Watching the easing tension below the altar, Yi Kui's bell-like voice turned teasing once more.
"Hmph, I thought our Chief Arbiter could only put on that aloof celestial maiden act. Turns out she knows her craft quite well..."
Beside her, Li Xing frowned and shot her a glance. "Muxi understands very well what role she must play."
Hearing his words, Yi Kui let out a faint chuckle through her nose. "Oh, Li Xing, that young noble tore off our Chief Arbiter's veil, you know~"
Li Xing's breath caught at her words. He let out a low grunt. "That young noble must be ignorant of our subterranean city's customs."
Yi Kui curled her lips. "Men are all the same. Right now, there is that woman of the Origin Realm at his side. Once he brings Muxi out of the underground palace... heh~"
With that, Yi Kui paid no further heed to Li Xing's darkened expression. She sat down on the stone steps at the edge of the altar, crossing her arms and resting her chin in her hands as she looked down with mild regret.
"Muxi truly gets all the good fortune. Back at the Tianxing Academy, she was the most outstanding and the one the high priest favored most. Had I known this young noble would come to our city, I would have kept my veil too. The gap in treatment between an upper-realm noble's confidante and a confidante's subordinate must be quite vast..."
"If it can save the city, it makes no difference."
Qin Yuan's voice was very soft. His detached gaze drifted to the now-silent Li Xing, his indifferent words enunciated deliberately: "Li Xing, that young noble's family has at least one Saint, and far more Transcendent Realm experts. Rein in your emotions, and do not do anything unnecessary."
"......"
Watching that cold, serene woman looking like a meek white rabbit before the young noble, Li Xing remained silent for a long while. Slowly, he unclasped his clenched fists and forced a tight smile under their watchful eyes.
"How could I? I... I still understand what is at stake."
"Is that so?"
Qin Yuan murmured indifferently and looked away, his tone chillingly stern. "Remember what you said. I would not want to have to kill you with my own hands."
"Heh."
Hearing that, Li Xing narrowed his eyes, snorting coldly before falling silent.
Qin Yuan was very strong. Though both were third-rank, Qin Yuan was vastly more powerful than him.
In fact, even Bai Muxi, who had reached the half-step Origin Realm, was no match for Qin Yuan without using the Blood God Stone.
That was also the very source of Qin Yuan's confidence when he had proposed ambushing the two visitors from the upper realm earlier.
A heavy silence hung over the altar.
Several breaths later, Yi Kui, who had been watching below, suddenly rose to her feet.
"That upper-realm noble is calling us over. Li Xing, watch your expression."
With that, her voluptuous figure bounded lightly downward.
Arriving beside the three beneath the altar, Yi Kui and the others bowed in unison to Xu Yuan.
"Young Master, you summoned us."
Standing in place, Xu Yuan swept his gaze over the wanton woman, only to find that she had pulled up her neckline, concealing the soft cleavage she had previously exposed. He spoke casually, "Muxi will accompany me to the upper realm first. The three of you are to remain and guard the underground palace. Once I return to my estate, I will send men down to purge the aberrant ghosts in the Blood Nest."
As he spoke, Xu Yuan raised his finger slightly, and a glint flashed from his Sumeru ring.
*Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!*
Eight massive, iron-banded wooden chests slammed onto the floor with heavy thuds, immediately stirring up a cloud of dust.
Xu Yuan raised his hand, and the lids of the iron-banded chests snapped open in response.
Yi Kui reflexively looked over, and her gaze remained utterly transfixed.
All eight chests held five tiers of partition shelves, each shelf neatly packed with row upon row of glazed bottles filled with medicinal pills.
All eight chests contained the exact same type of elixir. As a Grandmaster-tier expert, she could clearly sense the medicinal fragrance wafting through the glazed glass.
Yi Kui was dazed. "Young Master, this is..."
"Qi-Blood Pills, a foundational elixir that assists martial apprentices in cultivation."
Xu Yuan said offhandedly in a low voice, "A hundred pills per bottle, five hundred bottles per chest—a total of four hundred thousand pills."
Yi Kui licked her crimson lips. "This... this is far too precious."
"Precious?" A teasing glint appeared in Xu Yuan's eyes. "As far as I am concerned, anything that can be resolved with silver is not a problem at all."
As entry-level elixirs for martial apprentices, these Qi-Blood Pills were truly dirt cheap; on the open market, they cost only around five taels of silver each.
Of course, that was market price.
The cost to produce a single Qi-Blood Pill was merely about eight hundred copper coins.
Moreover, these eight chests of Qi-Blood Pills had been extorted by Xu Yuan from the sects, making them entirely free to him.
Yi Kui was quick-witted, and a hint of charm crept onto her face. "Young Master, giving these to us is..."
"Your Chief Arbiter has already sold the lives of the four hundred thousand citizens of this underground city to me."
Saying so, Xu Yuan reached out and pinched Bai Muxi's serene, soft cheek.
Bai Muxi saw his hand coming but did not pull away, allowing him to gently rub her cheek.
