Cui Ji had thrown his weight around on the Five Elements Islands for many years, so his background and capabilities were an open book, unless he had intentionally been concealing his true abilities.
Once Qin Sang confirmed that Cui Ji had also used a fiend demon pill to break through and had not purged the fiend demon qi from his body completely, he had a clear measure of the man.
After fifteen years of demon-hunting, even before subjugating the two-headed hou, Qin Sang had not feared mid Core Formation cultivators in the least, let alone one whose strength was compromised by invading fiend demon qi.
Now, with the aid of the two-headed hou, defeating such a man would be effortless.
However, not much time had passed since he had ordered the two-headed hou to lure away the black-armored man so he could steal the Dongming Cold Flame. If word reached Huntian Island, it might draw unwanted attention, so he had to be cautious when deploying the beast.
"Come. Take me to meet Cui Ji," Qin Sang said, rising to his feet.
As a steward, his income was closely tied to the guild's business. Every tiny scrap counted. To secure a spot in the Hall of Seven Kills, he was practically penniless now and saddled with debt.
If the other party had been willing to get along and pursue mutual profit, that would have been one thing. But Cui Ji pulling a stunt like this made it obvious he was not someone who could be reasoned with.
Humiliating the Wang sisters and suppressing the Qiongyu Guild—was he trying to slaughter a chicken to scare the monkeys?
Unfortunately for Cui Ji, he had not anticipated that Qin Sang was no helpless fowl waiting for the slaughter. Since Cui Ji had handed him an excuse on a silver platter, Qin Sang would be doing himself a disservice not to seize it.
The party of four walked out of the shop. The elder was fraught with worry, yet did not dare stop Qin Sang; he could only pray in his heart that Qin Sang's strength would be enough to back it up.
Qin Sang sent a few words by voice transmission to the Wang sisters, asking for their opinion.
Wang Shi blushed crimson upon hearing it, while Wang Xiang looked thoroughly thrilled, radiating the energy of someone eager to watch the world burn. In the end, both nodded in agreement.
***
"The new stewards from the Qiongyu Guild are remarkably stunning. The two sisters look ninety percent alike, yet their temperaments are completely distinct, each excelling in her own way. A rare find indeed."
Inside the grand hall, a group of people sat in a circle discussing something when someone suddenly piped up with this remark.
"They just don't know their place!"
In the head seat, a pale-faced young man with a gloomy countenance scoffed coldly. "I heard they were originally rogue cultivators with no foundation in the Qiongyu Guild. They must have offended someone and gotten dumped here by Elder Zou. I spoke to them with nothing but kind words, yet not only were they ungrateful, they dared to glare at me with contempt."
This man was none other than Cui Ji.
"Such a gorgeous pair of sisters, and both possess top-tier talent! The elder is already a Core Formation cultivator, and the younger surely won't be far behind. Rare treasures like them make exquisite companions. As the saying goes, beauties love heroes, and being closest to the water grants the moon first. Steward Cui, with just a bit of effort, could they ever slip from your grasp? Allow me, Brother Liu, to congratulate Steward Cui in advance..."
A man with a goatee spoke in an exaggerated drawl, winking and cupping his hands toward the young man.
A wave of lewd laughter immediately rang through the hall.
A few of them looked uncomfortable, unwilling to join in the vulgarity, but not daring to openly cross the young man, they could only offer wry, accommodating smiles.
Right at that moment, a dull thud came from outside the hall.
The laughter came to an abrupt halt. The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, and just as they rose to see what had happened, a bloodcurdling scream rang out.
Immediately after, a flurry of screams and dull impacts followed in rapid succession outside the hall—plainly, the Nine Stars Guild's guards were being easily dismantled by an intruder.
*Thud!*
Cui Ji slammed the table and sprang to his feet, furious. "Who dares run wild in my Nine Stars Guild?!"
Before his words had faded, everyone sensed two auras heading straight for the hall. The others' expressions shifted slightly as they exchanged discreet glances, bracing themselves on alert, though none made a reckless move.
