The next day, Mo Hua was inside the refining workshop drawing formations, while outside, members of the Qian family began causing trouble.
The outer walls of the refining workshop were not yet completed, and the formations were still unfinished, providing the Qian family an opportunity.
Several Qian family cultivators disguised as ordinary travelers slipped into the workshop, found a secluded corner, and began their destructive work.
They knocked down several walls, shattered foundation stones, and chopped off several wooden beams. Some recently completed formations were also smeared over by them.
A few craftsmen noticed them and tried to intervene, only to be attacked and beaten.
Some Demon Hunters came to support them. After a few rounds of fighting, the Qian family cultivators saw the situation turning against them and fled directly.
In the afternoon, the Qian family returned. Although they were eventually driven away by the Demon Hunters, they still caused significant damage to the building.
Because of this, Master Ban had a worried look on his face. His worst fears had come to pass.
Elder Yu Changlin, upon learning of this incident, was furious. He pretended to leave the area first, then quietly returned, blending in with a group of craftsmen to see who had the audacity to cause trouble right under his nose.
It didn't take long before those cultivators returned.
Thinking they were unnoticed, they began to replicate their earlier actions, preparing to knock down walls and cut beams.
However, every move they made was within Elder Yu Changlin's spiritual awareness.
Before they could act, Elder Yu Changlin leaped into action. With a slap from his palm, he knocked several cultivators to the ground, causing them to cough up blood.
Elder Yu Changlin held back and didn't take their lives.
The leader among the cultivators, with cultivation at the ninth level of Qi Refining, had his face covered. When he saw Elder Yu Changlin, he turned and ran.
However, being only at the Qi Refining stage, how could he possibly escape from Elder Yu Changlin, who was at the Foundation Establishment stage?
After a few breaths, Elder Yu Changlin caught up with him. Though he managed to barely put up a fight, he was soon forced to kneel on the ground by Elder Yu Changlin's slap, suffering severe shoulder pain and fractured bones.
Elder Yu Changlin tore off the cloth covering his face and cursed, "Qian Shunzhi, so it's you, you little bastard!"
Gritting his teeth, Qian Shunzhi replied, "Do what you want. I will not tell..."
Before he could finish, Elder Yu gripped his shoulder forcefully, causing Qian Shunzhi to scream in pain.
"Pretending to be tough, what kind of stuff are you made of? Do you think I don't know?" Elder Yu continued his tirade.
Qian Shunzhi hurriedly said, "Elder Yu, Elder Yu! Let's talk things over. I was just following orders!"
"Whose orders?"
Qian Shunzhi remained silent.
Elder Yu spat, "It's none other than following the orders of that old turtle, Qian Hong. What's so hard to say about that?"
Qian Shunzhi bitterly smiled, "If you already know, why ask?"
"I just wanted to see if you would be honest," Elder Yu said.
"Elder Yu, whatever you say goes. You're a big shot. Can you let me go?" pleaded Qian Shunzhi.
Elder Yu sneered coldly, "Dream on. Even if I hadn't caught you, I would still come after you. Now that you've come to provoke me, do you think I'll let you off?"
Elder Yu called for his men, tied up Qian Shunzhi and the others, and threw them in front of the Qian family's main gate.
"Qian Hong, you fucking turtle! You don't dare to show yourself in public, but you scheme in secret, sneaking around. Are you still a man? If you're not a man, just let your wife remarry and change your son's surname!"
Elder Yu cursed vehemently.
The gates of the Qian family remained tightly shut without any response.
Undeterred, Elder Yu continued his tirade, starting from the bottom and working his way up, eventually directing his insults at the ancestral founder of the Qian family, accusing him of ingratitude, lacking integrity, and being a despicable person.
The Qian family could no longer endure it. An elder at the Foundation Establishment stage stepped forward and rebuked, "Yu Changlin, this is the Qian family. Cease your slander!"
Elder Yu remained unfazed and asked, "Where's that old turtle Qian Hong?"
