Luo Chen wanted to tell Wang Yuan about the matter. However, in the following days, Wang Yuan seemed to vanish into thin air without a trace.

𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Not daring to leave the inner city rashly, Luo Chen asked Old Man Chen to find Wang Yuan.

Yet, Old Man Chen couldn't find Wang Yuan at his house either. He mentioned that the door was tightly shut, as if no one had lived there for quite some time.

Feeling helpless, Luo Chen could only keep the matter to himself.

As for placing bets? Would Luo Chen stoop so low as to profit from a brother's life and death?

Forget it, forget it.

There's not much I can do. Instead of worrying needlessly, I might as well focus on improving myself.

In the quiet night, Luo Chen swallowed a qi-nourishing pill and resumed his cultivation.

The fifth stage of Qi-Refining was within reach, and only then could he truly be considered at the mid-stage of Qi-Refining. At the fourth stage of Qi-Refining, he was still too weak. He couldn't sustain combat using enchanted artifacts for long.

In the days that followed, Luo Chen returned to his routine of alchemy and cultivation.

Achieving proficiency in the Myriad Wonders pill brought him a 30% success rate and elevated the pill's grade to mid-grade.

After refining the first batch, Luo Chen had some thoughts.

Should I raise the price?

Previously, the low-grade pills could sell for five spirit stones each. Now that they were mid-grade, a price increase seemed reasonable.

Logically speaking, raising the price wasn't unreasonable. However, Kang Dongyue's words made him realize that hastily increasing the price might not be wise.

After all, the Myriad Wonders pill's price was already inflated. Its high price was primarily due to its unique effects.

Moreover, Qi-Refining cultivators had limited spending power; overly high prices would deter potential customers.

The improvement to mid-grade is still too minor. Raising the price would only cost me the loyal customers I've worked so hard to build.

Besides, I'm already earning enough to support my current cultivation. I should wait until the Myriad Wonders Pill undergoes a qualitative change and reach the top-grade to raise the price.

After careful consideration, Luo Chen temporarily set a pricing strategy for his flagship product. With his plans in place, he no longer felt so rushed.

Time flew by in this calm and unhurried rhythm. During this period, interactions within the courtyard decreased significantly.

Luo Chen speculated that this change was due to the growing bustle of Dahe Market. Even though he rarely went out, he could feel the palpable excitement in the air whenever he did venture into the streets.

Everyone eagerly anticipated the official opening of the Debate Platform, where cultivator battles would be showcased openly in broad daylight—a truly thrilling prospect.

While tales of murder, treasure snatching, and roadside robbery sounded thrilling, ordinary people rarely had any sense of involvement in such events.

More and more foreign cultivators arrived in Dahe Market. Those capable of long-distance travel were either highly skilled or wealthy.

The arrival of such people significantly boosted the local cultivators' businesses.

Previously, there were only small markets on the first, fourth and seventh days of the week and a large market at the start of each month. Now, it seemed like there was a small market every day, each as lively as the large ones used to be.

The sky over the outer district shimmered with countless streaks of light, radiating all kinds of colors.

The foreign cultivators seemed completely unaware of what "low-profile" meant or perhaps they felt this remote, backwater market held no one worth their discretion.

During this time, Luo Chen grew even more discreet, rarely venturing outside, and during this period, Gu Caiyi returned once. Indeed, Gu Caiyi had been staying at Tianxiang Tower during this time.

It was said that Tianxiang Tower was participating in a "performance showcase" for the Debate Platform's grand opening.

The Feather Garment Pavilion, where Gu Caiyi resided, was a mainstay of the performance.

This would be a chance for her to gain fame and recognition. If she performed well, her status at Tianxiang Tower would surely rise.

Once her reputation was established, the cultivators frequenting the tower would only become more generous.

As for the Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator Fei Bowen from Ai Lao Mountain, who had previously lavished her with gifts, he hadn't been seen splurging at Tianxiang Tower lately.

"He came to Dahe Market for business. Ai Lao Mountain played a major role in constructing the Debate Platform. Now, with the opening imminent, he has many responsibilities to ensure nothing goes wrong. If there's a mistake, the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect may lose reputation and Ai Lao Mountain will suffer disgrace."

