"Thank you for saving my life, Senior!"
Chu Daniu shouted, enduring the pain of his injuries.
In his eyes, any cultivator who could kill two Tribulation Cultivators in a single strike had to be a master at the Middle Stage of Qi Refining, or perhaps even the Late Stage!
But in the next moment, he saw a familiar figure.
"Brother Li?"
Chu Daniu was stunned for a moment.
He thought his injuries were so severe that his vision had blurred.
With a serious expression, Li Chang'an flicked a pill into Chu Daniu's mouth.
"Big Bull, don't just stand there gawking. Meditate and recover from your injuries now!"
"Brother Li, is it really you?"
Chu Daniu murmured in disbelief.
In that instant, he had considered many possibilities, but Li Chang'an was never one of them!
Li Chang'an, his face grim, took the two Tribulation Cultivators' Storage Pouches. After confirming they had nothing else on them, he slapped out two Fireball Talismans in quick succession.
With two BOOMS, two scorching blazes erupted, engulfing the Tribulation Cultivators' corpses.
As for the Tribulation Cultivators' heads,
Li Chang'an didn't burn them. Instead, he tossed them into his fish basket and covered them with a gray cloth.
'These two are on the Zheng Family's bounty list. With their heads as proof, I might be able to completely break free from the Zheng Family's Spirit Contract and become a truly free Loose Cultivator!'
The moment he had decided to act, Li Chang'an already had a plan.
Although the Zheng Family's young miss had allowed him to do nothing for the next five years,
it was, after all, only a verbal promise.
He was still bound by the Zheng Family's Spirit Contract.
'What if something unexpected happens to the Zheng Family one day, and they need a large number of Loose Cultivators as cannon fodder?'
The possibility was slim, but he had to be prepared!
After taking care of everything, Li Chang'an looked at Chu Daniu.
"Big Bull, how are you now? Can you move on your own?"
"I..."
Chu Daniu opened his mouth, still in shock.
But he quickly came to his senses and assessed his condition.
'That pill just now was very effective.'
"Brother Li, I can just about move."
His face was still pale as he struggled to support himself and stand up.
This was no place to linger.
The two immediately hurried toward the Marketplace.
On the way, Chu Daniu explained why he had been ambushed.
Earlier that morning, he had received a contract for some Spirit Wine. The client had asked him to deliver it to a manor outside the Marketplace.
Without a second thought, he had set out with the Spirit Wine.
But he was ambushed halfway there.
"Sigh... I should have realized something was wrong. But the Marketplace has been so peaceful lately, I let my guard down..."
Chu Daniu was filled with regret.
The contract had specified a large quantity of wine, making it a big deal.
And he had been too eager to earn Spirit Stones, letting greed cloud his judgment.
If Li Chang'an hadn't intervened,
he would have lost his life right here!
Thinking back to the scene of Li Chang'an taking action, Chu Daniu still found it incredible.
"Brother Li, was that golden light just now a Talisman?"
"Yes."
Li Chang'an didn't deny it.
After getting an affirmative answer, Chu Daniu calmed down a little.
'After all, it was the power of a Talisman, not his own strength.'
A moment later,
Chu Daniu's body suddenly trembled as he thought of something even more unbelievable.
"Brother Li... have you... have you become a Talisman Master?"
"Why do you ask?"
Li Chang'an glanced at him and asked in return,
"Couldn't I have just bought the Talismans?"
"Brother Li, you just used two Fireball Talismans to dispose of their bodies. That's such a waste! You could have just lit a fire and burned them."
'Two Fireball Talismans... that's a full four Spirit Stones!'
'What ordinary Loose Cultivator would dare be so wasteful?'
It was for this very reason that Chu Daniu concluded that Li Chang'an must have become a Talisman Master.
Li Chang'an nodded slightly.
"Yes, you guessed correctly."
"You really are a Talisman Master!"
Chu Daniu's eyes went wide, as if he were meeting Li Chang'an for the very first time.
Even though he had been mentally prepared for it, he was still completely stunned.
The Path of Talismans and Seals!
Among the Hundred Skills of Cultivation Immortality, it ranked far above his own Spirit Wine brewing.
In terms of status, a Talisman Master was also far superior to a Brewer!
"Sigh... I got so smug just from obtaining a Spirit Wine inheritance, I wanted the whole world to know! But you, Brother Li, learned how to make Talismans long ago and never said a word."
Comparing the two of them, Chu Daniu couldn't help but feel ashamed.
'Those two Tribulation Cultivators knew he had a Spirit Wine inheritance. They must have been targeting him for a while; it wasn't a spur-of-the-moment attack.'
If he had just been a bit more low-key,
perhaps today's disaster could have been avoided.
Chu Daniu made a decision.
'From now on, I'll follow Li Chang'an's example in everything I do. I'll prioritize caution and never take unnecessary risks!'
The two continued toward the Marketplace as they talked.
Soon, the Marketplace was in sight.
"We're finally back."
Chu Daniu breathed a sigh of relief.
Just then, a patrol of Zheng Family Cultivators spotted them and approached.
The leader, a man named Zheng Yunting, was an expert at the Middle Stage of Qi Refining.
He shouted to Chu Daniu,
"What happened? Why are you covered in blood?"
"Senior, we were attacked by Tribulation Cultivators!"
Seeing the patrol of Cultivators, Chu Daniu finally relaxed completely and recounted the entire incident from beginning to end.
After hearing his story, the Zheng Family Cultivators were all somewhat surprised.
"You killed the two Tribulation Cultivators?"
Zheng Yunting looked at Li Chang'an.
Li Chang'an nodded immediately, lifted the blood-soaked gray cloth, and took out the two Tribulation Cultivators' heads.
"Senior, I was lucky. I happened to be carrying a Mad Blade Talisman and had the element of surprise."
"Well done!"
Zheng Yunting praised him, a hint of admiration in his eyes.
"It doesn't matter if it was a sneak attack or not. The fact that you could kill them is a testament to your ability!"
He then took the two heads from Li Chang'an's hands.
According to the previously issued bounty,
Li Chang'an was due a very handsome reward.
He asked, "Senior, is it possible to change the contents of the reward?"
"Oh?"
Zheng Yunting was taken aback.
"What reward do you want?"
"Senior, I wish to be released from my Spirit Contract and become a free man."
"This..."
Zheng Yunting pondered for a moment.
"That's not my decision to make. I'm only in charge of patrols. The Young Miss handles matters concerning Spirit Contracts. I can take you to her, but whether or not you succeed will be up to your luck."
"Thank you, Senior!"
Li Chang'an felt a surge of joy and cupped his hands in thanks.
'That Young Miss is extremely intelligent, understanding, and quite approachable.'
'This should be a sure thing!'
Before long,
Zheng Yunting led the two to the "Hundred Affairs Hall" in the center of the Marketplace, the place where the Zheng Family handled the city's business.
He went in first to announce their arrival, then led the two into the main hall.
Zheng Qingqing was in the hall, dressed in a long, bluish-green gown. Her long hair fell to her waist, and her features were as beautiful as a painting.
When she saw Li Chang'an, a flicker of surprise crossed her beautiful eyes.
"Li Chang'an, it really is you!"
"Greetings, Young Miss."
Li Chang'an bowed slightly, his attitude deferential.
Zheng Qingqing smiled, her tone gentle.
"I've told you before, there's no need to be so formal with me."
She had already learned what happened from Zheng Yunting.
That was why she was a little surprised.
After all,
according to the information she had on him,
Li Chang'an's strength was completely unremarkable; he should have been no match for two Tribulation Cultivators.