Two Realms: I Will Become the Immortal Emperor

Chapter 363: Chapter 334: A Dao Heart Covered in Dust

"I need to enter seclusion for a month, so I’ll be unavailable. Here’s a Tier Two Middle Grade Spirit Sword. Find a shop and sell it for me. Take one Spirit Stone as payment for the errand."

Chen Che drew a Flying Sword from his Sword Box and handed it over.

"Ah... Senior, this is too much."

"Of course, there are conditions."

With his hands behind his back, Chen Che said lightly, "If I don’t emerge from my seclusion, you are to wait for me outside the inn."

Indeed, he felt a stir of compassion.

"The child is father of the man," as they say. Zhou Lian had a tenacious spirit. People like him often just needed a single opportunity.

A Tier Two Middle Grade Spirit Sword was worth around two to three thousand Spirit Stones. This would be a test for the boy.

If Zhou Lian could resist the temptation and truly keep his promise, what harm would there be in taking him back to Jinyun Valley? It would be infinitely better than him living as a street urchin in the city.

Of course, it wouldn’t matter if the boy simply took the Flying Sword and ran, or if he gave up waiting.

Killing was forbidden in Faqian City. As long as the boy hid within the city walls, he wouldn’t invite a fatal disaster upon himself.

With the money from the Flying Sword, he could even become a Cultivator one day.

However, this life-changing opportunity would be lost.

"Yes."

Zhou Lian, of course, had no idea what he was truly facing. He simply took the Spirit Stone and nodded firmly.

...

After sending Zhou Lian away, Chen Che had no intention of amusing himself at Celestial Paradise. He leisurely entered the Celestial Garden Inn instead.

’No matter how nobly those Female Cultivators are packaged, they’re still covered in filth.’

Jin Wu was sitting on a lotus leaf. When he saw Chen Che, he cupped his hands in greeting as if nothing was amiss and smiled. "That beggar boy is quite lucky to have caught your eye, Fellow Daoist. An opportunity has been placed right before him. I wonder if he’ll be able to grasp it."

"It is a matter of fortune and fate."

Chen Che replied nonchalantly.

"As they say, the Dao cannot be transmitted lightly. Your methods must be extraordinary, Fellow Daoist."

Jin Wu actually nodded in agreement. "If the teachings are passed on too easily, these mortals won’t cherish them. I’ve even heard that some Cultivators, when accepting a disciple, will set up ’three calamities and nine hardships.’ Only after the disciple overcomes them will they impart their methods..."

"If someone with a wicked heart were to obtain them, the very moment they master the techniques might be the moment they turn on their own master and ancestors."

As he spoke, a cunning glint flashed in Jin Wu’s eyes. "But you are quite generous, Fellow Daoist. A Tier Two Spirit Sword, just like that. It would take me at least a year or two to earn that much. We are truly envious."

"Fellow Daoist, your origins must be extraordinary. Are you from some great clan? Or perhaps..."

"Don’t ask questions you shouldn’t."

Chen Che cut him off before he could finish and stepped onto the small boat.

"My apologies, I was presumptuous."

Jin Wu froze for a moment but didn’t get angry. Instead, he cupped his hands in apology. "Fellow Daoist, please don’t take it to heart."

Hearing their conversation, Li’er finally understood what had happened outside the inn, and her heart fluttered with excitement. She vigorously poled the bamboo raft, humming a little tune as she ferried him back to his private courtyard, yet he didn’t say a word to her.

As she poled the raft away, a hint of disappointment lingered in her eyes.

On her way back, she happened to see Jin Wu release a paper crane. Saying nothing, she poled away once more.

’Such petty schemes and shameless groveling... it’s all on full display here in Faqian City.’

Chen Che rolled his wrists.

For the next month, he would remain in the city and keep Bai Shibao under surveillance.