Satisfied, Xu Yuan withdrew his hand, then turned back with a smile. "Consider these pills a meeting gift..."
Before he could finish,
*Thump!*
The grim-faced Qin Yuan dropped straight to his knees, his forehead pressing against the ground.
"Qin Yuan is willing to lay down his life in your service, Young Master."
"......" Yi Kui was stunned for a moment.
The next instant,
*Thump!*
"Yi Kui is also willing to serve the Young Ma—"
"All right, that will do."
Xu Yuan waved his hand, cutting Yi Kui off. His long, narrow phoenix eyes swept with amusement over the three, finally coming to rest on Li Xing, who still stood in place. He asked with a smile, "And what about you?"
"......"
Li Xing fell silent for a moment before saying in a low voice, "Young Master, the person to whom I owe my loyalty is the Chief Arbiter."
"Ah... What I appreciate most in a person is loyalty."
Noticing the look in his eyes, Xu Yuan had a sudden realization and chuckled. "Though it is a pity your loyalty is not directed at me. Since that is the case... these eight chests of pills will be split equally between Yi Kui and Qin Yuan."
"......" Li Xing fell silent.
Qin Yuan and Yi Kui glanced at the still-standing Li Xing, offering not a single word of intercession. Instead, they voiced their thanks in unison:
"Thank you for the reward, Young Master."
Xu Yuan gave a faint smile and slowly crouched down, looking at the two subterranean Grandmasters before him. "Do not be in such a hurry to thank me. Compared to loyalty, I actually appreciate capability much more."
With that, Xu Yuan tossed out a brand-new cultivation method for military array martial apprentices.
"This is a low-grade martial apprentice technique. After I leave this underground palace, men from my Prime Minister's Estate will come down in three months at the earliest, or a year at the latest. When they arrive to rescue you, I expect the number of martial apprentices here to increase tenfold over what you currently have."
He paused, then produced another manual—the Black Scale military regulations.
"Also, I want you to drill those martial apprentices strictly according to the methods recorded in this book. When I see them on the surface, I do not want them to be the same disorganized rabble they are now."
Qin Yuan pondered for a moment, then murmured, "Young Master, while these pills can bolster cultivation, the Source Qi in the underground city..."
*Thud!*
Before he could finish, a slightly smaller chest hit the ground. Its lid flew open, and the brilliant white gleam of Source Crystals within dazzled the eyes.
"There are thirty Source Crystals in this chest. They should be enough to make up for the underground city's lack of Source Qi."
Watching the Source Crystals inside the chest, Li Xing's clenched fists trembled faintly.
Qin Yuan swept his eyes over the chest, then slowly raised his head to meet Xu Yuan's gaze, asking softly, "Young Master, for you to pay such a heavy price, you must also require the loyalty of the city's people, correct?"
"Heh."
Xu Yuan grinned. Leaning forward, he patted Qin Yuan on the shoulder. "Even though you proposed killing me earlier, you are quite good. You are a clever man, and I appreciate that.
"Indeed, what I require even more is their fearless, absolute loyalty. Can you deliver that?"
Without the slightest hesitation, Qin Yuan's head struck the cold stone floor with a dull *thud*. His voice was stern and resolute.
"I can."
Xu Yuan shook his head and reiterated, "This loyalty is not to you, nor is it to your Chief Arbiter. It is loyalty to me alone."
Qin Yuan's voice still held not a shred of hesitation: "Qin Yuan will engrave this upon his heart and will never disappoint you, Young Master."
"Very good."
Xu Yuan chuckled softly and placed his hand atop Qin Yuan's head. "Do not resist. Let me see what cultivation art suits you."
Extending his intent-soul, Xu Yuan examined the meridians of this underground Grandmaster, a look of keen interest surfacing in his eyes.
"A hundred and three unblocked meridians, thirty-six of which are exceptionally broad and resilient... This... should be a Pure Yang Physique."
Hearing this, a flicker of interest passed through Li Qingyan's eyes, and her clear voice rang out: "A Pure Yang Physique? Having someone with a Pure Yang Physique cultivate your Prime Minister's Estate's standard technique would be a reckless waste of heaven's gifts. I have a fire-attribute cultivation art that would suit him rather well—"
"No need. I once had a friend who also possessed a Pure Yang Physique."
Xu Yuan shook his head, politely declining with a light smile.
Back in the Qionghua secret realm, Jinghe had seemed to share the same Pure Yang Physique as Qin Yuan.
As the thought crossed his mind, Xu Yuan produced a cultivation manual titled the *Huanyang Art*—the very technique he had cultivated in the Qionghua secret realm.
Though his memories had vanished, he had still managed to transcribe the art through his body's instincts.
Handing it to Qin Yuan, Xu Yuan said unhurriedly, "This art is exceptionally compatible with your Pure Yang Physique. If you adapt to it completely, it might even double your current combat prowess."
Qin Yuan's eyes flickered. In silence, he accepted it with both hands.
