90: Chapter 90 Stirring Up Trouble

Cang Xuanzi's gaze landed on the robed figure, his brows slightly furrowed. Ming Huazi's expression was grave, while Yuan Zhenzi's eyes flickered, as if deep in thought.

A strange Nascent Soul infiltrating the Sect without a sound—how could they tolerate such a thing?

However, before they could speak, the robed figure had already risen to his feet.

He cupped his hands toward Ming Huazi, his voice carrying a hint of a smile:

"Many thanks for the Spirit Stones, True Lord Ming Huazi. This matter, I shall handle."

Before the words had even faded, his aura instantly vanished without a trace.

Along with his figure, he disappeared entirely.

As if he had never existed at all.

In the room, there remained only Perfected Lu, who was kneeling on the ground shivering, a woman who had fainted from fright, and the three Nascent Soul True Lords with their varying expressions.

Cang Xuanzi said nothing; he cast a cold glance at Ming Huazi and turned to leave.

The chill in that glance was enough to freeze a Yao Beast to death.

Yuan Zhenzi also looked at Ming Huazi. This glance was even colder than Cang Xuanzi's, and it carried a hint of ambiguous mockery. He did not speak, merely let out a soft harrumph, and followed him out.

The room was left with only Ming Huazi and the kneeling Perfected Lu.

Ming Huazi's expression was so gloomy it could wring out water.

He slowly turned his head to look at Perfected Lu.

"Speak."

How dared Perfected Lu conceal anything? He recounted everything that had just happened, from his nephew causing trouble, to the robed figure arriving, to the compensation of Spirit Stones, and finally that baffling phrase, "Many thanks for the Spirit Stones, True Lord Ming Huazi"—he did not dare omit a single word.

After hearing this, Ming Huazi's expression became even uglier.

"Investigate." He gritted his teeth. "Investigate this for me clearly; find out exactly who this person is!"

Perfected Lu said with a trembling voice: "Yes... yes! This Junior will go investigate immediately!"

Ming Huazi let out a cold snort, and his figure dissipated.

Perfected Lu remained on his knees for a long time before he dared to crawl up. His entire body was soaked in cold sweat, his legs weak, and he had to support himself against the wall to barely stand steady.

A Nascent Soul True Lord...

A Nascent Soul True Lord had actually been offended by his good-for-nothing nephew...

The more he thought about it, the angrier and more afraid he became. He suddenly kicked over a chair beside him and roared hoarsely:

"Someone come here! Bring that degenerate to me!"

Someone outside the door acknowledged the order and left.

Perfected Lu panted heavily, his eyes full of rage.

Investigate? Let him, a Golden Core, investigate a Nascent Soul?

What if that old thing came back to kill him?

Yet, he dared not disobey Ming Huazi's order.

He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white.

It was all that degenerate's fault!

Once he found that nephew, he would definitely make him wish for death!

Soon, this good-for-nothing thing was brought in by his subordinates.

After a bout of punching and kicking, Perfected Lu finally stopped, panting as he looked at his nephew, who was curled up on the ground wailing.

This idiot had been beaten until his face was bruised and swollen, yet he kept crying out his innocence: "Uncle... I really don't know... I've been in secluded Cultivation for the past few days... I haven't even stepped out the door..."

Perfected Lu stared at him, his expression flickering with uncertainty.

Although his nephew was good-for-nothing, he never lied—or rather, he didn't have the guts to lie in front of him. Moreover, he had already had people investigate, and it was indeed true.

Then who was the one who snatched the Spirit Medicine and beat the servants?

Perfected Lu's mind raced, and the more he thought about it, the more something felt off.

The robed figure's pressure could not be faked; it was undoubtedly the Nascent Soul Stage. But if he really was a Nascent Soul True Lord, having been offended by a Foundation Establishment Junior, why would he need to put on this act with him? He could have just slapped that so-called "nephew" to death, then demanded an apology from him; would he dare say a single word of refusal?

Why go through such a roundabout way?

And that phrase, "Many thanks for the Spirit Stones, True Lord Ming Huazi"...

Perfected Lu shuddered, and cold sweat broke out again.

