Will the Senior Brother Return to the Sect? - Chapter 6

The line outside the gates of Fengqin City was long, but it moved steadily, and soon it was Wen Qixue and Su Xuanlin’s turn.

Although the city was bustling with more people entering than leaving—clearly not the usual state of affairs the entry fee was modest: one low-grade spiritual stone per person, with the beast-drawn carriage allowed through as well. It was, for all intents and purposes, a nominal fee.

All their remaining spiritual stones were in Su Xuanlin’s storage bag. He took out two low-grade stones and handed them to the guard.

The guard accepted the stones, looked the pair over, and after a moment’s thought, produced an invitation letter and handed it to Wen Qixue. “Honorable One, there will be an auction held in the city soon. If you are interested, you are welcome to attend.”

Wen Qixue looked at the invitation. The entirely black letter was embossed with intricate golden patterns. “This bears the mark of the Mingfeng Trading Firm,” he noted.

“Indeed,” the guard replied. “The auction is a collaboration between Fengqin City and the Mingfeng Trading Firm, initiated by our City Lord, who has brought out quite a few treasures for the occasion.”

Wen Qixue nodded in acknowledgment and accepted the invitation. “My thanks.”

The guard looked relieved that the invitation was accepted. Seeing the carriage following behind them, he added, “Honorable One, the city is quite crowded now, and I fear there are few guest rooms left. If you don’t mind, you might try heading west. There is a tea estate there that has recently begun offering lodging, though it may cost a few more spiritual stones.”

Wen Qixue thanked him again and led Su Xuanlin toward the west side of the city gate.

Su Xuanlin followed closely, whispering, “Honorable One, should you hold the storage bag? It still contains…” He meant the three thousand medium-grade spiritual stones from the ore sale. Before he could finish, Wen Qixue pressed a small stone into his hand.

Su Xuanlin was stunned. “Is this also ore that seeped out of the puppet?”

Wen Qixue, hands tucked into his sleeves, walked ahead and nodded. “As my soul continues to fuse with the remnants I prepared, and as I eventually pass through the final lightning tribulation, I will be able to fully reshape my body. During this process, the materials your ancestor forged into the puppet will naturally leach out.”

Su Xuanlin examined the stone in his hand. It was unlike the last one; much smaller, a deep blue-purple, and occasionally crackling with faint bolts of electricity that made him jump.

“This doesn’t look like velvet-red ore,” Su Xuanlin asked. “What is it?”

“Originally, it should have been dark sand,” Wen Qixue replied. “But this piece mutated after being tempered by the lightning tribulation; it has become ‘Thunder-Dark Sand.’ It isn’t as valuable as authentic Thunder-Dark Sand that has been refined over countless years, but it is still significantly more precious than the base material.”

He looked at Su Xuanlin. “If your final test reveals you have a Lightning Spiritual Root, this will be of immense use to you.”

Su Xuanlin’s eyes widened. “A Lightning Spiritual Root? Me?”

Wen Qixue couldn’t offer a definitive answer. “It’s a possibility, but not a certainty. We must go to Yuling Academy to test your roots properly before we know for sure.”

Su Xuanlin looked touched, cradling the mutated Thunder-Dark Sand carefully. “Then… I shall keep it safe?”

Wen Qixue nodded casually.

The city was too crowded for the carriage, so they walked for quite a while before arriving at their destination. Su Xuanlin stared off into the distance at a massive estate. He jumped up and down, pointing. “Is that the tea estate the gate guard mentioned? It’s so large! It feels bigger than the entire Yuanwu Gate.”

Wen Qixue, who had scanned the entire Yuanwu Gate with his divine sense, remained silent. That’s an exaggeration, though the estate surely has a notable background.

“How so?” Su Xuanlin asked, eyes burning with curiosity.

Wen Qixue caught Su Xuanlin’s expectant gaze, looked away, and focused on the distant estate. “It is likely the property of the Fengqin City Lord or the local Mingfeng Trading Firm.”

Su Xuanlin nodded in understanding. “I see! Shall we go in?”

Wen Qixue signaled him to follow and headed toward the estate. As they approached, they saw a tea garden where a worker was busy pruning the tea trees.

“That is Spirit-Fluff Tea,” Wen Qixue remarked.

Perhaps hearing their approach, the worker stood up and walked toward them with a large pair of shears. “Are you here for lodging?”

Wen Qixue glanced at the oversized shears and nodded. “Upon entering the city, the guards mentioned it was crowded and recommended this place.”

The worker smiled. “Follow me!”

He led them through the garden into a courtyard, approaching a man sitting at a table drinking tea. “Manager Ning, we have guests.”

The man turned around. He looked at Wen Qixue first, then shifted his gaze to Su Xuanlin, raising an eyebrow. “Young Master Su.”

He then looked at Wen Qixue. “And you must be Honorable Qi Wen, of whom Manager Jin has spoken. Your reputation precedes you. Please, have a seat.”

Wen Qixue sat down and went straight to the point. “What is it you wish to discuss?”

