Not Even Worth the Price of a Talisman

After looking over the Tiansheng Sect’s registration records, the Tianqi Ancestor wore a face of utter helplessness.

He looked at the Tiansheng Sect’s Ancestor and said, “This was supposed to be a tournament to select a husband for your Saintess. Couldn’t you have been a bit more detailed with the registration?”

The Tiansheng Sect’s Ancestor replied with some frustration, “These people were always meant to be foils. In the end, the person chosen would always be from one of our major powers…”

The Tianqi Ancestor and the others understood that the Tiansheng Sect’s Ancestor was right. Based on the various tournaments they had held over the years, the eventual victors were almost always disciples from their own great sects. Even if an unknown dark horse occasionally appeared, they were usually absorbed by one of the major powers anyway.

The Yunhua Ancestor’s brow furrowed, his expression becoming exceptionally grave as he asked, “Do any of you know where this Huaguoshan is?”

He had been searching through his memories for a long time, but he couldn't recall a single place in the Central Province by that name.

After a moment of contemplation, both the Tianqi Ancestor and the Tiansheng Sect’s Ancestor shook their heads in ignorance.

“No idea!”

“Never heard of it!”

The Tianqi Ancestor’s brow remained tightly knit as he analyzed the situation. “Do you think it's possible that Huaguoshan is some sort of ancient power? Perhaps Ye Qingcheng wanted to kill that monkey because she discovered his identity as a member of such a group…”

The Tiansheng Sect’s Ancestor nodded in agreement. “It’s very likely! I even suspect that the immortal-grade technique my Saintess produced was taken from that monkey! Otherwise, where would she have gotten it? If she’d had it all along, she would have practiced it years ago, but she never did…”

At this point, he felt a twinge of confusion. He didn't understand why Ye Qingcheng hadn't informed the sect about this. If she had told them, he would have personally intervened to ensure the matter was handled perfectly! It wouldn't have ended in this disaster.

Turning back to the others, the Tiansheng Sect’s Ancestor ordered, “Investigate everything that monkey did after arriving at the Tiansheng Sect! I want a full report!”

The Tiansheng Sect Leader turned and left to assign people to the task.

The three Ancestors looked over the ruins of Songfeng Villa once more, sweeping the area with their divine sense. As before, they found nothing.

The Tianqi Ancestor stared at the rubble and asked, “Do you think those Saints and Saintesses were killed by that monkey?”

The Yunhua Ancestor’s eyes flashed with a thought. “Why don’t we ask the Tianji Old Man from the Tianji Pavilion to perform a divination for us…”

Hearing this, both the Tianqi Ancestor and the Tiansheng Sect’s Ancestor’s eyes lit up.

“Good idea!”

“Let’s do it!”

They had almost forgotten about that fellow! The Tianji Old Man’s Tianji Divination was legendary. He would surely be able to calculate who the killer was.

The Yunhua Ancestor immediately waved his hand, and a sound transmission talisman appeared in his palm. “Tianji Old Man, come to the Tiansheng Sect. We need a favor. You’ll be well-compensated…”

“Understood,” a raspy, aged voice replied a moment later.

Just as the talisman was sent out, the Tiansheng Sect Leader returned. “Ancestors, I’ve found information regarding the monkey’s activities since arriving at the Tiansheng Sect…”

“Speak…”

Upon hearing that the Sect Leader had found something about Sun Xiaosheng, their eyes brightened. Perhaps they could find a useful lead in the details.

“No one noticed exactly when this Sun Xiaosheng arrived. He was first spotted at the Tiansheng Sect when the Saint of the Desolate Soul Sect was bullying his subordinates…”

The Tiansheng Sect Leader then recounted everything he had discovered, including Zhu Wuneng’s bets, the spirit stones he had won, and the fact that the Guiyi Sword Sect had been acting as their bodyguards.

After listening to the report, the three Ancestors exchanged looks. The Tianqi Ancestor spoke first. “You’re saying they even hired those poor bastards from the Guiyi Sword Sect as bodyguards?”

“Yes!” The Tiansheng Sect Leader nodded.

The Yunhua Ancestor frowned and asked, “Is the Saint of the Guiyi Sword Sect dead?”

