103: Chapter 62 Hunter and Prey

The smile on Zhang Fan's face slowly froze.

He had always been conceited about his intelligence, but at this moment, he didn't know how to proceed.

If Chen Xuan didn't take the bait, his trap wouldn't work.

He rubbed the wine cup in his hands, let out a long sigh, and decided to try a different approach.

"Junior Brother Yun, speaking of the Exquisite Marrow just now reminded me of something."

He paused for a moment, his tone sincere:

"The war in the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range is intensifying, and both the Qingcang Sect and our Liuyang Sword Sect are recruiting Loose Cultivators to scout the path."

"The reward is very high; one trip alone would earn at least two thousand Spirit Stones."

"Since you have a history with the Qingyuan Chamber of Commerce, Junior Brother, you must also need to accumulate some savings, right?"

As he spoke, his gaze never once looked at Liu Lili.

Chen Xuan just smiled and didn't take the bait.

Two thousand Spirit Stones were enough to buy the lives of ten Qi Refining Cultivators.

But unfortunately, Chen Xuan already knew what kind of person this guy was.

As the hidden President of the Qingyuan Chamber of Commerce, he couldn't care less about these peanuts.

Trying to tempt him with money was truly absurdly wrong.

At this moment, Zhang Fan felt a surge of frustration in his heart.

How could this kid be like a rock in a latrine, both smelly and hard?

He was simply impossible to deal with, impervious to both soft and hard tactics.

He gritted his teeth and pushed out another token.

"To tell you the truth, my Zhang Clan has a secret mine on the outskirts of the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range."

"Recently, a batch of high-quality Spiritual Gold was unearthed in the mine, but we lack the manpower to escort it back to the sect."

"If you are willing to lend a hand, Junior Brother, I am willing to reward you with Spiritual Gold; I will definitely not treat you unfairly."

Liu Lili finally spoke, her voice as cold as ice shards: "Senior Brother Zhang, are you finished yet?"

The smile on Zhang Fan's face stiffened.

"Junior Sister, I was just..."

"You were just what?" Liu Lili stared at him.

"My Junior Brother just slew a Golden Core remnant soul today and needs to rest. You keep going on and on about Spirit Stones and Spiritual Gold; do you think my Liu Clan is lacking these petty things?"

Her voice was not loud, but it caused the entire third floor to fall silent.

Zhang Fan's lips moved, but he eventually lowered his eyes, masking the seething malice in them.

"Junior Sister is right to reprimand me; it was my lack of consideration."

He stood up and cupped his hands: "Then I will not disturb you two any further."

As he turned to leave, his fingers beneath his sleeves were clenched until they turned white.

Chen Xuan watched his retreating figure and downed the spirit wine in his cup in one gulp.

Liu Lili finally let out a sigh of relief and looked at Chen Xuan: "Junior Brother, why does he keep hovering around you like a fly?"

Chen Xuan smiled.

"Perhaps he is jealous that I am handsome and have Senior Sister's affection."

Liu Lili burst into laughter.

Outside the window, along the corridor, Zhang Fan's footsteps faltered.

He had heard that laughter.

He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, there was no longer any concealment in his gaze.

"A Genius with an Earthly Spiritual Root, who wouldn't want that?"

He asked and answered himself in his heart.

"I have pursued her for five whole years."

"When has she ever looked at me properly?"

"But that trash with a Low Grade Spiritual Root, who has only been in the sect for a few years—she actually smiles at him."

He strode quickly through the corridor, the murderous intent in his heart rising inch by inch.

Returning to his guest room, Zhang Fan dismissed his attendants and sat alone by the bed.

The murderous intent churned in his chest like boiling water, but he had to suppress it.

He could not take action personally.

If Chen Xuan were to die within the territory of the Qingcang Sect, the Liu Clan would definitely investigate.

He not only needed Yun Qi to die, but he also had to distance himself completely.

He took out a Family secret order and used his Divine Sense to carve a line of text into it.

"Investigate Yun Qi's whereabouts; report to me wherever he goes."

He pressed the secret order into a sound transmission jade talisman, watched the spiritual light dissipate into the night, and then slowly lay down.

In the darkness, he muttered to the bed curtains.

"Yun Qi, I will find a perfect place to kill you."

"And after you die, I will 'take care' of your Senior Sister for you."

