Li Yan guessed that Sun Guoshu, having noticed this, had grown bold. He had likely observed for a long time, seeing how much the young woman cared for the puppet in her hand and had no intention of selling it. With his vicious eye, he had also identified the weakness in her character and thus came up with a plan.
He had waited in the shadows until the young woman sold all the puppets on her stall and casually placed her own on the table. In that instant, after quickly checking his surroundings to ensure not too many people were paying attention and that the timing was right—he knew this was when Malevolent Spirit Sect disciples usually started heading back to the sect, otherwise he might not have acted earlier in the day for fear of other sect members being present—he made his move.
He strode out, and the moment he reached the table, he quickly asked for a price. He knew that even if he offered more Spirit Stones, given the young woman's previous actions, she would never sell this puppet. His question was merely a pretext.
The events that followed were exactly as Sun Guoshu had predicted. When the young woman reacted, she refused to sell the puppet. This allowed Sun Guoshu to insist that she had quoted a price of four hundred Spirit Stones. He was certain that her timid personality and poor eloquence would work in his favor. He pressed her relentlessly, giving no ground. And just as he guessed, the young woman, having never encountered such a situation and being naturally soft-spoken, had no idea how to defend herself. The more anxious she became, the more clumsy her words grew, creating the impression that she was using her Malevolent Spirit Sect status to act unreasonably.
Li Yan also guessed that Sun Guoshu never actually wanted the puppet. His ultimate goal was likely to use the pretext of a Malevolent Spirit Sect disciple jacking up prices to extort a hefty sum from her before leaving.
Seeing the young woman finish her explanation, Sun Guoshu's eyes flickered constantly. He looked at the surrounding cultivators, some of whom were looking at him with mockery. He then looked at the youth who had turned to face him. Although Sun Guoshu knew his plot was exposed, his face remained displeased, showing a look of disdain.
"Heh, you have the numbers and power on your side. You can say whatever you want now, twist black into white. It's all in vain. Justice lies in the hearts of the people," he said, adopting the posture of one who was in the right no matter what they said.
"Oh? Your words are rather unreasonable, sir. A transaction requires both a seller and a buyer. Even if you had agreed on a price, what of it if my Senior Sister decided she no longer wished to sell this puppet? Moreover, what if she did raise the price on the spot? When cultivators here sell their wares, it's not unheard of for a price to jump from one Spirit Stone to five in the next moment. Whether you buy it or not is your business. She simply felt she had sold enough for the day and wanted to close her stall. Are you going to force her to sell? Let alone the fact that this is a free market, even if a merchant in a shop didn't want to sell you something, what could you do about it?"
Seeing Li Yan's retort, Sun Guoshu knew this one was nothing like the greenhorn girl. He could only lament that he had let greed cloud his judgment today. Seeing a tender chick rake in several thousand Spirit Stones in such a short time, he had ignored her identity and acted on his impulses. Although he thought he had been careful enough, circling the area several times, checking every corner, and confirming that this was the time when Malevolent Spirit Sect members should be heading back, he had still been careless. It seemed his years here had been too smooth. Furthermore, this youth was very strange. His cultivation was clearly at the eighth layer of Qi Condensation in his eyes, but the youth's Divine Sense was unfathomably deep. He narrowed his eyes and let out a series of cold laughs but said nothing more, adopting an attitude of 'you're powerful, so you have the final say,' which for a moment cast himself as the victim.
Li Yan saw this and knew this kind of person was a hardened scoundrel who would sling mud at the slightest opportunity. A cold smile touched his lips. "And your previous actions, with every word you spoke about my Malevolent Spirit Sect... what were your intentions? Were you trying to ruin the reputation of my Malevolent Spirit Sect here? I could send a voice transmission to Martial Uncle Chen of the Donglin family who is stationed here, or perhaps Martial Uncle Bai of Piaoyun Valley, or maybe even Martial Uncle Fan of the Soul-Splitting Sect. Let's see if they will give my sect an explanation, or if there are people with ulterior motives here stirring up trouble in the territory under my Malevolent Spirit Sect's jurisdiction, truly trying to twist black into white and muddy the clear waters."
