Early the next morning, Song Yao found an excuse to leave the sect.
This time, she didn't dare go to an illicit underground trading market again, choosing instead to find a properly run merchant building to sell her goods.
Previously in the demon realm, she had plundered quite a few treasures from the villagers.
Since she planned to live as an ordinary person in the future, keeping these treasures was useless. She might as well sell them directly to pay off her debt.
Seeing that her bag was packed with so many things, the merchant building's attendant immediately welcomed her to an elegant private room on the second floor. “Please wait a moment, young hero. Your treasures are quite varied, so I will have our second manager quote a price for you.”
Song Yao nodded. “Alright.”
Behind the screen in the private room, someone was playing the zither, the music lingering in the air.
Before long, the door was gently pushed open, and a tall, slender figure strolled inside.
The man was exceptionally eye-catching, with eyebrows like distant, mist-shrouded mountains and eyes like spring peach blossoms. The outer corners of his eyes tilted upward slightly, naturally carrying a hint of seductive charm.
When he smiled, shallow dimples appeared on his cheeks. He was so beautiful that Song Yao momentarily wondered if she had walked into some sort of pleasure house.
Holding a white porcelain teacup, he expertly poured her a cup of hot tea.
The tea's aroma was crisp and clean, a top-grade Pre-Rain Longjing. He spoke with a lingering, seductive lilt at the end of his words: “I apologize for the wait, valued guest~ I am the second manager of this establishment. My surname is Wen, and my given name is Yan.”
“Hello,” Song Yao greeted him politely.
After her polite greeting, she turned her spatial pouch upside down over the table, and a pile of items tumbled out with a loud clatter.
Wen Yan took a seat by the table and smiled faintly. “Please wait a moment, guest.”
Although there were many items, most of them were damaged goods since they had passed through the hands of those demons.
A few pieces of gold and silver jewelry and some pills should fetch a decent price.
Song Yao didn't hold high hopes. Resting her chin in her hand, she waited for him to inspect everything carefully.
After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Wen Yan set down the last jade hairpin and flicked the beads of his abacus with his slender fingers.
His peach blossom eyes curved up, his tone carrying a trace of helplessness. “Some of these cannot even be repaired and can only be sold as scrap metal. I will give you an honest price, guest. In total, it comes to nine hundred thousand spirit stones. This is already the highest price I can offer. If you went elsewhere, they might not even give you eight hundred thousand.”
It was still a bit lower than she had expected.
Song Yao wasn't very good at bargaining, so she simply nodded. “Fine. Nine hundred thousand it is. Let's settle the bill.”
“No need to rush, guest~”
Wen Yan's gaze swept over Song Yao's face with interest, his slender fingertips flicking the abacus once more. “I forgot to mention just now—the tea fee, private room usage fee, appraisal fee, and handling fee add up to four hundred thousand spirit stones. That must be deducted from the total.”
Song Yao: “?”
Wasn't this a legitimate business?
How could they be so unscrupulous?
Without wasting any words, she swept her hand over the table, packing up her things without another word, and stood up to leave. “Then I'll go somewhere else.”
Quick-witted and fast-acting, Wen Yan snapped open a gold-painted folding fan with a whoosh, lightly blocking her path. “Guest, you don't have to sell your items, but surely you can't default on the tea and appraisal fees? Our Mingyan Pavilion clearly displays our prices; we haven't defrauded you.”
Song Yao froze.
This place was Mingyan Pavilion?
Then wasn't this her Eldest Senior Brother's territory?
In the past, she had frequented this place quite often just to torment her Eldest Senior Brother.
Relying on her identity, she had dined and drank here for free, throwing money around like water, and had called for every single beautiful gigolo and girl.
According to the manager, every time she visited, it was equivalent to Mingyan Pavilion working for two months for nothing.
As one of the top gold-devouring dens in Sichun City, the expenses here were indeed sky-high. A single cup of tea cost tens of thousands, and listening to a song was truly extortionate.
But...
The decor here was completely unfamiliar.