Su Xuanlin glanced between the two, then quickly moved to stand beside Wen Qixue. Manager Ning chuckled and sat up straight. “I only heard that old Jin managed to acquire a piece of velvet-red ore from you. You likely know that Fengqin City is about to host an auction.”

“Although the Mingfeng Trading Firm and the City Lord’s mansion have provided some excellent items, it is not enough to support a large-scale auction on its own.” He looked at the pair. “I do not wish to force anything, but if you have any items you wish to sell, you may come to me.”

Wen Qixue understood. “So that is why the guard directed me here?”

“A mere trifle,” Manager Ning smiled. “Forgive the presumption.”

Su Xuanlin touched his storage bag, leaning toward Wen Qixue. “Should we…”

Before he could finish, Wen Qixue pressed a hand on his shoulder to stop him. He reached into his sleeve, pulled out a small piece of greenish-red stone, and dropped it onto the table. “You may look at this and see if it is of use.”

Su Xuanlin: …Oh, there was another stone! He breathed a sigh of relief.

Manager Ning’s eyes brightened the moment he saw the stone. “Wind-Fire Dark Sand! A fine treasure indeed!” He joyfully tucked the stone away and handed Wen Qixue a token. “My influence within the firm is modest, but since you have parted with such a treasure, I will not let you suffer a loss. Beyond the auction proceeds, take this Mingfeng Token.”

“This token will grant you a discount on purchases at the Mingfeng Trading Firm, and it grants you one opportunity to have the firm source resources of the Golden Core level for you.”

Wen Qixue took the token, glanced at it, and handed it to Su Xuanlin. “Keep it.”

“Are… are you sure you don’t want it?” Su Xuanlin asked nervously.

“I have my own,” Wen Qixue replied nonchalantly.

Manager Ning cleared his throat to hide his awkwardness and poured them tea. “Drink, Honorable Qi. If you enjoy it, I shall have some sent to your room. Young Master Su, do sit and have some tea—perhaps some pastries?”

Su Xuanlin shook his head repeatedly, sitting beside Wen Qixue and holding his cup. “No, thank you.”

“The young master is quite reserved,” Manager Ning laughed.

Wen Qixue shifted the conversation. “Was the auction your idea, Manager Ning?”

At the mention of the upcoming event, Manager Ning looked proud. “There was no other choice. Fengqin is but a small city with no major sect nearby to guarantee its standing. If we want the Mingfeng Trading Firm to expand its footprint in this region, we must resort to unconventional methods.”

“We cannot allow Fengqin City to end up like old Jin’s Yuanwu City, facing a downgrade,” he added.

Wen Qixue finally grasped the situation. The auction was a collaborative gamble between Manager Ning, seeking to expand the firm’s influence, and the City Lord, seeking to attract high-ranking cultivators to put Fengqin on the map.

“The Mingfeng Trading Firm certainly has a clever mind,” Wen Qixue praised.

“You are too kind,” Manager Ning replied. “I have had the west wing cleared out. It is still mostly vacant, so please, choose whichever room you prefer.”

Wen Qixue followed Manager Ning to the west wing, but the moment he entered, he felt something was wrong. He looked at Manager Ning’s retreating back. “Quite a few people are staying in this west wing, aren’t they?”

“Indeed,” Manager Ning said apologetically. “But the estate only has so much space. I have placed formations in the rooms; they should prevent any disturbances.”

Wen Qixue remained silent for a long time, then whispered gloomily: “Your formations who here are they supposed to block?”

Manager Ning looked confused. “Pardon?”

Wen Qixue sighed deeply. “If you have the authority, you would be best served requesting stronger formations. The spiritual energy of several people in here is already on the verge of clashing.”

He led Su Xuanlin into the wing and picked a room as far away from the turbulent energy as possible. “We shall stay here.”

“I can ignore them, but I have Xuanlin with me. His cultivation is low; it would be best if they do not provoke us.”

Manager Ning finally realized the gravity of the situation. “I shall have someone fetch the finest formation discs from the warehouse immediately!”

“The room is a small matter,” Wen Qixue said. “They are members of ‘righteous’ sects; at worst, they will merely clash with their spiritual energy. But if such trouble occurs during the auction, the Mingfeng Trading Firm’s reputation will be ruined.”

Manager Ning broke into a cold sweat, his earlier pride vanishing. “I will apply to headquarters for higher-level formations. The auction must proceed without error!” He hurried away.

Wen Qixue and Su Xuanlin settled into the tea estate. The conditions were far better than the inns outside, provided one ignored the fact that the formation discs were useless against anyone but Su Xuanlin.

Wen Qixue looked around the room and gestured for Su Xuanlin to head into the inner chamber. “Go and rest inside.”

Su Xuanlin observed the layout and shook his head. “Honorable One, you should take the inner room; it should be more comfortable.”

“If they truly start clashing with their spiritual energy,” Wen Qixue said coolly, “no matter how far away we live, you won’t be able to withstand the aftermath.”

Su Xuanlin touched his nose in embarrassment, sighed, and headed into the inner room.

Just then, two sharp, rhythmic knocks sounded at the door.

Their door had been knocked upon.