Chapter 93: Chapter 89: Sensation
One thousand taels was a hundred catties in weight. A large box filled with one thousand taels meant a total of three thousand taels of glittering silver.
Even the shopkeepers of the Iron Banks held their breath.
Three thousand taels of silver, converted into silver notes, would be just a single piece of paper.
Yet, they insisted on packing it into three large boxes and opening them before everyone, purely for the visual impact.
At the same time, it was a declaration to all present: Chen Ku's business was opening, and this demonstrated Official Chai's status and goodwill.
The family of Martial Arts Scholar Chai genuinely held the Seventh Rank Military Award, granted decades ago, a rank equal to that of the County Magistrate.
The shopkeepers exchanged glances, already feeling a little unnerved.
How could this be? An apprentice from Medicine King Hall, actually connected to Official Chai?
Chen Ku was also startled by Official Chai's lavish gesture. He quickly stepped forward, saying, "Official, this... this is too much."
He had already borrowed ten thousand taels from Official Chai; he couldn't possibly accept these additional three thousand taels.
Unexpectedly, Chai Tiangui stepped forward and said warmly, "Brother Chen, Brother Shaoqi told me all about your situation. I truly didn't expect it; Brother Chen, you're a veritable hidden dragon! Next time, at our gathering, you must sit beside me."
Chen Ku's mind raced; he understood that Chai Tiangui was aware of the recent events.
But the other shopkeepers and Wu Gui were completely baffled.
Just then, more people arrived.
"HAHAHA!"
His voice arrived before he did.
Yang Luochen's thunderous laughter echoed through the entire street.
"Lad, so this is your new shop!"
And then, four people were seen slowly making their way down the street.
The towering figure of Yang Luochen stood out like a crane among chickens.
A person's reputation precedes them, like the shadow of a tree.
Moreover, who among the upper echelons living in the Inner City of Baojiao County wouldn't recognize someone like Yang Luochen?
"Master Yang!" Chai Tiangui was more excited than anyone upon seeing Yang Luochen. He hurriedly went forward, saying, "Master Yang, Chai offers his respects."
He had always admired heroes and enjoyed befriending valiant men. If one were to speak of heroes in Baojiao County, Yang Luochen was undoubtedly chief among them.
"Official Chai, your great-grandfather and I were contemporaries. For a descendant of nobility like yourself to call me 'Master' is perfectly appropriate, given our history."
Yang Luochen smiled, cupping his hands in a slight bow. Then, noticing the three large boxes of silver ingots beside Chai Tiangui, he laughed again.
"Such generosity?"
Chai Tiangui chuckled. "I have nothing else of worth to offer. I'm so poor, all I have left is money."
His words left everyone speechless, yet no one found them strange coming from Chai Tiangui.
Chen Ku had also come out to greet them.
"Disciple pays respect to both Masters, to Senior Brother, and to Master Ke."
The expressions of the few shopkeepers turned slightly stiff.
They didn't initially find Chen Ku's form of address problematic, as it was customary for Medicine King Hall apprentices to address those particular individuals in that manner. So, they didn't give it much thought.
They simply hadn't imagined that these prominent figures from Medicine King Hall—especially Yang Luochen, the county's second-strongest expert—would actually come to support a mere apprentice...
Then, Yang Luochen and Monk Yunfang had Yang Shaoqi and Ke Yansheng each take out two sets of clothes from the packages on their backs.
Yang Luochen said, "Your Second Master and I aren't as wealthy as Official Chai. We haven't brought you any grand gifts today. A couple of days ago, when Old Shang and I accepted you as our disciple, didn't we have you measured for two Medicine King Hall embroidered robes? Today is the perfect occasion to present these as a small token."
As he spoke, Yang Shaoqi and Ke Yansheng unfurled the two robes.
All eyes turned towards them.
The two robes, one of blue silk satin and the other of black silk satin, were exquisitely embroidered. One featured a black tiger, the other a White Ape, emanating a powerful spiritual will that struck the onlookers.
"Those are... Medicine King Hall disciple robes!"
"And there are two of them!"
"What did Master Yang just say?"
"He referred to himself as 'Master' and said that he and another grandmaster from Medicine King Hall, Shang Yunfang, had jointly taken a disciple!"
At this, not only did the dozen or so Iron Bank shopkeepers present turn pale and break out in a cold sweat, but even the proprietors of the many shops along the street, along with idle passersby, were left gaping.
Across the street at the Commoners' Restaurant, Boss Huang's copper kettle clattered onto the table, splashing water everywhere.
