Chapter 260.
This year’s winter was exceptionally cold.
Heavy snowfalls came one after another as if it never stopped, and the cold winds from the north whistled over the valley day and night, as if ghosts were crying and wolves were howling, causing people to feel a piercing coldness just by listening to them.
Although cultivators above the third level of qi cultivation and innate martial artists were not afraid of the cold and heat, when the temperature dropped to a certain level, it was impossible to ignore the threat of winter.
As for those ordinary people, the days were even harder.
The residents of Dongwu Walled City hid in warm cellars or secret rooms.
It was just that those who had the conditions could cat for a winter like this, those who didn’t have enough food and supplies stocked up would be miserable.
Due to the rising food prices in the Walled City, some casual cultivators were forced to brave the wind and snow to go out hunting.
Especially those who usually got by, got a big taste of the pain.
Quite a few loose cultivators went out and never came back.
Meanwhile, the number of cultivators in Dongwu Walled City was increasing, with all sorts of conflicts emerging and the security situation becoming dire.
Even the Wei Tang couldn’t suppress it!
When Wang Chen walked out of the alley in the morning, he saw many unfamiliar faces.
They gathered under the eaves of the street in groups of three to five, their looks indifferent with ferocity, looking at the pedestrians coming and going with a fierce gaze, like a hungry wolf beast.
A greater number of displaced persons and beggars.
These displaced beggars huddled in the corner edge, holding a broken bowl to the people passing by begging.
There are also some children in ragged clothes, dragging a sliver of frozen hard snot, in the crowd through and through.
Such a scene made Wang Chen wonder if he had come to the wrong place.
Where was this like a scattered cultivation fortress, it was almost indistinguishable from a small county in the mundane world!
Suddenly he sensed something strange and without thinking, he probed and grabbed.
Grabbing a black hand that reached for his waist!
“Let go of me!”
A half-grown teenager glared at Wang Dust, his expression grim and eyes fierce, like an enraged wolf cub.
As soon as his words fell, four or five people immediately surrounded the side and came over.
“What do you want?”
“Bullying a child? Everyone come and take a look, someone is bullying a child!”
“This Immortal Master Lord, he’s still a child!”
“Let go of him!”
Some sang red faces and some sang white faces as they blocked Wang Chen’s path, an unsuspecting gaze falling on him as if they were staring at fat prey.
When the surrounding people saw this, no one stepped forward to help Wang Chuan out, instead revealing a gloating look of watching the show.
Click!
Wang Dust pinched off the thief’s thieving hand and droned, “Get lost!”
The people surrounding him were instantly struck by lightning, staggering back involuntarily, each face filled with horror.
Wang Dust’s astonishing aura revealed in an instant made them realize that they were looking for the wrong target, their moves were not bright enough to kick the iron plate, and they scrambled to scatter and flee.
Leaving the little thief on the ground wailing in pain!
Wang Dust shook his head and casually cast a cleansing spell before heading in the direction of the marketplace.
Those who witnessed this scene all revealed looks of awe.
No one dared to stand in his way anymore!
The Outer Domain believed in the forest law of the weak and the strong, whoever had a high cultivation and strong strength, then whoever was the boss.
Those who couldn’t figure this out were basically eliminated.
Today was not the day of the opening of the fair, but the marketplace was very lively both inside and outside.
Many stalls were set up in the nearby streets and alleys.
Since it was adjacent to the City Lord’s Mansion and was a key area guarded by the Guard Hall cultivators, the environment here looked chaotic but the order was fairly stable, with quite a few noisy people, and no one could be seen who dared to make a move.
“Lord Immortal Master, you are a great benefactor and perform a good deed.”
A white-haired old beggar stretched out his trembling hand and begged to Wang Dust, “Just give some food, my grandson hasn’t eaten for three days.”
He was carrying a young boy wrapped in a quilt on his back, and although the latter had his eyes open, his face was so yellow and weak that he didn’t even have the strength to speak.
This was the Immortal Cultivation World!
Wang Dust only felt a wave of depressed air flooding his chest, and he couldn’t spit it out even if he wanted to.
He silently pulled out two spiritual rice balls from his storage bag and handed them to the old beggar in front of him.
It wasn’t that Wang Chen couldn’t spare more.
Rather, giving more would instead bring danger to the grandchildren.
“Thank you, thank you Lord Immortal Master!”
The old beggar was so grateful that he was about to kneel down and kowtow to Wang Chen, but he was stopped by Wang Chen.
He watched the other party feed the rice ball to his young grandson, and then scanned around before entering inside the marketplace.
“Rune Master Wang …….”
A middle-aged cultivator greeted him and asked with a smile, “Are you here at the stall again today?”
Wang Dust nodded, “It seems like I’m late.”
There was a fixed number of stalls in the marketplace, and they were usually available on a first-come, first-served basis – of course, one had to pay the venue rental fee.
In the past, as long as it wasn’t a market day, then there were empty spaces when they came over at this time.
But today there are just too many stalls.
When Wang Chen came over just now, he noticed that many of the stalls outside were selling all sorts of rags, and the stall owners were probably putting out all their stuff for sale and for their own use.
It wasn’t too shabby at all!
“It’s not too late for you to come.”
The middle-aged cultivator said with a smile, “I’ve kept a few, so I’ll give you one if you want it.”
“Thanks.”
Wang Chen handed over a spirit stone and two talismans.
The other party was one of the stewards of the City Lord’s Mansion stationed in the market, with a cultivation level of the sixth level of Qi Practicing, and was a smooth talker.
Wang Chen had dealt with the other party a few times and was considered to know him.
This steward said that he was giving away stalls, but how could he take it seriously, so he paid the rental fee and gave a little extra benefit.
Otherwise, why would people care?
The middle-aged cultivator was indeed very happy, and immediately arranged a stall with a very good location for Wang Chen.
Because of his skill in refining talismans, Wang Chuan had become famous in Dongwu Walled City, and the talismans he sold were quite popular, and could be used as hard currency.
After receiving the benefits from Wang Dust, the middle-aged cultivator was naturally extra enthusiastic.
However, what made Wang Dust unexpected was that although he got a good stall, the business of talismans was much worse than before, and even one tenth of them were not sold after half a day.
Some casual cultivators came over to look at it for half a day, and then cut the price to death.
Wang Dust was too lazy to argue with the other side, and directly put out the “no counter-offer” sign.
As a result, business was even worse.
Finally, the middle-aged cultivator came over and whispered to him, “Recently, everyone is stocking up on food, the price of food has risen too fast, and those who have a little spirit stone can’t afford to spend it elsewhere.”
Wang Chen suddenly realized.
Only to hear the other party once again lowered his voice: “Master Wang Fu, you recently pay attention, recently the government may want to enlist a group of cultivators, for that Hu Meiniang to build the cultivation of Immortal House.”
Hmm?
Wang Chen was slightly stunned.
He knew that Hu Meiniang, the new concubine of Lord Xin Han, the Lord of Dongwu Walled City, was said to come from the Acacia Sect.
But what did this conscription of cultivators to build a separate courtyard have to do with him?
Unless there were ulterior motives!