“No interest! I never make deals with sneaky individuals. Let’s drop it.”
To the little old man’s great surprise, Han Li outright refused without even listening. A flicker of astonishment crossed his face, but he soon recalled something, his wrinkles smoothing as he chuckled lightly.
“Fellow Daoist, you’re speaking too soon. It would be best to hear me out first. After listening, Brother Li can make his decision—otherwise, it’ll be you who suffers.” The old man’s words carried a faint hint of threat.
“To my disadvantage? That does pique my interest. Fine, I’ll hear you out.” Han Li clasped his hands behind his back, a thoughtful glint flashing in his eyes.
“Now that’s a wise choice. Let me show you something first, then we’ll discuss the deal.” The old man grinned, patting the spirit beast pouch at his waist. A green light shot out, circled once, and landed atop his head, revealing a fist-sized spirit beast.
The creature resembled an oversized snail, its entire body an eerie emerald green. It slowly swayed its slender, crystalline antennae, moving sluggishly.
“A Flood Dragon Beast… What’s the meaning of this? Planning to have it spit venom at me?” Han Li’s expression darkened at the sight.
“How could I use such a low-tier beast against you? To be frank, Brother Li, this beast of mine has undergone a minor mutation—one that grants it the ability to see through illusions. When you were confronting the Yin Luo Sect members earlier, I happened to have a strand of my consciousness attached to it. You should understand what I mean. The way you transformed that bamboo tube into a long blade—while it fooled others, it couldn’t deceive this beast’s senses.” The old man grabbed the Flood Dragon Beast from his head, holding it up proudly.
“And what if that’s true? What exactly are you implying?” Han Li’s heart tightened at the revelation of the beast’s mutation, but his expression remained unreadable.
“Haha, why so hostile? I mean no harm. If you’re willing to gift me three or four treasures or a hefty sum of Spirit Stones, I’ll forget everything I saw. I won’t dare trouble Brother Li again.” The old man’s face finally revealed a trace of greed, his demand audacious.
“You’re blackmailing me?” Han Li laughed instead of growing angry.
“What, feeling murderous? You’d best restrain yourself. As a rogue cultivator, I’m not intimidated by threats. Since I dared approach you alone, I’ve ensured my safety. I’ve already sent a disciple to follow the Yin Luo Sect and that Heavenly Lasso Saintess. If anything happens to me, my disciple will immediately expose your illusion. By then, you’ll be in deep trouble. Besides, this is Jinjing City—countless high-level cultivators are here for the auction. Do you really think you can silence me here? A single shout from me, and you’ll be powerless. Once my disciple leads the Yin Luo Sect here, you’ll be trapped, with no escape. Maybe four or five Nascent Soul cultivators couldn’t kill you, but what about seven or eight? From what I know, the Yin Luo Sect has more elders in Jinjing than just those few. Still confident you can escape? Wealth to avert disaster—that’s the wise choice.” The old man took two steps back, smirking as a wooden shield flew from his sleeve, forming a yellow barrier around him.
Han Li frowned, his gaze sweeping over the barrier before his expression turned contemplative.
“It seems I’ll have trouble if I don’t offer you something. What exactly do you want?” After a long pause, Han Li’s expression steadied.
“Now we’re talking. I’m only after wealth—no desire for mutual destruction. I’m not picky. A few ancient treasures will satisfy me.” The old man grinned eagerly.
Han Li’s eyebrow twitched imperceptibly at the greed. With a dark expression, he reached into his storage pouch, producing a golden-silver orb the size of an egg.
“Several ancient treasures? Your appetite is too big. I have none to spare, but this Cloud Soaring Pearl is something I obtained by chance. It doesn’t suit my cultivation, so take it and leave. Don’t be too greedy—it might choke you.” Han Li flicked his wrist, sending the orb flying toward the old man.
The old man’s face lit up, but instead of catching it directly, he tossed the Flood Dragon Beast aside and swept his sleeve, releasing a dark light that enveloped the orb. After confirming it was safe, he cautiously pulled it through the barrier.
“These patterns are unusual—definitely not an ordinary treasure. I wonder what its effects are.” The old man connected his divine sense to the Flood Dragon Beast, verifying the orb wasn’t an illusion and bore no ownership imprint. His suspicion mostly dispelled, he grabbed it, murmuring to himself.
“You’ll have to test its effects yourself. I guarantee it’ll surprise you.” Han Li crossed his arms, his tone indifferent.
“Fair enough. But one ancient treasure seems too little, don’t you think?” The old man, excitedly channeling mana into the orb, still sought to extort more.
Han Li’s lips curled into a faint, mocking smile.
“Hmm, perhaps it is. How about this—I’ll send you on your way instead?” His voice turned icy.
The old man stiffened in shock. Before he could react, his mana surged uncontrollably into the orb.
With a soft *pop*, the orb burst apart, revealing dozens of three-colored Gold Devouring Beetles—Han Li’s remaining stock. The insects instantly spread their wings and lunged at the old man’s face.
At such close range, evasion was impossible. The old man barely had time to think *bad* before the beetles swarmed his face, tearing into his flesh. Only his Nascent Soul-level protective aura kept him from being disfigured instantly.
With so many vicious insects gnawing at his face and blinding him, the old man frantically clawed at them with black-lit hands. He sucked in a breath, preparing to unleash a piercing shriek to summon help.
But then, a bone-chilling snort echoed in his ears. Though quiet, it sent searing pain through his divine sense. His body convulsed, his scream cutting short.
Panicked, he tried to leap back, but the pain vanished as abruptly as it came. The beetles flew off, restoring his vision—only for a golden sword wreathed in purple flames to appear before him, slashing down.
“Ah!” The old man roared in terror, too late to dodge or summon a treasure. He poured all his mana into the barrier, praying it would hold.
In that moment, he realized this so-called rogue cultivator had intended to kill him from the start. There was never any thought of negotiation. Rage and regret flooded him, but he took solace in his yellow wooden shield—a rare ancient treasure with formidable defense. Even a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator shouldn’t break it in one strike.
Yet as the golden sword met the barrier, it sliced through like tofu.
The blade continued downward, a flash of light cleaving the old man’s body in two. A black infant—his Nascent Soul—hovered in terror before being encased in purple ice, immobilized.
The golden sword circled back, reducing the now masterless Flood Dragon Beast to bloody mist, then hovered above the frozen Nascent Soul.
With a thunderous crackle, golden lightning arced from the blade, weaving a net that incinerated both ice and soul.
Han Li’s expression eased, but he wasted no time. He snatched the old man’s storage pouch and incinerated the corpses with twin fireballs before vanishing into the sky with a flicker of cyan light.
A mere quarter-hour later, five streaks of light descended upon the scene—Lin Yinping, Ge Tianhao, and three others, including an unfamiliar young Core Formation cultivator.
“This is the place. Master’s aura vanished here,” the youth said nervously, holding a detection disk.
“Residual spiritual energy lingers, including that ‘Li’ fellow’s. And there’s blood—your master’s been silenced,” Ge Tianhao remarked coldly, eyeing a crimson stain on the ground.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage