Eternal Life from the Golden Needle Technique

Two days passed in a flash.

Everything remained calm and peaceful.

After several other chambers of commerce set up shop and word of Dawan Village’s marketplace spread, a growing number of Cultivators began to arrive from afar. Consequently, business for Si Houqing and the others boomed.

It was far better than when the Sanhe Chamber of Commerce was the only one present.

’This must be what they call a network effect.’

The presence of multiple chambers of commerce brought a rich and diverse array of goods, making the village an even greater draw for other Cultivators.

With the increased foot traffic and the bustling market, everyone was so busy that they no longer had time to chat with Shen Changchuan.

At the same time, however,

the crowds also made Dawan Village rather noisy.

The once quiet and peaceful mountain village was now filled with the clamor of the mortal world.

Shen Changchuan, however, did not mind in the slightest.

’Three thousand Spirit Stones just for leasing out a plot of land for a year.’

’With a deal this good, what was there to complain about?’

’Three thousand Spirit Stones...’

’The entire life savings of many Cultivators at the Eighth and Ninth Layer of Qi Introduction probably amounted to that much.’

’Ultimately, there’s no future in farming. Commerce is where the money is, and it comes in fast.’

Just as Shen Changchuan was considering whether to invite a few more chambers of commerce to set up shop and collect more rent in Spirit Stones,

a clamor of loud shouts erupted from outside.

’Trouble?’

Shen Changchuan frowned slightly.

He stepped out of his Half-Mountain Courtyard.

Below, at the foot of the mountain, he saw a large crowd gathered at the village entrance.

’What’s going on?’

Shen Changchuan’s heart sank. ’Why are they causing a scene here?’

Just then,

an armored Han Jincheng came rushing up the mountain.

"Immortal Master, there are several Cultivators down below who claim to have a blood feud with the Blood Slaughter Three Demons! They want to take down their corpses from the flagpole and grind them to dust!"

"Those Cultivators are in an uproar! I’m afraid the village guards won’t be able to hold them back for long!"

Han Jincheng reported in a rush.

"Let’s go see!"

Shen Changchuan’s expression hardened. Without wasting words, he set off, his feet moving as if practicing the Shrinking Inches technique. With a few flickers of his silhouette, he rapidly descended the mountain.

「A moment later」

Shen Changchuan arrived at the village entrance.

By now, no fewer than seventy or eighty people had gathered around, sparsely scattered as they watched the commotion.

In the center of the crowd, before the flagpole where the corpses of the Blood Slaughter Three Demons were hanging,

a figure with a white cloth strip tied around their head was kneeling on the ground, wailing loudly, their face buried in their hands as they wept bitterly.

Two others glared furiously at the nearly desiccated corpses of the Blood Slaughter Three Demons on the flagpole, the flames of fury in their eyes burning so intensely it was as if they could incinerate the bodies on their own.

Beside them, a man with stark-white hair stared at the corpses of the Blood Slaughter Three Demons, his hands and feet trembling as he cried out that the heavens indeed have eyes.

The few people at the center of the scene all had different demeanors,

but they all shared one thing:

a monstrous, seething rage for the corpses of the Blood Slaughter Three Demons hanging on the flagpole!

Clearly,

these people were all victims who had suffered at the hands of the Blood Slaughter Three Demons.

Emotions ran high.

They swore that only by grinding the corpses of the Blood Slaughter Three Demons to dust could they vent the hatred in their hearts!

The village guards trying to maintain order were being steadily pushed back by the agitated Cultivators.

Of course,

though agitated, these people had not completely lost their reason.

Otherwise, with their power as Cultivators, how could the village guards possibly stop them?

Still, if things were allowed to continue, chaos was inevitable.

Just as Shen Changchuan prepared to leap into the fray

and prevent the conflict from erupting,

someone stepped forward.

"Ahem! Everyone, please be quiet! I am Nangong City. Please, hear me out!"

The man looked to be around thirty. He wore a long, green robe, and his face was sallow and gaunt, completely drained of color. His eyes were deeply sunken, but his expression still held a trace of unyielding stubbornness.

In his bearing, one could still glimpse the heroic air he must have once possessed.

It was a demeanor that naturally inspired trust.

Shen Changchuan, who had been about to intervene, stopped in his tracks.

"Everyone, I too have a blood feud with these three animals."

"However, we were not the ones who brought down the Blood Slaughter Three Demons; that was the work of this village’s master. Thus, their bodies should belong to him."

"The master of this place went to great trouble to slay these three beasts, avenging our deep-seated hatred. We did not contribute in the slightest, yet now we seek to seize his spoils of war. Would that not be repaying kindness with ingratitude?"

"I implore you all to reconsider!"

With that said,

Nangong City bowed deeply to the crowd before him. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Upon hearing this, the agitated group below began to calm down.

The men looked at one another, momentarily at a loss for words.

"Thank you for the reminder, Hero Nangong. If you had not appeared to stop us, I fear we would have made a terrible mistake!"

"An act of such base ingratitude is indeed wrong."

One of the men saluted Nangong City with clasped fists and spoke apologetically.

Then, his eyes red with hatred, he looked up at the dried corpses on the flagpole and spoke, his voice full of venom:

"Even if I have to bankrupt myself, I swear I will buy the remains of these three animals from the village master and grind them to dust! I will avenge the three thousand people of my clan!"

The others around him

all loudly voiced their agreement,

their passions stirred anew.

Fortunately, with their reason restored, they no longer tried to push past the line of village guards.

"Fellow Daoists, you are being too serious."

At this moment,

Shen Changchuan finally emerged, stepping into the center of the clearing as all eyes fell upon him.

He offered a fist-and-palm salute to the crowd.

"I am Shen Changchuan, the master of Dawan Village."

"I was not the one who killed the Blood Slaughter Three Demons; it was the work of a powerful senior I invited."

"My senior friends left after slaying them and gave no instructions on how to dispose of their bodies."

"At the time, I considered that their deaths might deter those with ulterior motives, which is why I had their bodies hung up here."

"As far as I am concerned, their purpose has been served. Since you all have such a deep-seated hatred for these three, you may take their bodies for yourselves. There is no need for any payment."

Shen Changchuan spoke to the crowd with an open and frank expression.

’Admittedly, judging by the looks on these victims’ faces, the corpses of the Blood Slaughter Three Demons could probably fetch a handsome price.’

’But there was no need for that.’

’Not all money in the world is worth making.’

’Hanging the corpses of the Blood Slaughter Three Demons from the flagpole could be considered an act to vent his own anger.’

’But to hold the corpses hostage, making victims with a blood feud pay a hefty sum of Spirit Stones for them...’

’Well...’

’It wasn’t that it *couldn’t* be done,’

’but a normal person would probably try to avoid someone who acted that way.’

’This world,’

’had not yet become the kind of money-obsessed modern civilization from his past life.’

’Shen Changchuan saw no need to tarnish his reputation over this.’