After going through the information in the last two jade slips, the Proprietress nodded her head, “Many thanks.”
Yuan Rui De replied, “It’s within my duties.”
As the Proprietress fiddled with the jade slips, she asked, “How about the previous owner of this shop? Have you made him suffer any grievances?”
Yuan Rui De said with a smile, “I’ve paid him twenty percent more than the market value of his shop. The money is enough for him to buy a new shop in a different location with a tidy profit left over. He couldn’t be happier, so I’m sure he doesn’t feel aggrieved at all.”
“Very good,” A gratified Proprietress nodded her head.
Yuan Rui De bent his back slightly, “Madam, is there anything else you need me to do for you? If not, I’ll take my leave and report to my higher-ups now.”
“Do you want to stay overnight here before leaving?”
“Many thanks for your concern, Madam, but I’ve stayed here for quite a few days already so it’s best I head back quickly.”
“I won’t make you stay, then. Old Bai, please see him off,” the Proprietress ordered.
With a smile, Bai Qi stepped forward and extended his hand, “Please.”
“Farewell, Madam.” Yuan Rui De saluted her before striding out of the shop.
After he was gone, the Proprietress looked around and nodded, “It’s a good place.”
Bai Qi approached her, “Proprietress, are we going to reopen our inn here?”
The Proprietress walked around and asked casually, “What’s wrong?”
A glint flashed across Bai Qi’s eyes as he said with a grin, “There’s nothing wrong with it. As long as you’re around, we’re fine with anywhere.”
The Proprietress scoffed, “Do you think I have no idea what’s on your mind? All of you are bored after travelling the void for so long, so you’re eager to have fun in this lively place. I’m warning you now, all of you can have fun, but don’t invite any trouble or slack off on your work; otherwise, I won’t let you off.”
“We won’t,” Bai Qi assured her before he turned his head to wink at the chef and accountant. He could barely contain his excitement.
“There’s dust,” The Proprietress wiped the armrest of a chair and took a look at her finger before rubbing it off on Bai Qi’s shoulder. Then, she turned and made a circular movement with her finger, “Get everything here changed by tomorrow.”
“Yes,” Bai Qi replied respectfully.
The Proprietress covered her mouth and yawned, “I’m tired, so I’ll take a rest now. All of you, have a good night’s sleep as we start work tomorrow.”
“Until tomorrow then, Proprietress,” Bai Qi, the chef, and the accountant stood in a row and watched her enter a room. Yang Kai was stunned for a moment before joining them.
The Proprietress shot them a glance as she had seen through their thoughts. After flicking her sleeve, she shuffled into a room and said, “Yang Kai, come with me.”
Instantly, Bai Qi and the others gazed at Yang Kai with sympathetic looks on their faces.
At that, Yang Kai was speechless as well. He wanted to take the opportunity to explore the Star City, but he hadn’t expected to be forced to stay in the shop by the Proprietress. He wondered what she was up to.
With a helpless look on his face, he watched as Bai Qi and the others ambled out of the shop with their arms around each other’s shoulders.
After a sigh, he shuffled towards the rear court. Hearing some noises from a room, he went over and knocked on the door.
Then, the Proprietress was heard saying, “Come in.”
Yang Kai pushed the door open, only to see that two maid servants were busy making the bed for the Proprietress. What shocked him was that the wooden bed he had seen on the ship had been placed in this room now.
“Proprietress, what’s wrong?” Yang Kai asked. He had been getting along with her pretty well for the past few months as she had never found fault with him again after that incident.
The Proprietress was seated in front of a quaint desk as she raised her head and asked, “You have an artifact that can conceal your figure and aura, right?”
“Why are you asking this question all of a sudden?” Yang Kai was puzzled. Nevertheless, he couldn’t hide it from her as she had already noticed him when they were in the Golden Crow Divine Palace; therefore, it was reasonable that she had this speculation. Upon that realization, he simply nodded his head.
“Let me have a look,” The Proprietress extended her hand.
Hearing that, Yang Kai summoned the Shadowless Veil and passed it to her.
The Proprietress took it with a faint smile on her face, “Aren’t you worried that I won’t return it to you?”
Yang Kai burst into laughter, “Nonsense. There’s no way you’d be interested in such a thing.”
“Nothing is ever for certain,” After finishing her words, the Proprietress examined the veil and infused her power into it to probe it.
A moment later, she nodded gently, “This artifact itself is not bad. It should be able to prevent anyone below the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm from seeing through it. Even Mid-Rank cultivators might neglect it if they’re not careful enough.”
Yang Kai gave her a thumbs-up. The conclusion she had come up with was the same as what Du Ru Feng had said. She was able to come to this conclusion by just probing the artifact without refining it, which went to show that her vision and insight were incredibly sharp.
“You were pretty brave to rely on this thing to make a fuss in the Golden Crow Divine Palace.” The Proprietress flashed a faint smile at him.
Yang Kai sighed, “I was left with no choice at that time. I didn’t even mean to enter that place.” He was trapped in that hallway for no reason, and then relied on his instincts to deal with the following issues. His actions were not intentional. Even the Golden Crow corpse was taken away by him by chance.
“Do you trust me?”
“Hmm?” Yang Kai looked at her doubtfully. He had no idea how to reply to her after he was asked such a question all of a sudden.
The Proprietress fiddled with the Shadowless Veil, “If you trust me, let me keep this thing for now. I’ll return it to you after some time.”
[What is the woman up to?] Although the Shadowless Veil was valuable, it wasn’t worthy of her attention; after all, she was able to see through its concealment at a glance back then. Furthermore, after spending half a year together with her, Yang Kai was convinced she wasn’t someone who would snatch things from other people.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai asked, “Can you tell me what you need this veil for?”
“You’ll find out when the time is right,” After finishing her words, the Proprietress directly put the Shadowless Veil away without getting his permission first. She didn’t give him a chance to regret it.
Upon seeing that, Yang Kai became frustrated. He was weak now, so the Shadowless Veil was the most useful artifact he possessed currently. If it was really snatched by the Proprietress, he would be heartbroken; however, there was nothing he could do as he was much weaker than she was. What’s more, he still owed her more than 10 million Open Heaven Pills, so for now he could only regard the veil as part of the repayment of his debt.
Following her actions though, the Proprietress fished out a box from her space ring and pushed it towards him, “Take it.”
“What is this?” A puzzled Yang Kai gazed at her.
“Open the box and see it for yourself.”
Since she had said as much, Yang Kai stopped asking questions and picked it up. The box was neither heavy nor big, only about as wide and long as a chopstick, making him wonder what was inside it.
After opening the box, Yang Kai was startled by what he saw. There was a true-to-life mask lying in the box. It was so delicate that it was as though it was really taken from a person’s face. Apparently, it was a product from a Grandmaster Artifact Refiner.
Upon picking it up, Yang Kai realised that the mask was practically weightless and as thin as a cicada’s wings.
Yang Kai wasn’t someone who had just started cultivating, so although it was the first time he saw this mask, he had a speculation about what this artifact’s uses were.
“Seven Faces.” The Proprietress folded her hands and rested her chin on them as she looked smilingly at Yang Kai, “This treasure is called Seven Faces, which means that it can transform into seven different faces. More importantly, it can even alter the user’s aura, voice, and figure, making it truly useful for concealment. It’s something I obtained a long time ago.”
Yang Kai’s eyes brightened when he heard this. He had heard about masks that could help change a person’s appearance; however, those items could only alter a person’s physical appearance so others could easily see through such a disguise. On the other hand, Seven Faces could alter a person’s aura, voice, and figure, which was truly incredible. In other words, it could completely turn the user into someone else.
“This treasure has the same limitations as yours. It can’t block powerful cultivators from probing you. If that person has a strong Divine Sense, they can still see through your disguise. With that said, it can prevent Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm cultivators from spying on you.”
In disbelief, Yang Kai gulped and said, “Proprietress, why did you…”
“Take it. You’re too weak right now, so you need an artifact like this to protect yourself.”
“You shouldn’t have…” Yang Kai appeared elated. Despite what he had said, he was unwilling to put it down. In fact, the Shadowless Veil was more than enough to ensure his safety. However, if he also had the help of Seven Faces, he could be unrestrained when carrying out some tasks. At that instant, he was eager to go back to his room with the artifact and refine it to experience its abstrusity.
Nonetheless, he still said, “This is too expensive. I don’t think I deserve it.”
The Proprietress kept a smile on her face, “5 million.”
Yang Kai became startled before he turned to stare at her, “What do you mean?” Why did she mention 5 million all of a sudden?
The Proprietress explained, “I’ll lend it to you until you become an Open Heaven Realm Master. The fee is 5 million Open Heaven Pills.”
An enraged Yang Kai bellowed, “You dare still say this isn’t a bandits’ inn!?”
He had the urge to strike her beautiful, smiling face with the Seven Faces in his hand. It was inconceivable that he was charged 5 million for a mask that he would have to return after he became an Open Heaven Realm Master. Why didn’t she just become a professional thief instead? It was no wonder that she kept looking smilingly at him as though she was up to no good. He regretted deeply the fact that he was actually moved just now.
The Proprietress said lightly, “Whether or not you want to borrow this artifact, it’s up to you.”
An exasperated Yang Kai put down the box and turned around to leave. On the other hand, the Proprietress watched him leave with a smile on her face as she tilted her head and rested her chin on one hand.
Three breaths later, Yang Kai stormed into the room and grabbed the box, shooting the Proprietress a glare before leaving again.
The Proprietress shouted from behind, “It’s 16.2 million now!”
Hearing that, Yang Kai staggered as he felt extremely bitter. It hadn’t been long since he arrived in the Outer Universe, but he had already owed the Proprietress a huge amount of money. How long would it take before he could clear this debt?
Behind him, the Proprietress could be heard laughing heartily, which showed that she was pleased with what she had achieved today.
A bitter Yang Kai found a room in the inner court and pushed the door open. The room was well-decorated, and it was complete with every basic facility he needed.
Sitting on the bed, he suppressed his fury and examined the box. Although 5 million was indeed a lot of money, Seven Faces was probably more beneficial to him than the Shadowless Veil at this point. If it was used at the right time and in the right location, the benefits couldn’t be gauged in mere monetary terms; therefore, despite the fact that the Proprietress was a black-hearted woman, Yang Kai still had no choice but to borrow this artifact from her.
After closing the door, Yang Kai took out Seven Faces from the box, and with the help of the dim light, he carefully pasted the mask on his face in front of a mirror.
It was so comfortable that it was as though nothing had been placed on his face at all, surprising him once more at its thinness and lightness; however, his face didn’t change as he hadn’t refined the artifact yet.
Then, he sat down on the bed with his legs crossed and emptied his mind before circulating his strength to refine it.
A few days later, Yang Kai, who was still refining Seven Faces, suddenly heard a series of rapid footsteps approaching his room. Following that, the door was pushed open from the outside as Bai Qi stuck in his head, “Brat, it’s time to start working. Come to the lobby now.”
Yang Kai grunted and took Seven Faces away from his face. After storing it away, he shuffled out of his room.
A few days had passed, but he still hadn’t fully refined Seven Faces, so he couldn’t activate its power yet; nevertheless, this process couldn’t be rushed. Therefore, he would just do it slowly over time.
In comparison, he was more curious about why the Proprietress had decided to come all the way to this Star City. Supposedly, after First Inn was destroyed, she should have rebuilt it in the same spot. What was her purpose for coming here?
With that said, it had nothing to do with him. Presently, he was just a shop hand hired by the inn, so he just had to obey the Proprietress’ orders.
Upon reaching the lobby, he realised that everyone from First Inn was already there, and he was the only one who was late. Hurriedly, he stood beside Bai Qi and scanned the surroundings. Everything in the lobby had been changed as all the tables and chairs appeared brand new. They must have bought new ones over the past few days.
After he joined the group, the Proprietress started giving them a pep talk. There was nothing special as she just said that the previous inn was destroyed, and they had to settle down here. Although they had come to a new place, the things they had to do remained unchanged; therefore, she hoped that everyone could work hard and move forward together.
Certainly, they all agreed to it.
Then, the Proprietress told Yang Kai and Bai Qi to hang the signboard of First Inn above the front entrance, which signalled that they were officially open for business. Seeing that, Yang Kai was speechless. First Inn was famous throughout the Outer Universe, but no one had come to congratulate them on the first day of reopening, which made them look somewhat pitiful.
With that said, the Proprietress certainly didn’t invite anyone to come over; after all, it had only been a few days since they arrived at this place, so they didn’t have the time for such minor things. Furthermore, as long as the signboard of First Inn was hung, they didn’t have to worry about not having customers. First Inn had been around for thousands of years, and they were now open in this Star City, where lots of people had gathered together and information could be spread around quickly. If anyone wanted to purchase information, they would have to come to First Inn.
Not long after the signboard was hung, a thin and shifty-looking middle-aged man appeared outside the doors.
As though he couldn’t believe that First Inn had opened a shop in this lively city, he kept looking around and beating around the bush. It wasn’t until the Proprietress revealed her Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm aura that this man was finally convinced.
Then, he requested a private room to have a chat with the Proprietress. It wasn’t certain what she was worried about, but she had brought Bai Qi and Yang Kai with her.
