Supposedly, since Yang Kai had been hurt by Madam Lan, he must have lost the Golden Crow carcass. Most probably, Madam Lan snatched it from him. However, it wasn’t easy to ask about it. Madam Lan would never tell them, and Yang Kai might misunderstand them if he was asked such a question.
Wei Que shook his head and replied with a bitter smile, “No matter where the Golden Crow carcass is, it has nothing to do with us anymore.”
When the Golden Crow Divine Palace appeared some time ago, he immediately realised that the issue had grown beyond their ability to interfere; therefore, he told the disciples to return to First Inn and send a message to their headquarters. He thought that by asking all the Elders from his great force to come over, they could get a share of the treasures; however, the appearance of the Golden Crow had disrupted his plan.
This kind of prize wasn’t something Great Moon Province or the other Third Class forces had a right to covet. Even the Second Class forces would end up in a miserable state if they decided to claim it. The only people who had a right to snatch the Golden Crow carcass were those First Class forces, the Cave Heavens and Paradises!
Moreover, even though those from Great Moon Province hadn’t obtained many treasures on the Sun Star, it had still been a fruitful trip for them. They had obtained some Sun’s True Fires, including a Fifth-Order one, so they had basically achieved their goal. As long as they could make good use of these treasures, they could nurture a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master for their force. By then, the collective power of Great Moon Province would increase and it would be worth it for Wei Que and Tao Rong Fang to have done so much.
“By the way, Martial Uncle, Martial Aunt.” Meng Hong seemed to recall something as he cupped his fists, “There’s one more thing that I need to tell you. When Junior Brother Yang returned to the inn, he was severely injured. I wanted to help him, but he stopped me and secretly told us to pretend to not know him. Is he worried that he’d invite trouble to us?”
Wei Que arched his brow upon hearing that, “He secretly told you all to pretend to not know him?”
“Yes,” Meng Hong nodded.
Tao Rong Fang said in a solemn voice, “He’s indeed meticulous as he could think of such an issue in that kind of situation. It’s no wonder that he had the guts to snatch the corpse in front of so many top cultivators.”
A puzzled Meng Hong asked, “Martial Aunt Tao, you mean…”
Tao Rong Fang explained, “Just like what you’ve speculated, Yang Kai was worried that he’d invite trouble to us, which was why he told you to pretend to not know him; after all, he has offended many great forces. If others find out he’s close to Great Moon Province, we will be in big trouble. He’s concerned about our safety.”
Old Fang frowned, “But we arrived at First Inn with Little Brother Yang, and we stayed here together for a few months. Some people must have seen us spending time with him, so it’s pointless to pretend we don’t know each other.”
Wei Que said, “If so, the few of you shouldn’t show up for the time being to prevent anyone from having their eyes on you. As long as no one sees you, there shouldn’t be any problem.”
Old Fang and Dié You traded glances, and then they nodded, “Yes.”
After they talked for a while more, Wei Que told the disciples to return to their own rooms. When he and Tao Rong Fang were the only ones left in the room, he asked, “Junior Sister, what do you think?”
Tao Rong Fang replied, “He’s a bold yet meticulous young man. More importantly, he’s a kind-hearted person with great promise.” Then, she put on a helpless smile, “Unfortunately, we can’t accept him into Great Moon Province anymore.”
Wei Que fell silent for a moment before he heaved a sigh, “It seems that we share the same thoughts.”
This time, Yang Kai had caused huge trouble, so they were not able to protect him in any way; therefore, they couldn’t take him on as a disciple anymore. It wasn’t that Wei Que and Tao Rong Fang wanted to go back on their word, but as Elders of Great Moon Province, they had to consider the safety of their force above all else. They very much wanted to accept Yang Kai into their great force, but who could deal with the trouble that would ensue? By then, their great force would be turned upside down.
“He even saved our lives,” Tao Rong Fang stared at Wei Que. Back in the main hall, if Yang Kai hadn’t warned them in time, they wouldn’t even be here now, but when Yang Kai found himself in trouble, they were unable to help him, which made her feel frustrated.
An embarrassed Wei Que replied, “We’ll try to make it up to him. If possible, we can secretly assist him to flee to a different Great Territory and go into hiding.”
“That’s all we can do.”
“There’s one more thing. What do you think?” Wei Que asked.
Tao Rong Fang gazed at him, “You mean about the Golden Crow carcass?”
In response, Wei Que nodded his head.
She replied, “Initially, I thought that the carcass must be in Madam Lan’s hands, but now, it seems that it’s possible Yang Kai still has it.”
A smiling Wei Que asked, “Why do you say so?”
She shot him a glare, “Senior Brother, are you giving me a test or something?”
“Heh…” He raised his hands, “I just want to have a chat with Junior Sister to see if you and I share the same thoughts.”
Tao Rong Fang went on to say, “If the carcass is in Madam Lan’s hands now, Yang Kai should supposedly be free of trouble, and he wouldn’t have needed to secretly warn Meng Hong; however, he did so, which suggests that there’s something he’s concerned about. He must be worried that he would drag the others into this mess, which indicates that the carcass might still be in his hands. Of course, we can’t rule out the possibility that Madam Lan did snatch the carcass and Yang Kai was just being cautious.”
Wei Que said with a smile, “Junior Sister, you’re indeed beautiful and intelligent.”
Tao Rong Fang gave him a dismissive look, but she still said in a charming way, “Senior Brother, do you share the same thought as well?”
A frustrated Wei Que replied, “En. I don’t even know where the carcass is now; however, wherever it is, it truly has nothing to do with us anymore.”
…
The shop boy entered the room with some food and had a drink with Yang Kai. After some time drinking and eating, both of them became tipsy.
Although Yang Kai had stayed in the inn for four months, he had never asked the shop boy what his name was so he usually just called him ‘Shop-Hand’.
During the chat, he finally found out his name. The shop boy’s name was pretty simple, which was Bai Qi.
“You must have an ulterior motive for approaching me. Just tell me what you want. Has the Proprietress sent you here to pry some information out of me?” Yang Kai picked up some food and shot him a look.
Bai Qi grinned and filled Yang Kai’s cup with wine before replying, “Nothing of the sort. If Proprietress wanted to find out more about you, she wouldn’t need to do such a thing. Gathering information is our speciality, so we can find out about your background by just asking around.”
“What is my background, then?” Yang Kai appeared doubtful.
Bai Qi stared at him, “Do you want me to say it?”
“Come, enlighten me.”
After putting down the wine bottle, Bai Qi grinned meaningfully and replied, “Alright, then. Your name is Yang Kai, you’re a Peak Emperor Realm cultivator. One year ago, you emerged from an unknown Universe World and were brought to Seven Wonders Land by one of their Protector Venerables, Duan Hai. Your job was to take care of fruit trees in their Fire Spirit Land. Half a year later, Seven Wonders Land was invaded by their enemies and amidst the chaos, you fled from that place and brought three people, one man and two women, with you. They’re Fang Bi Qi, Dié You, and Ah Sun. Am I right?”
Yang Kai stared at him with widened eyes, “How many informants does First Inn have!?”
First Inn was able to find out so much about a nobody like him, which went to show that this great force was truly powerful and had a vast network of influence.
Bai Qi grinned, “I also know that you’ve condensed your Wood Element.”
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes, “What else?”
“You snatched a precious treasure from in front of several dozen Open Heaven Realm Masters and led them on a wild chase for days.”
“Ahaha…” Yang Kai forced a smile and secretly heaved a sigh of relief as First Inn apparently couldn’t find out everything in this world. At the very least, they hadn’t figured out his relationship with Old Xu and what Order his Wood Element was. The things they knew about him were all general and superficial. With that said, they had already gathered so much information about him in very short order.
“Tell me what happened on the Sun Star and how you obtained the Golden Crow carcass.”
“Just ask your Proprietress about it. What’s the point of asking me?” Yang Kai was exasperated at the mention of the Golden Crow carcass. If the Proprietress hadn’t intercepted him at the last moment, he would’ve safely returned to the inn instead of getting struck by her palm.
“Proprietress has been in a terrible mood since she returned. She’ll beat me black and blue if I ask her about it.” Bai Qi’s expression appeared bitter.
Yang Kai wanted to ignore him at first, then he recalled something and said, “There’s one thing I don’t understand. If you can answer my question, I don’t mind telling you what happened on the Sun Star.”
A vigilant Bai Qi narrowed his eyes, “What do you want to know?”
Yang Kai went on to say, “Don’t worry. It shouldn’t be a secret, but if it is, you can choose not to answer.”
Bai Qi nodded, “Go ahead.”
Yang Kai said through clenched teeth, “I shook off your Proprietress in a faraway place, and I was certain that even though she is a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, it would be impossible for her to catch up to me in time. However, how did she manage to return to the inn before me and even waited in the dark to capture me?”
That was the question that had been troubling him for days. Unless the Proprietress also had something like a Space Beacon, he couldn’t come up with any reasonable explanation.
Bao Qi was elated upon hearing that, “That’s your question?”
“You know the reason behind it?”
Bai Qi couldn’t help but start guffawing as he repeatedly slapped the table, “Did you have nowhere else to go, which was why you wanted to seek refuge in First Inn? You thought that by entering the inn, no one would dare to make a move on you again? Was that why you rushed to our inn after getting rid of Proprietress?”
“En.” Yang Kai nodded as that was what he thought; after all, he indeed had nowhere else to go at that time as First Inn was the only safe place for him.
“Hahahaha!” Bai Qi doubled over with laughter as tears almost streamed out of his eyes.
Yang Kai stared coldly at him as he had the urge to fish out his Azure Dragon Spear to deliver a fatal strike.
Bai Qi seemed to have detected Yang Kai’s murderous intent, which was why he quickly suppressed his laughter and took a sip of the wine before asking, “Have you heard of the Universe Transference Law?”
“Universe Transference Law?” Yang Kai frowned, “What’s that?”
He had never heard of it before, but judging from Bai Qi’s expression, he reckoned that the reason the Proprietress was able to return to First Inn before he did and lay an ambush had something to do with this Universe Transference Law.
Bai Qi explained, “The 3,000 Worlds is incredibly expansive, so it’s not easy to go from one location to another even for High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. Cultivators like us shouldn’t waste time simply travelling back and forth between distant places because, if we have the time, we should use it to cultivate our Secret Techniques and Secret Arts instead. The Universe Transference Law was created for this reason. This Secret Technique’s only use is to cross vast distances. For example, there’s a Universe Transference Seal in First Inn with Proprietress’ imprint sealed inside. As long as she’s in this Great Territory, wherever she may be, she can return to First Inn in an instant by using the Universe Transference Law.”
A dumbfounded Yang Kai said, “Is it so amazing?”
He couldn’t help thinking this technique was similar to a Space Beacon. The location of every Space Beacon was a destination, and with a flash of thought, Yang Kai could move to the location of any Space Beacon, so it worked in a similar way as the Universe Transference Law. A Space Array worked in the same way; however, in comparison, a Space Beacon was more convenient than a Space Array while there were advantages and disadvantages when compared to this Universe Transference Law.
“It’s truly amazing,” Bai Qi chuckled.
With a dark expression, Yang Kai said, “So, Madam Lan made use of the Universe Transference Law and returned to First Inn before I did.” It was then he came to the realization that, while he thought he had made an intelligent move, in Madam Lan’s eyes, he was just walking right into her trap. At that instant, he felt frustrated.
Fortunately, he managed to keep the Golden Crow carcass; otherwise, he would’ve spat blood.
“I’ll give you one more piece of information for free.” Bai Qi looked smilingly at him, “In the 3,000 Worlds, there are many places called Universe Temples. Basically, each Great Territory has a Universe Temple, while some even have more than one. After spending some Open Heaven Pills, one can record their aura in those temples, and then use them as destinations for the Universe Transference Law.”
“So, they’re just like Space Arrays.” Yang Kai’s eyes brightened.
Bao Qi replied with a smile, “You’re not wrong to say that; however, there’s a limit as to how far a Space Array can send a person, while the Universe Transference Law is different. As long as you’re strong enough, and your destination is in the same Great Territory, you can reach the Universe Temple where you’ve left behind an imprint.”
Hearing that, Yang Kai nodded his head, “It’s really convenient. I’ll visit those temples if there’s a chance in the future. Which great force do these temples belong to?”
Bai Qi explained, “No one. The Universe Temples were jointly built by the Thirty-Six Cave Heavens and Seventy-Two Paradises. Therefore, disciples from at least one Cave Heaven or Paradise will stand guard at every Universe Temple. No one can cause trouble inside those Universe Temples; otherwise, it’ll be seen as provoking all the Cave Heavens and Paradises.”