Regardless of whether he could uncover Wanjia’s identity, he would be leaving this place. Of course, it would be best if he could lure Bai Shibao out of Faqian City. Since the man dared to hire assassins to kill him, he must pay the price.

Killing Bai Shibao would be like cutting off one of Wanjia’s arms.

’The Sword Pill and the Nine Transformations Spirit Flame Technique could both expose my identity... Looks like I’ll have to rely on this Sword Box.’

Chen Che never imagined that this Sword Box, which was specifically meant for concealing his identity, would prove useful so soon.

’I’ll use a pseudonym, treat it like a side account. That way, even if Wanjia tries to investigate in the future, they won’t be able to trace it back to me...’

...

For the following period, Chen Che didn’t leave his residence, spending his time either on his Cultivation or the Sacrificial Refinement of his Sword Box.

For someone like him, who possessed a Sword Pill, mastering the Sword Box was not a difficult task. In fact, thanks to his immense Divine Sense, it was actually quite simple. Cultivators of the Same Tier had limited Divine Sense, making it impossible for them to control every individual Flying Sword with both speed and precision.

The swords within the box varied in quality and tier, so they couldn’t achieve the state of Primordial Unity like a Sword Pill.

If one’s focus favored certain swords over others, their concentration would be split.

This was the primary drawback of a Sword Box.

As for the city itself, things remained as peaceful as ever. Posting a bounty on a Golden Core True Master at the Slaughter Tower wasn’t some earth-shattering event. Every day, Cultivators flocked to Faqian City seeking refuge, while others arrived seeking vengeance.

After selling the Flying Sword, Zhou Lian stood guard in front of the inn. Every day, he clutched the bag of Spirit Stones and stared at the entrance, waiting for Chen Che to appear.

As the coldest days of winter arrived, breath turned to mist in the Faqian City air, and dripping water froze into ice.

The Wanjia Shop reopened the very next day with a new Shopkeeper. The previous one had vanished without a trace. Those who knew about the former Shopkeeper being poisoned remained tight-lipped on the matter.

However, its foot traffic had dropped by more than half.

Bai Shibao, for his part, kept a low profile and rarely appeared in public, befitting the conduct of a Golden Core True Master.

However, the groups that had been watching him since the Slaughter Tower incident seemed to have found new targets and gradually withdrew. Now, only one last group remained, constantly using Golden Martial Paper Cranes to confirm whether he was still inside the Celestial Garden Inn.

Lu Kai, the man he’d met outside the city, now spent his days loitering between Celestial Paradise and the "Gathering Wealth Building." The Gathering Wealth Building was, of course, a haven for gamblers, who bet not only on mortal games like dice and pai gow, but also on Pills, Flying Swords, and arena matches...

Lu Kai had a good run of luck, winning several times in a row. For a while, he became a celebrated figure in the various Gold Melting Houses.

During this time, while probing Faqian City with his Divine Sense, Chen Che unexpectedly brushed against another immense Divine Sense. He didn’t know who it belonged to, but there was no doubt that their Divine Sense Level was even higher than his.

After a standoff lasting about fifteen minutes, Chen Che finally managed to disengage.

’Faqian City is truly full of hidden masters!’

Chen Che let out a long sigh and finally opened his eyes.

’Seventh Layer, or Eighth Layer? Their Divine Sense is nearly twice as strong as mine... And it wasn’t one of the three City Lords. Was it one of their subordinates?... I have to be even more careful. I can’t afford to provoke such an existence and get entangled in more karma.’

After this incident, Chen Che stopped blanketing Faqian City with his Divine Sense all day long. He narrowed his focus to Bai Shibao’s movements, while occasionally checking in on Jin Wu and the few assassins from the Slaughter Tower.

As for Lu Kai, his luck took a sharp turn from boom to bust in just a few short days.

He lost several times in a row. In the end, he not only gambled away all the money his clan had given him to buy Pills, but even lost his Talismans and Spiritual Artifacts. He then tried to renege on his losses, only to be thrown out onto the street by the staff of the Gathering Wealth Building.