The middle-aged man was here to buy information. It wasn’t a top secret as he was just looking for the whereabouts of a certain type of precious treasure. After the Proprietress revealed the information to him, he became ecstatic and thanked her repeatedly. Following that, he put down some money and sauntered out of the inn.
An amazed Yang Kai had no idea how much money the person had left behind, but he reckoned that it must have been quite a sum. The Proprietress could earn lots of money by just selling information, making Yang Kai envious of this kind of business that required such low operating costs.
After the customer was gone, the Proprietress respectively gave Bai Qi and Yang Kai a jade slip and parted her lips, “Have a look.” Then, she took a sip of the tea.
A doubtful Yang Kai took it and scanned it with his Divine Sense, only to realise that the information in the jade slip was quite bizarre. The jade slip contained information such as shop names and their locations in the Star City. Besides that, it also included information such as the names of the shopkeepers and their cultivation. Recalling the jade slips given to the Proprietress by Yuan Rui De some time ago, Yang Kai reckoned that this was the same information.
Puzzled, he stared at the Proprietress and asked, “Who are they?”
The Proprietress lifted her head and shot him a glance, “Just like you, they owe us money.”
An amazed Yang Kai said, “There are people who have the guts to owe us money?”
First Inn was in the business that bought and sold information, and their customers had to pay in pills on delivery of service. How was it possible that so many people owed them money?
To the side, Bai Qi landed a kick on Yang Kai, which prompted him to turn his head, “What?”
The corner of Bai Qi’s mouth twitched as he put on a hollow laugh.
An exasperated Proprietress explained, “Our First Inn branch being destroyed has something to do with the great forces behind these shops, and I’ve already said that I will never let them off.”
Yang Kai became startled for a moment before he came to his senses, “You mean, the great forces behind these shops were the ones who had made a move in First Inn?”
“Naturally. Otherwise, why would I have come all the way here?”
With a frown, Yang Kai asked, “What do we have to do?”
“Demand payment,” the Proprietress tapped on the table and said slowly. “Collect 10 million from every force listed.”
At that instant, Yang Kai felt an ache in his head. The reason he owed the Proprietress 10 million was that the inn’s destruction was partially his fault, so it wasn’t outrageous to demand 10 million from every one of those great forces that had participated in that fight that day. However, he was just an Emperor Realm Master while the people who had made a fuss in the inn previously were either from First Class Cave Heavens and Paradises, or Second Class great forces with Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters assuming command. Would they even bother to meet a nobody like him, let alone deliver compensation?
The Proprietress seemed to understand his concerns, so she said, “Debts must be repaid, and we’re in the right to collect it from them. It would be best if they’re willing to pay, but if they refuse, I don’t mind making a fuss at their headquarters.”
A frustrated Yang Kai said, “Proprietress, if I’m not mistaken, some of the people who made a scene in the inn are from Cave Heavens and Paradises. How…”
The Proprietress cut him off by saying, “I’ll personally deal with them, so you don’t have to worry about it. You’ll handle the rest.” Then, she shot them a glance, “This is a matter which reflects upon our inn’s reputation, so don’t make any mistakes.”
“Proprietress may rest assured. I will definitely complete this task without embarrassing you,” Bai Qi cupped his fists and replied loudly.
Yang Kai gulped down what he was about to say as the Proprietress gazed at him and asked, “What about you?”
She was forcing Yang Kai to make his stance clear, so he said through clenched teeth, “I’ll do my best. I’ve never collected debts before, so I’m not familiar with it.”
The Proprietress said, “You currently owe me 16.2 million Open Heaven Pills. En, five percent of the debt you collect will go towards your repayment.”
“Seriously?” Yang Kai’s gaze brightened. Five percent might sound like a small number, but if he could collect 10 million, 500,000 would go towards his debt. There were about twenty shops listed in the jade slip given to him by the Proprietress, so if he could collect debts from all of them, he would pay off 10 million all at once.
“I’m always serious when it comes to money.” The Proprietress nodded.
In a far more forceful manner than before, Yang Kai cupped his fists, “Rest assured, this Yang will collect those debts regardless of what it takes.”
A satisfied Proprietress nodded her head and waved her hand, “Go now.”
At the same time, Yang Kai and Bai Qi turned around with their gazes filled with murderous intent, as though they were determined to achieve their goals at any cost.
After leaving the room, Bai Qi asked, “Why do you owe her 5 million more all of a sudden? Wasn’t it supposed to be 11.2 million?” 10 million was what Yang Kai already owed, and 1.2 million was the fee for leaving his Imprint at those Universe Temples. Bai Qi was aware of all that, but the extra 5 million puzzled him.
Yang Kai directly dodged the question by saying, “Old Bai, I reckon that we’d better come up with a way to collect these debts first.”
The Proprietress had lent him Seven Faces, but Yang Kai felt that he’d better keep it a secret for now.
Bai Qi replied, “I already have an idea. Come to my room for now so we can plan our strategy.” Then, he took Yang Kai’s arm and lugged him away.
After they entered the room and sat down, Yang Kai asked, “Have you collected debts before?”
Bai Qi shook his head, “No, it’s my first time.”
In disbelief, Yang Kai widened his eyes, “How dare you make such a bold claim when it’s your first time?” Bai Qi just claimed that he would definitely complete the task!
A nonchalant Bai Qi replied, “What is there to worry about? We have the Proprietress behind us, so we’ll just demand repayment from them first. If we can’t do it, we’ll just ask the Proprietress to make a move. I’m sure they wouldn’t dare to default on the debts then.”
At that, Yang Kai was speechless. Bai Qi could carry out such a plan, but he couldn’t. The Proprietress had said that five percent of the debts he collected would go towards repaying his own debts, so he wanted to collect as much money as possible. It would be pointless if he had to ask the Proprietress to do it for him.
Bai Qi went on to say, “Whatever the case, we have to be polite before demanding any repayment. Everyone we’re trying to collect from is a famous figure in their own right, and they might not be aware of what had happened. It’s inappropriate if we just go over there and demand money from them.”
“En.” Yang Kai nodded lightly, “Why don’t we send them a notice of debt first? In the notice, we’ll explain to them what happened and the purpose of our visit. We’ll see how things go before taking further action.”
“That’s a great idea. Let’s do it.”
“In that case, we have to get a Faith Token from Proprietress; otherwise, why would anyone believe we’re from First Inn?”
“That’s easy. We’ll look for Proprietress later.”
After their brief discussion, the two got busy as they fished out blank jade slips and began writing notices of debt. Just like what they had agreed, they jotted down what had happened and their purpose of visit in those notices. The language they used was euphemistic and gentle. Although it was to demand repayment, it wouldn’t make anyone feel loathsome.
In fact, nineteen shops were listed in Yang Kai’s jade slip, so he had made nineteen notices of debt in total. Certainly, the number of notices Bai Qi had made was similar.
After they were done, they cross-checked one another’s jade slips to make sure that there was nothing wrong before going to ask the Proprietress for a Faith Token.
A generous Proprietress directly gave each of them a Jade Token the size of a palm with the characters ‘First Inn’ engraved on them.
After they got everything ready, they stepped out of the inn and cupped their fists at one another. Then, they wished each other swift success and parted ways, as though they were determined to not come back unless they managed to complete their great crusade.
Yang Kai strolled along the intricate streets as he took a glance at every single shop and experienced the local customs, which helped broaden his horizons.
Half a day later, he stepped into a teahouse and ordered a pot of tea before waiting in silence.
When the shop hand served him the tea, Yang Kai stopped him and said, “May I ask you a question?”
The shop hand politely replied, “Please.”
Yang Kai said, “It’s my first time here, so I’m not familiar with this place. Can you recommend someone who can take me for a tour around this city?”
The shop hand asked, “Are you looking for a guide?”
“That’s right.”
“You’ve found the right person then. I do have someone in mind, but I’m not sure if she’ll meet your requirements.”
“Please bring her to meet me,” Yang Kai replied gently.
“Good. Please give me a moment,” the shop hand said.
As Yang Kai looked out the window, he enjoyed the tea and waited patiently. Although the jade slip given to him by the Proprietress contained all sorts of information about the 19 shops, he was totally unfamiliar with this city. Despite the fact that he had the jade slip, he had no idea where to look for those shops, which was why he came to a teahouse to hire a guide. Now, it seemed that he had made the right decision. No matter the city, teahouses and restaurants were where people from all walks of life gathered together, so it was easy to look for a guide from one of these places.
With a local guide leading the way, it would be easier for him to look for those shops. It was a necessary expense to help him achieve his goal quicker.
Soon after, the shop hand returned with someone. Yang Kai lifted his head and realised that the newcomer was a woman who appeared to be in her early thirties with a curvy figure. She appeared quite charming. Her twin peaks were especially pronounced. However, there was a cautious smile on her face, and she appeared to be apprehensive. Standing behind the shop hand, she looked anxiously at Yang Kai.
Her cultivation was excellent as she seemed to be at the peak of the Emperor Realm; however, Yang Kai couldn’t detect any condensed aura of Dao from her. In other words, she hadn’t condensed her Dao Seal yet. It wasn’t surprising as at least ninety percent of Emperor Realm Masters couldn’t condense their own Dao Seals, spending their entire lives achieving nothing great.
The shop hand approached Yang Kai and spoke to him in his ear, “Sir, she’s a local who is familiar with this city. Are you fine with her? If not, I’ll get you a different one.”
Yang Kai lifted his head, whereupon the woman saluted him and said in a small voice, “Greetings, Sir.”
Her voice was soft and gentle. Without looking at her face, one would’ve thought that she was a young woman in her early twenties.
Yang Kai raised his hand and passed her the jade slip, “Do you know how to get to these places?”
After taking it, the woman scanned it with her Divine Sense and nodded, “Yes.”
“With our current location as the starting point, plan a route that will take me the shortest time to visit each of these places. Engrave it in the jade slip and show me.”
“Yes.” The woman immediately got to work. Soon, she respectfully returned the jade slip with both hands, “Sir, please have a look.”
After taking it, Yang Kai scanned it and realised that some information had been added and the nineteen shops had also been rearranged in sequence.
“Are you a local?” Yang Kai stared at her and asked.
The woman pressed her lips together and replied, “This Mistress was born in this city and has never left it before.”
Yang Kai nodded and shifted his attention to the shop hand, “I’ll hire her.” Then, he tossed 2 Open Heaven Pills at the shop hand.
The shop hand took them and became elated, “Many thanks, Sir. I’ll take my leave now.” As he turned around, he hinted at her with his gaze to motion for her to do her best.
After the shop hand was gone, Yang Kai gazed at the woman and said, “Have a seat.”
The woman hesitated for a moment, but she reckoned that she looked too conspicuous just standing in front of him, so after thanking him, she took a seat.
Yang Kai filled her cup with tea and asked, “What’s your name?”
She hurriedly replied, “This Mistress is Luo Hai Yi.”
After a nod, Yang Kai introduced himself, “My name is Yang Kai. I’ve hired you to take me to some places, but my task can’t be completed in just one or two days, so you best be prepared. During this period of time, you have to be ready whenever I call for your help.”
Luo Hai Yi quickly replied, “There’s no problem. This Mistress is a single woman with no family members, so there’s nothing else I have to attend to.”
A surprised Yang Kai asked, “Aren’t you a local here?” Since she was born in this place, why didn’t she have any family members?
A bashful Luo Hai Yi explained, “Although I was born in this city, I have no idea who my parents are. I was adopted as a child, and my adoptive Mother passed away 700 years ago.”
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling sorry for her, “You’re quite pitiful.”
In response, Luo Hai Yi smiled demurely.
“What’s your rate?” Yang Kai changed the topic.
Luo Hai Yi replied, “2 Open Heaven Pills a day.” Then, she carefully examined Yang Kai, and upon seeing that he frowned, she hurriedly offered a lower rate, “I’m fine with 3 pills every 2 days as well.”
Hearing that, Yang Kai realised that she had misunderstood him. He frowned not because he thought it was expensive, but because he felt that the rate was overly cheap; after all, he had just tipped the shop hand with 2 Open Heaven Pills.
However, he soon recalled that when he was a Worker in Seven Wonders Land in the past, he only received 3 pills every year. Although there were other ways to make additional income, an ordinary Worker would only receive 20 to 30 pills every year on average.
In comparison, Luo Hai Yi charging 2 pills a day couldn’t be considered quite expensive.
The reason Yang Kai felt it was cheap was that he had stayed by the Proprietress’ side for too long. Presently, he owed her 16.2 million Open Heaven Pills, so when compared to such an astronomical number, 2 or 3 pills were basically negligible.
“I’ll pay you three pills a day. Be ready at all times.”
Luo Hai Yi’s gaze brightened as she rose from the chair and saluted him, “Many thanks, Sir.” Seeing that Yang Kai’s cup was empty, she quickly poured him more tea.
Yang Kai nodded gently as he thought that this woman had sharp vision and a commendable demeanour. Judging from how cautious she was, she seemed to be an honest yet prudent person; therefore, he didn’t have to worry about anything when hiring her.
After they finished drinking the tea, they left the teahouse together.
