Translator: CinderTL
"Senior Shi Man, where is Young Master Chi Pei?" Song Wen asked, glancing around as if searching for him.
Shi Man's expression darkened. "Young Master Chi Pei's status is far too exalted to personally attend to such trivial matters. Where is the Corroding Heart Cold? Hand it over!"
"This..." Song Wen hesitated, seemingly reluctant due to Chi Pei's absence.
"Hurry up and hand it over!" Shi Man urged.
Feigning obedience, Song Wen produced a jade bottle and offered it to Shi Man.
Shi Man accepted the bottle, broke the Restriction sealing it, and a smile briefly flickered across her face.
But the smile vanished instantly, replaced by a slight frown.
The jade bottle undoubtedly contained Corroding Heart Cold, but the quantity was meager—only about a dozen drops, no larger than a thumb.
"Why is there so little?"
"Junior purchased this from a street stall in North City," Song Wen explained. "The stall owner had only this small amount left. Even so, it cost Junior a full hundred high-grade spirit stones."
Shi Man nodded slightly, and the jade bottle vanished from her hand.
"I will present this to Young Master Chi Pei. If he rewards me, I will share it with you."
With that, she eagerly soared into the sky, heading toward Veiled Moon Hall.
Song Wen assumed Shi Man would take all the credit, perhaps giving him a few spirit stones afterward, and that would be the end of it.
This wasn't necessarily a bad outcome for him.
It meant he wouldn't have to worry about Chi Pei, in his excitement, offering him a place in Veiled Moon Hall.
Unexpectedly, less than two hours later, he received a message from Shi Man.
[Gou Jun, Young Master Chi Pei wants to personally visit North City to question the stall owner who sold you the Corroding Heart Cold about its origin. Come to North City immediately. Young Master Chi Pei and I will arrive shortly.]
Song Wen frowned slightly, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately moved, heading toward North City.
The stall owner didn't exist, so he naturally couldn't find him. But he had already prepared a contingency plan.
As Song Wen arrived above North City, he saw Shi Man and Chi Pei approaching through the air.
"Gou Jun, take this young master to that stall owner immediately!"
Chi Pei remained aloof, his expression unchanged despite Song Wen's success in obtaining the Corroding Heart Cold for him.
"Yes, Young Master Chi Pei and Senior Shi Man, please follow me," Song Wen said respectfully, lowering his altitude and slowly flying toward the area where rogue cultivators set up their stalls.
Song Wen led them to a relatively quiet section with several vacant stalls.
Pointing to one of the empty stalls, he explained, "Young Master Chi Pei, Senior Shi Man, this is the stall where I purchased the Corroding Heart Cold. It seems the stall owner only rented it temporarily."
Unlike permanent shops, stalls were mobile and could be rented on a temporary or long-term basis, provided the rent was paid.
Chi Pei frowned, surveying the surroundings. "What was the stall owner's cultivation level? What did he look like?"
Song Wen replied, "The stall owner's cultivation level was above mine, likely a Divine Transformation Stage cultivator. As for his appearance..."
As he spoke, a wisp of Corpse Qi surged from Song Wen's body. The Qi coiled through the air, eventually coalescing into the image of a gaunt, middle-aged daoist.
It was the very image of Master Ji Yin in his most yin form.
Chi Pei gazed intently at the image in the air, as if trying to imprint it on his mind. Then, with a flicker of movement, he vanished from the spot.
Shi Man waved her hand, tossing out two hundred high-grade spirit stones.
"These spirit stones are Young Master Chi Pei's reward for you."
Before her words had even faded, she transformed into a streak of light and soared toward the horizon.
Song Wen glanced up at their retreating figures, then pocketed the two hundred high-grade spirit stones.
Just as he was about to leave, a spiritual sense transmission echoed in his mind.
"Gou Jun, you've really managed to curry favor with Shi Man. Who was that man?"
Song Wen turned to see Ye Bing, her face veiled, stepping out from the crowd.
"Immortal Maiden Ye Bing, I never expected to encounter you here," Song Wen said, feigning surprise.
Ye Bing scrutinized Song Wen's monk-like appearance.
"Your appearance truly is ever-changing. I'm rather curious—what does your true face look like?" Ye Bing didn't speak aloud, continuing to communicate through spiritual sense transmission.
"My appearance is exceedingly unsightly, and I'm ashamed to show it to others," Song Wen replied evasively.
Ye Bing didn't press the matter. "Fellow Daoist Gou Jun," she said, "I have something I wish to discuss with you. This isn't the place for it. Follow me."
With that, she floated gracefully into the air and flew toward the outskirts of the city.
After flying several hundred meters, she noticed Song Wen still standing motionless below. She sent him a spiritual sense transmission:
"Gou Jun, why aren't you following? Do you distrust me? Are you afraid I might harm you?"
Song Wen hesitated no longer. He leaped into the air and caught up with her, smiling as he said, "Immortal Maiden, you are both beautiful and kind. How could I distrust you? I was simply overwhelmed by the opportunity to be alone with you and didn't react quickly enough."
Ye Bing shook her head in exasperation. She didn't believe a word of Song Wen's flattery.
The pair soon flew beyond the city limits.
Song Wen suddenly accelerated, overtaking Ye Bing and subtly altering their course. This way, he could avoid any potential traps she might have set for him.
Ye Bing clearly recognized Song Wen's intentions, but she didn't object, simply following behind him.
After traveling several thousand kilometers from the city, Song Wen landed beside a wide river.
"Immortal Maiden, what exactly did you wish to discuss with me? Please speak freely. If it's within my power, I will not hesitate to assist you."
Ye Bing was unsurprised by Song Wen's boastful words.
With a thought, she conjured a soundproof barrier, enveloping both of them.
Ye Bing flipped her hand and produced an earth-yellow talisman.
"I promised you five Fifth-Tier Earth Evasion Talismans. The spiritual materials required for these talismans are rare and difficult to obtain. I've only managed to craft this one for now. Please accept it. I'll give you the rest later."
Song Wen's eyes lit up as he eagerly accepted the talisman. After examining it closely for a moment, he carefully stored it away.
"Thank you, Immortal Maiden."
At the same time, Song Wen realized something: Ye Bing had sought him out today because she needed something. And it wasn't a trivial matter. Otherwise, she wouldn't have taken the initiative to offer him such a favor.
As Song Wen had predicted, Ye Bing removed her veil, revealing a face of peerless beauty that could topple kingdoms. Then, she smiled brilliantly, like a hundred flowers blooming in spring, dazzling and captivating, making it impossible to look away.
"Fellow Daoist Gou Jun, would you be willing to sell me the Five Viscera Spirit Wood you possess?"
Song Wen gazed at Ye Bing's charming smile and thought to himself:
Indeed, leaving the protection of her sect and venturing out alone is the true test of a person's mettle.
In less than a year since they last met, Ye Bing, once as aloof as an iceberg, had learned the art of seduction. However, her methods were still crude and amateurish, pale in comparison to the women of the He Huan Sect in the Lower Realm.
(End of the Chapter)
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