The combined assault of the ten-thousand-year profound cold and the Black Abyssal fire emerged from his palms.

Shu Han believed he could repel the old man, but the latter remained unfazed, his fists still charging relentlessly.

Suddenly, as Shu Han's left palm, filled with the ancient cold, made contact with the old man's punch, it was blown away by a tremendous heat. Meanwhile, the fire in his right palm was instantly extinguished upon contact.

How could this be?

Bang!

A tremendous force collided with Shu Han's palms, sending him flying backward, gasping for air.

The old man, despite having no spiritual power, approached swiftly, leaving only after images. Shu Han, lying on the ground, was left defenseless, staring directly at the looming threat, resigned to his fate.

He braced himself for a beating, but as the old man stood above him, he suddenly halted. Without uttering a word, the old man extended his grimy hand. Swallowing hard, Shu Han grabbed the outstretched hand, and the old man pulled him to his feet, presenting his other hand.

Now, the old man's eyes were no longer clouded but sharp and bright.

"Spirit stones."

With a resigned smile, Shu Han handed over fifteen spirit stones. Bowing slightly, he said, "Thank you for your guidance, senior."

The old man, while counting the stones, murmured, "Guidance is an overstatement. Your techniques are superior; it's just that your physical body is weak."

Before Shu Han could respond, the old man's eyes filled with panic. Saliva dripped uncontrollably from his mouth, and he twitched nervously, shouting, "Dead... all dead..."

To everyone's shock, he collapsed and began rolling on the ground, his eyes filled with terror, crushing the spirit stones to powder in his grasp.

"Senior!"

Shu Han tried to assist, but the old man abruptly grabbed his collar, eyes wide with madness, yelling, "Who killed them?! Did you?! Was it me?! Who?! Alcohol! I need a drink!"

Then, a sudden cacophony of noise erupted.

Stumbling out of the central arena, Shu Han's face was a swollen mess. Like those before him, he had been thoroughly beaten. Once the old man lost his sanity, Shu Han stood no chance of retaliation.

He now realized that during their earlier spar, the old man had greatly suppressed his power. If the old man had gone all out, Shu Han felt he would have been subdued within a single round, even if he had employed his magic techniques.

The old man possessed not a trace of spiritual power, yet his strength was off the charts! What a peculiar situation! This was the first time Shu Han encountered someone in the cultivation world who could overpower other cultivators without the use of spiritual power.

Rubbing his swollen cheeks, Shu Han approached a stall selling liquor. The stall owner laughed upon seeing him, "Friend, you got beaten by that old lunatic, didn't you? By the looks of it, you got quite the thrashing. Remember, next time just hand over the spirit stones. You might avoid some of the beatings."

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Intrigued, Shu Han asked, "What's the story behind this old lunatic? Robbing people of their spirit stones on the streets, doesn't anyone deal with him?"

"Who can handle him? Even those at the late Foundation Establishment stage can hardly withstand a few exchanges with him. But he's harmless mostly, just robs some spirit stones to buy liquor here. He only inflicts minor injuries and doesn't kill."

Shu Han thought to himself, no wonder this liquor shop is so conveniently located, all of the old lunatic's spirit stones end up in your pocket!

The seller added, "While he may seem crazy, robbing and beating people, he's not entirely bad. Given his capability, he could easily kill anyone without repercussions. He's actually much better than some cultivators who appear righteous on the surface but act maliciously in the shadows."

Curious, Shu Han asked, "What's his background?"

"Who knows? I'm over two hundred years old and have been selling liquor for more than a hundred. As far as my memory serves, he's always been here. No one knows for how long. He's almost a landmark of the Carefree town."

Having such longevity without spiritual power or cultivation?

Shu Han surprised, ordered, "Boss, get me two jugs of your finest liquor!"

"That'll be twenty spirit stones!"

Shu Han's face fell, "That expensive?"

The seller chuckled, "Brother, you don't recognize quality, do you? This is the famous 'Tear Wine'."

Shu Han inquired, "Tear Wine? Made from tears?"

The seller laughed, "It means one jug is so expensive you'll cry, and two will break your bank. That's Tear Wine!"

Annoyed, Shu Han took the jugs and headed back to the arena. Though he was beaten by the frenzied old man, their spar did enhance his martial arts skills. Improvement in martial arts often comes from evenly matched battles. After becoming a cultivator, Shu Han seldom used martial arts. His Sky-aspiring Sword Technique lacked refinement, but under immense pressure this time, his sword skill improved.

It seemed right to buy the old man some liquor as a token of gratitude. Perhaps, when the old man was calm, he could spar with him again. Improving martial arts might not be crucial in actual combat, but it broadened Shu Han's horizons.

However, upon reaching the arena, the old man was nowhere to be found. Shu Han sat on the stone steps, waiting. As time passed and there was no sign of the old man, a sense of disappointment settled in his heart.

Estimating the time, Shu Han tucked away the two jugs of liquor and headed toward the exit where he had agreed to meet Xiao Zian. In a deserted corner, he changed back to his original appearance. Soon, he saw Xiao Zian, with a rosy complexion, waiting for him at the exit.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting, Brother Xiao!"

"It's nothing, Brother Shu. You've saved me before; waiting for you is my honor."

With that, the two prepared to leave the Carefree town, but they suddenly noticed a crowd gathered at the exit. Shu Han curiously asked, "What's going on?"

Xiao Zian explained, "There's always someone causing trouble in the markets under our Fiery Cloud Instant Sect. Those are the bounty notices for them. So, Brother Shu, you really don't need to wear a mask. Anyone who dares to mess around under the watch of our Fiery Cloud Instant Sect will end up like this."

Saying this, he led Shu Han into the crowd.

Xiao Zian pointed out, "Look at this guy, Brother Shu. Harassing female cultivators in the Carefree Town, a bounty of fifty low-grade spirit stones. So pathetic! Even if he had to spend money, it wouldn't have been much!"

"This one's even worse! Got drunk and caused a scene. A reward of thirty spirit stones. Does he think he's that old lunatic?"

"Hey, Brother Shu, look at this big bounty! A reward of one thousand spirit stones! Oddly, there's no description of the crime, and it's directly issued by the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect."

Suddenly, Xiao Zian froze, pulling Shu Han closer, and exclaimed, "Brother Shu, doesn't this person look like you? Damn, he really looks like you! Doesn't he?"

Shu Han's face turned dark instantly: Stop shouting! How is this just 'looking like me'? That IS me!

The crowd instantly went silent, their gazes converging on Xiao Zian and Shu Han.

"Capture him! One thousand spirit stones!"

"Go, go! First come, first served!"

Panicking, Shu Han immediately used the Shrinking Earth into Inches technique to flee towards the town's exit, tossing out eight thunderbolt talismans, and sending the mob tumbling.

"Xiao Zian, you'll pay for this!"

With that, Shu Han dived into the maze-like escape route of the town, disappearing without a trace.

Left in shock, Xiao Zian muttered to himself, "I was with a fugitive worth one thousand spirit stones all this while…"

He shivered uncontrollably.