Lan Li sneered, “How could that be possible?”
Tianqing Ji scrutinized him from top to bottom and left to right, but found no hint of discomfort in Lan Li. She seemed a bit disappointed.
Lan Li laughed silently, placing his hands behind his back. “You didn’t think that such a trick would rattle me, did you?”
Tianqing Ji shook her head, “In terms of swordsmanship, you are certainly among the true masters. If you really lost your composure, I would be disappointed. However, I heard that Empress Li and Eunuch Liu are planning something big recently. For this, Eunuch Liu even made a special trip to the neutral ground. This matter must have something to do with you, doesn’t it?”
Tianqing Ji smiled sweetly at Lan Li, her gaze seemingly gentle yet sharp.
Lan Li smiled faintly, “If you want to know, why not ask Eunuch Liu directly? He just left not long ago; you can still catch up. Besides, Eunuch Liu’s trip wasn’t exactly secret. Don’t tell me you didn’t know he was here.”
Tianqing Ji suddenly chuckled, “Someone as important as Eunuch Liu is out of my reach. If he didn’t come for me, why should I bother? Is there anything wrong with asking you instead?”
Lan Li laughed heartily, “Sorry, we’re not that close.”
Tianqing Ji shrugged, her tone tinged with resentment, “After knowing each other for so long, how can you still be so heartless?”
“Swordsmen are like this, and I am no exception.”
Seeing that their verbal sparring had no result, both turned their gaze back to the small courtyard where Ye Qian had vanished. Despite their lengthy argument, the bystanders in the alley paid them no attention.
“How long has he been in there? Is he really doing something with that vixen?” Tianqing Ji pouted, clearly angry.
“He’s not a good actor,” Lan Li commented.
Tianqing Ji’s face brightened, “You noticed.”
Lan Li said flatly, “I mean, you’re genuinely angry. You’re hiding your true feelings by trying to hide them.”
“Really?” Tianqing Ji looked innocent.
“Yes.”
“I don’t admit it.”
Lan Li, seemingly expecting Tianqing Ji’s stubbornness, remained calm, standing with his hands behind his back, gazing at the small courtyard. After a moment, he said, “Your secret technique is indeed impressive, but can it deceive a true master?”
“As long as I don’t use too much origin power, fooling the weakest divine general isn’t a problem.”
“Excellent!” Lan Li reached for his sword, but Tianqing Ji stopped him. “No sword?”
“Cold Moon Sand Trap is too sharp; my secret technique can’t cover it. Unless you can completely conceal your sword qi, making it invisible, only then can it stay within my technique’s range.”
Lan Li let go, “I can’t do that yet.”
“If you could, there’d be no need for us to compare; I’d concede defeat directly.”
Lan Li raised his eyebrows, ready to retaliate, but a faint and obscure aura suddenly rose from the courtyard, causing their origin power to fluctuate slightly. It was rare for anything to disturb their origin power. The two exchanged a glance and dashed towards the courtyard.
Inside the warehouse at the back of the courtyard, Ye Qian stood at the entrance, staring at an unusual machine in the center. Its horizontal, elongated iron cylinder, covered in a chaotic tangle of pipes, made it difficult for Ye Qian to discern its connection to an engine. However, when the fat man lifted the cover, a faint, indescribable palpitation seized Ye Qian.
The fat man weighed over three hundred pounds, but his small eyes sparkled with a sharp glint. Despite the dim light, Ye Qian’s pale face didn’t escape his notice. He grinned, slapping the machine, “What do you think? Good stuff, right? Only a master can sense its uniqueness. When have I, Old Cat, ever cheated anyone in a deal?”
The faint sense of unease gradually faded, but Ye Qian knew it wasn’t an illusion. He had felt this before, facing the remains of a giant insect—a life instinctive fear of the void behemoths. How could this ancient and peculiar machine be related to a void behemoth?
