Chapter 16 Zhu Liuqing

Early in the morning, Xu Yang took the small teleportation array in the sect to the market.

It happened that the free trade market in the market was open on this day.

The free trade market in the sect market is temporarily open to facilitate the exchange of items between low-level disciples in the sect. It is held regularly on the last three days of each month.

The free trade market is crowded with people, almost all of whom are low-level cultivators.

Although most of the items in the market are not as exquisite and good-looking as those in the shops, the prices are much more affordable. They can be exchanged with equivalent items needed by both parties, or they can be purchased with spirit stones. Bargaining can be heard from time to time.

Xu Yang bought some talismans in the market, which are indeed cheaper than in the shops. Xu Yang was about to return, and at this moment, a call came from nearby: "Senior Brother Xu! Senior Brother Xu!"

Xu Yang looked over and saw that the one calling him was a little girl wearing light green clothes, with white skin like jade, and a well-behaved and cute appearance.

Xu Yang recognized this girl, who was his junior sister Zhu Liuqing who took over his spiritual grass garden mission. Zhu Liuqing had had some dealings with Xu Yang when she took over Xu Yang's Spiritual Herb Garden, but she didn't have frequent contact with Xu Yang on weekdays.

Zhu Liuqing had a simple shelf in front of her, which was considered a small stall. Most of the items on the stall were decorative magic tools for female disciples, such as hairpins, bracelets, earrings, etc. There were also some talismans and a few magic tools.

Xu Yang came to Zhu Liuqing's stall.

"What a coincidence, it turned out to be Junior Sister Zhu."

"Senior Brother Xu, why don't you take a look at what items you like in my stall? I can sell them to you at a discount." Zhu Liuqing smiled embarrassedly.

Xu Yang's eyes swept across Zhu Liuqing's stall and stopped at a tiger-tooth dagger. Judging from its style and workmanship, it seemed that it was not an item from the Heavenly Ghost Sect.

"What is the origin of this tiger-tooth dagger?" Xu Yang asked.

"This dagger was obtained by chance when my brother and several other fellow disciples went to perform a mission outside the sect a few days ago, and I brought it here to sell. I have asked someone to forcibly remove the master recognition restriction on it, but it has lost some of its original power."

"Oh? This is the first time I have seen this thing." Xu Yang picked up the dagger curiously, and injected a trace of magic power into it. The dagger immediately emitted a blade light of an inch, full of spiritual power.

"This dagger comes from the South Region and is extremely sharp. Brother Xu might as well try it." After saying that, he took out a piece of fine iron and handed it to Xu Yang.

Xu Yang held the dagger and gently scratched the fine iron. With a sizzling sound, a deep mark was scratched on the fine iron.

"It's really sharp." Xu Yang said, staring at the bone knife.

Seeing that Xu Yang seemed to be interested in the tiger tooth dagger, Zhu Liuqing said: "Brother Xu likes this dagger, only thirty medium-grade spirit stones."

Xu Yang immediately said: "Okay, I want it." He took out thirty medium-grade spirit stones and handed them to Zhu Liuqing.

Zhu Liuqing took the spirit stone and put it in the storage bag. He said happily, "Thank you, Senior Brother Xu."

Xu Yang put away the tiger-tooth dagger and said, "It's a fair trade, Junior Sister Zhu, you don't have to be polite."

After chatting with Zhu Liuqing for a few more words, Xu Yang was about to leave. Suddenly, the street in front of the stall was noisy. Amid the sound of horse hooves, the originally crowded crowd made way for a passage.

"Whoa-whoa-whoa", an old man with an eagle nose in a black brocade robe drove a carriage and stopped not far from Zhu Liuqing's stall.

The carriage was wrapped in black brocade on all sides, and a large iron hammer was painted on each side, revealing a bit of majesty.

"Isn't this the carriage of the "Law Enforcement Hall"?

"Why are you here? I wonder what happened?"

Amid the whispers of the people around him, the old man with the eagle nose lifted the curtain of the carriage, and two people walked down from it.

Among them, the fat young man walking in front had a round head and a simple face. A tall young man behind him was wearing a purple brocade suit and pants, with a hammer embroidered on his cuffs that looked exactly like the one on the carriage, and a black folding fan in his hand.

After a while, the two of them came to Zhu Liuqing's stall.

"Sister, I..." The fat young man said with a stuttering voice.

"Brother, what happened? How did you alarm the people from the Law Enforcement Hall? You just left me here not long ago, and you caused a mess?" Zhu Liuqing greeted him and asked anxiously.

"I originally wanted to try my luck in the gambling house, win back the spirit stones I lost before, and pay off my gambling debts, but I lost more and borrowed new gambling debts. Alas..." Zhu Liuqing's elder brother finished speaking and sighed deeply.

"I told you before, don't gamble anymore." Zhu Liuqing said angrily.

After speaking, he turned his head and glanced at the purple-shirted young man behind his elder brother. He said suspiciously, "Why is it you?"