Cui Ji and the other Nine Stars Guild cultivators flashed out of the hall. The first sight to greet their eyes was the Nine Stars Guild guards strewn haphazardly across the ground, while the guard captain—a Core Formation cultivator—was nowhere to be seen.
Seeing this, Cui Ji's pupils contracted slightly.
*Whoosh! Whoosh!*
Two streaks of light landed before them, revealing the figures of the Wang sisters.
Angered to the point of laughter, Cui Ji sneered maliciously. "The two of you returned? Have you thought it through and decided to accept my terms, offering yourselves to me?"
Even as foul words poured from his mouth, Cui Ji's eyes searched in all directions. Not only was there no trace of his capable right-hand man, but there were not even any signs of a battle, which sent a chill of alarm through him.
"Pah! You shameless scoundrel..."
Wang Xiang glared in fury. Finally able to curse him out to her heart's content, pointing right at the nose of a mid Core Formation cultivator, she felt slightly intimidated, but mostly thrilled.
Cui Ji seemed not to hear Wang Xiang's insults at all, his gaze fixed intently on the shadows in a corner.
At that moment, the others inside the hall filed out as well. Seeing the scene outside, they were all taken aback.
If an enemy of Cui Ji had come knocking, they naturally had no desire to wade into muddy waters. Their only fear was that someone was targeting the entire Eastern Pole Alliance; no matter how much they disliked Cui Ji, they would have had to rely on him in that case.
At that moment, a figure slowly stepped out from the shadows—it was Qin Sang.
In Qin Sang's hand hung a person: the Nine Stars Guild's guard captain.
They had entered under the guise of the Qiongyu Guild and struck abruptly while the Nine Stars Guild was caught off guard, swiftly disposing of the outside guards. Although this guard captain was a Core Formation cultivator, he was nothing before Qin Sang and had been easily captured alive, his cultivation sealed.
*Thwack!*
Qin Sang tossed the unconscious guard captain onto the ground, kicking up a puff of dust.
Cui Ji's brow twitched, and he snapped furiously, "Who are you? Daring to injure people at the Nine Stars Guild's compound—are you trying to make an enemy of the Eastern Pole Alliance?"
"I am Daoist Qingfeng, entrusted by Elder Zou as the newly appointed steward of the Qiongyu Guild. I am part of the Eastern Pole Alliance myself, so how could I be making an enemy of it?"
Qin Sang scoffed, then glanced aside at the Wang sisters. "Is this the man who publicly insulted you and demanded to take you as concubines?"
"That's him!" Wang Xiang answered crisply.
Wang Shi nodded gently as well.
"To dare covet my women—what audacious gall!" Qin Sang feigned fury.
Wang Shi blushed slightly, while Wang Xiang grew even more excited.
"Considering that the rest of you are mere accomplices and fellow members of the merchant alliance, I will not hold this against you. But this man brazenly committed such an act, so whether for public justice or personal grievance, I cannot let him off lightly! Today is only the start; I will write to the alliance in the future to demand justice! Are you staying here intending to join him in his misdeeds?"
Qin Sang's gaze turned frosty as it swept over the onlookers.
Even through his cloak, they felt those two piercing eyes slice across their skin like blades. Unable to meet Qin Sang's gaze, they subconsciously stepped back to the side.
Most of all, Qin Sang's silent capture of the Nine Stars Guild's guard captain was utterly shocking. With so many people present, not one had noticed how he had pulled it off.
Moreover, they were all members of the Eastern Pole Alliance; why would any of them step forward to help Cui Ji settle a personal vendetta?
*Fickle fence-sitters, as expected. Give them an excuse, and they scatter faster than anyone.*
Qin Sang sneered inwardly and looked toward Cui Ji.
Cui Ji's expression darkened, his gaze attempting to pierce the cloak to see Qin Sang's true face. "A wild Daoist hiding his head and tail dares to speak so boldly before me? Watch that you don't bite off your own tongue!"
Chapter 730