Ye Tian did not linger to watch the commotion, but instead pulled Yang Shoucheng along towards other stalls.
Yang Shoucheng chuckled, "Brother, what was that display?"
Ye Tian replied, "This man dared to threaten me. It was merciful of me not to kill him on the spot."
Just then, a stall ahead lit up. Yang Shoucheng said with a smile, "The stall ahead looks interesting, selling all sorts of peculiar items. Let's go take a look."
It was a large stall, with items scattered casually on the ground: stones, weapons, ancient books, medicinal herbs. The goods were diverse, but most possessed unique characteristics.
Ye Tian had no intention of buying anything here, but as his gaze swept across the area, his heart gave a violent tremor. By the lakeside, placed there was a dan furnace, a meter and a half tall. Its surface was already rusted, and some of its operational mechanisms were damaged, but it was undeniably a dan furnace.
He asked the owner, "Is this a boiler?"
The owner, in his thirties, clearly knew what it was. He said, "My ancestors acquired this from a dilapidated Taoist temple. It's said to have been used for alchemy in the past. If you like it, I'll sell it to you for thirty thousand yuan."
Ye Tian chuckled, "So it's an alchemy furnace. With a bit of tidying up, it could make a grand decorative piece."
He generously paid the thirty thousand and bought the dan furnace.
By now, he had purchased quite a few items. He said to Yang Shoucheng, "Old Yang, let's go. We have too much stuff; if we buy any more, we won't be able to carry it."
With that, he hoisted the dan furnace, weighing over three hundred catties, onto his shoulder and strode away from the ghost market.
Upon exiting the scenic area, he said to Yang Shoucheng, "Find a pickup truck. This thing is too big; it won't fit in this car."
As Yang Shoucheng made a call, a young man approached, his steps steady, clearly a practitioner of martial arts.
The young man, not yet thirty, smiled and said, "Friend, what do you intend to do with such a large item?"
Ye Tian replied coldly, "Is it any of your business?"
The other man's expression darkened, "Kid, don't be so insolent! Our Master Hou San is interested in the furnace you bought. You'd better come with me."
Ye Tian scoffed, "I don't know any Master Hou San. Get lost. I have no interest in chatting with you."
The man became enraged, "Kid, you're ungrateful! Then you don't need to leave!"
He turned and walked back, seemingly to call for reinforcements. Ye Tian felt helpless and said to Yang Shoucheng, "Old Yang, you drive away first."
Yang Shoucheng was startled. "No, I can't leave you alone, brother. That Hou San is said to be ruthless and very dangerous."
Ye Tian reassured him, "Don't worry, he can't keep me."
Yang Shoucheng knew Ye Tian's capabilities. After a moment's hesitation, he got into the car and left the scenic area first.
As soon as Yang Shoucheng left, Ye Tian shouldered the dan furnace and began walking.
Carrying the several hundred catties, he was caught up with within less than ten li. The sound of rushing air came from behind, and a voice roared, "Stop!"
Ye Tian put down the dan furnace and turned, throwing a punch. He was on a small road in the suburbs. The punch came abruptly. The pursuer was taken by surprise and, unable to react, could only meet the blow head-on.
"Boom!"
An immense force sent the man flying. The man was a Qi Refining Grandmaster, but compared to Ye Tian, the disparity in strength was vast. He was severely injured with a single blow.
Ye Tian wasted no time. After injuring the man, he picked up the dan furnace and continued walking. Passing by a residential house, he quietly placed the dan furnace in the backyard. The backyard was cluttered with杂物 (miscellaneous items) and usually deserted. For a short while, it should not be discovered by the residents.
He then continued forward, reaching a field, where he was indeed caught up with again. This time, two people caught up with him: a young man and a middle-aged man.
The young man wielded a sword, and the middle-aged man a saber. Both exuded a sharp killing intent.
The middle-aged man said, "Friend, that item you possess so dearly must be a treasure, mustn't it?"
Ye Tian wasted no words. His divine sense coalesced into a needle and fiercely pierced the young man's spirit. The young man stiffened, his mind going blank.
The middle-aged man roared, "Villain, how dare you!" With a flash of his saber, a strand of saber energy slashed towards Ye Tian.