Li Yan's words were delivered with force, each one landing like a heavy accusation. In an instant, the surrounding onlookers fell silent. Sun Guoshu felt a chill run down his spine, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
He was an old hand in these parts. How could he not know the Malevolent Spirit Sect's methods for dealing with spies? Normally, the Malevolent Spirit Sect was a colossal power and wouldn't bother with such trivial matters. But with the way this youth put it, it was as if he were a spy sent by one of the Malevolent Spirit Sect's rivals. And this was the kind of thing the trading city authorities wouldn't investigate thoroughly. To curry favor with the Malevolent Spirit Sect, they would simply crush him, maybe even pin some other labels on him to solidify the evidence, and perhaps even gain some benefits from the sect in return.
He had no sect and no backing. He had embarked on the path of immortality through a great stroke of luck in his early years, and with his decent aptitude, he had eventually succeeded in Foundation Establishment. With his wits, he had managed to live a life far better than other rogue cultivators, even having a taste of success.
Moreover, Li Yan had rattled off the names of the Golden Core masters stationed in the trading city with an air of great familiarity. Others might not know, but Sun Guoshu, who frequented this place, knew exactly which Golden Core masters were on duty at what times. The youth was perfectly accurate, clearly a regular at the trading city, yet this was the first time Sun Guoshu had seen him.
Watching the youth before him, the young woman in the stall was already filled with shock. She had never imagined that words could be used this way, that a matter could be resolved like this. She had only seen Li Yan during this year's sect competition. Since she had also just reached Foundation Establishment, she was interested in the Qi Condensation competition, and she was deeply impressed by Li Yan's unpredictable use of poison techniques. At the time, she even had the idea of incorporating those poison skills into her puppets. It was because of this that she had an impression of Li Yan.
At this moment, the youth stood with his back to her, seeming to shield her from all the harsh gazes and soothe all the grievances in her heart. This gave the young woman an unexpected sense of security.
Sun Guoshu's expression changed rapidly. He looked up at the crowd. The onlookers, whether they knew him or not, wore expressions of mockery, disdain, disgust, or pity. Sun Guoshu took in these gazes and knew that he had likely brought a great disaster upon himself. He gritted his teeth, no longer caring about his pride. Forcing a smile onto his face, he cupped his hands toward Li Yan and bowed deeply. "Fellow Daoist, what happened today was truly because I was blinded by greed. I, Sun, have been in Peiyang Trading City for decades and am not a spy for any faction. All the old customers and the city guards here know this. Everything today was a moment of folly on my part. I just wanted to greedily acquire some Spirit Stones and let wicked thoughts arise. I hope you, Fellow Daoist, will see that my path of cultivation has not been easy and let me off this one time. I will accept any punishment you deem fit..."
More than half an incense stick's time later, standing at the entrance of the free market, Li Yan looked at the slender young woman beside him with a sense of helplessness. The matter with Sun Guoshu had just been resolved. Sun Guoshu had been practically weeping, begging piteously. In the end, seeing that he was only after some Spirit Stones and had no other ill intentions, and with the soft-hearted Senior Sister beside him throwing pleading glances at Li Yan after seeing Sun Guoshu's tear-streaked face—having long forgotten his earlier arrogance—Li Yan felt speechless. He finally settled the matter by making Sun Guoshu pay a thousand Spirit Stones as a lesson. Besides, Li Yan knew he was just bluffing. Even if those three Golden Core masters spoke up out of respect for them being Malevolent Spirit Sect disciples, they would probably be sneering behind their backs, complaining that they were being bothered with such a trivial matter.
Afterward, a flash of inspiration struck Li Yan. He called Sun Guoshu to a halt, walked to one side, whispered a few words to him, and then gave him a Jade Slip and several Voice Transmission Talismans. After some thought, he took out another thousand Spirit Stones and gave them to Sun Guoshu.
This move was because Li Yan saw Sun Guoshu's usefulness. He didn't have time to stay in the trading city long-term to acquire the raw materials for the Gui-Yi Water-Parting Spike. But this Sun Guoshu was like a local tyrant, a long-time regular who was not only familiar with the free market but also knew the ins and outs of all the shops. He was the perfect person for the job. As for people like Su Hong, it wasn't that Li Yan hadn't considered it, but he always felt there was something about her he couldn't see through. He was concerned that if he gave her the list of materials, with her knowledge, she might uncover something. While he wasn't worried she could figure out the secrets of the Five Immortal Sects, it was better to be cautious.