A shocked Yang Kai said, “The Universe Temples were jointly built by the Cave Heavens and Paradises?” After giving it a thought, he realised that it wasn’t so surprising. Others wouldn’t be able to set their minds at ease if the temples were controlled by just one great force, and no single great force was able to control such an important asset; therefore, it was reasonable that the temples were jointly managed by all Thirty-Six Cave Heavens and Seventy-Two Paradises.
Judging from what Bai Qi had said, it seemed that if Yang Kai came across any trouble in the future, he could seek refuge in one of the Universe Temples.
“Now, tell me what happened on the Sun Star.”
Since Yang Kai had agreed beforehand, he wouldn’t go back on his word now. And so, he told Bai Qi what he had gone through on the Sun Star. Bai Qi widened his eyes and appeared amazed. He wasn’t surprised at the fact that Yang Kai was able to conceal himself in front of so many Open Heaven Realm Masters as only a suitable artifact was needed to achieve that; instead, he was more interested in finding out how Yang Kai managed to escape the pursuit of so many Masters.
However, Yang Kai just gave him a vague answer that he was an expert in the Dao of Space, and he was especially adept at running away. It wasn’t a secret anyway. When he was hunted down by Madam Lan and the others, he had used Instantaneous Movement several times.
After a long time, a drunk Bai Qi muttered, “Let’s call it a day. I have work to do now. You should be careful as we have had many customers recently. I guess they’re here for you.”
Yang Kai watched him leave, then he appeared crestfallen. Following that, he opened his Six Fated Paths Bag and saw that the Golden Crow carcass was still inside it. Although he had snatched this hot potato, he had no idea how to handle it now. Whatever the case, the treasure was worth a lot of money. At the very least, it could make up for the two golden tail feathers from Mie Meng that he had lost.
If the treasure couldn’t be sold directly though, he would just trade it for a Seventh-Order Sun’s True Gold, which was what he originally wanted. When he managed to condense his Fire Element, no one would make a move on him again.
Furthermore, he couldn’t possibly hide inside this room forever. Although he still had some Open Heaven Pills, they wouldn’t last forever.
After pondering on the issue for a moment, he rose from his chair and pushed the door open before shuffling downstairs.
Following that, he swept a glance over the hall and realised that the place was bustling. Initially, there were only seven or eight tables, but now, there were over ten. However, more tables were needed as the hall was packed with people.
Bai Qi was moving around with dishes in his hands when he saw Yang Kai and asked in shock, “Why did you come down here?”
“Why can’t I come down here?” Yang Kai scoffed.
After he finished speaking, the entire hall fell silent as everyone turned to look at him. At the same time, they rudely scanned him with their Divine Senses. At that instant, Yang Kai felt like he was a white sheep that had accidentally entered a wolves’ den. All his bodily hair was standing on end as he lost any sense of security.
Bai Qi gave him a thumbs-up in appreciation of his guts before continuing on with his work.
Yang Kai looked around and saw some familiar faces. Except for Madam Lan, all the other Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters who had chased him down before were sitting in the hall.
The hall was filled with Divine Senses as these ill-intentioned people stared fixedly at Yang Kai. Although the place was completely silent, everyone could feel that a storm was brewing. The weaker cultivators couldn’t help but gulp as they turned to look at the door, as though they were preparing to flee at any moment.
Just as the hostility intensified, a door on the second floor suddenly opened as Madam Lan stepped out of a room and swept a glance over the crowd with her alluring eyes. Staring at Yang Kai, she snorted and leaned against the railing. Following that, she fished out what seemed to be seeds and started snacking on them.
Yang Kai grinned, knowing that since Madam Lan had appeared, no one would dare to make a move on him. Madam Lan must have detected the hostile atmosphere, which was why she made an appearance to calm everyone else down.
The hall was crammed with people, so there were no empty tables. Yang Kai looked around and shuffled towards a table. Three people had been seated at this table. One of them was a handsome young man, and the other two people were old men with profound auras. There was also an alluring woman in revealing clothes who was standing behind the young man. A group of disciples were lined up behind the elderly men. Obviously, they were from the same great force.
The young man wasn’t powerful as he had only condensed his Dao Seal, on the other hand, the old men were Open Heaven Realm Masters. The young man was disdainfully gazing at Yang Kai when the latter sauntered towards him, causing the former to frown as he had no idea what Yang Kai was up to.
“Hello, we meet again! What a coincidence.” Yang Kai flashed a smile at him, “If you don’t mind, why don’t I join you?”
Without even waiting for approval, Yang Kai directly took a seat across from him.
The young man appeared dumbfounded and asked, “Who are you?”
A passionate Yang Kai replied, “It seems that Brother has been busy. We met each other when we were heading to the Sun Star, don’t you remember?”
He wasn’t spouting nonsense as they had really met before. At that time, Yang Kai, Dié You, and the others were heading towards the Sun Star when a ship came at them from behind and almost injured them. After that, this very young man returned with his ship and invited Dié You and Ah Sun to board. However, Yang Kai turned him down.
At that time, he had no idea which great force they were from, but after going through the jade slip given to him by Meng Hong, he realised that they were from a place called Perpetual Province.
Upon Yang Kai’s reminder, the young man said, “It’s you!” Then, his face fell, “Who allowed you to have a seat? Go away!”
An unperturbed Yang Kai chuckled, “There’s nowhere else I can have a seat. There’s an empty seat at your table anyway, so why can’t I join you? Don’t be so petty.”
Just when the young man wanted to say something, he felt that something was off as there were some Divine Senses scanning him. Turning his head, he realised that all the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were staring at him with doubtful gazes. The young man’s face turned ashen as he had no idea why he had attracted so much attention all of a sudden.
The other two old men realised that something was amiss and one of them hinted at the young man with his gaze, while the other gaped at Yang Kai and said grimly, “You can have the table. We’ll take our leave.”
Following that, he rose from his chair.
The young man seemed reluctant to leave, but he was dragged away by the other old man. Without the intention to stay there, they paid the bill and stepped out of First Inn.
A moment later, the young man was standing on a ship as he asked with a dark expression, “Who was that guy?”
The two old men traded glances, then one of them replied, “Young Master, he was the one who snatched the Golden Crow carcass.”
The young man was stunned, “What? He was the one who took the carcass and safely returned to First Inn?”
“That’s right. He’s that guy.”
“Why should we be afraid of him?” The young man bellowed. Yang Kai only sat at the same table, but they immediately left the inn as though they were afraid of him, which made the young man feel quite embarrassed.
One of the old men shook his head and said, “We’re not afraid of him, but we don’t want to be dragged into his mess. The Golden Crow carcass is immensely important and First Inn will soon fall into a state of chaos. We’d better stay out of it.”
The other old man nodded, “That’s right.”
The young man sported a gloomy expression. Despite knowing that they were right, he still felt unresigned.
Knowing what was on his mind, the first old man said, “Young Master, don’t worry. That brat’s days are numbered.”
The young man asked, “What do you mean?”
The old person sneered, “He’s trying to cause turbulence when he’s so weak. He’s bound to go to Hell.”
Right after those from Perpetual Province left, Yuan Xiao Man whooshed towards Yang Kai and took a seat on his left before looking smilingly at him.
Yang Kai called out to Bai Qi and pointed at the finished dishes in front of him, “Take them away and prepare new dishes!”
Bai Qi glared at him as they had just had a chat over a drink in his room. Just when he thought they were friends, Yang Kai bossed him around like he was an ordinary shop hand, which was intolerable. Nevertheless, he had no other choice as that was indeed his job. After taking the finished dishes away, he stepped into the kitchen and told the chef to prepare some dishes.
Meanwhile, three more people rose from their chairs. One of them was a burly old man whose face radiated a pinkish glow, another was a cold-looking man in tight-fitting clothes, and the last person looked like a scholar with an elegant fan in his hand.
Following that, they shuffled towards Yang Kai and took a seat at the same table.
Presently, all four Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were staring fixedly at Yang Kai. Honestly speaking, he did feel pressured, but he wasn’t afraid of them. The Proprietress was gazing at them from the second floor, so no one would dare to make a scene here. Knowing what Yang Kai was doing, Madam Lan sported a gloomy expression; however, in order to protect her business, she wouldn’t allow the reputation of First Inn to be spoiled.
“Little Brother, you’re really something.” Yuan Xiao Man was the first one to speak. She seemed interested in Yang Kai, as though she had just found a new toy, “No one could’ve expected that you’d return to First Inn safely.”
Yang Kai gazed at her with a tilted head and took a brief look at her plump chest before grinning, “What’s your name?”
“Yuan Xiao Man!”
Following that, she pointed at the others and introduced them to Yang Kai. It was only now that he learned the names and backgrounds of these people who had been chasing after him for days.
“Little Brother, are you interested in joining Mirror Flowers Water Moon Land? It’s obvious that you’re new to the Outer Universe and it’s hard for a newcomer to gain a footing here. Life will be easier if you have some support.”
A curious Yang Kai asked, “How do you know I’m a newcomer?”
Those from First Inn could find out about his background because their job was to gather information, but it was unlikely that Yuan Xiao Man could do so as well. Moreover, he didn’t think he had accidentally exposed anything.
Yuan Xiao Man covered her lips and giggled sweetly, “You didn’t even know about the Universe Transference Law and you walked right into a trap by coming to First Inn. Do you even dare to deny that you’re a newcomer?”
Yang Kai’s expression darkened when he heard that. It was definitely the biggest humiliation in his life and a taint in his cultivation journey. When he was in Seven Wonders Land, no one had told him about the Universe Transference Law, so he wasn’t aware of its uses and mysteries. When he saw Madam Lan outside the inn some time ago, he even thought she was her twin sister.
All of a sudden, the chubby Old Hong snorted, “Brat, I only have a question for you and you’d better answer me honestly. Otherwise, you’ll bear the consequences.”
Yang Kai shot him a look, “Save your breath. I won’t tell you anything.”
“You court death!” Old Hong bellowed.
Hearing that, Yang Kai landed a slam on the table and stood up straight before glaring at him, “I dare you to make a move on me then!”
A shocked Old Hong stared at him with widened eyes as he had never expected that Yang Kai would react in such a way. At that instant, he was rooted to the spot and felt slightly embarrassed.
On the second floor, the Proprietress, who was munching on some strange seeds, gnashed her teeth together as she stared resentfully at Yang Kai, knowing that he was regarding her as a safety charm.
No one would dare to make a fuss in First Inn. He must be fully aware of it, which was why he had the gall to confront Old Hong like this; otherwise, as an Emperor Realm Junior, he wouldn’t have the guts to do such a thing.
To the side, Yuan Xiao Man parted her lips in shock, while Zhang Qi and Ji Tian Xing were astonished as well. In the dining hall, the Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters all gave Yang Kai an admiring look.
“Shut your mouth if you don’t dare to make a move.” Yang Kai took a seat again and shouted at the kitchen, “Are my dishes ready? What’s taking so long?”
Bai Qi could be heard saying, “The dishes will be ready soon. Stop urging us!”
Old Hong was so enraged that his face turned pure crimson and there seemed to be some steam billowing from his head. After taking a deep breath, he said grimly, “Brat, you’ve got guts, I’ll give you that! This Old Master advises you to stay in First Inn forever; otherwise, I’ll rip you into ten thousand pieces!”
He was truly incensed as Yang Kai had embarrassed him in front of so many people in the hall. He had never been humiliated in such a way before.
Yang Kai was unperturbed as he had already offended the old man before, so he wasn’t worried about displeasing him one more time.
Zhang Qi frowned as he had seen through Yang Kai’s temperament. Thus, he summoned a Space Ring into his hand and pushed it towards him before saying, “Little Brother, this King also has a question for you.”
A surprised Yang Kai gave him a strange look. Although he couldn’t be certain what was inside the Space Ring, he reckoned that there could possibly be Open Heaven Pills. Could he also sell information now?
An elated Yang Kai took the ring and scanned it with his Divine Sense. Upon releasing that there were 10,000 Open Heaven Pills inside, he grinned from ear to ear and nodded, “Sure. Sure.”
At that instant, he thought that a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was indeed generous as Zhang Qi directly gave him 10,000 pills. Although the pills were only equivalent to ten days worth of lodging fees at this bandit’s inn, it was still a substantial amount.
