Bai Susu’s appearance, though brief, was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring up ripples.
It startled the crowd of loose cultivators, making them uneasy and afraid to speak loudly. They scattered like birds and beasts, fearing to get into more trouble.
Chen Ye was one of them.
He blended into the crowd, discreetly leaving Pill Master Hu’s small courtyard.
"Mediocre aptitude... sneaky behavior..."
Chen Ye felt both annoyed and amused in his heart.
He acknowledged the claim of his mediocre aptitude; the Five Spiritual Roots were indeed at the bottom of existence in this Cultivation Realm.
But how did he become sneaky?
He was just being cautious; how did that make him sneaky?
Before leaving, Bai Susu and Li Qiuyun didn’t bother to lower their voices.
Chen Ye had heard the first part of their conversation with clarity.
It seemed that in the eyes of the Lingyin Sect disciples, he was indeed just an inconspicuous loose cultivator from the slums.
But that was fine; at least he wouldn’t attract too much attention for now.
But why did Bai Susu point him out specifically?
Was it merely out of curiosity about his Geng Metal Technique, which far exceeded his cultivation level?
Chen Ye felt that things weren’t that simple.
He had now broken through to the Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer, his strength greatly increased... barely considerable.
Yet facing a giant like the Lingyin Sect, he was still like an ant.
Moreover, he was now caught in the struggle between two major associations.
Most of all, what concerned Chen Ye was the matter of the demon cultivator mentioned by Bai Susu.
The death of Pill Master Hu seemed to have other secrets behind it.
The last time, this little girl had warned him; was she casually warning him again this time?
"I hope these fifty-five Qi Nourishing Pills can enhance my cultivation a bit..." Chen Ye thought secretly.
"Taoist Friend Chen!"
A somewhat muffled call came from behind.
Chen Ye turned around and saw that Artifact Refiner Ping Zhuo was catching up quickly, still carrying that Red Hammer on his shoulder.
"Taoist Friend Ping." Chen Ye stopped and greeted with cupped hands.
Ping Zhuo came closer, first glancing at Pill Master Hu’s courtyard with lingering fear, then smacked his lips and said, "What bad luck, a well-arranged inner gathering ended up with a death. This Miss Bai from the Bai Family, she’s really... tsk tsk."
It was visible at a glance that Ping Zhuo was dissatisfied.
Chen Ye detected the undertone in his words and probed, "Could it be that the Lingyin Sect usually doesn’t eradicate completely? But this time, it seems Pill Master Hu was colluding with the demon cultivator."
Ping Zhuo shook his head and sighed:
"In a big place like Yunxi District, there are plenty of underlying connections with demon cultivators; the Lingyin Sect can’t manage them all. It’s just that this Miss Bai is eccentric and violent, killing at the slightest provocation."
"With this matter of Pill Master Hu, on the scales it doesn’t weigh four taels, but on the scales it doesn’t stop at a thousand pounds. The Lingyin Sect usually doesn’t care, but when Pill Master Hu grows fat, they’ll manage it, clearly using a borrowed knife to reap benefits and then dismantling the bridge afterward..."
Seeing Ping Zhuo saying more and more, almost spilling all the Lingyin Sect’s secrets.
Chen Ye hurriedly coughed to break him off: "Taoist Friend Ping, be cautious with your words. In my view, Miss Bai may just have a strong sense of justice; though young, she’s a good child."
Ping Zhuo’s eyes changed as he looked at Chen Ye, with a peculiar expression:
"This Miss Bai is not a little girl, she just looks small... Surely Taoist Friend Chen has a taste for this kind?"
Chen Ye’s face darkened, almost losing his composure.
This Ping Zhuo was really an idiot; Bai Susu’s mastery of the flying sword was so profound, clearly a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, she had Divine Sense.
How could he dare to speak ill of her behind her back?
Chen Ye was cautious by nature, unwilling to take even the smallest risk.
