The young girl had only brought Yang Kai to the central courtyard when they were surrounded by a dozen members of the Zhang Family.
“Who goes there!” Someone shouted, looking wary.
“It’s Senior Yang, Senior Yang!” The young girl was extremely excited and wouldn’t let go of Yang Kai’s arm, constantly repeating his name aloud.
“It’s highly improper for a young woman to be shouting like that!” A familiar voice emerged, followed by the appearance of the voluptuous figure of a beautiful woman. The woman resembled Ruo Xi greatly.
“Mother, Senior Yang came to visit!” The young girl quickly shouted.
“What Senior Yang?” The beautiful woman frowned, but coming closer and taking a good look at him, she covered her lips and exclaimed in surprise, “Senior Yang!”
“Madam Zhang, I trust you’ve been well since we last met!” Yang Kai smiled. This beautiful woman was none other than Ruo Xi’s mother, Ning Su Wan.
Ning Su Wan was out of it for a long while before she smiled happily, “Senior Yang still looks as youthful as ever!” After a pause, she suddenly remembered to tell the young girl holding Yang Kai’s arm, “Ruo Yu, go and ask your Grandmother to come out.”
“Yes!” The young girl called Ruo Yu quickly rushed inside.
Ning Su Wan looked behind Yang Kai, but didn’t see the figure she was hoping to see, her pretty face changing as she asked with a tremor in her voice, “Senior Yang… is Ruo Xi…”
Yang Kai smiled, “Don’t worry, everything is fine with Ruo Xi, there were just some things she had to attend to so she couldn’t come this time.”
Only after hearing Yang Kai’s answer did Ning Su Wan pat her chest in relief. She was truly afraid she would hear some bad news from Yang Kai. When the Zhang Family was being bullied last time, it was Yang Kai who stepped in to save them. After that, Zhang Ruo Xi left with Yang Kai, and it had been a decade since she’d last seen her daughter or heard any news about her. Naturally, Ning Su Wan missed her very much. Things had not been as peaceful outside as things within the Zhang Family. In the past, Yang Kai may have performed quite well, but as they broadened their horizons over the years, the Zhang Family also got to know that the Yang Kai of back then wasn’t actually that powerful.
If he really did provoke a powerful opponent outside, then he may have ended up dragging Ruo Xi into trouble.
Fortunately, Yang Kai came and assured her that Ruo Xi was safe and sound.
“Senior Yang, please come inside!” With her mind at ease, Ning Su Wan gestured politely with her hand. Even though she had a bellyful of questions, years of polishing had taught her to remain calm, and she naturally knew that this was not the best time for questions.
At this time, many of the Zhang Family members who came over realized who Yang Kai was. Many of them had also met Yang Kai back then, and even if they’d never met him personally, they’d heard about him and knew that he was the one who took Ruo Xi away.
All the hostility and vigilance disappeared instantly and was replaced by kindness and smiles.
Ning Su Wan led Yang Kai into the Zhang Family parlour where he was seated, and someone immediately came over to serve tea.
Before they could say more than a few words, an old voice suddenly came from the outside, “Senior Yang has come?”
Yang Kai quickly got up to see an old woman walk out step by step with Zhang Ruo Yu’s support, her clouded eyes immediately lighting up with a bright light. The old woman looked over and said in pleasant surprise, “It really is Senior Yang! This old woman greets Senior Yang!”
Yang Kai was shocked and immediately reached out to lift her up and exclaimed in panic, “Old Madam, please, you mustn’t. This Junior is undeserving of such honours.”
Old Lady Zhang, however, insisted, “No, I should. If not for you, then the Zhang Family would have ceased to be at that time.”
“I was merely entrusted by someone else to help, there’s no need to mention what happened back then,” Yang Kai shook his head slowly and helped Old Lady Zhang up to the main seat and settled her down before returning to his own seat.
Ning Su Wan watched this scene quietly, the corners of her mouth curving up into a smile of relief.
Even though the Zhang Family agreed to Yang Kai taking Ruo Xi away, everyone knew something would definitely happen if a young and talented man like Yang Kai were to bring along a beautiful young woman with him. It was just a matter of time before Ruo Xi was taken in as Yang Kai’s wife.
In other words, Ning Su Wan had long considered Yang Kai as the Zhang Family’s son-in-law.
Only, this son-in-law was stronger than the Zhang Family, so even though she was certain of this reality, she couldn’t just go around talking about it lest she make things difficult for Ruo Xi.
But seeing that Yang Kai didn’t have the least bit of arrogance in him, and was showing proper respect to the elderly and kindness to the young, Ning Su Wan knew he had a good heart.
“Senior Yang…” Old Lady Zhang sat down and had just opened her mouth when Yang Kai waved his hand and said, “Old Madam can just call me by my name, no need to address me as Senior.”
Old Lady Zhang said, “But how could this…”
Ning Su Wan smiled, “Mother, since Yang Kai insists, then why make him sound like a stranger?”
Upon hearing this, Old Lady Zhang seemed to understand something and smiled, “Then this old woman will be taking advantage of her age!”
“Of course,” Yang Kai nodded.
“How… has Ruo Xi been?”
Ning Su Wan answered, “Yang Kai told us earlier that Ruo Xi is fine, so there’s no need to worry about her, Mother.”
“Truly?” Old Lady Zhang looked earnestly at Yang Kai.
“It’s true,” Yang Kai smiled, “It’s just that Ruo Xi entered retreat some time ago, so she couldn’t come with me this time.”
“All is well if she is well!” Old Lady Zhang looked relieved, “By the way, what realm has Ruo Xi reached?”
The Zhang Family suffered in the past due to their lack of Masters, so they had also been paying special attention to nurturing the next generation. Several disciples with good aptitude had also appeared, but since their family was lacking in resources, their improvement had been slow and their cultivations were quite low. Ning Su Wan, however, was strongly affected by what happened back then and managed to improve her cultivation greatly. However, she was still just a First-Order Dao Source Realm.
Other than her, there were no other Dao Source Realm cultivators in the entire Zhang Family. Old Lady Zhang had an Origin King Realm cultivation, but she was too old and her vitality was in decline, so she simply could not fight at full strength anymore.
In other words, Ning Su Wan had been the one holding up the Zhang Family all these years.
“Ruo Xi is… already a Third-Order Dao Source Realm!” After some thought, Yang Kai didn’t dare to reveal the full truth.
Ruo Xi’s current cultivation really wasn’t easy to judge. Before that event, she was indeed a Third-Order Dao Source Realm, but an average First-Order Emperor Realm Master likely wouldn’t be her opponent. Now that she was inheriting the power of the mysterious Heavens Order inside the Blood Gate, there was no telling what sort of growth she would achieve once she came out.
The entire Zhang Family parlour instantly went quiet after Yang Kai said this. All of them were staring at him dumbfoundedly. There should have been joy and excitement, but instead, they seemed to be in disbelief.
It wasn’t that they didn’t trust Yang Kai, but his statement was just… a little too shocking.
It had to be known that Zhang Ruo Xi was only an Origin Returning Realm Junior when Yang Kai took her away back then. After that realm was the Origin King Realm, then the Dao Source Realm…
There was a great gap between the Origin King Realm and Dao Source Realm that not just anyone could cross. If not for this, Dao Source Realm cultivators in the Zhang Family wouldn’t be so scarce. Even if Ruo Xi’s aptitude was good and she really managed to break through to the Dao Source Realm, it should have been impossible for her to advance to the Third-Order in a mere ten years.
It had been only a decade since she left, so how could she possibly have grown from the Origin Returning Realm to the Third-Order Dao Source Realm in that amount of time?
Subconsciously, both Ning Su Wan and Old Lady Zhang felt that Yang Kai was just saying things to reassure them.
“Ruo Xi really is a Third-Order Dao Source Realm now,” Yang Kai asserted when he saw that they didn’t believe him.
Ning Su Wan and Old Lady Zhang looked at each other blankly for a moment before they hesitantly asked, “Then, Yang Kai, what is your current realm?”
Yang Kai did not answer directly and instead just released a little of his Emperor Pressure.
“Emperor Realm!” Ning Su Wan exclaimed in shock while the eyes of the rest of the Zhang Family Juniors went wide.
An Emperor, a real, living, breathing Emperor! Even though there were plenty of Emperor Realm Masters in Maplewood City and Spirit Lake City now, these Senior Experts were not people a small Zhang Family could ever come into contact with, but now, a genuine Emperor Realm Master was sitting in their parlour.
“Now you all believe me, right?” Yang Kai was a little speechless. Fortunately, he didn’t tell them the truth, otherwise, the Zhang Family would probably start to question whether there was something wrong with his head.
“Ruo Xi… She’s really reached the Third-Order Dao Source Realm already?” Ning Su Wan trembled in response to the evidence laid out in front of her.
If Yang Kai’s cultivation had reached the Emperor Realm, then it would not be impossible for Zhang Ruo Xi to be in the Third-Order Dao Source Realm.
“It’s absolutely true!” Yang Kai nodded.
“Good, good, good. The Heavens have blessed my Zhang Family. My Zhang Family has finally produced a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator!” Ning Su Wan’s excitement overwhelmed her, and even the silver-haired Old Lady Zhang had a look of joy on her face. As for the rest of the Zhang Family’s Juniors, they were unable to contain their glee.
A Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, in their eyes, was an unattainable existence, but the Zhang Family had actually produced one, and it was even in the same generation as them.
The young girl called Zhang Ruo Yu had a particularly strong reaction as a burning light flashed past her eyes that seemed able to melt solid ice.
“I came to visit the Zhang Family this time mainly because there is something I wish to discuss with you,” Yang Kai waited for them to calm down a little before continuing.
“Please speak. As long as it is something possible for us, the Zhang Family will surely agree to it,” Ning Su Wan quickly answered. It wasn’t like they could refuse either. How could the requests of an Emperor Realm Master be refused at will?
Yang Kai said, “I wish to bring you all to a place.”
“A place? Where?” Ning Su Wan was taken aback.
“My Sect!” Yang Kai went on, “It’s safe there and the conditions are not at all worse than Spirit Lake Palace. If you were to go there, then there would be no need for you to worry about having a quality cultivation environment. There are people there who can teach the Zhang Family’s disciples to cultivate, and there is also no need to worry about resources.”
Every word Yang Kai spoke made the eyes of the Zhang Family’s Juniors brighten just a little more, filling each of them with anticipation. Yang Kai’s words were like a picture scroll unfolding in front of their eyes, showing them their bright future ahead.
“Such a place exists…?” Ning Su Wan was slightly lost in thought.
“Is Ruo Xi… also there?” Old Lady Zhang asked.
“Currently no, but she will be there in the future,” Yang Kai answered.
“Good, this old woman agrees. Yang Kai, how could the Zhang Family not appreciate your kindness?”
Ning Su Wan also nodded lightly after a moment of silence. If things were truly as good as how Yang Kai described it, then going would naturally bring many benefits. The Zhang Family may have peace now, but there are too many Masters passing through Maplewood City and Spirit Lake City, and any one of them had the ability to destroy the Zhang Family. If they continued staying here without the protection of a Master, then there was no telling when they would be wiped out for some random reason.
“Take care, Brother-in-Law. Come back soon to pick us up!”
Zhang Ruo Yu’s voice sounded from behind, causing Yang Kai who was flying towards Maplewood City to almost dive headfirst into the ground when he heard.
The Zhang Family seemed to have decided that something was going on between Ruo Xi and him.
Yang Kai didn’t bother to argue with them either, so after discussing with the Old Madam of the Zhang Family, he told them to pack their bags and be ready to leave. However, Yang Kai still had some business to settle, and he naturally couldn’t leave right away, so he asked the Zhang Family to wait for him to finish up before he brought them back to his Sect.
Before leaving, Yang Kai left eight Blood Beasts at the Zhang Family just in case anything happened.
These Blood Beasts were refined when he wasn’t that strong, and with the improvement of his strength, he basically had no use for them anymore, but they still had Dao Source Realm-level strength, so they would be a big help when placed in the Zhang Family.
As long as no Emperor Realm Masters came to start trouble with the Zhang Family, these Blood Beasts could protect them for now. But of course, Yang Kai also left the Zhang Family a way to contact him in case of any accidents and also so he could contact them when he was finished with his business.
After being gone a few years from Maplewood City and coming back, things really had changed.
Take, for example, Spirit Lake City. Dao Source Realm cultivators were already a common sight now, while Emperor Realm Masters flew to and fro through the sky, the law enforcement teams not even daring to meddle with them.
Yang Kai headed towards where the Qin Family resided.
A young servant wearing a round cap stood at the entrance, and when he saw Yang Kai walk over, he asked respectfully, “Sir, may this little one ask whom you are seeking?”
“Qin Yao Zhang, Patriarch of the Qin Family. Please pass on the message for me,” Yang Kai responded.
“You’re here to see the Patriarch?” The servant was a little stunned and asked carefully, “May I ask for your name?”
“Just tell him that someone surnamed Yang has come to visit.”
The servant nodded his head, excused himself, and headed into the residence.
Yang Kai stood outside with both hands behind his back, but seeing no movements for a long while, he frowned and probed into the Qin Family with his Divine Sense.
From what he could see with his Divine Sense, things were not much different from when he left back then. The Qin Family did not seem to have gained much from Maplewood City’s rise, but that was not hard to understand. The Qin Family was just a small family to begin with, so although Maplewood City had expanded rapidly, it was too difficult for the Qin Family to reap any significant benefits.
But overall, the cultivators in the Qin Family had improved in strength, likely due to the now rich World Energy in Maplewood City.
[Qin Yu!]
Suddenly, Yang Kai noticed Qin Yu’s figure inside one of the secret rooms. After not seeing her for a few years, this little girl had actually reached the Second-Order Dao Source Realm. Her weak self in the past had been cast off, and her figure had matured quite a lot, with a rosy complexion now adorning her face instead of a pale one. From the looks of it, she was currently in retreat inside a cultivation room.