The Qian family elder frowned and replied, "The family head is not present. If you have any business, speak to me."
Elder Yu sneered, "He's not present? Probably hiding in bed with his concubines, too afraid to come out."
"Elder Yu Changlin!" the Qian family elder shouted angrily.
Seeing the situation escalate, Elder Yu Changlin decided to stop. He hadn't come here specifically to insult anyone; it was just a casual tirade. Besides, there were plenty of matters to attend to at the refining workshop.
He said, "Your people from the Qian family caused trouble at my place."
The Qian family elder hesitated, "How do you know they're from our family?"
Seeing the hesitation, Elder Yu Changlin was ready to start another round of insults when the Qian family elder quickly said, "Fine, what do you want?"
Both sides knew the truth. There was no need to beat around the bush.
"I want spiritual stones!" Elder Yu stated bluntly.
The Qian family elder furrowed his brows, "How much?"
Elder Yu boldly named a high figure.
The Qian family elder snapped, "You're pushing your luck!"
Elder Yu chuckled, "Let's negotiate then, no rush."
In the end, after some negotiation, they settled on one hundred spiritual stones per person. The Qian family paid the spiritual stones to release their members, and Elder Yu Changlin stopped pursuing the matter further.
Elder Yu returned with nearly a thousand spiritual stones.
He intended to use part of these spiritual stones to compensate the injured craftsmen and Demon Hunters, providing for their treatment and offering some comfort.
The remaining spiritual stones would be used to buy some food and drink, rewarding everyone and easing tensions.
However, Elder Yu knew the Qian family wouldn't stop here.
The Qian family elder brought Qian Shunzhi back and scolded, "What a useless fool! How could you be so careless?"
Qian Shunzhi sighed, "Elder, it's not my fault. Who could have anticipated that crafty old man Yu Changlin? I saw him leave the refining workshop and only then did we strike. Little did we know, he sneaked back, disguised among the craftsmen, blending in so well that he was indistinguishable at a glance."
The Qian family elder sighed, "Yu, that old fox, is indeed cunning."
Most importantly, he had no shame, with skin thicker than a furnace.
Qian Shunzhi asked cautiously, "Elder, what do we do next?"
"Continue with the original plan," the Qian family elder said. "But be cautious. It's best to act at night or when they're resting—cause disruptions and unrest. We can't let them work smoothly; at the very least, we can delay their progress."
"What about Yu Changlin?" Qian Shunzhi asked.
"He's an elder of the Demon Hunters. He can't keep watching the refining workshop forever. There will be times when he's away or negligent," the elder replied.
"But... what if he catches us again?" Qian Shunzhi whispered.
The Qian family elder calmly stated, "If he catches us, we'll take a beating. At most, we'll compensate him with more spiritual stones. He can't actually kill you guys, or he'd have to answer to the Daoist Court."
Qian Shunzhi looked unhappy.
Being beaten by someone at the Foundation Establishment stage... was not a pleasant experience.
His body still ached, his shoulder bones were fractured, and the stagnant spiritual power of the Foundation Establishment stage made his pain unbearable.
And Elder Yu Changlin had shown restraint; otherwise, he might not have survived.
The Qian family elder frowned, "What are you afraid of? Have you no courage at all?"
Qian Shunzhi lowered his head, saying nothing.
The Qian family elder reassured him, "Don't worry. The family head has already said that, after the task is done, he won't treat you unfairly. If you perform well, you might even receive some Foundation Establishment stage pills."
Qian Shunzhi's eyes lit up, "The family head really said that?"
"Of course. Do you think I would lie to you?" the elder replied.
Qian Shunzhi felt a surge of determination, "Alright, this time, I'll risk my life to accomplish the mission."
The Qian family elder nodded, "Go then. This is like a fox stealing chickens; it requires patience. There's no such thing as a foolproof defense. They can't hide their flaws forever. As long as you keep an eye out, you'll find an opportunity."
Qian Shunzhi bowed, "I will follow your instructions diligently."
(End of the Chapter)