Luo Hai Yi led the way and passed through several streets before stopping in front of a shop. Yang Kai looked up and saw ‘Gathering Virtue Emporium’ on the signboard.
If he wasn’t mistaken, Gathering Virtue Emporium was a business of Nine Stars Paradise, which was one of the 72 Paradises. It was a First Class great force in the 3,000 Worlds that had numerous High-Rank Open Heaven cultivators.
Yang Kai gritted his teeth as it was certainly difficult to demand repayment from a shop backed by one of the Paradises; however, since he had come to this place, he had to give it a try at least.
Gathering Virtue Emporium lived up to its name as a business-sponsored by one of the 72 Paradises as it was much larger than the shops nearby. Moreover, a lot of customers could be seen patronising the shop. It wasn’t certain what kind of business it did, but with so many customers, they must earn a lot of money.
“Sir, do you want this Mistress to accompany you?” Luo Hai Yi asked in a hushed and shaking voice.
Yang Kai turned to look at her and realised that she had turned pale, and she subconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes, which suggested that she was nervous.
Although it had only been a short time since they met, Yang Kai could see that she was a self-abased woman who had always been at the bottom of the social hierarchy in the Star City. Apparently, she hadn’t been to such a high-end shop before, which was why she felt nervous.
“There’s no need for that. Wait here for me,” Yang Kai shook his head.
Luo Hai Yi was evidently relieved, then she pursed her lips, “Sir, I wish you success.” Although she had no idea why Yang Kai decided to come here, she reckoned that it wouldn’t be wrong to wish him well.
After a gentle nod, Yang Kai turned around, placed his hands behind his back, and shuffled confidently into the building.
Upon entering the shop, he saw a shop boy passionately approaching him and without beating around the bush, he fished out a notice of debt, which he had prepared earlier, “I’m looking for the shopkeeper.”
Upon hearing that, the shop boy was startled. Although he was just a general worker in the shop, he still technically belonged to Nine Stars Paradise, a point of pride for him. In all the years he worked here, he had never seen someone as arrogant as Yang Kai who directly demanded to see the shopkeeper.
It wasn’t easy to see the shopkeeper, who would only personally greet certain wealthy patrons and Yang Kai didn’t look like he had a lot of money.
After doubtfully taking the jade slip, the shop boy scanned it with his Divine Sense and immediately straightened his face. It was only then that he realised that Yang Kai was from the famous First Inn, so he said solemnly, “Wait a moment. I’ll inform the shopkeeper about your visit now.”
Then, he turned around and walked towards the back of the shop.
While Yang Kai was waiting, he took a stroll around the floor and realised that this place engaged in many kinds of businesses. All sorts of goods could be found here, including materials for Alchemy and Artifact Refining as well as finished products. Whenever he picked up something, a shop boy would come over and passionately introduce the product to him.
A moment later, the first shop boy approached Yang Kai and extended his hand, “The shopkeeper will see you now.”
Since Yang Kai was from First Inn, he believed no one would dare to reject meeting him. After a nod, Yang Kai calmly followed the shop boy and strode further into the shop.
Soon, Yang Kai met with the shopkeeper of Gathering Virtue Emporium in a reception room. He was a thin elderly man in the Open Heaven Realm. Yang Kai had a feeling that the elderly man was as powerful as Duan Hai from Seven Wonders Land who was a Fourth-Order Open Heaven cultivator, which matched the information in the jade slip.
Yang Kai was stunned by how extravagant a First Class great force truly was. Even a mere shopkeeper in this Star City was a Mid-Rank cultivator. Given his cultivation, this elderly man could’ve become a Protector Venerable in Seven Wonders Land.
However, it was even more outrageous in First Inn as the Proprietress was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. At the thought of this, Yang Kai relaxed.
When Yang Kai stepped into the room, the elderly man didn’t rise from the chair; after all, there was a huge gap between their strength. If he stood up to greet this young man, it would weaken his authority.
Then, the shop boy left and closed the door, leaving the two inside the room. Yang Kai cupped his fists and said, “Junior Yang Kai greets Shopkeeper Gong Sun.”
The shopkeeper of Gathering Virtue Emporium was named Gong Sun Hong, information which was included in the jade slip given to him by the Proprietress. His face and cultivation matched the information recorded in the jade slip, so Yang Kai wouldn’t be mistaken.
A smiling Gong Sun Hong said, “You don’t have to be overly polite with me. Have a seat.”
Yang Kai thanked him and calmly took a seat. Although there was a huge gap between their powers, he was currently a representative of First Inn; therefore, he couldn’t appear weak.
Seeing that Yang Kai remained calm and collected in his presence, Gong Sun Hong secretly approved of the young man’s temperament.
After taking a few sips of the tea, Gong Sun Hong said, “Little friend, this Old Master has read your notice of debt and understands the purpose of your visit. You’ve said that you’re from First Inn, but do you have a Faith Token with you to prove your identity?”
“Of course,” With a smile, Yang Kai fished out the Jade Token given to him by the Proprietress and passed it to him.
After taking it, Gong Sun Hong infused his power into the token, and the next instant, the token shone brightly for a short moment. His expression changed slightly as he stared at Yang Kai, his face was visibly twitching as he asked, “Your shopkeeper is Madam Lan?”
“Indeed,” Yang Kai had no idea whether anything profound had been hidden in the Jade Token, which allowed the elderly man to immediately recognise who his backer was; however, judging from the elderly man’s expression, it seemed that he was wary of the Proprietress.
That was good news for Yang Kai as he secretly became elated. As long as the elderly man was wary of the Proprietress, he could easily collect the 10 million pill debt.
“Has Madam Lan arrived in this city?” Gong Sun Hong asked.
“Yes.”
“When did that happen? Why haven’t I got wind of it?”
“A few days ago,” Yang Kai replied with a smile, “The Proprietress prefers to act low-key and we’ve only hung up a signboard for the reopening today.”
Gong Sun Hong’s expression turned awkward as he coughed, “Madam Lan… is indeed a low-key person.” As though he had recalled something, his brow started twitching harder.
After a pause, he went on to say, “The reopening of First Inn is an important event that this Old Master should have gone over to congratulate Madam Lan about; however, since she doesn’t want to make it widely known, she must have her own reasons for doing so.”
Yang Kai chuckled, “This Junior is simply a subordinate, so I cannot speculate about Proprietress’ intentions.”
Gong Sun Hong nodded gently and tapped on the table as though he was pondering on something. A moment later, he said, “Little friend, this Old Master is not aware of the incident mentioned in the notice of debt. Can you tell me why that person from Nine Stars Paradise made a move in First Inn and even destroyed it?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I can’t reveal the details of the incident to Shopkeeper Gong Sun. If you’re interested to find out, you should ask Proprietress directly.”
With a forced smile, Gong Sun Hong raised his hand, “Let’s drink…”
Yang Kai took a sip of the tea and stared at him, “Shopkeeper Gong Sun, this Junior is here to demand payment from you. Our Proprietress has said that Nine Stars Paradise is a famous great force, and Gathering Virtue Emporium is a profitable business, so the amount of payment would be insignificant to you. I also have to collect debts from a number of other great forces, so I am tight on time and burdened with work. Would you please make the payment now?”
A surprised Gong Sun Hong asked, “You’re going to other places?”
Yang Kai replied, “That’s right…” He then went on to name a few shops.
Gong Sun Hong was astonished, “Did so many of them make a move in First Inn?” Those shops were all backed by great forces as well.
“There were indeed quite a number of them.” Yang Kai nodded, “To be honest with you, the reason the Proprietress has come all the way to this Star City is to collect these debts. She said that all of you have to pay what you owe. Proprietress said it would be best if she can receive the payments without incident, but if she can’t, she doesn’t mind going to the headquarters of those great forces to reason with them. She has also mentioned that the Cave Heavens and the Paradises are supposed to be on the same side, so it isn’t necessary to make things unpleasant for everyone over such a trivial matter.”
Gong Sun Hong could be seen frowning, but it wasn’t certain what was on his mind.
Yang Kai looked around and went on to say, “Gathering Virtue Emporium is such a big industry, so this Junior is certain you earn lots of money every year. Although 10 million is indeed a large sum, it shouldn’t be a burden to Shopkeeper Gong Sun. If it’s alright for you, will you please help this Junior carry out his mission so he can go back and report to the Proprietress promptly?”
Gong Sun Hong nodded, “Since you’re from First Inn, and you have Madam Lan’s Faith Token with you, this Old Master is sure the incident you’ve just mentioned is true and that this payment is duly warranted. But…” His tone changed, “This is only your version of the story, after all. As for what really happened, I’ll have to send a message to headquarters to ask for further details. If the incident is just like what you’ve described, Nine Stars Paradise will naturally not default on its debts.”
Yang Kai knew that he couldn’t achieve his goal so easily. If he could collect 10 million by just demanding the payment, it would make it look like Nine Stars Paradise was afraid of First Inn; therefore, he wasn’t disappointed as this scenario was within his expectations. After a nod, he agreed, “That is a reasonable position. How long does Shopkeeper Gong Sun believe it will take for you to send a message to your headquarters to inquire about the situation?”
“One month,” Gong Sun Hong replied, “I’ll give you an answer in one month.”
Hearing that, Yang Kai rose from the chair and cupped his fists, “Then I shall have to trouble you, Shopkeeper Gong Sun.”
“En, please.” Gong Sun Hong extended his hand.
Upon leaving Gathering Virtue Emporium, Yang Kai immediately saw Luo Hai Yi standing across the street; then, he beckoned to her, whereupon she approached him and asked in a hushed voice, “Sir, have you completed your task?”
“It went smoothly.” Yang Kai nodded as he had somewhat achieved his goal, “Let’s go to the next shop.”
It took them the entire afternoon to visit three shops. Besides Gathering Virtue Emporium, there was one more shop that was backed by a Paradise. Similar to Gong Sun Hong’s reply, they requested time to send a message to their headquarters to ask about the situation.
The last shop was only backed by a Second Class force, so they were not as haughty as the others with First Class backing. Upon learning that someone from First Inn had arrived to demand payment, they appeared afraid and treated Yang Kai politely. However, they still couldn’t make the payment immediately.
Even as night descended, the Star City remained a lively place. After running around for the entire afternoon and dealing with so many people who were far stronger than himself, Yang Kai felt exhausted. Therefore, he told Luo Hai Yi to go home, and he’d look for her the next day.
Before they parted ways, they traded means to contact one another, and Yang Kai told her that they would continue moving around the next day. Naturally, Luo Hai Yi agreed to it.
Upon returning to First Inn, Yang Kai realised that the place was bustling with noise as the lobby was crammed with people. He was dumbfounded at the sight of so many drinking and chatting with one another.
On the other hand, the Proprietress could be seen walking around the hall and talking to each of the customers. Yang Kai fell into a dazed state as though he was still inside the First Inn in the void.
It had only been one day since the reopening, but the inn was already filled with patrons, which went to show that the inn was truly famous.
Seeing Yang Kai, the Proprietress beckoned to him, upon which he hurriedly walked up to her.
After they entered the inner part of the inn, the Proprietress turned around and took a seat as she gazed at Yang Kai to ask, “How was it?”
“Not bad.” Yang Kai walked over and poured himself a cup with tea before taking a few sips, “First Inn is extremely famous, so no one has dared to make things difficult for me.”
“That’s not what I wanted to know.” The Proprietress shot him a glare, “Have you collected any money?”
Hearing that, Yang Kai put down the tea cup and burst into laughter, “It’s not so easy. They each asked for time to contact their headquarters, seemingly wanting to validate the incident before deciding whether they’ll repay us.”
“How many shops have you visited?”
“Three, and they all said the same thing.”
The Proprietress nodded, “That’s expected, but make sure it’s within an acceptable time limit.”
“Don’t worry. They’ve promised to give me a reply in one month’s time, which should be acceptable.”
“One month… En, good. You can start working now.” The Proprietress waved her hand.
“What do you mean?” Yang Kai stared at her in shock.
The Proprietress batted her eyes, “You’re a shop hand of this inn, so don’t you have to serve the customers? There are many customers in the lobby now, and we’re short on staff. Go help out.”
“I…” Yang Kai was lost for words. He had never served customers in an inn before.
“What are you hesitating for? Go now, or do you want me to serve the customers myself?”
Yang Kai glared at her for a long time before he admitted defeat, as the Proprietress was in a more important position than him. Then, he said through clenched teeth, “Fine. You win.” After finishing his words, he turned around and stormed out of the room.
Behind him, the Proprietress crossed her legs with a faint smile on her face.
Upon reaching the lobby, Yang Kai looked around and directly snatched a white towel from a shop boy before hanging it over his shoulder. Then, he entered the kitchen to get some dishes.
Everyone was a cultivator full of energy, so the inn was never closed. It wasn’t until the next morning that Yang Kai had time to take a rest. What enraged him was that he hadn’t seen Bai Qi since his return. Bai Qi must know that he’d have to continue working if he came back, which was why he decided to stay overnight somewhere else.
Yang Kai secretly decided that he wouldn’t come back the next day. After he was done with his break, he left the inn and sent a message to Luo Hai Yi to inform her to wait for him in front of the previous teahouse.
