Crow Immortal: I Can Duplicate Infinite Resources

Chapter 268: Self-Established Market

The moment Head Priest Lin blurted out the honorific, the atmosphere in the hall shifted. Every monstrous and human eye fixed upon the puppet, Li Ya, burning with intense curiosity.

A mundane, Qi Refining human who trailed behind the Bear King of Heifeng Mountain actually knew someone that the haughty Head Priest of the Seeking Truth Daoist Temple respectfully referred to as “That Elder”?

Who exactly was this person?

“I don’t believe we’ve been introduced, Fellow Daoist?” the Qingfeng Mountain host probed, his smile tightening.

“Head Priest Lin,” the massive male python hissed. “Who exactly are you referring to…?”

Head Priest Lin instantly realized his slip. He covered his mouth, letting out a sharp, forced cough. “This is not the time or place to discuss such matters. We will speak of it another day.”

Having effectively shut down the inquiries, Head Priest Lin stepped past the bewildered Bear King. With a forced, desperate warmth, he gestured for the puppet to step closer.

“Fellow Daoist. How should I address you?” Head Priest Lin asked. He subtly flared his Spiritual Energy, creating a localized soundproofing barrier around them, and dropped his voice to a frantic whisper.

“Daoist Heifeng,” the puppet replied smoothly.

“Has That Elder passed down any new instructions for us?” Lin asked, sweat beading on his forehead.

“How are your preparations proceeding? Hand over the intelligence you’ve gathered before we leave tonight. I will deliver it to him,” the puppet ordered.

“Yes! Good, very good…” Head Priest Lin nodded rapidly, his voice dropping even lower. “I beg you, Daoist Heifeng, please put in a good word for me with the Elder.”

The puppet offered a slight, noncommittal nod and stepped back to the Bear King’s side.

Head Priest Lin watched them retreat, feeling a twinge of bitter envy toward the giant bear. This furry blockhead is incredibly lucky. Based on this setup, even if the bear isn’t directly serving Senior Li, it must have hooked up with the Little Sky Net Sect.

The Bear King swallowed a mouthful of fruit, its tiny eyes darting between the priest and the puppet. It was profoundly confused, but it possessed enough animal cunning to know better than to ask questions about its Master’s secrets in a room full of predators.

The night dragged on. The conversation in the main hall ebbed and flowed, punctuated by long stretches of tense silence. Before long, the hour of the Tiger (3 AM – 5 AM) arrived.

Down in the forest, the Qingfeng Mountain Rogue Cultivator gathering officially concluded. The scavengers, demons, and ghosts dispersed into the freezing night. Many would likely face ambushes and robbery on the roads home, but that was no longer Qingfeng Mountain’s concern.

With the public market closed, the eight resident Rogue Cultivators of Qingfeng Mountain finally assembled in the main hall, joining the VIPs.

“Fellow Daoists,” the leader of the eight, a mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, began. His smile was wide and charismatic. “We apologize for keeping you so late. However, we have developed a grand proposal. Our intention is to profoundly benefit every independent Cultivator in the Yulin Kingdom. Since you are the pillars of the independent community, we must discuss this with you, for better or worse.”

Head Priest Lin raised an eyebrow. “I cannot imagine what proposal warrants such solemnity. Please, speak plainly.”

The leader chuckled. “Head Priest Lin, what is your assessment of the Qingfeng Mountain market? Do we draw a respectable crowd?”

“More than respectable. Rogue Cultivators travel from across the Yulin Kingdom and even the Southern Sea Kingdom to attend. When the market is open, the volume of foot traffic rivals the Mystic One Sect’s official market,” Head Priest Lin answered honestly.

The leader’s smile widened. “And in your esteemed opinion, how would you rate the quality and variety of the goods traded here?”

“A dazzling array. Countless mundane and Qi Refining resources, and occasionally, genuine Foundation Establishment treasures.”

“Exactly!” the leader clapped his hands together, his eyes shining with ambition.

“My brothers and I have witnessed the immense demand from our independent brethren. We wish to provide a permanent convenience. Head Priest Lin, Bear King… what would you say if Qingfeng Mountain no longer held gatherings on a scheduled, monthly basis? What if we opened the mountain every single day? A permanent, daily free-trade zone?”

Head Priest Lin’s eyes widened in sheer shock. He shot a frantic glance at the puppet, Li Ya, then clamped his mouth shut, refusing to speak.

The Bear King, having absolutely no independent thoughts on macro-economics, also turned to stare blankly at the puppet.

The puppet remained perfectly still and silent.

However, the other monsters in the room—the two pythons from Shaxing Mountain, the drowned ghost from Liuhe Ferry, and the fox and ghost from Yinyi Town—immediately voiced their enthusiastic support.

“Excellent! This is exactly what we need!” the male python hissed.

“A permanent haven will be a massive boon to every Rogue Cultivator in the Yulin and Southern Sea Kingdoms!” the fox demon cheered.

Given their immediate, synchronized enthusiasm, it was blatantly obvious to Head Priest Lin that the monsters and the Qingfeng Mountain hosts had already colluded on this proposal prior to the meeting. They were simply putting on a show to pressure the remaining holdouts into joining their coalition.

