Weisheng Zhen didn’t understand his unfinished words.
Weisheng Zhen pretended not to understand but complied: “Why didn’t you say so earlier, brother? I really thought you fellows just came over to have a chat with me.”
“Well, since that’s the case, since brother wants to chat, why don’t we move to a tavern and talk over some food and drink? But let me make it clear first since it’s brother who wants to chat with me, the bill’s on you.”
The man was nearly laughing in anger. After exchanging a glance with the man beside him, the next second a blade was pressed against Weisheng Zhen’s neck: “Who’s here to eat and drink with you?! Hand over all the spirit stones on you! Otherwise, you’ll never see tomorrow’s sun!”
Weisheng Zhen lowered his head slightly and fell silent for a moment. But just as the man thought he was scared, he said in confusion: “I just calculated the celestial signs. It’ll be raining here tomorrow, so as you said, there won’t be any sun to see.”
“Little brat, you’re messing with us, are you?”
Even as dull-witted as these men were, they all realized by now that Weisheng Zhen was toying with them. The burly leader roared in fury, and the blade in his hand swung straight toward Weisheng Zhen!
“Help!”
Weisheng Zhen shouted in a half-hearted manner, and heard the man across from him laugh in exasperation: “Go ahead and yell. We’ve already set up a barrier around this place. Even if you scream your throat raw, no”
Before he could finish, he suddenly felt the presence of death approaching.
A towering sword aura instantly washed over the entire alley. The five men couldn’t even put up resistance they were knocked unconscious flat on the ground in an instant.
Only then did Weisheng Zhen smile as he used spiritual power to bind all five men. “Perfect timing the city guard should be arriving soon.”
He had recorded everything that just happened with a memory stone and had conveniently sent it to the city guard. He watched as they dragged the five unconscious men away.
Li Changshuang shook his head: “If I hadn’t made a move, when were you planning to act?”
“I knew you’d definitely come help, I was just scoring you some goodwill points.” Weisheng Zhen smiled lightly, his gaze seeming to flick toward a certain spot.
Li Changshuang followed his gaze and met eyes with a woman sitting by a window on the third floor, propping her chin in her hand as she watched them.
“The youngest daughter of the Yun family the young lady who said she liked you before and wanted to be betrothed to you.” Weisheng Zhen clicked his tongue twice. “See that? The young lady’s eyes are glued to you.”
Li Changshuang: “…”
After giving a slight nod to greet Miss Yun, Li Changshuang quickly withdrew his gaze and prepared to leave.
“Seems like you haven’t left the sect much lately there’s a lot you don’t know.”
“Miss Yun Ran has already been betrothed to someone else.”
“What?”
This time it was Weisheng Zhen’s turn to be dumbfounded.
He quickly caught up to Li Changshuang and was just about to ask something when his peripheral vision caught someone watching them from nearby. He cast a spell to change both their appearances again, even masking the aura of their robes, before blending into the crowd.
“Betrothed? When did this happen? I had no idea at all.”
Li Changshuang had no intention of stringing him along after all, even if he didn’t say it, Weisheng Zhen could just ask someone else later and find out anyway.
“It happened three months ago. The one she was betrothed to was the fourth young master of the Luo family. I happened to be passing by the Yun residence at the time and was invited to observe the ceremony. The two had formed a bond in a secret realm beforehand apparently, Young Master Luo had saved her life there, and they became engaged shortly after returning.”
Weisheng Zhen let out an “ah.” “The Luo family… that sounds somewhat familiar. Is your junior martial brother surnamed Luo by any chance?”
“That small secret realm was it the Changtian Secret Realm of Baihua Isle?”
Li Changshuang nodded, but cast a somewhat puzzled glance her way. “How do you know it was the Changtian Secret Realm? Didn’t you… no matter.”
Weisheng Zhen didn’t catch the meaning of his unfinished words and simply asked, “You weren’t inside that secret realm at the time?”
“No. I had originally planned to go when the Changtian Secret Realm opened, but something came up and I was unable to make it.”
Weisheng Zhen recalled that the secret realm where she had originally written Yun Ran’s death was exactly that place.
But who would have thought Li Changshuang hadn’t gone, Yun Ran hadn’t died, and had instead become engaged to someone else.
The plot had gone off the rails, and she couldn’t tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
Just as she was about to say something more, the already somewhat crowded streets grew even more congested, and from afar she could vaguely hear the sound of someone cursing.
Weisheng Zhen, afraid the two of them might be separated, momentarily forgot that neither of them was an ordinary mortal. She looped her right arm around and grasped Li Changshuang’s wrist through his sleeve. “It’s so lively over there? Let’s head to the front and see what’s going on.”
Li Changshuang’s body stiffened slightly, but he still allowed himself to be pulled along by Weisheng Zhen.
The commotion was taking place at the city’s largest exchange house, the Dibao Pavilion. Backed by the Liusen Pavilion, it dealt in auctions of spiritual artifacts and dharma robes.
At that moment, a servant-like figure was harassing a somewhat bewildered-looking cultivator.
“Can’t you understand human speech? My young master already said he’s willing to trade three times the spirit stones for that artifact you just bought!”
The cultivator was entirely wrapped in a black robe, appearing somewhat thin in stature, but his eyes were exceptionally bright. When he spoke, his voice was a clear, youthful tenor, sounding quite young. Even as someone grabbed his robe, he didn’t grow angry he simply shook his head. “I’ve explained to you many times already, this artifact is beneficial to me. I’m afraid I can’t part with it.”
