Subtle sounds from above the stone staircase roused Xiao Qi from heavy thoughts. He quickly pocketed the jade slip, blew out the oil lamp, and silently exited the underground chamber like a cat, carefully re-covering the entrance with roots and vines without a trace.
The return to the surface was more cautious than the descent. Aunt Su's news was like a boulder dropped into his heart's lake, stirring endless waves. Father's predicament, the demon's scheme, the competition for Four Symbol Soul Crystals... all pointed toward an even more dangerous future. Yet there was still an urgent matter at hand—the auction.
Though he'd obtained more crucial leads from Aunt Su, that ancient fragment from Ten Thousand Treasures Auction House remained worth attention. It likely related to the Four Symbol Soul Crystals or contained other soul-related secrets. More importantly, Shadow Snake Pavilion's Silver-Faced Envoy appeared there, meaning the auction itself was an excellent window to observe enemies and gather intelligence.
He had to get in.
His earlier plan to use Second Senior Brother's artifacts to infiltrate or purchase ordinary seats for observation seemed too risky and limited now that he knew the Silver-Faced Envoy might have inside connections with the auction house. He needed a more stable identity, one that could access the core circle.
Returning to the Banyan Shade Residence inn, it was past midnight. Liu Yun had long since returned, anxiously pacing in the room. Seeing Xiao Qi return safely, she breathed relief.
Where did you go? The auction's over! Liu Yun's tone carried reproach, mostly worry. I watched the box area as you said. There were indeed several guests with deep, mysterious auras, but I couldn't identify which were from Shadow Snake Pavilion. That ancient fragment was finally bought by a guest from Box Three at an astronomical price—I couldn't see who it was at all.
Xiao Qi didn't immediately explain. First setting up a sound-isolation restriction, he briefly told Liu Yun about Aunt Su's appearance and the information she'd revealed about father, the Soul-Controlling Jade, the Four Symbol Soul Crystals, and the demon's scheme.
Liu Yun's face changed repeatedly as she listened—shock, anger, worry interweaving, finally resolving into the same determination as Xiao Qi. Those damned demons! So what do we do now? Directly search for the Four Symbol Soul Crystals?
We must search for the Four Symbol Soul Crystals, but we can't completely abandon the auction thread. Xiao Qi said gravely. The identity of who bought the fragment is unknown, and the fragment itself may contain important information. Moreover, we need a suitable identity— one that lets us operate conveniently in Qingrong City and beyond, while also avoiding Shadow Snake Pavilion's notice to some extent.
A suitable identity? Liu Yun was confused.
Right. Xiao Qi walked to the window, gazing at the brightening sky beyond. We can't keep acting as anonymous rogue cultivators. It's hard to obtain high-level information this way, and we're easily underestimated or taken advantage of. We need a qualification, an admission token that lets us integrate into the higher-level cultivator circle to some degree, gaining certain discourse power and information sources.
You mean...
The City Lord's Manor. Xiao Qi turned, his gaze sharp. Though chaotic, Qingrong City is nominally under the City Lord's Manor. The Manor often releases high-difficulty missions with generous rewards, including VIP qualifications from Ten Thousand Treasures Auction House or City Lord's Manor Guest Advisor tokens. If we complete a substantial enough mission, not only can we gain the ticket to enter the core circle, but also make a name for ourselves, making some small fries think twice. At the same time... perhaps we can cover our true origins and purpose.
Liu Yun's eyes lit up. That's a way! When I gathered information during the day, I heard the Manor is currently offering a bounty to eliminate a Red-Eyed Demon Tiger on Black Wind Ridge to the south. That beast has late Foundation Establishment cultivation, ferocious beyond measure, having injured many traveling merchants and cultivators. The reward apparently includes a VIP invitation to Ten Thousand Treasures Auction House.
Late Foundation Establishment demon beast... Xiao Qi pondered briefly, nodding. Worth trying. But to ensure success, maybe we can take another mission. I recall the Eight Wilderness Atlas marks an abandoned sect called Jinshi Sect's ruins about a hundred li east of Qingrong City. The place is said to have mechanisms and contain some forging inheritances. The City Lord's Manor has long offered bounties for solving its core mechanisms. If we could complete it, the reward should be even better.
Showcasing combat strength and demonstrating wisdom and potential—both approaches together would attract the City Lord's Manor's attention more.
They acted without delay. After brief rest, at full daylight they went directly to Qingrong City's imposing City Lord's Manor near the main banyan trunk.
Before the Manor, a massive white jade screen stood on the plaza, displaying various mission information, rewards, and acceptance requirements in flowing spiritual light. Many cultivators surrounded the screen, pointing and discussing.
Xiao Qi and Liu Yun bypassed the low-level missions, fixing their gazes on the highest entries.
Tier-A Mission One: Eliminate the Red-Eyed Demon Tiger on Black Wind Ridge. Target: Late Foundation Establishment demon beast, suspected of carrying a trace of ancient fierce beast bloodline, extremely dangerous. Reward: Five thousand superior spirit stones, one high-grade magical artifact of Mystery rank, one VIP invitation to Ten Thousand Treasures Auction House.