What did that mean? Did this person actually know True Lord Ming Huazi or not?

Sowing discord? Framing someone?

Or was it... that the robed figure was sent by Ming Huazi himself? But what would Ming Huazi want with his Spirit Stones? Ming Huazi wouldn't even deign to look at his meager possessions.

The more Perfected Lu thought, the more confused he became, his mind a complete mess.

He dared not ask Ming Huazi, and even less did he dare ask the Sect Leader or Yuan Zhenzi. Just thinking about the way those two had looked at him made his legs weak.

He could only investigate it himself.

"Someone!" he said sharply. "Send people to the market; investigate if there have been any suspicious individuals coming and going recently! Especially those whose movements are secretive and who are lavish with their spending! Report any clues to me immediately!"

"Yes!"

Several figures acknowledged the order and left.

Perfected Lu stood where he was, his expression terrifyingly gloomy.

He looked down at his nephew, who was still groaning on the ground, kicked him aside, and stormed off, flicking his sleeves.

On the other side,

Yun Ming returned to his Immortal Cave and closed the door behind him.

He stood at the door for a moment, and only after confirming he hadn't been followed did he heave a sigh of relief.

Tonight's performance had gone even more smoothly than he had expected.

With three Nascent Souls arriving at the same time, he could see Ming Huazi's expression clearly even through the black robe. That phrase, "Many thanks for the Spirit Stones, True Lord Ming Huazi," was enough to plant a thorn in the hearts of Cang Xuanzi and Yuan Zhenzi.

For these powerful people, a single sentence or a single event was enough for them to imagine an entire drama.

As for when this thorn would fester, or who it would prick, that was no longer his concern; if he could disgust them, it wouldn't be a loss.

Yun Ming took off the black robe and sat cross-legged in the Quiet Room.

Subconsciously, he wanted to check his gains from tonight, but as soon as his hand touched those few storage rings, he stopped.

No rush.

That old thing might have left some kind of mark on the rings. If he checked them now and his location was discovered, wouldn't all his previous efforts be wasted?

Yun Ming had overestimated Perfected Lu's courage, but being cautious was never wrong.

Tossing the storage rings into his naxu ring, Yun Ming left them alone for the time being.

He then took out another Storage Pouch—the one belonging to that mysterious man in black.

The person was already dead, so the Divine Sense mark on the Storage Pouch was much easier to erase. But it was, after all, a Golden Core Stage mark, so Yun Ming did not dare to be careless. He focused his mind and Qi, using his Divine Sense to grind it away bit by bit.

This grinding took an entire day and night.

By the evening of the next day, that layer of Divine Sense mark was finally completely erased by him.

Yun Ming opened his eyes and let out a long breath.

After Cultivating the Great Thousand Star Evolution Sword Diagram, his Divine Sense was already far superior to those of the same rank. Now, having erased a Golden Core mark, he had an even clearer understanding of the strength of his own Divine Sense—although his Realm was still Foundation Establishment Late Stage, his Divine Sense strength had already touched the threshold of Foundation Establishment Perfection.

He reached into the Storage Pouch and took out the items one by one.

A dozen or so Tier 2 Spirit Talismans, folded neatly.

Three Tier 3 Spirit Talismans, kept in separate jade boxes.

Less than a hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones were piled lonely in a corner.

A few Cultivation Techniques, one of which was the palm technique used by the man in black—named "Thirteen Layers of Overlapping Waves." Pushing out a palm, the force would be like ocean waves, layered upon layers, each one fiercer than the last. Yun Ming flipped through a few pages and found this Cultivation Technique quite interesting, but unfortunately, he had no use for it.

Then there were some Magic Treasures.

A few Flying Swords of ordinary quality, a bronze mirror whose Spiritual Qi had dissipated, and a damaged piece of soft armor—all worthless items that might not even be wanted if thrown on a street stall in the market.

Yun Ming rummaged through them, his brows furrowing tighter and tighter.

"This person... is just too poor, right?"

He couldn't help but complain.

He was at least a Golden Core, and his assets were just this little? He didn't even have a decent Magic Treasure?