"Two great masters from Medicine King Hall taking the same disciple! Our establishment has been here for over a hundred years, and this is a first!"
"It's him!!"
Boss Huang was utterly astounded.
Official Chai might have brought three thousand taels of silver, but even thirty thousand taels wouldn't be as valuable as those two embroidered satin robes.
That meant the proprietor of this small Iron Bank across the street was very likely the future successor to two of Medicine King Hall's Three Great Courtyards!
This was practically equivalent to... him potentially becoming the next Cao Shouxiong, the Grand Shopkeeper of Medicine King Hall!
What did this imply?
A future magnate, one of the three major powers, had opened a small ironworks on this very street in his youth, only to face suppression from his peers.
In an instant, the legs of the dozen or so Iron Bank shopkeepers went weak.
Chen Ku regarded the two robes and solemnly accepted them. Smiling, he said, "Two Masters, I was just waiting for you. Now that you're here, we can perform the ribbon-cutting, and then it's off to Hongyan Tower for the celebratory banquet."
With that, he had Wu Gui bring a few pairs of scissors.
"Hehe, good. We'll cut the ribbon for you."
Then, Yang Luochen, Shang Yunfang, and Chen Ku positioned themselves on either side of the large red silk flower and snipped it together.
"Congratulations on the grand opening, Junior Brother!" Yang Shaoqi cupped his hands in congratulation. "When does the banquet start?"
Yang Luochen also looked at Chen Ku and said, "We've helped build up your prestige and cut the ribbon for you. So, today, you'd better not skimp. Make sure you treat your two masters to a proper feast with good food and drink. Otherwise, when it's time for training, you'll be in for a world of hurt."
"Naturally."
Chen Ku smiled and gave instructions to Wu Gui in the shop, telling everyone to prepare to head to Hongyan Tower.
Then, turning around and noticing the dozen or so shopkeepers still present, he smiled at Shopkeeper Kou, who was at their head, and said, "Gentlemen, the banquet can begin. Let's go, Hongyan Tower."
"Chen... Chen, Shopkeeper Chen."
Shopkeeper Kou's lips trembled as he spoke, "I... I think I won't go."
"How can that be?" Chen Ku's expression hardened. "You all came bearing gifts. If word got out that I only accept gifts but offer no hospitality, what kind of person would that make me?"
Then, fixing his gaze on the shopkeeper who had spoken earlier, he said, "Besides, didn't this gentleman say he wanted to acquire my family's crow sink sand at half price? This is a perfect opportunity for us to sit down, eat, and discuss the matter!"
"No, no, no, no!!!" The shopkeeper Chen Ku had singled out immediately stammered, "Absolutely not! There's no such thing! Shopkeeper Chen... who would dare to acquire Shopkeeper Chen's crow sink sand at half price? If any ironworks dared to do such a thing, my Zheng Family Iron Bank would be the first to object!"
After this man spoke, the other shopkeepers, their faces flushed red, hurriedly vied to express their positions:
"That's right, we object too! It must be sold at market price, not a single copper less!"
"I... I can take ten thousand catties of crow sink sand off Shopkeeper Chen's hands today! I'll bring out three thousand taels of silver to help Shopkeeper Chen clear out some stock!"
"I can buy five thousand catties!"
"I, three thousand catties!"
"I'll take eight thousand catties!!"
Chen Ku smiled.
Wu Gui felt his head spin. In an instant, they had orders for forty to fifty thousand catties. Just on their opening day... they had secured deals worth nearly ten thousand taels!
But all of this paled in comparison to...
He looked at the two masters standing beside his own shopkeeper.
The chosen successors of both the Butcher Court and the Jinshi Academy!
Never before had Wu Gui felt so certain that his two previous decisions had been absolutely correct. This realization instantly solidified Wu Gui's loyalty to Chen Ku, making him feel an unwavering devotion.
"Excellent, excellent! Gentlemen, I've seen your sincerity. How could I possibly refuse?"
Chen Ku smiled and drew Shopkeeper Kou closer.
"But the more so, the more reason we must all attend the banquet together! Only then would it truly embody the horizontal inscription on my shop's couplet."
The shopkeepers instinctively looked up.
Harmony brings wealth.
"Yes, yes, yes! Harmony brings wealth, harmony brings wealth!"
"To the banquet, to the banquet!"
"Shopkeeper Chen, may your business prosper!"