As for Sun Guoshu, a rogue cultivator by origin, his knowledge and background were not as extensive as those from large sects. Even if he had suspicions, he would only guess that Li Yan was refining some Spirit Treasure or Magical Artifact. Moreover, Li Yan had specifically carved the names of several irrelevant materials into the jade slip he gave him.
The Spirit Stones Li Yan gave him were his own, not the thousand he had just received from Sun Guoshu. Those were for the young Senior Sister.
Li Yan knew that this was far from enough, so he gave him a few of the Voice Transmission Talismans he had bought earlier, telling Sun Guoshu to notify him immediately if he found anything. Although these talismans only had a range of a thousand li, it was sufficient. Li Yan had wanted to buy some for a while, feeling they were necessary. The sect token could only be used for communication within the sect and was useless outside. Thus, he had bought ten of them earlier in a shop.
Li Yan also told Sun Guoshu that of the thousand Spirit Stones, seven hundred could be used as a deposit for suitable materials, and he should immediately contact him. He would come over quickly. The other three hundred were his fee for running the errand. If he did a good job, he would not be treated poorly in the future.
This series of actions left Sun Guoshu—who had just handed over a thousand Spirit Stones with a bleeding heart and was terrified that Li Yan would seek revenge later—somewhat stunned. He had been planning to go into hiding immediately after Li Yan left. What trust was there between cultivators? He had offended the Malevolent Spirit Sect today. Even if this youth truly didn't settle scores with him, what if another Malevolent Spirit Sect cultivator heard about this and decided to casually end his life the next time they met here?
When Li Yan proposed that he work for him, Sun Guoshu agreed immediately after a moment's thought. Firstly, it was a way to make up for his mistake. Secondly, and most importantly, it was equivalent to finding a backer in the Malevolent Spirit Sect, something many cultivators dreamed of. Li Yan gave him a thousand Spirit Stones and told him three hundred were his fee. Looking at the thousand Spirit Stones in his hand and thinking of the thousand he had just given away, although he was still at a net loss of seven hundred, the matter couldn't be calculated that way. The meaning was completely different. Now, even without the three-hundred-spirit-stone fee, he would have agreed without hesitation.
Sun Guoshu carefully placed the few Voice Transmission Talismans and the Jade Slip into his Storage Pouch, treating them as if they were more important than the thousand Spirit Stones. This was the foundation of his future reliance on this backer; how could he not be careful? At this moment, if someone were to take that jade slip and the talismans from him, he would probably fight them to the death with bloodshot eyes.
Thinking of Sun Guoshu pointing to the heavens and swearing, slapping his chest with thunderous thuds, and repeatedly promising to do his utmost to find the items on the list before he left, a slight smile curved Li Yan's lips again. It seemed that, for now at least, this move was the right one.
The reason he gave the other party a thousand Spirit Stones was also calculated. Based on his experience from his time in the Strategist's Manor, Li Yan knew a thing or two about managing people, just like with Chen An and Li Yin. He had plenty of Spirit Stones now, but how much to give was an art. Too much could arouse Sun Guoshu's greed; too little would diminish his motivation. This one thousand was precisely Sun Guoshu's sore spot, a constant reminder of the lesson learned, instilling in him a sense of awe and reverence.
Looking at the young woman following behind him, Li Yan felt a wave of helplessness. After he had dealt with Sun Guoshu, this Senior Sister from Four Symbols Peak was unwilling to accept the one thousand Spirit Stones, no matter what. Even when Li Yan finally proposed they split it, she just silently shook her head. Li Yan couldn't very well grab her hand and force the pouch on her, so for the moment, he had to let it go, thinking he would find another reason to bring it up later. If she truly refused, Li Yan wouldn't be polite about it in the end.
This matter caused a delay, and with Sun Guoshu now slowly searching for raw materials on his behalf, Li Yan lost the inclination to continue searching the free market. But just as he was walking out, the young woman quickly followed, which startled him. He couldn't help but turn back to look at her. His gaze made the young woman's jade-like face flush crimson, and she immediately became flustered, stammering in a low voice, "J-J-Junior Brother Li... are... are you also returning to the sect? C-C-Could we go together?" By the end, her voice was like the buzz of a mosquito, almost inaudible to Li Yan.
