Chapter Ninety-Four: He Had to Go

As Su Yizhao entered the hall, he found every gaze fixed upon him.

He cupped his hands toward Gou Jianren and said, “I’m not late, am I?”

Before Gou Jianren could answer, the young cultivator barked, “A cultivator from the remotest place like Back-Mountain City must arrive early, very early. Remember your station!”

Crack!

A flash of blue shadow passed, and a sharp slap rang through the hall.

Su Yizhao struck him across the face.

What nonsense.

The man in charge had not even spoken yet. What right did you have?

The others were stunned at once.

The young cultivator clutched his cheek, utterly bewildered.

He looked at Gou Jianren, assuming Gou Jianren had been the one to strike him.

But Gou Jianren, too, stood there dumbfounded, with no sign that he had moved at all.

Su Yizhao asked, “Fellow Daoist, what station do I hold?”

The crowd snapped back to attention and unconsciously took a small step backward.

Gou Jianren hurriedly intervened. “We are all cultivators of the auction house. No one is to make a move!”

The young cultivator was still blankly clutching his stinging face. Apart from the hatred in his eyes, he had no intention of striking back.

He did not even know who had hit him, or how the blow had landed. How was he supposed to fight?

A faint smile touched Su Yizhao’s lips.

These past days had not been wasted.

Aside from waiting for the turtle shield to be refined, he had carefully reviewed every perfected art he knew.

At last, through layer upon layer of perfection, from second-tier to sixth-tier arts, his comprehension of the Dao had deepened even further.

Now, when he unleashed the perfected Leaping Art, no afterimage remained.

He still could not tear through space like a Void Realm cultivator, but his speed had increased dramatically.

At the very least, if caught off guard, the young cultivator before him would not be able to block him.

Within his dantian, a palm-sized scale was being nourished in a hexagonal pool of mystic energy.

As long as he willed it, he could summon it at once.

Though he could not command it directly, it was more than capable of withstanding a few blows.

A top-grade void treasure was not something many cultivators possessed.

Su Yizhao cupped his hands toward Gou Jianren and said, “And who might this fellow Daoist be? Could his standing be higher than all of ours?”

Gou Jianren ignored the question and instead spread out his right hand. “Young Friend Su, where are the mystic stones you owe me?”

Su Yizhao was speechless.

At the very least, you are the one in charge of a county capital auction house. Must you be this eager?

Still, he had no intention of defaulting. He said to Gou Jianren, “Just deduct it from my account.”

Gou Jianren was overjoyed. “How much should I deduct?”

Su Yizhao said in surprise, “Deduct however much I owe. Do you intend to charge interest?”

Gou Jianren froze.

Was it not supposed to be five times the amount returned?

But Su Yizhao showed no sign of paying five times over.

Gou Jianren could only sigh helplessly.

He pointed at the still-dazed young cultivator and said, “Allow me to introduce him. This is Li Chengye, at the mid-stage of the Seventh Divine Realm.”

Su Yizhao sized him up.

Indeed, he was young, and splendidly dressed, handsome in appearance and high in cultivation.

But what use was that?

Since his Heavenly Sword Art had advanced to perfection, he possessed the power to fight and kill any cultivator who had not yet reached the Void Realm.

And now, his comprehension of the Dao had climbed to an even higher plane.

A cultivator of the Seventh Divine Realm merely had two or three times his mystic energy, along with a greater burst of power when releasing it.

Of course, though formidable, he was not arrogant.

Much less would he, like Li Chengye, possess that sense of regional superiority. All cultivators were the same, all struggling in the world of immortals. Why should there be ranks of dignity and inferiority?

As Su Yizhao listened to Gou Jianren’s introduction, he also studied the others.

There were eight cultivators in the hall in total, all from the various branch houses of cities under Yellow Dragon Prefecture.

Yellow Dragon Prefecture, including the prefectural capital, had sixteen cities, yet only eight cultivators were present here. It was clear that at least eight of the branch houses’ recommended cultivators had failed to make it through the first round.

Before long, everyone had introduced themselves to one another and exchanged polite salutes.

The atmosphere gradually grew lively.

Just then, in an effort to liven things up, Gou Jianren suddenly said, “Young Friend Su has another title as well. Everyone ought to remember it.”

All eyes turned toward him.