When Yang Kai reached the teahouse, she was already waiting for him.
Seeing that Yang Kai appeared knackered, she went over and asked, “Sir, didn’t you have a good night’s sleep?”
“Let’s not talk about it,” Yang Kai said with some frustration. It wasn’t that he didn’t have a good night’s sleep, but that he didn’t sleep at all. Although it didn’t really matter to an Emperor Realm cultivator, Yang Kai still felt pretty tired.
Since he wasn’t willing to talk about it, Luo Hai Yi wouldn’t dare to keep asking. Then, they set off for the day.
Just like what had happened on the previous day, after visiting several shops, Yang Kai got similar replies. After giving it a thought, he realised that it wasn’t so surprising. If he were faced with such an incident, he wouldn’t believe only one side of the story, even though First Inn had an excellent reputation.
He had entered every shop and had a chat with those shopkeepers. On this day, he managed to visit 7 shops. At this rate, it would take him two to three days before he could finish visiting them all, causing him to wonder about Bai Qi’s progress.
Thus, he sent a message to Bai Qi to ask him about it, but he didn’t receive any reply, causing him to wonder what the latter was up to.
That evening, Yang Kai brought Luo Hai Yi to a restaurant and ordered some food and drinks for her as a gesture of gratitude. She had worked hard guiding him around all day and attending to his needs.
Luo Hai Yi didn’t want him to waste any money on her, but upon his insistence, she had no choice but to let him be.
During the meal, she still respectfully poured drinks for him, but Yang Kai wasn’t quite comfortable with such formality because, just like himself, she was also an Emperor Realm Master, so there was practically no difference between them. He didn’t think she should keep calling him ‘Sir’ as he didn’t deserve it.
After they drank for a bit, Luo Hai Yi’s face had reddened, and her vision had become blurred. It seemed that she was a light drinker.
Yang Kai had always been curious about one thing, so he asked, “How do Emperor Realm cultivators in the Outer Universe advance their Martial Dao?”
He had condensed his own Dao Seal in the Profound Heavens Temple, an experience every Great Emperor in the Star Boundary had gone through. Apparently, the other Great Emperors in other Universe Worlds had had similar experiences. Nevertheless, the capacity of a Universe World was limited, so only a small number of people could condense their Dao Seals this way. How did people in the Outer Universe achieve this then? Since Luo Hai Yi was a local, he decided to ask her about it.
Luo Hai Yi patted her burning face and said with a smile, “Those with an excellent aptitude can comprehend their own Grand Dao to condense a Dao Seal; however, those with a weaker aptitude like me can only rely on auxiliary aids.”
After drinking some wine, Luo Hai Yi had become less restrained so she no longer spoke as cautiously as before.
“What do you mean?” Yang Kai arched his brow.
“Some treasures as well as elixirs can help peak Emperors condense their Dao Seal, the most common example of which is the Grand Dao Pill. However, these things are all quite expensive and difficult to come by.”
In response, Yang Kai nodded. He had always wondered what those Emperor Realm Masters, who hadn’t condensed their Dao Seals, needed Open Heaven Pills for. Although the pills were like a currency in the Outer Universe that could be used to buy various items, they were useless to Emperor Realm cultivators. It was unlike Open Heaven Realm Masters, who could improve their Order by consuming and refining such pills.
Now, it seemed that Open Heaven Pills were useful for everyone. Apparently, Luo Hai Yi had been working hard in order to save up to buy some Grand Dao Pills to condense her Dao Seal so that she could take a leap forward in her Martial Dao.
However, condensing a Dao Seal was just the first step; after that, one still had to condense the Power of Yin, Yang, and Five Elements before they could ascend to the Open Heaven Realm. The Martial Dao was long and winding, and one needed plenty of financial resources to traverse it. Not many people were as lucky as Yang Kai, who managed to condense the High-Order materials for both his Wood and Fire Element.
Nevertheless, he wasn’t even certain whether he could find the remaining Elements necessary, and if even one of those materials failed to meet his requirements, he would fail to reach the Open Heaven Realm in one leap.
As they continued drinking and chatting, the atmosphere grew more harmonious.
A long time later, Yang Kai said, “Let’s call it a day. You can have a rest now. We’ll meet again tomorrow in the usual spot.”
Hearing that, Luo Hai Yi put down her chopsticks and rose from the chair, “This Mistress will take her leave then.”
Yang Kai nodded and watched her leave.
After the incident the previous day, Yang Kai decided not to return to First Inn lest he be forced to serve customers again; thus, he fished out a communications artifact and contacted Bai Qi, who, unexpectedly, replied promptly. After asking Bai Qi where he was, he immediately told Yang Kai his location.
Judging from the place’s name though, Yang Kai reckoned that it was one that offered certain amorous services.
[He dares to have fun at a brothel while I have to work!?]
Bai Qi passionately invited Yang Kai to enjoy the night with him, which Yang Kai resolutely rejected.
After drinking on his own for a bit, Yang Kai paid the bill for the meal and left the restaurant, preparing to look for a different inn to take a rest.
Although the inns in the Star City were not cheap, they wouldn’t be more expensive than First Inn. In the past, he had to pay 1,000 Open Heaven Pills every night to stay in First Inn. Later on, the fee was raised by the black-hearted Proprietress to 10,000 a night.
Right after he stepped out of the restaurant though, Yang Kai saw a figure standing across the street. Shocked, he went over and asked, “Why are you still here? Is everything alright?”
He hadn’t expected that Luo Hai Yi would be waiting for him outside the building.
Luo Hai Yi shook her head, “I’m fine. I was just worried about you.”
Yang Kai burst into laughter, “Those bottles of wine couldn’t get me drunk. You should go home now.”
He thought that she was pretty considerate.
“It’s still early. If Sir wants, I can take you on a stroll around the city. You’re always busy during the day, so you have no time to just explore.” She paused for a moment, “Of course, for free,” she added.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai replied, “I’m fine with it, but will I be troubling you?”
Luo Hai Yi quickly waved her hands, “It’s alright. There’s no one else in my home, so I have nothing to do anyway.” She halted for a moment, “Where do you want to go? There’s a red light district in the Western District. Men love going there…” As she spoke, she started blushing.
Yang Kai said, “Where’s the Spring Breeze Fine Rain Pavilion?”
Luo Hai Yi lowered her head and blushed as she asked, “Does Sir know about that place?”
Yang Kai tutted, “I’ve heard of it, but I’ve never been there before.” He had speculated that Bai Qi was having fun with women, and now it seemed that it was indeed the case.
“Does Sir want to go there?” Luo Hai Yi asked.
Yang Kai waved his hand, “There’s no need for that. Let’s just walk around.” He suddenly thought of something, “By the way, I’d like to buy a map. Where can I get one?”
Luo Hai Yi asked, “Do you want to buy a Universe Chart? We have to go to Four Seas Workshop, then. They have the latest and most comprehensive Universe Charts.”
“Let’s go, then,” Yang Kai’s interest was piqued as he had always wanted to buy a map of the Outer Universe. He remembered someone telling him that a Universe Chart included the maps of all the Great Territories that had been discovered in the Outer Universe. It could be said that the chart was one of the necessary items for a cultivator to roam around.
Yang Kai intended to use a Universe Chart to look for the Star Boundary. He was swallowed by a Myriad Facets Insect and then unfathomably appeared near where Seven Wonders Land was located. Although he hadn’t found the World Tree, it would be wonderful if he could find a route home first.
Luo Hai Yi was very familiar with the city, so after passing through some streets, the pair arrived at a certain shop, which was Four Seas Workshop.
Even though it was nighttime now, the Star City remained just as lively as during the day.
After they entered the shop, a woman that looked like a maidservant approached and elegantly bowed to them before asking in a sweet voice, “Good evening, honoured guests. What can I help you with?”
Luo Hai Yi promptly stepped forward and replied, “My companion would like to buy a Universe Chart.”
The maidservant replied with a smile, “Please come with me.” At the same time, she motioned with her hand.
Yang Kai followed her to a row of shelves, but there didn’t seem to be any maps in sight. Instead, the shelves were filled with boxes the length of chopsticks. The black boxes looked extremely odd. Although he was puzzled, he didn’t ask any questions.
Luo Hai Yi then said, “Introduce them to us.”
Hearing that, the maidservant replied, “Replying to the honoured guest, our shop’s Universe Charts are divided into three ranks. The lowest rank ones are of single Great Territories. They include the Universe Worlds that have been discovered as well as important Spirit Provinces of these territories. The middle rank is a map of the known universe, including all the Great Territories that have been discovered. It also includes all the information in the lowest rank maps as well as the locations of all Universe Temples and Territory Gates, making it fairly comprehensive and easy to understand.”
Yang Kai arched his brow, “What about the one above the middle rank?”
The maidservant replied with a smile, “There’s no difference between a high-rank map and a middle-rank map.”
An amazed Yang Kai asked, “Why are they divided into different ranks when there’s no difference?”
“Well, there’s indeed no difference between the two, but if you buy a high-rank map, we’ll help you update the Universe Chart for free for life in the instance, for example, that a new Great Territory is discovered. We have many branches in different Star Cities across the 3,000 Worlds, so honoured guest doesn’t have to worry as you just have to take your Universe Chart to any of our branches. However, you don’t get this benefit if you buy a mid-rank one and will have to pay a fee if you want to update the chart.”
Upon hearing her explanation, Yang Kai nodded.
The maidservant went on to say, “Does honoured guest want a map of a particular Great Territory, or the compilation of all Great Territories?”
Yang Kai replied, “I want the compilation, of course.”
The maidservant said, “In that case, I suggest that you buy a high-rank chart…”
Before she could finish her words, Luo Hai Yi cut her off by saying, “The middle-rank one is good enough.”
The maidservant shot her a glance, but she still kept a smile on her face, “Good. It is honoured guest’s freedom to choose.”
“Show us one,” Luo Hai Yi said.
The maidservant nodded and turned around.
Seizing the chance, Luo Hai Yi spoke to Yang Kai via Divine Sense, “Sir, as far as I know, the high-rank map is twice as expensive as a middle-rank one; moreover, no new Great Territories have been discovered in over 10,000 years, so it would be quite wasteful if you buy a high-rank one.”
Hearing that, Yang Kai nodded gently.
A moment later, the maidservant took out a long black box and passed it to Yang Kai, “You just have to infuse your Divine Sense into it.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai was astounded. It was then he realised that these long boxes were the Universe Charts. Fortunately, he didn’t ask any questions when he saw them; otherwise, he would’ve embarrassed himself.
Following her instruction, Yang Kai infused his Divine Sense and immediately realised that the view around him had changed, as though he had entered a new world. His vision kept zooming in on a particular spot and eventually stopped. After a glance, he realised that there was a red dot that kept flickering, and the words ‘Star City’ were marked beside the red dot.
It was then he came to the realisation that the red dot represented his current location, and the Star City that was marked must be the one he was in.
As a thought flashed across his mind, his vision started zooming out. Names began appearing around the Star City. They looked like the names of the surrounding Universe Worlds.
Although it was his first time using a Universe Chart, Yang Kai was able to quickly figure out how to operate it as it was quite user-friendly.
At that instant, he thought that he should get one so that he could move around easily. After retracting his Divine Sense, he asked, “How much?”
The maidservant replied with a smile, “500,000.”
Yang Kai nodded his head as the price wasn’t excessive given its quality and utility; however, did he even have 500,000 Open Heaven Pills? Most of his current wealth was obtained from looting dead people from Seven Wonders Land. Then, in First Inn, Wei Que felt sorry for failing to bring Yang Kai to Great Moon Province, so he passed him some pills before he left, approximately 200,000 of them. Great Moon Province was just a Third Class force, and the pills were given to him by Wei Que as personal compensation, so it was expected that there were not too many. Yang Kai even reckoned that 200,000 pills had been quite a big loss for Wei Que.
Just when Yang Kai was preparing to count how many pills he had with him to see if he could afford the price for the Universe Chart, he saw Luo Hai Yi dragging the maidservant away and began discussing something with her via Divine Sense.
After Yang Kai finished counting, Luo Hai Yi was also done with the discussion as she walked over and said, “Sir, I’ve managed to secure a 10% discount for you. It’s now 450,000.”
At that, Yang Kai was speechless. It was then he realised that Luo Hai Yi had pulled the maidservant away to bargain.
It could be said to be a big discount to have 50,000 pills taken off the price tag.
However, after counting just now, Yang Kai realised that he still didn’t have enough pills as he only had about 430,000 on him.
Yang Kai was now caught in an embarrassing situation as the price had been agreed upon, so all he could do was pay the bill, but how could he do that without enough money?
As he was stuck in a dilemma, Luo Hai Yi observed his expression and realised that he might be facing just such difficulties, so she spoke to him in via Divine Sense, “Sir, have you not brought enough with you?”
Luo Hai Yi asked Yang Kai whether he hadn’t brought enough money with him, not whether he didn’t have enough money, which was a very considerate question that had significantly lessened his embarrassment.
In response, he nodded his head, but just as he was about to put down the Universe Chart as he had decided to buy it at a later time, he heard Luo Hai Yi asking, “Sir, how much do you still lack?”