Zhang Qi put on a smile, and just when he was ready to speak, Yang Kai raised his hand to stop him and turned to look at Yuan Xiao Man and Ji Tian Xing, “Do you have any questions as well? This is your only chance. By the way, I’ll only answer the question of the one who will offer the highest bid, and I’ll only answer one question. So, you’d better decide what it is you want to know most.”
At that instant, the corners of Zhang Qi’s brow twitched.
Ji Tian Xing and Yuan Xiao Man were also struck speechless. As Fourth-Order Open Heaven Masters, they were not the most powerful people out there, but they were some of the most famous figures in the neighbouring Great Territories. However, on this day, they were led around by the nose by an Emperor Realm brat.
Old Hong sneered, “Boy, it seems you’ve been unlucky lately, and it looks like you will fall into danger soon.”
“Shut up! This is none of your damn business!” Yang Kai growled, “Stay away from me!”
Then, he turned to look at Ji Tian Xing and Yuan Xiao Man, “Are you sure you have no questions for me? In that case, I’ll answer Senior Zhang’s question now.”
Ji Tian Xing and Yuan Xiao Man traded glances before gritting their teeth; however, they indeed had a question they had to ask, so despite the fact that they were reluctant, they still tacitly fished out a Space Ring.
Yuan Xiao Man put on a smile that wasn’t a smile and asked, “Little Brother, aren’t you worried that you’ll be burned by the hot potatoes you’re about to take?”
Yang Kai immediately snatched the ring from her and sneered, “I’ve taken hotter potatoes, so why should I be afraid now?”
Hearing that, Yuan Xiao Man was rendered speechless. After giving it a thought, she realised that since Yang Kai had the guts to snatch the Golden Crow carcass right in front of so many Open Heaven Realm Masters, why would he be afraid to take their Space Rings? Obviously, he was someone who treasured money more than his own life.
After scanning the rings, Yang Kai became ecstatic, then he gazed at Ji Tian Xing, “Senior Ji has offered the highest bid. Good, what is your question? I’ll tell you everything I know.”
Hearing that, Zhang Qi and Yuan Xiao Man turned to stare at Ji Tian Xing.
An unfazed Ji Tian Xing secretly spoke to Yang Kai via Divine Sense, “Where’s the Golden Crow carcass now?”
Yang Kai was startled upon hearing that. Although he knew that their questions must be related to the Golden Crow, he hadn’t expected to hear this kind of question. He almost spurted out that the carcass was in his hands, but was the question even necessary for them to know that? However, he soon realised something and became astounded.
The fact that the carcass was in his hands was only known to the Proprietress and him, while all others could only guess. At that time, no one else was outside First Inn. They only knew that he had fled to the inn and was intercepted by the Proprietress outside the building before being wounded.
However, if he thought about it from the perspective of an outsider, he would have speculated that the carcass might have been taken away by Madam Lan. After all, given his strength, it should be impossible for him to escape or outmaneuver a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. It should have been a simple matter for Madam Lan to snatch something from him.
Upon that realization, he finally understood why Ji Tian Xing had asked this question. Apparently, Zhang Qi and Yuan Xiao Man had the same question. It was all because they still hadn’t figured out where the Golden Crow carcass was.
Many ideas flashed across Yang Kai’s mind as he pondered on the pros and cons of every one of them, and after just a short moment, he pounded the table furiously and jumped to his feet. With a face twisted in anguish and unwillingness, he pointed at the Proprietress on the second floor and screamed, “It’s her! Her! She snatched the treasure I spent so much effort to obtain! Those from First Inn oppress me because I’m the weaker one. This is a bandits’ inn! A bandit’s inn I say!!”
His roar reverberated around the hall as everyone could hear his accusation that was filled with blood and tears. Following the direction he pointed, they turned to look at the Proprietress.
A dumbfounded Madam Lan’s jaw dropped as a seed slid off her red lips. A moment later, she clenched her teeth and bellowed, “Smelly brat, you must be sick of living!”
Although she didn’t hear what question Ji Tian Xing had asked, she had guessed it without the need to actually hear it. He must be trying to find out the whereabouts of the carcass.
Yang Kai’s accusation at this point had dragged her into this mess, and it was pointless for her to deny it. Judging from the gazes of those people in the hall, she knew that they already had this speculation, and it was ‘proven’ by Yang Kai at this moment.
Hence, there was no way she could clear her name. It wouldn’t have mattered if she had really seized the carcass, but the problem was that even though she had made a move, Yang Kai pulled a trick on her and managed to sneak into First Inn.
Instead of getting any benefits, she had invited trouble to herself. She was so incensed that flames nearly shot out of her eyes. She had never seen a man as vile and shameless as Yang Kai before. If she could, she would’ve made him feel regretful of the fact that he was ever born right this instant. Nevertheless, she was the Proprietress of First Inn, and she had an obligation to protect the inn’s reputation.
“Proprietress, why are you showing such thick murderous intent? Do you want to silence me by murdering me!?” Yang Kai bellowed.
“Shut your mouth!” Madam Lan was so infuriated that she hurled the snacks in her hand at him.
“You may be able to silence me, but you can’t silence everyone here! Justice lies in everyone’s heart, and the Heavens see all we do! Proprietress, you’d best watch yourself!”
Madam Lan’s chest heaved heavily as she felt her blood boiling. She clenched her fists so hard that her knuckles started turning pale, but still she took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
She had the urge to go downstairs and rip this little brat’s mouth off.
“The dishes are ready! The dishes are ready!” Just then, Bai Qi dashed out of the kitchen with some dishes and a jug of wine in his hands. Upon entering the hall, he immediately realised that there was something off about the atmosphere, which caused him to be rooted to the spot. Looking around, he didn’t understand what was going on as all he could see was that the Proprietress’ face had turned livid as she was standing on the second floor. Her eyes were closed, and her curvy figure was trembling.
Then, he walked up to Yang Kai and asked in a hushed voice, “What happened?”
“A storm is coming,” Yang Kai replied and took the dishes from his hands; then, he turned around and shuffled towards the second floor. Since he had stirred up some trouble, he reckoned that he’d better leave now and go somewhere safer.
Upon returning to his room, he closed the door and activated the barrier. Unable to hold it in anymore, he started laughing.
Although the Proprietress had been treating him well, she had indeed made him waste a golden tail feather from Mie Meng. Moreover, she had injured him before. Now that there was a chance, he certainly had to get his revenge.
Furthermore, in that kind of situation, diverting the attention to the Proprietress was his best option.
Then, he took a seat at the table and drank some wine. Just when he was pondering on his future, he suddenly heard a loud bang as the door was kicked open.
A shocked Yang Kai leapt to his feet and turned around before bellowing, “Who!?”
[Who has the guts to make a move in First Inn? Is this person sick of living?]
However, when he saw who it was, his neck immediately shrank. That was because the person who had kicked the door open was none other than the First Inn Proprietress, Madam Lan.
A cold aura could be seen swirling around the Proprietress as she stepped into the room. With a sneer on her face, she stared fixedly at Yang Kai. Then, she slightly lifted her foot and closed the door behind her.
“M-Madam Lan…” Yang Kai slowly stepped backwards as his back soon came into contact with the wall. Looking around, he realised that there wasn’t even a window in the room, which made it impossible for him to flee.
He also didn’t even think about using Instantaneous Movement as he wouldn’t have a chance to do so in front of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
“Ahem… How may this Junior help you, Madam Lan?” A horrified Yang Kai stared at the front as his heart leapt to his throat. He secretly decided that if Madam Lan made a move against him, he would immediately use his Dragon Transformation Secret Technique to warn her off.
Madam Lan sneered, “Don’t worry. I won’t kill you. If I do that, I will never be able to clear my name.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai heaved a sigh of relief, but all of a sudden, Madam Lan said dispassionately, “Just because I won’t kill you though, doesn’t mean I can’t beat you up. Brat, are you prepared?”
Yang Kai gulped, “Madam Lan, let’s talk it out instead of resorting to violence. Moreover, we’re in First Inn, and I’m a paying customer. You’re the Proprietress here, so is it appropriate for you to harm your customer?”
“It’s not appropriate,” Madam Lan stepped closer to Yang Kai and soon reached him and he caught a whiff of her alluring fragrance.
Then, she said through clenched teeth, “But this Queen will never soothe the rage in her chest if she doesn’t beat you black and blue!”
“Don’t you care about the inn’s reputation anymore!?” Yang Kai still tried to step backwards, but his back was already firmly pressed against the wall, so there was nowhere else he could go.
“Don’t ever think of restraining me with the inn’s signboard. I don’t care what you say!” Madam Lan balled up her fists as her knuckles cracked. Her malevolent aura seemed able to swallow the entire world and after she finished speaking, she extended her fist towards Yang Kai’s left eye at the speed of lightning.
With a loud boom, Yang Kai felt his vision darkening as all he could see were stars. Even his mind had plunged into chaos.
The Proprietress had exerted quite some force with her fist, which almost knocked Yang Kai out, but before he even came to his senses, she extended her fist towards his right eye, whereupon a loud boom was heard again.
Yang Kai instinctively covered his head and curled up in the corner. As he bore the Proprietress’ fists and feet, he secretly swore that he would get his revenge one day.
She went on to beat him for quite some time. It felt like an instant and a year all at once. Upon realising that the Proprietress had stopped attacking him, Yang Kai turned his head slightly and looked through his fingers, only to see the Proprietress panting with her hands placed on her hips. With a pleased expression, she said, “Cool! Smelly brat, you’d better behave yourself from now on!”
Upon finishing her words, she turned around and left.
Yang Kai cursed at her before flopping to the ground, unable to move.
Outside the room, Bai Qi watched the Proprietress leave and stealthily looked around before entering the room. After closing the door, he walked up to Yang Kai and crouched down to gaze at him with a sympathetic look on his face, “Proprietress really went hard on you. It seems that she’s completely incensed. I’ve never seen her blow her top in such a way before.”
A paralysed Yang Kai felt that some of his bones had cracked. Although Madam Lan really didn’t intend to kill him, she had exerted a lot of force with her beating just now. He had only just recovered from his previous injuries and now he was wounded again, which was why he was quite sullen.
“Are you going to just keep staring?” Yang Kai shot a glare at Bai Qi, who had crouched down in front of him, “Or are you going to help me up?”
Bai Qi replied with a grin, “I would’ve helped you up if someone else had beaten you; however, it was Proprietress who had made a move, so I wouldn’t dare to lend you a hand. If she finds out about it, she’ll fire me.”
“What are you doing here, then?” Yang Kai glowered at him.
Bai Qi said, “I’m just here to watch a good show. Tsk… Brat, since you’ve offended Proprietress, you’ll surely have a hard time in the future.”
“Scram!” Yang Kai bellowed. He didn’t need Bai Qi to tell him that his life would be difficult from now on. The Proprietress had even disregarded the reputation of First Inn just to vent her anger on him, so it wasn’t hard to imagine that life would be like a living Hell for him soon.
With a grin, Bai Qi got up and said, “Since you still have the energy to chase me away, it seems that you’re alright. Take a rest now and call me if there’s anything you need.”
Then, he turned around and left.
Yang Kai was so exasperated that his lungs almost exploded. Once he could move a little, he felt his entire body aching. After lying on the ground for six hours, he climbed onto the bed with difficulty and recuperated in silence.
However, it seemed his previous act had proven useful. After the incident, everyone’s attention had been diverted to the Proprietress. Although his tone and movements were a little exaggerated at that time, any reasonable person would believe that Madam Lan had snatched the Golden Crow carcass and kept it.
After all, there was a huge gap in strength between Yang Kai and her, and since she had made a move, there was no way she hadn’t achieved her goal.
The next day, there was an elderly man who was seated in a room that belonged to Great Moon Province. Wei Que and Tao Rong Fang were standing in front of him as they reported to him what had happened recently. The elderly man kept silent, only nodding from time to time.
A while later, Wei Que said, “That was what had happened. Leader, what do you plan to do?”
The elderly man was none other than the Province Master of Great Moon Province. Previously, Wei Que told Meng Hong and the others to return to First Inn and send a message to their headquarters. Upon receiving the message, this elderly man brought some people with him and set off to help Wei Que and Tao Rong Fang. Although they had come as quickly as they could, they only arrived at the inn today.
The Province Master nodded, “Both of you have done well. As long as we make good use of the treasures you acquired, the power of our force will significantly increase.”
Although they hadn’t managed to obtain any Sun’s True Gold, they had gotten several Sun’s True Fires, one of which was Fifth-Order; therefore, it had been a fruitful trip for them. Normally, it was difficult for a great force like Great Moon Province to even obtain a single Fourth-Order material, let alone a Fifth-Order one.
