Miscalculation

What secret did the jade sword hold? Was it related to the Jinghai Sect? ... Although the jade sword had been found in the Buddhist hall, it had been gripped in the hand of a skeleton, so it was not necessarily a Buddhist treasure. Gazing at the jade sword, Qin Sang turned these questions over rapidly in his mind. He recalled the seven-story stupa of unknown purpose in his possession and wondered if there might be some connection between the two magic treasures. However, Qin Sang had no intention of trading for the jade sword. Instead, he began to ponder the other party's motives. There was a fifty percent chance that the person in the bamboo pavilion was Old Man Hunmo. A figure like him surely did not lack usable magic treasures, so shouldn't he place even greater value on an exotic treasure harboring hidden secrets? Could he be trying to fish out someone who truly understood the secret? At this thought, Qin Sang leaned back leisurely against his chair. Whether Old Man Hunmo was trying to bait him or someone else, he had no intention of getting recklessly involved. By now, Qin Sang noticed that the discussions around him had quieted down noticeably. The jade sword seemed genuinely unusual. Yet it was not enough to make anyone part with a top-grade magic treasure. A few people tried making offers several times, but seeing the jade sword's owner stubbornly cling to their demand, their interest soon waned. In the end, no deal was struck, and Venerable Zhongtai teleported the next bamboo pavilion into place. Inside the bamboo pavilion. Old Man Hunmo reached out and recalled the jade sword. Holding the jade sword in one hand and the Lingzhi Ruyi in the other, he wore a somewhat perplexed expression. As he channeled true essence into them, a faint white sphere of light surfaced inside the jade sword. The Guanyin carved upon the Lingzhi Ruyi lit up as well, its tightly closed eyes looking as though they might open at any moment. If anyone were to enter the bamboo pavilion right now, they would discover that the fluctuations emanating from both magic treasures were remarkably similar. The jade sword's fluctuations were slightly weaker, merely superficial. However, unless the two treasures were placed side by side or seen beforehand, an ordinary person would never notice the difference. "The crafting technique of this jade sword is similar to the Lingzhi Ruyi. I spent two whole years painstakingly refining it so that its fluctuations could mimic the ruyi to a degree. Xuantian Palace ought to have bought it to investigate. That way, the rumor could be verified without alerting the enemy. Why haven't they acted? Could my deduction have been wrong?" Old Man Hunmo muttered to himself. As if something had failed to be confirmed, Old Man Hunmo turned the Lingzhi Ruyi over and over in his hands, his gaze no longer so certain. He felt a trace of regret. In the past, he had not bothered to build his own faction because he didn't want mundane affairs to disrupt his cultivation; otherwise, matters would be much easier to handle now. Behind the Myriad Demons Assembly was an alliance of the strongest forces in the Boundless Sea, each keeping the others in check. He could only push forward a few insignificant matters and had no real control over the whole event. After pondering for a long while, Old Man Hunmo put the jade sword back up for trade. ... While Qin Sang was still puzzling over Old Man Hunmo's intentions, the jade medallion in his hand lit up. Activating the restriction upon it, he was teleported to Venerable Zhongtai's side. Having secured both the Seven Masters' Buddhist Seal and the spirit materials to reforge the Jinchen Sword at the cost of only a single Nether Fiend Thorn, he had plenty of leeway for what remained. "Yuan Yin Water, Seven-Color Lingzhi Fruit, Yin Nether Earth..." Qin Sang openly sought to purchase these spirit items without bothering to hide his intentions. Based on the intelligence gathered earlier, Qin Sang believed there was a high probability Valley Master Mu had not perished. If Valley Master Mu was here, all the better; they could take the opportunity to reestablish contact. Even if Valley Master Mu had died at Old Man Hunmo's hands, there was no cause for worry. When Old Man Hunmo entered the Jinghai Sect, he hadn't headed straight for the medicine garden, indicating that he either hadn't conducted a soul search or the soul search had failed. Soon, Qin Sang received a response. The other party possessed two Seven-Color Lingzhi Fruits, but had no interest in the three spirit herbs Qin Sang