Those were Gu Caiyi's exact words.

Hearing this, Luo Chen could only sigh. Even being a "construction foreman" in the cultivation world wasn't easy!

Creak…

The sound of the courtyard gate opening interrupted Luo Chen, who was practicing the Wind-Control Seal with leaps and bounds. He froze mid-motion.

At this hour of noon, who could it be?

In the next moment, he saw a man and a woman standing at the gate, staring at him in shock as he stood atop the roof.

"Thief! Breaking into my house? You're asking for death!"

With an angry roar, a golden mace came hurtling toward him.

Luo Chen was dumbfounded.

Weren't fights prohibited in the inner city?

Though startled, his reaction was swift.

Unleashing the Perfection level Carefree Wander, combined with the Wind-Control Seal, he soared into the sky like a great roc.

Just as the golden mace was about to hit, he abruptly retreated several steps mid-air, like a swallow turning back.

This display of floating in the air with such elegance and ease startled the burly middle-aged man in the courtyard.

"Well, well, thief—you've got some skills!"

With that, he formed a seal with his hands, preparing to unleash another technique. However, the elegant woman beside him stopped him, flinging a blue whip that wrapped around the golden mace mid-air and brought it down.

"Wifey, what are you doing?"

The woman in palace attire gave him a glare. "Liangchen, can't you tell he's a resident here?"

Only then did Qin Liangchen notice that the courtyard seemed more lively and full of life than before. The once-vacant backroom now had its door wide open, clearly occupied. Recalling Sun Shou's mention of a new young neighbor, it was clear that this young man was him.

"Come down!" Qin Liangchen called out.

Luo Chen hovered cautiously. That golden mace had been truly terrifying.

Had it hit him, he would've been gravely injured if not dead.

"Who are you people? Breaking into someone's home in broad daylight, acting so recklessly—do you think the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect's authority is just for show?

"Is the sect completely empty?"

"Hey, you kid...," Qin Liangchen glared angrily.

Before he could finish speaking, the elegant woman beside him interrupted.

"Alright, stop it."

"Are you Fellow Daoist Luo Chen? We are the Qin family couple from the west wing. Come down, please!"

Huff!

Luo Chen exhaled deeply and gracefully landed.

He had actually already guessed the couple's identities when the woman called out the name "Liangchen."

At the stone table in the courtyard, the three of them sat on stone stools and introduced themselves. The atmosphere wasn't particularly awkward; in fact, it felt rather friendly,

The elegant woman, Murong Qinglian, gave an explanation.

Their son, Qin Xiaohu, had recently passed the entry trial and successfully joined the Luoyun Sect. After staying there for a few months and confirming that everything was stable, the couple returned to Dahe Market.

After all, their roots and livelihood were here. They couldn't abandon everything just because their son entered a prestigious sect and followed him there to live idly.

"That's truly something to congratulate you on, perhaps in another ten years, the Qin family will have a Foundation Establishment cultivator." Luo Chen said politely.

It was clear that this remark struck a chord with the Qin couple. After all, who wouldn't wish for their child to have a smooth and successful cultivation journey?

Qin Liangchen chuckled and gave Luo Chen a hearty pat on the shoulder. "Kid, you're pretty impressive yourself! You're only at the fourth stage of Qi-Refining and still managed to dodge my strikes twice."

There wasn't a trace of flattery in his tone—he meant it sincerely.

Luo Chen's earlier performance had genuinely surprised him.

Luo Chen smiled wryly. "It may have seemed easy to you, senior, but I was scared out of my wits earlier."

Murong Qinglian, standing beside him, smiled gently. "My husband was indeed at fault. He can be a bit rough, but he held back earlier—don't take it to heart, young friend."

With that, she retrieved a beast-shaped wooden figurine from her storage pouch.

"A small token, nothing much. Please accept it as an apology, young friend."

Luo Chen waved a hand dismissively. "It's nothing. Let's just call it a case of 'not enemies but acquaintances.' No need for apologies or gifts."

Despite his words, he had already taken the figurine.

As he played with the wooden artifact, shaped like a pangolin, he curiously asked, "Is this an enchanted artifact?"