“Not much. About 20,000.” Yang Kai scratched his face.
After giving it a thought, Luo Hai Yi said, “Sir, if you don’t mind, I can lend you the money first and you can repay me at a later time.”
Yang Kai turned to look at her in shock as he hadn’t expected that she was such a bold person. It had only been two days since they met each other, and their relationship was nothing more than a client and his local guide. Furthermore, she wasn’t from a rich family and must have worked for many years to accumulate 20,000 pills.
One had to be truly bold to lend so much money to a stranger; after all, she wasn’t even sure who Yang Kai was. If he ran away with her money, there was no way she could find him.
Met with his gaze, Luo Hai Yi said in a small voice, “I trust you, Sir.”
Since she had said as much, Yang Kai figured it would be disrespectful to refuse her goodwill; therefore, he nodded, “Alright then, just regard it as me borrowing money from you that I will repay in the near future.”
Luo Hai Yi said, “I’ll settle the bill.”
After that, Yang Kai passed a Space Ring to her and watched her and the maidservant walk towards the counter. In his heart, he thought that Luo Hai Yi was indeed a thoughtful woman. By just helping him make the payment, she had allowed him to avoid a major loss of face. By having her pay, he didn’t have to take the pills from her and let others find out he didn’t have enough money to pay as she could now just secretly transfer her pills to Yang Kai’s ring.
Just a moment later, she returned and said, “Sir, it’s done.”
After a nod, Yang Kai stuffed the Universe Chart into his Space Ring and left the shop with her.
“Sir, do you need anything else?” Luo Hai Yi asked.
Yang Kai burst into laughter, “I’m basically broke now. What else can I buy?”
In an instant, Luo Hai Yi became bashful as she realised that she had phrased her question the wrong thing, so she hurriedly changed the topic, “Are you going back to take a rest then?”
Yang Kai shook his head. Recalling his experience the previous day, he decided not to go back to First Inn. He had intended to look for an inn to take a rest, but it wasn’t possible now; after all, how was he going to get a room at an inn when he didn’t have any money?
Luo Hai Yi must have realised this, so she suggested, “Sir, do you want to go to my place?”
“Is that alright for you?” Yang Kai appeared hesitant.
Luo Hai Yi smiled lightly, “It’s not a problem. There’s no one else in my home as I’m the only…” All of a sudden, she realised that what she had just said might make him misunderstand her. It was as though she was trying to seduce him, which was why her face reddened.
Fortunately, Yang Kai didn’t seem to mind it as he lifted his hand, “Let’s go, then.” It wasn’t like he could roam around the city for the entire night as it would be too boring. Moreover, he had just borrowed a significant amount of money from Luo Hai Yi. If he was so eager to part ways with her now, it would make him look like he was trying to avoid repaying his debt; therefore, he decided to take her offer at face value and go with her.
“Then please follow me, Sir,” Luo Hai Yi directly led the way for him.
As they moved forward, they slowly left the lively downtown and entered an area that was slightly dilapidated. It seemed to be in the outskirts of the Star City as they were pretty far from the central district now. Houses had been erected everywhere in a disorderly manner, and there wasn’t even a single proper road.
From time to time, people could be seen moving around, but their cultivations were all quite low. Most of them were in the Emperor Realm like Luo Hai Yi, but there were still a large number who were even inferior to that.
Yang Kai came to the realisation that this must be where those at the bottom of the social hierarchy lived. Fortunately, even though this place was somewhat dirty and disorganized, it was still within the jurisdiction of the Star City; therefore, no one would dare to make a fuss here.
Apparently, many of the locals knew Luo Hai Yi, so as the pair walked along the streets, a number of people greeted her. When some women saw that Yang Kai was following her, a meaningful look appeared on their faces, which made Luo Hai Yi feel bashful.
Soon, they arrived at a house. Luo Hai Yi stepped forward and turned off the house’s barrier; then, she opened the door and stepped aside, “Sir, please come in.”
Upon entering the house, Yang Kai looked around and realised that even though the house was small, it was tidy and neatly arranged. There wasn’t a yard as there was only a hall and a bedroom in the house. A pleasant scent permeated the air which could make anyone feel at ease.
Luo Hai Yi invited Yang Kai to have a seat as she prepared a pot of tea and said with an apologetic look on her face, “This is a small place. Please don’t mind it.”
Yang Kai chuckled, “I come from a small town as well, so I’m used to living in poverty.”
An amazed Luo Hai Yi said, “Sir doesn’t look like you used to be poor.”
“What do I look like, then?”
After giving it a thought, Luo Hai Yi replied, “Sir looks like you’ve been in a position of authority for a long time, wielding great power and wealth.”
In response, Yang Kai guffawed.
Luo Hai Yi shook her head, “Sir, please do not think that I’m just flattering you. I’ve been making a living in this city for over a thousand years, so I’m quite confident in my ability to read people. Why do you think I had the courage to lend you all my savings? That’s because I believe you’re a trustworthy person. You might become destitute for a short period of time, but you’ll eventually rise to great heights.”
Hearing that, Yang Kai stopped smiling and carefully examined her. He hadn’t expected that this woman, who had been so cautious when they first met, had such an acute understanding of the world.
Luo Hai Yi covered her red lips with her mouth and said apprehensively, “I’ve said too much. Sir, please forgive me.”
Yang Kai waved his hand, “Let’s talk about you instead of me. Although your cultivation is not powerful, it’s not weak either. Have you never thought of joining a great force?”
With a bitter smile, Luo Hai Yi replied, “Even if there aren’t ten thousand people in Star City just like me, there are at least eight thousand, all of us with no backgrounds and connections, so no great force will accept us. What can they do by taking us in? It’s not like they’ll gain anything from nurturing us.” She paused for a moment, “In the past, there was a great force that had come to the city to recruit disciples, but they wanted children who were mouldable. I didn’t have such luck.”
Hearing that, Yang Kai nodded his head. He was also a Sect Master, which was why he understood this kind of mentality. A Sect would rather spend the time and resources to nurture a disciple from a young age than take in a stranger who had already advanced far on their Martial Dao. This had a bit to do with establishing a proper foundation, but the main purpose was to foster a sense of loyalty to the Sect.
“My only wish is to earn enough money to buy a few Grand Dao Pills to see whether I can condense my Dao Seal. If I can one day reach the Open Heaven Realm, my life will be worth it.”
“Are Grand Dao Pills that expensive?”
“Each pill is worth at least 10,000 pills; moreover, it seems that it’s difficult to make these pills, so the output is limited. Whenever these pills go on sale, they are snatched up in an instant.”
Yang Kai nodded as this was indeed a thorny issue in the Outer Universe. There were probably many people at the Peak Emperor Realm who were unable to condense their Dao Seals, which was why Grand Dao Pills were so sought after. It wasn’t hard to imagine that besides people at the bottom of the social hierarchy like Luo Hai Yi, all great forces needed to stock such pills; therefore, the chance for people like her to get even a single such pill was slim.
“How many Grand Dao Pill do you think you’ll need?”
“Three pills at the very least.” Luo Hai Yi smiled meekly, “My aptitude is somewhat weak, so without three Grand Dao Pills, I’m not confident in condensing my Dao Seal.”
Yang Kai nodded as he wondered what Grand Dao Pills were made from. If he had enough ingredients and the pill recipe, he should be able to refine them as well.
After they chatted for a while more, Yang Kai said, “Take a rest. You’ve worked hard for the entire day.”
Luo Hai Yi replied, “I’ll do that, then. If there’s anything you need, just call out.” She didn’t reject him as, despite her boldness, she still thought it would be inappropriate to let a man rest in her bedroom.
While she was shuffling towards her room, she suddenly stopped in her tracks and turned around. Then, she hung her head low and asked in a small voice, “Sir, do you need someone to… keep you company at night? I can summon one of those people around here…”
Yang Kai shot her a stiff glance before shaking his head, “There’s no need for that.”
“En,” Luo Hai Yi visibly heaved a sigh of relief, then she entered the room and closed the door.
Yang Kai was left alone in the living room with a helpless expression on his face. He had never expected that he would have to stay overnight in the house of a woman he had just met one day. He decided that he had to get some money the next day to pay Luo Hai Yi back. If there was no other way, he could just sell one of his Sun’s True Fires.
A Fourth-Order Sun’s True Fire should be worth 150,000 Open Heaven Pills, which would be more than enough to repay Luo Hai Yi and still have plenty left over for him to use. He had 6 Fourth-Order Sun’s True Fires and 3 Fifth-Order ones, which were all obtained from the Golden Crow Divine Palace.
A Fifth-Order material was worth on average 1.5 million Open Heaven Pills, and if it weren’t for him not being able to pay off his entire debt at once, he would have sold them all so that he would break free from the Proprietress’ grip.
When Yang Kai thought about it like that, he realized once more just how much of a massive haemorrhaging the 200,000 pills Wei Que had given him must have been for him. That amount of pills was enough to purchase a Fourth-Order material while Great Moon Province was just a Third-Class force without even a single Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
After swimming in his thoughts for a bit, Yang Kai fished out Seven Faces and pasted it on his face to continue refining it. At the same time, he took out the Universe Chart and infused a bit of his Divine Sense into it.
He was trying to look for the Star Boundary in the Universe Chart.
It was only a moment later that Yang Kai became astounded as he realised there were over 1,000 Great Territories that had been discovered in the Outer Universe, and these were just the ones that had been charted. There were still unknown Great Territories that had yet to be explored far beyond the borders of the 3,000 Worlds.
Each of the 1,000 Great Territories had a varying number of Universe Worlds as well as Spirit Provinces that were headquarters of different great forces. The location of every Territory Gate and where it led was also indicated in the Universe Chart.
The chart was worth the 450,000 pills Yang Kai had to pay for. It would take tens if not hundreds of years to compile all this information considering the vastness of the Outer Universe, and the chart could still be updated. It was totally worth the price.
On the other hand, anyone with enough money would be willing to buy a Universe Chart, so Four Seas Workshop clearly must earn a massive amount of money from this product.
All the Great Territories had their own names, but Yang Kai soon realised that these names had something to do with the strongest great forces in the respective Territories. For example, the Great Territory where Seven Wonders Land was located was called Seven Wonders Territory. That was because Seven Wonders Land was the most powerful great force in that Great Territory.
The Great Territories where the Cave Heavens and Paradises were located were basically named after them. For example, the one Myriad Demons Heaven was in was called Myriad Demons Territory, while the one Great Battle Heaven was in was called Great Battle Territory.
Yang Kai also found Lang Ya Paradise and Golden Antelope Paradise in the Universe Chart.
He paid extra attention to Lang Ya Paradise because Zhang Ruo Xi’s ancestor was born in that place. She had come to the Outer Universe together with him, but they had been separated by the Myriad Facets Insect. If there were no more unexpected events though, she should have headed to Lang Ya Paradise. On the other hand, Golden Antelope Paradise was where the Golden Blade Yuan Spirit existed. If he wanted to condense his Metal Element, that would be a good place to look.
Then, Yang Kai tried to calculate the distance between the two Paradises and himself, whereupon he became speechless. That was because they were several dozen Great Territories between them. If he wanted to travel there without the help of the Universe Transference Law, it would take him several years to do so.
Upon that realisation, he became slightly worried. Although Zhang Ruo Xi was fairly powerful in the Star Boundary, she was still too weak in the Outer Universe. She was on her own, so it wasn’t certain whether she could safely and smoothly reach Lang Ya Paradise.
Other than the Great Territories that had their own names, there were also many of them that only had generic names. For example, A1 Territory, B3 Territory, and so on.
After going through them, Yang Kai realised that there was a regular pattern in naming them.
Those Great Territories that only had generic names were those that didn’t have a single Second Class force occupying them. For example, the one that Great Moon Province was in was called D39 Territory instead of Great Moon Territory.
In that case, only Great Territories where Second Class and above great forces were headquartered could have their own names. Those with only Third Class forces didn’t have such a right.
Some Great Territories didn’t even have Third Class great forces as they only had a number of Universe Worlds.
It was an immensely difficult task to locate the Star Boundary in such an expansive chart, and after going through many Great Territories, Yang Kai felt his head ache slightly.
A long time later, he suddenly heard someone opening the door. He immediately retracted his Divine Sense and lifted his head, only to see Luo Hai Yi shuffling out of her bedroom.
He fell into a dazed state for a moment before realising that it must be the break of dawn.
“Sir, didn’t you take a rest?” Luo Hai Yi gazed at him in surprise.
Yang Kai put away the Universe Chart and shook his head, “I forgot to take a rest because I was busy with something. Is it daylight now?”
She nodded her head, “Yes.”
They had to start working in the morning, so they cleaned up for a bit before stepping out of the house.
After two days of demanding repayment, Yang Kai was already familiar with the task. In any case, he didn’t expect to collect any money immediately. The other parties would have to verify his claims before deciding whether they’d make any compensation. Yang Kai just had to leave a notice of debt and have a chat with the individual shopkeepers; then, he would explain what had happened and inform the other person of the time limit of one month.
Everything went smoothly as they visited several shops on this day.
On their way to their next destination, however, Luo Hai Yi suddenly said, “Sir, you have to be careful when dealing with the shopkeeper from Hundred Refining’s Hall.”