Before Su Yizhao could stop him, Gou Jianren said, “The Brothel Swordsman. In the Back-Mountain City region, it is a very famous title indeed!”

“Brothel... lowlife?”

The others cried out in unison.

It really was a very famous title.

Su Yizhao was left speechless.

Though he did like using a sword, this title had clearly taken on a rather unfortunate meaning.

Seeing him at a loss, Gou Jianren could not help but laugh. “All right, everyone. To help us gauge our opponents’ strength, please introduce the cultivators who have advanced from your respective cities.”

Li Chengye suddenly spoke up. “What about Fellow Daoist Zhong Jingyun? I have not seen her in some time!”

Gou Jianren shook his head. “That cultivation fanatic? She will not come out before the very end. Besides, she has no interest in the opponents you are talking about.”

Li Chengye nodded. “Fellow Daoist Jingyun truly is a cultivation fanatic. Unlike certain lowlifes, who run to brothels whenever they have a spare moment.”

At his words, Su Yizhao cast him a glance.

Li Chengye hurriedly covered his face, looking as though he were facing a great enemy.

“Who runs to brothels whenever they have a spare moment?”

Just then, a figure drifted gracefully into the hall.

Su Yizhao looked closely and was slightly taken aback.

An incomparably beautiful woman swept her gaze over the crowd.

Tall of figure, exquisite of face, fair of skin.

Such a female cultivator was actually a cultivation fanatic?

Her cultivation could not be seen through; she was likely also a cultivator of the Seventh Divine Realm.

“Fellow Daoist Zhong, long time no see!” Li Chengye said in delight, hurrying forward. “This is Fellow Daoist Su, known as the Brothel Lowlife!”

Lowlife? You’re the lowlife. Your whole family is a family of lowlifes.

Su Yizhao nearly swung another slap at him.

So Li Chengye was clearly quite familiar with her, and meant to use her to suppress him.

Sure enough, Zhong Jingyun immediately looked at Su Yizhao, disdain showing in her eyes.

Su Yizhao met her gaze, his expression calm.

The atmosphere turned awkward.

Gou Jianren quickly introduced, “Everyone, this is Zhong Jingyun, recommended by our branch, an early Void Realm cultivator. Please let her first tell us which cultivators from Yellow Dragon Prefecture we ought to take note of.”

Void Realm?

Su Yizhao’s pupils contracted at once.

Among their generation, someone had already entered the Void Realm?

Even an early-stage Void Realm cultivator was shocking enough.

This made it clear that among the cultivators recommended from the prefectural capital, there were likely Void Realm cultivators as well.

Yellow Dragon Prefecture was only a prefecture capital. What, then, of the vast capital beyond it?

Only then did Su Yizhao understand that this woman was the one most highly regarded by the auction house in Yellow Dragon Prefecture.

After they held each other’s gaze for three breaths, the irritation in Zhong Jingyun’s eyes faded, replaced by indifference.

She turned to the others and said, “For all of you, it is enough to stay alive.”

Clearly, she did not think herself fit to stand beside them.

The Void Realm was the dividing line: above it, immortal; below it, mortal.

The gulf between immortals and mortals was as wide as heaven and earth. What was there to say?

Gou Jianren, naturally, was different. He was both a cultivator and a businessman. He said, “Very well, Jingyun. Then tonight’s banquet will be up to you to choose who attends. Here are three invitations.”

He took out three glittering gold invitations and tossed them to Zhong Jingyun.

Li Chengye unconsciously moved a little closer to her.

“This banquet is being hosted by the cultivators overseeing the Heavenly Profound Sect’s affairs. Its purpose is to let the elite cultivators of Yellow Dragon Prefecture get to know one another. After all, once they leave here, they will represent Yellow Dragon Prefecture!” Gou Jianren continued.

Yet his explanation seemed unnecessary.

Aside from Su Yizhao, the other cultivators all edged a little closer to Zhong Jingyun.

An opportunity to enter the circle of the elite.

Even if they could not truly enter it, merely being able to take part in a gathering of Yellow Dragon Prefecture’s finest would be something to boast about.

“Anyone except him will do,” Zhong Jingyun said, her slender finger pointing at Su Yizhao.

Su Yizhao curled his lip.

What kind of expression was that?

Pointless socializing. He could not be bothered to go.

Just then, Gou Jianren suddenly said, “He must go!”

Everyone was instantly astonished.