135: Chapter 135 The Cultivator Disappears

Ye Tianhao paused and turned to look at the on-duty Disciple.

A hint of solemnity flashed in his eyes, and he bowed, saying, "Thank you for the reminder, Fellow Daoist."

This Tiangong Market did not seem safe; he still needed to remain vigilant.

Beside him, Ye Tianyao subconsciously gripped the Storage Pouch in her hand and looked up at Ye Tianhao, her eyes filled with worry.

Hearing about the missing Cultivators, Ye Tianyao instinctively thought of murder for profit.

They not only had the rewards they just earned but also three extra Red-Armored Lizards and Fire-Attribute Crystal Ores; it would be a problem if they were also targeted.

Ye Tianhao and Ye Tianyao exchanged a look; as siblings, they were naturally in sync.

The two didn't delay any longer, flying on their swords toward a long-established Artifact Refining shop.

The shopkeeper was a Qi Refining Fourth Layer Cultivator. Seeing two simply dressed teenagers whose cultivation was on par with his own, he quickly put on a smile and said, "Fellow Daoists, what kind of weapon do you wish to refine?"

Ye Tianhao asked directly, "Shopkeeper, I want to use these Red-Armored Lizards to make a set of protective armor. How many Spirit Stones will it cost?"

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper took the Storage Pouch. Opening it and seeing three Red-Armored Lizards inside, he couldn't help but be secretly shocked.

His eyes first scanned the area behind the two to ensure no one was paying attention before leaning in and lowering his voice, "This little Fellow Daoist has a good eye. The scales of the Red-Armored Lizard are impervious to water and fire, hard and durable, making them especially suitable for refining a Cultivator's Protective Gear."

"However, tanning these scales is a tedious process. It also needs to be paired with Fire-Patterned Brocade for the lining and Condensed Fire Jade for the trim to lock in the spirituality. To make a complete set of Dharma Robes, including labor and materials, it will cost sixty Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

At this point, the shopkeeper chuckled and said, "Of course, I don't accept haggling! Other workshops aren't as meticulous as mine!"

Hearing this, Ye Tianhao couldn't help but be surprised. If they wanted to refine two sets, wouldn't that be one hundred and twenty Low-Grade Spirit Stones?

All the Spirit Stones they had earned would be exhausted, and they would be short on funds for staying at inns and purchasing Medicinal Pills for cultivation.

Seeing this, Ye Tianyao quietly tugged his sleeve and spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Brother, Protective Gear is important. At worst, we'll just take on more missions. The market isn't peaceful right now; having this Protective Gear will give us more peace of mind!"

Hearing his sister say this, Ye Tianhao nodded and looked up at the shopkeeper, "Since you say so, shopkeeper, I won't haggle, but I have two requirements."

He also said shrewdly, "First, it must be completed within three days. I want to watch you refine it personally; you are not allowed to keep any leftover scale scraps. Second, the Dharma Robe must be light and form-fitting, so it doesn't affect sword flight."

A Qi Refining Cultivator flying on a sword already consumed spiritual power; heavy protective Dharma Robes would instead become a burden. Furthermore, he was wary of the shopkeeper having ill intentions, so personally supervising the work was the safest option.

The smile on the shopkeeper's face remained unchanged, but he secretly admired the boy's meticulousness. He immediately agreed, "Fair enough! Rest assured, Fellow Daoist, my \"Artifact Refining Workshop\" has been open for thirty years and has never done anything against its conscience."

"Leave the Red-Armored Lizards. You can come to supervise this afternoon and pick up the goods on time in three days."

With that, he took out a wooden box that could store items and gestured for them to place the Red-Armored Lizards inside, also estimating how many scales and skins would be needed to refine two sets of Dharma Robes.

After the shopkeeper's estimation, Ye Tianhao paid the deposit and then asked, "Since you are here, shopkeeper, you must be well-informed. When we arrived at Tiangong Market, we heard that some Cultivators have gone missing recently. Do you know what happened?"

