“Uncle Qin! You were godlike! That was absolutely incredible!”

Cao Mo waved his arms frantically, his round face flushed with pure, unadulterated joy. He looked ready to explode with excitement.

Qin Lu approached, chuckling as he reached out to ruffle the little fatty’s hair.

“How much did you throw down on the bet?”

Cao Mo held up two chubby fingers, his chest puffed out with pride. “I staked 200 Spirit Stones. Made a clean net profit of 300 Spirit Stones!”

“Not bad. Not bad at all.”

Qin Lu nodded, a faint smile playing on his lips. He was genuinely fond of this kid. In a world of schemes, Cao Mo’s blind, brainless trust was a rare commodity.

Gu Yue stepped up beside them. Her tone carried a distinct sour note of jealousy.

“I never expected you to take that Wangfu woman’s life so easily. It seems your strength surpassed mine a long time ago. You certainly know how to hide your depth…”

“Heh.”

Qin Lu grinned, his eyebrows twitching playfully. He leaned in close to Gu Yue’s ear, dropping his voice to a conspiratorial whisper.

“What can I say? I’m just naturally gifted.”

“Pffft—” Gu Yue burst out laughing, the tension in her shoulders melting away into a softer look.

Qin Lu straightened up, the playful demeanor vanishing instantly. A proud, imperious smile curled his lips as he swept his gaze over the gathering crowd.

“Everyone, save the chatter,” he said, his voice calm but commanding. “We proceed exactly as planned.”

The group nodded in unison, their eyes lighting up with anticipation.

Qin Lu turned and strode out of the arena, with Lu Xian and the others forming a tight phalanx behind him.

As soon as he stepped into the main thoroughfare, his presence triggered a commotion. The cultivator who had just dominated the high platform was now walking among them. The bustling crowd instinctively split apart, retreating to both sides to open a wide path.

Whispers rippled through the onlookers like a wave, everyone still dissecting the brutal intensity of the battle they had just witnessed.

Qin Lu didn’t spare them a glance. He walked with a steady rhythm, his expression serene as he passed rows of awe-struck Loose Cultivators.

Leaving the Life-and-Death Arena behind, he didn’t head for the exit. Instead, he banked sharply toward the Tao Family residence.

The sudden change in direction caught the crowd’s attention. Cultivators exchanged knowing looks before falling in behind him, eager to witness the final act of this drama.

Qin Lu and his entourage chatted and laughed casually as they walked, looking more like they were on a stroll than a warpath.

The news had traveled fast.

Outside the main gates of the Tao Family estate, the clansmen had gathered in a defensive formation. Their expressions were grim. Some glared with undisguised hatred, their eyes burning holes into the man who had just butchered their patron.

Qin Lu ignored them completely.

He led Lu Xian and the others straight through the front gate, stepping into the compound with the casual arrogance of a landlord inspecting his property.

The estate was a ruin. The scars of Qin Lu’s earlier rampage were still fresh—shattered masonry, splintered wood, and the heavy, metallic stench of blood hanging thick in the air.

As Qin Lu halted in the center of the main courtyard, a swarm of Tao Family members poured out from the inner halls, surrounding him. Panic was written clearly on most of their faces.

Qin Lu slowly turned in a circle, his gaze piercing.

“Who is currently in charge of the Tao Family?” his voice boomed, echoing off the ruined walls.

The crowd’s eyes involuntarily shifted toward a white-bearded old man standing near the rear.

Seeing he had been outed, the old man’s face turned the color of ash. After a moment of hesitation, he realized he had no choice. He stepped forward, cupping his fists in a deep bow.

“Senior Qin. What instructions do you have for us?”

In the cultivation world, wiping out a clan to prevent future revenge was standard procedure. It was called ‘cutting the grass and digging up the roots.’

Their greatest protector, Kong Mengli, had died a miserable death. Qin Lu appearing here now could only mean one thing: he was here to finish the job.