By selling the Fifth-Order Sun’s True Fire, they could purchase some Fourth-Order materials and attempt to nurture a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm disciple. The prerequisite was that this disciple had to be gifted, and they would need to spend a lot of time to achieve their goal.
“Both of you have earned the greatest merit for this operation.”
Wei Que replied, “Many thanks for your compliment, leader, but we only managed to escape from death’s door because of someone’s warning.”
“Oh?” The elderly man arched his brow, “You have to return the person’s favour then. Who was the top Master that had saved you?”
Wei Que said, “He isn’t a top cultivator. It was a brat called Yang Kai.”
Hearing that, the elderly man frowned, “The boy that everyone has been talking about because he has snatched the Golden Crow carcass?”
“Indeed.”
The elderly man nodded and gently tapped the table as though he was pondering on something. A while later, he said, “I’ve heard that the carcass has fallen into Madam Lan’s hands.”
“That’s what that boy said.”
The elderly man stared at Wei Que and asked, “What do you want to do?”
Wei Que replied, “If possible, I hope you’ll accept him into our great force. He’s new to the Outer Universe with no one else to rely on. More importantly, he is a kind and righteous person. On top of that, he has saved my and Junior Sister’s lives. Now that he’s in trouble, we can’t just stand idly by.”
The Province Master heaved a sigh, “I knew you were going to say that; however, do you realize just how much trouble he’s in now? If we take him in, what kind of consequences will we suffer?”
Wei Que cupped his fists, “I’ve thought this over thoroughly. However, since the carcass isn’t with him now, it shouldn’t matter.”
“It shouldn’t matter?” Boss looked straight into his eyes, “Do you even believe what you’ve said?”
Wei Que parted his lips, but he couldn’t say anything in the end. That was because he indeed didn’t believe what he had said.
The elderly man went on to say, “He said that the carcass is in Madam Lan’s hands now, but it is a rare treasure, so anyone who is interested in it won’t let go so easily. By then, countless top cultivators will interrogate Yang Kai and even scour his Soul. By then, are we even going to be able to protect him? If we try, we will fail, and if we don’t, it will disgrace and dishonour us.” Then, he waved his hand, “We can’t accept him; otherwise, our great force will surely descend into chaos.”
“Leader…” Wei Que became flustered.
“Say no more.” The elderly man interrupted him, “We shouldn’t stay in this place any longer. Pack up now and follow me back to Great Moon Province.”
Wei Que and Tao Rong Fang traded glances. Since the Province Master had made a decision, it was useless for them to say anything else. In light of that, they simply heaved a sigh.
They knew that the leader’s decision was right, and they shared the same thoughts as well; however, they still felt frustrated.
“As for the favour you owe, you can try to come up with a way to compensate him,” the elderly man said.
Wei Que cupped his fists, “Yes.”
In his room, Yang Kai was sitting across from Wei Que. Tao Rong Fang was standing behind Wei Que as she stared at the battered Yang Kai with a sympathetic look on her face.
Normally, if she saw a man in such a state, she would’ve burst out laughing. That was because the large dark circles around Yang Kai’s eyes looked quite amusing, obviously caused by fists. The symmetrical dark circles around his eyes suggested that his attacker was also quite powerful.
However, she wasn’t in the mood to laugh now; after all, Yang Kai had saved their lives before. At the thought of Yang Kai’s future and the possible blaming from Ah Sun, she felt dejected.
An embarrassed Wei Que spoke for a long time before he was able to make things clear to Yang Kai. Scratching his head, he said, “Yang Kai, this is how things are now. Initially, we intended to bring you to Great Moon Province so that you could join us; however, it seems that we can’t do that now. Leader has rejected the idea, so there’s nothing this Wei can do. I’m sorry!” After he finished speaking, he cupped his fists and looked away as he was too ashamed to face him.
Yang Kai chuckled, “Many thanks for your kindness, Senior Wei. I’m fully aware of the situation I’m in, so it’s understandable that your leader has rejected the idea. Even if he had agreed to it, I couldn’t have followed you to Great Moon Province as I can’t leave First Inn or I’d be ripped into pieces. There’s still a chance for me to survive if I stay here.”
Tao Rong Fang said, “You’re right to say that, but it’s not like you can stay in this inn forever. What’s your plan?”
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and fell into his thoughts for a moment, then he shook his head, “I’ll see how things go. I don’t have any plans in mind now.”
“Hai!” Wei Que sighed, “You’re just too reckless. Why did you even decide to snatch the Golden Crow carcass at that time?”
It was said that men die for wealth just as birds die for food. What Yang Kai had done in the Golden Crow Divine Palace was no different from digging his own grave. Without First Inn, he would’ve lost his life a long time ago.
An embarrassed Yang Kai replied, “I didn’t have much time to think about it. I just did it on impulse, and it’s pointless to talk about why now.” He waved his hand as he wasn’t willing to dwell on this topic.
Seeing that, Wei Que decided to change the topic, “We’ll be leaving First Inn and returning to Great Moon Province soon. Is there anything we can help you with?”
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai said, “There’s indeed one thing that I need you to help me with.”
“Name it,” Wei Que replied.
Yang Kai said, “Old Fang, Dié You, Ah Sun, and I fled from Seven Wonders Land and went through a lot of hardships. Now that Ah Sun has been taken on as a Disciple by Senior Tao, I don’t have to worry about her anymore. However, Old Fang and Dié You have nowhere else to go. Given the situation I’m in, they shouldn’t have anything to do with me anymore, so I hope that you’ll accept them into your force so that they’ll have a place to live and grow.”
Wei Que replied, “Even if you didn’t mention it, we’d still do so. Don’t worry. We’ll bring Fang Bi Qi and Dié You back to Great Moon Province and take care of them. As long as this Wei is still alive, I won’t let anyone oppress them.”
“Many thanks, Senior.”
An abashed Wei Que waved his hand, “Don’t thank me. Otherwise, I’ll be too embarrassed to face you.”
“What about you?” Tao Rong Fang asked, “Is there anything we can help you with?”
Yang Kai shook his head as they were truly unable to help him solve the problem he was facing. Now that Old Fang and Dié You finally had a place to call home, he could at least set his mind at ease about that issue.
After a sigh, Wei Que fished out a Space Ring and put it in front of Yang Kai, “It’s just a small gift from me, so please don’t refuse it. You’ll need money to stay in First Inn after all.”
After deliberating on it for a moment, Yang Kai decided to keep the ring. Wei Que was a straightforward man, so he would only make it difficult for him if he turned him down.
They went on to chat for a bit before the pair rose from the chairs. Before leaving, Wei Que said, “Do you want to see Fang Bi Qi and the others? After all of you part ways this time, you won’t be able to meet up again for a long time.”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “We’ll certainly meet again in the future. Senior Wei, please leave with them now.” It would be sorrowful to part ways with them, so he’d rather not see them now.
Wei Que stared at him for a moment and patted his shoulder, “Take care.” Then, he turned around and left.
Tao Rong Fang nodded at Yang Kai and shuffled out of the room.
A short while later, footsteps could be heard coming from the corridor. Yang Kai knew that those from Great Moon Province must be leaving.
After all the sound of feet died down, Yang Kai returned to his bed and meditated to recuperate. Recalling his experiences since he left the Star Boundary, he felt crestfallen. After separating with Zhang Ruo Xi, he ended up becoming a worker in Seven Wonders Land. He went through countless difficulties to escape from that place, but he was then dragged into a mess because of the Golden Crow carcass soon after. As an Emperor Realm cultivator, he was caught in the middle of a great storm in the Outer Universe. If he wasn’t careful enough, he would be ripped into pieces at any moment.
He had to ponder over how to handle the carcass. Not only did he have to deal with the situation swiftly and to his benefit, he also had to ensure he would not leave behind any hidden dangers for himself. This thorny issue gave him a severe headache.
It was all calm for the next few days. Yang Kai had been worried that the Proprietress might find fault with him again, but he hadn’t seen her for days now. On the other hand, most of his injuries had healed; however, after the previous incident, he wouldn’t dare to leave his room as he pleased. If there were any reckless people who ignored the inn’s rules and made a move against him, he wouldn’t be able to resist.
Ten days later, Yang Kai and Bai Qi were having a drink in his room. While Bai Qi was talking about what had been going on outside, the door was suddenly kicked open.
A shocked Yang Kai raised his head before shrinking his neck. Turning to look at Bai Qi, he asked mournfully, “Are there any privacy measures in place in your inn at all? Do you allow your customer’s doors to be kicked open at any moment?”
Bai Qi simply gave a hollow laugh, “Well, she’s the Proprietress.”
With a gaze filled with coldness, Madam Lan shot Bai Qi a glare, “It’s no wonder I didn’t see you at all, it turns out you’ve been lazing around here! Don’t you need to serve the customers? How dare you slack off here!? I’ll deduct a year’s worth of your salary!”
Bai Qi turned pale in an instant and pleaded, “Proprietress, please calm your anger! I’ll start working now! Please don’t deduct my salary!”
Upon finishing his words, he dashed out of the room.
With his back leaning against the wall, Yang Kai wanted to flee as well, but when the Proprietress shot him a glare, a chill shot up his spine and he became rooted to the spot.
Then, she slightly extended her foot backwards to close the door and took Bai Qi’s previous seat. With a gaze filled with gloom, she stared fixedly at him.
Yang Kai forced a wry smile at her as he curled up in the corner. Then, he covered his head with his hands and said, “Just don’t hit my face.” It took a few days before the dark circles around his eyes caused by her faded. This woman was ruthless, so he had to be careful.
The Proprietress said grimly, “Sit.”
Yang Kai stole a glance at her before sitting on the ground.
The Proprietress bellowed, “Smelly brat, stop playing meek! I told you to sit so sit!”
After batting his eyes, Yang Kai got to his feet and inched closer to the chair in a vigilant manner. Then, he slowly took a seat, his eyes darting around as he was apprehensive.
Seeing how alert he was, an incensed Madam Lan landed a palm on the table, “Brat, do you know how much trouble you’ve caused me?”
Yang Kai scratched his nose as he muttered, “Not really. I’ve only heard a little about it.”
Recently, he had been hearing from Bai Qi about what had been going on outside his room as he hadn’t dared to leave it. He only knew that most people from the neighbouring great forces had left. After all, the people who had checked in previously were mostly from Third Class forces, so they had no right to compete for the Golden Crow’s corpse. Just like Great Moon Province, they knew their place, so they had left as quickly as they could. Of course, there were still some of them who had stayed here to watch the show.
After they left, those from Second Class great forces subsequently arrived. Even some from the First Class Cave Heavens and Paradises had come to this place.
Presently, over twenty Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had gathered in First Inn along with three or four High-Ranks. It could be said that this was the first time they had received so many top cultivators since First Inn’s opening. They were all attracted by the Golden Crow carcass.
Madam Lan sneered, “Did you seriously think you’d be fine by just shifting all the attention to this Queen in the hall the other day? Do you think they’re all fools? Both of us are fully aware whether the carcass is in my hands or not.”
Yang Kai replied, “I was left with no other choice…”
Madam Lan landed another palm on the table, “Do you think you could lie to everyone else just because you were left with no choice? Do you think I can’t kick you out of the inn right now? You don’t need me to tell you what will happen then!”
A stunned Yang Kai questioned, “Madam Lan, do you want me dead?”
Madam Lan fiddled with her own fingers and replied dispassionately, “I have a right to get my revenge. You were the one who framed me first.”
Yang Kai became truly flustered. If he were chased out of the inn, he would lose his life the next moment. With widened eyes, he rebuked, “Your inn is open for business, and I’ve fully paid for my lodging, how can you just chase me out?”
Madam Lan lifted her head to give him a look, “You’re right. We have never mistreated a customer before. If I kick you out, our reputation will be tarnished.”
With his heart pounding against his chest, Yang Kai let out a long breath. Then, Madam Lan said, “But there are exceptions for those who can’t pay their fees and refuse to leave.”
Yang Kai’s eyes widened as he had a premonition.
As expected, Madam Lan went on to say smilingly, “This Queen has decided that from today onwards, the fee for your room will be a 100,000 Open Heaven Pills per night.”
“100,000?” Yang Kai’s expression cramped drastically. After calculating for a bit, he realised that the pills he had could only last him three to four days, enraging him, “Proprietress, you’re oppressing me!”
Madam Lan replied, “You have no right to interfere in my decision. It’s up to me whether I want to raise the fee, and it’s up to you whether you want to continue staying here. No one is forcing you to do anything.”
Yang Kai demanded, “I want a different room!”