Tier-A Mission Two: Break the core mechanism Thousand Mechanisms Lock of the Jinshi Sect ruins. Target: Obtain the mechanism core or complete solution. Reward: Eight thousand superior spirit stones, City Lord's Manor Guest Advisor token (temporary), access to part of the Manor's book collection, certain privileges.
Below both missions, acceptances were few. The Red-Eyed Demon Tiger had a fearsome reputation; even ordinary late Foundation Establishment cultivators hesitated to face it. And Jinshi Sect ruins' mechanisms had puzzled Qingrong City for years, unsolved by anyone.
Xiao Qi and Liu Yun exchanged glances, then stepped forward. Surrounded by surprised, skeptical, even gleeful glances from nearby cultivators, they accepted both Tier-A missions!
The clerk registering missions examined them a few times, sensing Xiao Qi's deliberately released late Foundation Establishment spiritual pressure and Liu Yun's not-weak sword intent. They said nothing special, merely routinely recording their temporary codenames—Qingmu (Xiao Qi) and Qiushui (Liu Yun)—and explaining mission deadlines and some precautions.
Without delay, they left the Manor, first rushing toward Black Wind Ridge to the south.
Black Wind Ridge's terrain was perilous, miasma. The Red-Eyed Demon Tiger was indeed extraordinary—powerful strength, sharp claws and fangs, able to spit highly corrosive black wind, red eyes able to disturb minds. Ordinary late Foundation Establishment cultivators encountering it would likely meet their end.
But Xiao Qi and Liu Yun were no ordinary cultivators. Xiao Qi possessed the purification source, highly resistant to that mind-disturbing red light and corrosive black wind. Liu Yun's swordsmanship was fierce, her movement nimble; their coordination was seamless. After intense battle, Xiao Qi attacked head-on with the Flame Sword, drawing most of the demon tiger's attention. Liu Yun exploited openings with refined sword techniques, striking vital points. Finally, Xiao Qi seized a gap; his Flame Sword carrying purification power pierced the demon tiger's heart, pinning its massive body to the ground.
Taking the red eyes and symbolic claws as proof, they hurried to the Jinshi Sect ruins east of the city without rest.
Deep in the ruins, mechanisms were everywhere, traps. But for Xiao Qi with his powerful spiritual sense and Second Senior Brother's various strange detection artifacts (though sometimes unreliable), these mechanisms weren't unsolvable. Combining his understanding of formation principles and forging, he carefully avoided or broke through, finally reaching the ruins' core—a massive metal door covered with countless precise gears and chains—the Thousand Mechanisms Lock.
The Thousand Mechanisms Lock was extremely complex, each part interlocked; touching one would move all. Xiao Qi didn't force a solution. Instead, he calmed his mind, using his spiritual sense to carefully scan the entire lock's structure, deducing its operating principle. After nearly a day, he finally found the key node—not destruction through force, but triggering a hidden mechanism pivot with clever technique and a thread of delicate spiritual energy guidance.
Clack... clack... rumble...
After a dense yet pleasant series of mechanical sounds, the massive metal door slowly slid open both sides, revealing a chamber beyond packed with various metal materials and ancient jade slips.
When Xiao Qi and Liu Yun returned to the City Lord's Manor with the demon tiger's proof and the key components dismantled from the Thousand Mechanisms Lock's core, the registering clerk stared at both items, eyes wide as saucers, speechless for a long while.
News quickly spread: two unknown rogue cultivators had consecutively completed two Tier-A missions that had troubled Qingrong City for ages! Especially that Thousand Mechanisms Lock of Jinshi Sect—actually solved!
The City Lord personally received them—an elegantly refined middle-aged cultivator with profound aura, his cultivation reaching early Gold Core stage. He carefully examined the mission items, especially the Thousand Mechanisms Lock's core components, eyes flickering with admiration.
Both daoists truly are heroes of youthful promise and extraordinary strength! The City Lord praised, his manner extremely courteous. According to our agreement, here are your rewards.
He personally handed two storage bags and two tokens to Xiao Qi and Liu Yun. The bags contained promised spirit stones and artifacts. The two tokens included: one VIP invitation to Ten Thousand Treasures Auction House, purple-gold overall, carved with the Wan Bao building's emblem, with a unique number on the back; the other was a Qingrong City Lord's Manor Guest Advisor token, cyan-colored, the front bearing the banyan city pattern, the back engraved with Guest Advisor—though only temporary, it represented a kind of identity and recognition.
With this Guest Advisor token, both daoists may enjoy certain conveniences within Qingrong City, and also access part of the collection on the first floor of the Manor's library. I hope both daoists will often associate with our Qingrong City in the future. The City Lord smiled, his words carrying recruitment intentions.
Many thanks, City Lord. Xiao Qi and Liu Yun accepted the tokens, neither servile nor haughty, and bowed.
Walking out of the Manor, holding the heavy purple-gold invitation and Guest Advisor token, Xiao Qi knew they had finally obtained the admission token to enter the next stage. This meant they could legitimately contact higher-level information and figures. It also meant their covert struggle against Shadow Snake Pavilion would enter a new phase. And that fragment bought by unknown parties, along with the Four Symbol Soul Crystals mentioned by Aunt Su, would all be challenges they must face on this journey.