All they could do each day was pray that Chen Yuan would offend someone powerful and be properly dealt with.
Without evidence, the marketplace patrol had to lead by example. Despite several encounters with him, they had been unable to do anything.
The bearded man was also clever. Knowing that many cultivators detested him, he stayed cooped up in the marketplace all year round, never venturing out.
Conghe City was only a small city, far from the Ten Directions Sect. The largest cultivation family in the city was the Zhou family.
Since the Zhou family patriarch entered seclusion and the second branch took power, the family's situation had gone from bad to worse, and the city's economy had suffered along with it.
As the city went, so did the marketplace.
Normally, not many high-level cultivators passed through Conghe City, and after the upheaval in the Zhou family, there were even fewer.
With the threat of outside high-level cultivators diminished, the bearded man became even more arrogant.
Perhaps it was because he had lived too smoothly in the streets, or perhaps because Tianxia Tower’s image was too positive and business-oriented—valuing reputation above all else—that he felt there was a loophole to exploit.
Combined with the sweetness of his previous success, he had decided to target them as easy prey.
Little did he know that while Tianxia Tower dealt with him on the surface, they had already begun an investigation into him behind the scenes.
For an organization that could expand its business across the Five Continents, Tianxia Tower's methods and power were naturally beyond what a small marketplace in Conghe City could compare to.
In less than a month, they had investigated him thoroughly.
During this time, the tower had specifically arranged for the female cultivator to be stationed in Conghe City just so this matter could be completely resolved today.
On the other side, the capable woman had already ordered her people to bind the bearded man and used a silence spell to seal his mouth, preventing him from shouting any further.
She tied him up efficiently, feeling a sense of immense satisfaction.
It felt as if years of silt blocking her heart had finally been dredged and cleared away.
At the same time, a surge of heroic ambition rose within her.
Her spirit roots were poor, and when she entered the Ten Directions Sect, she was merely a handyman disciple.
Fortunately, she had obtained the remains of a body cultivator in her youth, which included a complete body refining manual and the insights left by that predecessor.
She simply chose to become a free rogue cultivator, entering the Dao through martial prowess and specializing in body refining.
Life as a rogue cultivator was difficult, and the situation for female rogue cultivators was even more arduous.
It just so happened that the Conghe City marketplace patrol was recruiting. Having stayed in Conghe City for some time and having a good impression of it, she decided to apply.
When she first went to fill out the form and they saw that her spirit root column only listed low-grade four-element spirit roots, the cultivators involved in the assessment didn't take her seriously.
When the assessment officially began and they saw her closing the distance to engage in close combat as a body cultivator, they looked down on her even more.
“With those slender arms and legs of yours, you want to join the patrol? Never mind whether you can pass the assessment; even if you do, if someone actually causes trouble in the marketplace, could you even handle it?”
Hearing those words, she was naturally indignant.
However, she didn't waste her breath arguing.
To deal with people like that, one had to use action to beat them into submission.
She sidestepped the long blade swung at her, leaped into a whirlwind kick, and followed up with a side kick. She sent the man flying off the arena stage, where he struggled to get up for a long time.
The area below the stage fell silent.
After three rounds, she successfully joined the patrol. Relying on her strength, she rose step by step to the position of captain.
The monthly salary for a captain was higher, and the autonomy was greater.
Some veterans were dissatisfied. “On what basis? She’s a newcomer who just happened to get lucky and earn some merit with us. Why should she be the captain?”
To this, she had only one sentence: “If you’re not convinced, come and fight. I’ll take you on.”
“Fine, then! Who’s afraid of you?”
He had heard about the assessment, but in his heart, he was dismissive.
She was just a female cultivator with poor spirit roots who was forced to practice body refining. Her thighs weren't even as thick as his arms; how could she be his match?
Yet, once on the arena stage, reality dealt him a heavy blow.
Forget about winning; he couldn't even withstand a single move from her.
From then on, her squad was completely won over by her, and even the other patrol teams no longer dared to underestimate her.
Just when she thought she could settle down in Conghe City to cultivate, leading her team on patrol during her shifts and handling disputes, Chen Yuan appeared.
He was like a piece of rat dung that had fallen into the pot of porridge that was the Conghe City marketplace.
The reports received by the patrol increased sharply, and most of them were caused by this Chen Yuan.
Unfortunately, the man seemed born to be a rogue, as slippery as an eel.
The patrol had dealt with him several times but could never do anything to him.
When she heard that someone was causing trouble again and the parties involved were Chen Yuan and Tianxia Tower, she thought the matter would end up unresolved just like before.
To her surprise, Tianxia Tower had come prepared.
The Dao Ancestor knew the complex emotions—surprise, shock, and admiration—she felt as she listened to that female cultivator from Tianxia Tower. Every word was clear and logical, every point was a statement of Chen Yuan's crimes, and every statement was backed by complete evidence.
It wasn't just because the marketplace's tumor was finally being removed, but also because she suddenly had an epiphany.
Originally, she thought that as someone with low-grade four-element spirit roots, she had been quite impressive to resolutely give up the chance to be a handyman disciple and enjoy the sect's protection in favor of being a free rogue cultivator, despite the constant danger.
She thought she was remarkable for being able to decisively give up spell cultivation as a seven-year-old child to follow the path of a body cultivator, enduring the pains of body refining that ordinary people found impossible to sustain.
She had originally thought that rising from an unremarkable rogue cultivator with poor aptitude to the position of patrol captain in the Conghe City marketplace was good enough.
A rogue's life was too bitter, while cultivation life in Conghe City was stable. she had even considered staying in the Conghe City marketplace for the rest of her life.
After all, with her aptitude of low-grade four-element spirit roots, being able to reach this step was enough.
Until today, when she saw that female cultivator from Tianxia Tower, did she realize that Conghe City was too small.
It was so small that even for someone like Chen Yuan, they didn't have enough connections or means to find his weaknesses.
It was so small that even passing Golden Core stage cultivators were few and far between. Daily life repeated itself day after day without any major changes or challenges.
It was so small that it had blunted her will and restricted her thoughts and vision.
Was she really willing to stop here?
Where was the courage she once had when she lived on the edge as a rogue? Where was the drive she had when she snatched chances from the mouths of demon beasts?
Where was the fighting spirit that refused to lose, refused to accept fate, and refused to be reconciled?
Could she really only stop here?
Was it really as some of the male cultivators in the patrol said? “The pain of body refining is something even male cultivators can't stand, let alone a woman.”
“A female body cultivator won't get far. That's the reality of the cultivation world. Why struggle?”
“You should just stay behind us. Why bother being a captain?”
She shook her head vigorously. No!
The cultivation world respected strength above all else, regardless of gender.
If they couldn't endure the hardship, that was their own problem. What did it have to do with gender?
It was simply a matter of one's own will, one's own vision, and one's own choices.
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