Madam Lan scoffed, “There are no other rooms. Our inn is packed to the brim right now, so you can’t get a new one.”
Yang Kai gnashed his teeth together and glared at her; however, an unfazed Madam Lan kept a charming smile on her face as she fiddled with her own fingers. She didn’t even spare him a glance.
Suppressing his urge to land a fist on her face, Yang Kai asked, “What do you want? Just say it!”
Madam Lan replied impassively, “Smelly brat, an ordinary man is innocent, but treasures make him guilty. Haven’t you heard of that before?”
Certainly, Yang Kai had heard the saying. In fact, he was intimately familiar with it. Since he started cultivating, he had come across countless dangers because of this exact scenario; therefore, he understood the meaning of the saying better than anyone else.
“Good, this Queen was caught off guard and framed by you, so now, many people out there believe that the Golden Crow carcass is in my hands.” Madam Lan gazed at him, “In that case, I don’t mind making their speculation a reality. Why don’t I take the trouble from you now? What do you think?”
Yang Kai asked, “You want me to give you the carcass?”
Madam Lan replied, “I won’t take it from you for free. I’ll give you enough compensation.”
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai asked, “May I know what the compensation is?”
With a smile, Madam Lan stuck out one finger, “The first compensation is simply Open Heaven Pills. This number.” Then, she swayed her finger at him.
“10 million?” Yang Kai was stunned.
In response, Madam Lan nodded her head.
Yang Kai said, “Madam Lan is indeed generous.” Ten million Open Heaven Pills was really a large number, tempting for any Emperor Realm cultivator.
“Since you’ve mentioned the first one, there must be a second option. What is it?”
Madam Lan shot him a look, “The second option is a full set of Fifth-Order Yin, Yang, Five Elements materials to help you break through to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm.”
That was another tempting offer. A Fifth-Order set of materials could be traded for 7.5 million Open Heaven Pills. However, considering the rarity of such items, it would actually be equivalent to 10 million Open Heaven Pills.
Moreover, a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could be considered a powerhouse in the Outer Universe. It was in the middle of the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm. Duan Hai was only a Fourth-Order while both Qi Qiao Heavenly Monarch, whom Yang Kai had never met, and Old Xu were Fifth-Order. In other words, a Fifth-Order cultivator was powerful enough to gain a footing and build a great force in the Outer Universe.
Madam Lan was indeed sincere, but that was the reason Yang Kai realised that the Golden Crow carcass was far more valuable than he thought. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have decided to pay such a hefty price to obtain it. The carcass must be worth a lot more than the compensation she had offered.
“Is there a third option?” he asked.
A frustrated Madam Lan said, “Aren’t you satisfied with two options? Brat, don’t be too greedy.”
Yang Kai raised his hands, “I was just asking. Don’t get mad.” Then, he hurriedly filled her cup with tea to prevent her from blowing her top again.
After a snort, Madam Lan took a sip of the tea and shot him a look, “You should count your blessings. Countless newcomers like you struggle for hundreds or even thousands of years in the 3,000 Worlds without achieving anything. You got some luck not long after you arrived at the Outer Universe. Many people would die of jealousy if they heard.”
What she had said reminded Yang Kai of Dié You and Old Fang. It had been a long time since they arrived in the Outer Universe, but they had been trapped in Seven Wonders Land for practically all that time, which was why they hadn’t even ascended to the Open Heaven Realm. In comparison, Yang Kai was in a much better spot. With that said, the reason he had the options to choose from on this day was that he had risked his life to achieve this; it had nothing to do with luck.
Thus , he took a sip of water and fell silent for a moment before replying, “Proprietress, I’m tempted by both options, but I’m not sure what to choose.”
Madam Lan said, “Do you want my advice?”
“Yes, please.”
“If I were you, I’d choose the second option. Although Open Heaven Pills are beneficial, it’s not safe for you to carry so many pills around as you’re only an Emperor Realm Junior. Moreover, you don’t have the means to buy higher-order materials. So, you should just let First Inn purchase those Fifth-Order materials for you and enjoy the fruits of our labour.”
“You have a point,” Yang Kai crossed his arms and fell into his thoughts.
The Proprietress observed him and gently let out a breath. Judging from his expression, she knew that there was a chance to achieve her goal. If he wasn’t even willing to talk to her, there wouldn’t be any hope. It seemed that he had also realised that the potato was too hot for him to handle.
The Golden Crow carcass was a ticket to Hell for an average person, but to a great force like First Inn, it was an invaluable treasure. As long as she could secure the corpse, she wouldn’t mind paying a big price.
While Yang Kai was pondering on the issue, she didn’t disturb him.
However, one hour later, he still hadn’t made up his mind. Seeing this, she was speechless as probed, “Have you made your decision yet?”
Yang Kai knitted his brows together as though he was in a dilemma. Hearing her voice, he turned to look at her, “Proprietress, I’m fine with the options you’ve mentioned, but can you also compensate for the loss of the two Mie Meng golden tail feathers?”
At the mention of the golden tail feathers, Madam Lan became indignant as Yang Kai had used one of them on her when she was unsuspecting, which caused her to be wounded. She had never been humiliated in such a way before.
“Do you even want me to compensate for that? Are you out of your mind?” Madam Lan barked.
Yang Kai replied, “Of course you have to. In order to snatch the carcass, I had to use two of Mie Meng’s golden tail feathers. Although I don’t know how much they’re worth, they’re obviously not cheap. If I sold them, many people would want them. Perhaps they could even be traded for 10 million Open Heaven Pills. Since that’s the value of two golden tail feathers, the offer you’ve mentioned can only make up for a fraction of my losses.”
Upon hearing that, Madam Lan put on a sneer. Just when she wanted to mock him, she recalled how the golden tail feathers were powerful enough to even harm her, making them practically invaluable safety charms. If they were sold, they really could be worth a lot of money. The generous ones might even be willing to offer him 10 million pills.
Thus, she changed the topic by saying, “Now that you mention this, there’s a question I need to ask you. Where did you get those Mie Meng golden tail feathers from?” If she were aware of them in the first place, she wouldn’t have suffered such a setback.
Yang Kai grinned, “I also have a question for you. Why don’t we trade information?”
Madam Lan sized him up, “What do you want to know?”
In a stealthy manner, Yang Kai uttered in a hushed voice, “What are the uses of the Golden Crow carcass? Why do so many people want it?”
Madam Lan questioned, “Why are you asking this question?”
“I’m curious,” Yang Kai stared fixedly at her.
After giving it a thought, Madam Lan replied, “Since so many people want it, it naturally has its value. It’s difficult to look for a Golden Crow. Throughout the 3,000 Worlds, there are only a small number of them. This kind of ancient beast is born with a Sun and perishes with that Sun, so it is truly an amazing being. Its flesh can be made into pills, and its bones can be used to forge artifacts. Most importantly, the Golden Crow’s True Fire in its body is invaluable. If anyone is able to refine it, they will gain an extremely powerful Fire Element.” This wasn’t secret information, so Yang Kai could find out about it by simply asking around, thus she didn’t hide it from him.
Yang Kai’s gaze brightened when he heard that, “You mean the black flames we saw in the Golden Crow Divine Palace?” He had seen how horrifying the Golden Crow True Fire was. Any Low-Rank cultivator contaminated by it died.
“That’s right.” Madam Lan nodded and sneered, “Brat, I suggest you give up even dreaming about it. Golden Crow’s True Fire is so terrifying that without a strong enough Wood Element to suppress it, you’ll be burned to death by just absorbing a wisp of it.”
Yang Kai appeared grateful for her warning, “Certainly I wouldn’t be reckless.”
“Good. Now tell me where you obtained the golden tail feathers from.”
Yang Kai grinned, “Of course they were gifted to me by Mie Meng. Some time ago, I lent her a hand, and in order to thank me, she gave me three golden tail feathers before leaving.”
Madam Lan didn’t seem to believe him, but she wasn’t willing to dwell on this issue. In an impatient manner, she said, “Enough idle chatter. Have you made up your mind?”
Yang Kai replied, “Stop pressuring me. I won’t know what to choose if you do that. Why don’t you go back to your room first? I’ll keep on thinking it over. When I’ve made a decision, I’ll inform you.”
After he finished speaking, he rose from the chair and walked up to the door. Then, he opened the door as though he was ready to see her off.
Madam Lan was dumbstruck by what he had said; however, as a woman, it was inappropriate for her to insist on staying in a man’s room. Gritting her teeth, she got up and walked out, but as she was passing by Yang Kai, she extended her leg from her dress and landed a kick on his shin before shuffling out of the room.
Yang Kai grimaced in pain as he hugged his leg with both hands and jumped around for a long time. At the same time, he secretly cursed at this woman for being so violent.
A moment later, he closed the door and turned on the barrier. Then, he sat down on the bed with his legs crossed and snuck into the Sealed World Bead.
It was completely serene inside the Sealed World. Upon landing on a flatland, he fished out Six Fated Paths Bag and shook it, upon which the Golden Crow carcass dropped on the ground.
Since he obtained the carcass, Yang Kai had never carefully examined it. Upon learning the uses of the carcass from the Proprietress though, he couldn’t help but feel tempted.
He had never expected that the True Fire within the Golden Crow carcass could be used to condense the Fire Element.
In fact, this was exactly the kind of treasure he had been trying so hard to find. The reason he went to the Sun Star was to hunt for a Seventh-Order Sun’s True Gold. Although he had seen a number of such Sun’s True Golds, they ultimately didn’t end up belonging to him. The carcass he had accidentally snatched, however, had given him a new option.
Madam Lan had warned him against having his eye on the Golden Crow’s True Fire as he wouldn’t be able to suppress this kind of fire without a strong Wood Element. However, that was basically not an issue for him.
Yang Kai had no idea what Order the Wood Element which he had condensed from the essence of Immortal Tree was, but he reckoned that few if any other treasures in the world comparable to it.
The Wood Element within his body was certainly strong enough to suppress the Golden Crow’s True Fire.
Nevertheless, in order to be safe, Yang Kai decided to test it out first, which was why he had snuck into the Small Sealed World; otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to take the risk with so many top cultivators currently staying at First Inn.
That was his initial plan at least, but as soon as the carcass was released, Yang Kai immediately felt the entire Small Sealed World descending into chaos as its World Principles began to warp. The Sealed World seemed to be on the brink of exploding.
Yang Kai was the Master of the Small Sealed World, so he was especially sensitive to the changes it was going through.
It was like a big stone that had been forcefully stuffed into a glass of water, which caused the glass to crack.
The sudden change in the Small Sealed World shocked Yang Kai.
Instantly, many ideas flashed across his mind and he soon realised the reason behind this phenomenon. The capacity of the Small Sealed World was limited, similar to the theory of the World Bottle in the Star Boundary, where only ten Great Emperors could exist at the same time. There would never be an eleventh Great Emperor because this was how the world protected itself, an innate restriction related to the strength of the World Principles.
There was a limit in the capacity of the World Bottle in the Star Boundary, and it was the same case for Small Sealed World. Furthermore, Small Sealed World wasn’t comparable to the Star Boundary at all. Simply put, the Small Sealed World couldn’t hold a powerful being like the Golden Crow carcass.
The carcass alone was able to destabilise the Small Sealed World, so if a living Golden Crow entered the Small Sealed World, Yang Kai reckoned that it would be burned down in an instant.
The Small Sealed World was no longer the same as it was in the past because the second region and the third region had been separated from it. Now, only the original first region was left, so its capacity was rather limited. That was the reason the sudden change took place when Yang Kai took out the carcass inside of it.
Upon understanding this, Yang Kai hurriedly opened the Six Fated Paths Bag and put the carcass inside it.
It was only then that the world stopped shaking and became calm again as the chaotic Principles began mending themselves. The change proved that his speculation was right. With a frown, Yang Kai fell into his thoughts on the same spot.
If he hadn’t put the carcass into the Small Sealed World on a whim, he wouldn’t have discovered this. The carcass alone was able to make the Small Sealed World descend into chaos, so what if he put an Open Heaven Realm Master into the Small Sealed World?
An Open Heaven Realm Master contained a complete world within their body. Depending on the Order the Master was in, the power of the Small Universe World in his body also varied. Yang Kai reckoned that if the capacity in the Small Sealed World was larger than that of the Small Universe in an Open Heaven Realm Master, there wouldn’t be a problem. However, if it was smaller, such a change would happen to the Small Sealed World again.
At the thought of this, Yang Kai came to the realisation that he shouldn’t put an Open Heaven Realm Master in the Small Sealed World as he pleased; otherwise, he might suffer immense losses.