Just as Xu Yuan was about to call the next person over, he found that Yi Kui had already wriggled her voluptuous figure right up to his feet, gazing up at him eagerly with eyes full of anticipation.
"Young Master, what about Yi Kui's..."
"Heh."
Xu Yuan rested his hand on her sleek, supple hair. After a moment, he tossed out a lower-grade A-rank generic cultivation manual.
"Your cultivation aptitude is decent; you have barely opened a hundred and seventeen meridians, but you have no special physique."
"Oh..."
Yi Kui was slightly disappointed, yet still satisfied inside. She cast a glance at Qin Yuan beside her, a look of realization dawning in her eyes.
No wonder this fellow's combat strength was so astonishing despite his unremarkable cultivation speed; he actually possessed a special physique.
*Clap! Clap!*
Having finished this, Xu Yuan clapped his hands to draw everyone's attention. Standing in the center, he smiled gently.
"Since your Chief Arbiter has sold you to me, you are now my people, and I have always been generous to my own."
With that, Xu Yuan looked around, his tone abruptly chilling as the temperature plummeted.
"However, remember this: I despise betrayal. If any of you dare betray me, whatever I have given you, I can take back just as easily."
With that, Xu Yuan turned to leave.
Just then, Bai Muxi tugged at the corner of his robe once more.
"Young Master... what about Li Xing?"
"Muxi..."
Xu Yuan looked back at Bai Muxi, who was still holding the corner of his robe. He reached out and stroked the hair by her temple, asking with a gentle, smiling voice, "Are you telling me how to handle my affairs?"
"......"
Bai Muxi's pupils constricted. She dropped immediately to her knees and bowed low, hurriedly saying, "M-Muxi overstepped."
"Heh."
Xu Yuan snorted coldly, looking at Li Xing, who was the only one still standing apart from Li Qingyan.
"Your name is Li Xing, correct? Your temperament reminds me of an old friend of mine."
"......"
Beneath his sleeves, Li Xing clenched his fists without a word.
Xu Yuan gave a quiet chuckle, stepped closer to Li Xing, and continued, "His name is Qin Mo. Like you, he has unyielding pride; he refuses to submit to others, and refuses to bend easily to power.
"However, he is somewhat different from you. My friend's pride was built upon his talent, his resilience, and his sheer natural gifts.
"As for you... I truly cannot see where your pride comes from."
Saying so, Xu Yuan continued in a leisurely manner, "I, in fact, am quite a generous person.
"My expectations of subordinates are not high either. As long as you are capable, my tolerance far exceeds your imagination. You may harbor other thoughts, and you may even hate me. But sadly, you do not seem to possess such capability."
Xu Yuan raised a hand and patted Li Xing's cheek.
"Look at that look in your eyes right now, as if you want to kill me... How much capacity can someone have if he cannot even conceal his most basic emotions?"
"......"
Bai Muxi slowly bowed her head.
A few breaths later, a pair of cloud-treading boots strolled over to stand before her.
A slender finger hooked under her chin, lifting it up. He stared into her beautiful eyes.
"I despise others coveting what belongs to me, but I also despise breaking my promises. Therefore, I will rescue this Li Xing as agreed, but I will do no more than simply rescue him."
With that, Xu Yuan looked toward Qin Yuan and commanded coldly, "While Muxi is away, you, Qin Yuan, will take full charge of all affairs in the underground city. As for Li Xing, the population under his command will be divided directly between you and Yi Kui.
"Qin Yuan, can you manage that?"
"......"
Qin Yuan rose expressionlessly from the ground. Just as he was about to bow in silence, his figure suddenly vanished from Xu Yuan's sight.
A light breeze stirred within the quiet, dark stone hall.
By the time Qin Yuan reappeared, he was already at Li Xing's side. His hand, shrouded in black flames, thrust straight through Li Xing's chest like a blade.
*Squelch—*
Pulling his hand free, Qin Yuan casually flicked his wrist, sending crimson blood splattering across the floor.
"*Cough... Gah...*"
A mouthful of blood mixed with bits of internal organs surged up and sprayed out. Li Xing dropped to one knee upon the freezing floor, raising his eyes to gaze at his old friend in utter disbelief.
He had been completely unprepared; it had never crossed his mind that Qin Yuan would strike him so abruptly.
*Why?*
*The young noble in brocade had given no such order. Why did he have to kill him?*
Blood overflowed from his lips as Li Xing parted them with difficulty. "Qin... Qin Yuan... you..."
"I did not wish to kill you with my own hands, but you seemingly failed to heed my warning."
Qin Yuan looked down at him, his gaze utterly calm, his detached voice sounding beside Li Xing's ear. "Li Xing, I will not permit anyone to jeopardize this chance to save our city. Not even the slightest possibility will be tolerated."
With those words, a burst of black flame erupted from the puncture wound in Li Xing's chest and began spreading across his body.
The flames roared. Leaving the figure behind him struggling in the fire, Qin Yuan turned around, dropped to one knee before Xu Yuan, and lowered his head.
"Rest assured, Young Master. Qin Yuan can certainly manage it."
Chapter 283