"You brat, if you insist on going to the Northern Domain, you'll have to help those two fellows from our family."
"Why?"
"That fellow surnamed Qi is not only a disciple of the Yuying Sect, but also the young master of the Wanfu Chamber of Commerce in the imperial capital."
"Recently, they need to send a batch of important cargo to the Northern Domain, but they don't have enough cultivators in the Xuanling Realm."
"So, you had me agree to him actually to use the protection of the Wanfu Chamber of Commerce to travel to the Northern Domain?" Chen Wuyou frowned, somewhat displeased. "I'm just going to the Northern Domain—do I, Chen Wuyou, need anyone else's protection?"
"Oh." Shangguan Danqing was somewhat surprised. "Didn't you brat say you'd rather use your tongue than your fists? Why aren't you happy when this old man finds you a sanctuary?"
"Besides, once you go, who knows if you're just going there for a free ride."
"I am a man of principle," Chen Wuyou patted his chest. "Whenever I go to Tianxiang Pavilion, I only admire, never lay a hand."
"You brat, all you do is talk back!" Shangguan Danqing gave Chen Wuyou a smack on the head and said with a serious expression, "Brat, this old man is sending you not to ensure your journey is smooth, but because if you want to get some good things from them, you have to pay a price."
With that, Shangguan Danqing took a yellowish roll of paper engraved with deep red runes from his storage ring.
Seeing this, Chen Wuyou raised an eyebrow in surprise. "The Great Void Talisman? Old man, you still have this good stuff?"
The Great Void Talisman only required a small amount of spiritual power from its holder to forge a spatial channel within a hundred thousand miles, allowing unobstructed travel.
Although it could only be used once, it was a supreme life-saving treasure that countless cultivators coveted.
"You brat know quite a bit," Shangguan Danqing said with a peculiar expression. He clearly didn't remember ever showing this thing to Chen Wuyou.
Could he have seen it before he was eight?
Chen Wuyou took the talisman from Shangguan Danqing's hand, glanced at it for a moment, and frowned.
"Old man, the runes on this talisman are worn away to nothing. You don't intend to give me this scrap of paper, do you?"
"I just took it out to let you have a look," Shangguan Danqing stroked his beard. "Besides, had I known you brat had seen one, this old man wouldn't have kept it until now."
Then, he explained to Chen Wuyou, "That fellow from our family promised this old man that as long as he can help safely deliver that batch of cargo, he will gift a treasure without charge."
"Don't tell me he's willing to part with the Great Void Talisman? Can his Wanfu Chamber of Commerce afford that?"
"The big one won't do, but he can give Lesser Void Talismans—three of them."
"Tch~"
"What, you brat still look down on them?" Shangguan Danqing glared at Chen Wuyou. "Even for this old man, flying ten thousand miles takes half an hour. Isn't that enough to save your life?"
Hearing this, Chen Wuyou's eyes lit up, and he grinned. "So they're meant for me! Hehe, then I have no objections."
"Nonsense, this old man isn't going to the Northern Domain."
"...Fine, then I'll agree to it."
"…We leave in two days. I'll arrange a few Xuanling disciples to go with you."
As the moonlight grew deeper, the grandfather and grandson both stood up.
"Brat." Shangguan Danqing's voice was deep and resonant.
"Hm?" Chen Wuyou replied offhandedly.
"Just like you always have on your lips: live well."
"Hehe, got it~"
...
And so, the next morning, Qi Mingzhi opened his eyes and stepped out of his room to see Chen Wuyou looking at him with a beaming smile.
Having received no word from the old man and the youth who went out for a stroll last night, Qi Mingzhi had grown disheartened and given up the struggle, preparing to leave the Xuanyang Sect with Yan Ming.
"Brother Wuyou, what brings you here?"
"Hehe, well, Brother Mingzhi," Chen Wuyou chuckled. "Yesterday my old man persuaded me, and as the saying goes, meetings are fated. Since it's not easy for you and me to meet, I, Chen Wuyou, have decided to help you with your favor!"
Hearing this, Qi Mingzhi froze like a statue, remaining silent for a very, very long time.
This plot twist was somewhat unexpected; he felt his brain was a bit overloaded.
"Brother Mingzhi? Brother Mingzhi?" Chen Wuyou stretched his neck and called out twice.
"Ah? Oh... well, for Brother Wuyou to be willing to help, Mingzhi is truly... flattered."
"It's nothing, it's nothing," Chen Wuyou waved his hand, then asked, "By the way, where should I rendezvous with you folks?"
"Hm?" The corner of Qi Mingzhi's eye twitched. How was it that after a single night, Chen Wuyou had become even more anxious than he was?
Fortunately, Qi Mingzhi was a calm and composed person at heart. Although caught off guard by Chen Wuyou's sudden change, he managed to gather his thoughts a moment later.
"...It seems the Elder Sect Master Shangguan has already explained everything to Brother Wuyou, so I won't go into details. Tomorrow I will personally lead the team out. Given your sect's location, Brother Wuyou can wait for us in Shangzhou City in two days, and we can rendezvous there."
"Brother Wuyou, does that work?"
With that, Qi Mingzhi didn't forget to thoughtfully add, "If it's inconvenient, I can send people to pick you up at your sect."
"No problem at all, Shangzhou City is just fine. I happen to want a change of taste... I mean, uh, a change of scenery."