“What’s wrong?” Yang Kai looked doubtfully at her. What was different about Hundred Refining’s Hall? She had never warned him about any shop before.
She explained, “I’m not sure whether it’s true or not, but there’s a rumour which says that the shopkeeper of Hundred Refining’s Hall is a thug who is completely unreasonable.”
Yang Kai took a look at his jade slip and realised that Hundred Refining’s Hall was backed by a Paradise, so with a smile, he simply replied, “It’s fine. I’ll reason with him if he’s a reasonable person. If not, someone else would deal with him.”
With the Proprietress, who was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, behind him, Yang Kai didn’t have to be afraid of anyone as long as the other party wasn’t a High-Rank cultivator. Furthermore, judging from how the other shopkeepers treated him over the days, he reckoned that First Inn was also backed by one of the Thirty-Six Cave Heavens.
Although both Cave Heavens and Paradises were First Class great forces, there had to be a reason that Cave Heavens were regarded as higher in status than the latter.
Nevertheless, if there wasn’t a real need, Yang Kai wouldn’t want to ask for the Proprietress’ help. First of all, five percent of the money he collected would go towards his own repayment. Secondly, if he sought her help whenever he faced any difficulty, it’d make him look like a useless person.
Seeing his attitude, Luo Hai Yi held her words; after all, she had never met the shopkeeper of Hundred Refining’s Hall before and had only heard some rumours about him. It’d be embarrassing for her if she was mistaken.
When they reached Hundred Refining’s Hall, she still waited outside while Yang Kai presented a notice of the debt. A moment later, a shop hand led him into the inner court.
Upon stepping into this place, Yang Kai felt a series of violent energy fluctuations coming from up ahead. He was shocked as he wondered who had the guts to make trouble here. Judging from the intensity of the energy fluctuations though, these people were not very powerful. At the very least, they hadn’t ascended to the Open Heaven Realm. Yang Kai reckoned that, just like himself, they had only condensed their Dao Seals.
A vigilant Yang Kai lifted his head and became astounded. In front of him, there was a large area that had been surrounded by an invisible barrier. Inside it, two figures continuously clashed with one another as they showcased their Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques. It could be said that they were in an intense battle.
One of them was a young man in green clothes while the other was an elderly man. It wasn’t certain what grudges they had against one another, but their moves were so ruthless that it was as though they were determined to kill one another. Both of them were similarly powerful with excellent methods that marked them both as elites.
Yang Kai couldn’t help staring fixedly at them for a time before the shop boy turned around and called out, “Please follow me!”
It was only then that Yang Kai retracted his gaze and followed after the shop boy.
Soon, they reached a platform, on which a burly man with a ruddy face was staring fixedly at the battle in front of him with his hands on his hips.
It seemed this man was born with ominous facial features, so he gave off a threatening feeling even if he didn’t circulate any of his strength. However, presently, the energy fluctuations around him were unstable, which caused the subordinates around him to shudder in fright, as though they were worried that he would blow his top.
The shop boy hung his head low and stared at his own feet before saying in a shaking voice, “S-S-Shopkeeper, he’s here.”
“Tell him to wait,” The burly man waved his hand and continued staring attentively at the battle without sparing Yang Kai a glance. He seemed agitated, but it wasn’t certain what the reason was.
At that, Yang Kai was speechless. In the past, no matter which shop he visited, the shopkeeper would always treat him politely and wouldn’t look down on him just because his cultivation was weak. It was the first time he had been outright ignored.
It seemed that the rumours weren’t unfounded. Luo Hai Yi might be right to say that the shopkeeper of this place was a muscle-headed thug.
Since the shopkeeper wanted him to wait though, Yang Kai had no other choice but to comply. Fortunately, there was a battle going on, so he just regarded it as watching a show by shifting his attention to the two figures.
The battle was fervent; however, due to both parties having similar prowess, it seemed a winner wouldn’t emerge so soon.
The shopkeeper of Hundred Refining’s Hall appeared impatient, so he bellowed, “Wastes! The both of you! How much time are you going to keep wasting? I’ll give you ten breaths to defeat the other party; otherwise, both of you will be sent to the mines!”
With a stunned expression, Yang Kai turned to look at this brute, thinking that all kinds of people existed in this world. The two who were fighting were clearly equally matched, but the shopkeeper was now forcing them to decide a winner within ten breaths. It was no different from forcing them to use their trump cards and forbidden techniques.
Noticing Yang Kai’s stare, the burly man looked down at him and grinned, revealing a ferocious grin. In response, Yang Kai flashed a business-like smile at him.
Hearing the orders though, the two people on the battlefield leapt backwards and wore solemn expressions. Following that, even more violent energy fluctuations swirled around them and in the next instant, as though they had agreed upon it beforehand, they were both enveloped in dazzling bursts of light and clashed with one another again.
A world-shaking bang spread from the battlefield and caused countless ripples to form on the light barrier surrounding the battle stage. When the lights faded, one could be seen lying on the ground, while the other one remained standing tall.
The person who had become paralysed on the ground was the elderly man, and the one who was still standing proudly was the young man in green clothes. Despite the fact that he had won the battle though, his face had turned ashen, and all his clothes were drenched in blood. Apparently, he was injured as well.
Just then, the burly man lifted his hand, “Throw the one who has lost to the mines, reward the one who won.”
The young man on the battle stage cupped his fists, “Many thanks, Sir Shopkeeper.”
With a grin, the burly man took a seat and gulped down a cup of tea before sweeping a glance over everyone around him, “It was interesting this way. Don’t you agree?”
“Yes, yes, yes!” Everyone nodded as they wouldn’t dare to say no.
A speechless Yang Kai wondered how Hundred Refining’s Hall was still operating. Just who allowed such a reckless and thuggish man to become a shopkeeper? Given this man’s temperament, could the business be profitable? It’d be a miracle if they could break even.
All of a sudden, the burly man turned to look at Yang Kai and asked, “Brat, you don’t seem impressed. What do you think?”
Hurriedly, Yang Kai stepped forward and cupped his fists, “First Inn’s Yang Kai greets Shopkeeper Pei.”
According to the information in the jade slip given to him by the Proprietress, the shopkeeper of Hundred Refining’s Hall was named Pei Bu Wan and had a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation, which could be considered fairly powerful.
“First Inn?” Pei Bu Wan stroked his chin, “Haha, that’s a famous place for sure. Brat, why are you here?”
Yang Kai replied, “I’ve written my purpose of visit in the notice of debt. I’m here to collect repayment.”
Pei Bu Wan chuckled, “Debt? What do you mean?”
Yang Kai frowned, thinking that this Pei Bu Wan was asking something obvious, as everything had been written clearly in the notice of debt. It seemed that things wouldn’t go smoothly today.
Despite his thoughts, Yang Kai continued calmly, “Shopkeeper Pei, some people from your great force made a move in First Inn and destroyed our inn, which is why Proprietress wants me to collect a repayment from you.”
Pei Bu Wan tutted, “Some people from my great force made a move in First Inn? That’s incredible. Who are you talking about?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I have no idea as I don’t know the details.” He had not the foggiest idea about who destroyed First Inn. The Proprietress must be able to recognise them, but he was just a friendless and unlearned newcomer to the Outer Universe. Furthermore, at that time, he was hiding inside the Six Fated Paths Bag, so he wasn’t even aware that First Inn had been demolished.
“Was this King one of them?” Pei Bu Wan asked.
Yang Kai shook his head, “No.”
“Come closer and look carefully. Was this King one of those people who got into a fight in First Inn and destroyed it?” As Pei Bu Wan spoke, he pushed out his face.
“No,” Yang Kai shook his head again.
“Are you sure?” Pei Bu Wan narrowed his eyes.
“I’m sure.”
“Since this King wasn’t the one who destroyed First Inn, why are you asking for repayment from this King?” Pei Bu Wan loudly pounded the table in front of him, shattering it into pieces. Then, he stared at Yang Kai with widened eyes, “Brat, do you think this King is easy to bully?”
“I wouldn’t dare.” Yang Kai hung his head low and cupped his fists, “I’m just here to carry out my orders.”
Pei Bu Wan snorted, “Look for those who demolished First Inn then. What does it have to do with this King?”
Yang Kai replied, “Shopkeeper Pei is quite right. In that case, Junior will take his leave. However, there is one thing I should mention before I go.”
“Go on.” Pei Bu Wan shot him a glance.
“Before coming out to carry out my orders, my Proprietress said that it would be best if I could collect all the debts owed, and that if I couldn’t, she would personally come over to discuss them with those shopkeepers who aren’t willing to pay. If that still doesn’t work, she would go to the headquarters of those great forces to seek repayment from them.”
Pei Bu Wan chuckled, “Do you think you can scare this King? Tell whoever she is to come here, then. Let’s see if that woman can get even a single pill from this King. If she can, this King doesn’t mind calling her Great Aunt!”
Yang Kai shouted, “Junior will remember and pass on Shopkeeper Pei’s sentiments to our Proprietress word for word. Farewell!”
After cupping his fists, he turned around and left.
All of a sudden, Pei Bu Wan frowned as though he seemed to recall something, “Wait.”
Hearing that, Yang Kai whirled around and stared at him, “What else does Shopkeeper Pei wish to say?”
The aggressive light in Pei Bu Wan’s eyes seemed to have weakened as he muttered, “You just mentioned your Proprietress… As far as this King knows, most First Inns are managed by men. There are only a small number of female shopkeepers. What’s your Proprietress’ name?”
Although there weren’t many female shopkeepers at First Inn, none of them were easy to deal with. In particular, there were two of whom especially shouldn’t be messed with.
“My First Inn’s Proprietress is known as Madam Lan.” With a respectful look on his face, Yang Kai cupped his fists in the direction First Inn was located.
Pei Bu Wan’s face twitched hard when he heard that and asked, “Madam Lan? Which Madam Lan?”
Yang Kai replied, “I’m not sure if there is more than one Madam Lan who belongs to First Inn. It has only been a short time since I started working for her, so I’m not familiar with First Inn; however, I have a Faith Token from our Proprietress. Do you want to have a look?”
“Show me,” Pei Bu Wan extended his large hand.
Yang Kai presented the Jade Token to him with both hands. After taking it, Pei Bu Wan infused his energy into it. The next instant, he gulped hard before he let out a hollow laugh, “Oh, it’s that Madam Lan! En, this King is familiar with her. Several hundred years ago, I was a customer at First Inn, and she was quite… hospitable… Haha. A few hundred years have passed just like that. Those days…”
He wasn’t even sure how he should keep going, so he decided to change the topic, “Has she arrived in this Star City?”
Yang Kai replied, “Yes. First Inn has just reopened a few streets away from here.”
“I see,” Pei Bu Wan nodded.
“Is there anything else, Shopkeeper Pei? If not, I’ll take my leave now. The Proprietress is waiting for me to report to her.”
“There’s nothing else,” Pei Bu Wan waved his hand and extended the Jade Token, but he refused to let it go when Yang Kai clenched it.
Staring at him, Yang Kai said, “What is the meaning of this, Shopkeeper Pei? A Jade Token is not valuable. If you want one, you can simply head to First Inn and get one from the Proprietress. I’m sure she still has some to spare.”
An exasperated Pei Bu Wan refuted, “Why would I need a Jade Token?” Then, he released the token, “There’s no hurry for you to leave. Let this King think about this.”
Upon finishing his words, he rose from the chair and placed his hands behind his back before pacing around. He seemed to be deep in his thoughts as though he was pondering on an important issue.
Seeing that, Yang Kai admired the Proprietress even more. Even a thug like Pei Bu Wan became terrified at the mere mention of her name. Although Pei Bu Wan didn’t let his emotions show on his face, Yang Kai would be a fool not to notice this abrupt change in attitude. Yang Kai began to wonder just what the Proprietress had done to make herself famous across the 3,000 Worlds.
A moment later, Pei Bu Wan stopped in his tracks and stared fixedly at Yang Kai, as though he had just made a difficult decision, “Brat, you’re here to collect a debt, right?”
Yang Kai replied, “Yes, I am here to ask for compensation.”
“They mean the same thing. You’re here to ask for money.” Pei Bu Wan waved his hand and swept a glance over him, “I can see that your cultivation is not bad as you’ve condensed your Dao Seal. What’s your battle experience like?”
Yang Kai frowned as this question was rather bizarre, but after giving it a thought, he simply replied, “I’m from an unknown, remote Universe World.”
In other words, he had fought his way to the Outer Universe, so his combat experience was unquestionable.
Upon hearing that, Pei Bu Wan’s eyes became visibly brighter as he put on a broad smile, “Very good.” Then, he pointed at the battle stage, “Do you see that guy over there?”
Yang Kai turned his head and saw that the young man, who won the battle earlier, was seated on the ground with his legs crossed. Apparently, he was trying to adjust his breathing and heal his wounds.
“Shopkeeper Pei, what do you mean?” Yang Kai asked.
“I want you to fight against him.”
“I don’t understand.”
Pei Bu Wan wrapped his arm around Yang Kai’s shoulder and said in a hushed voice, “If you can defeat him, I’ll repay the debt.”
A shocked Yang Kai asked, “Are you serious?”