The Small Sealed World couldn’t even bear it, so nothing need be said about the World Beads he refined as imitations of the Sealed World Bead. World Beads weren’t even comparable to the Sealed World Bead because they were refined from Dead Stars and asteroids which didn’t have any World Principles of their own. Yang Kai reckoned that a World Bead he had made couldn’t even accommodate the weakest of Open Heaven Realm Masters. If such a person was forcefully kept inside the bead, it would instantly explode.
Therefore, it seemed that the Six Fated Paths Bag was indeed extraordinary. It was a storage artifact, but it could forcefully keep an Open Heaven Realm Master inside of it. Unlike the Small Sealed World, what was inside the Six Fated Paths Bag wasn’t a Sealed World but an adjustable space.
Yang Kai wondered who created this bag, and how it ended up in Old Xu’s hands; however, all that didn’t matter anymore as the bag belonged to him now.
Since he couldn’t test out his theory in the Small Sealed World, Yang Kai decided to leave. After storing the Sealed Word Bead, he plunged into the Six Fated Paths Bag. Fortunately, he had fully refined the bag, so the space inside it could be adjusted accordingly. Although it wasn’t as spacious as the Small Sealed World, it didn’t feel cramped for him to stay inside with the Golden Crow carcass.
The Golden Crow was imposing when it was still alive, but there didn’t seem to be anything special about it after its death. After releasing his Divine Sense, Yang Kai could sense a faint ferocious aura wafting from it but that was all. Next, he circled around the carcass several times before standing in front of it. With his arms crossed, he attentively examined the carcass.
Yang Kai wasn’t sure how he should start. One of the reasons he could condense his Wood Element was that he had already refined the Immortal Tree, and Zhang Ruo Xi had given him some guidance, so the process was rather smooth. Now that he was alone with no one else to rely on, he didn’t know what to do.
After pondering on the issue for a long time, he decided to simply try things out first. According to the Proprietress, the Golden Crow’s True Fire was truly horrifying, so Yang Kai was especially careful.
First, he extended his hand and pressed it against the Golden Crow’s forehead. With his eyes closed, he tried to sense it in silence and draw out the True Fire inside. Initially, nothing happened, but soon Yang Kai felt a scorching heat on his palm. An aura that seemed able to burn down everything in existence came right out of the carcass. At the same time, he had a feeling that he was standing right in front of a great Sun. The scorching power seemed able to melt him at any moment.
Yang Kai’s expression changed as he hurriedly stepped backwards, but his hand was already engulfed in a dark flame. The smell of burned flesh permeated the air, and a piercing pain caused him to groan like a wounded beast.
Yang Kai hurriedly circulated his Emperor Qi in an attempt to stop the black flame from expanding, but was stunned to realise that his Emperor Qi had simply turned into fuel for the fire. As his Emperor Qi surged, the black flame became even more vigorous as it soon reached his elbow.
Upon seeing that, Yang Kai was shocked. Although he was fully aware that the Golden Crow’s True Fire was extraordinary, he realized now that he had still underestimated its power. At that instant, he felt remorseful and seriously wondered if he would be burned to death today?
At the critical moment though, he suddenly recalled what the Proprietress had said. Only a strong Wood Element could suppress the Golden Crow’s True Fire, so he hurriedly drew out the power in his Dao Seal.
A green aura exuded from his arm in the next moment and met with the black flame, making for an extremely bizarre sight. The power of the Immortal Tree was indeed incredible and as soon as his Wood Element was activated, Yang Kai immediately felt that his pain had been alleviated and his wounded flesh was slowly being restored.
Yang Kai let out a sigh of relief as he knew that he had made the right move. The Order of his Wood Element must be higher than that of the True Fire; otherwise, things would’ve gone badly for him today.
Now, it seemed that as long as his Wood Element was strong enough, he could safely absorb the True Fire to condense his Fire Element.
As he thought about the issue, Yang Kai wondered how many people there were in the world that possessed such a strong Wood Element. Even if there were such people, their Wood Element was certainly not comparable to the essence of the Immortal Tree.
With his mind at ease now, Yang Kai sat down with his legs crossed and carefully engulfed the Golden Crow’s True Fire with his Wood Element before leading it to his Dao Seal.
After an hour, the originally green Dao Seal was now tinged with a black hue. From the black light, Yang Kai could feel a sense of ferocity and an aura that seemed to want to cause destruction.
Next, he checked the stability of his Dao Seal and upon realising that it was completely safe, he became elated. It seemed he would have no trouble refining the Golden Crow’s True Fire to condense his Fire Element. Furthermore, he could clearly feel that the True Fire was Seventh Order at the very least.
He had never come across other Seventh-Order materials before, but he had seen a Seventh-Order Sun’s True Gold in the Golden Crow Divine Palace. The aura of the Seventh-Order Sun’s True Gold from back then was even weaker than the Golden Crow’s True Fire, which gave Yang Kai a rough estimate of the True Fire’s potential.
It had only been a year since he arrived in the Outer Universe, but he already had a chance to refine his Fire Element. It could be said that he was extremely fortunate.
Yang Kai stopped thinking over the options the Proprietress had given him and instead recalled Zhang Qi saying that everything else, be it money, women, or status, came second to personal strength.
It was extremely difficult to find materials that were Seventh-Order and above, and since he was an ambitious man, Yang Kai was determined to make it to the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm in a single bound. Now that the chance was right in front of him, he would not let it slip through his fingers. In fact, he wasn’t really tempted by the offers the Proprietress had provided him in the first place. Even if she could give him an even greater offer, he would rather give all that up in order to condense his Fire Element.
In just a short moment, the Wood Element had restored the wounds caused by the Golden Crow’s True Fire, so Yang Kai took a deep breath and pressed his palm against the Golden Crow’s carcass. Then, he activated his Dao Seal and drew the True Fire into his body again.
After the dark flame was drawn out, it engulfed Yang Kai’s arm; however, thanks to the suppression of his Wood Element, the flame couldn’t harm him one bit.
Half a day later, Yang Kai reluctantly left the Six Fated Paths Bag. It wasn’t that he had finished condensing his Fire Element, but rather that he couldn’t possibly accomplish this in one go. Moreover, he had absorbed enough of Golden Crow’s True Fire on this day to feel bloated, so he needed to refine it before he could continue. Also, he was worried that the Proprietress would barge into his room all of a sudden. If she found out that he had been secretly absorbing the True Fire, she wouldn’t let him off.
For the next few days, the Proprietress would visit him regularly to discuss the carcass. Yang Kai didn’t intend to pass it to her now, so he would appear tempted for a while before chasing her away. Nevertheless, he could feel that the Proprietress’ patience was running out. For the past two days, she had appeared disgruntled when discussing the issue with him. Every time before she left, she would land a kick on Yang Kai’s shin, and since he wasn’t nearly strong enough, he was unable to dodge the attack despite knowing it was coming.
Yang Kai was fairly quick when it came to absorbing the Golden Crow’s True Fire, as with the protection of the Wood Element from the Immortal Tree, he could practically devour large amounts of True Fire without worry. If anyone else had witnessed this, they would surely be astonished.
In the entire Outer Universe, no one could condense such a violent Flame Element in such a short period of time. They would need to spend a few years or even decades to slowly tame and then refine it in order to achieve this.
Without the Wood Element from the Immortal Tree, Yang Kai wouldn’t have dared to be so reckless. It was only thanks to the tree’s power that he could absorb the amount of Golden Crow’s True Fire in a day that others would take a few months to.
As time passed, a fact gradually became clear to him. At his current speed, it would take him another ten days to fill his Dao Seal’s requirement. By then, he wouldn’t need to absorb the True Fire anymore as he would have enough to condense his Fire Element.
Ten days were the key to his success; however, the Proprietress had become impatient, so she clearly wouldn’t give him so much time. Fortunately, the Proprietress would visit him at roughly the same time every day, so his secret hadn’t been exposed yet.
On this day, Yang Kai leapt out of the Six Fated Paths Bag before the Proprietress’ arrival. One hour after he started meditating, he could hear someone knocking on the door.
Apparently, it must be the Proprietress again. A helpless Yang Kai got to his feet and opened the door, only to see the Proprietress standing outside the room demurely. What surprised him was that she wasn’t alone this time. She had brought someone with her.
Standing in front of Yang Kai was a slim yet energetic-looking elderly man. He was clad in a short sleeve shirt and a pair of short pants. With his bony arms and calves exposed, he looked like an ordinary farmer who had just returned from his field.
However, Yang Kai could see that the elderly man had a deep and profound gaze. It was as though he would plunge into it and be drowned in it forever if he stared too long, causing his chest to tighten as he realised that this elderly man was no ordinary Master.
Madam Lan, who had been harassing him recently, stood three steps behind this elderly man as she stared at Yang Kai while gritting her teeth.
“Little friend, do you mind having a chat with me inside?” The elderly man asked with a smile. Despite his gentle tone, he gave off an imposing air that made it impossible for Yang Kai to refuse. Only a person who had been in a position of authority for a long time could give off this kind of feeling, and Yang Kai was familiar with that.
Yang Kai shot a glance at the Proprietress, knowing that he couldn’t reject, before nodding and stepping aside to allow the elderly man to pass.
The elderly man thanked him and shuffled into the room, followed by Madam Lan.
After closing the door, Yang Kai turned to look at Madam Lan and asked doubtfully, “Proprietress, this is…”
With that said, he already had a speculation about the elderly man’s identity.
A solemn Madam Lan replied, “He is the owner of First Inn.”
The elderly man smiled and nodded his head, “My surname is Si Tu, and my given name is Kong.”
His identity was just as Yang Kai had expected. The moment he saw the Proprietress, who was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, standing respectfully behind this elderly man, he could already figure out his identity. Upon Madam Lan’s introduction, he knew that his speculation was right.
Si Tu Kong was the owner of First Inn who always remained behind the scenes. This man must be a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master, though Yang Kai wasn’t certain what Order he was in.
“Junior Yang Kai greets Senior Si Tu. Please forgive me for any disrespect I have shown.” Yang Kai cupped his fists before gesturing politely, “Please have a seat.”
Si Tu Kong nodded and directly took a seat while Madam Lan took up a spot behind him.
“Have a seat as well,” Si Tu Kong looked around before motioning to Yang Kai.
Naturally, Yang Kai didn’t dare to sit. Even a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was standing, so he had no right to be seated. As such, he told the elderly man that he wouldn’t dare show such brazenness and was fine with standing.
Si Tu Kong didn’t dwell on the issue and simply continued, “This Old Master has heard about what happened to you. Little friend, do you know how many top Masters have gathered in my inn now?”
“Junior is unaware,” Yang Kai shook his head. He wouldn’t have been surprised if Si Tu Kong directly asked for the Golden Crow carcass, so what the latter had just said baffled him.
Si Tu Kong went on to say, “There are thirty-two Mid-Rank cultivators, and excluding this Old Master, five High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. Over twenty First Class and Second Class forces are now represented here.”
Yang Kai was dumbfounded upon hearing this number, knowing that things had truly become serious. So many High-Rank cultivators had come to this tiny inn, which showed just how attractive the Golden Crow carcass was.
After a pause, Si Tu Kong went on to say with a smile, “Do you understand why First Inn can do business here peacefully?”
A puzzled Yang Kai asked, “What does Senior mean?”
Si Tu Kong explained lightly, “Some time ago, you tried to divert everyone’s attention to Xiao Lan by saying that she had taken the carcass from you. Whether or not it was true, everyone would try to ascertain the truth. Xiao Lan is from First Inn, so they wouldn’t dare to make a move against her as they have to show adequate respect to us. So, the best way for them is to pry the information out of you to find out where the carcass truly is before coming up with a plan. However, you’ve stayed here for quite some time, but have you ever been harassed by anyone?”
“No,” Yang Kai shook his head as he could somewhat grasp what the elderly man was trying to say.
In a probing manner, he asked, “Does Senior mean… I’ve been protected by First Inn?”
Si Tu Kong didn’t directly answer his question as he continued, “Some of those out there are righteous, while some of them are wicked; however, none of them are easy to deal with.”
Naturally, Si Tu Kong was implying First Inn had been extremely accommodating to Yang Kai.
At this point, the Proprietress spoke, “Yang Kai, although First Inn is fairly powerful, we can’t possibly offend so many people for you. Whether or not you will sell us the carcass, you must give us an answer now.”
Yang Kai looked up at her and asked, “Can you give me more time to think it over?”
The Proprietress frowned, “What else is there to think over?”
