During this time, Wei Ping not only worked hard on his cultivation but also planned his second avatar in his spare time, with a bit of direction in mind.
It was obvious that the Praying Mantis avatar was adept at attacking due to its sharp blade skills and extremely fast speed.
So if he really could condense a second avatar, Wei Ping's main consideration would be defense or speed.
The goal was simple: to stay alive, because only by staying alive could he have infinite possibilities. If he died, everything would be lost.
If he had a stronger defense, it would be difficult for the enemy to kill him. If he had faster speed, he could elude the enemy's pursuit and move freely.
Wei Ping's modest goal was to be able to condense more avatars in the future and become a master warrior in every aspect.
But soon, Wei Ping was disappointed. Tie Xiong told him that the Black Armor Earth Dragon was a terrifying monster with such strength that even all the warriors in Baiyun County together could not harm it.
Wei Ping could not choose a target stronger than himself as an avatar, which was a huge constraint.
In addition, Tie Xiong also told Wei Ping that the once-prosperous Xuanjia Mountain Villa had been destroyed decades ago, allegedly by divine punishment, and was leveled overnight.
Tie Xiong's master was an apprentice at the Xuanjia Mountain Villa at the time, and he survived due to family reasons, but he became a famous master craftsman because of his skills.
"Divine punishment? Leveled overnight?" Wei Ping scratched his head, feeling a little incredulous.
Wei Ping scratched his head, feeling a bit unbelievable.
But thinking that this was a world of martial arts, he felt it must be true
"Do you find this unbelievable?"
"That's because your level is too low!"
...
Leaving the blacksmith shop, Wei Ping arrived at the shop hall.
Because as of today, Wei Ping and his group's vacation had ended, and they would finally participate in the affairs of the shops.
Although it was only early morning, there were already many people in the shops, all of whom were members of the clan, totaling more than thirty people.
Wei Ping scanned them at a glance and found that the vast majority of them were just slightly stronger than ordinary people.
There were no more than ten martial warriors among them!
As Wei Ping looked at them, many people were also looking at him with different expressions.
"Brother Wei Ping, you're here!"
Yu Fei and his group saw Wei Ping's arrival and quickly surrounded him.
The four of them were all newbies, so naturally, they stuck together.
Soon, the boss of the shops, Ma Lixing, came and called everyone to the hall.
Wei Ping and his group thought that Ma Lixing would introduce them and then arrange their tasks.
But in fact, Ma Lixing didn't mention them at all but listened carefully to the work reports of several small heads under him.
As a result, Wei Ping finally understood the industry of Qing Shan shops.
Although Qing Shan Town was only a town, it was a must-pass place on the way from the big Qing Mountain to the county town. People from several surrounding towns also had to pass through here, so relatively speaking, it was quite prosperous.
And the profitable trades were basically monopolized by Qing Shan shops, such as gambling dens, chicken farms, salt farms, trading markets, and high-interest loans that nine out of thirteen people would end up losing.
And each of these trades was controlled by a small head.
As the head in the Qing Shan Town, Ma Lixing was in charge of the overall situation and holds great power!
After listening to the reports of the various small leaders and learning that everything was going smoothly, Ma Lixing introduced the four newcomers, Wei Ping, Yu Fei, Liu Qi, and Gu Linhe, to everyone. "These four are Wei Ping, Yu Fei, Liu Qi, and Gu Linhe, all new brothers. Get to know them first, don't want you to stir up trouble later."
Hearing this, Wei Ping and the others quickly stepped forward and bowed to everyone.
Ma Lixing then pointed to a bald and muscular man with a face full of flesh and said, the man was named Niu Dashan but everyone called him Mad Bull.
"Mad Bull, you were in charge of both the gambling hall and the market because we didn't have enough people before. Now that Wei Ping is here, let him handle the market from now on!"
"Boss, these kids are still wet behind the ears, they haven't even grown their hair yet! Can they handle the market? Don't let them ruin our reputation!"
Hearing that his power was being taken away, Mad Bull narrowed his eyes and sneered.
After all, power means money! Although the leaders have to hand over a portion, they still get to enjoy some benefits. As long as it's not too excessive, Ma Lixing would turn a blind eye.
Moreover, Wei Ping was too young, only fifteen years old with a hint of fuzz on his lips, he looked quite immature.
"I'll give the market to Wei Ping, whether he can handle it well or not will be his own problem from now on. You won't have anything to do with it anymore!" Ma Lixing glanced at Mad Bull with a calm expression.
Mad Bull shivered and immediately promised to hand over the power, but his eyes seemed to be wandering, no one knew what he was thinking.
Seeing this, the other small leaders didn't want to get involved and quickly left.