According to the fat man, the machine was found in the channel connecting the Great Maelstrom. It drifted until it was recovered near the entrance to the neutral ground. To recover it, the mercenary group paid a heavy price: two specially designed airships were sucked into the channel, vanishing without a trace. If lucky, they might enter the Great Maelstrom. More likely, they were torn to dust in the channel.
Regardless of the truth, the mere sense of unease told Ye Qian that this strange machine was extraordinary. As an ancient bloodline bearer, few things could make his instincts react.
Ye Qian looked away from the machine, “What about the box of rare metals?”
Seeing Ye Qian’s disinterest, the fat man’s face fell, and he clapped his hands. Four burly men carried a box into the warehouse.
Smaller than a regular suitcase, the box was wrapped in thick chains. Each chain was held by a man, deeply cutting into their shoulders. Moving the small box was as arduous as moving a mountain.
Finally, they reached their spot, exhaling heavily, and dropped the box, removing the chains. The box must weigh several tons, surely having some special property.
“I need to see it myself.”
Old Cat gestured, “Be my guest.”
Ye Qian, instead of using Dongyue, drew a vampiric blade, slicing through the chains effortlessly. The sharpness surprised Old Cat, who narrowed his eyes, “Fine sword! Something like this must belong to at least a count, right?”
“I took it.” Ye Qian replied calmly.
Old Cat shrugged, silent.
Ye Qian slowly opened the box. Inside, a complex metal structure was visible. The box, made of a special alloy, was designed to bear the weight of the heavy metal without deforming.
In the center, a square metal ingot glowed with a faint blue light. Made from eight fused pieces, the seams were so fine they were almost imperceptible.
The ingot matched Zining Song’s description and its weight. Yet, as Ye Qian touched the lid, he hesitated. The box itself had a faint, strange feeling, stronger than the ingot.
Snapping the lid shut, Ye Qian said, “It’s good.”
Old Cat smiled, “Of course! I, Old Cat, value my reputation!”
But his smile froze as Ye Qian tapped the box, making it vanish. Old Cat froze, then shouted, “Protect the engine!”
Before the word was out, Ye Qian was beside the engine, tapping it, and it too vanished. Turning, he smiled, “I have the goods. Now, let’s discuss the price.”
Old Cat’s face changed rapidly, pointing at Ye Qian, gritting his teeth, “You have such high-level spatial equipment?!”
Ye Qian smiled, “Yes, I’m lucky.”
Old Cat’s face turned ashen, muttering, “Fine, very fine. I misjudged. Return the goods, and we’ll forget this. Otherwise, no matter how powerful you are, you won’t get away with this!”
Ye Qian said, “You don’t want to do this deal, do you? If so, there’s no point in negotiating. One last time, are you sure?”
Old Cat, silent for a moment, asked, “How did you figure out the box was different?”
“Feeling.”
Old Cat became agitated, shouting, “Impossible!”
Ye Qian said calmly, “The real goods were in the box’s structure, while the ingot contained only a small amount of metal. Brilliant idea, but I sensed it.”
Old Cat’s face shifted, gritting his teeth, “What do you want to return the goods?”
Ye Qian asked, “No bargaining?”
“Return the goods first, then we talk.”
Ye Qian smirked, “Once in my hands, you want them back? Since you don’t want to bargain, no need to.”
Old Cat’s face turned ashen, “Are you robbing me?”
“I came to trade, but those who try to cheat me leave me nothing to negotiate.”
Two sharp blades slid into Old Cat’s hands from his sleeves. The four men, now exuding strong aura, stepped forward, blocking the door. Old Cat said, “Qian Ye, put down the goods or you won’t leave.”
Ye Qian’s smirk deepened. The sound of the sea filled the warehouse, but instead of pressure, a powerful force pushed Old Cat and the men back. The men were flung against the walls, and the warehouse walls crumbled, collapsing.
Just then, Lan Li and Tianqing Ji arrived, seeing the destruction. They instantly increased their speed, reaching the warehouse. Halting, they dodged a rising, resplendent sword qi that barely missed them.
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