Ti flew by in the blink of an eye. Wen Qingye had spent the last two days cultivating frantically. His cultivation was improving rapidly, but he was still just a sliver away from breaking through.
The night was as cool and still as water. A waning moon hung high in the sky, dotted with a smattering of stars.
All of Qiyang City was under curfew. The pitch-black roads were illuminated only by the moon, silent and utterly deserted.
SWOOSH!
A figure vanished from the inn, speeding toward the Divine Wind Auction House.
Wen Qingye intended to scout the area first. With so many experts expected at the auction tomorrow, he needed to plan an escape route. His plan was to infiltrate the Divine Wind Auction House by night and survey the grounds.
The only sound was the faint barking of distant dogs in the quiet night. Before long, Wen Qingye reached the edge of the Divine Wind Auction House grounds.
Before him stood a structure of classic, elegant beauty, with a golden roof, stone walls, and pearlescent, glazed tiles. Wen Qingye knew this was the Divine Wind Auction House.
Wen Qingye strained his ears. Hearing nothing, he pushed off with his feet and vaulted into the air, his lithe form soaring directly into the complex.
The Divine Wind Auction House was enormous. It took Wen Qingye a full fifteen minutes to make his way through, eventually erging into a courtyard at the back.
Pavilions and waterside gazebos were nestled amongst green pines and erald cypresses. Ornate rockeries, flowerbeds, potted landscapes, and trailing wisteria with verdant bamboo dotted the landscape.
Even though it was late, the courtyard was brightly lit. Peeking from the corner, Wen Qingye could see nurous guards on patrol. Their cultivation levels were not low—most were at the Fourth and Fifth Layers of Refining Essence. The hidden sentries were even stronger, having reached the Refining Essence Seventh Layer Heaven.
With several Refining Spirit Stage Martial Artists also standing guard, the place was an impenetrable fortress. The average expert wouldn’t dare trespass.
Wen Qingye held his breath, focused his mind, and darted toward the eaves of a nearby roof.
Wen Qingye’s steps were incredibly light. As his feet touched the roof tiles, the sound was all but nonexistent. ’Unless a Refining Spirit Stage master is right in front of ,’ he thought, ’there’s no way they’ll discover .’
With a series of quick steps, Wen Qingye’s body moved like a gust of wind. He flitted across the rooftops, his movents as light as a dragonfly skipping across water, as he headed for the rear courtyard.
Wen Qingye thought to himself, ’I wonder where that Innate Grass is. If I could get my hands on it now, it would save a lot of trouble tomorrow.’
WHOOSH... WHOOSH...
Suddenly, Wen Qingye sensed movent up ahead. At that very mont, a wave of chilling killing intent washed over him.
Icy! rciless!
Wen Qingye hastily shifted his footing, twisting away to dodge the cold glint of a weapon.
Wen Qingye looked at the spear before him and then turned to get a clear look at his assailant. It was the sa man from the inn.
"It’s you?"
"It’s you?"
Both n stared at each other, stunned.
The man glanced at Wen Qingye, his voice low. "What are you doing here?"
"And what are *you* doing here?" Wen Qingye shot back, his brow furrowed.
The man scanned their surroundings. "This isn’t the place to talk. Let’s go to one of the side courtyards."
"Alright." A flicker of interest in his eyes, Wen Qingye nodded.
The man vaulted away, speeding toward a side courtyard, with Wen Qingye following close behind.
Monts later, they arrived in a side courtyard. It was mostly deserted, a place used for storing miscellaneous junk.
The man’s gaze was still icy as he looked at Wen Qingye. "Who are you? What’s your identity? Why are you in the rear courtyard of the Divine Wind Auction House?"
Wen Qingye’s eyes narrowed. "It’s polite to give your own na before asking for another’s. As for , I’m here for the Innate Grass."
"Fine." The man took a deep breath and nodded. "We seem to be fated to cross paths, so I don’t mind telling you. My na is Luu Fangliang, a student at Qig Mountain Academy. But as for why I’m here... that, I cannot say."
"You’re Luu Fangliang? From Qig Mountain Academy?" Wen Qingye was startled for a mont. "My na is Wen Qingye. I’m a student there, too."
Luu Fangliang. One of the four geniuses of Qig Mountain Academy’s Inner Courtyard. Wen Qingye couldn’t believe he’d run into him here.
Luu Fangliang frowned. "Impossible. If you’re a student at Qig Mountain Academy, how co I don’t recognize you?"
Wen Qingye shrugged with a smile. "I only just entered the Inner Courtyard this year. It’s normal that you wouldn’t know ."
"A new recruit in the Inner Courtyard?" Luu Fangliang’s icy eyes swept over Wen Qingye. "You’re quite skilled. It may not count for much in the Inner Courtyard yet, but you have ti."
Wen Qingye remained silent. Luu Fangliang tightened his grip on his spear and glanced around. Seeing that they were still alone, he continued, "As for the Innate Grass, you can forget about it. Treasures of this caliber are usually kept in a secret passage inside the vault. First, you don’t have the ti to search for a hidden passage. Second, with your level of cultivation, even if you found it, it would be a suicide mission."
Luu Fangliang said slowly, "Fang Fu and Zhuo Yuntang may be gone, but Yux Yang is still here. Yux Yang is an expert at the Peak of Refining Spirit Second Layer Heaven. Even I couldn’t guarantee a victory against him. What’s more, there are the eighteen mbers of the Divine Wind Guard. They all cultivate a Secret Technique that raises their strength to the Refining Spirit First Layer Heaven. Even though their power is sowhat diminished by being artificially boosted, their coordination is flawless. A typical Refining Spirit Second Layer Heaven expert would find them difficult to handle."
Wen Qingye glanced at Luu Fangliang, frowning internally. ’The Divine Wind Guard? I hadn’t expected the Divine Wind Auction House to harbor such masters. All at the Refining Spirit First Layer Heaven, and with perfect coordination... Together, they’re an even greater threat than Yux Yang, the supposed master at the Peak of the Refining Spirit Second Layer Heaven.’
Luu Fangliang looked at Wen Qingye and said calmly, "If you’re truly set on getting that Innate Grass, you only have two options."
"And what are they?"
"One: buy it. Two: snatch it!"
Wen Qingye didn’t answer, his gaze fixed on the ethereal moonlight. His mind was already made up. ’I don’t have many Primordial Stones. There’s no way I can win an auction for a Mid-Level King Grade Innate Grass. That leaves only one option: snatch it.’
Luu Fangliang watched Wen Qingye, marveling inwardly. He found he couldn’t read the young man before him at all. His thoughts were like clouds in the sky—impossible to see through, impossible to grasp.
"Tomorrow, I’m planning to... create an opportunity for you. What do you think?" Luu Fangliang lowered his voice, a mad glint in his eyes.
A sharp glint flashed in Wen Qingye’s eyes at Luu Fangliang’s words. He hadn’t expected this man to be so audacious, but their plans seed to align perfectly. Wen Qingye suddenly broke into a laugh. "Excellent. In that case, I’ll gladly make use of the tailwind you provide."
"Good!"
The two n clasped hands firmly.
The moonlight remained as radiant as ever, casting an enchanting glow.
After exchanging a few more words, the two parted ways, heading in opposite directions.
Watching Luu Fangliang’s retreating figure, Wen Qingye felt a little puzzled. ’What kind of grudge could he possibly have with the Divine Wind Comrce Association to be so reckless with his own life? Still, with his cultivation at the Refining Spirit Second Layer Heaven, I suppose he’s strong enough.’
With that, Wen Qingye slowly vanished into the moonlit night.
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