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The back room of the shop was small, about the size of three rooms. In the center stood a square table, at which three cultivators were already seated, while a Purple-Faced High Bun Cultivator gestured towards the empty round stool across from him.
Huang Zicheng's expression changed several times before he steeled himself to sit down. If it weren't for being in Cloud City, he would have definitely fled at once. In fact, just moments ago, Huang Zicheng had pulled out a Baili Talisman, already contemplating an escape. The three cultivators in the room were all far more powerful than him—two Foundation Establishment Mid-Stage Cultivators and one Foundation-Completion Practitioner. Huang Zicheng believed that if all three attacked him simultaneously, he would be killed without a doubt. Moreover, this room had the capability to shield Divine Sense, so he feared that even in death, he wouldn't be able to release any fluctuations.
Three Foundation Establishment Practitioners appearing in such a small place was indeed an extraordinary occurrence. However, Huang Zicheng was not an ordinary Loose Cultivator; he had family ties that made it impossible for him to leave cleanly without bringing disaster upon them. His face turned ashen as he looked at the Purple-Faced High Bun Cultivator. With the other party silent, he didn't know what to say and couldn't even guess why they had summoned him.
At that moment, a Flat-Nosed Practitioner extended his left hand and tapped the table with his fingertips, signaling Huang Zicheng to look at the center of the table. It was then that Huang Zicheng noticed two perfectly round pills resting there. After examining them closely for a moment, he realized these were the pills he had given to a younger member of his clan. He had obtained these pills from Xunuo and still had over ten similar ones in his possession.
Yet Huang Zicheng remained perplexed; he couldn't fathom what attraction these pills held for the Cultivation Sect. Could it be? He suddenly recalled that after Xunuo completed the Teleportation Talisman transaction, he had left immediately, but a Foundation Stage Cultivator had followed closely behind him. The purpose of that Foundation Stage Cultivator was obvious—being targeted by a Foundation Establishment Mid-Stage Cultivator meant that Huang Zicheng doubted Xunuo would have any chance of survival. Now someone was using two pills to track him down; cold sweat broke out on Huang Zicheng's forehead. It seemed this junior who had traded with him had connections, and now with this setup, it appeared he was in grave danger—someone from their Sect was here seeking revenge.
Huang Zicheng knew his first priority was to clear himself of any suspicion. He quickly recounted the events of that night’s auction to the three Foundation Establishment Practitioners and named several individuals he recognized, including Demon Insect Nangong Long. The Flat-Nosed Practitioner and the others observed Huang Zicheng's desperate attempts to distance himself from any wrongdoing; it seemed they mistook Xunuo for one of their Sect's juniors. This misunderstanding could work in their favor as long as they could uncover Xunuo's whereabouts.
The three exchanged glances and communicated silently for a moment before the Flat-Nosed Practitioner asked, "Who followed the young cultivator out?"
"They all wore masks at the auction, so I can't be sure of their appearance," Huang Zicheng replied nervously. "But from their voice, it sounded like an extremely mysterious Loose Cultivator named Tao Zhongcheng."
"Could you show us what you obtained in exchange?" The Flat-Nosed Practitioner pressed further. Huang Zicheng's face turned pale as he pulled out over ten pills and scattered them onto the table. The three cultivators picked up each pill and examined them one by one before the Purple-Faced High Bun Cultivator collected them all together. Seeing this blatant robbery made Huang Zicheng want to spit blood; however, he remained silent—drawing attention from the Cultivation Sect could lead to dire consequences for him.
After pondering for a moment, the Purple-Faced High Bun Cultivator suddenly asked, "Do you know who you traded with?"
Huang Zicheng quickly shook his head. "I naturally do not know. If I did know, I would certainly find a way to inform your Sect to prevent any tragedy from occurring."
The Purple-Faced High Bun Cultivator nodded, saying, "This matter is not your fault. To be honest, this child is a disciple of my Insect Path who has gone out for training. Although my Insect Path is somewhat secluded in the southern wilderness, I cannot allow my disciples to be killed without reason. Since Tao Zhongcheng has followed him, he is the prime suspect. My Insect Path will not let this matter go easily. However, we do not wish to spread this incident, as it is not something to be proud of. Can you keep this secret, Huang?"
Huang Zicheng quickly nodded and replied, "I understand your concerns, and I will keep my mouth shut and not let anyone else know about this."
The Purple-Faced High Bun Cultivator flipped his hand and tossed two pills to Huang Zicheng. "These two pills are compensation and also the price for your secrecy. I hope you can keep your promise."
Huang Zicheng looked down at the two pills and nearly jumped off his seat. One was a Turtle Spirit Pill, clearly of a higher grade than the one he had seen earlier. However, what nearly made him lose control was the other pill—the Foundation Pill. While the Foundation Pill was of a lower grade than the Turtle Spirit Pill, its rarity made it incredibly valuable. Even Huang Zicheng's family could only obtain one from their affiliated Cultivation Sect once every few decades. He stared in shock for a moment before expressing his gratitude and swearing his loyalty to the Purple-Faced High Bun Cultivator.
