Zhou Yan nodded and walked outside, but he still noticed the people secretly following them.
Xiao Qiao said to Zhou Yan, "Lord, shall I deal with those people?"
"I'll go too," Da Qiao said, afraid for her sister.
Zhou Yan thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "Just lure them over and deal with them."
Thus, the women all laughed.
Zhou Yan deliberately walked towards a secluded area and then hid in secret. The few people behind him quickly followed. Then, Zhou Yan and the others immediately appeared and launched an attack on them.
These people were quite strong, but they were no match for Zhou Yan and his companions. After being attacked by more than a dozen skills and being ganged up on, they could only lie on the ground in despair.
"The one surnamed Du sent you, didn't he?" Zhou Yan sneered.
"Kid, our Du family is from the immortal islands overseas. You'd best be wise and let us go, otherwise..."
"Pfft!"
Zhou Yan's sword slashed across the other person's neck. The man's eyes widened, and he clutched his neck, looking at Zhou Yan with disbelief. He hadn't expected Zhou Yan to be so decisive and give them no chance at all.
Seeing his companion ruthlessly killed, the other person, terrified, knelt down and said to Zhou Yan, "Please spare me, hero. We were just following orders, we didn't want to..."
"Pfft!"
Zhou Yan slashed again, killing him as well.
"You talk too much."
"Two minor figures, but their cultivation is quite good, actually both at the sixty-fold heaven realm," Diao Chan said with some surprise.
Apart from Zhou Yan, Diao Chan was the most powerful among them. Diao Chan's current realm was fifty-one-fold heaven, while most of the others' realms hovered between thirty and fifty-fold heaven.
Diao Chan's cultivation speed was already very fast, having only cultivated for a few months. The realms of the others were still too low.
"When we return to the territory, everyone should cultivate diligently. We have the [Seclusion Chamber], so just focus on cultivating when you have nothing else to do. We have plenty of cultivation resources anyway."
Diao Chan also saw what the women were thinking and spoke.
"Sister Diao Chan is absolutely right, we should indeed improve our strength."
"I want to go into seclusion and cultivate diligently, striving to reach the eighty-fold heaven realm."
"That will take quite some time."
Zhou Yan then went to other places. Later, he received a message and went to the South City Merchant Association to meet with the person in charge there. This person, like the two responsible persons from yesterday, was there to discuss trade matters with him.
They discussed for two hours before completing the transaction. The other party also gave Zhou Yan a token and mentioned future cooperation.
Zhou Yan also traded many precious materials from the other party, even trading over ten thousand units of nine-star materials.
Both parties were very satisfied. Zhou Yan also looked forward to future transactions with them, as the materials in their hands could upgrade two types of defensive towers in his territory.
Afterward, the person in charge of North City also wanted to meet with Zhou Yan.
The person in charge of North City was a fat man, very shrewd and very stingy, unwilling to suffer any losses. Zhou Yan, facing such a person, naturally had his own methods. You don't want to lose out, right? Then think carefully before you talk.
This made the fat man anxious. After much pleading, Zhou Yan finally agreed to trade with him.
After all, it was the other party who needed his materials, not that he desperately needed the other party's materials.
For these people in charge, the more materials they could submit to headquarters, the more benefits they would receive, so they naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity.
Although this fat man offered fewer discounts than the other three merchant associations, it was better than nothing. In any case, many materials in Zhou Yan's territory were piled up like mountains. If they weren't traded, he didn't know when they would be used.
Moreover, he was profiting from the trades, not losing anything. Zhou Yan naturally wouldn't refuse such a transaction.
After the trade was completed, the fat man also wanted to maintain a long-term trading relationship with Zhou Yan. Zhou Yan didn't refuse. After all, he would definitely come again in the future, and trading with more people would increase the types of materials he acquired.
After the transaction was completed, he declined the fat man's banquet, but the other party still gave him a token. With this, Zhou Yan had collected tokens from all four merchant associations.
He returned to the inn.
Zhou Yan was waiting for tomorrow's auction.
The next day, he woke up in a haven of comfort and then led some people towards the auction.
The others continued to go to the four major markets to purchase materials.
Not many people went to the auction this time. Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao were too tired last night and stayed at the inn to rest today.
Xiao Zhao, Zhou Zhiruo, and Zhao Min also chose to cultivate at the inn.
Zhou Yan only brought Cai Yan, Diao Chan, and Zhen Mi this time, with Dian Wei and Yang Zaixing acting as bodyguards.
Yesterday, Zhou Yan already knew the location of today's auction.
However, as the saying goes, enemies often cross paths. When Zhou Yan arrived at the entrance of the auction house, a group of people arrived from a distance, it was Du Xun and his gang.
Zhou Yan also saw them. He saw Du Xun standing with a seductive young woman, giggling and acting intimately.
However, when Du Xun saw Zhou Yan and his group, he immediately stopped smiling and said angrily, "Surround them!"
Instantly, Zhou Yan was surrounded by a group of people.
Dian Wei and Yang Zaixing immediately drew their weapons. As long as Zhou Yan gave the order, they would transform into fierce warriors and carve a path through them.
Zhou Yan showed no fear, maintaining his elegant demeanor, looking at Du Xun as if he were an idiot.
In Zhou Yan's eyes, Du Xun was hardly an enemy.
"Kid, you killed my men yesterday. How dare you kill people within the city!" Du Xun said angrily.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yan asked, "Oh, you say I killed them? Where is the evidence?"
"You..." Du Xun was immediately speechless and then laughed, "If I say it's you, then it's you! I never need so-called evidence!"
Then, Du Xun said to the young woman beside him, "Cousin, this is the person who killed my two subordinates. Take them to prison and keep them under strict guard!"
The young woman looked at Zhou Yan and his group, her face full of allure. She sighed at how handsome the young man was, thinking she had to savor the taste. She then asked, "This is Shangyang City. Do you dare to kill people in the city, thinking there are no rules here?"
Zhou Yan smiled and replied, "Oh, so this is how people in Shangyang City are, arbitrarily arresting people without discerning right from wrong? I've really seen it today. You say I killed someone in the street, but where is the person? Where is the evidence?"
"I had my men burn the bodies. Yesterday, I sent two people to follow you, but they died in a corner. It must have been you. What other evidence do you need!" Du Xun said.