"… Alright, I changed my mind about the assassins. They are not welcome anymore," I muttered as I extracted myself from Aisnam's arms, who had just recently fallen asleep, earlier than our usual time, because I had to focus on tiring her.

Which meant, fewer rewards.

[Cultivation Difference Bonus - 50; Pampering Bonus - 75 (Capped)]

[125x Return - 239 Qi Strands]

I had to do so due to the number of cultivator assassins. It was not even dawn, yet I could see eight cultivators rushing toward the capital through my detection formation, with four of them fast enough to suggest either higher cultivation near the peak of Qi Gathering or a movement art.

I hoped for a movement art. As much as my Rabbit Dash was useful, martial essence had its limits. I would much rather have a Qi-based movement art for emergencies.

My first target was the cultivator I had detected the earliest. Another early stage Qi cultivator, merely at the third stage. Based on his speed, I assumed that he was still coming from the Zaim Kingdom, but the outskirts. I wondered why he was trying. It should be obvious to him that he was late…

Not the sharpest challenger.

I summoned one of the disposable daggers from my inventory, wondering if maybe I should try something different against him. The old man, hunting the weaklings for a better payday was nice … but why not beef up that story with some extra fun.

Rather than confronting the enthusiastic assassin directly, I lay on his path for an ambush, waiting for him to approach. Once he appeared, I took a view of his looks. He was not young, but he walked confidently.

One that a mere Third Stage cultivator shouldn't have, particularly whose skills were subpar. It suggested that it hadn't been a long time since he had the opportunity to cultivate.

He was the perfect target for my next move.

I waited until he was nearby, and attacked him from ambush, using the Five Draws Illusionary Dagger's first move. The Qi turned into a sharp wave, which turned into three, and rushed toward my target like a deadly specter.

He was lucky that I only aimed at his shoulder, leaving a deep wound that only prevented him from fighting effectively rather than risking his life. He reacted late, retreating against a rock. "Who are you! Show yourself, coward!"

I shook my head. Not the sharpest tool in the shed. Unlike other cultivators I faced, he seemed to lack the unofficial ethics of cultivators. Still, it worked even more to my benefit. I appeared in front of him, wearing a dark cloak that covered my face. "Leave everything you own, and I'll let you live," I said with a booming voice that I enhanced with my Qi.

Ostensibly, to intimidate him, but I deliberately let it echo far and wide, enough that some of the other assassins would hear, as well as many of the martial artists around.

I wanted to give them the impression that there was more than one party that decided to target the assassins rather than the target. The more they were careful, the better.

"Never!" he gasped as he leaped on top of a rock and pulled a sword. Merely a Profound artifact, too damaged to last more than three hits. I could have disabled him a dozen ways before he could succeed in his attack, but I deliberately let him complete, and chose to dodge instead.

It was a good test against an unfamiliar weapon. He was too weak and wounded to present any risk, allowing me to familiarize myself with fighting against cultivators in a safe way.

"How dare you try to rob me as a coward!"

"Because someone else robbed me. I need the spirit stones to return to the market," I said.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Market? What market?" he said, showing that his knowledge about cultivation was even more limited than I expected. He probably found a technique by chance. Too bad he didn't have it with him.

Maybe I should follow him to his base. Based on his speed, it couldn't be too far away.

I didn't answer, instead clutched my side like I was suffering from a deep wound. While I knelt, I tagged him with a subtle formation, one that would flare periodically to give his location, but it would be activated a day later.

I wanted to visit his hiding spot if I had time. If possible, I needed another gate transformation technique. I was hoping that, once I had several of them, I could improve mine even further.

Once that was done, I moved to the next weak target. This time, he was using a saber. Once again, I sparred with him to test myself and get used to cultivator combat, while also selling the story. However, now that I knew a saber technique, even though it was a different technique, and a beginner one, the difference was incredible.

I could predict his attacks far more easily, countering and dodging them as needed.

It only improved my desire to collect more weapon techniques to improve my capabilities. Not many cultivators chose that path, as being an expert in one technique was far better than mediocre in many.

Luckily, I cheated. So, for me, the choice was between being a master of one, and a master of many.

I dealt with four other weaker cultivators the same way, but I used different weapons and techniques for each case, making the story of a robbing spree far more believable. Luckily, one of them carried a ripped book about gate transformation, supporting my mission to gather more knowledge. The technique seemed ordinary, but it didn't matter much.

I also collected a fist technique and a sword technique in the process from the two who decided to bring their technique books with them. However, the others, I didn't tag. They didn't seem to be as naive as the first cultivator I dealt with, so I didn't expect them to keep their treasures with them.

Now, only the real challenge remained.

Four strong cultivators.

Well, two of them, I corrected as I checked their locations. Two of them were already pulling back, retreating from the area, while the other two were continuing toward the capital steadily, unaffected by the fights.

I was tempted to fight against them, but I decided against it. One of them was at the eighth stage, and the other at the Ninth. And, the world of itinerant cultivators was dangerous enough that reaching that level couldn't be done easily. Either they were smart and calculative, or they had some kind of advantage that allowed them to survive despite being reckless and stupid.

Either way, it meant they might have some dangerous trump cards that could take me down if I tried to replicate the earlier trick.

Was I confident to take them down by using formations? Certainly, but that didn't mean I could counter every single thing they had in. Formations, particularly at my level, was an incredible source, but I needed to actually know the risks and their working principles — at least roughly — to counter them.

"But, maybe I could pull a different trick," I muttered as I realized that, once the two had continued to approach, the routes they had picked were not too far away. It wasn't impossible to adjust their route slightly with the application of the formations. A slight illusion here, some savage beasts with the potential to be annoying there … and soon, the two Late Stage cultivators looking at each other tensely, each trying to assess the other.

I activated a talisman I placed between them. It was just a purification talisman, with no offensive effect, but it didn't need to. They were already tense due to the fighting that had been going around, which was the reason the other two Late Stage cultivators had retreated.

It was like throwing a firecracker at a tense meeting between two gangs with bad blood between them.

Both cultivators reacted to it by attacking. The one at the Eight Stage pulled a staff, while the one at the Ninth Stage pulled a saber, and they launched simultaneous attacks. A sharp wave of flame collided with a mist as they moved toward each other, their fight intense enough to shake the ground.

I was safe behind the formation, but that didn't prevent me from feeling intimidated. I realized that, watching Aisnam gave me a misleading impression of the potential of the cultivators of Qi stage, mostly because Verdant Palm was a weaker technique compared to what they had been using.

I could have easily used my Verdant Palm to defeat them if my cultivation was higher, but that was about the unnatural advantages of mastery. At the same level of expertise, what they were using was certainly better.

It was probably Yellow rank rather than merely Profound. Intimidating, but also exciting about the three techniques I had received from Aisnam.

I didn't interfere with their battle other than manipulating their perception slightly, delaying their defenses to make sure they both received some dangerous wounds.

The commotion they created, along with their losses, should be enough to keep any assassin from visiting for a while. And, as much as losing the opportunity to get easy loot was a pity, it was better for me to focus on the techniques I had already collected, and be ready for the eventual arrival.

Now, all that remained was to see whether the Verdant family would put enough bounty to tempt Foundation Realm artists, or stop instigating and rely on Tiger Fist army to finish.