As expected of the World Tribulation Body, even though she had been facing a fatal disaster, after overcoming it she had received a giant opportunity.
Qin Yu, who was cultivating, suddenly opened her eyes as if she had sensed something, and her beautiful gaze suddenly looked towards Yang Kai’s direction through the many layers of obstructions. A mysterious light flashed across her eyes as if they could pierce through space to see into the very essence of things.
Fated Fortune Heavenly Pupil!
Yang Kai was stunned and quickly used his Divine Sense to isolate himself and conceal his presence as he stood there awkwardly, scratching his nose.
If Qin Yu, who was only a Second-Order Dao Source Realm, really found out that he was spying on her, he would have no face left at all.
But Qin Yu’s changes still shocked Yang Kai. Not to mention her cultivation shooting up, that Fated Fortune Heavenly Pupil also seemed to have become far stronger and more profound. He was an Emperor Realm Master with extremely strong Soul cultivation, but he was still discovered by Qin Yu when he secretly probed the residence. If Qin Yu were to fully mature, one could imagine how powerful she could become.
Divine Sense shifting away, Yang Kai continued looking around other places in the Qin Family.
Inside the secret room, Qin Yu frowned a little, a suspicious look on her face.
She clearly felt a spying gaze just now, but when she chased after it, it suddenly disappeared. There were two possibilities in this situation. Either it was just a misconception, or the cultivation of the person probing around was far higher than her own.
Qin Yu figured that it was the latter. Masters often come and go from Maplewood City, and it was normal for them to inadvertently sweep across this place with their senses. The main point was that Qin Yu didn’t feel any malice from that probe, and since that was the case, there was no problem.
“Sir Luo, this Qin really can’t help it. Please, could you please be lenient for another few days?”
When Yang Kai’s Divine Sense swept over a certain room, he suddenly found Qin Zhao Yang’s trail, but at this moment, the latter had a bitter look on his face and was pleading about something to a luxuriously-dressed man.
Next to him, two maidservants stood there, pale-faced and trembling.
“Can’t help it?” The young man surnamed Luo sneered at Qin Zhao Yang, “Even if you can’t, find a way to get it done! It doesn’t matter if you have to steal or rob to get it done! I don’t need to teach you something as simple as that, do I?”
Qin Yao Zhang’s face changed, and he exclaimed, “How could I possibly do such a thing!”
“You can’t?” The man surnamed Luo grunted before suddenly pointing at the two maidservants to the side and shouting, “Open your dog eyes wide and take a look at these two harlots you sent over today! You think these lowly whores are worthy of serving this Young Lord?”
The two maidservants with low cultivation paled instantly when they were pointed at by this man and kneeled down instantly, bodies trembling all over, seemingly very afraid of him.
Qin Yao Zhang had a bitter face. For a man as old as him to have spittle sprayed over his face by someone who could be his grandson made him furious, and yet he could not vent that anger. In fact, the two maidservants he brought over were by no means bad in appearance. They looked quite delicate actually, but the requirements of this young man surnamed Luo were simply too high and he would accept nothing short of excellent. What’s more, he demanded a different woman each day.
All the prettier maidservants of the Qin Family had already been ravished by him, and Qin Zhao Yang had also brought a number of outside maidservants into the Qin Family, but he still could not meet the needs of this youth.
“It seems like your Qin Family doesn’t need to be sheltered by this Young Lord anymore. Fine, this Young Lord also can’t be bothered, but I’m sure Patriarch Qin knows what the end of the Du Family was better than I,” saying that, the young man surnamed Luo began to walk out.
Qin Zhao Yang’s face changed and he hurried to stop him, “Sir Luo, please wait!”
The young man coldly snorted, “What else do you have to say?”
Qin Zhao Yang said with a look of difficulty, “Please, Sir Luo. Give me two days… No, one day! This Qin will definitely think of a way to satisfy Sir Luo!”
Upon hearing this, the young man surnamed Luo sighed, “Patriarch Qin, it has not been a short time since this Young Lord came to your Qin Family, and since this Young Lord took up residence here, what sort of people dared to find trouble with you or your family?”
“Not a one!” Qin Zhao Yang quickly answered. This young man was not easy to serve, and his lust was simply bottomless. He would not be pleased without a woman every day. Even though the Qin Family was not one of those big families, they still had the ability to find some beautiful maidservants, but the main issue was the fact that this guy changed women too quickly. They could send over two beautiful maidservants, but he would ask for new ones in just a few days. Just like a breeding horse, this young man seemed to only live for enjoying himself.
But what he said was undoubtedly true. No one had come to find trouble with the Qin Family since he arrived. On the other hand, the Du Family offended a Master some days ago, and they were completely uprooted. A family of over a hundred people were exterminated overnight, from their Patriarch right down to their servants.
The rules in Maplewood City were not as strict as Spirit Lake City, and even though there existed a City Lord’s Mansion to maintain order, how could a few weaklings deter the gathered masses? Many Masters had no regard for the City Lord’s Mansion and acted however they pleased in the dark despite seemingly obeying the law on the surface.
And it was for that reason that the large families in Maplewood City had all invited someone with strength and status to protect the peace of their family. But of course, the price they had to pay wouldn’t be small. What the Qin Family had to pay was still on the light side. All they had to do was send a few beautiful maidservants to take care of the young man surnamed Luo every few days. On the other hand, some families had to surrender seventy percent of their annual earnings to their protectors, which was simply a nightmare.
“ Patriarch Qin is also an understanding man,” the young man surnamed Luo smiled and patted Qin Zhao Yang’s shoulder. “This Young Lord has a proposal, I wonder if the Qin Family Patriarch is willing to accept it.”
Qin Zhao Yang’s heart jumped as he couldn’t help but have a bad feeling in his gut hearing this; however, he could only grit his teeth and say, “This Qin is willing to listen.”
The cultivator surnamed Luo grinned meaningfully and whispered, “Doesn’t Patriarch Qin have an outstanding granddaughter? As long as…”
“Absolutely not!” Qin Zhao Yang was shocked and quickly refused. The extreme lust of this cultivator surnamed Luo was precisely the reason why he had Qin Yu enter retreat in that secret room, telling her not to come out for any reason. He didn’t expect that this incarnation of lust would still have his eyes on her even after that.
Ever since Yang Kai returned from the Four Seasons Realm and brought back the Tribulation Fruit, resolving the danger of Qin Yu’s World Tribulation Body, Qin Yu had shown extraordinary aptitude for cultivation. In just a few short years, she had already reached the Second-Order Dao Source Realm, and in time, there may even be the possibility of her ascending to the Emperor Realm.
The Qin Family’s future rested on Qin Yu’s shoulders. Not to mention his most precious granddaughter, Qin Zhao Yang couldn’t use any of his descendants as a bargaining chip.
As for the maidservants he bought in order to serve that cultivator surnamed Luo, Qin Zhao Yang explained the situation to them and only took them back to the Qin Family after they themselves agreed.
Qin Yu would never agree to such a thing, and Qin Zhao Yang would never consider it either.
“Why not?” The young man’s face turned dark as if his majesty was being challenged.
“This won’t do. Anything but this…” Qin Zhao Yang waved his hands repeatedly.
His staunch refusal angered the young man instantly and he shouted, “You say no, but this Young Lord doesn’t see any problem with it! Rest assured, as long as your granddaughter can commit her body to this Young Lord, anything is negotiable with the Qin Family! I will go and look for her now, you need not get involved!”
While speaking, he began to walk out as if he had long known where Qin Yu was.
Qin Zhao Yang was shocked and appalled. He wanted to stop that cultivator surnamed Luo, but he ended up grabbing empty air as the latter slipped away like a loach.
When the cultivator surnamed Luo opened the door to leave though, he was stunned to find someone blocking his path.
“Make way!” The young man surnamed Luo was in a hurry to look for Qin Yu, so how could he still have any mind to stay here? As such, without hesitation, he thrust his palm out.
The man blocking his path, however, didn’t even try to dodge, instead lifting his hand lightly and poking out with the tip of his finger towards the cultivator surnamed Luo’s palm.
A piercing pain suddenly filled the young man surnamed Luo’s body, and as if he had been struck by lightning, he shivered and leapt back, finally looking up in shock and horror and shouting, “Who?!”
Qin Zhao Yang was also stunned at the sudden situation, and it wasn’t until the smell of blood reached the tip of his nose that he came back to his senses. Looking up, he was dumbfounded as he called out, “Little Brother Yang!”
Qin Zhao Yang was staring blankly at the figure blocking the doorway. He didn’t think that Yang Kai would actually appear at this critical moment, and even managed to injure Luo Ping with a single finger! But then Qin Zhao Yang began to panic. Yang Kai may not know who Luo Ping was, but he did. He was simply not someone that they could afford to provoke. If that wasn’t the case, Luo Ping wouldn’t have been qualified to protect the Qin Family.
“Patriarch Qin, I trust you’ve been well since we last met!” Yang Kai smiled.
At this time, the young servant with the round cap appeared behind Yang Kai with a bitter look on his face as he said, “Patriarch, this man said he wanted to see you. This little one came to report, but didn’t dare to enter when he heard the commotion inside.”
Qin Zhao Yang waved his hand, “You may excuse yourself.”
The boy with the cap quickly ran off as if he’d been pardoned.
“Who is Your Excellency? And why have you acted so viciously towards this Young Lord!” Luo Ping gritted his teeth and shouted. Yang Kai’s finger had pierced through his palm just now, digging a bloody hole into it.
“You call this vicious?” Yang Kai grinned, “Compared to what you were about to do, this is nothing much.”
He then turned to Qin Zhao Yang and asked, “Who is this guy?”
After listening for so long, Yang Kai still hadn’t figured out who this young man was, but Qin Zhao Yang seemed quite afraid of him.
Qin Zhao Yang had a troubled look on his face, but before he could speak, Luo Ping shouted, “This Young Lord is a disciple of Star Soul Palace! You dare hurt me? You’re dead!”
“Star Soul Palace?” Yang Kai frowned.
Luo Ping sneered, “What’s wrong? Scared? If you’re scared then get down on your knees and kowtow to this Young Lord! Perhaps I could even spare your life!”
“Is he really a Star Soul Palace disciple?” Yang Kai looked solemnly at Qin Zhao Yang.
Qin Zhao Yang smiled bitterly, “It’s true.”
Yang Kai nodded. One could not impersonate a Star Soul Palace casually. One may not necessarily find themselves in any trouble if they impersonated the disciples of one of the three top Sects in the Southern Territory as long as they weren’t caught, but if anyone tried to impersonate a Star Soul Palace disciple, they would surely invite disaster upon themselves.
This young man in front of him had a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivation, which was not considered bad, and he also had a firm aura. He wasn’t too old, so he was probably from a big Sect, and since Qin Zhao Yang confirmed it, he must have verified his identity beforehand.
In other words, this Luo Ping really was a disciple of Star Soul Palace.
No wonder his tone of speech was so arrogant, not even showing any fear in front of an Emperor Realm Master like Yang Kai. It turned out it was because of his identity as a Star Soul Palace disciple.
“Kneel!” Holding his bleeding hand, Luo Ping shouted at Yang Kai once more through gritted teeth.
Yang Kai slowly raised his palm, Emperor Qi condensing on it as he said indifferently, “I’ll give you three breaths to scram from here. If you’re still here after three breaths, then I’ll help Star Soul Palace clean up its Sect by disposing of you!”
Luo Ping was stunned and he couldn’t help but be dumbfounded.
He thought that this man would surely panic when he heard of his identity, but he didn’t expect to be completely disregarded and for the other party to even boast so shamelessly! Dispose of him on behalf of Star Soul Palace? Was there something wrong with this man’s head? He was a Star Soul Palace disciple!
“Don’t be rash, Yang Kai!” Qin Zhao Yang’s face went pale with shock. If Luo Ping really died here in their Qin Family, then the Qin Family would be done for.
“Yang Kai?” Upon hearing how Qin Zhao Yang called this man though, Luo Ping’s eyes bulged. Finally, he carefully observed Yang Kai before his face began to fill with terror.
He suddenly remembered the notice he had received from the Sect some time ago, and the name and description of a certain individual that matched greatly with this man in front of him.
[Is he the same Yang Kai?] If the one who stood before him really was Yang Kai, then his identity as a Star Soul Palace disciple naturally wouldn’t be able to deter him. When he saw the power condensing even more on Yang Kai’s palm, how could Luo Ping dare to remain any longer? In a flash, he scurried outside, fleeing the Qin Family as swift as the wind, without a single word of complaint.
Qin Zhao Yang was stunned and looked in the direction where Luo Ping disappeared, confused.
What was going on?
A Star Soul Palace disciple actually fled like a panicked stray dog! Was he seeing things? Even if Yang Kai revealed his Emperor Realm cultivation, it shouldn’t have scared him like this. Regardless of anything else, Luo Ping was still a Star Soul Palace disciple, right? Qin Zhao Yang was even beginning to doubt the authenticity of Luo Ping’s identity now.
In a small alley in Maplewood City, Luo Ping stopped with a pale face. Releasing his Divine Sense and not finding Yang Kai’s aura anywhere nearby, he finally let out a gasp of relief and collapsed to the ground without any care for his image, all his arrogance and pride thrown to the wayside.
He still felt palpitations and fear even now, and he couldn’t stop his hands from shaking.
His identity as a Star Soul Palace disciple was not false, and he was even an Inner Disciple who had some status in the Sect.
For a disciple like him, he could show no regard to most Emperor Realm cultivators he passed in the Southern Territory, but that man called Yang Kai was different. He was different from all the other Emperors out there.
Luo Ping received a notice from the Sect some time ago, informing all the disciples outside to keep an eye out for the whereabouts of a certain person, and that person was Yang Kai. Luo Ping previously had no idea why the Sect would need to keep track of this person, and it wasn’t until he bumped into a Senior Brother in Spirit Lake City and probed around a little that he discovered why.