“It’s just a water-attribute artifact! The money my young master is offering is enough for you to pick out three new water-type artifacts here at the Dibao Pavilion. I advise you not to be so arrogant! You’re planning to use this artifact to make a name for yourself in the upcoming New Talent Tournament, aren’t you? Since you’re still outside Star Sea Terrace, that means you haven’t registered yet, right? Let me make this clear as long as you haven’t registered, there are countless ways we can make you…”
His threatening words trailed off, but anyone else could easily understand what his unfinished sentence implied.
Yet that cultivator still seemed not to grasp his meaning, and upon hearing this, nodded reasonably. “That’s true. Though I was originally thinking that once I obtained the artifact, it would be about time to register. You’ve reminded me, I’ll go register right now.”
With that, he left the area.
The servant’s cultivation wasn’t as high as his, and the only reason he dared speak so arrogantly was because he had backing. Now, without the ability to stop the cultivator from leaving, he could only gnash his teeth and spit at the retreating figure’s back before sulking back into the Dibao Pavilion.
The crowd dispersed quickly.
“Every time before a competition, there’s always a scene like this. Haven’t they gotten tired of this bullying game yet?” Weisheng Zhen said, somewhat speechless, then pulled Li Changshuang along: “Since we’re here anyway, how about we take a look at the treasures together?”
Li Changshuang nodded and followed him inside.
The moment Weisheng Zhen stepped in, he heard what sounded like something being thrown from the third floor. Muffled cursing and the sound of slaps drifted down, though he could hear them clearly.
“Useless piece of trash! Can’t even handle such a trivial matter? Go back and accept your punishment!”
“Y-yes! Thank you, young master, for sparing my life!”
“Forget it, I never had high hopes for you anyway. That cowardly rat hiding in the shadows wouldn’t know that I’ve already placed a tracking spell on that treasure. Only a Nascent Soul cultivator can remove it. When he uses it in the competition later, I’ll know exactly who he is. How dare he defy me, I’ll make sure he dies a horrible death!”
“Brilliant! The young master is truly far-sighted!”
“Obviously! Otherwise, why would I be the young master?”
The voices upstairs gradually faded. Weisheng Zhen listened briefly without paying much attention and began strolling through the Earth Treasure Pavilion.
Speaking of which, he had quite a lot of cooperation with the Flowing Forest Pavilion, and could be considered a minor shareholder of sorts.
The person behind the Earth Treasure Pavilion had clearly recognized the special identifying aura that the Flowing Forest Pavilion had bestowed upon him. Soon, a man in fitted attire came out to receive Weisheng Zhen and his companion.
“Daoist Weisheng, Daoist Li. I am a disciple of the Flowing Forest Pavilion, designated Earth Fifty-Seven, and also the steward of this Earth Treasure Pavilion. The Young Pavilion Master, knowing that you two daoists were here, has specially arranged a banquet and instructed us to receive you both well.”
The outer disciples of the Flowing Forest Pavilion were ranked by the grades of their treasures Heaven, Earth, Mystic, Yellow and given titles and numbers according to their abilities.
The designation of Earth rank indicated that his strength had already reached the Void Refinement stage.
Under normal circumstances, only Mystic-rank disciples would come to a town like this. Today, however, a rare Earth-rank disciple had appeared. This suggested that the Earth Treasure Pavilion must be housing something of great importance, warranting a Void Refinement cultivator to stand guard.
Weisheng Zhen raised an eyebrow, nodded, and followed the steward upstairs with Li Changshuang.
Those whose cultivation levels were too far apart naturally couldn’t hear their conversation. However, a certain cultivator who had turned back to retrieve something watched Weisheng Zhen and his companion’s retreating figures with a thoughtful expression.
Weisheng Zhen and the others naturally noticed this as well. After they took their seats upstairs, the steward clasped his hands and said apologetically: “My apologies. I’ll have someone escort him out immediately.”
Weisheng Zhen shook his head: “No need.”
A guest was a guest, and besides, he observed that the cultivator was young but not weak in strength he was somewhat curious about him.
Weren’t all the young geniuses of this era already in his group? When did this person appear?
He knew that the course of this world had shifted somewhat, but he still unconsciously compared it to the original novel’s world.
In any case, it seemed he hadn’t written about any other geniuses besides the six people in their group.
Weisheng Zhen’s curiosity about that cultivator was practically overflowing, and Li Changshuang had long since noticed. After remaining silent for a while, he suddenly spoke: “That cultivator is around forty years old, yet his cultivation has already reached the Great Perfection of the Golden Core stage. I observe that although he appears somewhat naive, he carries a heavy aura of slaughter he must have entered the world through killing, yet no one has properly guided him to help wash away that killing intent.”
“His talent seems quite good, but his aura is somewhat mixed and impure. He’s likely a rogue cultivator, and I imagine his cultivation path has been far from easy.” Weisheng Zhen let out a sigh of admiration. “I noticed that although the lad uses a blade, most weapons under heaven share common principles it’s not too late for him to switch paths now. If he can shine brilliantly at the Rising Talents Tournament, perhaps he could become another fine seedling for your Sword Sect.”
Li Changshuang shook his head: “Perhaps he already has a master and may not be willing to join our Sword Sect.”
Weisheng Zhen smiled and said no more.
Perhaps the timing was just right that arrogant young master hadn’t noticed his return. After purchasing another item at the Earth Treasure Pavilion, a shop attendant dressed as a waiter approached him, whispered something in his ear, and then handed a card into his hand.
With the cultivation levels of the three of them, they could clearly discern everything happening downstairs.
Weisheng Zhen asked curiously: “An auction invitation, The items at today’s auction must be quite extraordinary, wouldn’t you say?”