offered. It was not until the final open-exchange phase, after several rounds of bartering, that Qin Sang parted with two kinds of spirit herbs and finally succeeded in trading for two Seven-Color Lingzhi Fruits, while also obtaining a second drop of Heavenly Crown Heavy Liquid. Each spirit-ascending session required a complete Seven-Color Lingzhi Fruit, so he could only prioritize the Fire Jade Centipede and the Heavenly Eye Butterfly for now. As for the Yuan Yin Water and Yin Nether Earth, neither made an appearance throughout the entire trade fair. Qin Sang adjusted his strategy and inquired whether anyone had information regarding these two spirit items, yet still came away empty-handed. It seemed a trip back to Hundred Flowers Valley would be unavoidable. The trade fair drew near its conclusion. Qin Sang exhaled softly, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over him. Pitting his wits against these old eccentrics and feeling out each other's bottom lines consumed nearly as much energy as a fierce battle. He shifted his gaze toward the jade sword, which remained unsold. Throughout the trade fair, he had kept an eye on that bamboo pavilion. The owner of the jade sword had stubbornly clung to their terms, refusing to lower their demands even when no one showed interest. *If it really is Old Man Hunmo, why would he sell only the jade sword?* Qin Sang mused to himself, unable to divine the other party's motive. Before long, Venerable Zhongtai announced the end of the trade fair. The formations of Lake Heart Island shifted rapidly, rearranging and scattering the bamboo pavilions before plunging them all into darkness. Qin Sang stood, stepped out of the room, handed the jade medallion and spirit stones to the puppet maid, and walked onto the bridge of light to leave Lake Heart Island. Soon afterward, escape lights flashed repeatedly in the skies above Myriad Demons City, streaking off in all directions. Qin Sang did not fly straight south; instead, he altered his course several times to check whether he was being tailed. ... On Lake Heart Island. Old Man Hunmo put away the unsold jade sword, his face exceedingly grim. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed as if realizing something. He hurriedly left the bamboo pavilion, his figure blurring and vanishing into thin air. In an ordinary, low-roofed courtyard situated in an inconspicuous corner of Myriad Demons City. The room's furnishings were simple and humble, resembling a normal mortal household, yet the two mysterious black-robed figures seated cross-legged inside looked completely out of place. Neither had moved for a long time, and not a single ripple of aura leaked from their bodies; they seemed no different from corpses. Between them hovered a black demonic eye that blinked intermittently, sending out several threads invisible to the naked eye that trailed outside the courtyard, connected to destinations unknown. Abruptly, both of them opened their eyes in unison and looked toward the doorway. A silhouette had appeared at the threshold without a sound—none other than Old Man Hunmo. "Greetings, Master!" The two scrambled to their feet and bowed together. "The trade fair is already over. Xuantian Palace still hasn't made a move?" Old Man Hunmo asked in a sullen voice. "The trade fair is over?" Startled, the two instantly realized something had gone wrong. With uneasy expressions, one replied, "The reports sent back by the juniors said everything was normal. The three elders of Xuantian Palace should be waiting for news; there has been no movement from them..." Before they could finish, Old Man Hunmo cursed them as fools. Casting aside all concealment, he turned into a streak of light and shot toward a distant courtyard. Looking sheepish, the two hastily followed behind. *Boom!* Restrictions lay hidden within the small courtyard, sending several blasts of ghastly white chill surging toward the intruders. Old Man Hunmo gave a cold snort and jabbed his black bamboo cane heavily forward, scattering the chill instantly, before storming into the main hall. He took one look, then flashed into the back hall. All he saw were three ice sculptures whose auras were indistinguishable from their real counterparts! *Thump! Thump! Thump!* Old Man Hunmo laughed out of sheer fury, shattering the ice sculptures with a sweep of his cane, then glared viciously at his two disciples. The pair stood dumbfounded. Following orders, they had pinpointed the Xuantian Palace elders' dwelling and kept watch from the shadows using a secret technique so as not to alert the enemy...