The old man knew resistance was futile. They were mere Qi Condensation ants. Qin Lu had slaughtered a Foundation Establishment cultivator. If they fought, they would simply die faster.

Qin Lu’s gaze swept over the trembling women, children, and elderly surrounding him. His expression tightened with cold disdain.

“Tao Meng and Kong Mengli were scourges. Today, I removed these cancers for the White Jade Market,” Qin Lu announced, his voice icy. “You lot have no personal enmity with me, and I have no desire to slaughter the irrelevant.”

A collective breath was held.

“However,” Qin Lu continued, his tone brooking no argument. “As a Penalty, I order every single one of you to leave this market by noon tomorrow. If you are still here… do not blame me for being ruthless.”

Shoulders slumped in relief across the courtyard. Eviction was harsh, but it was better than extinction.

But human nature is a fickle thing. There is always someone who cannot read the room.

A youth, no older than seventeen, suddenly leaped out from the crowd. He pointed a shaking finger at Qin Lu, his face twisted in righteous fury.

“Qin, you thief! Senior Jiang ordered you on the arena to stop fighting! You dare go back on your word? You think you can just drive us away?!”

The youth’s scream hung in the air. The courtyard fell into a deathly silence.

Thwip.

A soft sound, barely louder than a snapping twig, cut through the quiet.

The youth’s head vanished.

It didn’t explode; it imploded, flattening instantly as if struck by an invisible, massive gravity hammer. Red and white matter sprayed across the flagstones in a gruesome fan. The headless body stood for a second, then crumpled.

Qin Lu lowered his finger, his face bored. He didn’t even look at the corpse.

“Remember. I give you one day,” Qin Lu said, his voice flat and devoid of emotion. “If I find a single Tao Family member in this market at noon tomorrow, I will personally harvest their life.”

The white-bearded old man trembled violently. The boy on the ground was his own grandson.

But staring at the monster before him, the patriarch couldn’t summon even a wisp of resistance. The pressure radiating from Qin Lu was suffocating.

“Understood!” the old man choked out, bowing lower to hide his grief.

Qin Lu nodded, satisfied. He stepped aside, gesturing to Lu Xian and the Wuji Market group behind him.

“My people will be taking over all Tao Family commercial properties effective immediately. You will take nothing with you. The handover starts now.”

Qin Lu’s eyes narrowed slightly. “And I advise you not to play any tricks. I’d hate to cause more casualties.”

“Yes…” the old man whispered, his spirit completely broken.

Under Qin Lu’s direction, Lu Xian and the others immediately split up, following the Tao clansmen to the various shops scattered throughout the market.

This had been Qin Lu’s plan from the start.

With Kong Mengli dead, the Tao Family was a tree without roots—the monkeys would scatter. Their assets would be up for grabs. Rather than letting the other Foundation Establishment vultures in the White Jade Market pick the carcass clean, Qin Lu decided to swallow it whole.

Many of his fellow townsmen from the Wuji Market had lost their livelihoods because of their association with him. They were unemployed and desperate. These shops would provide the perfect management positions for them, securing their income and loyalty.

The Tao Family’s portfolio was lean—only five shops in total: a gambling den, a Talisman shop, an herb dispensary, a magical robe outfitter, and a restaurant.

Kong Mengli had been a cultivator, not a merchant; she had refused to expand the family business, doing the bare minimum to keep the Tao estate running. The shops were poorly located, tucked away in remote corners with mediocre foot traffic.

Qin Lu didn’t care.

He watched with enthusiasm as his people moved in to seize the assets.

With Lu Xian coordinating, the takeover was swift and decisive, executed with the speed of thunder and wind.

The aggressive acquisition caught the attention of the entire market, but no one intervened. In the cultivation world, the strong ate the weak. It was a law as old as time.

Everyone knew that after tonight, the Tao Family name would be scrubbed from the signboards.