“What exactly was going on with those people last night?”

Upon hearing the question, Qin Lu pondered for a moment before speaking slowly.

“I only recognized one of them. He was an enforcer for the Jishan Store. I’ve had dealings with him before.”

“The Jishan Store? That gambling den? How did you get on their bad side?” Lu Xian asked, somewhat surprised.

“Ah…”

Qin Lu sighed and shook his head. “Just mistakes from a foolish past. Back then, I was addicted to gambling and borrowed over a hundred Spirit Stones from their establishment.”

On the surface, Qin Lu spoke with a look of helplessness. In reality, however, he was cursing the previous owner of this body to the depths of hell. It was precisely because of that fool’s trivial vices that he had attracted such a fatal disaster.

“I really didn’t see that coming. You enjoy gambling, Brother Qin?”

Lu Xian was taken aback. In his impression, Qin Lu was an honest cultivator who preferred staying at home, speaking gently and amiably. He seemed nothing like a gambling addict.

“Yes, yes, just old stories from the past…” Qin Lu admitted with a weary smile.

“So, they came looking for you because you didn’t repay the money?”

“No, I’ve already cleared all the debts I owed them.”

“Repaid? They still came for your life even after you settled the debt?”

“Exactly!” Qin Lu looked indignant, but then a thought struck him, and he frowned. “Right, when I went to repay the money before, I also ran into trouble…”

Qin Lu did not hide anything, recounting the ambush he had encountered at the Jishan Store that day.

After listening to the account, Lu Xian nodded slowly and speculated, “That was probably Shopkeeper Wu wanting your life.”

“I think so too. I just don’t understand why he insists on killing me when I have no grudge against him…”

“Think carefully. Did anything else happen when you went to the den before?”

“What kind of grudge could I possibly have with him…”

Before he could finish speaking, a flash of inspiration struck Qin Lu’s mind, and a buried memory surfaced.

“Wait! I did insult him once!”

“Oh? What happened?”

“I think I was drunk at the time. I pointed right at his nose at the gambling table and cursed him out—I even dragged his parents and ancestors into it…”

As he spoke, Qin Lu’s voice lowered sheepishly. The previous owner really had a death wish! A mere insignificant nobody, after drinking a few cups of horse piss, actually dared to be so arrogant.

“What was your cultivation level back then? Was your strength the same as it is now?” Lu Xian thought for a moment and asked.

“No, it was different. Back then, I was only at Qi Refining Layer 2, far weaker than I am now.”

“That doesn’t make sense. With his status, if you publicly humiliated him, he definitely wouldn’t have tolerated it for long. Why wait until now to seek revenge…”

Hearing this, Qin Lu’s eyes instantly widened.

His thoughts flew back to the moment he had first transmigrated. That day, he had woken up in bed noticing his neck was incredibly sore, marked with red, swollen bruises from strangulation.

All of this indicated that the original owner’s death was not natural.

The original owner’s inexplicable, tragic death that day, combined with the multiple recent attempts on his life… connecting the dots, Qin Lu suddenly understood the sequence of events.

The original owner must have been killed on Wu Hao’s orders!

No wonder the Jishan Store never came to collect the debt when he owed 170 Spirit Stones; in their eyes, Qin Lu was already a dead man!

Lu Xian’s reminder made everything click into place.

“What’s wrong, Brother Qin? You look a bit off,” Lu Xian asked with concern.

“I’m fine…” Qin Lu fell silent for a moment before speaking again, his mind racing. “By the way, Old Lu, how much do you know about the Jishan Store?”

“Well…” Lu Xian paused briefly before stating frankly, “In my impression, it’s just an ordinary gambling den, nothing special. It’s just that Shopkeeper Wu Hao has gained some notoriety because of his temperament; people call him ‘The Smiling Tiger.'”

“Do they have any backing or connections?” Qin Lu asked worriedly.

In this market district, one must never provoke any of the five major powers. If a Foundation Establishment cultivator got involved, it would be game over.

“Hmm, let me think.” Lu Xian slowly recalled, “I remember Wu Hao has some connections with the Green Mountain Sect. It seems he’s related to one of their elders or something similar. But I don’t know the specifics.”

“So that’s how it is…”

Hearing this, Qin Lu sighed deeply, his expression turning gloomy.

If Wu Hao was connected to the Green Mountain Sect, then dealing with him would require weighing the influence of the Sect carefully.

Seeing Qin Lu’s depressed look, Lu Xian couldn’t help but smile. “You don’t need to worry so much. Just be careful in your daily life. That little gambling den hasn’t reached the point where they can cover the sky with one hand. If they cause too much trouble, the Wuji Sect definitely won’t let them off.”

“Sigh… It’s just that having to be constantly on guard against thieves and living in fear is really unpleasant.”

“There’s no helping it. When you’re trying to make a living in this market district, it’s impossible not to attract some unwanted attention. But with your strength being so high now, why fear them?”

“What strength do I have? I’m only at Qi Refining Layer 4,” Qin Lu said with a helpless expression.

“Nonsense!” Lu Xian’s eyes gleamed brightly as he said excitedly, “Last night, I clearly saw you kill those men in just a few moves! And that burly man in black—his cultivation should have been at Qi Refining Layer 7—yet you still killed him instantly! Can that be considered Layer 4 strength?”

“Ah… That was all superficial. Actually, that guy was overly nervous. If he had been serious about it, I probably wouldn’t have been his match,” Qin Lu evaded vaguely.

“That doesn’t make sense… In all my time in this market district, I’ve never seen such a fierce Qi Refining Layer 4 cultivator…” Doubt flickered in Lu Xian’s eyes.

“Ahem!” Qin Lu gave a light cough and thought for a moment before saying softly, “Actually… I unintentionally obtained an opportunity and learned a few powerful moves from it. The rest is still not worth mentioning…”

“Oh~ So that’s how it is.”

Hearing the word “opportunity,” Lu Xian did not press further. In the cultivation world, asking about someone else’s trump cards or fortuitous encounters was considered extremely impolite.

Skipping this topic, the two began discussing other matters in the courtyard, mostly ideas and plans on how to deal with potential retaliation from the Jishan Store.

Having seen much of the world and spent many years navigating this market district, Lu Xian offered Qin Lu many good suggestions for him to consider. They talked for a full hour until Zhang Meng came over to notify them that dinner was ready; only then did they stop.

“Old Lu, stay and have dinner with us tonight,” Qin Lu immediately invited.

“No, no, no… My wife is waiting for me at home. Heh… You know how it is… I don’t dare…” Lu Xian gave a meaningful look.

Qin Lu nodded understandingly. “Alright then. When you have time later on, I’ll treat you to a big meal at a restaurant!”

“Sounds good!” Lu Xian laughed heartily.

With that, he waved his hand. Several dark objects flew out from his sleeve and landed steadily on the ground.

“These are the spoils from those men last night. I divided them roughly; see if you think it’s fair?”

Qin Lu looked down and saw several magical artifacts and two money pouches lying on the ground—the belongings left behind by the assassins.

He swept his gaze over the items quickly, not bothering to count or inspect them in detail. He immediately raised his head, his expression serious.

“If you hadn’t thrown out that Mist Talisman last night, I would be dead by now. What is there left to discuss? Divide it however you see fit!”

“Heh, Brother Qin is truly generous! Alright then, I’ll take my leave first.” Lu Xian cupped his hands respectfully before turning to depart.

After seeing his friend off and watching him leave the courtyard, Qin Lu gazed thoughtfully at the numerous items scattered across the ground.

“This world truly requires caution upon caution…”