These words, of course, could not be repeated verbatim, so Li Tan chuckled and said, “You’re absolutely right, sir. I’ll certainly pay a visit when I have time.”
The old man nodded, then smartly took out a jade pendant from his bosom and handed it to Li Tan.
“This is my token,” he said. “Whenever you have time, young friend, go to any branch of the Dan Pavilion. If you encounter any trouble, simply present this token.”
On the jade pendant were engraved some ancient patterns, and in the center was a bold, flowing character “Zuo” (Left).
As soon as Li Tan saw the character “Zuo,” his spirits lifted. He turned the pendant over, examined it carefully, and showed a surprised expression. Then, respectfully clenching his fists, he said, “So you’re Elder Zuo! I beg your pardon.”
The old man smiled kindly, “How could there be any impropriety? I’m delighted to meet such a prodigy in alchemy as you, young friend.”
Li Tan felt a bit excited; he never expected to meet this old man here.
This was Zuo Qingchun, one of the elders of the Dan Pavilion’s main hall. Before Li Tan’s rebirth, this old man had been one of his idols. Unfortunately, he had been assassinated by the demon race before they could ever meet, which had been one of Li Tan’s greatest regrets.
Never did he expect to meet him here! Seeing that Li Tan recognized his name and background, Zuo Qingchun immediately became even more convinced of Li Tan’s extraordinary status. He stroked his long beard with satisfaction.
Then, the old man and the young man hit it off immediately and began to engage in wide-ranging and in-depth discussions.
Advanced alchemical theories were continuously presented, followed by questions from the other. Li Tan was even somewhat forgetful of concealing his knowledge. Before long, the two had become close friends despite their age difference.
After this conversation, Li Tan developed even greater admiration for Zuo Qingchun from the bottom of his heart.
Although Zuo’s understanding of the alchemical path was somewhat inferior in certain areas, his research into the details of pill refinement was extremely profound.
Back and forth like this, they completely forgot about the auction.
The auction must have ended at some unknown point. The last item auctioned was a fourth-tier pill, reportedly crafted by a certain master. It triggered a fierce struggle, with purple gold coins reaching into the tens of thousands. Eventually, it turned into bartering, and someone took it away using the precious medicinal herb, Dragon Soul Grass.
As for the creator of that fourth-tier pill—it was Zuo Qingchun.
After the auction ended, Li Tan and Zuo Qingchun parted ways.
Zuo had matters to attend to in the capital of the Xia Kingdom and had invited Li Tan to accompany them, but Li Tan politely declined, as he was concerned about matters regarding the Feiyu Sect.
Li Tan left the VIP room, collected his cauldron from a designated person, and was about to leave when suddenly Lanlan Xiao called him back.
“Miss Nalan, do you have something to ask me?”
Li Tan asked coldly.
“Don’t be so cold. There’s something I’d like to ask Master Li.”
Nalan Xiao obviously already knew about Li Tan’s background and didn’t express surprise at his youth. However, she clearly had impure intentions as she subtly leaned her lower body closer to Li Tan. The faint scent of her perfume wafted toward him. Anyone else would probably be captivated by her charm, but unfortunately for her, the person in front of her was Li Tan.
Li Tan remained completely unmoved and even slightly disgusted, leaning his body aside and saying in annoyance, “If you have something to say, say it quickly. And move this thing away.”
“Tsk, no sense of romance,” Nalan Xiao muttered discontentedly but obediently moved to sit beside him.
She was actually quite surprised by Li Tan’s reaction. In her entire life, any man would have been unable to resist her advances, yet Li Tan not only resisted but also showed absolutely no reaction. She remembered that the last person who reacted the same way as Li Tan was her old-fashioned grandfather. If Li Tan had known what Nalan Xiao was thinking, he would probably have been very unhappy and emphasized that he was over a thousand years old, still very young! But of course, there’s no such thing as “if.”
Nalan Xiao also feared that Li Tan might just leave, so she got straight to the point, her gaze suddenly turning sharp, “Young master, this Black Gold Card of yours seems to have been issued in Linjiang, right?” Li Tan nodded, “Indeed, is there any problem with that?”
“No problem, I was just wondering, young master, do you have any connection with the Li family of Linjiang?”
“You’re investigating me?”
“How dare we investigate you?
We know this mainly because my mischievous younger sister accidentally saw your face and recognized you.”
A younger sister?
The image of a girl wearing black and white attire, seemingly dressed in a maid’s uniform, emerged in Li Tan’s mind from the Linjiang Norland Auction House.
Li Tan twitched his lips slightly and said in exasperation, “Then you should already know who I am. Why are you asking again?”
Nalan Xiao smiled faintly and said, “I mainly want to give you a reminder.”
“Oh?”
“A common man has no crime, but possessing a treasure can be a crime. I suggest you keep a low profile. Right now, there are already some eyes set on you.”
“Hmph, do they dare lay a hand on me?”
“Of course not, but only for now. Young master probably doesn’t know, but after defeating four opponents, you’ve become quite famous. If someone deliberately investigates, they’ll soon discover your identity. What they might do afterward is unpredictable.”
Li Tan chuckled and stood up, turning to leave carelessly, “Then let them come. I’ll be waiting.”
Nalan Xiao watched Li Tan leave, her eyes filled with puzzlement.
“What exactly happened that caused you to change so drastically in just a few days?” Li Tan changed into a thick black robe and left the Norland Auction House, blending into the crowd.
Sure enough, two tails followed him from behind.
At this moment, the entire area outside the Norland Auction House was filled with a tense atmosphere.
Some people, like that fourth-tier pill, were determined to obtain it at all costs. If they couldn’t buy it at auction, they would resort to other means. Others, unable to afford the bidding, simply switched tactics and decided to take it by force.
Now, many who failed to obtain the items were eyeing those who succeeded. Even though they had changed clothes and wrapped themselves in long robes, they couldn’t completely hide their identities.
The reason no one dared to act yet and the place remained peaceful was mainly because of a master-level expert on the second floor of a nearby building, whose aura was completely unrestrained.
Everyone understood that acting here would be challenging the Norland Auction House directly, which was essentially seeking death, so they had been holding back.
However, once they left Chize, these restrictions would no longer exist, and another bloody struggle would ensue. Having the money to buy something didn’t necessarily mean having the life to keep it. In this world, strength always had the final say.
Li Tan had no interest in getting involved. Blending into the crowd and relying on Mo Ye to change his form, he soon shook off his tails.
He returned to the inn, changed into a tight-fitting black outfit, slung a rusty sword on his back, and left the city.
The auction was over, and it was time to deal with the task accepted from the Cultivator Alliance.
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