And she had never seen this second manager before.
Had they renovated?
Or hired new staff?
Seeing Song Yao's dazed expression, Wen Yan closed his folding fan and tapped it against his palm, changing the subject. “However, since this is your first time here, guest, if you are willing to make a deal with me, I can waive all these fees for you. I can even raise that nine hundred thousand price tag a bit higher.”
Song Yao asked, “What kind of deal?”
Wen Yan's eyes curved into crescent moons as he slid an invitation letter from his sleeve, pushing it toward Song Yao. His voice carried a hint of temptation: “You should have heard of the Taiqing Pavilion, guest.”
As one of the three major sects of the Tianshu Realm, Song Yao had naturally heard of it.
Wen Yan continued, “Recently, the Taiqing Pavilion has been widely recruiting geniuses from all over the world. If you are willing to leave the Nine Saints Hall and join the Taiqing Pavilion, your monthly allowance and cultivation resources will definitely not disappoint you.”
Song Yao: “...”
Was Taiqing Pavilion actually poaching people here?
She had heard before that Taiqing Pavilion and the Beiyao Sect had formed an alliance through marriage and had been suppressing the Nine Saints Hall.
But she hadn't expected that even her Eldest Senior Brother's shop would be taken over by Taiqing Pavilion, and that they would dare to poach people so blatantly within Sichun City.
Wen Yan walked around to stand behind her, leaning close to her ear. His warm breath brushed against the side of her neck. “For someone with a Heaven-grade wood spiritual root to stay huddled in the Nine Saints Hall as an obscure pill cultivator... isn't that a bit too humiliating?”
Song Yao pursed her lips.
He even knew her spiritual root.
It seemed Taiqing Pavilion had quite a few spies.
This second manager had probably targeted her from the very beginning.
Bowing her head, she appeared to be considering it. Only after a moment did she look up at Wen Yan. “Joining Taiqing Pavilion is fine.”
Wen Yan smiled. “But?”
“But you have to give me Mingyan Pavilion.”
Song Yao looked around. “It looks very profitable. I like it.”
Wen Yan's smile instantly froze, and his grip on the folding fan tightened slightly.
He coughed lightly, seemingly amused but exasperated. “You certainly have a massive appetite, little girl. Unfortunately, I am only the second manager, so I don't have that authority.”
Song Yao tilted her head to look at him, asking as if casually, “Oh? Then who is your manager? I want to talk to your manager directly.”
“Our manager...”
Stopping mid-sentence, a flash of vigilance crossed Wen Yan's eyes.
He snapped open his folding fan again, resuming his casual manner as he changed the subject. “You certainly know how to make things difficult, guest. Our manager is usually very busy with affairs. How could anyone just meet them whenever they please?”
Softening his tone, he displayed absolute sincerity: “But you don't have to rush to make a decision, guest. I will take it upon myself to waive the tea and appraisal fees for you. I will pay you the full nine hundred thousand. You can go back and think it over slowly. Whenever you change your mind and want to come to Taiqing Pavilion, you can find me at Mingyan Pavilion anytime.”
Song Yao immediately held out her hand. “I want cash. No credit.”
Wen Yan smiled again and immediately ordered someone to fetch the spirit stones.
As he escorted Song Yao out of Mingyan Pavilion, he said with a smile, “You are a disciple who just entered the Nine Saints Hall this year, right?”
Song Yao: “Yes.”
Wen Yan: “Do you know that your sect used to have a senior sister named Song Yao?”
Song Yao paused. “I know. Why?”
Wen Yan: “You resemble her a little.”
Song Yao: “...”
She had changed her face and her personality.
She believed she had done a flawless job, so how could he see a resemblance?
Besides, she didn't recall ever knowing anyone named Wen Yan.
She looked at him, her brow furrowing slightly. “In what way?”
“Your eyes.”
Having said that, Wen Yan immediately corrected himself, “No, not quite. If she were really the one standing here, and I said I'd charge four hundred thousand in handling fees, Mingyan Pavilion would have been leveled to the ground long ago.”
Song Yao: “...”
Slander!!!
She was absolutely not that kind of person.
...
After returning to the sect, carrying the piping hot sesame flatbreads she had just bought, Song Yao rushed without stopping to see Jiang Jin and Zhu Zhao.
The Sixteenth Elder looked at her and teased, “Jiang Jin has already returned to Wangyun Peak, and Ah Zhao has also returned to the main peak. You're too late, little girl.”
After teasing her, the elder reached for the silver needles. “By the way, your missing soul is truly a rare condition. While I'm still in the sect, let me give you another thorough diagnosis...”
Shivering with fear at the sight of the silver needles, Song Yao turned and fled without a second thought, rushing in a hurry toward Wangyun Peak.
Wangyun Peak was the Second Elder's territory. There was a barrier outside, making it difficult to enter.
Song Yao wandered around for a while until she ran into Ming Ran, who was returning from her classes.
Seeing her, Ming Ran said crossly, “I have never seen anyone as lazy and unprogressive as you! If you want me to take you inside, fine. Starting tomorrow, you must come to classes and practice swordplay with me!”
Song Yao: “?”
Getting scolded out of nowhere, and now being forced to practice swordplay?
Furrowing her brow, she reminded her, “I am a pill cultivator.”
Ming Ran snapped, “Do you even read? Don't think I don't know you fall asleep the moment you look at a book!”
Song Yao: “...”
That was a low blow.
Boohoo.
Glaring at her, Ming Ran added, “The annual grand tournament is in a month, and I won't go easy on you then! If you don't cultivate properly and lose to me, wouldn't that be an unfair victory for me?”
Song Yao reminded her once again, “Pill cultivators don't compete in this.”
Ming Ran retorted, “Who says pill cultivators don't compete? Our Nine Saints Hall is dedicated to sword cultivators, so all disciples must compete. When the time comes, your rank will also be on the Heavenly Revelation Board. Don't tell me you don't even know what the Heavenly Revelation Board is?”
Of course Song Yao knew about the Heavenly Revelation Board.
It was essentially a ranking list for sword cultivators.
It didn't just include the Nine Saints Hall; all disciples within the Tianshu Realm were on it.
There were tens of thousands of people in total, and the rankings fluctuated wildly.
Challenges within the sect were common, and disciples would occasionally travel to other sects to duel and improve their rankings.
Two years ago, Song Yao had reached the top of the board, and no one had surpassed her since.
However, she was already dead now, and she didn't know if her name had been crossed off yet.
Seeing her distracted look, Ming Ran grabbed her arm in exasperation. “Forget it, I don't want to waste my breath on someone like you. Just come in. If you don't cultivate properly, don't blame me for beating you to a pulp when the time comes!”
By the time Song Yao snapped out of it, she was already standing on Wangyun Peak.
Disciples were bustling back and forth, making it look a hundred times livelier than their Baicao Peak.
Ming Ran pointed the way for her. “Senior Brother Jiang should be at the spiritual spring in the back mountain. Master had him heal his injuries there.”
“Thank you.”
Song Yao stuffed a sesame flatbread into her hand and was about to leave in a hurry when her arm was grabbed again.
This time, Ming Ran's expression was slightly complicated. “Lin Mu, at your age, having just entered the sect, you should prioritize cultivation. You shouldn't always be thinking about love and romance.”
Song Yao: “L-love and romance?”
Her?
Who was she involved in love and romance with?
Her gaze was so genuinely bewildered that Ming Ran's cheeks flushed hot for some reason. She said in annoyance, “Whatever, do as you please. I'm leaving.”
With that, she turned and walked away with incredibly swift steps.
Song Yao: “...”
Why was she angry again?
She couldn't understand it.
Not taking it to heart, she walked in the direction Ming Ran had pointed out.
After walking a few steps, she glanced at the terrifyingly dark sky in that direction and froze.
A lightning tribulation?
Was Jiang Jin about to break through?
Rate on N.U.