Finally, even many shopkeepers from further down the street came out to cup their hands and offer congratulations:
"Congratulations, Shopkeeper Chen, on your grand opening! May your business flourish! Come over to my place for a meal when you have time; I'll cook for you myself!"
Yang Luochen and Monk Yunfang observed Chen Ku.
Yang Luochen laughed and remarked, "So that's why this little rascal insisted we come for the ribbon-cutting..."
Yang Shaoqi scratched his head and asked, "Why, Master?"
Yang Luochen's face darkened. He already felt his eldest disciple was a bit too straightforward; now he was even more convinced the lad was a hopeless case.
He then observed Chen Ku's adeptness at turning adversaries into allies, perfectly exemplifying 'harmony brings wealth'.
They're all young men, and Chen Ku is even a bit younger. How can the difference between people be so vast?
Yang Luochen shook his head and sighed.
"Never mind. Later at Hongyan Tower, just make sure you eat plenty of their 'roasted brains'."
Beside him, Shang Yunfang chuckled. "You think we've lost out? Lost out on what? If anything, we've gained. The news that we both accepted him as our disciple would have spread completely within a few days anyway. He cleverly seized this narrow window of opportunity to create some buzz for his shop's opening. That's a smart move. After all, the Jianghu isn't all about fighting and killing, and business even less so..."
"His grasp of worldly wisdom and human relations is spot on."
Hardly had Shang Yunfang finished speaking when Chen Ku, having concluded his conversation with the shopkeepers, approached. He addressed his two masters with an apologetic, ingratiating smile:
"Disciple has presumed upon your prestige. Please punish me, Masters."
Shang Yunfang, puffing on his long-stemmed pipe, looked at Yang Luochen with a smile. "See? So well-behaved. Would you even have the heart to scold him?"
"Let's go, let's go! The banquet is starting! Your Senior Brother has been starving for ages," Yang Luochen said impatiently.
"Alright!"
A short while later, they arrived at Hongyan Tower. Meanwhile, news of what had transpired had already spread rapidly throughout the county seat.
The news that two masters from Medicine King Hall's great courtyards had accepted the same apprentice as their disciple instantly sent shockwaves through all the various guilds and influential factions within the city.
Everyone was speculating...
Just what kind of young man could he be, to make Yang Luochen willing to share a disciple, just to accept him?
For a period, waves of speculation and curiosity swept through Baojiao County.
Chapter 94: Chapter 90 Er Lang
In one day, the news that two master teachers from Medicine King Hall had each accepted the same person as an apprentice spread quickly among the major powers in the city.
"I heard that the youth named Chen Ku lifted Master Yang Luochen's Water-Fire Dragon Head Staff with just one hand."
At the residence of Counselor Suiyou, Miss Sui Qingfang, who was adorning herself with floral designs before a mirror, listened to her maid combing her hair from behind and speaking, "Moreover, that youth still hasn't cultivated Inner Qi. It's hard to imagine how much Qi Power he would be able to develop if he achieved Inner Qi."
The maid's fingers gathered Sui Qingfang's hair, combing it down row by row, making it glossy and smooth like satin.
Sui Qingfang couldn't help but recall the small gathering that day and said, "I've seen this person before. I didn't think much of him at the time... To think he has such potential and talent. It seems I had underestimated people of humble origins before."
This truly was like a fierce tiger hidden in the field.
However, among the sensational news in the county, the matter of Chen Ku was just a minor addition, merely gossip for people during their leisure time. The real sensation in the county was still the vegetable market incident from a couple of days ago. Because Peace Path participated in rescuing a convict from the execution ground, the county government office had already issued a clear order defining this group, active in the villages of Baojiao County, as a "cult." This was the real matter that every master and power in the county needed to pay close attention to.
On Chen Ku's side, he held a grand feast at Hongyan Tower. Two tables laden with dishes cost him over three hundred taels of silver, featuring top-notch ingredients from Baojiao County like Treasure Fish and Treasure Shrimp. However, compared to the expense of this feast, his income for the day was dozens of times greater. By leveraging the momentum of two masters taking him as an apprentice, he solved the sales problems of the 'crow sink sand' at his shop without drawing a weapon or expending any real effort, signing orders for 'crow sink sand' worth 15,800 taels in just one day. If you added the 3,000 taels of silver given by Official Chai Tiangui, he had earned nearly 20,000 taels of silver that day.
This was the benefit of having resources, connections, and backing—one aspect alone allowed for a respectable life, while having all three made it hard not to become wealthy.
Soon, after the banquet ended, Chen Ku bid farewell to the two masters, his senior brother, and Master Ke.