Though he too wanted to mock Bai Susu, he forcefully held back:
"What do you mean by having a taste for this kind! She’s just a little short; how is she different from other female cultivators? Besides... she’s pretty cute."
The last sentence was spoken a bit guiltily.
After all, that little girl just now, killing without blinking, really didn’t match the idea of cute.
A certain mysterious golden-furred ball nodded in satisfaction.
Seeing that Chen Ye didn’t want to talk about this matter, Ping Zhuo didn’t insist either.
He just smiled subtly: "Taoist Friend Chen, actually... I feel the same. But previously, didn’t you buy quite a few Qi Nourishing Pills?"
The mysterious golden-furred ball frowned in disgust.
Upon hearing this, Chen Ye immediately became vigilant.
Goodness, he mustn’t let this neighbor interact with his apprentice in the future.
Hearing the latter part, Chen Ye took out twenty Spirit Stones from his Storage Bag and handed them over:
"Taoist Friend Ping, thanks for your accommodation the other day. This is the remaining payment for reforging the Iron Sword. Please accept it."
Ping Zhuo took the Spirit Stones, carefully counted them, and his smile became much more genuine.
He patted Chen Ye on the shoulder, laughing heartily: "Taoist Friend Chen, you’re indeed one of us! I knew I wasn’t wrong about you! How does the Iron Sword work for you?"
"Works wonderfully, thank you for your effort, Taoist Friend Ping."
Having paid off the Spirit Stones, he felt much relieved.
Although now, he only had fifty-six Spirit Stones left on him.
Money,
Whether in the previous life or the Cultivation Realm, is always hard to hold onto...
The two walked side by side, and Ping Zhuo, having received the Spirit Stones, was in high spirits.
At the same time, his recognition of Chen Ye increased significantly.
He started to talk more, casually discussing the current situation in the market:
"Taoist Friend Chen, since you just moved to Shunshui Street, you might not know yet. Recently, Yunxi District has been quite restless."
He lowered his voice and scanned his surroundings with his eyes.
Chen Ye felt a stir in his heart and asked smoothly: "Oh? What do you mean by that? I’m new here, I hope Taoist Friend Ping can enlighten me a bit."
Ping Zhuo looked around, seeing no one was paying attention, then leaned in and said:
"What else could it be? It’s just the Jade Lizard Association and Stone Mirror Association making trouble! Because of that trivial matter in East Valley, they’re fighting outside the market every three days, even making the atmosphere inside the market tense. I heard from the elders at the Spirit Treasure Pavilion that it’s almost as chaotic as when Stone Mirror Town was first established back in the day."
He sighed: "The Spirit Treasure Pavilion received a big order two days ago for a batch of protective armor magical artifacts, specifically requesting urgency. I reckon it’s because those two associations are about to go to war."
"Doesn’t the Lingyin Sect manage this?" Chen Ye asked.
"Manage? How? Those big figures in the Lingyin Sect don’t care about our loose cultivators’ lives. As long as no one dies within the market, they’re not bothered. Besides, aren’t the Inner Sect disciples currently training in the Three Thousand Great Mountains? The sect’s main focus is on that. Today, Miss Bai from the Bai Family suddenly made a move, probably to warn others, to keep the various forces in check and not go too far."
"Thanks for the warning, Taoist Friend Ping." Chen Ye solemnly cupped his hands, "I will keep it in mind."
"Oh, no need to be so formal! We’re neighbors after all!" Ping Zhuo waved his hand carelessly, "I’m just mentioning it. Let’s go, let’s go home!"
The two walked side by side, and soon, they returned to Shunshui Street.
The setting sun’s afterglow dyed the bluestone pavement with warmth, but the cold wind still blew fiercely.
From afar, Chen Ye saw two small figures at his courtyard gate.
In the dim light of the courtyard gate, two little balls were squatting on each side, wrapped in thick rabbit fur coats, their little faces red from the cold.
Yet they stubbornly looked in the direction of the alley, eagerly waiting.
Seeing Chen Ye’s figure appear, the two little ones simultaneously brightened their eyes and stood up in unison.