This Yang Kai was actually related to the murder of Elder Tan Jun Hao and Deacon Wu Ming. What’s more, all signs indicated that the two of them were killed at Yang Kai’s hand.
This matter was confirmed by more than twenty Emperor Realm Masters from various Sects in the Southern Territory, so there was no doubt about its authenticity.
Elder Tan was one of the only four Third-Order Emperor Realm masters in Star Soul Palace. He had profound knowledge in cultivation and was a shrewd man, yet he was actually killed by Yang Kai. When he heard this news, Luo Ping couldn’t believe it at all.
Even a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master could be killed, so in comparison, Wu Ming’s death didn’t seem so shocking.
The deaths of an Elder and a Deacon of Star Soul Palace were a big deal, and the entire Sect took it very seriously. Countless people were searching for this man called Yang Kai.
“You dare hurt me? You’re dead! Dead!” Luo Ping gritted his teeth in anger and quickly took out a communication artifact before checking his surroundings sneakily. Only then did he send his Divine Sense into the artifact and send out a message.
After receiving a response, Luo Ping grinned sinisterly.
[Reinforcements will be arriving in Maplewood City in a few days. Let’s see how you die then!]
Back at the Qin Family, Yang Kai, who had learned the truth, was silent for a long time.
After hearing Qin Zhao Yang’s explanation that that Star Soul Palace disciple called Luo Ping was someone that the Qin Family had actively invited to protect them, and that Maplewood City had become somewhat turbulent recently. The rise of Maplewood City attracted many Masters, and the major families who had occupied favourable conditions and had an advantageous position in the past could now only eke out a living in the cracks due to their lack of strength. Two great families had already even been destroyed.
It was thanks to Luo Ping’s protection that the Qin Family survived. Though Luo Ping didn’t ask for cultivation resources, he had quite an interest in women, and he could even be described as insatiable. This made it impossible for Qin Zhao Yang to satisfy him, leading to today’s events.
“Yang Kai, you should hurry and leave. Luo Ping will surely contact Star Soul Palace, so it won’t be wise for you to remain here long,” Qin Zhao Yang warned him, worried.
Yang Kai simply waved his hand though and commented lightly, “No matter. Those people from Star Soul Palace may not even come, but if they do, it will allow me to settle a grudge I have with them.”
He had killed Tan Jun Hao and Wu Ming, so Star Soul Palace definitely wouldn’t let the matter rest. No matter what, they would want an explanation from Yang Kai; otherwise, it would be a challenge to the status of Star Soul Palace.
Yang Kai never thought of hiding either. If it were in the past, then Yang Kai would only be able to look up to a Great Emperor Sect, but now, he had the capital to negotiate with Star Soul Palace.
And, since the Bright Moon Great Emperor had the ability to ascend to the peak of the Star Boundary, he was surely someone who could be reasoned with. The twenty or so pawns Yang Kai had set up in Flowing Shadow City would now also play their role.
“You…” Qin Zhao Yang was at a loss. The one Yang Kai provoked was a Star Soul Palace disciple, not some run-of-the-mill disciple from a somewhat important Sect, so how could Yang Kai still be so calm and relaxed?
Yang Kai smiled and swiftly changed the subject, “Forget about me, where will the Qin Family go now?”
As soon as these words came out, Qin Zhao Yang was stunned, unable to speak for a long time. Finally, he just heaved a long sigh. Not only did the Qin Family lose Luo Ping’s protection, they even offended him. Life was likely going to be difficult for them from now on, and Qin Zhao Yang feared there was no longer any place for them in Maplewood City.
“I don’t know, but we definitely have to leave Maplewood City,” Qin Zhao Yang seemed to have aged a lot in an instant.
“Where will you go if you leave Maplewood City? The entire Southern Territory is Star Soul Palace’s domain.”
Qin Zhao Yang could not answer. Indeed, even if they left Maplewood City, they would still have to face retaliation. That was unless they left the Southern Territory and escaped Star Soul Palace’s jurisdiction, but how could it be so easy to execute such a plan?
Yang Kai said, “Why don’t I arrange a place for you to stay?”
Qin Zhao Yang looked up, “Where?”
“The Northern Territory!” Yang Kai revealed.
Qin Zhao Yang’s mouth widened, but then he smiled bitterly, “The journey is too long, and the cultivations of my Qin Family’s disciples aren’t very high. We can’t travel that far.”
“It’s not as far as you think. As long as the Patriarch Qin agrees, I can send you to the Northern Territory within ten days!”
“Ten days!” Qin Zhao Yang was shocked. His first thought was that this was impossible, but after more consideration, there was still a hint of possibility. Of course, that would require the use of things available only in the legends.
“Can we really reach the Northern Territory in just ten days?” Qin Zhao Yang asked in a trembling voice. If that truly was possible, then the Qin Family could definitely escape this disaster. The Northern Territory and the Southern Territory were worlds apart, and Star Soul Palace’s reach didn’t extend that far.
“Absolutely!” Yang Kai nodded sincerely, “If Patriarch Qin trusts me, then I can arrange it immediately. We can set off in two days.”
There was a look of struggle in Qin Zhao Yang’s eyes for a moment. He would like to believe Yang Kai, but this matter was related to the future of his entire family, so he had to be cautious.
Yang Kai smiled, “I will definitely not disappoint Patriarch Qin.”
In fact, Yang Kai had not intended to bring the Qin Family to High Heaven Palace, he had just come over to take a look at how they were doing, but since the Qin Family was in a desperate situation now, it didn’t matter for him to bring them along as well.
Whether a shepherd had to herd one sheep or a flock of them, it was still herding in the end. It didn’t make much difference to Yang Kai.
And, in this way, he could also come out with a harvest of Qin Yu! With the cultivation aptitude that Qin Yu had now, it was very likely she would reach the Emperor Realm in the future, which would also be another source of power for High Heaven Palace. This could only bring good to a Sect and no harm.
Maplewood City, Violet Source Chamber of Commerce Branch.
Maplewood City was not like the past. It had risen quickly in recent years and as one of the two major chambers of commerce in the Southern Territory, Violet Source Chamber of Commerce naturally set up a large branch here, one that had an Emperor Realm Master managing it. The constant flow of cultivators coming and going from Maplewood City and Spirit Lake City nearby brought a lot of commerce to the region, which was naturally a matter of great importance to Violet Source Chamber of Commerce.
With fifty stores of all sorts under the name of this branch, as well as a sizable auction house, Violet Source Chamber of Commerce had been making a lot of money in Maplewood City during these years.
When he walked into Violet Source Chamber of Commerce, Yang Kai looked around and found many cultivators inside, most of them discussing quietly with each other while some browsed through the goods on display here.
The hall was very big, and the construction was also impressive. The financial strength of the Violet Source Chamber of Commerce was quite clear to see from this.
At the corner, several pretty young girls who were whispering to each other immediately sent one of them over when Yang Kai walked in. This young girl stood in front of Yang Kai and bowed elegantly, “Greetings, Sir. May I know if there’s anything Sir needs?”
Yang Kai could tell at a glance that this was one of the attendants specially trained to receive customers. This was a common sight in many chambers of commerce. The young girl was not very old, only about thirty or so. She was good-looking and had a sweet smile while her voice was gentle and soothing, enough so to give any customers a pleasant impression.
Yang Kai smiled, “I have some business that I wish to discuss with your chamber of commerce.”
The pretty young girl’s eyes lit up. Attendants like her loved hearing words like these the most because every successful deal would grant them a commission. Even though the commission wasn’t great, if they managed to pull in a big deal, they wouldn’t have to worry about cultivation resources for the next few years.
She could see that Yang Kai had an extraordinary bearing, so she was even more excited. In an instant, the young girl became very enthusiastic and spoke with a charming smile, “May I know what sort of business Sir is interested in discussing? This maidservant can settle anything under ten million Source Crystals directly.”
“Low-Rank Source Crystals?” Yang Kai asked.
“Yes!” The girl nodded.
Yang Kai smiled, “Then please ask your manager to come out.”
The girl was stunned, but she quickly realized that the business this man was interested in was beyond her ability to handle. Ten million Low-Rank Source Crystals was a huge number for her, but it may not be much for some people, especially those in the Emperor Realm.
It seemed like that was the kind of business this Sir was interested in.
The girl responded seriously, “Sir, please accompany me to a private room while I facilitate your request.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly and followed the girl.
Soon, they arrived at a private room where the young girl settled Yang Kai down and served tea, “Sir, please wait for a moment. This maidservant will go ask Sir Manager to come over.”
Yang Kai remained as still as a mountain, but just as the girl was about to leave, he suddenly asked, “By the way, have you heard of a man called Kang Si Ran?”
Shopkeeper Kang was the first friend he made in Maplewood City, and it was all thanks to his lead that Yang Kai was able to obtain Gong Sun Mu’s inheritance. Only, Maplewood City was too small back then and Kang Si Ran had been transferred away by Violet Source Chamber of Commerce after he broke through to the Dao Source Realm, and Yang Kai had no idea where he had been transferred to.
It had been more than a decade since they last saw each other.
Now that Yang Kai was back here, he naturally thought about Kang Si Ran again. He had only asked this question casually, but he didn’t expect to receive a surprising response from the girl, “Sir knows Manager Kang?”
“Ah?” Yang Kai was stunned.
The girl smiled, “If Sir knows Manager Kang, then should this maidservant invite him over to discuss with you?”
Yang Kai raised a brow, “Kang Si Ran is here?”
“That’s right, Manager Kang is also in this branch.”
This was an unexpected surprise for Yang Kai. He didn’t think that he would get this answer from just a casual question and nodded, “Good, ask him to come.”
“Yes!” The girl answered, bowed, and withdrew, closing the door behind her.
Inside the private room, Yang Kai sipped on his tea and waited quietly.
A short while later, a knock came from the door, to which Yang Kai smiled and called out, “Please come in!”
The door was pushed open, and Kang Si Ran’s figure came into Yang Kai’s view. Four eyes meeting, Kang Si Ran was amazed and exclaimed, “Brother… Brother Yang!”
“We meet again, Brother Kang!” Yang Kai cupped his fists with a smile.
Kang Si Ran was both surprised and delighted, shutting the door behind him before saying, “I was wondering which old acquaintance had come to see me, but it turns out to be Brother Yang! It must have been more than ten years since we last met, hasn’t it?”
“Indeed. Brother Kang, come sit down so we can talk.”
Kang Si Ran was quite excited to see Yang Kai again after so long; after all, it was all thanks to the Dao Source Pill Yang Kai gave him that he was able to reach the Dao Source Realm. If not for that favour, Kang Si Ran would still be stuck at the peak of the Origin King Realm, unable to advance, missing out on all the strength and status he held today.
Over the past ten years or so, Kang Si Ran’s cultivation had reached the Second-Order Dao Source Realm, so it seemed like he had been working hard this past decade and had been properly cultivating.
After sitting down, Kang Si Ran couldn’t help but sigh. Thinking that back in the day, he and Yang Kai were both mere Origin Kings, and they had also gone through fire and water together. It almost felt like a lifetime ago when he last saw him.
“Brother Kang, weren’t you transferred away? How did you end up back in Maplewood City?” Yang Kai asked curiously.
Kang Si Ran laughed, “Maplewood City is different now, and the headquarters naturally pays more attention to this place as well. Though this Kang’s cultivation is not considered high, I had still lived here for half my life and am quite familiar with the situation here in Maplewood City, so I was sent back here.”
Maplewood City was a good place now, and there were many people from the headquarters hoping to come to this place. If it weren’t for Kang Si Ran’s natural advantages, he wouldn’t have even been considered for his current position with his low cultivation.
But even so, Kang Si Ran was likely going to be transferred again soon, because the branch had already established a firm foothold here, and they were gradually growing familiar with Maplewood City. They didn’t need his guidance that much anymore, so when the time came, someone with higher cultivation and stronger connections would come to take his place.
“So, that’s how it is… This is good news.” Yang Kai nodded, unaware of the intricacies inside the chamber of commerce.
Kang Si Ran just smiled and did not try to explain; after all, the goings-on inside the chamber of commerce were a ‘family matter’. Even though he and Yang Kai had a good relationship, there was no need to mention such things.
*Du du du…*
There was a sudden knock at the door.
As soon as the knocking stopped, the door was opened before Yang Kai and Kang Si Ran could even respond. Following that, a well-dressed young man walked in with a smile.
Upon seeing this man, Kang Si Ran’s face sank instantly and he frowned, “Gu Hong, what are you doing? Can’t you see that I’m talking business with a customer?”
This Gu Hong was too impudent, entering the private room without even receiving permission. It was fortunate that Yang Kai was the one sitting here and not anyone else, otherwise, Kang Si Ran wouldn’t know how to explain the situation to them. In the worst-case scenario, this may even make customers think that Violet Source Chamber of Commerce’s commitment to confidentiality wasn’t sincere, resulting in a failed business deal.
Faced with Kang Si Ran’s questioning, Gu Hong completely ignored him and instead smiled at Yang Kai, “Welcome, this one is Violet Source Chamber of Commerce’s Branch Manager Gu Hong. May I know what to call you, friend?”
Yang Kai glanced at Kang Si Ran, then at Gu Hong, a light flickering in his eyes as he smirked, but did not speak.
Not receiving a response, Gu Hong’s expression turned a little awkward, but he still persisted, “Please forgive this humble one for interrupting, but Manager Kang’s abilities are somewhat… lacking, so this Gu was worried that business would have been lost if entrusted to his hands. That is why this Gu came uninvited. Please forgive my forwardness.”
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes, “Manager Kang isn’t competent? Why do you say that?”
Gu Hong smiled, “He has managed to settle only three deals in the last year, what would this be if not incompetence?”
Kang Si Ran’s face turned dark as he said coldly, “If no one tried to interfere, then this Kang would have accomplished more deals.”