His tone was flat, as if asking casually, but there was alertness hidden in his eyes.

Hearing this, the smile on the shopkeeper's face faded instantly. He looked around and then sighed in a low voice, "Sigh, it's chilling to talk about. About a few months ago, first, two lone Loose Cultivators were found drained and dumped in an alleyway. Later, more Cultivators began to disappear."

"Those with low cultivation died, while those with high cultivation just went missing without even a trace of a struggle. Even the people from the Qingyun Sect can't find out what is causing the trouble."

Hearing this, Ye Tianhao couldn't help but feel uneasy. Even some high-level Qi Refining Cultivators had gone missing; it seemed the person behind this had considerable strength.

"You two are young; you should be more careful!" the shopkeeper reminded them.

Ye Tianhao nodded and thanked the shopkeeper for his concern, saying no more.

For the next three days, Ye Tianhao and Ye Tianyao basically stayed in the Artifact Refining shop, and everything was peaceful.

Ye Tianhao also sold the skinned Red-Armored Lizards for dozens of Spirit Stones.

When the shop finished refining the Dharma Robes, Ye Tianyao returned to the guest house and couldn't wait to try them on.

The Red-Armored Lizard Dharma Robe was a dark crimson color, with faint fire patterns where the scales joined. Wearing it, there was no weight at all, and a sense of warmth flowed through her body via her skin.

Ye Tianyao ran her hand over the sleeves; the hard yet flexible scales made a light clinking sound, but it didn't hinder the movement of her arms at all.

"Brother, look, it's so light and sturdy!"

Ye Tianhao also changed into his own set. He tapped the scales on his shoulder, feeling them as hard as steel.

The inner layer made of Fire-Patterned Brocade was incredibly comfortable; even when circulating spiritual power to fly on his sword, there was no sense of obstruction.

He nodded and said, "The shopkeeper's craftsmanship is indeed good. These one hundred and twenty Low-Grade Spirit Stones weren't spent in vain."

With the Dharma Robes for protection, the two only needed to go to the Mission Hall in Tiangong Market to accept missions and earn Spirit Stones for income.

The incident of disappearing Cultivators in Tiangong Market didn't affect the siblings; instead, their frequent visits to the Mission Hall made them familiar with the nearby on-duty Cultivators.

This afternoon, after turning in a mission to gather Spiritual Plants, the siblings were counting the thirty Low-Grade Spirit Stones they had just received.

They had stayed in Tiangong Market for quite some time and it was about time to leave.

"Eldest Senior Brother! With you personally taking action, that Thunder Tiger will be easily captured!"

Just then, a flattering voice from a Cultivator came from the Mission Hall.

Ye Tianyao looked toward the source of the sound and saw that it was Wu Meng, who had previously had a conflict with Ye Tianhao.

He was standing with a familiar, handsome Cultivator, followed by many Cultivators wearing green Disciple robes.

That Cultivator was none other than Lu Shaoyou, who had previously visited the Ye Family.

How could Lu Shaoyou not recognize Ye Tianhao? He also looked surprised and stopped in his tracks.

Seeing this, Wu Meng glanced at Ye Tianhao and Ye Tianyao. Seeing that these two were still in the Mission Hall, he grit his teeth.

He muttered, "How unlucky!"

He had heard that these two had actually managed to take down those Red-Armored Lizards, so he felt they weren't simple and hadn't come looking for trouble. He didn't expect to run into them again.

Ye Tianhao didn't want to cause any unnecessary trouble and was about to leave.

"Wait a moment, Fellow Daoist Ye," Lu Shaoyou suddenly spoke.

This surprised Wu Meng. He looked at his Eldest Senior Brother in disbelief, as if confirming who his Senior Brother was calling.

He saw Lu Shaoyou, the number one Genius of their Qingyun Sect, walk up to Ye Tianhao with a familiar expression, smiling as warmly as a spring breeze.

"What a coincidence, Fellow Daoist Ye."