Xiao Jian heard the name "Qingyun Sect" and couldn't help but freeze in surprise.
Where is this?
He had never even heard of it.
Over the years, the Qingyun Sect has ceased to exist in the mountains. They no longer have any monks or practitioners, and their reputation has been completely lost for nearly a hundred years.
It would be strange if Xiao Jian had heard of Qingyun Sect.
However, he couldn't be ambiguous either. Anyone who could cast the Thunderbolt Spell was someone he definitely couldn't offend.
"Master, don't worry. I will immediately report this to the master." Xiao Jian lowered his posture significantly, not daring to be arrogant at all.
Zhang Yang nodded: "I'm waiting for your lord's instructions!"
He walked straight towards a large pile of copper ore that had been extracted nearby. It was probably several thousand kilograms and should not have been transported yet. With a wave of his hand, he gathered all the copper ore into the space ring.
Xiao Jian instinctively shouted, "That's our copper mine..."
Before he could finish speaking, he stopped abruptly, and cold sweat began to break out on his forehead.
They have been working so hard in the wilderness for such a long time and have spent so much money. But all the copper ore they extracted is gone now?
Zhang Yang glanced at Xiao Jian and said calmly, "Until the matters regarding your family are clarified, stop the mining. Otherwise, you'll have to bear the consequences! Uncle Shi, let's go!"
He leaped away.
"No more mining allowed!" Ling Yunzi also warned, glanced at the miners, and then walked off.
Xiao Jian stared blankly at the two people who had flown away. After a long while, he hurriedly shouted, "Stop! Make them all stop! Everyone, stop! Old Knife, lead the people to rest. Until I return, you are not allowed to continue mining."
While speaking, he was packing up his things and making his escape. He had to hurry and deliver the message back.
This time, the Xiao family seems to have really gotten themselves into serious trouble.
On the other side, Ling Yunzi looked at Zhang Yang with a strange expression and said, "You took their copper mine. That's not a good idea, is it?"
"Steal?" Zhang Yang looked at Ling Yunzi. "That's our copper mine from the Qingyun Sect. I just brought it back. Uncle, it's not me saying this, but I'm afraid such incidents are happening within the Qingyun Sect as well. I suggest that several uncles should go out together and thoroughly inspect the area. All of this is our Qingyun assets. We can't just let someone take them away like that. You guys are only focused on your cultivation, and you don't even know when your home is stolen."
Ling Yunzi remained silent.
Zhang Yang kept shaking his head repeatedly: "Uncle, if this copper ore can be refined into some high-quality materials, they can be given to your flying sword to enhance its power! These are all precious items. You just left them unattended like this!"
Ling Yunzi said decisively, "Once I get back, I'll order them all to go out and conduct a thorough inspection!"
Zhang Yang was speechless.
For the next half day, they visited several more villages. But they had only just completed the inspection of less than one fifth of the area of Qingyun Sect.
"Uncle, we have to go back!" Zhang Yang said to Ling Yunzi. "The two days we agreed upon with them are almost up. We need to go back and handle the matters."
Ling Yunzi might have been a bit more enthusiastic because of the copper mine matter: "Isn't there still half a day left?"
Zhang Yang smiled and said, "For the remaining half day, we have to head to Qingyun Market!"
He turned his head and flew off in the direction of Qingyun Market.
Ling Yunzi understood: "It's time to go to Qingyun Market to buy some supplies. The eighty people who just climbed up the mountain are ordinary people. They still need food."
Zhang Yang did not explain the real reason for his visit to Qingyun Market. Of course, buying daily necessities was definitely part of it.
The formation of Qingyun Market dates back several hundred years ago.
At that time, the Qingyun Sect was still accepting new members normally.
Those who came to the Qingyun Sect to join the sect always needed a place to rest. During the period when the Qingyun Sect evaluated its members, these resting people also needed to eat, drink, defecate and urinate, and thus the current Qingyun Market came into being.
Even in recent years, there are still some people who go to the Qingyun Sect for the assessment, hoping to be accepted as a member of the sect.
Moreover, over the years, people from surrounding villages have been migrating to Qingyun Market. As a result, Qingyun Market has become increasingly prosperous and has now developed into a small town with a permanent population of several thousand people.
The original Qingyun Market had various businesses that were unregulated and extremely chaotic.
More than twenty years ago, a monk suddenly arrived and recruited a group of people. They began to manage the Qingyun Market, and it was then that the market started to collect taxes.
Of course, since then, the Qingyun Market has also become more organized.
Regarding the situation at Qingyun Market, Zhang Yang, who frequently enters and exits the market, is certainly well aware of it.
The only thing he couldn't figure out was exactly how powerful this monk in charge of the Qingyun Market was. This was also the main reason why he brought Lingyunzi to the Qingyun Market.
Zhang Yang led Ling Yunzi to the small hill in the center of Qingyizhong City. They stopped in front of a tower. To the two guards in front of the tower, he said, "Please go and inform the town mayor that Zhang Yang from the Qingyun Sect is visiting."
He decided to use diplomacy first before resorting to force.
Of course, the money will definitely be obtained.
Having collected taxes here for so many years, it's simply impossible not to hand over even a single penny. Unless the managers of this Qingyun Market are so powerful that they are beyond the reach of the Qingyun Sect.
However, this possibility is extremely remote. If there were such a powerful monk, why would he hide in the Qingyun Market?
The two guards did not dare to be negligent. One of them went in to report the situation.
A moment later, the guards hurriedly arrived and said to Zhang Yang, "Welcome the distinguished guest!"
Zhang Yang nodded and said to Ling Yunzi, "Uncle Shi, let's go!"
The two entered the attic and met Jiang Ziqiu, the manager of Qingyun Market.
Jiang Ziqiu was dressed in a green robe, with a weathered face. She bowed to Zhang Yang and Ling Yunzi and said, "I have met you both. I wonder what important matter you have come here for?"
Zhang Yang got straight to the point: "The area of Qingyun Peak covers an area of three hundred miles. It is all part of our Qingyun Sect's territory. Do you know about this?"
Jiang Ziqiu's eyes began to move rapidly. He smiled and shook his head: "I really have no idea about this."
"Now you know!" Zhang Yang looked at Jiang Ziqiu seriously. "You have collected taxes at the Qingyun Market for so many years. Half of the revenue belongs to the Qingyun Sect!"
He even gave Jiang Ziqiu half of it, which was already a generous gesture.
Jiang Ziqiu's expression immediately changed. With anger, she asked, "Are you planning to rob?"
Although he was a self-taught person, over the years he has been collecting taxes at the Qingyun Market. His life is no worse than that of the disciples of major sects, and even better than that of many sect monks.
Now someone actually came forward and demanded to take away half of his benefits. How could he possibly agree?
"Robbery?" Zhang Yang sneered. "The area where the Qingyun Market is located is part of my Qingyun Sect's territory. Even the existence of the Qingyun Market is due to my Qingyun Sect. Over the years, my Qingyun Sect has never collected taxes. How do you, a stranger, have the right to collect taxes? So, for me to ask you to hand over half of it is already quite generous. If it weren't because you have maintained the order of the Qingyun Market over the years, it wouldn't be half, but all of it."
Jiang Ziqiu sneered, "Alright alright, you really think I'm someone who can be easily bullied. If you want me to hand over the spirit stone, it's absolutely impossible. At worst, I'll just kill you all and leave the Qingyun Market today!"
His body was filled with powerful energy, and he was about to make a move.
However, he stopped immediately.
In front of his brain, a flying sword glinted with cold light, pointing directly at his forehead!