Gu Hong responded, “Manager Kang need not be angry. This Gu interfered in your business for your own good. You are going to be transferred in a few days, so settling business will be troublesome when the time comes. As such, why not hand things over for this Gu to manage now?”
Kang Si Ran grunted, “Is this Kang supposed to thank you?”
Gu Hong smiled, “We are all members from the same chamber of commerce, there’s no need for thanks.” Then, he turned back to Yang Kai, “This friend, if you truly wish to do business, this Gu is willing to be of assistance. I will be open and tell you now that Manager Kang will indeed be transferred from here soon, so if you have any business, why not discuss it with this Gu instead? This Gu guarantees your satisfaction.”
Yang Kai turned to look at Kang Si Ran, “You’re being transferred again?”
Kang Si Ran let out a sigh.
It was by his own will to be transferred out of Maplewood City back then because the city was too small and poor. There was no future for him staying here at the time, but things were different now. Maplewood City was just like a fragrant meat bun that everyone wanted a bite of, so how could he be willing to transfer? But he was powerless in this matter.
Yang Kai nodded in understanding before saying, “This Yang appreciates Manager Gu’s kindness, but I am old acquaintances with Manager Kang, and we share a life-and-death friendship. That is why I wish to discuss this deal with Manager Kang.”
“Is that so…” Gu Hong was stunned before quickly smiling, “In that case, this Gu will not stay and be a pest. Please excuse me!”
Yang Kai’s words told him that he most likely wouldn’t be able to snatch this deal, so he did not waste any more time and quickly withdrew.
Soon, the only ones left in the room were Yang Kai and Kang Si Ran.
Yang Kai asked, “Brother Kang, do you not wish to leave Maplewood City?”
Kang Si Ran nodded, “The Southern Territory may have a few branches comparable to the one in Maplewood City, but I won’t be able to enter them. If I get transferred away this time, then coming back will be difficult.”
“I understand,” Yang Kai nodded.
Kang Si Ran smiled, “If it’s fate, let it be. Let’s not talk about me anymore. What sort of deal are you here to make this time around, Brother Yang?”
Yang Kai looked serious, “I want to purchase Space Spirit Crystals and Space Spirit Jade.”
Kang Si Ran stroked the beard on his chin as he mused, “These two are the main materials used to produce Space Rings. They aren’t hard to find, and we have some in stock here in the branch. How much does Brother Yang need?”
“How much does your branch have?” Yang Kai asked.
Kang Si Ran answered, “Let me see.”
While saying that, he took out a jade slip to check. After a while, he looked up and told him, “Around thirty million Mid-Rank Source Crystals worth, but since it is Brother Yang, I can offer you a ten percent discount on however much you wish to purchase. Unfortunately, that is my limit.”
“Good, I’ll want it all.”
“All… All of it?” Kang Si Ran was shocked. That was thirty million Mid-Rank Source Crystals worth, not thirty million Low-Rank Source Crystals. Even if it was exchanged for High-Rank Source Crystals, it would still be worth 300,000 pieces.
“All of it!” Yang Kai nodded sincerely.
Kang Si Ran immediately realized that this may be the biggest deal he had ever made. With this, even if he was transferred, he wouldn’t be transferred to the middle of nowhere.
Before his pleasant surprise could fade though, Yang Kai continued, “In addition, I also wish to entrust Brother Kang to continue acquiring Space Spirit Crystals and Space Spirit Jade for me. I’ll take as much as you can gather.”
Kang Si Ran drew a breath of cold air.
Space Spirit Crystal and Space Spirit Jade were the basic materials used to refine Space Rings, but they were not considered very valuable items in the Star Boundary. Many cultivators kept a dozen or more Space Rings on them at all times, but this couldn’t be helped as it was far easier to toss over a Space Ring directly during a trade.
As such, demand for these two materials wasn’t too big or too small. Since Yang Kai decided to take all the thirty million Mid-Rank Source Crystals worth of their stock in one breath, and even wanted to continue gathering more, just how many Space Rings was he intending to refine?
Kang Si Ran calmed himself down before answering, “This branch only has thirty million Mid-Rank Source Crystals worth, but we should have more in stock at headquarters. We can also send more over from the other branches. Brother Yang, are you sure you want all of them? It’s not going to be a small amount of money.”
If each branch had thirty million Mid-Rank Source Crystals worth of materials, then ten branches would be three hundred million, and a hundred would become three billion. Violet Source Chamber of Commerce has hundreds of branches in the Southern Territory, so if he really intended to take everything, then it would definitely cost upwards of tens of millions of High-Rank Source Crystals.
Tens of millions of High-Rank Source Crystals! This was definitely going to be a gigantic deal.
If this deal was successful, then this merit alone would be enough for Kang Si Ran to be promoted to a Branch President! Only his cultivation was a little poor and was not enough to convince the public. After all, the chamber of commerce had its rules. Only Emperor Realm Masters could assume the role of Branch President.
If someone else had come to Kang Si Ran with a deal like this, then he wouldn’t have tried to persuade them against it and would just agree to it, but the one bringing in this business was Yang Kai, so how could Kang Si Ran not be concerned for his sake?
Worried that Yang Kai didn’t know the weight of the numbers, Kang Si Ran even made a point to highlight the figures for him.
“I’m sure,” Yang Kai smiled, “Unless Brother Kang is unable to facilitate such a deal?”
Kang Si Ran was frank, “For a deal of this size, a small Manager like me really can’t make the final decision.”
Yang Kai was just casually making a joke, but he didn’t expect it to be true and he couldn’t help but be surprised.
Kang Si Ran said, “Brother Yang, if you’re really interested in this deal, then this Kang will go and ask the President to come and talk to you personally.”
Yang Kai responded, “Good!”
“Please wait a moment,” After saying that, Kang Si Ran immediately headed out of the room.
Outside the door, Gu Hong smiled when he saw Kang Si Ran walk out, “Manager Kang, how is the discussion going? Do you need this Gu’s help?”
Kang Si Ran grunted, “I won’t trouble you, Manager Gu.”
Gu Hong sneered lightly and flicked his sleeve, “Can’t appreciate kindness.” He had to maintain the image of the chamber of commerce in front of Yang Kai and naturally couldn’t be impolite, but there was no need for him to be patient with Kang Si Ran.
Seeing Kang Si Ran head straight upstairs though, Gu Hong frowned.
It was almost as if Kang Si Ran was intending to go see the Branch President. Could it be that the business was big enough that even a Manager was unable to make the call? Gu Hong suddenly panicked. If that were the case, then Kang Si Ran would receive a huge merit from this transaction, and might even be able to secure his position in the branch.
Worry began to show on Gu Hong’s face.
A short time from now, someone with a strong background would be transferred from the headquarters in order to take on the Manager position, but the number of Managers in each branch was set, so if someone came down from above, then one of the current Managers here would have to give up their position.
Originally, according to performance and cultivation, the person who would have to give up his position was definitely Kang Si Ran, but if he managed to secure his position with a big deal, it may become Gu Hong’s turn to be transferred.
Regardless of who it was, someone had to go.
Maplewood City was a good place with many cultivators and plenty of business opportunities, so how could Gu Hong bear to leave? A year of hard work here was worth two or three years of hard work in other branches, which was why he was constantly making things hard for Kang Si Ran and snatching away his business. Everything was in order to cut off all hope of Kang Si Ran staying here and forcing him to be transferred away.
But now, he could possibly lose everything! This made Gu Hong both shocked and angry.
While his thoughts were in turmoil, he saw the President walking down with Kang Si Ran as he had expected. Gu Hong’s face sank as he realized this business was truly large enough to move even the President himself. Just how big a deal could this be?
Gu Hong felt disgruntled as he wondered how Kang Si Ran could have such good luck.
In front of the private room, Kang Si Ran knocked gently on the door and only opened it after receiving Yang Kai’s response. He then stood aside and said respectfully, “President, please!”
A short, elderly man stepped in and looked at Yang Kai with a sharp gaze.
Yang Kai raised his brows and got up, cupping his fists, “Greetings, President Luo!”
The Branch President in charge here in Maplewood City actually turned out to be Violet Source Chamber of Commerce’s Vice President Lou Chi! It could be seen from this how important the Violet Source Chamber of Commerce regarded Maplewood City.
Yang Kai had seen this man before in his early years, and naturally wouldn’t have forgotten him so quickly.
“You know this Old Master?” Lou Chi was a bit surprised. Even though he was the Vice President of Violet Source Chamber of Commerce, and also the Branch President of Maplewood City, he usually kept to himself, so barely anyone saw him nowadays. As such, he was naturally surprised that Yang Kai was able to recognize him at first glance. But upon closer inspection, Yang Kai seemed vaguely familiar, as if he’d met him somewhere before.
Lou Chi was even more surprised when he released his Divine Sense as he discovered that the cultivation of this young man in front of him was actually no worse than his. They were both First-Order Emperors.
When he heard Kang Si Ran’s report that a friend of his had come to discuss a large deal, Lou Chi didn’t think much about it; after all, what sort of friend could a man with Kang Si Ran’s cultivation have?
But now he realized that he was wrong. This young man was an Emperor Realm Master!
Immediately putting away his contempt, Luo Chi smiled, “This Old Master seems to have met this little friend somewhere!”
Yang Kai smiled back, “This Junior was there when Star Soul Palace’s Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda was opened in Maplewood City. I was also there when the Four Seasons Realm opened.”
Lou Chi thought for a moment before his eyes lit flashed, “You are…”
“Yang Kai!”
Lou Chi’s face sank as he shouted, “Your courage isn’t small! How dare you show yourself so openly!”
His attitude changed so quickly that Kang Si Ran was taken aback. He had no idea what Yang Kai had done to offend Lou Chi.
Yang Kai was also stunned, but quickly, he understood Luo Chi’s reaction. It must have something to do with Star Soul Palace. There were certain things that Kang Si Ran may not be able to come across, but Lou Chi certainly wasn’t uninformed.
Smiling, Yang Kai commented, “If my conscience is clear, why wouldn’t I dare to show myself?”
Lou Chi eyed him, “Indeed, you have the courage, but I’m not sure how your fate will be.”
Yang Kai said, “President Luo, are you interested in discussing business, or are we going to leave things at this? If you’re not interested, I can look for Seven Glories Chamber of Commerce. I assume that they would be very interested in this deal.”
“Of course we can discuss business! Why wouldn’t we be able to?” Lou Chi grunted. Yang Kai had deliberately used the old rival of Violet Source Chamber of Commerce to provoke him. It was clearly bait, but business was still business, and Lou Chi wouldn’t let any opportunity slip past him.
With a gesture from Yang Kai, Lou Chi sat down, “Little friend, please sit as well!”
Yang Kai glanced at Kang Si Ran who was standing beside Lou Chi.
Lou Chi instantly saw this and motioned, “Manager Kang, please sit as well.”
At that same time, he was thinking to himself, [Does this Yang Kai think so highly of Kang Si Ran? The two of them seem to share a good relationship.]
Kang Si Ran was a little intimidated, but since Lou Chi had spoken, he could only sit with them, looking slightly cautious.
Lou Chi cut straight to the point, “I heard Manager Kang say that the business that this little friend wants to talk about is worth tens of millions of High-Rank Source Crystals?”
“Exactly so! I just don’t know if President Luo can swallow such a meal or not,” Yang Kai nodded.
Lou Chi laughed, “There is no business that my Violet Source Chamber of Commerce can’t handle! But may I ask what little friend needs so many Space Spirit Crystals and Space Spirit Jade for?”
Yang Kai smiled, “That is not President Luo’s concern, is it?”
Lou Chi was stunned, but then he smiled, “It was this Old Master who asked too much.” After a brief silence, he went on, “The amount of goods needed by little friend is too high. It is not that this Old Master doesn’t trust little friend, but shouldn’t little friend also show some sincerity?”
As soon as he said that, Yang Kai tossed a Space Ring over to him, “Here is the deposit. President Luo, please see if it’s to your satisfaction.”
Lou Chi took it and swept the contents with his Divine Sense. Immediately, he could see High-Rank Source Crystals piled up like a mountain, at least ten million pieces.
He instantly became serious as he realized that Yang Kai really did have the capital for this transaction and nodded, “Good, little friend is a man of integrity, so this Old Master will be direct as well. Within two months, this Old Master can transfer forty million High-Rank Source Crystals worth of materials for you. At that time, this Old Master also hopes that little friend can bring enough Source Crystals to my chamber of commerce for the exchange.”
“Of course!” Yang Kai nodded, “But I have one condition.”
Lou Chi urged, “Please!”
Yang Kai looked at Kang Si Ran, “I will only hand this matter over to Manager Kang. No one else.”
Lou Chi frowned, “Why is that so? Is it because little friend does not trust my Violet Source Chamber of Commerce?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “How could I not trust your noble chamber’s name? It’s just that I have a close relationship with Manager Kang, so I feel more comfortable dealing with him.”
Lou Chi couldn’t help but look a little troubled. The reason for that was because Kang Si Ran was definitely going to be transferred in two months. When that time came, how was he going to deal with Yang Kai if he wasn’t even in Maplewood City? But this business could bring huge profits to the chamber of commerce, so Lou Chi couldn’t help but consider it carefully.
Realizing the situation, Luo Chi looked up and asked, “Does little friend perhaps intend to help Manager Kang by doing this?”
He could vaguely guess that Yang Kai intended to keep Kang Si Ran in the affluent Maplewood City, so he shook his head, “Little friend’s proposal is meaningless. Even though little friend may help Manager Kang stay in Maplewood City for two more months, he will still have to be transferred after the materials are delivered.”
Yang Kai frowned, “President Luo really can’t do anything about it?”
Lou Chi explained, “This was a decision made by the headquarters. This Old Master is powerless to interfere.”
Kang Si Ran was already extremely grateful just for this gesture and was just about to speak when Yang Kai stopped him with a raised hand, “What if I say that there is more business I can do with Manager Kang? A long term cooperation!”
