10: Chapter 10: The Hot Potato Talisman

Zhao Mingfang glanced at Xiao Yuan, his eyes filled with undisguised contempt and coldness as he cut straight to the point. "Are you the Xiao Yuan in charge of the Scrap Yard? Let me ask you, have you seen a blood-red jade pendant?"

Xiao Yuan's heart sank.

Here it comes! So fast!

His instinct was to nod and hand over the jade pendant to get it over with, but the words stuck in his throat and he swallowed them back down.

Something's not right!

First, the design of this jade pendant is clearly delicate and feminine, like something belonging to a female Cultivator. Why would a big man like Zhao Mingfang use this?

Second, the eagerness and greed in Zhao Mingfang's eyes didn't look like someone searching for their own lost item. It looked more like... hunting for treasure and picking up a bargain!

Third, and most importantly—if he really gave the jade pendant to him, Zhao Mingfang would 100% murder him to keep the secret for himself!

In a flash, Xiao Yuan made his decision.

Putting on a perfectly calibrated expression of confusion and deference, he lowered his head and said, "Senior Brother Zhao, I haven't seen any blood-red jade pendant. These scraps were just delivered and I haven't had time to organize them yet; they're all piled over there. If Senior Brother doesn't believe me, you're welcome to check for yourself."

Zhao Mingfang narrowed his eyes, his icy gaze sweeping back and forth across Xiao Yuan as if trying to catch a flaw in his expression.

Xiao Yuan held his breath, doing his best to play the part of a timid, low-cultivation Utility Disciple.

After staring for a while without finding any flaw, Zhao Mingfang let out a cold snort. Ignoring Xiao Yuan, he strode over to the pile of scraps and began frantically rummaging through them.

His movements were rushed, and as he searched, he glanced warily toward the doorway, clearly afraid of being seen.

After searching for a bit, he found nothing.

Zhao Mingfang's expression turned gloomy. He turned back to glare at Xiao Yuan, his tone laced with threat:

"Xiao Yuan, listen to me closely! If you see that blood-red jade pendant, bring it to me immediately, and I'll reward you handsomely! Also, you're not to mention to anyone that I was here today! Otherwise... hmph!"

He let out a cold snort and released a sliver of his Qi Condensation 9th Layer pressure. Terrified, Xiao Yuan turned pale and nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, yes, Senior Brother Zhao! I understand, I understand!"

Only then did Zhao Mingfang flick his sleeves in satisfaction and leave.

Xiao Yuan waited until he was far away before straightening up, his gaze turning grave.

That bastard definitely didn't go far. He's probably lurking nearby to watch me.

How could he easily give up on a precious item like a jade talisman treasure?

If I slip up even a little right now, I'll probably suffer an 'accidental death' tonight.

What was worse, with that guy watching from the shadows, he wouldn't even dare use the small tripod, let alone Cultivate!

"Trouble... big trouble!" Xiao Yuan felt a huge headache coming on.

Misfortunes never come singly. He thought he had scored a bargain, but it turned out to be a death warrant!

Not long after Zhao Mingfang left, the battered door was pushed open again.

Seeing who arrived, the corner of Xiao Yuan's eye twitched—Chen Yin!

When Chen Yin saw Xiao Yuan standing there hale and hearty, he was visibly startled. Immediately after, an unbearable blaze of jealousy and murderous intent erupted in his eyes.

The two Qi Condensation 4th Layer Disciples he had sent to lie in wait at the Scrap Yard had gone missing! Yet Xiao Yuan was alive and kicking!

Thinking carefully, no matter how foolish Chen Yin was, he could guess that those two had likely met a grim fate, and Xiao Yuan definitely had something to do with it!

How could this useless trash have such tough luck?!

Besides, why did Ye Qingcen pull him inside that day?! What on earth happened between them?!

New hatred on top of old grudges, compounded by burning jealousy, made Chen Yin want nothing more than to slap Xiao Yuan to death on the spot.