"Since that's the case, many thanks, Brother Wuyou." Qi Mingzhi cupped his fists in gratitude.
"No need to be polite, Brother Mingzhi."
And so, having achieved his goal, Qi Mingzhi bid farewell to Chen Wuyou with a completely different frame of mind from the previous night.
In truth, he originally intended to call Yan Ming along, but learning from Chen Wuyou that Shangguan Danqing had sent Yan Ming back to the Yuying Sect for recuperation ahead of time to keep him from getting into trouble early in the morning, Qi Mingzhi left the Xuanyang Sect alone.
Not long after Qi Mingzhi left, Ye Xiya returned to Bishui Peak with Shangguan Mo.
As for the Yueoling Peak they had visited, it wasn't actually very far. Rather than saying Ye Xiya went to visit family, she had simply gone to catch up with her sister.
Specifically, it was her twin sister, Ye Liusu, who had married into the Xuanyang Sect alongside Ye Xiya all those years ago.
However, Ye Liusu's husband—who was also a junior martial brother of Shangguan Danqing—had unfortunately passed away in his early years, so whenever elder sister Ye Xiya had free time, she would visit Yueoling Peak.
As soon as they returned this time, Shangguan Mo rushed over to Chen Wuyou with a puffed-up little face.
"Hm? Who upset our little Mo?" Chen Wuyou pulled Shangguan Mo to his side, smiling softly as he asked the young girl with concern.
Hearing this, Shangguan Mo pointed toward the direction of the Xuanyang Sect's inner gate. "Brother Wuyou, there's a bad guy over there who slandered you!"
"Oh? Is that so?" A hint of curiosity appeared on Chen Wuyou's face. "What did he say?"
"He said, he said..." Shangguan Mo pouted, pressing her little hands together as she tried hard to remember. "That fellow said, said, Big Brother, you're no good!"
Chen Wuyou: "......"
Where is my blade?
Having lived for so many years, this was the most insulting remark he had ever heard!
He had a mind to go to Tianxiang Pavilion and challenge him to a single combat!
Ye Xiya walked over at that moment, stroking Shangguan Mo's small head with a helpless expression. "You, you child, you only know how to talk nonsense."
"I did not!"
Although Shangguan Mo's words sounded like two different versions to Ye Xiya and Chen Wuyou, whichever one it was, Chen Wuyou felt the provocation.
"Grandmistress, you don't need to say another word. I'm going right out there to let him experience the beauty of the human world!"
With that, Chen Wuyou prepared to summon his Spirit Sword and head toward the inner gate.
"Wuyou, don't be impulsive." Ye Xiya hurriedly called out to stop Chen Wuyou, explaining, "Actually, there's just a promising young disciple who recently rose to prominence in the inner gate. He has defeated quite a few disciples on the Martial Duel Stage, and your Martial Aunt Liusu casually mentioned yesterday that she plans to challenge you in the next couple of days."
"Ah, challenging me?" Hearing this, Chen Wuyou instantly lost interest. "Then forget it."
Hearing this, Shangguan Mo immediately looked unhappy. "Brother Wuyou, go take a look! That fellow is so arrogant; if you don't go, many people will look down on you... Mo doesn't want that."
As she spoke, the young girl tugged on Chen Wuyou's sleeve, gently swaying back and forth.
Chen Wuyou had never been able to resist Shangguan Mo's spoiled pouting, and under this treatment, he instantly compromised.
"All right, all right, I'll go. Big Brother will go take a look, okay?"
With that, Chen Wuyou looked at Ye Xiya.
To this, Ye Xiya raised no objections. Chen Wuyou had kept a low profile for so many years, so stepping out now to see the current level of the disciples was also a good thing.
Thus, having obtained permission, Chen Wuyou took Shangguan Mo and flew toward the inner gate.
...
At this very moment, inside the inner gate Martial Duel Stage, two inner gate disciples were locked in a fierce battle.
One of them was a woman with a graceful figure and hair like a flying waterfall. Wielding a Spirit Sword, her sword techniques flowed like high mountains and running rivers—flexible, ever-changing, and unceasing.
The other was a man with a rugged build, roaring like a mountain-shaking fierce tiger. Wielding a long saber, his saber moves were like a blazing, scorching sun—fierce and peerlessly powerful.
In an instant, softness met hardness; saber light crossed sword shadow, and cold sparks scattered everywhere.
Down below the stage, discussions buzzed."Do you think Junior Sister Yu Luo can defeat Senior Brother Wang Fierce?"
"Hard to say.Senior Brother Wang ferocious broke through to the Xuanling Second Layer a few days ago, while Junior Sister Yu Luo just broke through to the Xuanling Realm. The gap in cultivation is simply too great," one disciple shook his head repeatedly.
Sure enough, after the two of them exchanged dozens of moves on the stage, the man roared, seized an opportunity to deliver a vertical slash of dazzling golden saber Qi, and blasted the woman back several zhang.
Taking the blow, the woman felt a searing pain throughout her body, and her inner vital energy surged upward.
"Junior Sister Yu Luo," the man smiled, "being able to fight me to a standstill with a First Layer cultivation is truly admirable of you, Senior Brother. But today, you cannot win."
"Senior Brother, you shouldn't speak too soon," the woman said with a calm expression, showing no sign of retreat.
"Victory or defeat is yet undecided."