Luo Chi narrowed his eyes, “That will depend on what kind of business it is.”
Yang Kai casually brushed his hand on the table and a bright, round, and full longan-sized Monster Beast Core immediately appeared, one that pulsed with rich Monster Qi.
“Twelfth-Order Monster Core!” Lou Chi was stunned. With a burning gaze, he took the Monster Core placed on the table and carefully studied it, nodding repeatedly, “It’s truly a Twelfth-Order Monster Core.”
Twelfth-Order Monster Cores! They were cores only produced in the bodies of Twelfth-Order Monster Beasts, and Twelfth-Order Monster Beasts were equivalent to Emperor Realm existences.
Even he, Lou Chi, was merely a First-Order Emperor Realm cultivator. If he really encountered a Twelfth-Order Monster Beast, then there was no saying who may win in that fight. If things went wrong, he may even die under the bloody claws of the Monster Beast.
It can be said that Twelfth-Order Monster Cores were rare materials throughout the Star Boundary. Weak cultivators couldn’t get them, and even if a Master were to obtain one, they wouldn’t sell it easily; after all, Monster Beast Cores have a wide range of uses, and its use in Alchemy alone was enough to get countless people fighting for them.
“But it’s a pity…” Lou Chi sighed.
Kang Si Ran asked, “What’s a pity?”
He was also shocked. Meeting Yang Kai again, he found that he suddenly didn’t recognize him that well anymore. Yang Kai came in, bringing such a large business deal, and now he even took out a Twelfth-Order Monster Core so casually. Fortunately, Yang Kai was still his same old self personality-wise.
Kang Si Ran still remembered the time when Yang Kai had just arrived in Maplewood City. Not to say that he was destitute, but poor was not an inaccurate description. How did he become so rich all of a sudden? Compared to Yang Kai, Kang Si Ran felt like he had simply been living the past decade in vain.
“Unfortunately, this is only the Monster Core of a Twelfth-Order Low-Rank Monster Beast, equivalent to a First-Order Emperor.” Lou Chi shook his head while stroking his beard.
The same Twelfth-Order Monster Core could have a world of difference in value and price depending on the rank of beast it came from. Just as the Emperor Realm has three Minor Realms, Monster Beast Cores had three different ranks in a single order, their value increasing dramatically with each rise in rank.
“So, how much is a Monster Core like this worth?” Yang Kai asked.
Lou Chi declared openly, “If sold to our chamber of commerce, the reserve price is two million High-Rank Source Crystals!”
“A fair price!” Yang Kai nodded lightly. For a Twelfth-Order Low-Rank Monster Core, this price really was about right.
“Of course, if you take it to our auction house, it’s possible to get as much as three million High-Rank Source Crystals.” Lou Chi smiled, “The business that little friend talked about before couldn’t be referring to this, right?”
This was indeed good business. Monster Cores of Twelfth-Order Monster Beasts were always in short supply, but a Low-Rank Monster Core wasn’t anything to marvel about. They may not be common, but they could still be encountered occasionally at auction houses.
“Then, what about this?” Yang Kai tossed something over.
Lou Chi caught it by instinct and studied it, his eyes turning wide at once, “This… This is…”
“Twelfth-Order High-Rank?” Kang Si Ran was also shocked.
If a Low-Rank Monster Core wasn’t here as a comparison, Kang Si Ran may not have the eyes to tell the difference, but when this Monster Core was compared with the previous one, just the aura it emitted alone was several times stronger than the previous.
This was definitely a Twelfth-Order High-Rank Monster Core!
That was equivalent to a core only producible by a Master in the Third-Order Emperor Realm.
“Little friend, where did you get this?” Lou Chi was completely roused and he stood up abruptly.
Yang Kai looked at him with a meaningful smile on his face.
The corners of Lou Chi’s mouth twitched awkwardly, “This Old Master has spoken out of turn.”
It was not his place to pry, and they also had clear rules in the chamber of commerce. If he were to break any of the rules, then he would be punished and may even be expelled even if he was a Vice President. Luo Chi was merely too shocked as he had never in his life had the opportunity to encounter a Twelfth-Order High-Rank Monster Core before.
His hand was clutching hard on that Monster Core at that moment, unwilling to let go.
“How much is this Monster Core worth?” Yang Kai asked.
“Ten million!” Lou Chi quickly answered, “At least ten million that is. If you put it up for auction, it could possibly fetch fifteen million!”
Yang Kai raised a brow. That was because the price difference between the High-Rank and Low-Rank Twelfth-Order Monster Cores was really quite large.
“So, what do you think about this business?” Yang Kai asked with a grin.
“A big deal indeed!” Lou Chi nodded earnestly. Both of the deals Yang Kai came here for totalled over ten million High-Rank Source Crystals in worth, which was enough for him to meet him personally. This was not a deal that he could casually come across. With these two deals under his name, Kang Si Ran’s reputation would definitely rise, leaving the rest of the Managers in this branch far behind him.
“But… How could this kind of business be a long-term collaboration?” Lou Chi frowned.
He would like to be able to work with Yang Kai for an extended period of time, but Twelfth-Order Monster Cores weren’t easy to obtain. Luo Chi had no idea where Yang Kai was able to get these two Monster Cores, but he may not be so lucky next time.
“From now on, I will trade two Twelfth-Order Monster Cores with Brother Kang each year with no limits on the grade, until Brother Kang leaves Maplewood City.”
Lou Chi smiled bitterly, “In the end, little friend still wants to keep Manager Kang in Maplewood City. It’s not that this Old Master is unwilling to help, and not that this Old Master doesn’t trust little friend either, but these are Twelfth-Order Monster Cores, how will little friend…”
Speaking up to this point, Lou Chi’s eyes suddenly went wide as he stared forward dumbfoundedly at the Monster Cores held between Yang Kai’s right-hand fingers. Each one of them, regardless of their size, colour, or aura, were exactly the same as the one that he took out in the beginning.
Then, when he looked at his left hand and saw a similar scene.
*Gudong…*
Even Lou Chi, who was used to the strong winds and big waves, couldn’t help but gulp at this moment.
He was about to take a closer look when Yang Kai flipped both his hands over, and the Monster Cores suddenly disappeared again.
“Are they all Twelfth-Order?” Lou Chi asked, head buzzing.
Yang Kai smiled, “Word of mouth is just a rumour, but seeing is believing. Hasn’t President Luo seen it himself?”
Lou Chi grew excited as he asked, “Little friend, is it possible for you to sell all the Monster Cores…”
“Absolutely not!” Yang Kai refused. Even though he had more Monster Cores than he could ever possibly use, he wouldn’t just sell them off all at once.
Lou Chi felt a burst of bitterness, but the Monster Cores belonged to someone else after all, and it was up to them whether they were willing to sell or not. He couldn’t just go up and snatch them from him.
After a long sigh, Lou Chi tried to make one last effort, “Little friend, if you can sell all of your Monster Cores to my chamber of commerce, then this Old Master will offer you a very good price.”
“Not selling!” Yang Kai waved his hand repeatedly.
Lou Chi was dismayed, but he suddenly collected himself, “Very well. Little friend does have the capital to cooperate in a long term exchange with my chamber of commerce.” From the Monster Cores that he had seen alone, there were eight pieces. Which was to say that this deal could last for at least four years.
“I will report this matter to the headquarters. As for what decisions they make, this Old Master is powerless to interfere.”
Yang Kai smiled, “President Luo is too modest. You are at least a Vice President and have some say in internal matters. What do you mean you can’t interfere? How about this, if I can collaborate long term with Brother Kang, then I can sell you two Twelfth-Order Monster Cores every half year. How does that sound?”
“Half a year, two pieces!” Lou Chi was stunned before his eyes narrowed and a big smile appeared on his face, “Good, please rest assured, little friend, this Old Master will make every effort to negotiate a favourable outcome regarding this matter.”
Yang Kai cupped his fists, “Then I shall trouble President Luo.”
“Happy to oblige. Please, continue your talk. This Old Master will go and settle the Space Spirit Crystals and Space Spirit Jade for little friend so as not to delay your business.” After saying that, he stood up and put the Twelfth-Order Monster Core he was holding into Kang Si Ran’s hand, transmitting a few words to him using his Divine Sense before leaving the room.
The doors were shut again, and holding the two Monster Cores, Kang Si Ran had a grateful expression on his face, “Brother Yang, thanks are not enough for this kindness. If there is anything this Kang can help you with in the future, please just say the word.”
Yang Kai waved his hand, “Don’t worry about it, Brother Kang. I am not doing this only for you, but also myself.”
Naturally, Kang Si Ran did not believe him and thought he was just being modest.
Yang Kai said, “I’ve recently founded a Sect, and it is still in its infancy, but I will have a high demand for various materials and resources in the future when it grows, so Violet Source Chamber of Commerce is going to be a very important partner for us. With Brother Kang here, I will definitely not suffer any losses when dealing with the Violet Source Chamber of Commerce.”
Kang Si Ran was astonished, “Brother Yang, you actually founded a Sect?”
This really astonished him. Even though Yang Kai was an Emperor Realm Master, not every Emperor had the capabilities to found a Sect. Firstly, they had to pick out a good spot, and they also needed a wide range of contacts and sufficient strength. They also had to recruit disciples and whatnot. It was a lot of difficult work.
“It’s nothing big!” Yang Kai smiled.
Kang Si Ran told him earnestly, “Rest assured, Brother Yang, if your noble Sect has any business you wish to conduct with the chamber of commerce in the future, then this Kang will certainly do his best for your sake.”
Yang Kai smiled, “I can rest assured with Brother Kang’s help. If at any time you find yourself unhappy with your current position, Brother Kang is always welcome in my Sect.”
Kang Si Ran grinned, “If your noble Sect was not going to collaborate with the chamber of commerce in the future, then I would go over right now!”
But if Yang Kai’s Sect was going to establish a channel of cooperation with Violet Source Chamber of Commerce in the future, it would naturally be better for Yang Kai if Kang Si Ran stayed where he was.
After chatting for a while, Kang Si Ran said, “Before the President left just now, he told me that if Brother Yang is willing to sell these two Monster Cores now, we will offer a price of thirteen million Source Crystals for them.”
Yang Kai told him, “Naturally, I brought these Monster Cores out to sell. Could there be any other way to sell them?”
Kang Si Ran answered, “Since this is our first collaboration, the President told me that he will make things simple for you. You can either sell them directly to us, or you can have us auction them for you, but you won’t have that option again in the future.”
Yang Kai responded without hesitation, “Then I’ll just sell it to you directly.”
Even though he may lose a bit this way compared to them being auctioned off, he would still have to shell out some amount in fees if he entrusts the matter to the chamber of commerce. In that case, the amount he gained from selling the Monster Cores wouldn’t be that different.
Since he wanted to help Kang Si Ran, Yang Kai naturally wouldn’t be greedy for those small benefits.
“Good!” Kang Si Ran nodded, “It just so happens that there’s an auction happening tomorrow night. These two Monster Cores should fetch a good price. As for the Source Crystals for the sale, Brother Yang…”
Yang Kai told him, “Just count it towards the purchase of the Space Spirit Crystal and Space Spirit Jade.”
“Very well!” Kang Si Ran nodded. The way Yang Kai agreed so quickly to the matter made him realize that Yang Kai’s wealth may be even more terrifying than he originally thought. If that wasn’t the case, he wouldn’t be so casual when handling tens of millions of High-Rank Source Crystals.
“By the way, Brother Kang. There’s something I wish to ask.”
Kang Si Ran answered, “Please, Brother Yang!”
“Will there be any Artifact Armors for sale in tomorrow’s auction?”
“Will an Emperor Grade Mid-Rank Artifact Armor satisfy Brother Yang’s needs?” Kang Si Ran smiled.
“Emperor Grade Mid-Rank!” Yang Kai’s expression lifted, “There’s an Emperor Grade Mid-Rank Artifact Armor for sale in the auction?”
Kang Si Ran nodded, “That’s right. The finale of the auction tomorrow is going to be this Emperor Grade Mid-Rank Artifact Armor!”
“Truly!” Yang Kai was pleasantly surprised. This time, he had primarily come to Violet Source Chamber of Commerce in order to buy Space Spirit Crystals and Space Spirit Jade, so that he could make preparations for arranging Space Arrays in the future, but his second reason was to find an appropriate Artifact Armor.
Yang Kai’s requirements were not that high, but he was still an Emperor after all. He was only thinking of looking for an Emperor Grade Artifact Armor, but he didn’t think an Emperor Grade Mid-Rank one would be available, which was much better than what he expected.
He didn’t want to end up with shredded clothes, or even winding up naked when he used his Dragon Transformation Secret Technique in the future.
“Is a private transaction possible?” Yang Kai asked.
Most of the items sold in an auction were brought in for sale by cultivators, but many were also found by the auction house itself. No matter which type it was, with the current long term cooperation that Yang Kai established with Violet Source Chamber of Commerce, he should be eligible to make a private transaction.
Kang Si Ran answered with regret, “Not this time, I’m afraid. It may be fine if it were any other item in the auction, but this Emperor Grade Mid-Rank Artifact Armor is the highlight of the auction, and it was advertised three months ago. There is no way President Luo would agree to sell it to you privately.”
“Is that so…” Yang Kai wasn’t too disappointed. Since it was already announced to be the finale of the auction, they definitely couldn’t sell it off privately, the reason being that it would be a huge blow to Violet Source Chamber of Commerce’s credibility, “No matter, I will just bid for it when the time comes.”
Kang Si Ran told him, “Please wait here for a moment, Brother Yang. I’ll go and prepare an invitation for you!”
With that said, he headed outside.
After a short wait, Kang Si Ran returned with a gold-stamped invitation, handing it to Yang Kai, “The auction will start at seven tomorrow evening. You should come early, Brother Yang. You may be able to find something you like at the auction.”