But he didn't dare.

Killing a fellow Disciple in broad daylight was too severe a crime. Even though his grandfather was the Outer Sect's Grand Elder—a formidable Peak Foundation Establishment, half-step False Core Cultivator—he might not be able to protect him.

If he were to kill him, it had to be done in secret.

Forcibly suppressing his murderous intent, he asked with a cold face the exact same question as Zhao Mingfang: "Xiao Yuan, have you seen a blood-red jade pendant?"

Xiao Yuan nearly cursed out loud.

Another one! And also here for the jade pendant!

He quickly lowered his head, deflecting with the same excuse: "Senior Brother Chen, I haven't seen it. The scraps are all over there; I haven't touched them."

Chen Yin glanced at the scrap pile, which had clearly been rummaged through, and his gaze turned even colder: "Haven't touched them? Then why is it in such a mess?"

Xiao Yuan opened his mouth, but thinking of Zhao Mingfang who might be hiding in the shadows, he ultimately chose to keep quiet, merely showing a hint of distress and terror on his face.

Chen Yin was shrewd enough to immediately read the situation from Xiao Yuan's expression and his intentional glance toward a direction outside the door.

"Someone was here before me? Who was it?" Chen Yin lowered his voice and asked.

Xiao Yuan shuddered in "fear," tightly shutting his mouth and shaking his head furiously, but his terrified eyes already said everything.

Chen Yin's eyes flickered. He didn't push further or search the scraps—since someone had already searched it, the item was likely no longer there.

He turned back to Xiao Yuan, adopting a somewhat persuasive tone:

"Xiao Yuan, listen to me. If you see that blood-red jade pendant, hand it over to me. I can use my status and influence to excuse you from this Outer Sect Assessment. How about it? You wouldn't want to be banished to the West Mountain Mine, would you?"

Xiao Yuan sneered in his heart: "You sure know how to paint a grand picture! You were the one forcing me to take the assessment, and now you're the one saying you can excuse me? Like hell I'd believe you! If I really gave you the jade pendant, I'd probably be 'suicided' the very next second."

But on his face, he displayed pleasant surprise mixed with struggle, which finally settled into deference: "Thank you, Senior Brother Chen! If... if I see it, I will definitely bring it to you!"

Chen Yin took a long, deep look at him, said nothing more, and turned to leave, his retreating figure emanating a chilly gloom.

Watching Chen Yin disappear out the door as well, the "deference" on Xiao Yuan's face instantly vanished, replaced by deep gravity and a sense of crisis.

"I've really kicked a hornet's nest this time..." He walked over to the window and cautiously peered through the gap at the silent woods outside, feeling as though someone was hiding in every shadow.

"Zhao Mingfang, Chen Yin... two top Outer Sect Disciples. They must both be crazed with greed for this jade talisman treasure."

Xiao Yuan thought of the blood-red jade pendant sitting in his Storage Pouch, his face twisting in distress.

"Who the hell did I piss off?!"

He truly felt like weeping without tears.

However, deep down, he also felt a sense of relief.

If he hadn't picked up this jade pendant and either of those two had found it first, they would have killed him to silence him anyway!

Now that the item was with him, those two were afraid of damaging the goods, so they didn't dare act openly for now... But what about tonight?

Anyone with half a brain knew that tonight, both of them would definitely launch a surprise attack!

Whether the item was on him or not, those two would absolutely kill him first—as a witness and potential thief—before searching his body or turning the Scrap Yard upside down!

"I can't go forward, and I can't retreat... I'm being roasted over a fire!" Xiao Yuan paced back and forth in the room, his mind racing.

He had to find a way to break this deadlock! Otherwise, forget about lying low and developing quietly, seeing tomorrow's sun would be an issue!

This damned jade talisman treasure—which careless bastard dropped it?! They've really brought disaster upon me!