Unease

Everyone in the auction hall was stunned by the woman's ruthless methods! Formidable strength, savage techniques, a decisive, murderous temperament, and breathtaking beauty—this was the master of Yunding Auction House, the half-step Soul Formation cultivator, Qianqiusui! No one had imagined that Qianqiusui actually had dealings with these three black-robed men. At that moment, Wang Heyang kept his head buried low, trembling uncontrollably from head to toe. A yellow trickle ran down his trouser leg; he was terrified to the absolute limit. A dignified Sixth Elder, a cultivator at the half-step Nascent Soul realm, had died right before his eyes without the slightest power to resist! The old man had been killed before he could even utter a single plea for mercy, tossed out like a piece of garbage. Shivering all over, Wang Heyang no longer retained even a shred of his earlier arrogance and domineering swagger. Looking back now, getting beaten up in that private booth had truly been a blessing in disguise. Qianqiusui did not spare him so much as a glance. Lighting her long-stemmed pipe, she exhaled a puff of pale blue smoke and said softly, "If Yundan Pavilion wishes to seek revenge against me, they are welcome to try at any time." With that, she turned and led Li Guanqi and the other two away. Everyone was left guessing the true identities of the three men. To have ties with Qianqiusui, and for the woman to show such undisguised favoritism toward them, was astonishing. The group soon reached the underground level of Yunding Auction House. This subterranean expanse spanned nearly a thousand zhang! It was entirely Qianqiusui's private domain; without her permission, no one was allowed to step foot inside. As a result, the three were quite surprised to see the elegant, exquisite pavilions, ornate towers, miniature bridges, and flowing streams. They had not expected such a woman to possess such refined taste. Leading them beside a formation, Qianqiusui reached out and handed over a storage bag. "What you wanted is inside," she said softly. "Many eyes are watching you out there. Once you leave the teleportation array, you will have to be careful." Li Guanqi smiled faintly, bowing along with the other two. "Thank you, Senior. Though the three of us are weak right now, if you ever need our help in the future, don't hesitate to ask." Hearing this, the woman burst into raucous laughter, rocking back and forth until tears welled in the corners of her eyes. Dabbing them away with a slender, jade-white finger, she said, "All right. When I need help in the future, if any of you three little rascals dare fail to show up, I'll slaughter you." Before their startled gazes could clear, the formation glowed faintly, and the three vanished from Yunding Auction House in an instant. As the formation distorted slightly, an almost imperceptible dark shadow slipped inside as well. The woman slowly turned around, fiddling with the jade slip in her hand. Parting her vermilion lips, she took the jade mouthpiece between them and took a gentle puff. "*Whew...*" A strange glint flickered in her beautiful eyes, and she murmured, "Help in the future... Hehe, quite an interesting little fellow." Light flashed beneath Qianqiusui's feet. Reclining on the bed in her boudoir, she stretched languidly and muttered, "I hope you don't end up dead." *** Dozens of li away in an apothecary, light suddenly flared within a secluded room in the rear courtyard! The three figures appeared abruptly. Looking around, Ye Feng could not help muttering, "Where the heck did she send us?" Without a word, Li Guanqi led the two out of the room. The people in the back courtyard were not particularly surprised to see them walk out; everyone was occupied with their own work. The three strolled out nonchalantly, and while the onlookers seemed to understand where they had come from, none dared ask questions. After donning their black robes, the three soon melted into the night. Flying through the sky away from that city, a map took shape in Li Guanqi's mind. He realized they were now nearly a hundred li away from the city where Yunding Auction House stood. This distance was enough for them to throw off any pursuers. "Get rid of these clothes and change into new ones," Li Guanqi said in a low voice. "We need to leave this area quickly." The two obediently complied. By then, all three had altered their appearances once more, subtly shifting their auras as well. Now, even if they stood in Yunding's auction hall, no one would likely connect them to that previous group. Only after flying several hundred li further did they finally find an abandoned cave to rest for a while. Only now did the three look at each other and burst into bouts of hearty laughter. To think that thanks to Cao Yan, they had obtained the Longevity Grass without spending a single copper! The problem of Li Guanqi's lifespan could finally be solved. Cao Yan laughed and said, "That fellow's alchemy was actually decent, but after I provoked him, his mental composure fell completely apart." Ye Feng winked and said, "If the occasion hadn't been so inappropriate, I would've opened a betting pool and taken bets right on the spot!" Li Guanqi chuckled from the side. "If you'd taken bets, who would you have wagered on to win?" Ye Feng stiffened his neck, slung an arm around Cao Yan's shoulders, and took it for granted: "Third Brother, of course! Boss, didn't you see the look on those people's faces? They were practically begging to drop to their knees and lick that bastard's boots! If I'd egged them on with a few more words, taking their bets would've cleaned them out until they wailed for their mothers! Tsk, tsk, what a shame." Cao Yan looked a bit surprised. "Uh... Second Brother likes to gamble?" Li Guanqi curled his lip. "Yeah, your Second Brother is an old degenerate gambler." Cao Yan brought out the alchemy cauldron and gently stroked it, murmuring, "What a fine cauldron." Looking up at Li Guanqi, he said solemnly, "Brother Guanqi, don't worry. As soon as we gather the remaining auxiliary spirit herbs, I will definitely refine a flawless batch of Longevity Pills for you!" Seeing his resolute gaze, Li Guanqi smiled and nodded. "I believe you." Then he added softly, "Next, let's head into some deep mountains where demonic beasts roam. We can temper ourselves while searching for natural treasures. And more importantly, earn some money." Ye Feng curled his lip and chimed in, "Why bother earning money that way? We can just take Big Head to the Pill Hall to test for a rank-three alchemist license. Wouldn't making money be child's play then?" Li Guanqi paused, realizing that actually made sense... Deciding not to debate further, the three gradually settled into cultivation. Yet, just as the sun was about to rise, Li Guanqi snapped his eyes open and scanned his surroundings! An inexplicable sense of unease kept him from settling his mind, and that dread only grew stronger with every passing moment. Ye Feng and Cao Yan were still deep in cultivation, showing no signs of distress. Even the entire mountain range was deathly quiet... Suddenly, Li Guanqi's brow furrowed. That was it—it was too quiet! There was not even the chirp of an insect or the roar of a beast! Li Guanqi had no time to deliberate. The violent pounding of his heart filled him with overwhelming alarm. "Wake up!" A low shout laced with primal energy jolted the two awake. With a grave expression, Li Guanqi barked, "Go! Move, now!"