Li Yan couldn't help but look at the young woman a few more times. No matter how he looked, he couldn't see this pretty young woman as a powerful Foundation Establishment cultivator. She seemed more like a sheltered young lady from a well-to-do mortal family, so helpless when faced with trouble.
Li Yan's gaze only made the young woman more flustered. She nervously twisted the puppet in her hands with more force. Thinking Li Yan was unwilling, she quickly said, "Junior Brother, I... I have a flying Magical Artifact! It's very fast. You just need to sit on it; you won't have to do anything."
Li Yan was taken aback. He never thought that a powerful Foundation Establishment cultivator could be so timid after the incident in the free market. He smiled. He had to return anyway, and besides, this Senior Sister did seem to be overly frightened. He looked up at the sky and estimated the time.
Seeing Li Yan not answer immediately, just smiling at her before looking up at the sky, the young woman from Four Symbols Peak grew even more anxious. She was truly afraid of the nearly thousand-li journey back. Just as she was about to speak again, Li Yan turned his gaze back to her.
"Of course, it's no problem. But it won't be just the two of us; it will be four. My fifth and seventh senior brothers are with me. The time should be about right. We can go to the west gate to find them and return together."
Hearing Li Yan's words, the young woman's heart leaped with joy. When she heard there would be two others, a happy smile blossomed on her pretty face. Then, she hesitated for a moment and quietly pleaded with Li Yan if they could delay for a short while. She wanted to buy some materials she needed in the free market, repeatedly promising it would only take half an incense stick's time. This amount of time was negligible to Li Yan, so he agreed.
In the time that followed, Li Yan's haggling skills left the young Senior Sister's heart pounding with fear. She was afraid his reckless offers would annoy the stall owners and get them kicked out, preventing her from buying her materials. Fortunately, each time, just as she was about to plead with her eyes and the stall owner was on the verge of losing patience, Li Yan would stop pushing the price. In the end, he had saved her over four hundred Spirit Stones. The young Senior Sister was now filled with even more admiration for Li Yan.
Flying was not permitted within the city. After leaving the free market, the two walked toward the west gate. Along the way, Li Yan learned the young woman's name and why she was familiar with him.
The young woman's name was Bai Rou. She had been in the sect for fifteen years and was originally a cultivator from a small sect called the "Wood Flow Sect," nearly four hundred thousand li east of here. The cultivators of this sect specialized in the art of puppetry. Their own offensive power was average, but by relying on puppets, they could unleash strength that surpassed cultivators of the same realm. Because they were so engrossed in the art of puppetry, the highest cultivation level in their sect, the great elder, was only a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. However, several thousand years ago, the Wood Flow Sect had been very powerful, once even a first-rate sect. But after three Golden Core elders mysteriously disappeared, it began a steep decline. In the end, it was reduced to a dilapidated state with no more than thirty cultivators in total. And since they were all in year-round seclusion researching puppetry, the sect became even more obscure.
Bai Rou was the most outstanding of her generation. She was naturally gifted and intelligent, and her cultivation speed was fast. She was especially obsessed with the way of puppets, which had consequently delayed her cultivation. By the age of eighteen, she was still only at the Qi Condensation stage. Later, she was spotted by a Golden Core cultivator from Four Symbols Peak who was out on an expedition. He was amazed by Bai Rou's cultivation talent and her skill in puppetry and mechanisms, so he brought her back to Four Symbols Peak. After arriving at Four Symbols Peak, Bai Rou's progress in formations and mechanisms advanced by leaps and bounds. To put it plainly, puppets were also composed of small formations and restrictions. The resources of Four Symbols Peak were incomparable to those of the Wood Flow Sect. Bai Rou was like a fish in water, though she only succeeded in reaching Foundation Establishment last year. Not many people on the other peaks knew of her. She rarely left her residence, and today was the first time in fifteen years that she had left the sect alone.