Although Ma Lixing usually smiled, no one dared to challenge his authority in Qing Shan branch.
After the matter was settled, Ma Lixing stopped Wei Ping and the others and informed them of big some news from the county town.
Ye Tang has entered the realm of Refining Organs!
Upon hearing this, Yu Fei and the others couldn't help but be amazed and shocked. Their expressions were full of disbelief.
Like Yu Tang, they had all started their cultivation journey about a year ago, but he had already reached the Refining Organs Realm while they were still struggling to enter the Refining Tendons Realm.
It was truly a case of "a step from a genius is worth one hundred from a normal person" truly infuriating.
Only Wei Ping was slightly better off because he had the Praying Mantis Avatar. If he worked together with his avatar, he would be able to cultivate the second level of the Golden Praying Mantis Body Refining Technique in just over a year.
Once a martial artist reached the second level of the Body Refining Technique, they would break free from the constraints of the martial path and enter the Refining Organs Realm without much difficulty.
This news was also just heard by Ma Lixing. He told Wei Ping and the others in the hopes of motivating them.
Then, Ma Lixing patted Wei Ping on the shoulder and said, "You are one of the young backbone members of the sect. Naturally, I value and will train you. But whether you can shoulder the burden depends on your own abilities."
Upon hearing this, Wei Ping was taken aback at first, then he pondered for a moment. He could tell that Ma Lixing had implied something else in his words, but he couldn't figure it out for the time being.
After saying goodbye to Ma Lixing, Wei Ping led Yu Fei and the others quickly to the marketplace. According to Ma Lixing's arrangement, Wei Ping was responsible for the marketplace affairs, while Yu Fei and the others were assigned to Wei Ping's team.
The marketplace was a trading place, also known as the bazaar. Qing Shan Town was adjacent to the Big Qing Mountain, which was rich in resources, with many valuable things that could be found in the mountains.
The fur of wild beasts could be used to make blankets, the herbs in the mountains could be used to treat illnesses, and ginseng could help nourish the body and cultivate vitality. These were all rare and valuable items that were scarce in the county.
The Qing Shan marketplace covered an area of two to three acres, and it was obvious that business was booming as the crowds of people continued to flow in.
On the outskirts of the marketplace, there are several small houses that serve as the base for the members who are responsible for managing the marketplace stalls. Their main tasks are to maintain order and stability while collecting taxes.
"Go and inform all the brothers in the marketplace to come and pay respects to the boss!" Upon arriving at the marketplace, the clever Yu Fei hurried forward and asked the doorkeeper to call for people.
However, they had to wait a long time before the seven members of the clan in the marketplace slowly approached under the leadership of a sturdy man. They were not respectful and casually called out to Wei Ping.
Upon seeing this, Wei Ping narrowed his eyes slightly. Did his subordinates just show him a lack of respect?
It wasn't until this moment that Wei Ping slowly realized why Ma Lixing said those words before leaving. Someone in the marketplace seemed to be unwilling to let him take over smoothly.
"Who could it be? Could it be Mad Bull?" Wei Ping immediately thought of the bald, crazy Niu Dashan, who had originally been in charge of the marketplace. Now that he had intervened, he had, in a sense, tampered with his interests.
However, at this point, Wei Ping couldn't act out of anger. He just nonchalantly responded with a "hmm," then gestured with his hand and said, "Bring me the accounts book of the marketplace. I want to see the flow of the marketplace."
The seven people in the marketplace heard this but did not move. They just unconsciously looked at the sturdy young man who was leading them.
"The accounts book is now in your hands? What is your name?" Wei Ping looked at the sturdy young man with a deep gaze.
"I am called Niu Meng. I won't hide it from Boss Wei, the accounts book is indeed in my hands," replied Niu Meng.
Standing at a height of seven and a half feet, with a tiger's back and a bear's waist, the sturdy man Niu Meng raised his head and smiled, "But I believe that the accounts book is an important item, and Boss Wei has just arrived in the marketplace and is unfamiliar with the management and operation of the marketplace. If it gets lost or damaged, it wouldn't be good..."
"What are you trying to say?" Wei Ping raised his eyebrows.
"I naturally dare not teach Boss Wei how to do things, I am just kindly reminding you!" Niu Meng laughed, and then suddenly took a step forward. His tall and strong body was like a mountain blocking Wei Ping's path, completely casting a shadow over him.
"Because as far as I know, Boss Wei used to be a beggar, right?" Niu Meng's eyes were full of contempt, and he smiled without smiling, "So, Boss Wei, can you do accounting? Can you understand the accounts book?"
As soon as Niu Meng finished speaking, the atmosphere suddenly became oppressive.