“Good,” Yang Kai accepted the invitation and stuffed it into his Space Ring.
An incense stick of time later, Yang Kai stepped out from the private room, leaving the Violet Source Chamber of Commerce branch.
Only after taking a casual stroll around Maplewood City, purchasing some supplies, and spending away Source Crystals like water, did Yang Kai return to the Qin Family.
The Qin Family was currently extremely busy as everyone was packing up their things. Even though they were a small family, they had lived and thrived in these lands for a few thousand years already. The Qin Family members were a little reluctant to leave this place so suddenly.
But under Qin Zhao Yang’s orders, they could only obey despite their reluctance, bringing away whatever they could.
Yang Kai went around the Qin Family, but he didn’t see Qin Zhao Yang at all.
On the other hand, Qin Yu had already exited her retreat, and when she saw Yang Kai, she walked over to him with a beaming smile, “Big Brother Yang!”
Yang Kai smiled and nodded, “It’s been a few years since we last saw each other. Your cultivation has improved a lot.”
He had discovered last time that Qin Yu was already a Second-Order Dao Source Realm. Her cultivation speed was extremely fast. It may have something to do with her World Tribulation Body. For a cultivator with this sort of aptitude, she would definitely be able to grow strong as long as she was given enough time and resources.
“It’s all thanks to Big Brother Yang.” With her hands clasped together, Qin Yu stood in front of Yang Kai, speaking gratefully, “Without Big Brother Yang, I would have died at eighteen. Big Brother Yang is my life’s saviour.”
“This is just your destiny. There’s no need to thank me.” Yang Kai smiled, “Where’s your grandfather?”
Qin Yu brushed her hair behind her ear as she answered, “Since we’re leaving soon, Grandpa is thinking of selling the deed for the Qin Family Residence. He should be on his way to the City Lord’s Mansion.” After a pause, she asked, “Big Brother Yang, are we really going to the Northern Territory?”
“That’s right.”
“I heard it’s perpetually cold in the Northern Territory, and that wind and snow cover the sky every day.”
Yang Kai smiled, “The rumours are greatly exaggerated. Though there are indeed places in the Northern Territory that are covered in snow and ice year-round, there are still many places that are beautiful and refreshing like a spring day. The place I will be bringing you all to is the latter kind. Once you’re there, you and the Qin Family will be able to develop better.”
Qin Yu’s beautiful eyes lit up and she couldn’t help but reveal a look of anticipation.
“You should go back to what you were doing. I’m going to rest for a while.” After saying that, Yang Kai headed towards the back hall.
Looking at his back, Qin Yu’s mouth opened, but ultimately, she just sighed.
Time passed quickly, and it wasn’t until dusk the next day that Yang Kai left his room.
Qin Yu was walking back and forth in front of his door, seeming preoccupied with something, but when she heard the noise, she looked over. Seeing Yang Kai, she quickly said, “Big Brother Yang, everyone is prepared!”
Qin Zhao Yang also came over from the distance and said solemnly, “Brother Yang, the Qin Family is ready. When are we leaving?”
Yang Kai said, “Leave at midnight and wait five hundred kilometres southeast of the city for another group of people who will be joining us!”
“Who?” Qin Zhao Yang was stunned.
“The Zhang Family,” Yang Kai replied.
Qin Zhao Yang nodded, “So, it is them.”
The Zhang Family seemed to have a good relationship with Yang Kai, a fact that Qin Zhao Yang knew about. When Yang Kai left back then, the Qin Family also took care of the Zhang Family for a time. Unfortunately, as time went on, the Qin Family found itself unable to even take care of themselves, so they naturally lost the ability to take care of others. Now, when he heard that the Zhang Family was leaving with them, Qin Zhao Yang couldn’t help but feel like they were brothers in adversity.
“Big Brother Yang, where are you going?” Qin Yu suddenly asked.
“To Violet Source Chamber of Commerce’s auction. There’s something that I wish to buy,” Yang Kai responded before he kicked the ground and flew off, only to suddenly reappear several tens of meters away as he turned back to Qin Yu, “Do you want to come along?”
Qin Yu’s look of anticipation turned into one of joy as her tender body flickered and she quickly caught up with him.
“Let’s go!” Yang Kai called out, using his Emperor Qi to wrap up Qin Yu before disappearing in a stream of light above the Qin Family.
The entrance to Violet Source Chamber of Commerce’s auction house was decorated with colourful lanterns and a big red carpet was rolled out on the ground as a bustling crowd gathered around.
Kang Si Ran and Gu Hong, the two Managers, were standing on either side of the entrance, welcoming guests with smiles on their faces, cupping their fists and exchanging pleasantries with them.
“Sect Master Le, I trust you’ve been well since we last met!”
An elderly man proudly walked over, and Gu Hong immediately went up to greet him.
Le Dong Zheng smiled and returned the greeting, “Manager Gu is too courteous. I heard many good things will be showing up in this auction, so I came to join in on the fun.”
Gu Hong said, “Sect Master Le jests. If you really decided to join in on the fun, then I’m afraid no one else will be able to buy anything.”
Le Dong Zheng chuckled before nodding, “This Old Master won’t hold you up, I’ll make myself comfortable.”
“Please forgive me for the lack of hospitality, Sect Master Le.” Gu Hong smiled and made a gesture with his hand. Immediately, a beautiful maidservant came over and led Le Dong Zheng towards the auction hall.
Whenever those with status and position arrived, there would be maidservants to lead the way for them, to show that they were different from the common folk.
“Brother Yang,” Kang Si Ran on the other side also cupped his fists to Yang Kai. Looking over, he glanced at Qin Yu and smiled, “Young Lady Qin is also here!”
Qin Yu naturally recognized him; after all, Kang Si Ran had been based in Maplewood City for half his lifetime.
Qin Yu smiled back, “Manager Kang!”
“No need to bother with me. I can just go in by myself.”
As soon as he finished that, Yang Kai suddenly felt a hateful gaze ahead of him. Looking over, Yang Kai saw that Le Dong Zheng was currently glaring coldly at him, his eyes extremely dark, as if Yang Kai had killed his father and taken his wife.
Yang Kai smiled back happily, not giving it a second thought.
Le Dong Zheng coldly snorted and turned away.
Even though their encounter was short, Kang Si Ran and Gu Hong saw the scene bright and clear. Eyes flickering, no one knew what thoughts came to Gu Hong’s mind, but he snickered quietly to himself.
Kang Si Ran on the other hand was worried and he quietly whispered, “Brother Yang, do you have some sort of grudge with Sect Master Le?”
“It’s just a little something,” Yang Kai touched his nose. He had killed three of his Third-Order Dao Source Realm Disciples, so this was by no means just a small grudge.
Kang Si Ran urged, “Then you should watch out around him. Le Dong Zheng is the Sect Master of Broken Mountain Sect and reached the Emperor Realm over a hundred years ago. There are even rumours that he is about to break through to the Second-Order Emperor Realm, so he shouldn’t be underestimated.”
Yang Kai cast him a reassuring smile, “No matter. I’ll be going in first.”
Kang Si Ran nodded and gestured to the maidservants behind him. Immediately, one of them came over, took the invitation from Yang Kai’s hand, and led him into the auction hall.
After walking through a bright and spacious corridor, they soon came to a private room.
When the door was opened, a spacious room appeared in front of Yang Kai. This room was decorated with utmost luxury, and at least twenty people could be accommodated without it feeling crowded. There was a huge transparent crystal window at the front of the room through which everything in the auction hall could be seen at a glance.
Only esteemed guests had the right to use one of these private rooms, and the maidservant clearly knew this, so her attitude was extremely humble and respectful.
“Sir, if there’s anything you need, just ask this maidservant.” The maidservant introduced some rules of the auction to Yang Kai before saying in a warm voice.
“There’s nothing we need. You can go out now. It’s enough with me here,” Qin Yu suddenly spoke up, driving out the maidservant like a fly.
The maidservant’s smile did not diminish, a sign of her good training, as she bowed politely, “Then this maidservant will go out first. This maidservant will be waiting outside the door.”
After saying that, she retreated and gently closed the door of the room behind her.
Qin Yu glanced at Yang Kai and found him looking at her with a light smile. Seeing this, she couldn’t help but blush and began evading his gaze.
“Let’s have a seat,” Yang Kai told her. Then, he found himself a seat and sat down, facing the auction stage outside, “If you see anything you like later, don’t hesitate to speak up.”
“I’ll just be watching for fun…” Qin Yu said quietly, but she saw that Yang Kai had already shut his eyes. She couldn’t help but pout as she found herself a chair to sit down on.
The room was silent for a while, which made Qin Yu feel a little uneasy. She had wanted to ask Yang Kai where he’d been these past few years, and what he’d been doing, but seeing Yang Kai have no interest in talking right now, she also couldn’t bring herself to disturb him.
Fortunately, the two did not have to wait long before the auction began.
A beautiful woman walked onto the stage, dressed in revealing clothes. A deep valley between two grand peaks was exposed to the outside air, while her long beautiful legs were only faintly hidden beneath a thin fabric dress. There was a charming look in her eyes, and before saying anything, she smiled, instantly rousing the atmosphere in the auction hall. Seeing this caused Qin Yu’s face to blush while she secretly scorned this woman.
Sneaking a peek at Yang Kai though, she found that his eyes were still closed, which made her feel a little better.
The auction hall was very lively. Due to the high standards of the auction hosted by Violet Source Chamber of Commerce, many Emperor Realm Masters attended. Each item sold at the auction was able to fetch a good price, which the beautiful female auctioneer on the stage smiled unceasingly at.
Elixirs and exotic treasures were brought out like a flowing stream, then in all directions, the sounds of bids being shouted rose and fell.
“The next item is the Flowing Clouds Butterfly Hairpin,” the beautiful woman on the stage suddenly raised her voice considerably, sweeping across the room with her beautiful eyes, “My dear friends who came with female companions, or those intending to prepare a gift for their female partners, please pay special attention here. This Mistress guarantees that this will definitely be the best gift for them.”
No matter how the beautiful woman was dressed, she naturally knew how to attract a higher price as a qualified auctioneer. As soon as she finished speaking, the faces of many attendees filled with interest; after all, they could tell from the name alone that this Flowing Clouds Butterfly Hairpin was a piece of jewellery.
Generally, it was impossible for jewellery to appear at an auction. Only some valuable artifacts were qualified to appear. Many people were curious what sort of accessory this Flowing Clouds Butterfly Hairpin was, and what sort of qualifications it had to become an auction item.
In front of everyone’s eyes, a maidservant with a tray walked out from backstage, stopping next to the beautiful auctioneer. The tray was covered by a red cloth, so nobody could see what the auctioned item looked like.
Having whetted everyone’s appetite enough, the beautiful woman smiled and uncovered the tray. In an instant, an orchid-coloured light began to dance up, illuminating the auction stage in an exquisite and beautiful glow.
Cries of surprise rang out as many women stared wide-eyed at the stage. Beautiful things had always been very attractive to womenfolk.
Once they had a clear look at the item, the women in the audience exclaimed in amazement again. That was because the orchid glow was none other than a dancing butterfly, setting off a beautiful glow each time it flapped its wings, which dazzled all its viewers.
After a short while, the butterfly landed on top of a jade-like hairpin, wings still fluttering gently as if it were a living thing.
But everyone knew that this butterfly was not a living thing. Instead, it was a specially-shaped ornament that existed on the hairpin.
The crowd watched in amazement. It wasn’t only the women who had longing eyes for the hairpin as even some men showed their interest in it.
If they could buy a piece of jewellery like this and give it to a woman they fancied, it would surely please them. There was even a chance they may be able to achieve something significant with such a gift.
“This artifact is not just for decoration, right? May I ask what its functions are, if any?” A magnetic voice came from inside a private room.
This question resounded in everyone’s hearts. Even though this Flowing Clouds Butterfly Hairpin was indeed not bad in terms of appearance, being quite beautiful, the price would definitely be greatly reduced if it was just a normal accessory.
Pretty things without much use may be liked by some women, but the ones paying out of their pockets were the men.
The beautiful woman on the stage smiled, “This is an artifact refined by Grandmaster Hou. How could it possibly be a mere accessory?”
“What?”
“This hairpin is an artifact refined by Grandmaster Hou?”
“Truly?”
The beautiful woman’s words caused everyone to burst into discussion. Exclamations rang through the entire hall, as if this Grandmaster Hou was some amazing character.
Yang Kai also opened his eyes and asked curiously, “Who is this Grandmaster Hou?”
After getting no reply to his question, he turned his head only to see Qin Yu pursing her red lips tightly, her beautiful eyes staring fixedly at the stage. The fervent expression on her face clearly showed that she was extremely interested in the Flowing Clouds Butterfly Hairpin.
Yang Kai asked again, and only then did Qin Yu come back to her senses and blushed, “Grandmaster Hou is an Artifact Refining Grandmaster that has recently risen up in the past decade. No artifact crafted by his hands is not a high-quality artifact, but…”
“But what?”
“But Grandmaster Hou keeps a very low profile. No one has ever met him in person, and nobody even knows whether Grandmaster Hou is a man or a woman.”
“So mysterious?” Yang Kai raised a brow.
Qin Yu smiled, “En, many good artifacts have appeared in the Southern Territory in the past ten years that were refined by Grandmaster Hou. Moreover, it seems like he is proficient in refining all kinds of artifacts, whether it be defensive, offensive, or even auxiliary artifacts. Regardless, this Grandmaster Hou is a highly skilled Artifact Refining Grandmaster recognized by the general public.”
Yang Kai asked, “Since no one has ever met him, how do they know that he’s the one who refined these artifacts?”
Qin Yu explained, “All the artifacts he refines come with a special mark, a small hidden monkey head.”
At this moment, the beautiful woman on the stage proclaimed, “If you do not believe me, you can check the jade hairpin in this Mistress’s hand and see whether it stems from Grandmaster Hou’s hand.”