Li Yan couldn't help but shake his head as he listened. There was a reason why a sect like Bai Rou's had fallen into decline. No matter how powerful a puppet was, it needed to be wielded by someone with combat experience. Working in a vacuum would only lead to the sect's slow demise. Bai Rou mentioned that when the three Golden Core elders were still around, the Wood Flow Sect was extremely powerful and often sent its disciples out for training. But later, the Foundation Establishment sect master and two elders became obsessed with puppets and neglected the sect's disciples, which led to their current state. At this point, a trace of gloom appeared on Bai Rou's pretty face. Li Yan knew she was thinking of her childhood sect and didn't speak, just quietly walked forward shoulder to shoulder with her.
After a while, Bai Rou lifted her beautiful head and said that when she was young, she had seen a video inscribed within a puppet at her sect. It was a scene of a former Golden Core senior of the Wood Flow Sect fighting someone. The battle was earth-shattering, tearing apart dragons and tigers. But with the disappearance of the Golden Core cultivators, their sect became even more low-profile, let alone fighting with others. This showed that those skilled in controlling puppets were also extremely powerful. Li Yan listened and silently nodded. The art of puppetry was a very important branch of cultivation. Although he didn't understand it well, just the fact that it had been passed down to this day spoke of its importance.
The two chatted like this all the way, and before they knew it, they had arrived at the west gate of the trading city. During their walk, Bai Rou's speech had become much more fluent, though her voice remained soft, truly living up to her name. (TN: Bai Rou's name, 白柔, means White and Gentle.)
Just as Li Yan and Bai Rou were approaching the west gate, two cultivators in Malevolent Spirit Sect robes were already standing by the side of the road inside the gate, looking in their direction from afar. But when Li Yan and Bai Rou appeared in their line of sight at the same time, the fair-skinned, tall, and thin young man's jaw dropped. He then raised his hand and pointed at Li Yan, seemingly saying something. The other youth, with a lazy look on his face, was also stunned at first, then broke into a wicked smile. Li Yan also saw the two of them from a distance; it was Lin Daqiao and Wen Xinliang. It seemed he was late because of the matter in the free market.
Soon, Li Yan and Bai Rou arrived in front of the two. Just as Bai Rou was nervously wringing her jade-like hands, Lin Daqiao had already rushed over in a flash, pushed Li Yan aside, and exclaimed, "I say, Little Junior Brother, your abilities are truly getting harder and harder to fathom. It's only been an hour, and you've already found yourself a pretty Junior Sister from Four Symbols Peak. This Junior Sister looks familiar. Have we met before?"
Li Yan stumbled from the push and listened to Lin Daqiao's words with a wry, helpless smile. This Seventh Senior Brother was still the same, speaking his mind regardless of the occasion. Bai Rou was startled by Lin Daqiao's action. When she heard what he said, her fair neck turned pink, and she bowed her head to her chest, saying in a barely audible voice, "I... I have... met you two Senior Brothers. My... my name is Bai... Bai Rou."
"Bai... Rou? Bai Rou... Bai... oh, so you're Junior Sister Bai Rou! I know your name, but I've never seen you on Four Symbols Peak. I hear your puppetry skills are amazing..." Lin Daqiao tilted his head in thought after hearing her, and it seemed he immediately recalled someone.
His sudden enthusiasm left Bai Rou at a complete loss, and she subconsciously shrank behind Li Yan.
Wen Xinliang, behind them, also looked at Li Yan with gleaming eyes, then glanced at Bai Rou, but did not speak.
Li Yan had no choice but to speak up. "Seventh Senior Brother, don't scare Senior Sister Bai Rou. This is her first time at the trading city, and she came alone..."
He then gave a brief account of why Bai Rou was at the trading city, but he omitted the part about Sun Guoshu. Sun Guoshu was working for him now, and he didn't want to get him in trouble with his senior brothers for speaking disrespectfully of the Malevolent Spirit Sect, which might lead to him suffering the same fate as the two Red Chan Sect women outside the city. That would be a waste of his efforts.
He simply said that Bai Rou had come alone, and after seeing fellow sect members, she had proposed they travel back together, and he had agreed.
Hearing that Bai Rou would be traveling with the three of them, Lin Daqiao's eyes lit up, and he said repeatedly, "Excellent, excellent! To think this is Junior Sister Bai's first long trip. Next time you travel alone, you can ask me, your senior brother, to come along. I'm usually on the peak, so I'm easy to find."
After Li Yan explained the situation, Bai Rou gradually calmed down. Hearing that Li Yan had glossed over the incident in the free market and hadn't mentioned him helping her at all, she felt a little strange. But being a person of few words who disliked speaking much, she didn't say anything.