Everyone had been frantically searching for the killer of the Saints and Saintesses, but they hadn't seen anyone from the Guiyi Sword Sect around.

“I don’t know!” The Tiansheng Sect Leader shook his head. With everything happening so fast, he hadn't had time to track the movements of the Guiyi Sword Sect.

The Tianqi Ancestor turned to Emperor Tianqi.

“What about the Guiyi Saint?”

Emperor Tianqi, who had just recovered slightly from his blast injuries after taking a recovery pill, shook his head repeatedly. “I have no idea! I sent a sound transmission talisman to the Guiyi Sect Leader to ask, but he hasn’t replied! It’s beyond rude…”

Emperor Tianqi’s face was extremely sour as he spoke. Those paupers were truly crossing the line. They wouldn't even reply to a message from the Emperor of the Tianqi Dynasty. No wonder they stayed poor generation after generation!

The Tianqi Ancestor said directly, “Send him another one and ask again.”

Emperor Tianqi didn't waste any words. He pulled another sound transmission talisman from his storage bag and sent it out. “Sect Master Yun, is your Saint dead yet?”

Hearing the content of the message, the Tiansheng Sect’s Ancestor and the Yunhua Ancestor both looked at the Tianqi Ancestor.

With the way his descendant spoke, if the dynasty weren't so powerful, he would have been beaten to death long ago!

The Tianqi Ancestor met their gazes with a look of confusion. What was wrong?

The two of them saw his expression and realized it was hereditary. Neither of them seemed to realize that their words invited a beating.

The talisman was sent, but after waiting for a while, there was still no response.

Emperor Tianqi looked at the others and said indignantly, “See? I knew he wouldn’t reply! Why don’t our three major powers just find an opportunity to wipe them out…”

The three Ancestors didn't respond to his suggestion. Wipe out the Guiyi Sword Sect? You think we don't want to? But those sword lunatics are constantly looking for a one-for-one trade. It’s easy for you to say when you’re not the one being traded.

Emperor Tianqi also knew it was impossible to destroy the Guiyi Sword Sect. He was just venting his anger.

At that moment, the Tiansheng Sect Leader looked at Emperor Tianqi and suggested, “Ask again. Tell him that if he replies, you’ll compensate him with ten sound transmission talismans. He can collect them immediately from your family’s shop at the foot of their mountain…”

Everyone was stunned by the suggestion.

Could it be that the reason the Guiyi Sword Sect hadn't replied to their messages all these years was because they hadn't been compensated for the cost of the talismans?

Emperor Tianqi looked at the Tiansheng Sect Leader with suspicion. “Will that really work?”

The Tiansheng Sect Leader nodded. “Give it a try!”

Years ago, the Guiyi Sword Sect hadn't replied to his messages either. But once, he had seen the Danji Sect Leader send a message in this exact manner, and the other party had replied instantly!

Still skeptical, Emperor Tianqi sent another message to the Guiyi Sect Leader. “Sect Master Yun, is your Saint dead yet?”

Then, following the Tiansheng Sect Leader’s advice, he added, “Give me a reply and I’ll compensate you with ten sound transmission talismans. You can collect them from my family’s shop in the city below your sect…”

As soon as Emperor Tianqi sent the talisman and passed the word to his shop near the Guiyi Sword Sect, a reply from Sect Master Yun arrived almost instantly.

“My Saint is alive and well, currently participating in the Tiansheng Sect’s husband selection tournament! If you want my Saint to go easy on your Crown Prince, just give me a hundred thousand mid-grade… no… ten thousand mid-grade spirit stones will do…”

Hearing the rough voice of the Guiyi Sect Leader from the talisman, Emperor Tianqi and the others were speechless.

This guy was truly a money-grubber; he was even willing to sell the outcome of the tournament. At the same time, they confirmed their suspicions. The reason the Guiyi Sword Sect hadn't replied to their messages over the years wasn't because they didn't want to—it was because they were too stingy to waste a talisman!

Dammit… so in the eyes of the Guiyi Sword Sect, a conversation with them wasn't even worth the price of a single sound transmission talisman!