“Of course I’m serious.”
“How much will you repay?”
“I’ll repay the debt in full.”
[What exactly goes through this guy’s head? How bored must he be to have developed an interest in watching other people fight? I guess thugs like him really can’t be judged with reason.] There was no doubt that Yang Kai was tempted by the suggestion. The amount of repayment was 10 million, and he’d get five percent of it, which was 500,000. It could be considered easy if he could get the money by simply fighting a battle. All the other shopkeepers had asked for a month to validate the incident, and it wasn’t certain whether they would pay up after that point; therefore, Yang Kai was quite interested in Pei Bu Wan’s suggestion.
More importantly, Yang Kai had just borrowed some Open Heaven Pills from Luo Hai Yi the previous day. If he could get 10 million pills today, he would be able to repay her and free himself from at least one debt.
Yang Kai had watched the young man fight earlier, and although he admitted he was fairly powerful, his foundation wasn’t solid. If they got into a one-on-one fight, Yang Kai was confident he would win.
He reckoned that Pei Bu Wan must be wary of the Proprietress. Earlier, the burly man had sworn that if the Proprietress could get even one pill from him, he would call her Great Aunt. Now, he must be trying to find a way out of this embarrassing situation.
Thinking so, Yang Kai nodded his head, “Good.”
“Great!” Pei Bu Wan clapped his hands and guffawed, “Just wait a bit. That guy has just gone through an intense battle and exhausted himself. Let him restore some energy first.”
Naturally, Yang Kai didn’t mind this.
Pei Bu Wan moved and appeared on the battlefield in an instant before speaking to the young man, who gazed at Yang Kai and nodded gently. Then, he passed the young man a jade bottle that should contain some healing pills. The young man directly fished out some pills and gulped them down before he continued meditating.
Following that, Pei Bu Wan returned to the platform and chuckled, “Let’s wait for one hour.”
One hour wasn’t a long time, but in order to not make Luo Hai Yi worry, Yang Kai took out a communications artifact and informed her that his discussion here would take a little longer, so he’d leave the shop at a later time.
On the other hand, Pei Bu Wan told his subordinates to get a new table and cups of tea before having a small talk with Yang Kai.
One hour later, the young man got to his feet on the battlefield and beckoned to Yang Kai.
“Shopkeeper Pei, I’m going now. Please don’t forget your promise.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t,” Pei Bu Wan chuckled.
It was then Yang Kai leapt onto the battle stage, and upon reaching the centre, he cupped his fists at the young man, who was still tens of metres away from him, “Yang Kai!”
The young man also cupped his fists, but as soon as he lifted his hands, he suddenly dashed forward and threw his fist towards Yang Kai’s face. A blast was heard as a violent force swirled around his fist. It was as though he had some deep grudges against Yang Kai.
This was different from what Yang Kai had expected, so with a frown, he pushed out a fist as well.
Following a loud bang, two figures were seen stepping backwards. A tinge of surprise flashed across the young man’s eyes as he hadn’t expected Yang Kai to be so tough.
Before he even came to his senses though, Yang Kai managed to stabilize himself and shoot forward. An image flashed across the young man’s eyes as he realised that Yang Kai had already reached him as a fist expanded rapidly in his eyes.
Flustered, the young man hurriedly raised his arms to parry the attack, but he immediately felt an unstoppable force coming from the other party’s fist, which was even more forceful than the first clash. He was horrified, but it was too late for him to summon any artifacts. Following a loud crack, he felt excruciating pain as his forearm bones were broken.
The next instant, countless fist shadows rained down on the young man, turning him ashen.
On the platform, Pei Bu Wan appeared surprised at first, then his eyes brightened intensely as though he had just found a treasure. Hot breath was even seen puffing out of his nostrils.
Loud bangs were continuously heard coming from the battlefield as the young man could only defend himself without the power to counterattack. He was completely overwhelmed.
Yang Kai was used to fighting against opponents stronger than himself. He might not be able to defeat an Open Heaven Realm Master, who had split Heaven and Earth apart in his body, which allowed them to utilize World Force, but as long as his opponent wasn’t an Open Heaven Realm Master, Yang Kai didn’t fear anyone.
If the young man had been polite, Yang Kai wouldn’t have oppressed him like this. The problem was that the young man directly made a move without saying a word, so Yang Kai replied in kind with a ruthless offensive.
Although Yang Kai was a Human, he had the brute strength of a 2,000-metre-long Half-Dragon. Therefore, the average Emperor Realm cultivator was no match for him when it came to raw power. If the other person had widened the gap and used artifacts or Secret Techniques, he might’ve lasted for a while longer; however, he decided to fight Yang Kai in close quarters, which was akin to courting death.
After just ten breaths of time, Yang Kai pushed out his fist for the last time. The young man became paralysed on the ground with his clothes drenched in blood.
Yang Kai didn’t intend to kill him, but it would take the young man at least half a month to recuperate from such injuries.
Then, Yang Kai moved and appeared beside Pei Bu Wan, not even short of breath, as though he was just warming up earlier. With his fists cupped, Yang Kai said, “Shopkeeper Pei, fortunately, I didn’t disappoint you.”
The subordinates were amazed as they looked at him like he was a freak.
Pei Bu Wan placed his hands behind his back and paced around again for a bit before striding over and grabbing Yang Kai’s shoulders.
His action made Yang Kai feel uncomfortable, and with a frown, he asked, “Shopkeeper Pei, I’ve won the battle. Just like what you’ve promised, will you make the repayment now?”
“Repayment? What do you mean?” Pei Bu Wan glared at him.
Yang Kai’s face fell, “Does Shopkeeper Pei want to go back on his word? You promised that as long as I could defeat him, you’d give me the repayment in full.”
“Did this King ever say that?” A puzzled Pei Bu Wan looked around him.
“No!” The people around him all replied loudly.
With his hands behind his back, Pei Bu Wan looked smilingly at Yang Kai, “You see, they said no. I’m sure I’ve never said that.”
Yang Kai’s face twitched as he stared at him in disbelief, “Shopkeeper Pei, are you serious?”
[How could he play dumb at this point?] Yang Kai had never seen a person like Pei Bu Wan before. He was a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master as well as a shopkeeper. Usually, business people treasured their integrity. If someone like him could run a profitable business, Yang Kai would get his surname changed to match his.
Luo Hai Yi was right to say that he was a thug.
Without replying to him, Pei Bu Wan chuckled.
“Junior has been enlightened today,” Yang Kai cupped his fists and turned around to leave. Although he was incensed from getting tricked, there was nothing he could do as he was in the other party’s territory, and there was a huge gap between their powers. He swore that he would immediately tell the Proprietress about it so that she would teach this thug a lesson.
Stroking his stubble, Pei Bu Wan stared at Yang Kai from behind and said, “Brat, fight against someone one more time, and I’ll definitely give you the 10 million pills.”
Yang Kai didn’t even slow his pace. Once trust was broken, it was hard to be repaired. He had been fooled once, so he wouldn’t believe Pei Bu Wan again.
“This King will personally give you an extra 500,000 Open Heaven Pills!”
Yang Kai still ignored him.
“1,000,000!” Pei Bu Wan said through clenched teeth.
Seeing that Yang Kai was about to step out of the inner court, Pei Bu Wan gritted his teeth and shouted, “I’ll swear on my Grand Dao!”
Yang Kai had one of his feet firmly pressed against the ground outside the inner court, but he became rooted to the spot upon hearing that, as though someone had used a Binding Technique on him.
A moment later, he slowly turned around and ambled forward.
Pei Bu Wan grinned, and upon seeing that Yang Kai had taken a seat, he did the same and extended his head, “Brat, after the fight, I’ll immediately give you 11 million pills.”
“Take an oath first,” Without looking at him, Yang Kai held the teacup in his hand, no emotion on his face.
Pei Bu Wan said, “It’s not so hard to take an oath, but there’s a condition. The prerequisite is that you have to win the battle. If you lose, not only will you not get the 11 million pills, but this King will also not let you off.”
Yang Kai shot him a glance and realised that there was a tinge of ferocity behind his gaze. It seemed that the situation was more serious than he first thought. With a frown, Yang Kai asked, “Are you going to make me fight against an Open Heaven Realm Master or something?”
Pei Bu Wan replied, “Don’t worry. Your opponent is not an Open Heaven cultivator. The person won’t even be a Half-Step Open Heaven Realm cultivator. You’ll be equals.”
“Alright, you can take an oath now,” Yang Kai nodded.
As long as his opponent wasn’t an Open Heaven Realm Master, there was nothing Yang Kai had to worry about. Furthermore, the person whom he had never met wasn’t even a Half-Step Open Heaven Realm Master.
“Are you so confident?” Pei Bu Wan was astounded. He did all he could to make Yang Kai accept this fight, but he became apprehensive upon seeing his casual reaction.
“If you trust me, take an oath now. If you don’t, I’ll leave,” After taking a sip of the tea, Yang Kai put down the teacup and rose from the chair.
With a scowl, Pei Bu Wan appeared hesitant, but just a moment later, he stood up straight and said solemnly, “I, Pei Bu Wan, swear on my Grand Dao that as long as… What’s your name?” He was asking Yang Kai about his name as he probably didn’t pay attention to him when he was introducing himself.
Left with no choice, Yang Kai told him his name again.
Pei Bu Wan went on to say, “As long as Yang Kai can win this fight, this King will give him 11 million Open Heaven Pills. If this King goes back on my word, may my Grand Dao shatter and my future be cut off!”
A calm Yang Kai said, “What about my opponent’s cultivation?”
Hearing that, Pei Bu Wan gritted his teeth and took an oath one more time to include Yang Kai’s demand. Then, he looked down at him and said, “That should be enough. Don’t go too far, brat!”
It was only then that Yang Kai nodded his head, “That’s enough.”
Since the thug had sworn on his Grand Dao, he could be trusted as no one would dare to make such an oath on a whim. If Pei Bu Wan went back on his word now, a blemish would be left on his Grand Dao which would surely hinder his future in the Martial Dao. Yang Kai was curious about why this thug wanted him to fight against someone so badly. Would he gain any benefits from it? If there were no benefits, why would he offer 11 million pills?
Yang Kai didn’t think he could ever understand a thug like Pei Bu Wan though, so he stopped thinking about it and stood up, “Where’s my opponent? You can summon that person now.” He wanted to go back quickly.
Pei Bu Wan grinned, “Your opponent isn’t here. Why don’t you stay overnight here to take a rest? I’ll bring you to a place tomorrow where you can make a scene.”
Hearing that, Yang Kai furrowed his brows as he realised that he had thought about it too simplistically. Judging from what Pei Bu Wan had said, it seemed that they were going somewhere to make a fuss.
[Did I fall into a trap?] Yang Kai had a bad premonition all of a sudden; however, since everything had been agreed upon, and 11 million pills were deathly attractive to him, there was no way he could back down now.
And so, Yang Kai sent a message to Luo Hai Yi and told her to go back first as they’d meet up again the next day. Then, he followed a servant from Hundred Refining’s Hall to a room.
The staff treated him very well, giving him a lot of medicinal food and pills for treating his injuries. The pills were obviously high-quality and worth a lot of money.
Yang Kai had a feeling that the battle the next day was extremely important to Pei Bu Wan; otherwise, he wouldn’t have given him such favourable treatment.
It had been a peaceful night, and in the afternoon the next day, Pei Bu Wan pushed the door open and strode into the room. With his hands on his hips, he blocked the door like he was a tower and called out, “Brat, are you ready?”
Yang Kai stood up and said, “Let’s go.” There was nothing to prepare as he just had to fight against someone he didn’t know.
The calmer Yang Kai appeared, the brighter Pei Bu Wan’s eyes became. That was because it suggested that Yang Kai was confident. With a grin, Pei Bu Wan beckoned to him, “Come with me.”
After leaving Hundred Refining’s Hall, Yang Kai immediately saw Luo Hai Yi standing in a nearby spot. He stopped in his tracks and beckoned to her.
A timid Luo Hai Yi took a glance at Pei Bu Wan, who gave off a ferocious air. She felt immensely pressured because of his presence. Normally, if she came across such a person, she’d stay as far away from him as possible; however, since Yang Kai had summoned her, she had no choice but to go over and salute Pei Bu Wan, “Greetings, Shopkeeper Pei.”
Pei Bu Wan took a look at Luo Hai Yi before shifting his attention to Yang Kai, “Is she your woman?”
Luo Hai Yi started blushing and didn’t know how to explain it to him. On the other hand, Yang Kai ignored him and gazed at Luo Hai Yi, “Why are you here? Didn’t I tell you to go back?”
To which she replied, “I came here at daybreak as I thought there would be something Sir needed to do today.”
“There’s nothing for you to do today.” Yang Kai flashed a smile at her before giving it a thought and saying, “If you’re free today, you can accompany me.”
Then, he turned to look at Pei Bu Wan, “Is it okay to bring someone with me?”
“It’s fine. She can tag along,” Pei Bu Wan waved his hand as he had brought some people with him as well. These people were supposed to be the shop hands in the shop. In fact, Hundred Refining’s Hall was in the business of selling artifacts, but business had been terrible for them, leaving basically nothing for the shop hands to do. If this wasn’t the case, Pei Bu Wan wouldn’t have let them tag along.
