Seeing the theater gradually descend into chaos, Qin Lu wasted no time. He quickly led Zhang Meng and her son away from the scene.

On the way home, both adults took turns lecturing Xiao Ziyun. They warned him sternly not to be so reckless in the future and to always speak with caution.

Hearing the scolding, Xiao Ziyun didn’t react much. He simply kept his head down as he walked, clutching his small wooden sword tightly in his hand without saying a word.

The three of them returned home together.

After exchanging a few brief words with Qin Lu, Zhang Meng went into the kitchen to start preparing lunch. This left Qin Lu and Xiao Ziyun alone in the courtyard.

Today was the second day of the second lunar month, the festival known as “Dragon Raises Its Head.”

Spring had arrived, and the weather had warmed considerably. Even Xiao Ziyun had shed his thick cotton-padded jacket. Wearing a set of lighter autumn clothes, he squatted in a corner of the courtyard, poking at the dirt with his wooden sword, a thoughtful expression on his face.

He fumbled around on the ground for quite a while before finally standing up. Gripping his wooden sword, he resumed his practice.

Watching the boy’s nimble figure flipping and turning with fluid, practiced ease, Qin Lu wore an expression that suggested he was used to the sight by now.

He sat under the peach tree, watching for a moment before shifting his attention to his Storage Bag.

Because he was currently carrying a large sum of money, he had specifically visited a talisman shop and an alchemy store yesterday. He had stocked up on a significant amount of commonly used talismans and pills.

Healing pills, cultivation-assisting pills, offensive talismans, functional talismans—he had bought them all.

He had spent a full five hundred Spirit Stones, greatly bolstering his reserves.

“I still have about three hundred Spirit Stones on me, and there are plenty of talisman-making materials at home. That should be enough for now…” Qin Lu pondered silently.

A large portion of the one hundred units of materials he had bought previously were still sitting on his table.

These past few days, he had been busy selling the Alchemical Liquid, so he had temporarily set aside the task of drawing talismans.

However, after experiencing the sudden, massive windfall from the liquid, his enthusiasm for the laborious, slow-profit work of making talismans had waned considerably.

“Now that I have some savings, should I start looking for opportunities to make a big fortune? Relying solely on making talismans isn’t a long-term solution…”

“But what else can I do besides making talismans?”

“If we’re talking about the most profitable professions in the cultivation world, it has to be alchemy and artifact forging…”

“Should I buy some tools and manuals to study? With my attribute panel, if I can successfully get started, I’m confident I could maintain an exceptionally high success rate.”

“Though, it seems alchemy furnaces and forging furnaces aren’t cheap, and the refining materials are expensive too. I’d need to go out and check prices…”

Qin Lu stroked his chin, deep in thought.

But before he could formulate a clear plan, a knocking sound came from the courtyard gate.

Knock, knock, knock!

“Brother Qin! It’s me!”

Lu Xian’s voice rang out from the other side.

Qin Lu stood up and opened the door.

“Old Lu!” Qin Lu looked at Lu Xian’s excited face and smiled. “What brings you here today?”

“Haha!”

Lu Xian grinned broadly, raising his head slightly as he announced, “I’m here to invite you to a banquet!”

As he spoke, he handed over a red invitation card.

“A banquet?”

Qin Lu took the invitation with some doubt. He opened it and scanned it briefly, immediately showing an expression of understanding.

It was a celebration banquet organized to congratulate Lu Anchen for entering the inner circle of the Xuanyang Sect. The location was Yueman Tower, and the time was tonight.

“Tsk tsk tsk. Who would have thought? Old Lu, your son actually has such great capabilities. So young, yet already a trusted aide of Wu Zheng from the Xuanyang Sect. This really wasn’t apparent before,” Qin Lu remarked with genuine admiration.

“Heheh. Actually, I just found out myself recently. Before this, I always thought he was just messing around aimlessly. How would I dare mention such things to Brother Qin?” Lu Xian chuckled sheepishly.

“So, what exactly is going on?” Qin Lu asked.

“Sigh! My son started some kind of gang over in the shantytown area a while back. He was always talking about fighting and killing. I advised him several times to disband it, but he wouldn’t listen.”

Lu Xian shook his head, though his smile remained.

“I thought he was just fooling around irresponsibly. But who would have guessed that starting this gang was actually an order from the Xuanyang Sect’s leader? It was all about cultivating a capable fighting force in secret.”

“During the recent chaos in the market, he led that group of Loose Cultivators and performed meritorious service for the Xuanyang Sect, seizing quite a bit of territory from the Yu Family.”

“That’s why Wu Zheng brought him up onto that high platform to be seen!”

“It wasn’t until now that his mother and I found out he’s actually been working for the Xuanyang Sect all along!”

By the end of his explanation, Lu Xian couldn’t hide the pride on his face; he looked thoroughly pleased and vindicated.

“Tsk tsk tsk…” Qin Lu’s eyes held a look of astonishment. “Who would have thought Wu Zheng had such strategies? Secretly cultivating a force like that… truly unexpected.”

“The Xuanyang Sect leader is indeed extraordinary.” Lu Xian paused briefly before shaking his head with a sigh. “However, it’s not like the other two families are pushovers either.”

“I heard that the Wei Family secretly invited a group of late-stage Qi Refining Loose Cultivators. Sunset Valley also enlisted quite a few disciples from allied sects. That’s why things got so intense that night!”

Qin Lu clicked his tongue in amazement. “So, it seems every leader is profoundly scheming…”

“Alright now, don’t think too much about it. Remember to arrive on time tonight! I still have more invitations to deliver!”

Lu Xian waved the stack of red cards in his hand as he bid farewell.

“Alright! You go ahead with your work!” Qin Lu cupped his hands respectfully.

The two parted ways.

Qin Lu returned to the courtyard. Looking at the invitation in his hand, his face wore a thoughtful expression.

“As expected… there are many twists and turns within this market district. One must always be cautious.”

“Even though Patriarch Yu was a Foundation Establishment cultivator… several people plotted against him and cost him his life. One truly cannot afford carelessness.”

“But… should I also cultivate some trusted followers?”

“…”

While Qin Lu was deep in thought, Zhang Meng finished preparing lunch.

At the dining table, Qin Lu told Zhang Meng about Lu Anchen’s situation and asked if she wanted to come along that evening.

“Forget it… I won’t go. You’ll definitely be drinking tonight; I don’t want to spoil your fun,” Zhang Meng said with a laugh.

“That’s fine too.”

Qin Lu nodded gently before smiling slightly. “Come to think of it… I’ve never tasted spirit wine before. Tonight will be a good chance for me to enjoy some!”

Spirit wine was a luxury generally brewed using various fruits or medicinal herbs rich in dense spiritual energy.

Whether it was fruit wine, rice wine, or medicinal wine, drinking it could replenish a cultivator’s spiritual energy. It possessed effects such as soothing the spirit, nourishing the soul, replenishing blood, and fortifying the body.

And most importantly… it could intoxicate cultivators, putting them in a pleasantly dizzy state that mortal alcohol could never achieve.

Time passed quickly.

Qin Lu practiced his swordsmanship twice in the courtyard and drew several talismans.

Soon enough, evening arrived.

Checking the time, Qin Lu tidied up his appearance slightly, then left through the courtyard gate, heading toward Yueman Tower.