Back at the Iron Bank, the Iron Bank's shopkeepers quickly sent people to sign orders and brought almost 10,000 taels in deposits as silver notes. After those 10,000 taels' worth of silver notes were secured, the long-silent Transformation Diagram displayed new text.
[Diagram Master meets one of the cultivation conditions for the Fourth Transformation Map]
[Fourth Transformation Map]
[Awakening conditions: 10,000 taels of silver, 10,000 pounds of Iron Essence, one Ultimate Skill at Great Achievement, Robust Qi Cultivation, one strand of Evil Qi from a Peak Demon of the First Realm, 100 pounds of First Realm Demon blood]
(Note: After completing the fourth transformation of the Transformation Diagram, it can enhance the detection range of Evil Qi detrimental to the Diagram Master to ten li.)
Upon reading that note, Chen Ku momentarily lost himself in thought. So, the Transformation Diagram's sense of malice and factors detrimental to me has a distance?
Upon careful thought, it seemed that previous instances were either face-to-face or within a range of two to three li. If he could achieve the fourth transformation, the range would extend up to ten li.
He thought to himself. In the future, if I could infinitely extend this range, wouldn't I be aware if anyone, anywhere in the vast world, murmured my name with disrespect or ill intentions?
Pondering this, he then looked up at the conditions to awaken the fourth transformation. They required a bit more than the third map, but overall, they were fairly similar.
Iron Essence? Master Yang's Water-Fire Dragon Head Staff seems to have Iron Essence added to it. This type of ore doesn't seem to be abundant in Baojiao County; it can only be obtained in Qiu Dragon Mansion. This is somewhat troublesome. Do I have to make a trip to Qiu Dragon Mansion?
As for achieving Great Achievement in Skyward Strike, which was currently at Minor Achievement, with Master Yang's diligent instruction, reaching Great Achievement in a single technique wouldn't be an overly long or distant prospect. However, given his own Qualifications and Talent, it would likely still take a year or half a year. Robust Qi Cultivation represented the late stage of Inner Qi, a realm similar to his senior brother Yang Shaoqi's. This was still quite distant, as he hadn't even broken through to Inner Qi yet. On the other hand, acquiring a strand of Evil Qi from a Peak Demon of the First Realm and one hundred pounds of ordinary Demon blood seemed easier to obtain.
His thoughts turned. The Butcher Court might provide an opportunity to encounter such a high-level Demon Beast. If that doesn't work out, thinking about it, a Peak Demon is equivalent to Inner Qi Great Perfection. Perhaps I could try playing the role of a Blade-Handler again and see if I can find an opportunity to execute a criminal at Inner Qi Perfection.
As he thought about being a Blade-Handler, he couldn't help but remember those two heads coated in lime sitting in the small courtyard, for which he hadn't yet gotten around to exchanging for money.
This is a good time to go to the black market and ask about the procedure for Blade-Handlers to close cases.
Before leaving the Iron Bank, Chen Ku assigned another task to Wu Gui: to find a courtyard for him inside or outside the city. Now that his shop was opened and he was earning big money, it was time to fulfill the grand promise he had made to his mother and sister-in-law before leaving his village: to bring his family to live in the city.
There were black markets near Snake Fish Town, and also within Baojiao County. However, unlike the small black market near Snake Fish Town, which was located in a small mountain ravine, the one in Baojiao County was different. The black market in Baojiao County, though called a black market, was actually a miscellaneous goods market backed by the Twin Rivers Guild. The Twin Rivers Guild was an Intermediary guild, specializing in middleman business. Some even suspected that people from the Twin Rivers Guild also subtly controlled several small black markets in other counties.
Chapter 95: Chapter 90 Er Lang_2
This was a gray area, but many knew about it. Yet even so, for it to operate within the Inner City was a testament to the Twin Rivers Guild's connections and power within the government.
Chen Ku secretly speculated, For the Twin Rivers Guild to have established itself in the city over these years, Huang Muxia, as the eighth-ranked expert, wouldn't have been enough. From my past life experience, he was, at most, a white glove for someone in the government. But I wonder, who among the county's top three officials is the patron behind the Twin Rivers Guild?
The County Magistrate? The County Magistrate? Or the County Magistrate?
Chen Ku felt it was very likely the County Magistrate.
After all, the matter of Blade-Handlers involved the government utilizing the power of Martial Practitioners among the populace to assist in solving cases.
And whether to sweep clean a black market in this gray area was actually decided with a single word from the County Magistrate, who oversaw the county's punishments and the apprehension of thieves.
