A battle array of over a hundred Cultivators, riding on more than a dozen beast ships rented from the White Mountain Beast Taming Sect, followed Fang Qingyuan to a Black Market outside Nanlong Mountain. The journey was like a scenic tour; though they were supposedly there to call them to account, it felt more like a spring outing.

Many of them knew a fight was unlikely to break out. They were mostly just for show. If things truly came to blows, besides the members of the White Mountain Beast Taming Sect, most of the Far East Alliance Cultivators would likely scatter at the first sign of trouble.

Yinbao, along with his wives and concubines, was still busy earning Spirit Stones for the Qingyuan Sect, so Fang Qingyuan hadn’t specifically called him over for this matter. He and Jinbao rode on a separate Humpback Skate, guided by a disciple from the White Mountain Beast Taming Sect, and flew toward Nanlong Mountain.

Atop the Humpback Skate, Fang Qingyuan narrowed his eyes, considering his objectives for this trip. ’Get my disciple back and demand an explanation. That should be enough. But if they insist on being stubborn, I might have to raise hell. At White Mountain Pass, fists speak louder than words, unlike with the Confucian Family, where victory is decided by debate.’

When the procession of a hundred-plus people and their dozen beast ships arrived at the Black Market outside Nanlong Mountain, Fang Qingyuan could clearly see people inside scrambling around.

The Black Market was, by its very nature, an entity that thrived in the shadows. It was an organization that the Great Zhou Academy didn’t bother to crack down on, allowing it to survive in secret. Such organizations couldn’t stand the light of day, and by showing up like this, Fang Qingyuan had essentially exposed this Black Market’s location.

The Far East Alliance had been the one to provide the information on the Black Market’s location; otherwise, Fang Qingyuan would not have found it so easily.

Of course, outsiders didn’t yet know the purpose of Fang Qingyuan’s visit. They only saw him arrive with a large entourage and surround the area, looking for all the world like he was there to cause trouble. In response, a large group of Cultivators flew out from inside with a great WHOOSH.

As he sensed the overall cultivation levels of the opposing Cultivators, Fang Qingyuan’s expression remained impassive, but he was inwardly startled. ’More than a dozen Foundation Establishment Cultivators, compared to only two or three on our side. The difference is staggering.’

However, Fang Qingyuan felt no fear. First, he was on the side of reason. Second, he was confident that he alone could take on ten of them.

"Greetings, fellow Daoist. May I ask why you have come to our Land Realm? Judging by this display, you’ve come to call us to account, have you not?"

The leader of the Black Market Cultivators, a man with Late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivation, spoke up. When he saw Fang Qingyuan’s side had so many beast ships, and that some Cultivators even wore the attire of the Beast Taming Sect, his tone had become less harsh.

Fang Qingyuan replied coldly,

"My disciple was simply out delivering a letter when you detained her without cause. Are you unaware that my Qingyuan Sect is a clan that has been formally invested for three generations? How dare you act so boldly. If you don’t give me an explanation today, I will petition the Great Zhou Academy to come and adjudicate this matter."

Upon hearing Fang Qingyuan’s words, the Foundation Establishment Cultivator’s expression changed slightly. He had only just learned of Jiang Wanqin’s powerful background and hadn’t yet figured out how to handle the situation when her sect came knocking.

’But if I just hand her over, what will happen to this Black Market’s reputation? Even in our line of work, we need to save face. Without it, how can we keep our operations running smoothly?’

So, the man hardened his tone.

"It’s only natural to repay one’s debts. Your disciple owes us Spirit Stones and cannot pay. Is it not expected for her to offer herself as collateral? No matter who you ask, we are the ones in the right here."

Fang Qingyuan’s expression darkened.

"Spare me the false pretenses. I’ll ask you one question: are you releasing her or not? Otherwise, I will raze this Black Market to the ground."

"Haha! You dare speak such arrogant words with a mere hundred or so Qi Cultivation disciples and two or three in Foundation Establishment? We have been established here for a century. We’re not some group that anyone can just bully. If you truly want a fight, feel free to try!"

Seeing the conversation fall apart in just a few sentences, Xiao Yangxu, who stood off to the side, grew incredibly anxious. He absolutely did not want to see the two sides start a fight. ’If they do, the people from the Far East Alliance will scatter, and that would be an incredibly ugly scene.’

So, Xiao Yangxu hurriedly stepped forward to interject.

"Gentlemen, please, calm yourselves. There must be a misunderstanding. Why don’t we sit down and talk this over? There’s no need to resort to violence."

With Xiao Yangxu mediating, the tense, blade-drawn atmosphere between the two parties eased. Both men had put on a fierce display, but in truth, neither actually wanted to fight. It was just an initial phase of posturing and trading threats.

In the end, the Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Black Market was the first to show a gesture of goodwill. He proposed that they could ransom the person back with Spirit Stones. However, he then added that, considering the long and difficult journey Fang Qingyuan’s group had made, they could forget about the Spirit Stones and just treat it as an opportunity to make friends.

Once Jiang Wanqin was brought out, Fang Qingyuan and his entourage turned around and went back the way they came. The whole affair, which had started with such bluster, ended with a whimper.

Just as everyone had predicted, the mission had been as easy as a leisurely outing.

This was only possible because the Qingyuan Sect had connections to both the Great Zhou Academy and the Beast Taming Sect. Had it been anyone else, would things have been resolved so easily?

On the way back, Fang Qingyuan glanced at Jiang Wanqin, who trailed behind him looking like a guilty child, her face etched with unease. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of resignation. She had left Yuanling Mountain, intending to take a beast ship back to the Qingyuan Sect, but had stumbled into a classic con preying on the weak and naive. She fell for it completely. Not only was she swindled out of all her Spirit Stones, but even as she was being sold to the Black Market, she still thought her captors were good people.

Fang Qingyuan didn’t know what to say about Jiang Wanqin. She had spent her entire life cultivating on Yuanling Mountain. The education she had received since childhood came from a Confucian teacher that Fang Qingyuan himself had hired from Qi Yun back in the day. It was this upbringing that had fostered her hopelessly naive and kind-hearted nature. ’In the end,’ he thought, ’I guess I’m partly to blame.’