The next day.
Lin Fan got up early and immediately sent Sha Dulong and the others to the market to purchase the necessary supplies. The journey ahead was long, and he certainly didn’t want to endure sleeping under the stars and eating cold meals.
While it was one thing to venture out for training, it would be sheer madness to endure unnecessary hardships when he had the financial means to avoid them.
No matter what, the standard of living had to be improved.
Right now, however, Lin Fan had something important to attend to—he needed to find Gong Bingye and have a serious talk, especially to ask where he had obtained the fragment of the Supreme Treasure.
Gong Family Estate.
After a night of unconsciousness, Gong Bingye awoke filled with anger and resentment upon recalling what had happened.
Her pure body had been defiled, and to make matters worse, the perpetrator had denied everything afterward, spouting absurd justifications.
In the morning, Gong Bingye washed up and looked like a lotus rising from water. She tied up her long black hair and gazed at her exquisite reflection in the mirror, delicately stroking her fair, jade-like face.
The heavy burden of her family weighed heavily on Gong Bingye, making her feel suffocated. How she longed to find someone to rely on, but her wish remained unfulfilled.
“That despicable man,” Gong Bingye murmured, looking at her fragile reflection in the mirror. She inhaled deeply, her expression gradually hardening into one of determination. She pushed open the door and stepped forward to face the pressures of this new day.
Wang Hu was the captain of the Black Armor Guards of the Gong family and also the chief steward of the Gong estate. Despite his high status, he was constantly occupied with efforts to elevate the family’s standing, leaving him no time for rest.
Wang Hu’s ancestors had always served as stewards for the Gong family, and now, in his generation, he carried on their legacy, dedicating his life to the family’s service.
Now that the Gong family head had perished in the Death Desert, the family was leaderless, and the other two families were seizing the opportunity to rise. Wang Hu knew the burden on his shoulders was immense.
The young lady was still so young; she should have been enjoying the admiration of many promising young men. Instead, she was tirelessly managing the family affairs, with no time for herself.
“Miss, something terrible has happened. Many disciples from various sects have arrived in Mo City, and they’re now at our trading shop, demanding to purchase the six先天 beasts at a very low price,” Wang Hu said, rushing over from the shop.
To Wang Hu, this matter was extremely serious. Although some of these disciples might not be very powerful, they represented powerful sects. Offending them could lead to unimaginable consequences.
“Are they disciples from the Holy Sect?” Gong Bingye’s expression shifted slightly. Mo City was only a small town, not a major city, so it was rare for sect disciples to come here. It was more common to encounter wandering cultivators.
These wandering cultivators usually didn’t have high cultivation levels, but they had a strong demand for先天 beasts.
“No, their clothes have flame patterns on them,” Wang Hu replied. Although he was the chief steward of the Gong family, his knowledge was limited, especially since he had spent his entire life in Mo City and had little exposure to sect disciples.
“Let’s go and see.” Gong Bingye was most afraid of sect disciples causing trouble at the Gong family’s shop because they simply couldn’t afford to offend them.
In Gong Bingye’s view, sects were colossal powers, super forces. Perhaps a single sect disciple could destroy the Gong family in an instant.
Therefore, whenever such incidents occurred, the Gong family usually chose to back down and settle things peacefully. When her father was still alive, Gong Bingye didn’t know how he had handled these situations. Now, with the heavy burden of the family resting on her shoulders, she had to face everything head-on.
…
The Gong family’s trading shop.
At this moment, a large crowd had gathered around the shop. In front of the store stood a group of men wearing white robes with flame patterns embroidered on them, their expressions filled with arrogance.
“We’re doing you a favor by purchasing these six beasts. Don’t be ungrateful. This amount should be more than enough,” said one of the men, his forehead marked with a flame symbol, his narrow eyes filled with haughtiness.
The shopkeeper wore a troubled expression. There was no way he could sell six ferocious beasts for such a paltry sum.
Where was Master Wang? Why hadn’t he returned with the young miss yet?
“Master Liu, my senior has already spoken. Don’t be stubborn. After all, I’m also from Mo City, and I wouldn’t want you to suffer because you offended my senior,” said another man standing beside the one with the flame mark on his forehead.
He was the young master of the Wang family in Mo City. Not long ago, he had participated in a sect’s selection trial and, to his surprise, had been accepted as an outer disciple.
It felt like an unexpected windfall, making him ecstatic. He couldn’t understand how someone with his low cultivation talent and mediocre aptitude had been chosen by the sect.
After much thought without finding an answer, he finally convinced himself that the sect must have seen something special in him.
“Brother Liu, leave this to me. These commoners probably don’t even know how powerful my senior is,” Wang Hao said with a flattering smile.
Just recently joined the sect, he naturally didn’t know any seniors yet. However, what surprised Wang Hao was that a senior from the sect had approached him shortly after his joining, treating him with unusual kindness and even offering to accompany him back to Mo City. This was something Wang Hao had eagerly accepted, so he immediately agreed and set off toward Mo City.
“Alright,” Liu Yi Yuan nodded.
He wasn’t particularly interested in these six ferocious beasts, but the essence blood within their bodies was extremely useful for cultivating a certain technique.
“Master Liu, this is my senior, a core disciple of the Fire Dao Sect. If you don’t want any trouble for the Gong family, it would be best to comply obediently. Otherwise, I can’t guarantee the consequences,” Wang Hao threatened.
“Master Wang, I really can’t make that decision. Please wait a moment; the young miss will be here shortly. Let’s let her speak with you,” Master Liu replied.
“Miss Gong Bingye?” When he heard her name, Wang Hao’s eyes sparkled with an unusual gleam. He had long harbored lecherous thoughts about her. In the past, the Gong family had been too powerful; especially while the family head was still alive, even if he had ten times the胆, he wouldn’t have dared to entertain such thoughts. But now, everything had changed—he had become an outer disciple of a cultivation sect. In his mind, it was actually Gong Bingye who would be the one “marrying into a higher status.”
Thinking of Gong Bingye’s beauty, Wang Hao felt a surge of excitement. But in the next moment, a sense of unease crept over him. His senior had a notorious reputation for being obsessed with women. What if, when Gong Bingye arrived, his senior took a liking to her? How would he dare to compete with his senior for a woman?
Still, Wang Hao sighed and decided—his future was more important.
At that moment, Liu Yi Yuan stood there, a faint smirk curling his lips.
To him, these people were nothing but ants, not even worth taking seriously. He was merely toying with them for amusement.
“Miss Gong has arrived!”
At that moment, a voice rang out from the crowd. Everyone present was aware of the delicate situation the Gong family now faced.
These sect disciples were far beyond what they could afford to offend.
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