Not even half a day after the nine-colored radiance over the Grand Primordium Sect dissipated, Zhao Yunzhou, the City Lord of Dongcang Heavenly Capital, paid a personal visit.
Inside the main hall, Su Mingyuan rose and cupped his hands. “City Lord Zhao's presence brings great honor to our humble Grand Primordium Sect.”
Zhao Yunzhou wore a smile so polite it practically reflected light. “Brother Mingyuan, it has been a long time. I missed you, so I made a special trip to visit.”
Su Mingyuan secretly rolled his eyes.
They usually had absolutely nothing to do with each other, yet now he was calling him 'Brother Mingyuan' left and right. Who even was he? Were they close?
After exchanging a few more insincere pleasantries and finishing two cups of tea, Zhao Yunzhou finally got to the point. “Brother Mingyuan, surely you saw that phenomenon last night?”
Su Mingyuan feigned a sudden realization. “Is the City Lord referring to that nine-colored radiance?”
Zhao Yunzhou: “...”
No kidding.
What other phenomenon could there possibly be?
Suppressing his exasperation, he continued, “Last night, that radiance filled the entire sky, lighting up my estate in the west of the city as if it were broad daylight. With such a massive disturbance, I wonder which senior of your noble sect broke through, or... did some treasure emerge?”
Su Mingyuan, having already prepared his excuse, calmly replied, “It was Elder Xu Qingyan of our sect who successfully refined a supreme-grade Mahayana Pill. We did not expect it to trigger a heaven-and-earth phenomenon.”
Zhao Yunzhou's hand paused as he lifted his teacup.
A supreme-grade Mahayana Pill?
Who was he trying to fool?
They had definitely obtained some treasure and were unwilling to show it.
Maintaining a calm facade, he said, “Elder Xu is truly exceptionally talented. If possible, I wonder if I might catch a glimpse of this pill to broaden my horizons.”
Having anticipated this move, Su Mingyuan put on a perfectly timed look of regret. “How unfortunate. The refinement process took a heavy toll on her. Elder Xu is completely exhausted in both mind and body, and has already gone into seclusion with the pill to recover. I am afraid she will not be coming out anytime soon.”
Zhao Yunzhou sneered inwardly.
He knew it.
The classic excuse—claiming to be in seclusion as soon as anyone asked.
However, since the other party's excuse was so grand and dignified, he could not easily drop all pretense and start a fight right then and there.
Changing the subject, his tone took on a warning edge. “Brother Mingyuan, let us speak frankly. A supreme-grade Mahayana Pill is a rare treasure even across the entire Eastern Territory. Word of this will spread sooner or later, and with the Grand Primordium Sect's current strength, you cannot possibly protect it.”
He paused, then added meaningfully, “I believe I do not need to remind you of the proverb: 'An innocent man gets into trouble because of his wealth.'”
Su Mingyuan went along with it. “What brilliant ideas does City Lord Zhao have?”
This was exactly what Zhao Yunzhou had been waiting for.
He leaned forward slightly, his tone carrying a hint of temptation. “Since your noble sect has no immediate use for this Mahayana Pill, why not let the auction house of our Dongcang Heavenly Capital handle it? It will fetch an astronomical price at the auction. You can then use the spirit stones to purchase defensive formations, recruit disciples, buy resources, and do whatever you please.”
“More importantly—” He smiled. “Once the pill goes up for auction, the entire world will know it is no longer in your hands. Those keeping an eye on you will naturally shift their gaze to the buyer. You will obtain spirit stones and rid yourselves of a hot potato at the same time. It is killing two birds with one stone.”
He was calculating everything perfectly in his mind.
This supreme-grade Mahayana Pill was highly likely just an excuse.
Since you refuse to show it, I will force you to.
I have even come up with the reasoning for you, so let's see how you continue your lie.
Su Mingyuan frowned slightly.
He knew exactly what this old fox Zhao Yunzhou was plotting, but for a moment, he really did not know how to respond.
Just then—
Clack, clack, clack.
A series of light footsteps echoed as Xue Mingzhao and Su Ye walked into the main hall, one after the other.
Zhao Yunzhou looked up. “And these two are?”
Xue Mingzhao bowed politely, her smile looking entirely innocent and harmless. “This junior is Xue Mingzhao, Master's newly recruited disciple. I have just returned from the cliff where Martial Uncle Xu is in seclusion. She said she will be in seclusion for a whole month. It is truly wonderful that the City Lord is willing to help us auction the pill. This perfectly solves our urgent problem!”
After speaking, she secretly winked at Su Mingyuan.
Seeing Xue Mingzhao agree on behalf of her master, Zhao Yunzhou praised, “Brother Mingyuan, your disciple is even more considerate than you.”
Su Mingyuan nodded and remained silent.
Zhao Yunzhou probed, “Then shall we schedule the auction for one month from now?”
Understanding Xue Mingzhao's intention, Su Mingyuan cupped his hands and agreed. “Then we shall trouble City Lord Zhao. Elder Wen will handle the subsequent details with the City Lord's Mansion.”
Zhao Yunzhou's hand holding his teacup froze. He agreed so readily?
He had expected Su Mingyuan to make all sorts of excuses to stall, since whether this pill actually existed or had been refined depended entirely on the Grand Primordium Sect's word.
His original intention today was to test the waters, but he had not expected the other party to not only agree immediately but even have the transition process planned out.
This posture made it seem as though they truly had a Mahayana Pill in hand and were eager to cash it out.
He set down his teacup and closely observed Su Mingyuan's expression.
From start to finish, Su Mingyuan held his teacup, speaking at an unhurried pace with a perfectly natural smile on his face, showing not a single trace of guilt.
Could it be... that such a massive heaven-and-earth phenomenon was truly caused by a single pill?
“In that case, I shall await your sect's pill.”
Zhao Yunzhou stood up to take his leave, still wearing that same gentle smile, but his words carried a hidden hook. “When the auction takes place, I hope Elder Xu can attend in person, so that the guests from all sides may meet the creator of the pill.”
“Please wait, City Lord.”
Xue Mingzhao spoke to stop him, picking up the teapot to refill his cup with hot tea.
“What the City Lord said just now is absolutely correct. Once the pill goes up for auction, no one will be targeting us anymore. However, there is still a month before the auction, and during this month, the pill will still be in our hands.”
She smiled innocently. “If some powerful senior decides that 'striking first is best' and knocks on our mountain gates in the middle of the night... our small, humble Grand Primordium Sect might not survive until the day of the auction.”
“If the pill is stolen by then, the auction will fall through. It would be such a pity for the City Lord's Mansion to prepare for so long only to end up with nothing.”
Zhao Yunzhou understood her perfectly.
This little girl was telling him in no uncertain terms: If you do not pay up, the pill could be 'stolen' at any moment. When the auction falls through, you, the City Lord, will lose face as well.
His expression remained calm. “Then what are Miss Xue's thoughts?”
“I wouldn't dare call it a plan, just a small suggestion.” Xue Mingzhao raised a finger. “Could the City Lord's Mansion advance a portion of the deposit? Once we have the spirit stones, we will immediately buy the best defensive array disks to fortify our mountain gates, ensuring the pill remains perfectly safe and sound until the auction.”
Zhao Yunzhou asked casually, “How much do you want?”
“Five million high-grade spirit stones.”
Zhao Yunzhou stood up abruptly.
Good grief.
This wretched girl really had the audacity to ask.
Selling the entire Grand Primordium Sect wouldn't even fetch five million!
Rate on N.U.
