent to putting the conflict between Luoxia Valley and Songyun Temple on the table. It was a complete falling out, almost equivalent to Luoxia Valley declaring war on Songyun Temple.

Everyone subconsciously looked sideways, casting their gazes toward the two middle-aged men in the crowd.

But those two men remained standing in silence, as if this matter had absolutely nothing to do with them.

Failing to get a response from their backers, the shopkeepers grew increasingly uneasy. No one dared to be the first to speak up in defense.

Lin Qing ignored the crowd's stirrings and continued:

“Today, I will make things perfectly clear. Xilin Market is currently under the jurisdiction of my Luoxia Valley.”

“The five years of taxes you previously prepaid to Songyun Temple were a private transaction between you and Songyun Temple; it has nothing to do with Luoxia Valley.”

“The silver taken by Songyun Temple will not offset the taxes you owe to Luoxia Valley.”

“From now on, all rules in the market will follow those of my Luoxia Valley. Not a single cent of the taxes that should be paid will be waived.”

As his voice fell, a shopkeeper finally stood up and said with a difficult expression:

“Young Master Lin Qing, this absolutely cannot be! You are truly being too heartless!”

“We previously prepaid five years of taxes; our family fortunes have long been emptied. We are currently penniless and simply cannot afford to pay taxes a second time!”

“If Luoxia Valley insists on this, we can only abandon the foundations we've built over many years, move out of Xilin Market, and find another place to make a living!”

As those words fell, the rest of the shopkeepers chimed in one after another.

“Indeed, Young Master Lin, please show some leniency!”

“We truly cannot bear double taxation!”

“If you insist on forced collection, we will all have to relocate!”

The group banded together to apply pressure, seemingly certain that Lin Qing wouldn't dare to actually force them to leave.

However, Lin Qing had already learned before coming that Luoxia Valley's taxes were not high.

These merchants had operated here for many years, accumulating customers, building storefronts, and stabilizing networks, expending countless efforts. If they were to relocate rashly, they would not only need to spend a huge amount of capital to find a new site and build shops, but also abandon the customer flow and connections they had built up over the years. The losses would be immense and the gains would not make up for it.

The so-called relocation was merely a bluff they were using as a bargaining chip.

Lin Qing sat in the main seat, his expression unchanged. Looking at the noisy crowd, a faint smile flickered at the corners of his mouth:

“Fine, I agree.”

He then turned to look at Elder Fang beside him:

“Elder Fang, prepare the procedures immediately. Those who wish to relocate can come forward now to register. My Luoxia Valley will grant passage to everyone and will absolutely not block you.”

Elder Fang showed hesitation upon hearing this. Looking at the dense crowd of merchants below, he was momentarily in a dilemma.

He had been stationed at the market for many years and knew well the blow that merchant relocation would deal to the market. His heart was full of concerns.

Just then, Yuan Kun's eyes sharpened, and he secretly sent a voice transmission to Elder Fang:

“Do not hesitate, go and do it quickly! Lin Qing's talent is peerless; the gain or loss of a mere market is far less important than him! Today's matters are entirely for him to decide; you only need to act according to his orders!”

Having received Yuan Kun's reminder, Elder Fang no longer hesitated. He immediately turned to fetch the complete set of procedural documents and spread them out in public.

The noisy crowd in the hall, seeing that Elder Fang was truly getting serious, instantly lost their voices collectively.

The shopkeepers who had just been speaking so plausibly and threatening to relocate turned various shades of pale and red, and they all silently sat back down.

Lin Qing had actually guessed correctly!

Dead silence returned to the hall. Lin Qing looked around the room:

“What? Weren't you going to leave?”

No one answered; the entire hall was silent.

Lin Qing's voice suddenly turned cold:

“Since no one is withdrawing, then abide by the market's rules. If anyone dares to stir up trouble intentionally again, do not blame me for being merciless.”

Pausing for a moment, his tone shifted:

“In addition, regarding your previous swindling by Songyun Temple, it is inconvenient for my Luoxia Valley to intervene.”

“However, the Sect is the Sect. For matters where it is inconvenient for Luoxia Valley to step forward, I, personally, can lend a helping hand.”

“If you are unwilling in your hearts and wish to reclaim the five years of taxes you were cheated out of, you are more than welcome to pay me to act as your proxy. I will help you seek justice.”

As soon as these words came out, the entire place was in an uproar!

The meaning could not be more obvious: Lin Qing intended to take action against Songyun Temple in a private capacity!

In the crowd, one of those two men finally couldn't take it anymore and immediately stood up, shouting:

“Lin Qing! What do you mean?!”

Lin Qing raised his eyes, which were suddenly covered with a layer of bone-chilling frost, his gaze locking onto the two men:

“My meaning is very simple.”

“Today, I'm afraid you two won't be able to leave.”