’He brought this upon himself.’

Learning of the man’s fate, Chen Che slowly shook his head.

Of course, it was also possible he had been set up... but that had nothing to do with him. Lu Kai’s own Dao Heart had been clouded by dust, which was why he took the bait so easily.

In the blink of an eye, several more days passed, and the one-month deadline Chen Che had set for himself drew ever closer. Bai Shibao had met with a few people during this period, but they were all Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and the name "Wanjia" was never mentioned.

’It seems Wanjia really isn’t in Faqian City... Who knows how many years it’ll be before he returns. There’s no point in waiting any longer. Huh? He’s leaving the shop. Where is he off to? A Golden Core? Another Golden Core?’

Just as Chen Che was about to retract his Divine Sense, Bai Shibao suddenly left the shop. Along the way, he even acknowledged two other Golden Core True Masters, greeting them as he passed. Out of caution, Chen Che immediately withdrew his Divine Sense.

’Where is he going? Could he be up to something important...?’

However, Chen Che soon realized he was mistaken, as many other Cultivators in the city were also heading in the same direction, toward a place called Qianyuan Hall.

But when he tried to extend his Divine Sense toward it again, he was blocked by an Array before he could even get close.

...

「A moment later.」

Chen Che arrived before Qianyuan Hall.

’An auction house?’

After a brief hesitation, Chen Che went inside.

He hadn’t arrived particularly late, but Qianyuan Hall was already packed to the brim. A quick scan revealed four to five hundred people, most of them seated on Pumpons in the great hall. Some sat alone, while others gathered in small groups.

In the center was a crystal-clear pool, upon which floated a Jade lotus leaf about a hundred feet across.

Exquisitely decorated private boxes lined both sides of the hall. The figures ascending the stairs to them were all Golden Core True Masters. Chen Che sensed that Bai Shibao was inside one of them. However, the box also seemed to be shielded by an Array, causing his Divine Sense Mark to flicker in and out.

’Well, since I’m already here...’

After confirming Bai Shibao’s location, Chen Che casually found a spot and sat down.

It wouldn’t hurt to see what a Faqian City auction was like before he left. And if the opportunity arose, he could cause a little trouble for Bai Shibao...

DONG! DONG! DONG!

After three loud chimes from a great bell, the auction began.

The hall’s doors remained open, allowing late-arriving Cultivators to enter and others to leave as they pleased.

"Fellow Daoists, Seniors, I am Yu Zhiyuan, the host of today’s auction."

Just then, a thin, red-robed old man landed on the lotus leaf.

’His surname is Yu?’

Chen Che raised an eyebrow.

It was said that anyone in Faqian City with the surname Yu was a descendant of the Great City Lord. It seemed this auction house must also be one of the Great City Lord’s enterprises.

"There are a total of one hundred and twenty-one items in today’s auction. Every Fellow Daoist and Senior is welcome to bid. However, to ensure fair bidding, any form of price suppression is forbidden. Violators will be expelled from Faqian City immediately..."

Yu Zhiyuan’s somewhat domineering voice spread softly throughout the hall.

The crowd tensed.

Many among them were Evil Cultivators who had sought refuge here. For them, being expelled from Faqian City was tantamount to a death sentence.

"Without further ado, let the auction begin!"

As soon as Yu Zhiyuan finished speaking, a graceful Female Cultivator walked onto the Lotus Platform, holding a square brocade box. When she opened it, a Pill the size of a rice grain was revealed, radiating a golden Spiritual Light.

In an instant, the hundreds of Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the hall held their breath. Even Chen Che’s gaze grew sharp.

Seemingly pleased with the Cultivators’ reaction, a corner of Yu Zhiyuan’s mouth twitched as he announced softly:

"The first item for sale: a Qingxu Guiyuan Pill!"

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