**Chapter 38: Monopoly**

Green Sun Market. 

Qin Ming walked absentmindedly along the street, still mulling over the conversation he had with Shopkeeper Liao earlier. 

If the price of spirit rice were to drop, it would mean a significant reduction in his income. 

This directly affected how quickly he could earn spirit stones. 

He kept pondering this issue, and gradually, he began to feel restless and troubled. 

Just then— 

A large crowd of cultivators had gathered near the notice wall ahead, pointing and discussing something fervently. 

It wasn't uncommon for cultivators to gather around the notices, but Qin Ming had never seen such a massive turnout before. 

"Did something happen again?" 

Curious, Qin Ming joined the crowd as a casual onlooker. 

On the wall, there was a striking red bounty poster that was twice the size of the surrounding notices. 

There was no portrait of any individual, only a description of a gang of five bandit cultivators whose exact appearances were unknown. 

These criminals were audacious beyond belief—they had brazenly kidnapped the beloved son of an elder from the Golden Cloud Valley under broad daylight, extorted an exorbitant ransom, and then brutally murdered him! 

But even worse— 

They had managed to escape unscathed despite being pursued by a Foundation Establishment Elder from the Golden Cloud Valley. 

Their actions went far beyond mere kidnapping and murder. 

They were openly challenging the authority and dignity of the entire Golden Cloud Valley sect! 

This was nothing short of a malicious act of provocation! 

Humiliated, the Golden Cloud Valley was now offering a hefty reward to hunt down these criminals, vowing to turn the entire Cloud Marsh Wilderness upside down if necessary to find them. 

The notice stated: 

- Anyone who captures or kills any one of the five will be rewarded with a Foundation Establishment Pill. 

- Anyone who provides specific information leading to their capture will be granted the opportunity to join the inner disciples of the Golden Cloud Valley, along with a Marrow Cleansing Pill as an additional reward. 

- Anyone found withholding information about the criminals will be treated as accomplices and executed without mercy! 

"Holy crap, they're beasts!" 

"How dare they kill the son of an elder from the Golden Cloud Valley!" 

Qin Ming stared at the notice, dumbfounded. 

Meanwhile, many of the onlookers, enticed by the generous rewards, grew eager to take action. 

"A Foundation Establishment Pill is tempting, but you'd better have the guts to claim it, sigh!" 

"To escape unharmed from a Foundation Establishment Elder? These guys are no ordinary thugs." 

Qin Ming shook his head soberly and silently left the scene. 

"Could this gang be the same group that killed Daoist Long?" 

"They're lawless, daring to challenge an entire sect's authority. Their methods seem awfully familiar." 

As Qin Ming walked, a sudden realization struck him. 

When he returned to his 'Cool Breeze Abode,' he silently congratulated himself for choosing to move into the market. 

Though the cost was high, it was undeniably safer than staying outside. 

With the current chaos around Green Sun Market, even the sons of sect elders weren't safe—what wouldn't these bandits dare to do? 

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**The next morning.** 

*Knock knock knock!* 

Qin Ming was casting the Advanced Spirit Rain Technique on the Witherblood Poison Vine when someone knocked on the courtyard gate. 

He stopped the spell and peeked through the peephole. 

To his surprise, it was Cai Laojiu outside. 

Qin Ming deactivated the gate's protective barrier and welcomed him inside. 

"Lao Jiu, what brings you here today?" 

"Are you planning to treat me to a drink at the Gathering Pavilion after selling your spirit rice?" 

"Come in and have some tea first." 

Qin Ming smiled warmly as he spoke. 

"No tea for me," Cai Laojiu muttered, keeping his head down and fidgeting nervously. 

"Little Qin, can you lend me a hundred spirit stones?" 

Qin Ming was taken aback. 

After all these years of working together as spirit planters, this was the first time Cai Laojiu had ever asked to borrow spirit stones. 

Something was off. 

"Didn't I tell you to sell all your spirit rice secretly yesterday?" 

"What happened?" 

As Qin Ming questioned him, he noticed Cai Laojiu's head hanging low. Frowning, he said, "Hey, lift your head and speak!" 

Cai Laojiu reluctantly raised his head, revealing a battered face covered in bruises. He looked utterly miserable. 

Seeing this, Qin Ming froze. 

"Lao Jiu, what happened to you?" 

Cai Laojiu sighed bitterly. 

"Well… after receiving your communication talisman yesterday, I prepared to go to Shopkeeper Liao to sell my spirit rice. 

But halfway there, I was ambushed by Jiang Kun and his gang from the Spirit Feather Sect. 

They accused me of privately selling spirit rice meant for the sect to outsiders. Not only did they beat me up, but they also confiscated all my spirit rice. 

And as punishment, they're demanding double the amount in fines—two hundred spirit stones. 

If I don't pay within three days, they'll… they'll send me to the war camp." 

Hearing this, Qin Ming's brows furrowed deeply. It was that Jiang Kun again! Last time, he had almost caused trouble for Qin Ming at the Hall of Duties. 

"What do you mean by 'privately selling'? 

After paying the spirit rice tax, whatever remains belongs to us. The Spirit Feather Sect has no right to interfere!" 

"On what grounds are they punishing you?!" 

Cai Laojiu stammered, "T-they said that some inner disciples like Jiang Kun opened a place called the 'Treasure Pavilion' in the market. 

Their biggest rival is the 'Gathering Pavilion.' 

They never expected the profits from running an inn in the market to be so enormous. Moreover, part of the spirit stones earned through the Treasure Pavilion flows back to the sect. 

So even the higher-ups of the Spirit Feather Sect have tacitly approved of it. 

They said that when the spirit fields open for cultivation in a few days, Elder Gu will announce this matter officially. 

From then on, spirit farmers under the jurisdiction of the Spirit Feather Sect will be strictly forbidden from selling spirit rice to anyone other than the Treasure Pavilion. 

Violators will face severe penalties. 

Yesterday, several spirit farmers were caught selling spirit rice in the market. One of them was even beaten to the point of having his leg broken by Jiang Kun and his gang of inner disciples." 

Cai Laojiu's voice grew hoarse as he spoke. 

Qin Ming's mind reeled. 

"This is monopolization!" 

Putting aside everything else, Qin Ming had signed a contract with the Gathering Pavilion! 

If he violated the Spirit Feather Sect's decree, he'd surely face dire consequences. 

But if he breached his agreement with the Gathering Pavilion, he'd have to pay an astronomical compensation in spirit stones. 

And spirit stones aside, offending Gu Qingzhao would mean the Mirror Snow Pavilion wouldn't let him off easily either. 

He was well aware of the cost of breaking a contract. 

"Damn that Jiang Kun!" 

"Why couldn't he mess with anything else? Why did he have to open this Treasure Pavilion?!" 

"That gang of bandits should've kidnapped and torn him apart too!" 

Qin Ming was seething with anger. This situation had put him in a bind with no easy way out. 

After some thought, he retrieved one hundred fifty spirit stones and two healing pills from his storage pouch and handed them to Cai Laojiu. 

"Take these to cover your expenses and heal your wounds. 

We'll figure out the rest later." 

Cai Laojiu took the spirit stones and pills, his eyes instantly welling up with tears. 

For a moment, he was too choked up to speak. 

In this ruthless world of cultivation, not everyone was willing to lend spirit stones so freely. 

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(End of Chapter) 

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