Chapter 54 – A Gift

No sooner had Zhan Changfeng left than the reckless young man came back in. “Are you selling or not? Ten Spirit Pearls for a broken little bottle is already a generous offer. What’s the harm in throwing in those beads? They’re not worth much anyway.”

He Runzhi, though feeling that the small bottle had a story behind it and being curious about the truth, also found the beads exceptionally exquisite. He had been pestering the shopkeeper to give them to him as a gift, playing a game of feigned indifference to draw him out.

But the shopkeeper hadn’t chased after him at all.

Left with no choice, he had to swallow his pride and come back in.

“The bottle has already been sold. Do you want this string of beads? I’ll sell it to you for five Spirit Pearls.”

Like a bolt from the blue, He Runzhi stood there dumbstruck. “What? Those two just bought it!”

“This won’t do, this won’t do — I had my eye on it first,” He Runzhi paced in two circles, furrowing his brow. “I’ll give you ten Spirit Pearls. You tell me the secret of that bottle!”

The long-bearded middle-aged man refused. “I may be greedy for small gains, but I still have my principles. How could I do something that would break a promise I’ve made? However…”

He Runzhi cursed the crafty merchant inwardly, yet he truly couldn’t let go of the bottle’s secret. “However, what?”

The long-bearded middle-aged man winked at him. “Word is that Ghost City is about to open. There are quite a few opportunities inside.”

He Runzhi’s mind raced, unsure whether to believe him.

“As it happens, I have a Yin Pearl here that can let a person endure inside for a full day. You won’t find one this good in the black market anywhere — only three hundred Spirit Pearls.”

He remembered that his grandfather and elder brother had come precisely to buy a Yin Pearl. He Runzhi made up his mind. “Wait here, I’ll have my brother come pay.”

Zhan Changfeng had originally planned to sell one more Yin Pearl, but then let out a cold laugh and retraced her steps, standing in a blind spot out of sight. Before long, she watched as the reckless boy led the Old Man and his young companion into the long-bearded middle-aged man’s stone chamber.

“Your Highness, what is it?”

“It’s nothing. Mere ants.” To be safe, Zhan Changfeng extinguished the soul-mark she had attached to the Yin Pearl. “Let’s go.”

As they walked through the crisscrossing passageways, Zhan Changfeng asked, “Do the two of us stand out?”

The Coachman thought for half a breath, then answered honestly. “Your Highness, you are the kind of person no one can forget once they’ve seen you.”

Other children hopped and skipped about; even the cleverest among them still had the innocent bewilderment of youth. Standing beside them, he was a perfectly competent guard.

But his own Highness came with the force of lightning and thunder — wherever she walked, it was as if a storm had passed through, and standing beside her, he was nothing but a menacing enforcer.

The only calm one, perhaps, was she herself, standing at the very eye of the storm.

Zhan Changfeng gave a quiet hum and said nothing more. The Coachman, baffled, obediently followed.

She had come to the black market to sell Yin Pearls in hopes of exchanging them for Spirit Pearls to buy some protective talismans. But thinking about it now, there were hardly anyone here who could pose a real threat to her — so why bother with all this roundabout concealment?

Besides, if someone truly intended to investigate her, no amount of hiding would make a difference.

“Just use this stone chamber. Put up a notice saying Yin Pearls can only be exchanged for talismans, and that there are only five.”

The stone door had a small slot carved into it, connecting the inside to the outside. If the seller did not wish to trade face to face, they could stand at the door and call to each other, passing items through the slot for inspection.

Of course, one could also invite buyers into the stone chamber for a private exchange.

Zhan Changfeng left the door unrestricted, signaling that it was open for visitors to come in and examine the goods.

The Coachman presided over the transactions while she observed from the side. But high-quality talismans were just as rare as Yin Pearls — there were many who came to look, and few who bought.

After two or three hours, Zhan Changfeng had acquired one ordinary Fireball Talisman, one ordinary Gold Spike Talisman, and one first-grade Divine Concealment Talisman.

The Divine Concealment Talisman had a proper grade to it, and it had cost her two Yin Pearls to obtain.

Dawn was approaching, and the black market was about to close. She had exchanged for three talismans — not a disappointing haul. She was just about to pack up and leave when the stone door opened again. Several people stood at the entrance without coming in.

“What a coincidence, Sun the Great Hero.”

“You… you…” Sun Xingyi sputtered for a long moment without managing a single word, his hands trembling uncontrollably with rage.

After the first Arrow Token had been bought by He Yuntian, several more Arrow Tokens had appeared — but every time Sun Xingyi joined the bidding, someone would inexplicably snatch them away at several times the price.

His granddaughter’s martial aptitude was even stronger than what the martial world called a cultivation prodigy. No matter what, he had to bring her to Cangyun Ravine to experience true martial arts.

To that end, he had no choice but to risk entering Ghost City, hoping to obtain something valuable that could be exchanged at the pawnshop for an Arrow Token. As for the hope of meeting the Cangyun Ravine envoy and having his granddaughter recognized and taken in — that was far too remote a dream to even dare think about.