If there was a black market operating openly that wasn't shut down, then there was definitely more to it than met the eye; some hidden reason was certainly at play.
But whether any of this was true, he could only guess, unable to grasp the truth.
This level of affairs was a bit too removed from his current status; it was like trying to see flowers in a fog—unclear.
Regardless, the black market was convenient for Chen Ku.
Chen Ku, donning a Conical Hat and using the Transformation of Du Xiaodao, whom he had killed earlier, only needed to sacrifice nine ordinary beasts to completely replicate the appearance and build of the former leader who had incited the refugees.
He entered the Outer City district under the Twin Rivers Guild's sphere of influence. Inside, he observed that the people in each market area lived openly, not bothering to hide their faces or movements. However, every person's face bore the fierce aura of someone who was clearly up to no good.
It was like stepping into some disreputable, fortified town.
Chen Ku had been here several times before, purely to sell medicine, without getting involved in other trades. This time, to learn about the Blade-Handler industry's stronghold, he spent a little Silver in a small shop in a local market district and easily found out the name of a certain building.
"Grey Clothes Tower."
Chen Ku walked towards the unremarkable, two-story tavern that looked much like a small inn.
Upon reaching the entrance, he found the main door tightly shut, even in broad daylight. Chen Ku knocked sharply—BANG! BANG! The door then automatically opened, leaving a gap just wide enough for one person to enter.
Inside was a large hall, open from the ground floor to the roof. The hall was almost empty, except for a masked, grey-clothed person at the counter. Chen Ku wondered if this was the man who had just opened the door for him.
Seeing the person of average height wearing a Conical Hat enter, the masked, grey-clothed figure at the counter spoke, "Blade-Handler? Assassin? Customer?"
One sentence, three questions, all about identity. Blade-Handlers were those who generally took on overt jobs; assassins would take any kind of work; and customers, naturally, were those posting bounties.
After speaking, he noticed the two parcels on Chen Ku's back and was more or less certain the visitor was not a customer.
Chen Ku said slowly, "In this bag, I have the heads of the two death-row inmates who escaped from the Caishikou execution ground two days ago. I heard that if one doesn't wish to personally go to the government to claim the bounty, your establishment can deliver them on one's behalf and also disburse the bounty."
"That is correct, but a handling fee is required," the masked person in grey clothes said emotionlessly. "You say those two heads belong to the death-row inmates who escaped the execution ground two days ago? Are they Ni Kun and Lin Jiu? Two days have passed, and only these two inmates' cases remain open. According to the government's bounty, Ni Kun's is one thousand taels, and Lin Jiu's is five hundred taels. If you require us to deliver them to the government, we will take fifty taels of Silver from the total of one thousand five hundred taels as a fee for maintaining your anonymity."
"Acceptable."
Chen Ku could accept this handling fee. After all, he sought safety and security. If he didn't have to go to the government personally, it would also prevent any unexpected dangers.
Steadiness. Everything prioritized steadiness.
With that, he placed the parcels from his back on the counter for the masked person in grey clothes to verify.
The masked person opened the parcels. Seeing the human heads preserved with lime powder, he briefly probed Ni Kun's skull with a finger, seemingly using Inner Qi to sense the bone structure for any signs of Disguise or similar alterations.
A moment later, he examined the other head in the same manner.
Finally, he nodded to Chen Ku. "The heads are genuine. I can give you one thousand four hundred and fifty taels of Silver now. However, there is one thing: if it's convenient, you might leave a codename. No need for your real name."
A codename?
Chen Ku pondered for a moment, then said, "Codename 'Er Lang.'"
"Er Lang?"
The grey-clothed person showed no emotion upon hearing this unremarkable codename; it was as common as "Number One" or "Number Two." However, Chen Ku noted his next action.
He then took out several silver notes from under the counter, totaling one thousand four hundred and fifty taels, and handed them to Chen Ku.
As Chen Ku accepted the silver notes, he inquired, "Does the tower have the latest government wanted list, or something similar?"
"Of course, provided free of charge," said the masked person in grey clothes. He then took out a fold-out booklet from under the counter and handed it to Chen Ku.
"This is a Bounty List displayed in our tower. It includes not only government bounties but also private ones. If you wish, you can take on private bounties as well. Our establishment recognizes only heads and business; we will not inquire about anything concerning you beyond your codename."