Seeing the entire room nod in agreement, the Qingfeng Mountain leader turned his burning gaze back to Head Priest Lin, waiting for a formal endorsement.

“Your desire to benefit the independent Cultivators of the region is certainly a noble endeavor,” Head Priest Lin said carefully, weighing every syllable. “Naturally, I have no intention of opposing such a good thing.”

The eight hosts, the pythons, the fox, and the ghosts all beamed with triumph.

“So, the Seeking Truth Daoist Temple formally supports our initiative?” the leader pressed.

“I wouldn’t go so far as to say ‘support’. I will say we are… optimistic about your eventual success,” Head Priest Lin deflected smoothly.

“The truth is, our temple has recently encountered a rather… delicate internal matter. It commands our entire focus. Supervisor Liu is currently deployed to handle it. Until that crisis is resolved, the Seeking Truth Daoist Temple simply lacks the manpower to involve itself in external ventures.”

As he delivered his excuse, Head Priest Lin shot another desperate, meaningful look at the Bear King and the puppet.

Seeing the priest navigate the political trap with a perfectly plausible excuse, Han Yu manipulated the puppet to echo the sentiment. “Indeed. We are highly optimistic about your success. We wish you the best of luck in your endeavors to benefit our Fellow Daoists.”

“Once Qingfeng Mountain is fully established and operational, we will certainly visit to show our support,” the puppet added flatly.

Hearing the puppet speak, the Bear King immediately bobbed its massive head. “Right! Right! Exactly what he said!”

Seeing the two remaining factions present a united, frustratingly neutral front of being ‘optimistic about their success’ without offering any actual commitment, the atmosphere in the room instantly cooled.

The male python from Shaxing Mountain hissed, its tone carrying a subtle threat. “Bear King. Are you truly refusing to support such a monumental shift? You know how difficult it is for Demon Beasts like us to access human markets. A permanent, open-door trading hub at Qingfeng Mountain would be incredibly convenient for you.”

The Bear King shook its head vigorously. “No, no. I am far too busy with other matters.”

“What other matters?” the python challenged.

The Bear King couldn’t exactly say ‘I have to go act as a guard dog for a human Daoist’, so it simply grunted and repeated Head Priest Lin’s vague deflections.

Sensing the impasse, the Qingfeng Mountain leader finally intervened. His charismatic smile had vanished, replaced by a cold, arrogant smirk.

“If the Seeking Truth Daoist Temple and the Bear King are willing to observe and eventually patronize our establishment, that is respect enough. We will not force you to join our founding coalition,” the leader declared.

“However,” he added, his voice dropping into a sneer. “When our daily market generates immense wealth, influence, and exclusive conveniences… neither the temple nor the Bear King will be entitled to a single scrap of it. Do not blame us for being stingy when you come begging later.”

“That is only natural. The Seeking Truth Daoist Temple understands the terms perfectly,” Head Priest Lin replied calmly. He then stood, reiterated that his temple was swamped with pressing issues, and formally took his leave.

The Bear King and the puppet immediately followed suit.

A few miles away from Qingfeng Mountain, soaring through the pitch-black night, Head Priest Lin pushed his flying sword to catch up with the Bear King.

He pulled alongside the running beast and looked down at the puppet riding on its shoulder. “Daoist Heifeng. Did you truly understand what those fools are attempting to do?”

“They intend to build a permanent, independent market on Qingfeng Mountain,” the puppet replied.

“Exactly. Even if they don’t explicitly call it a ‘market’ on day one, that is exactly what it is,” Head Priest Lin sighed heavily, his face etched with grim certainty. “They have grown too accustomed to the lawless freedom of Rogue Cultivators. They are completely delusional. This is an elaborate, collective suicide.”

“The Mystic One Sect ignores us because they are arrogant, not because they are weak or blind. When the local monsters occasionally snacked on a few mortal peasants, it only affected isolated, backwater towns. The Mystic One Sect couldn’t be bothered to intervene.”

“But now? They are actively attempting to centralize thousands of Rogue Cultivators and establish an economic hub right under the Mystic One Sect’s nose!”

“Their utter annihilation is inevitable. And it will happen soon.”

Han Yu, listening miles away, completely agreed. They are building a slaughterhouse and locking themselves inside.

“Their fate does not concern us. We simply will not participate,” the puppet stated coldly. “Do you have what I requested?”

Head Priest Lin quickly produced two Jade Slips and handed them down to the puppet. “I have compiled the initial intelligence for Senior Li. I also have operatives embedded in the Mystic One Market continuing to gather data…”

Lin hesitated, his expression turning grave. “However, Daoist Heifeng… I must warn you. This situation is escalating rapidly. Please tell Senior Li to exercise extreme caution.”

“Explain,” the puppet demanded.

“When the Mystic One Sect inevitably decides to purge Qingfeng Mountain, they will not use a scalpel. They will use a hammer,” Head Priest Lin warned. “To them, there is no distinction between ‘guilty’ and ‘innocent’ Rogue Cultivators. They will view this entire region as compromised.”

“They will launch a sweeping, indiscriminate purge to completely sterilize the Yulin Kingdom and restore absolute control.”

Head Priest Lin bowed deeply from his flying sword. “We must be prepared for the slaughter.”

Without another word, the priest banked sharply and vanished into the night.