A moment later, seeing that Senior Brother Lin from Little Bamboo Peak spoke freely and seemed to be a straightforward person, her nervousness began to slowly dissipate. She raised her head, and a smile slowly appeared on her face. This smile was as stunning as a spring flower, leaving the three of them momentarily dazed. This caused Bai Rou to shyly lower her head again, looking especially pitiable and endearing.
Seeing that it was getting late, the four of them delayed no longer. They went directly out of the west gate and quickly headed thirty li west.
More than an hour later, the mountain gate of the Malevolent Spirit Sect, which pierced the clouds, was visible in the distance. The four of them stood on Wen Xinliang's purple butterfly, speaking in low voices.
"Oh? According to what Junior Sister Bai says, my flying Magical Artifact can actually fly faster?" Wen Xinliang looked at Bai Rou in some surprise.
"J-Junior... Sister wouldn't dare to speak rashly. Although Senior Brother Wen's flying Magical Artifact is not mid-grade, it is a high-end low-grade one. Junior Sister is not very familiar with this type of artifact refining, but during the flight just now, I saw that two of the Spirit Stone slots were positioned rather oddly. It... it seemed... it seemed that when following the formation's pathways, they were clearly taking a detour. And during this process, Spirit Qi was leaking out. These two points, at least for this Magical Artifact, should be flaws." Bai Rou lowered her head in contemplation, then raised her beautiful face and spoke slowly. But at this moment, there was not the slightest trace of frailty on her face; instead, her eyes were filled with confidence.
"I've long heard that Four Symbols Peak has a Junior Sister named Bai who is a master of mechanisms and formations, but she rarely shows her face. I never thought that upon meeting you today, Junior Sister Bai would be able to spot the problem with my flying Magical Artifact just by observing its use. I bought this Magical Artifact a few years ago in the trading city from a down-and-out late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. At the time, that cultivator mentioned that although this flying Magical Artifact was already one of the top-tier low-grade ones, the artifact refining master was limited by his own formation cultivation when crafting it. He had designed the two Spirit Stone slots several times but was not very satisfied. In the end, he had to place them in what he considered the best way. Today, Junior Sister Bai spotted the problem at a glance. I have asked some senior brothers from Four Symbols Peak to look at it before. They could re-inscribe the entire formation, but they were uncertain about modifying just those two parts. I didn't want to lose the original properties of this Magical Artifact, so I let the matter rest." After hearing this, Wen Xinliang nodded repeatedly, praising her.
"I've also heard of Junior Sister Bai's great name. I once thought of asking for your help to inscribe a set of formations on my weapon, but after asking around, no one was familiar with you. I only heard that you are good friends with Senior Sister Wei Feng, but I am not familiar with her either," Lin Daqiao said, his eyes full of hope as he looked at Bai Rou.
Just a moment ago, Bai Rou's face was full of incomparable confidence, but after hearing their words, that confidence vanished in an instant. A crimson blush spread across her cheeks, and she quickly lowered her head again. Little did she know, Li Yan and the others had seen this change in her a dozen times on their way back and had gradually gotten used to it.
Li Yan had been listening quietly from the side. He was a complete stranger to formations, Magical Artifacts, and puppets. Listening to the three of them talk all this way, he had learned a lot. But seeing Bai Rou's repeated and stark contrasts, he thought to himself, 'This Senior Sister Bai is rather interesting. When talking about anything else, she looks unconfident, even evasive. But the moment puppets or formations are mentioned, she instantly becomes like a different person.'
A moment later, Bai Rou, still with her head lowered as if not daring to look at them, said softly, "As for Senior Brother Wen's Magical Artifact, this little sister can try to improve those two Spirit Stone slots. However, I need to maintain synchronization with the original formation and modify it without destroying the original. This might take some time, about five days. But I am only proficient in crafting puppets and mechanisms, not other types of artifact refining. When the time comes, you will need to find someone else to re-forge it after I have re-inscribed the formation."
Wen Xinliang burst out laughing upon hearing this. This was exactly what he wanted, but he felt it was inappropriate to ask directly upon their first meeting. At the same time, he understood Bai Rou's intention; it was her way of expressing gratitude for them escorting her back.