Chen Ku casually flipped through a few pages. He discovered that the booklet listed at least several hundred individuals who had secret bounties on their heads. Some entries were already crossed out, indicating the bounty had expired or the targeted person had already been killed.
Chapter 96: Chapter 90 Er Lang_3
On this list, targets were ranked by strength, from weakest to strongest. The weakest was an ordinary person valued at ten taels of silver.
Chen Ku started reading from the beginning. When he saw the number one bounty target, his heart skipped a beat.
"Bounty List No.1: Yang Luochen of the Medicine King Hall. His latest known public strength is Fifth Realm Inner Strength cultivation. Combined with the Furious Ape Mighty Staff, he is capable of exerting the Power of Ten Thousand Jun. Whoever can take his life will be rewarded with ten million taels of silver!"
Chen Ku was shocked.
Who would put a bounty on Master Yang?!
Does Master Yang know about this?
Seeming to sense Chen Ku's emotions, the man in grey was fairly certain that this was a Blade-Handler new to the profession.
He said indifferently, "The top three bounties have been posted in this building for many years. They include not only Yang Luochen of the Medicine King Hall, but also South Li Yutang of the Fish and Dragon Association from Baojiao County, and Thirteenth Young Master Xie Qingfeng of the Firewood Iron Shop. Those three are even aware they're listed here, yet no one has ever successfully claimed their rewards."
Chen Ku's heart was shaken.
Knowing that their bounties are up here yet remaining indifferent shows real courage and confidence. However, the top three bounties actually belong to the most powerful individuals among the three giants of Baojiao County.
Who issued these bounties?
He saw that below Master Yang, the bounties were ten million, eight million, and seven million taels of silver, respectively.
Chen Ku remained silent as he continued to look further down the list.
Then, he saw an interesting bounty.
"Bounty for the Demon People of the Peace Path:
Killing a Force Transforming level Demon Person: fifty to one hundred taels of silver.
Killing a First Realm Inner Qi Realm Demon Person: one thousand to two thousand taels of silver.
Killing a Second Realm Mystic Barrier Realm Demon Person: three thousand to five thousand taels of silver.
Killing a Third Realm Jade Skin Realm Demon Person: ten thousand to thirty thousand taels of silver.
Killing a Fourth Realm Meridian-Opening Realm Demon Person: one hundred thousand to one million taels of silver.
Killing a Peace Path Incense Master: one million taels of silver.
Killing a Peace Path Helmsman: five million taels of silver.
Killing the Peace Path Leader: ten million taels of silver."
This wasn't an official bounty order issued by the government.
Who is it? What power wants the entire Peace Path to disappear?
"In the past few days, has anyone come to claim a reward with the head of a Demon Person from the Peace Path?" Chen Ku couldn't help but ask.
The man in grey shook his head and said, "Yes. Just two days ago, a few Blade-Handlers killed several during a raid by Demon People."
Chen Ku calculated the time.
This timing... it seems like this bounty was placed right when Master Yang and Master Shang returned injured. Could this bounty order have been issued by the Medicine King Hall?
He continued to look further down.
Suddenly, just then, a message flashed in his mind: [A Peace Path Incense Master, Yao Wensu, wishes to put a bounty on the life of the Diagram Master and harbors ill intentions toward the Diagram Master...]
Chen Ku's heart throbbed violently.
The sensing distance of the Transformation Diagram, at its furthest—like with Xie Gouzi—had been about a li or two.
Now... This meant a Peace Path Incense Master was approaching and intended to issue a bounty on him!
Chen Ku's heart pounded relentlessly.
An Incense Master? Judging by the bounty list, every Peace Path Incense Master possessed power at least equivalent to the Fourth Realm Peak—just like Yan Hongwen, who had fought Master Yang.
Why? Why would the Peace Path, for no apparent reason, issue a bounty on him—an insignificant figure who had yet to cultivate Inner Qi? And an Incense Master was coming in person!
Just as Chen Ku was reeling from shock, his mind a whirl of panicked thoughts,
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
A knock came from the door outside.
Chen Ku tensed up immediately. Even though he had altered his appearance, he couldn't help feeling apprehensive; the Transformation Diagram's warnings had never been wrong.
He saw the grey-clothed man merely wave his hand. A gust of palm wind shot out, catching the door and pushing it open a crack.
It was impossible to tell if this kind of technique was an ability of the Mystic Barrier Realm or the Meridian-Opening Realm.
Once the door opened, Chen Ku heard footsteps entering from outside, followed by a voice speaking softly:
"I'd like a private room upstairs. Have someone attend to me; I want to post a bounty."