But to enter Ghost City, he absolutely needed a Yin Pearl. And yet the situation remained completely unchanged.

How could he not know by now that someone was deliberately obstructing him?

And that person was none other than the little wretch standing before him! This person was trying to cut off every path he had!

The Coachman, seeing them hovering at the entrance — neither entering nor leaving — called out loudly, “What are you doing, grinding grain? If you’re buying, hurry it up. If you’re not, stop blocking our way.”

He Yuntian was in high spirits and didn’t bother with the Coachman’s tone. “How many Yin Pearls do you have left? I’ll take them all.”

“The last one. And it can only be exchanged for a talisman.”

Sun Xingyi drew a sharp breath, in a manner that carried the resolve of someone burning their bridges. “I have a first-grade Prison-Breaking Talisman. Will that do?”

The old man reached into his lapel and produced a long, flat wooden case. This was the very last of his reserves.

He Yuntian had not expected him to produce a first-grade talisman. Graded talismans were expensive even in Cangyun Ravine.

He had spent three years at Cangyun Ravine, and if not for certain fortunate encounters, he would not now be able to throw Spirit Pearls around so freely to torment this old man.

Hmph — it’s not about the prize, it’s about the principle. He Yuntian pulled out a talisman. “A second-grade Spirit-Summoning Talisman!”

Sun Xingyi’s face went pale.

A Spirit-Summoning Talisman?

When Master Huang had summoned that dark-fog wraith, it seemed he had used a Spirit-Summoning Talisman.

The Coachman looked toward Zhan Changfeng.

Zhan Changfeng said, “Exchange it.”

Though he didn’t know how important the Yin Pearl was to Sun Xingyi, the Coachman couldn’t bear to look at the expression on the old man’s face — yet he still passed the Yin Pearl to He Yuntian, took back the talisman, and said steadily, “Transaction complete. Keep it safe, young friend.”

“Congratulations to fellow Daoist He on getting what you wished for.”

“With fellow Daoist He’s abilities, you certainly ought to venture into Ghost City. Who knows — you may encounter a world-changing opportunity.”

Indeed, in the span of just half a night, He Yuntian had already gathered quite a crowd around him. Surrounded like a moon ringed by stars, he turned the Yin Pearl over in his fingers. Judging by the quality of the Yin Pearl and his third brother’s description, the two who had bought the small bottle must be these very two people.

If there was truly an opportunity inside, he would not yield it to anyone. Cultivators contend with heaven, contend with fate — whose fortune it would become was yet to be decided.

He Yuntian cast a glance at Zhan Changfeng and the Coachman, smiled slightly, and without even looking at Sun Xingyi, turned and walked out.

“Wait.”

“Hmm? What is—” He Yuntian turned around, only to see the dark-robed young boy wearing a cold expression, walking toward Sun Xingyi.

“Just now, I heard someone address you as Sun the Great Hero. Would you be Sun Xingyi?”

Sun Xingyi was startled. “That’s me.”

“The same Sun Xingyi who, from the ninth to the thirty-first year of the Chengming Emperor’s reign, led a righteous army to defend the southern border and slew countless enemies?”

He Yuntian pressed his lips together.

A surge of warmth rushed to Sun Xingyi’s eyes. It was as though he could hear once again the clash of iron hooves and the ring of battle. His voice caught in his throat, but the back that had been bowed with dejection straightened tall and proud. “That’s me!”

Zhan Changfeng stepped back one pace and bowed in a formal salute. “My ancestor once wandered through the Southern Frontier and was wounded by an evil spirit, left stranded in a village. When barbarian raiders entered the village to plunder, he was nearly lost — but was fortunately saved by the timely arrival of Sun the Great Hero and his troops. Upon returning to Cangyun Ravine, my ancestor would speak of this often, always sighing that those who embody the spirit of true chivalry — fighting for the nation and for the people — should be like Sun Xingyi. He charged all future disciples who entered the mortal world: if you encounter someone of the Sun surname, show them three measures of deference.”

This… Sun Xingyi stepped back, not daring to accept such an honor. “I am not worthy of this, truly not worthy.”

He had not expected that after more than a decade of living in seclusion, someone would still remember his former deeds.

Show them three measures of deference if you encounter someone of the Sun surname. What immense respect that was — how could he possibly deserve it?

The old man’s eyes grew slightly red. The humiliation he had suffered today was swept entirely away. And it was only in this moment that he realized how close He Yuntian’s relentless pressure had come to shattering his composure.

Heh — he was a Prenatal Grandmaster. What did he have to fear from a brat who hadn’t even completed the Postnatal realm?

“Young friend, my gratitude!” Sun Xingyi bowed deeply and solemnly. Zhan Changfeng understood what he was thanking her for, and accepted half the bow.

“Today, seeing Senior Sun in search of a Yin Pearl, I happen to have one more that I can offer as a gift — to fully repay the debt of a life saved. I hope Senior will not refuse.”