Yang Kai braced himself and made an attempt, “Ten days. Please give me ten more days. After that, I’ll give you an answer you can accept.”
The Proprietress shot him a glare, “No. We can’t possibly wait for ten more days. Do you know how much pressure we’ve been under because of you? We’ve already offended many people by fending off those who’ve tried to look for you. Too much can happen in ten days.”
It was pointless for the discussion to go on if Yang Kai couldn’t stall for more time. He reckoned that he would need ten more days to condense the Fire Element and by then, the carcass would be useless to him.
“Three days,” Si Tu Kong suddenly said, “This Old Master will give you three more days to think it over.”
After finishing his words, he didn’t give Yang Kai a chance to speak as he rose from the chair and left directly. This was his ultimatum.
Yang Kai pleaded with them from behind, “Proprietress, Senior, please extend the deadline for me! I might not be able to make up my mind in just three days.”
The Proprietress turned around and snapped, “Then focus on your own safety, and I’m sure you’ll be able to make a sensible choice.” Having said so, she slammed the door shut as though she wanted to lock Yang Kai inside.
After they were gone, Yang Kai appeared crestfallen.
There was no way he could condense his Fire Element in just three days; however, since they had given him the ultimatum, there was no room for negotiation. Three days later, his life would be turned upside down.
Now that he was tight on time, Yang Kai didn’t dare to waste any time despite his worries. After turning on the room’s barrier again, he plunged into the Six Fated Paths Bag.
For the next three days, Yang Kai repeatedly entered the bag to absorb the Golden Crow’s True Fire, not even caring if he was overburdened. Although he had sped up his progress, more time was still needed to fill up his Dao Seal.
After three days, the Proprietress stepped into the room again. This time, Si Tu Kong didn’t come with her, which was expected. Although the Golden Crow carcass was priceless, it was just material in the end. As a High-Rank Open Heaven Master, he had shown enough regard for the carcass by coming all the way here in person, so the Proprietress could handle the rest.
Inside the room, the Proprietress stared at Yang Kai and declared, “Owner has said that if you can give me the carcass, our two offers will not change and we’ll even grant you both at the same time. In addition, before you enter the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, we will ensure your safety so that no one can harm you.”
The benefits had more than doubled for Yang Kai just like that. Previously, although the offers given by the Proprietress were attractive, Yang Kai could only choose one of them, which didn’t seem generous enough. Now, he could get both offers at the same time. Honestly speaking, any Emperor Realm Master would have agreed to it when tempted in such a way.
However, Yang Kai had already made a resolution that he wanted to become a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master, and he had discovered that he could absorb Golden Crow’s True Fire. That was the reason he didn’t agree.
Now, a bright future was within his grasp. If he agreed to this deal at this point, he would lose an opportunity to reach the peak of the Martial Dao. He didn’t want to regret a rash decision on this day in the future.
“I believe no other great force can provide you with such offers. Smelly brat, if you still refuse, I’ll have no other choice.”
Yang Kai replied, “I can feel how sincere First Inn and Senior Si Tu are, but…”
“Enough of this nonsense! Just tell me whether you agree or not!” The Proprietress cut him off as she was fed up with his stalling.
There was apparently no room for discussion as she appeared determined. Yang Kai clenched his teeth and said, “Good, I agree.”
Madam Lan was startled for a moment before she became elated, “Good, it seems you do know your place.”
“But, can you give me a few days more?”
Her face fell as she examined him doubtfully, “What are you up to? Since you’ve agreed already, why do you want to wait for a few days more?”
“I can’t tell you because it’s a private matter,” Yang Kai said calmly, which infuriated her, “However, I can assure you that I’ll give you the carcass after that.”
He thought that he could stall for more time by saying so, but Madam Lan shook her head decisively, “Even if we can wait, others aren’t so patient.” She gave him a meaningful look, “You’d better prepare yourself.”
Then, she turned around and left.
Yang Kai chased after her and called out from behind, but she didn’t respond to him. Right after he stepped out of the room, he froze on the spot because, at that instant, dozens of powerful Divine Senses locked onto him, creating a pressure like several worlds were piling on top of him, making him feel small and insignificant.
Yang Kai shuddered and hurriedly returned to his room. After a gulp, he still appeared to be reeling from shock. Recently, he had been hiding inside his room so although he knew that many top cultivators had gathered together outside, he never understood just how serious the situation was as he had never seen them. It wasn’t until this moment that he realised what it felt like to be surrounded by so many top Masters.
In this situation, he could only be safe by staying inside his room. It was too dangerous outside. While he was lost in his thoughts, he suddenly felt that something was off. After looking around, he almost couldn’t stop himself from cursing. That was because the barrier around his room had been deactivated. Obviously, it was Madam Lan’s doing. Normally, he could use his room token to control the barrier here, but as the First Inn Proprietress, Madam Lan naturally had the ability to interfere, and of course she could override his commands.
In other words, since Madam Lan had turned off the barrier around his room, he could not turn it on again.
Right after the barrier lost its effect, he could feel dozens of Divine Senses targeting him. Without the protection of the barrier, those Divine Senses penetrated the room and thoroughly examined him.
At that instant, he felt cold all over his body, and all his bodily hair was standing on end.
With a creak, the door was pushed open as a burly-looking young man appeared at the door and grinned at Yang Kai.
A horrified Yang Kai called out nervously, “Who are you?”
The young man entered the room without any hesitation, a thick Demon Qi swirling around him, which made him look extremely wicked. In an impassive manner, he said, “You don’t have to know who this King is. I’ll only ask you one question, so you’d best be honest with me.”
Without a pause, he went on to say, “Is the Golden Crow carcass still with you? Or has Madam Lan snatched it?”
This was the question everyone was trying to figure out. It was difficult for them to pry the information out of the Proprietress, so Yang Kai could be the point of breakthrough, and it was easier to make a move on him. However, Yang Kai had been sheltered by First Inn previously, so they couldn’t interrogate him. Now that First Inn had made their stance clear, they had no more worries.
Certainly, Yang Kai wouldn’t give him an honest answer; however, just when he was pondering on whether he should lie, he realised that he couldn’t even have that idea. The young man in front of him who was surrounded by Demon Qi seemed able to see through his thoughts, making it impossible to deceive him.
Was this the pressure from a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master? When Yang Kai faced Si Tu Kong, the latter didn’t give him this kind of pressure; however, in front of this young man, he realised that even breathing seemed to be a luxury.
Cold sweat streamed down his forehead as he turned to look at the young man with difficulty. There was a faint smile on the young man’s face as he gazed dispassionately at Yang Kai. It was as if a giant ferocious beast was behind him, ready to gobble him up at any moment.
Yang Kai’s entire body trembled and his bones cracked as he was engulfed in the aura of death.
[I’ll die!] The murderous intent wafting from the young man made Yang Kai realise that if he couldn’t provide a satisfactory answer, this guy would make a move on him.
At the most critical moment, Yang Kai had no other choice as he roared and snuck into the Six Fated Paths Bag.
He didn’t have a choice as he wouldn’t dare to expose the Sealed World Bead, and it was useless to use Instantaneous Movement. By hiding inside the bag, he could stand a chance to catch his breath; however, what he had done was no different from a turtle hiding inside its shell or drinking poison to quench his thirst.
The moment Yang Kai disappeared, the young man arched his brow and cried out, “The Golden Crow!”
Following that, he extended his hand towards the bag. As soon as the bag was opened earlier, he could detect the Golden Crow’s aura, which immediately made him realise that the carcass was still in Yang Kai’s hands.
He was swift, but other people’s movements were even quicker. While the bag was still in mid-air, the shadows of several hands appeared out of thin air as they too reached for it.
The young man cackled, “What a shameless bunch!” Suddenly, his Demon Qi surged and exploded outwards, causing the furniture in the room to turn into dust. The young man shot forward like a Flood Dragon that had dashed out of the ocean.
*Hong hong hong…*
World Force clashed as many top cultivators traded moves in the void at that instant while grunts could be heard from time to time.
Following a loud crash, the inn, which had stood in the void for thousands of years, collapsed. Dozens of figures shot out in different directions, all of them descending into an intense battle as they showcased their Secret Techniques and Divine Abilities.
With a livid expression, Madam Lan was hovering somewhere in the void as she gazed at where the inn formerly stood. Gritting her teeth, she held Bai Qi in one hand and the accountant in the other hand as a cold aura swirled around her.
Bai Qi opened his mouth so wide that a fist could be stuffed into it. The incident happened so suddenly that he had yet to come to his senses. It wasn’t until this moment that he exclaimed, “Proprietress, they’ve destroyed our inn!”
The accountant widened his eyes, “What should we do?”
Since First Inn’s inception, no one had dared to make such a scene here. Those who had the guts to do so were all killed afterwards; however, the people making a fuss here were different. Some of the great forces they represented weren’t afraid of First Inn at all. The inn was practically gone for good as no one would compensate them in any way; after all, the owner of First Inn had also made a move.
“Smelly brat, I’ll skin you alive for this!” Madam Lan said through clenched teeth.
If it weren’t because Yang Kai kept hiding the carcass from them, the inn wouldn’t have suffered such a calamity. If he had given up the carcass earlier, none of this would’ve happened. Now that things had become serious, no one knew how to handle the situation.
Six High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were trading moves in the void as the Six Fated Paths Bag flew back and forth amongst them. Even Madam Lan couldn’t interfere in a battle of this level, so she could only watch from afar.
The Mid-Rank cultivators from the Second Class forces were doing the same. After some of them suffered serious wounds while attempting to snatch the bag, they all backed off. Knowing that the Golden Crow carcass would eventually fall into the hands of one of those High-Rank Masters, they stopped wasting time and energy.
Even though the carcass was invaluable, it was still not worth risking their lives for.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai, who had been hiding in the bag, was having quite a peaceful time. Although the High-Rank cultivators’ moves were world-shaking, they still tried their best to protect the bag. That was because they knew that if the bag was destroyed, the carcass inside it would most likely be lost to the Void. By then, it would be impossible for them to look for it.
Yang Kai secretly opened a gap and released his Divine Sense to scan the surroundings, but before he could detect anything, he felt an excruciating pain in his head as his Divine Sense was shredded by the violent force.
At that moment, he seemed to have caught a glimpse of the top Masters trading moves.
Upon seeing that, he was dumbfounded. Earlier, he was forced to sneak into the bag because he was threatened by that young man with thick Demon Qi, and he had no idea what happened next. He reckoned that the top Masters in the inn must have started trying to snatch the bag.
Yang Kai wondered whose hands the bag would fall into in the end, and what his end would be.
At this point, he secretly hoped that Si Tu Kong could get his hands on the bag. At the very least, Si Tu Kong seemed to be a reasonable person who was willing to negotiate with him. On the other hand, Demon Qi could be seen swirling around the young man, so it was apparent that he was a malevolent fellow. If he managed to snatch the bag, Yang Kai expected his end to be miserable.
It was impossible for Yang Kai to leap out of the bag now as the mere fallout from the ongoing battle would be enough to vaporize him.
As he heaved a sigh, Yang Kai felt a throbbing headache. He wasn’t used to this feeling of leaving his life at the mercy of others. However, he was still far away from the Open Heaven Realm as he needed to gather the Power of the Yin-Yang Five Elements first.
All of a sudden, an idea crossed his mind as he realised that the man that was surrounded by Demon Qi could possibly come from Myriad Demons Heaven. Duan Hai had mentioned that Myriad Demons Heavens was one of the Thirty-Six Cave Heavens, which were the top great forces in the Outer Universe. Yang Kai also wondered if Mo Sheng had originally come from Myriad Demons Heaven.
While he was deep in his stray thoughts, Yang Kai suddenly turned his head and stared fixedly at the Golden Crow carcass, whereupon a crazy glint flashed across his eyes.
With these High-Rank Masters trying to snatch the bag, it would surely take them a long time before a winner emerged. For a battle at this level, it might even take a whole year before the dust settled.
That was enough time for Yang Kai to condense his Fire Element. At the thought of this, he became elated. Previously, he had attempted to stall for more time, but the Proprietress didn’t give him a chance. The light at the end of the tunnel came into sight in the most unexpected way.
In fact, he wouldn’t need such a long time. Just five or six days was enough for him to fill up his Dao Seal with enough True Fire to refine his Fire Element. By then, the carcass wouldn’t be useful to him anymore regardless of how precious it was.
It had never crossed Yang Kai’s mind that a move he was forced to make would lead to a chance for him to achieve his goal.