As soon as she said that, countless Divine Senses swept over from all directions, all of them stopping on the jade hairpin. Yang Kai’s Divine Sense was also part of this wave, and after carefully studying it, he discovered that just as Qin Yu said, there really was a vivid monkey head on the side of the jade hairpin. At a glance, the monkey seemed to look alive, scratching its ears and cheeks.
“It really is Grandmaster Hou’s work!”
“There’s no doubt about it, it’s even a Dao Source Grade High-Rank artifact!”
“Very good, this Old Master will take this artifact!”
“Old Zhou, you’re already so advanced in age! What use do you have for this hairpin? Why don’t you leave an opportunity to the younger ones?”
“This Old Master has recently taken a new concubine and would like to give this artifact to her. Do you have any complaints about that?”
…..
Atop the stage, the beautiful woman ignored the chattering below and spoke, “Grandmaster Hou has not refined many artifacts, but each one of them is of superb quality. Even the Emperor Artifact Refiners in our chamber of commerce hold nothing but the highest praise for Grandmaster Hou, and they believe he has already reached the level of an Emperor Artifact Refiner! I believe that everyone is also very interested to know what kind of artifact this Flowing Clouds Butterfly Hairpin is!”
There are only a few types of artifacts, but the accessory artifacts that women generally used were defensive types. There were also offensive types, but there were more of the former than the latter.
This Flowing Clouds Butterfly Hairpin had a beautiful appearance, and if it were a defensive type, then the price would naturally be higher.
The beautiful woman did not keep everyone in suspense and smiled lightly as she explained, “This jade hairpin is actually neither a defensive nor offensive type. Instead, it is…”
As she spoke, she pushed her Source Qi lightly and the Flowing Clouds Butterfly Hairpin in her hands suddenly grew bigger, instantly becoming ten meters across. It looked just like a butterfly that had been enlarged many times over, its giant wings gently fluttering, stirring up an enshrouding glow.
Forming seals with her hands, the beautiful woman pushed her Source Qi again and the giant butterfly turned into a flowing orchid light that flew a few circles around the auction hall before returning to the stage.
“A flight type artifact!”
The crowd gasped.
Everyone was trying to guess what type of artifact this Flowing Clouds Butterfly Hairpin was, but nobody ever expected it to be a flight type artifact. If that were true, then its value would be immense. What’s more, the speed that it displayed just now was also quite amazing.
The beautiful woman continued, “Without refining it, this Mistress can only show off half of this Flowing Clouds Butterfly Hairpin’s speed, but through the appraisal of our chamber of commerce, while its peak speed may not be able to match an Emperor Realm Master, it is definitely not far behind. It can definitely be used as an escape tool, and of course, the orchid glow of the artifact can also be hidden, so there is no worry about exposing your location.”
Through all that praise, the beautiful woman’s intentions were nothing more than to express that this was a good treasure!
And it was indeed a good treasure. Whether it be in appearance or practicality, it was enough to catch the attention of many cultivators.
Seeing that she had sufficiently built up everyone’s appetite, the female auctioneer finally shouted, “The Dao Source Grade High-Rank flight type artifact, Flowing Clouds Butterfly Hairpin, the reserve price is fifty million Mid-Rank Source Crystals, each increase must be at least one million. Now please!”
As soon as the beautiful woman’s voice sounded, sounds of bids being called rang out.
In the blink of an eye, the starting price of fifty Mid-Rank Source Crystals rose to sixty and showed no signs of slowing down.
In another ten breaths, the price had already risen to seventy million, then eighty million in twenty breaths…
Qin Yu’s expression changed. All the joy she had on her face before was swept away, replaced by a look of dismay.
She also knew that she was simply unable to compete for such a good thing with her meagre financial resources, feeling somewhat powerless when she heard the terrifying price.
Eighty million Mid-Rank Source Crystals! With that many Source Crystals, one could even afford four Sapphire Entry Tokens to Spirit Lake Palace.
But compared to the value of this Flowing Clouds Butterfly Hairpin, eighty million was far from the bottom line. The appearance of this jade hairpin instantly set off a flurry of bidding, but after reaching eighty million, most of the cultivators in the lower hall could no longer participate in the bidding. Only the guests in the private rooms continued to compete.
In particular, the old man who announced that he had recently taken a new concubine was extremely quick to bid, and it seemed like he was certain to win.
When the price climbed to a shocking 130 million, only two competitors continued to call bids, and each bid seemed to be done after much deliberation, not nearly as quickly as before.
“141 million! Old Zhou, if you can bid higher than this price, then you can have this Flowing Clouds Butterfly Hairpin!” A voice came from one of the private rooms.
The old man surnamed Zhou laughed and said, “Since Brother Zhang has such a heart, this Old Master will naturally accept it. 142 million!”
“You win,” The previous Emperor Realm Master sighed faintly and relented.
142 million Mid-Rank Source Crystals translated to 1.42 million High-Rank Source Crystals. An Emperor Realm Master could definitely afford such an amount of wealth, but it would also depend on what they were buying. Most would naturally not spend so much on an accessory for a woman. What’s more, they were only halfway into the auction, and there were still many good things to come later. If they spent too much now, how could they bid after this?
“My respects to you!” The old man surnamed Zhou laughed and urged towards the stage, “Quickly start the countdown! No one else is bidding!”
The beautiful woman on the stage smiled and looked around, “Is anyone else going to raise the bid? If not…”
“150 million!” Yang Kai’s voice suddenly sounded.
Inside the room, Qin Yu stared dumbfounded at Yang Kai. He had been silent the whole time, so she didn’t expect him to speak up at this moment. Who was he planning to buy it for? There was no way he would buy something so expensive for her, so who was it that took up such an important position in his heart?
The old man surnamed Zhou’s laughter stopped abruptly. Instead, his voice turned furious as he shouted, “160 million!”
He could originally have taken the hairpin for 142 million, but Yang Kai just had to step in and raise the price, so he was naturally not in a good mood.
“170 million!” Yang Kai raised the price without even a change in his expression, amazing Qin Yu at the very sight.
“180 million!” The old man surnamed Zhou shouted.
“2 million!”
As soon as those words came out, the crowd was stunned and the old man surnamed Zhou let out a laugh, “Boy, is your mind muddled? 2 million…”
“High-Rank Source Crystals!” Yang Kai added.
The old man surnamed Zhou instantly choked on his mockery.
2 million High-Rank Source Crystals were equivalent in terms of pure energy to 200 million Mid-Rank Source Crystals, but in auctions like these, 200 million Mid-Rank Source Crystals couldn’t be used as a substitute for 2 million High-Rank Source Crystals. In other words, even though there was no theoretical difference between these 2 million High-Rank Source Crystals and 200 million Mid-Rank Source Crystals, the former had a far greater value than the latter.
The old man surnamed Zhou would have to pay in High-Rank Source Crystals if he wanted to raise the price again.
As such, he instantly fell silent.
With a charming smile on her face, the beautiful auctioneer gazed towards Yang Kai’s room and said, “2 million High-Rank Source Crystals from our friend in Room A3. Is there any higher bid?”
Naturally, no one raised the price.
It had to be known that the Twelfth-Order Low-Rank Monster Core that Yang Kai sold to Violet Source Chamber of Commerce was only worth 2 million High-Rank Source Crystals, so the worth of this Flowing Clouds Butterfly Hairpin was more or less the same as that of a Twelfth-Order Low-Rank Monster Core.
But this was not something that just anyone could get their hands on.
“Congratulations to our friend from Room A3!” The beautiful woman smiled. Though, she was filled with suspicion when she heard Yang Kai’s rather unfamiliar voice. She had no idea when such an important customer had arrived at their chamber of commerce. The A-Block Private Rooms were not available to ordinary cultivators, and from the fact that this unknown man could occupy a room as high up as Room A3, it was not hard to imagine that he must be a very distinguished guest.
Just after Yang Kai opened his mouth to bid, in another of the A Block Rooms, Le Dong Zheng’s eyes went cold.
He naturally recognized Yang Kai’s voice thanks to their previous interactions, so he was currently directing a hostile gaze towards the direction of Room A3, feeling a burst of anger welling up in his heart. He was already considered a big customer of Violet Source Chamber of Commerce, but even with his status, he could only sit in Room A9. What skill or ability did this youngster have in order to occupy Room A3?
After pondering for a short time, he spoke to the maidservant kneeling nearby, “Tell Manager Gu to come see me.”
“Yes!” The maidservant rose and walked out of the room.
A few moments later, Gu Hong knocked on the door and entered, cupping his fists, “Sect Master Le, what can this little one help your distinguished self with?”
Le Dong Zheng said, “The man from Room A3… What kind of person is he?”
Gu Hong was stunned and answered with some difficulty, “Why does Sect Master Le ask? Sect Master Le should also know about the chamber of commerce’s rules. Even though this Gu is a Manager, he is in no way allowed to disclose information about our customers.”
Le Dong Zheng smiled, “There are always exceptions, are there not?”
Gu Hong answered, “That is somewhat difficult, Sect Master Le.”
Le Dong Zheng frowned. He had been doing business with Gu Hong for so many years, and they knew of each other’s natures, so he knew that this Gu Hong was no honourable man. Sighing, he spoke, “I’ll be frank with you. This Old Master has a grudge with that little brat.”
Gu Hong was curious, “What has he done to offend Sect Master Le?”
Le Dong Zheng coldly snorted, “It would be fine if he had just offended me, but three of my Third-Order Dao Source Realm disciples died at his hands. One of them even happened to be a descendant of this Old Master!”
“What?!” Gu Hong was shocked, thinking to himself it only made sense for Le Dong Zheng to inquire about this man’s information. It turned out there was a deep grudge between them.
Le Dong Zheng continued, “Manager Gu, you saw it yourself. That boy didn’t hesitate to make such an astonishing bid, so he must be extremely wealthy. If I can take him down, then I’m sure to get a handsome profit out of it. How about a thirty percent share for Manager Gu when the time comes?”
Gu Hong wore a bitter look on his face, “Sect Master Le, it’s not that this Gu is unwilling to help…”
“Fifty percent!”
“This, this…” Gu Hong pretended to think for a while before striking his thigh, “Sect Master Le, this Gu is not too clear about his origins, but he suddenly appeared yesterday in the branch. Prior to this, this Gu had never seen him…”
“It seems like Manager Gu is unwilling to help this Old Master with this favour. Fine. This Old Master won’t come to the Violet Source Chamber of Commerce to do business anymore in the future,” Le Dong Zheng coldly snorted.
Gu Hong smiled bitterly, “Sect Master Le, although I don’t know his origins, this Gu can inform Sect Master Le about his whereabouts and when he leaves the auction later.”
Le Dong Zheng’s eyes flickered as he nodded, “In that case, this Old Master will offer his gratitude to Manager Gu.”
Rubbing his hands, Gu Hong asked, “About the fifty percent that Sect Master Le mentioned before…”
“It will definitely be yours,” Le Dong Zheng waved his hand.
“Then many thanks to Sect Master Le. This Gu will wish for Sect Master Le’s absolute victory in battle!”
After leaving the room, a cold glint appeared in Gu Hong’s eyes, [Don’t blame me for this, boy, but you need to disappear for my future.]
After Yang Kai appeared yesterday, he clearly noticed that Branch President Lou Chi’s attitude towards him had grown much colder, and he had become more enthusiastic with Kang Si Ran. After remembering what happened when Yang Kai came to the branch, how could Gu Hong not realize that he must have negotiated a big deal with Kang Si Ran? What’s more, this deal most likely totalled to an unimaginable sum for such a dramatic shift in attitude to occur.
Only with that would he be able to help Kang Si Ran overturn his luck. If Kang Si Ran managed to turn his fortunes around, then Gu Hong would become the unfortunate one.
Someone had to be transferred away from this branch, and if Kang Si Ran remained, Gu Hong would definitely be transferred.
But if Yang Kai died, Kang Si Ran would lose his support, and then he naturally would have nothing more to fear.
In Room A3, a maidservant brought over the Flowing Clouds Butterfly Hairpin, and Yang Kai paid 2 million High-Rank Source Crystals before taking the jade hairpin in his hands and fiddling with it. Even though he hadn’t refined it, and could not appreciate the full capabilities of this Flowing Clouds Butterfly Hairpin, Yang Kai could tell that this jade hairpin had been crafted with utmost care and was a rare artifact.
On closer inspection, the monkey face on the side seemed even more vivid and lifelike.
After taking a careful look at it, Yang Kai tossed the jade hairpin towards Qin Yu.
Qin Yu was still recovering from her shock and caught it in a flustered manner, only to stare back at Yang Kai in astonishment.
“A small gift for you,” Yang Kai said. Then, he shut his eyes and continued to meditate.
“For me…?” Holding the jade hairpin in her hand, Qin Yu’s heart froze as if it had been struck by lightning and her cheeks burned up.
She was wondering just a moment ago which woman occupied such an important position in Yang Kai’s heart that he was willing to spend 2 million High-Rank Source Crystals to buy a mere hairpin for them, but now that hairpin suddenly landed in her hands.
[Did Big Brother Yang buy this for me?]
[Do I really occupy such an important position in his heart?]
Qin Yu couldn’t help but let her thoughts run wild as she looked timidly at Yang Kai, only to have the flames in her heart instantly doused with cold water. She could see that Yang Kai’s eyes were closed, as if what he just gave her was not a flight type artifact worth 2 million High-Rank Source Crystals, but a trinket he found in a street stall somewhere.
“Big Brother Yang, this is far too expensive…” Qin Yu calmed herself and quickly refused.
This hairpin was purchased for 2 million High-Rank Source Crystals, an enormous sum for her Qin Family. She and Yang Kai were neither kin nor lovers, so how could she accept such a heavy gift from him?
While saying that, she handed the jade hairpin back to him.
Yang Kai opened his eyes, “You really don’t want it?”
