Li Qi's words brought a brief silence to the scene.
But soon, Fang Siyuan, the patrolling elder from Jingqi Pavilion, shook his head slightly.
A wry smile appeared on his face.
"Directly attacking Qin Yang's shop is something we wouldn't dare to do. After all, we haven't even had time to thoroughly investigate the background of Qin Yang's shop, so how could we dare to act rashly?"
"Our main purpose for coming this time is to invite your Penguin Medicine Pavilion to join the merchant alliance we have recently established. This is to counter the suppression from Qin Yang's shop."
"Merchant alliance?"
Li Qi looked at Fang Siyuan speaking, but didn't continue. He was clearly waiting for Fang Siyuan to explain the merchant alliance to him.
And it was obvious that Fang Siyuan couldn't miss Li Qi's intention.
He quickly began to explain.
As Fang Siyuan explained, Li Qi quickly understood the purpose of the merchant alliance, which was largely as he had guessed.
It was all because of the emergence of Qin Yang's shop.
However, because they still hadn't figured out the strength behind Qin Yang's shop, which came from a prosperous region.
Therefore, while the local merchant shops dared not resort to force, individual shops found it difficult to cope with the suppression from Qin Yang's shop.
Thus, they formed a local merchant alliance.
The purpose was to annoy Qin Yang's shop in every way possible.
For example, when the cultivators from Qin Yang's shop transported various pills or heavenly materials and earthly treasures to other Void Black Markets, they would obtain information in advance.
Then, those who were transporting them would disappear without a trace, and the batch of resources would be plundered.
Or, if their own shops lacked resources, they could borrow from other merchant shops to deal with the suppression from Qin Yang's shop.
In short, it boiled down to two sentences: unite and huddle together for warmth, and secretly annoy Qin Yang's shop.
After all, they still didn't know the background of Qin Yang's shop and didn't dare to act openly.
They could only resort to these underhanded tactics to resist.
"What do you think, fellow daoist? Your Penguin Medicine Pavilion has been rooted in these Void Black Markets for several hundred years. Would you be willing to join our merchant alliance?"
Fang Siyuan's voice rang out again, looking at Li Qi.
Li Qi's eyes remained unchanged, but after hearing what Fang Siyuan and the others' merchant alliance intended to do.
He couldn't help but secretly feel fortunate.
Logically speaking, his Penguin Medicine Pavilion was also considered an outside merchant shop.
But fortunately, his Penguin Medicine Pavilion had only targeted Cangyan Medicine Pavilion back then, and it hadn't affected any other merchant shops.
But Qin Yang's shop was different. As soon as it appeared, it tried to suppress all local merchant shops through various channels, arousing public anger.
Although times have changed, and Li Qi's strength was now terrifyingly formidable.
But if he hadn't had such strength in the past, and his Penguin Medicine Pavilion had also been greedy and done something like this, he feared that with his strength back then, he wouldn't have been able to handle the joint attack of so many merchant shops, let alone expose the fake background of his Penguin Medicine Pavilion.
However, now, such a united front of local merchant shops targeting him was irrelevant to him, and they even invited him to join.
Li Qi pondered for a moment.
There was no disadvantage in joining the merchant alliance. After hundreds of years of development, he was already considered a member of the local merchant shops.
Joining this merchant alliance, although he didn't need the help of other merchant shops, but before he fully understood the background of Qin Yang's shop, occasionally annoying them seemed like a good thing.
In any case, such actions were beneficial and harmless to the Penguin Medicine Pavilion.
Thinking this, Li Qi prepared to agree to Fang Siyuan and the others' invitation to join the alliance.
But before Li Qi could utter his agreement.
Li Qi's mouth suddenly closed.
His brows furrowed slightly again.
An outsider merchant shop emerged in the local area, and then the local merchant shops, unable to compete with the outsider, could only resort to underhanded tactics in private.
"Why does it feel like I'm like a villain who's teaming up to target the protagonist."
It was too similar.
Even Li Qi, who used to love watching fantasy novels, could imagine the subsequent plot.
Finally, their local merchant alliance was completely exposed, and they completely tore off their masks.
A master from that outsider merchant shop would directly explode with power, and forced to do so, would kill them all, and then, as an outsider, would completely rule the entire Void Black Market here.
"Holy crap, no way."
Li Qi shivered. This plot was too much like the template of a villain who was destined to be cannon fodder.
"Fellow daoist? What do you think?"
While Li Qi was lost in thought.
Fang Siyuan's voice rang out again, and the other cultivators at the Tribulation Stage from the surrounding merchant shops also turned their gazes towards the first life puppet controlled by Li Qi.
Hearing this, Li Qi returned to his senses once more.
His gaze remained unchanged, he lowered his head and pondered again for a moment, and then finally said.
"Yes, I will also join this local merchant alliance."
As soon as these words were spoken, the cultivators at the Tribulation Stage from the other merchant shops present immediately showed smiles on their faces.
As for Li Qi, after his earlier wandering thoughts, he reconsidered.
Although his current situation did indeed resemble a villain about to become cannon fodder for the protagonist.
But after all, what Qin Yang's shop was doing here had indeed greatly affected the business of his Penguin Medicine Pavilion.
Moreover, novels were just novels. He, Li Qi, wouldn't truly become a villain to be easily killed. Compared to the vague possibility of him becoming a villain and being killed.
It was more important for his Penguin Medicine Pavilion to make money. After all, if it were back when there was only the Earth Void Heavenly Dao, Li Qi might not have been too desperate for resources.
But now, with him having both an Earth Void Heavenly Dao that needed resources and a Silence Space that also needed resources.
Everything was completely different.
For the current Li Qi, he could never have enough of earning resources, no matter how much he earned.
"In that case, from today onwards, Penguin Medicine Pavilion will also be a part of our local merchant alliance."
Fang Siyuan's voice rang out again at this moment, and the cultivators at the Tribulation Stage from the surrounding merchant shops also looked at the first life puppet controlled by Li Qi with smiles.
Looking at these kind gazes, without the slightest hint of the past machinations between different merchant shops.
Li Qi was silent for a moment, then quickly smiled faintly.
Indeed, no matter when.
The "outsider enemy" is the only thing that can make everyone united in hatred.