Yang Kai slightly nodded at Luo Hai Yi to motion for her to come with him.
Two people led the way while the others followed them. Wherever they went, the people on the streets would give way as though scorpions and snakes had appeared. At that, Yang Kai was speechless, knowing that Pei Bu Wan must be an infamous figure in the city. It was no wonder that they literally had no customers. If Yang Kai was the owner of Hundred Refining’s Hall, he would’ve fired Pei Bu Wan long ago.
“Shopkeeper Pei, since the battle will begin soon, is there anything you need to tell me?” Yang Kai said.
Pei Bu Wan nodded his head, “I do need to tell you the rules. Listen up. During the battle, you’re not allowed to use any artifacts or pills. You can only rely on your own strength to fight with your opponent. It’s the most basic rule.”
“We can’t use artifacts or pills?” Yang Kai arched his brow. In that case, he’d have an advantage.
“You absolutely cannot use them.” Pei Bu Wan appeared solemn, “Don’t get nervous and summon any artifacts. If that happens, it will be considered a forfeit even if you win the battle.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Don’t worry. I won’t use any artifacts.” In fact, there were not many artifacts he could use now. The things he had brought from the Star Boundary were not useful here. Of the actually useful things, the Mountains and Rivers Bell had been destroyed, so he was left with Azure Dragon Spear, Six Fated Paths Bag, and Shadowless Veil.
Pei Bu Wan went on to say, “Life or death doesn’t matter in the battle. In other words, you can kill your opponent if you’re capable of doing that.”
An amazed Yang Kai asked, “You can kill someone in this Star City?” He was stunned as he recalled that even fighting wasn’t permitted in this city.
Pei Bu Wan grinned wickedly as he answered, “You’re only allowed to kill other people in that place. However, if either party admits defeat, the battle will stop immediately, and the winner cannot make a move again; otherwise, he’ll immediately lose the battle.” He turned to look at Yang Kai, “Those are the only two rules. Got it?”
“Got it.”
To the side, Luo Hai Yi turned pale as she listened and asked, “Shopkeeper Pei, are you talking about Asura Arena?”
Pei Bu Wan revealed his hideous fangs and grinned at her, “That’s right. We’re talking about Asura Arena.”
Luo Hai Yi immediately pulled Yang Kai’s sleeve and said in a hushed voice, “Sir, Asura Arena is an extremely dangerous place where many people die each day. You’d better not go there.”
Hearing that, Pei Bu Wan guffawed, “It’s too late. He has already promised this King he will fight.”
In an instant, Luo Hai Yi’s eyes were filled with worry.
With a smile, Yang Kai replied, “It’s fine. Tell me what kind of place Asura Arena is.” He reckoned that Pei Bu Wan wouldn’t tell him the whole truth, and since Luo Hai Yi seemed to know about this place, he could ask her about it.
After giving it a thought, Luo Hai Yi explained, “Among the Thirty-Six Cave Heavens, there is one called Asura Cave Heaven. Asura Cave Heaven is filled with ruthless and bloodthirsty people who love to fight and kill, so they’re not easy to deal with. They established an Asura Arena in every single major Star City to allow people to fight against one another inside the venue, and killing is not prohibited. Anyone who wins a battle in the arena will win a prize, and if he keeps winning, the rewards will also keep doubling until he or she obtains the top prize that is determined in advance.”
“For example, if Sir wins the first match, you will receive 50 Open Heaven Pills, for the second match you’ll obtain 100, and for the third match, you’ll get 200. This continues until you reach the highest limit. However, if you lose any match, you’ll have to start accumulating all over again.”
Yang Kai nodded, “An interesting idea.” Although one would only get 50 pills for the first win, the reward would snowball if they could win seven or eight matches. One could even get more than tens of thousands of pills if they won nine or ten matches.
“There are three ranks in Asura Arena, which are Heaven, Earth, and Mortal. Three Asura Rankings have been set up accordingly. The Mortal Ranking is for people below the Half-Step Open Heaven Realm, Earth Ranking is for Half-Step Open Heaven Realm Masters, and Heaven Ranking is for Open Heaven Realm Masters. Regardless of the rankings, none of the people who are listed on the Asura Rankings are easy to deal with.”
The arrangements were pretty reasonable; after all, for cultivators, Half-Step Open Heaven Realm was a dividing line. Once a cultivator managed to condense five Elements, his power would experience a great leap forward while after one ascended to the Open Heaven Realm, his power would undergo a fundamental change. Therefore, the Half-Step Open Heaven Realm served as a dividing line for the three rankings.
Since Pei Bu Wan had said that Yang Kai’s opponent wasn’t a Half-Step Open Heaven Realm Master, the person he was going up against must be listed on the Mortal Rankings.
“I’ve also heard that the reason Asura Arena was established is to train the disciples of Asura Cave Heaven. The training they primarily get is through battles. The more intense the battles are, the faster they grow. However, although they’re one of the Thirty-Six Cave Heavens, it’s impossible for them to have a chance to fight with someone else all the time. Hence, the Asura Arena is made to meet their needs.”
Pei Bu Wan turned to grin at her, “Woman, you know a lot. That’s right. Asura Arena exists for the disciples of Asura Cave Heaven to train themselves. Everyone who takes part in the battle is a stepping stone for their trials. Regardless, the rewards are truly attractive. Even those in the Mortal Rankings can get 50 Open Heaven Pills for winning their first match, and those in the Earth and Heaven Rankings can get even more. That’s why there are many applicants despite the risks. Since time immemorial, benefits have been the motivation behind everything.”
As they spoke, they reached the entrance of a certain building that didn’t look special from the outside. It was just that its door was wider than those of other shops. Before even entering though, Yang Kai could feel an air of bloodlust coming at him. Lifting his head, he realised that a signboard had been hung above the door. The characters ‘Asura Arena’ had been emblazoned on it. These characters looked so bright that it was as though they had been written in blood. At first glance, the characters didn’t look unusual, but as time passed, traces of redness seemed to be streaming down the signboard and dripping from it.
Yang Kai arched his brow and blinked, whereupon the signboard became normal again. The bloody image he saw had disappeared.
“Shopkeeper Pei! Welcome!” The shop boy at the door passionately said. It was apparent that Pei Bu Wan was a regular here.
With his hands behind his back, Pei Bu Wan calmly grunted and led his group of people into the building.
Upon entering the arena, Yang Kai realised that the interior was extraordinary. The hall was so wide that many thousands of people could be crammed inside it. The people in the hall were either in groups or on their own, while in the middle of the hall, three thick columns had been erected with glistening words written on them.
Pei Bu Wan turned around and said, “Wait for me here. This King will get someone to make the arrangements.”
Then, he left the place with two of his shop hands. After he was gone, Luo Hai Yi came over and said in a small voice, “Sir, are you sure you want to fight? This is a dangerous place. You’d better leave.”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “I already made an agreement.”
Her expression dimmed as she warned, “Then, you’ll have to be careful. The battles in this arena are extreme. Your past experiences may not be of much use.”
“Got it.” Yang Kai nodded and gazed at the three columns, “Are those the Rankings of Heaven, Earth, and Mortal?”
The three columns immediately caught his attention when he entered the hall. It couldn’t be helped, as the columns were too conspicuous, so it was impossible to ignore them. Moreover, the words ‘Heaven’, ‘Earth’, and ‘Mortal’ had been respectively engraved atop them, so one could easily understand what they were.
Luo Hai Yi nodded her head, “You’re right. Those are the Heaven, Earth, and Mortal Rankings.”
Yang Kai examined them and realised that the names written on them were pretty interesting. Most of them didn’t look like real names; instead, they were more like aliases. For example, Black Fox, Thousand Blades, and so on. There were of course some normal-sounding names that were probably real names as well.
On these three rankings, the names at the top and those at the bottom were written in different colours.
The top three names were a dark gold colour. It was gold for numbers 4 to 10, silver for 11 to 30, and below 30 they were white.
On every ranking, there were exactly 100 names. Those names were not engraved on the columns though and instead looked more like light projections that had been written using some kind of special technique.
While Yang Kai was looking at them though, one of the names on Earth Rankings dimmed, which caught his attention, so he asked in puzzlement, “Why has that name turned grey?”
Luo Hai Yi turned pale, “He died.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai became astounded. The name was originally written in a silver colour. The fact that it was the 15th-ranked individual suggested that this person had been fairly strong, but he had died just like that, which went to show that the battles in Asura Arena were truly ruthless. Although the rewards were attractive, one had to fight for them with their life on the line. Most cultivators wouldn’t have the courage to take part in such a thing.
While he was in a dazed state, the grey name suddenly scattered and disappeared as it had been removed from the Earth Rankings. Following that, all the names below it moved up, and a new name appeared at the bottom to make it one hundred names in total.
There was a passageway in the corner of the hall, and presently, a person, who was carrying a blood-soaked corpse that had lost all vitality on his back, walked out from the passageway as the blood dripped onto the floor. Seeing that, the people in the hall felt traumatised as chills ran down their spines.
Yang Kai reckoned that the dead person must be the one whose name had been removed from the Earth Rankings. Judging from the state his corpse was in, he must have gone through a difficult battle.
Hearing rapid footsteps from behind him, Yang Kai turned around and saw Pei Bu Wan striding towards him. Then, Pei Bu Wan said, “Everything has been arranged. You’ll get your premier battle in one hour.” He scratched his head, “But there’s a slight problem.”
“What do you mean?” Yang Kai asked.
“What name will you use?” As Pei Bu Wan spoke, he pointed at the three rankings, “You can either use an alias or your real name. It’s up to you.”
A nonchalant Yang Kai replied, “I’ll use my real name, then.” He was just here for a single fight, so there was nothing to hide, and there wasn’t a need for him to pretend to be mysterious. Moreover, even if he used an alias, it would be pointless if he couldn’t change his appearance.
Pei Bu Wan nodded and fished out a communications artifact. It seemed that he was going to contact someone from Asura Arena. After he was done with that, Luo Hai Yi asked, “Shopkeeper Pei, who is going to be his opponent?”
With a grin, Pei Bu Wan took a glance at Yang Kai and pointed at the Mortal Rankings, “The one ranked 4th.”
In an instant, Luo Hai Yi turned ashen, “How is that possible?! Sir Yang has never taken part in a battle in this arena before, so how could he have the right to fight against that person?”
She soon realised there was something wrong with what she had said, so she hurriedly explained, “Sir, there are still rules in this arena. A person can only challenge an opponent who is within ten rankings above him or herself. If they win, they will replace that person.”
Pei Bu Wan grinned, “To the average person, rules are rules. But, to this King, rules are to be broken.” There was a smug smile on his face.
Yang Kai turned his head and saw that the name of the person ranked 4th was painted in gold.
Yu Luo Sha!
The name and rank suggested that this person would be difficult to deal with.
“Let’s go. You only have one hour to prepare. Get yourself ready,” Pei Bu Wan said and led all of them to one corner of the hall.
Soon, they entered a room, upon which a maidservant came over to serve them.
The room was spacious, and it was directly facing the gigantic arena. At this moment, two people could be seen battling intensely; however, one of them was apparently on the back foot, so it was just a matter of time before he was defeated. The arena was surrounded by spectators who were constantly yelling and cheering.
With his hands behind his back, Pei Bu Wan stood by the window and looked down at the battle, “The terrain of the arena can be changed freely. You can discuss with your opponent and decide on a particular battlefield beforehand. It can also be selected randomly. Is there any particular terrain you prefer? There are options like snowy world, scorching desert, swamp, and so on. You can choose whatever you like.”
Yang Kai arched his brow, “So, this arena is also a giant artifact.”
Pei Bu Wan nodded his head, “That’s right. This arena is an artifact.”
Yang Kai replied, “A random terrain will do, then.”
With a grin, Pei Bu Wan shot him a glance, “I love how confident you are. Brat, you’d better do your best and win the battle. If you lose, you’ll die. To be honest with you, your opponent is a disciple from Asura Cave Heaven.”
Hearing that, Yang Kai said, “Yu Luo Sha is from Asura Cave Heaven?”
“Are you afraid now?” Pei Bu Wan looked him in the eyes.
Yang Kai shook his head, “Not really. I’m just worried that if I accidentally kill that person…”
“Don’t worry.” Pei Bu Wan lifted his hand to cut him off, apparently understanding his worries, “Just kill if you can. There are many disciples from Asura Cave Heaven who lose their lives in the Asura Arenas around the 3,000 Worlds. They won’t care about it or retaliate against you at a later date. If they did, no one would ever take part in any battle in this arena again.”
“Good.”
“One can use any method within the rules in the arena, so you must not hold back.” Pei Bu Wan warned him with a solemn expression.
After a grunt, Yang Kai took a seat in the corner and began to meditate. His opponent was ranked 4th on the Mortal Rankings, and they were from Asura Cave Heaven, so it was apparent that they were not a pushover. Although Yang Kai was confident in himself, he planned to go all out as this was a life-or-death battle.
As time passed, the people around the arena became increasingly rowdy, but Yang Kai remained unfazed as he remained as calm as still water.