Without hesitation, he hurriedly sealed off the Six Fated Paths Bag. This move was futile as the High-Rank cultivators could easily break the seal if they wanted to open the bag; however, it would be enough for Yang Kai to disguise his activities. He absolutely couldn’t let them find out that he was secretly absorbing the Golden Crow’s True Fire.
Next, he sat down with his legs crossed in front of the carcass and placed his hand on the beast’s forehead. Upon activating the power of his Dao Seal, Yang Kai began drawing the True Fire into his body.
As time passed, the scuffle outside the bag continued. No one could have expected that an Emperor Realm Junior would have the guts to make such a move while several High-Rank Open Heaven Masters were fighting for the bag he was hiding in.
One day, two days, three days… The Fire Element in Yang Kai’s Dao Seal was slowly filled up as he was finally able to set his mind at ease. Gradually, he forgot the situation he was in as he focused everything on condensing his Fire Element.
There came a moment when the Dao Seal was completely filled with Fire Element and could no longer absorb the Golden Crow’s True Fire. It was only then that Yang Kai came to his senses, knowing that he had successfully condensed his Fire Element.
Next, he probed the carcass and realised that there was still some True Fire left; however, it was already much weaker than it was in the past. He wasn’t even sure if it was enough for another person to condense their Fire Element.
However, that had nothing to do with him anymore as he was content with the rewards he had reaped for his adventure. Even if someone took the carcass from him without giving him any benefits now, Yang Kai wouldn’t mind. The only question for him was how he could escape from this crisis.
It wasn’t like he could stay inside the bag forever as he had to face the consequences of his actions sooner or later. Moreover, he wasn’t sure whose hands the bag would ultimately fall into. He secretly hoped that Si Tu Kong would obtain the bag, but what if someone else successfully snatched it?
Yang Kai had the intention of finding out what had been going on outside the bag, but he still remembered the horrifying feeling of his Divine Sense being ripped apart previously.
After hesitating for a long time, he made up his mind and gritted his teeth. Then, he opened up the barrier and secretly released his Divine Sense.
He was prepared to get his Divine Sense torn apart again, but after a glance, he realised that the situation outside the bag was different from what he had imagined.
The battle between the High-Rank Masters had clearly ended as it was all serene in the void. He could sense that only a small number of people were left in this place and there was now a chessboard set up in the void. Si Tu Kong was seated on one side of the chessboard while the young man Yang Kai suspected of being from Myriad Demons Heaven was seated across from him. To the side, there were also some people with profound auras.
The Proprietress, Bai Qi, the accountant, and the shop hands from First Inn were standing behind Si Tu Kong.
[What’s going on?] Yang Kai was baffled.
While he was lost in his thoughts, Si Tu Kong suddenly said, “Come out now. Do you think you can hide inside that bag forever?” As he spoke, he shot an impassive look towards Yang Kai.
Although they were separated by the bag’s seal, Yang Kai could still feel that the elderly man was able to look deep into his Soul.
Obviously, Si Tu Kong was speaking to Yang Kai. After hesitating for a bit, Yang Kai knew that he had to face the music no matter what. Since he had successfully condensed his Fire Element already, there was nothing else he needed. At the thought of this, he leaped out of the Six Fated Paths Bag.
At that instant, some people turned to look at him with examining gazes, which caused him to feel his chest tightening.
On the other hand, the young man, who was seated across from Si Tu Kong, flashed a wicked smile at him. An alarmed Yang Kai thought that if the young man made a move against him, even a casual one on a whim, he wouldn’t be able to resist.
Fortunately, the probing stares and the young man’s smile only lasted for a short moment as everyone soon stopped paying attention to him.
Seeing that, Yang Kai was slightly relieved as he hid behind Si Tu Kong and let out a breath.
Just then, he felt someone staring resentfully at him. He turned his head, only to be met with Madam Lan’s exquisite-looking eyes. With a forced smile, he cupped his fists and said in a small voice, “Proprietress.”
The resentful Proprietress said through clenched teeth, “Smelly brat, this is all your fault!”
Yang Kai flashed an embarrassed smile at her and stepped back to stand beside Bai Qi. Although he had no idea why the Proprietress was so incensed, he reckoned that he’d better stay further away from her.
As for Bai Qi, he secretly gave him a thumbs-up with an admiring look on his face, which rendered Yang Kai speechless.
It wasn’t until this moment that Yang Kai realised that the Six Fated Paths Bag was firmly held in Si Tu Kong’s hand. Apparently, the owner of First Inn had won the contest, which was why the bag was in his possession now.
“What’s going on?” Yang Kai couldn’t understand what was happening now. He also wondered why Si Tu Kong was playing chess with the young man after snatching the bag. With no one else to ask, he could only turn to Bai Qi.
Bai Qi looked around before secretly sending him a Divine Sense message, “They’re trying to determine who the winner will be through a game of chess. This is the last round. If Owner can defeat him, he’ll be able to take the Golden Crow carcass home.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai was dumbstruck, “They’re battling against one another through a game of chess?” Were they not locked in an intense battle earlier? How did the chessboard become the battlefield in the end? The transition was too awkward for him to understand.
Moreover, Si Tu Kong had snatched the bag, so he could just run away. Why did he decide to play a game of chess with them?
However, after giving it a thought, Yang Kai realised that if Si Tu Kong could flee, he would have done so already. His opponents at the scene were all High-Rank Open Heaven cultivators as well, so although Si Tu Kong had gained the upper hand by obtaining the bag, he wouldn’t be able to go against them if they joined forces to stop him.
Looking at it from another perspective, regardless of which High-Rank cultivator obtained the bag, the others wouldn’t give up without being convinced first.
This was basically a deadlock as the others would join forces to deal with the one who got his hands on the bag. That was the reason they decided to play a game of chess to determine the winner. It was a win-win situation as they could sit down and sort out the problem peacefully.
However, judging from what Bai Qi had said, Yang Kai reckoned that Si Tu Kong was the more skilful one amongst this group when it came to chess. Although Yang Kai could understand the game and give it a try, he wasn’t really familiar with it; therefore, he wasn’t certain whether Si Tu Kong or the young man had gained the upper hand by just looking at the chessboard as it was currently.
Nevertheless, by observing their expressions, he concluded that Si Tu Kong was the more confident one. On the other hand, the young man kept frowning from time to time as he seemed to be in a dilemma. The speed at which he made a move was also much slower than the old man.
At this rate, it seemed it was just a matter of time before Si Tu Kong could defeat his final opponent.
Yang Kai wasn’t really interested in the game as he was most concerned about his Six Fated Paths Bag. Now that the Golden Crow carcass was in Si Tu Kong’s grasp, he shouldn’t even think about getting it back. Moreover, he had fully condensed his Fire Element, so it was pointless for him to offend everyone further.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai wanted his bag back, and wondered if Si Tu Kong would return it to him. If the bag was taken away from him, he would suffer an immense loss. He was so dejected that his face started contorting.
Just then, he was shocked by a crashing sound. Raising his head, he realised that the chessboard that was placed between Si Tu Kong and the young man had been flipped upside down, and the chess pieces were scattered everywhere. The young man stood up straight with a frustrated expression, “It’s pointless to continue.”
This went to show how terrible his demeanour was as he flipped the board after seeing he couldn’t win.
Si Tu Kong rose from his seat and replied with a smile, “My respects!”
The young man shot him a cold glare, “Don’t be too proud of yourself. You’ve simply lived for a longer time. This King wouldn’t have lost the game if it was something else.”
Si Tu Kong replied casually, “With age comes wisdom, or didn’t you know?”
The young man scoffed, “Old people also tend to pass away first. I hope that you’ll still be so energetic the next time we meet. Farewell!” Upon finishing his words, he turned into a dark cloud and shot into the distance.
He left without any hesitation.
Upon seeing this, the other High-Rank cultivators also took their leave. No one congratulated Si Tu Kong as they were not in the mood to do so. The reason they had stayed until now was that they wanted to witness the outcome. Now that the winner had emerged, it was pointless for them to stay there.
In the blink of an eye, everyone was gone except for those from First Inn. Yang Kai felt slightly awkward because he was the only outsider.
The Proprietress said smilingly, “Congratulations, Sir.”
The others also congratulated him.
Si Tu Kong waved his hand, “There’s nothing worth congratulating as it’s just a material. Although there have been some upheavals, we’ve finally obtained it.” Then, he gazed at Yang Kai with a smile, “Take it out.”
Following that, he tossed the bag at him.
A surprised Yang Kai caught the bag and hurriedly shook out the Golden Crow carcass. Then, he quickly stored the bag as though he was worried that it would be taken away from him.
Si Tu Kong didn’t mind his attitude as he was more concerned about the carcass, as was everyone else. With the exception of Madam Lan, none of them had seen an adult Golden Crow at such a close distance before.
Yang Kai appeared calm on the surface, but inside was feeling nervous. He had absorbed a lot of the True Fire from the Golden Crow to condense his Fire Element. The True Fire within the carcass was already much weaker than it was before, so he wondered if Si Tu Kong would notice.
Fortunately, Si Tu Kong only examined it briefly before waving his hand, upon which the carcass disappeared from the spot. It wasn’t certain where he had put it.
With that said, Yang Kai was sure that the carcass wasn’t put inside a Space Ring. Even his Small Sealed World was unable to store the Golden Crow carcass, so there was no way an ordinary Space Ring could do so.
After putting away the carcass, Si Tu Kong turned to look at Madam Lan, “I’ll leave the rest to you.”
Madam Lan elegantly saluted him, “Please rest assured, Sir.”
Si Tu Kong nodded and performed a hand seal, after which an abstruse pattern appeared beneath his feet and swirled around him. Yang Kai could clearly feel the fluctuation of Space Principles coming from it.
While he was amazed and wondered if Si Tu Kong was also a Master of the Dao of Space, the latter disappeared from the spot in a flash of light.
A dazed Yang Kai soon realised that it wasn’t that Si Tu Kong was adept at Space Principles, but rather that he had used the Universe Transference Law, which Bai Qi had explained to him before. Si Tu Kong must have gone to one of the nearby Universe Temples.
[So, this is how the Universe Transference Law works.] Yang Kai fell into his thoughts. Now that he had seen it, he realized there was actually a problem with the Universe Transference Law. As a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master, Si Tu Kong still needed a couple of breaths to use the Universe Transference Law, so it would undoubtedly take longer for weaker cultivators.
This amount of time was not to be underestimated. During a life or death moment, a single blink could be the difference between living or dying. In order to use the Universe Transference Law to flee from danger, it seemed one had to make sure that no one would disturb them.
While he was lost in his thoughts, Yang Kai suddenly felt a piercing stare, which caused him to shudder. Upon raising his head, he forced a smile, “Proprietress…”
Madam Lan kept a smile on her face and said in a soft voice, “Your name is Yang Kai, right?”
A terrified Yang Kai nodded, “Yes.”
The Proprietress nodded slightly, and just when Yang Kai thought she was going to say something, she hung her head low as though she had fallen into her thoughts.
Yang Kai felt like he was on pins and needles as he cupped his fists, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave now.”
Terrible things might happen if he stayed there, so without waiting for her reply, he turned around and tried to leave.
“Don’t you want your things anymore?” The Proprietress’ voice could be heard coming from behind.
A shocked Yang Kai turned his head, “What do you mean?”
The Proprietress replied, “What’s wrong? Did you think our First Inn would buy and sell by compulsion?”
Although Yang Kai was both surprised and shocked, he still asked tentatively, “What do you mean by that?”
She then explained, “Although you’ve been uncooperative, and Owner had to expend a great deal of effort to get the carcass, First Inn has always been fair when it comes to doing business. So, we wouldn’t take your things for free; otherwise, others will think that we’ve oppressed you by stealing.”
Yang Kai couldn’t believe his ears. Upon turning around, he rubbed his hands together with an elated expression, “So, do you mean that your offers are still valid?”
Ten million Open Heaven Pills and the assurance to help him ascend to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm could be said to be very attractive offers.
“In your dreams!” The Proprietress snorted, “If you had agreed to it earlier, the offers wouldn’t have changed, but now the situation is different and our agreement must be altered as such. I’m sure you can understand.”
Yang Kai was startled for a moment, but he never intended to haggle over this point so, after a nod, he replied, “Of course, I can understand that. What will I get as compensation now?” The compensation came as a surprise, so he wasn’t going to pretend that he didn’t want it.
The Proprietress fished out a Space Ring and waved it in front of Yang Kai, “There are ten million Open Heaven Pills inside.”
Upon finishing her words, she tossed the ring to him.