Qin Yu bit her lip and shook her head. This hairpin cost too much, she simply couldn’t accept it.
Yang Kai laughed, “If you don’t want it, there’s no use for me even if I take it back.”
Qin Yu lowered her head and muttered, “Big Brother Yang can give it to… a woman he likes. No matter who it is, I’m sure they’ll be happy.”
“But I’ve already given it to you first,” Yang Kai said.
“But I’m not…” Qin Yu’s voice grew even quieter.
Yang Kai told her, “I’ve been using your Qin Family’s Myriads Sword for so long, and it has aided me in many great battles. Just take this hairpin as my thank you gift to the Qin Family. You don’t have to let it trouble you.”
“It’s not the same,” Qin Yu shook her head. Why would someone gift a piece of jewellery to someone they were not close with? And a piece that was so valuable at that.
“Then I can only return the Myriads Sword to your Qin Family,” Yang Kai said with a serious face.
“Don’t!” Qin Yu quickly shook her head. Even though the Myriads Sword belonged to the Qin Family, it was a genuine Emperor Artifact, and there was no way the Qin Family would be capable of guarding it. It was fortunate that Qin Zhao Yang let Yang Kai take away the Myriads Sword back then, for if it really had remained in the Qin Family, it would have already brought them incredible danger.
Qin Yu was stunned, but somehow, she felt much more relaxed.
It seemed that the 2 million High-Rank Source Crystals, which was an enormous amount to the Qin Family, was nothing to Yang Kai. In other words, what he gave her was not considered something particularly valuable to him, but just a simple thank-you gift.
Thinking about it that way, Qin Yu felt a little relieved.
“Then… Thank you, Big Brother Yang.” Holding the jade hairpin in the palm of her hands, Qin Yu thanked him.
[This may just be a simple thank-you gift in your eyes, but to me, this is the most valuable gift I have ever received, and it has nothing to do with the price…]
The auction continued. After the shocking price the Flowing Clouds Butterfly Hairpin was able to sell for, the atmosphere had grown even more fervent. It seemed like everyone’s competitive spirit was stirred up, and the price of each item steadily climbed.
An hour later, the auction was drawing to a close.
After a short break, the beautiful auctioneer came back onto the stage and said with great enthusiasm, “The next item on the auction will be the finale of tonight… The Great Soaring Black Dragon Armor!”
As soon as she said that, she made a gesture with her hand and at once, two strong men walked out from backstage carrying a fine metal box, trudging step by step towards the auction stage, seemingly requiring arduous effort just to walk steadily.
In an instant, thousands of eyes were focused on the stage and the breaths of many suddenly quickened in the dark.
This Great Souring Black Dragon Armor had been announced by Violet Source Chamber of Commerce for this auction three months ago. It was also for that reason that many Emperor Realm Masters who had their eyes on this Great Soaring Black Dragon Armor attended the auction today. It was safe to say that this one piece of Artifact Armor was worth more than all the previous auction items added together.
*Hong…*
When the two strong men put the box on the ground, it issued a dull thud as it landed on the stage, as if this Great Soaring Black Dragon Armor was extremely heavy. Many people were astonished, but they all knew that as long as they were able to refine it, then even the heaviest of Artifact Armors would become as light as air. Otherwise, the weight alone would be enough to greatly diminish the value of the Great Soaring Black Dragon Armor.
In the auction hall, many people were waiting with bated breath. Countless Divine Senses swept in from all directions towards the stage, clamouring to get the first look of the finale item.
An Emperor Artifact in itself was already extremely valuable, let alone a defensive type Emperor Artifact. What’s more, this was actually an Emperor Grade Mid-Rank Artifact Armor.
But to everyone’s regret, the box that seemed to be made of heavy metal actually blocked the probing of Divine Sense, so the efforts of the crowd were met with no results.
On the stage, the beautiful woman looked around with a smile for a moment before speaking, “This Artifact Armor was not refined by a contemporary Artifact Refining Grandmaster, but was actually found in an ancient cave mansion. It is a very old item, and was chanced upon by a friend who sent it to our chamber of commerce for auction.”
When the crowd heard this, many of them had looks of envy on their faces.
It wasn’t uncommon to find ancient cave mansions in the Star Boundary, but not everyone could encounter them. Even if somebody were to find one, there was a chance the Spirit Arrays inside would trap or even kill them, so obtaining treasures from such a place was always a risky prospect.
To be able to find an ancient cave mansion and leave unharmed, even obtaining a treasure of this level from within, one could imagine how great that person’s luck was.
[Why aren’t I as lucky as that?] Everyone was asking themselves with gritted teeth. If they could have such a fortuitous encounter, then they probably wouldn’t have to worry about cultivation resources for several lifetimes.
“Due to its age, though this Artifact Armor may be Mid-Rank, it has some flaws!”
The auction hall instantly fell silent at the beautiful woman’s words.
After a while, a voice came from one of the A Block rooms, “May I ask what sort of flaws it has?”
Many Emperor Realm Masters came specifically for this set of Artifact Armor. Previously, Violet Source Chamber of Commerce advertised that they will have an Emperor Grade Mid-Rank Artifact Armor for auction, but now, this beautiful woman was telling them that this Artifact Armor had some kind of defect.
Yang Kai was also stunned as Kang Si Ran had never told him about this.
But with his relationship with Kang Si Ran, Yang Kai was certain the former would not have hidden such a fact from him if he had known about it beforehand. In other words, even Kang Si Ran did not know about this secret.
After some thought, however, Yang Kai relaxed. Even though it may have some flaws, it was still an Emperor Grade Mid-Rank Artifact Armor. There was no need for them to be too specific while they were promoting their auction. They just had to attract visitors.
At this moment, the beautiful woman smiled, “You will all know in a moment. Now, let us invite Vice President Luo over to test the might of this Artifact Armor!”
As she gestured to her back, a somewhat short figure quickly walked out from backstage. It was Lou Chi who had been keeping watch over the auction the whole time.
Lou Chi walked over to the beautiful woman’s side and cupped his fists to the guests in the hall. Then, without a word, he condensed his Emperor Qi and pointed a finger towards the metal case. Following a noise breaking through the air, thumbnail-sized pieces of armor began flying out of the iron box, moving towards Lou Chi’s body in a chain like a black dragon.
In a clatter, the thumbnail-sized pieces of armour covered Lou Chi in a very orderly manner. Stitching together in a strict pattern, the pieces formed a black Artifact Armor that covered from his neck down to his feet.
With the armour on, Lou Chi’s aura suddenly became extremely fierce and awe-inspiring like a god of war. His First-Order Emperor Realm cultivation even seemed to have been enhanced by the armour, which dumbfounded the auction attendees.
From its appearance, the Artifact Armor did not look too heavy. Rather, it looked quite light. Lou Chi was also moving nimbly on the stage without the joints affecting him in any way. But the crowd could see very clearly that even though the Artifact Armor basically covered his entire body, there was a certain plate-sized gap on his abdomen.
It didn’t look like the Artifact Armor had been designed like this. Rather, it seemed to be missing a piece, as if this Artifact Armor had suffered a serious blow at some point, causing the piece which protected one’s lower abdomen to be lost.
“This Great Soaring Black Dragon Armor used to be a complete set, but unfortunately, part of it is missing for reasons unknown,” the beautiful woman explained.
“Is this armour even useful with such a large piece missing?” Someone asked.
The beautiful woman smiled, “The techniques of the ancient Artifact Refining Grandmasters are too foreign to us, so repairing this Artifact Armor is not possible. However, although the armour looks quite damaged, it still retains most of its defensive power. Of course, though the Artifact Armor is technically Emperor Grade Mid-Rank, the defensive power it can offer is only a bit higher than Emperor Grade Low-Rank.
While the woman spoke, Lou Chi suddenly let out a quick shout and the black armour on his body made a clinking noise before flying off from his body. Piece by piece, it hovered in mid-air, reuniting and reforming in its completed shape.
Lou Chi then lifted his hand, and a heavy and yellowed ancient book appeared in his palm.
“Unified Ceremonial Record!” Someone exclaimed.
This object that resembled an ancient book in appearance was Lou Chi’s Emperor Artifact, the Unified Ceremonial Record.
Luo Chi pushed his Emperor Qi into the Unified Ceremonial Record and caused two rays of light to shoot out, one black, one white. These yin and yang beams of light shot towards the Artifact Armor in the air. The immense power fluctuations caused everyone to pale. Nobody had any doubts that if these two rays of light were to be shot towards an unprepared Emperor Realm Master, they may kill instantly.
With a rumble, the rays of light struck the black armour, but only a spark came of it. The surface of the black armour was still glistening with a dark sheen, completely unharmed.
The beautiful woman spoke at that time, raising her voice considerably, “Through the joint appraisal of our chamber of commerce’s Grandmasters, we have determined that this set of armour is refined from the scales of an adult Black Flood Dragon. Even though Flood Dragons are common in the Star Boundary, Black Flood Dragons are extremely rare creatures known for their amazing defensive strength. This Great Soaring Black Dragon Armour is made from the scales of such a Black Flood Dragon, and its defence cannot be compared to any ordinary Emperor Artifact. This artifact can definitely save one’s life at critical moments!”
“It’s made from the scales of a Black Flood Dragon?!”
“Flood Dragons have the bloodline of the Dragon Clan. Doesn’t that mean that the scales of an adult Black Flood Dragon would also have some Draconic Nature? Sure enough, this is a good thing!”
“It may be good, but the price…”
There was a bustle under the stage for a while. The beautiful woman’s smile deepened as she waited a while before announcing, “Great Soaring Black Dragon Armor, reserve price, 10 million High-Rank Source Crystals. There are no limits on the increase. Please feel free to bid!”
As soon as those words came out, everyone drew a sharp breath.
Previously the most expensive item sold in the auction was a bottle of Emperor Grade Spirit Pills that went for 6 million High-Rank Source Crystals.
But now, the starting price of this Great Soaring Black Dragon Armor actually turned out to be 10 million High-Rank Source Crystals. It was not hard to imagine how terrifying its final price would be. The starting price alone was enough to deter ninety-nine percent of people from bidding.
Only the well-prepared Emperor Realm Masters were itching with excitement. Even though 10 million High-Rank Source Crystals was a lot, Lou Chi’s demonstration earlier showed everyone that this armour did not even scratch under the attack of a First-Order Emperor Realm Master. With an Artifact Armor like this, one could become almost invincible in front of a First-Order Emperor Realm Master. They may even be able to hold out against a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master for a short time.
Nobody wanted to miss out on something as good as this, but they also worried about the fierce competition that was waiting ahead of them.
Nobody wanted to be the one to poke their head out and make the first bid. Everyone wanted to get a feel for the competition before making their move, so for a while, the auction hall fell silent.
The beautiful woman who stood on the stage simply smiled as brightly as before, not at all in a hurry. After hosting so many auctions, she knew what these people were thinking. Even though the Great Soaring Black Dragon Armor had defects, it was still a rare treasure that would certainly be sold for a great sum.
The silence only persisted for ten breaths before someone’s voice finally rang out, “20 million!”
The Emperor Realm Masters who were still waiting to see what would happen were all startled and looked towards the source of the voice.
The voice came from Room A3, from the same man who won the Flowing Clouds Butterfly Hairpin earlier.
In an instant, the faces of many people went dark while some even cursed the person in Room A3 in their hearts.
What was he trying to do by raising the price of something from 10 million to 20 million all at once? Even if he was rich, he shouldn’t be so uncouth! Or perhaps, he was hired by the Violet Source Chamber of Commerce?
People like him were common in many auctions, their task to inflate the price of auction items and to stir up the competitive emotions of the bidders in order to squeeze more profit out of them.
With that thought in mind, some people immediately believed that the man in Room A3 was a plant.
Inside Room A3, Qin Yu was covering her red lips with both hands as she stared in shock at Yang Kai, “Big Brother Yang, those are High-Rank Source Crystals…”
She was worried that Yang Kai did not understand the starting price and mistook it for Mid-Rank or Low-Rank Source Crystals, so she quickly tried to remind him in case he would not be able to take back his bid later.
“I know,” Yang Kai nodded and smiled lightly at her.
Qin Yu was stunned for a time before she remembered what he said to her when he gifted her the Flowing Clouds Butterfly Hairpin. It turned out that 2 million High-Rank Source Crystals really was nothing in his eyes!
“That little bastard!”
“Boy, you should mind your manners!”
“Brat, do you dare tell us your name? This Old Master would like to see whose disciple you are!”
The Emperor Realm Masters in the private rooms were also riled up at this moment and began to curse and shout.
Inside Room A9, Le Dong Zheng’s eyes almost popped out in shock as well. He already had the idea that Yang Kai was rich when he spent 2 million High-Rank Source Crystals on the Flowing Clouds Butterfly Hairpin earlier, and if he really managed to kill him, then he would definitely gain a lot. Still, he never thought that Yang Kai was rich to this extent.
He had called a price of 20 million High-Rank Source Crystals so casually, so what was his bottom line? 30 million? 40 million?
Regardless, he definitely had a lot of High-Rank Source Crystals on hand.
“Good, good, good, what a blessing for my Broken Mountain Sect!” Le Dong Zheng suddenly laughed. The richer Yang Kai was, the happier he was. As long as he could kill Yang Kai, then all that wealth would belong to him.
As for Gu Hong, he could just toss him some spare change. What fifty percent? That was simply a fool’s dream.
“You old ghosts, you still dare come to an auction even without the means to compete? Miss, I suggest disqualifying them from the auction and driving them out, lest they tarnish the reputation of the Violet Source Chamber of Commerce.” Yang Kai was also not pleased with the scolding and shouted to the beautiful woman on the stage.
The beautiful woman heard this and frowned, “Please, are you here for the auction or to quarrel? If you are here to curse at others, then this Mistress must ask you to stop interfering with the progress of our auction.”
As soon as she said that, the Emperor Realm Masters went silent, not daring to start any more trouble.