...

The next morning, Chen Xuan practiced sword techniques in the inn's backyard.

The sword light moved back and forth in the morning mist like a swimming fish, silent and soundless.

Liu Lili leaned against a corridor pillar and watched for a long time before suddenly speaking: "Junior Brother, why did you accept his Spirit Stones yesterday?"

Chen Xuan sheathed his sword, and water droplets condensed from the mist dripped down along the spine of the blade.

"Because he was willing to give them."

He said it casually, but his mind was on another matter.

His relationship with the Qingyuan Chamber of Commerce was known to no one except the two presidents.

Yet Zhang Fan knew.

This meant that this person had been investigating him in the shadows all along.

This was not a good thing.

"Senior Sister, how much do you know about this person, Zhang Fan?"

Liu Lili was slightly stunned.

"The eldest grandson of the Southern Sky Zhang Clan, High Grade Spiritual Root, cultivation at Qi Refining Perfection."

"I know nothing else. Ever since he started hovering around me, I've never paid him any mind."

She paused and added:

"However, my father once said that the Zhang Clan's Family traditions are not upright."

"His grandfather once forced his own brother away for the sake of the Sect Head position."

Chen Xuan nodded.

It was just as he had expected; Zhang Fan was narrow-minded and vindictive.

A person like this would never let things rest.

He summoned the wordless heavenly book.

Invading the mechanisms of heaven and earth to calculate the fates of men.

[Today's Fortune: Medium Omen.]

[Today's Heavenly Secret: Ling Star.]

[Today's Destiny: Sword Cultivator.]

[Medium Omen: Zhang Fan has already formed murderous intent and will soon borrow a knife to kill. If you remain in Qingling Immortal City, you may be attacked in the Eastern District where humans and Yao Beasts intermingle; the attackers are unrelated to the Zhang Clan.]

[Neutral: Flee immediately without saying goodbye, and this trap will resolve itself. However, Zhang Fan will spread rumors in the Sword Sect that Yun Qi fled in fear of punishment.]

[Small Auspicious: Take the initiative to strike, obtain evidence of Zhang Fan framing a fellow sect member, and you can completely topple this person.]

Chen Xuan finished reading and put away the wordless heavenly book.

He was going to choose the Small Auspicious path.

Because the Medium Omen would only keep him safe temporarily.

Zhang Fan would strike again and again; it was impossible to guard against indefinitely.

A thief can wait a thousand days, but how can one guard against a thief for a thousand days?

Making the opponent disappear is the best defense.

He looked down at his hands.

There were still scratches on his fingertips from his fight with Founding Emperor Xie Yuan yesterday.

Those minor wounds had already scabbed over and were slightly itchy.

"Senior Sister, I would like to stay in Qingling Immortal City for a few more days." He looked up and revealed a warm smile.

"There are a few accounts to be negotiated with the Chamber of Commerce that need to be verified; it will take a little time."

Liu Lili frowned.

"Then I will accompany you."

"There is no need." Chen Xuan pressed her wrist, his fingertips warm and soft, "If you accompany me, I will be distracted again."

Liu Lili's ears turned red, she rolled her eyes at him, and said gently:

"Then go and return quickly."

Chen Xuan nodded, and as he turned around, the warmth in his eyes completely dissipated.

It was time to attend to some real business.

He did not go to the Qingyuan Chamber of Commerce branch, but instead headed straight for the Eastern District.

The Eastern District of Qingling Immortal City was a place where humans and Yao Beasts intermingled; serpent-tailed demonesses peddled Medicinal Pills on the streets, and tiger-headed human-bodied Cultivators hurried by carrying the corpses of Yao Beasts.

Following the direction given by the wordless heavenly book, Chen Xuan turned into a quiet alley.

At the end of the alley stood a dilapidated courtyard.

The courtyard gate was mottled, and the threshold was covered with thick fallen leaves.

He pushed the door open and entered.

Inside the courtyard, weeds grew waist-high, a bluestone path led to the main hall, the side rooms on both sides had mostly collapsed, and spiderwebs hung from the eaves.

He stood still in the courtyard and spoke unhurriedly.

"You've followed me for three streets; aren't you tired?"

The courtyard gate behind him moved without wind and slammed shut with a bang.

The show begins!