The Jinghai Sect was one of the few prominent Cultivation Sects in southern Tian Nan. With millions of disciples in the Inner Sect alone, many of whom were at the Foundation Stage and required daily necessities, nearby Chu Jicheng became a hub for supplying these needs. Naturally, the Jinghai Sect would not reveal their identity as cultivators; although they had stationed cultivators in Chu Jicheng, they appeared as ordinary people running shops to gather resources.
In the southwest of Chu Jicheng, before a vast old residence, Xunuo paused to look up for a moment before stepping forward to knock on the door with the knocker. Soon after, a large door creaked open inwardly, revealing an old man who peered out with bleary eyes and asked, "What brings you here, young master?"
Xunuo smiled and replied, "I am a distant cousin from Ruichuan named Zhang Huanqiang, here to pay a visit. Please inform my father-in-law."
The old man called out inside, "Little Liuzi, inform the lady that cousin Zhang Huanqiang has come to visit." He then turned back to Xunuo and said, "Please wait a moment in the entrance hall." He led Xunuo to sit in the entrance hall.
In less than a tea's worth of time, a handsome young man emerged and smiled at Xunuo. "Don't you recognize me anymore, cousin?"
Xunuo looked at him but remained silent. This residence was likely a stronghold set up by Mei Sanli and others. It was very close to Jinghai Sect and positioned perfectly between it and Cloud City—an ideal spot for closely monitoring Jinghai Sect. Of course, it was also where Xunuo had learned about the source of the Foundation Pill.
While in Cloud City, Xunuo had been warned by the Yellow-Faced Black-Crowned Cultivator that there were cultivators present in Chu Jicheng and that he must not reveal his identity as a cultivator. Therefore, upon entering Chu Jicheng, Xunuo completely restrained his Divine Sense and leaked no trace of his power. The young man clearly recognized him; this was likely because Xunuo now presented himself as Zhang Huanqiang with a yellow face. The young man must have seen this transformation before. However, under such restraint of his Divine Sense, Xunuo could not discern who this young man was supposed to be and inwardly cursed: Recognizing you would be a miracle.
The young man chuckled and pulled Xunuo inside while saying playfully, "Guess who I am." Hearing this made Xunuo's expression darken further.
The young man walked through the two courtyards and entered a windowless room in the inner house. He pushed aside a square table in the middle of the room, revealing a dark hole in the ground. He nodded to Xunuo and jumped down first. Xunuo glanced down into the darkness, unsure of how deep it was, and hesitated to release his Divine Sense, so he steeled himself and jumped down as well. Fortunately, the hole wasn't very deep, and Xunuo stumbled but managed to regain his balance. With a "click," the young man lit an oil lamp, illuminating a long underground passage.
Holding the oil lamp aloft, the young man walked down the passage. After a while, he turned back to Xunuo and said, "It's safe here." Xunuo recognized him as Tuba Five and was surprised to see this interesting side of him.
At the end of the passage was a large room where Mei Sanli and Ku Zulan were discussing something. Mei Sanli glanced at Xunuo with a smile and said, "Xue Dao You has driven away Yin Sha?! Congratulations, my friend."
Xunuo cupped his hands in return and said, "Although this time was perilous, we managed to drive away Yin Sha. Thank you for your concern, Mei Dao You." After some brief pleasantries, they shifted the conversation to their current operation.
There were thirteen accomplices involved in this action, scattered around Jinghai Sect. Only Mei Sanli and the other two had such notorious reputations that they dared not appear early; they had to remain hidden here to oversee everything.
The representatives of the Cloud City Merchant Alliance had already arrived at Jinghai Sect. If it weren't for waiting for Xunuo and others, Mei Sanli and his group would have entered their ambush locations early. For this ambush against the Merchant Alliance Delegation, Mei Sanli and his companions had chosen three ambush points based on possible routes they might take back to Cloud City. The Merchant Alliance Delegation would have to choose one of these three points on their way back; now it was just a matter of which route they would take.
After explaining their preparations, Mei Sanli asked about the formation that Xunuo had crafted. Xunuo confidently replied, "As long as there are no Cultivators above Foundation Establishment Stage among them, anyone who enters my formation will be doomed. Even those at the peak of Foundation Establishment Stage won't escape unscathed." Ku Zulan and Tuba Five's eyes lit up at his words.
According to their intelligence, the highest cultivation level among the Merchant Alliance Delegation was that of a Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator. If this formation was indeed as formidable as Xunuo claimed, then their plan to seize the Foundation Pill had nearly a hundred percent chance of success. This operation wasn't solely prepared by Xunuo; each of them had done their utmost to prepare thoroughly.
Through their previous experience in the Three Star Underground City operation, these individuals had developed some tacit understanding among themselves. They knew each other's cautious nature well; if Xunuo could make such a bold claim, he must have confidence in it. Mei Sanli laughed heartily, saying, "Everything is ready; we just lack the right moment. If we strike this time, it will be earth-shattering. Let's go."
Happy holidays to everyone!
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