The purple-shirted young man is called Chen Kang, and the Chen family to which Chen Kang belongs is also a relatively powerful cultivation family in the Tiangui Sect.

The Zhu family was originally a family with some strength, but for some reason, every cultivation talent that appeared in the Zhu family in recent years would die prematurely, and its strength is not as good as before.

After Zhu Liuqing's father unfortunately died in a mission, Zhu Liunian and Zhu Liuqing were left.

"Miss Zhu, how are you? Your elder brother Zhu Liunian just lost money in a gambling house in the market, and also injured the people in the gambling house. As a deacon disciple of the Law Enforcement Hall, I am preparing to take your elder brother to the Law Enforcement Hall."

The purple-shirted youth paused, and then continued with a louder voice, "Zhu Liunian said that if you can pay off his gambling debts for him, his crime can be mitigated. Otherwise, he can only go to the Law Enforcement Hall to handle it impartially." After saying that, the purple-shirted youth showed a strange smile at the corner of his mouth.

Zhu Liuqing couldn't help but shudder when he heard the three words "Law Enforcement Hall". As the only law enforcement department of the Tiangui Sect, the "Law Enforcement Hall" is equivalent to the "Yamen" in the secular world. Its laws are so strict and its enforcement is so harsh that people are terrified.

Zhu Liunian was punished by whipping just for causing trouble in the casino in the market. This punishment is not as simple as the whipping in the secular world. With the whipping of soul-breaking power, Zhu Liunian's Yuanhun will be damaged after a few whips. The injury will directly affect the progress of future cultivation.

It is precisely because of the severity of the criminal law that few people dare to cause trouble in the market of the Tiangui Sect.

"Mr. Chen, I don't think this is such a coincidence, right?" Zhu Liuqing turned to Chen Kang and said.

"Sister, the gambling house I went to happened to be run by Mr. Chen's family. Mr. Chen, as a disciple of the Law Enforcement Hall, came to deal with this matter. It's strange to say, I don't know why I was so angry and acted on impulse." Zhu Liuqing's eldest brother said.

After hearing this, Zhu Liuqing turned her head and glared at her eldest brother fiercely. She thought, there must be something strange about this. Although her brother is greedy for money and gambling, he has a peaceful and approachable personality. How could he do such a reckless behavior? Most likely he fell into someone else's trap.

She thought to herself that it was probably the family heirloom "Blood Jade Qilin" that caused the trouble.

The Zhu family heirloom "Blood Jade Qilin" is a treasure that assists in cultivation. After Zhu Liuqing's father died, the Chen family offered to buy the "Blood Jade Qilin" at a high price many times, but Zhu Liuqing refused.

Not long ago, Chen Kang shamelessly proposed to practice dual cultivation with Miss Zhu Liuqing. Chen Kang already had a first-hand partner two years ago, so Zhu Liuqing could only be a concubine at best. She was just coveting the Zhu family's treasure, the "Blood Jade Kylin".

Thinking of this, Zhu Liuqing said, "Mr. Chen, tell me, how many spiritual stones does my elder brother owe your gambling house?"

"Not much, just 25 high-grade spiritual stones, plus five high-grade spiritual stones for the compensation for injuring the gambling house staff, a total of 30." Chen Kang looked at Zhu Liuqing with a treacherous face, and his rat eyes kept wandering over Zhu Liuqing.

Hearing this, Zhu Liuqing's face suddenly darkened. Her heart was like an ant on a hot pot, where could she find 30 high-grade spiritual stones?

"I don't have so many spirit stones here. I hope Mr. Chen can give me some time. I will definitely find a way to pay back these spirit stones for my elder brother."

"I, Chen Kang, am not an unreasonable person. Let me put it this way, Miss Zhu. I will propose two solutions."

Chen Kang smiled lewdly and continued, "First, I proposed to you a few days ago that you and I should practice together, but unfortunately you refused. If you agree to practice together with me today, not only will your elder brother's gambling debts be paid, but I can also give you another 200 high-quality spirit stones as a betrothal gift."

Hearing this, Zhu Liuqing trembled slightly.

"What is the second one?" Zhu Liuqing couldn't wait to interrupt Chen Kang's words, with a trace of resentment in her eyes.

"The second one? It is only natural to pay back debts. It is not just empty talk, and you can't just say that you will give more time. How about you pay back 15 high-grade spirit stones today, and find a guarantor to pay back the remaining 15 within half a month?"

"I only have five high-grade spirit stones here. I will pay you five today, and I will definitely pay you the rest later."

"Five spirit stones, you are too stingy, Miss Zhu. Fifteen high-grade spirit stones, not one less." After saying that, Chen Kang showed a sinister smile at the corner of his mouth.

Zhu Liuqing turned her head and glanced at Xu Yang beside her.

Xu Yang was so smart that he said, "Junior Sister Zhu, I just happen to have ten high-grade spirit stones here, use them for now."

As he said that, he took out ten high-grade spirit stones from the storage bag and handed them to Zhu Liuqing.