148: Han Ruyan

Yao Delong ignored the others and led Lin Qingxue straight to the counter, finding a middle-aged Cultivator who appeared to be a manager.

"Manager, we have some Magic Treasures to sell. Please provide an appraisal."

Yao Delong's voice was calm.

The manager clearly recognized Lin Qingxue as well. A flicker of imperceptible difficulty and detachment flashed across his face as he deliberated on how to speak.

Right then, a cold female voice with a clear tone of mockery drifted down from the circular corridor on the second floor:

"Oh, I was wondering who it was. Isn't this the 'renowned' Elder Qingxue of the Lin family from our Canglan City?"

Everyone followed the sound and saw a woman dressed in a magnificent palace gown standing by the railing.

She was tall, with a dignified and rigorous temperament and a beautiful face.

Between her brows was an innate nobility and arrogance, like a blooming peony—elegant and refined.

The most striking feature was her snow-white silver hair. Unlike Xin Yuelan's silver hair,

hers exuded the charm of a pure, noble lady from a prestigious family.

"Has the Lin family changed its nature?"

The woman's red lips parted slightly, and her voice carried clearly through the hall with undisguised ridicule.

"Heir Ling Xiao of the Marquis of Zhenbeis Estate has visited your door several times, yet your Lin family wouldn't even let him in, giving him more than his fill of closed doors.

Poor Marquis of Zhenbeis Estate, thinking they found a good match, only for them to be the type to kick someone when they're down!

What? Now that the Marquis's Estate is in trouble, your Lin family thinks to sell the Magic Treasures you 'borrowed' from them?

Have you finally found your conscience, or... are you in a hurry to cut ties?"

The crowd immediately broke into a commotion.

"It's the eldest Young Miss of the Han family, Han Ruyan!"

"The Duke of Han's Estate is a giant cultivation clan of the Ba Xia Dynasty, with generations of friendship and deep ties to the Marquis of Zhenbeis Estate!"

"I heard this Miss Han has peerless talent. She broke through to the Golden Core in her twenties and is now at Golden Core Perfection with unfathomable strength!

She is a strong contender for the next head of the Han family!"

"Now this is a good show! Miss Han is clearly standing up for the Marquis's Estate!"

Lin Qingxue's delicate brows furrowed as she looked at the condescending and aggressive Han Ruyan on the second floor.

A surge of anger rose in her heart, but it was mostly helplessness.

The Han family was powerful and close to the Marquis's Estate; with her opponent attacking now, she indeed found it difficult to argue back forcefully.

Yao Delong's gaze also fell upon Han Ruyan, a flash of admiration crossing his eyes.

Simultaneously, the System's emotionless prompt sounded in his mind:

[Target: Han Ruyan]

[Age: 39]

[Cultivation: Golden Core Perfection]

[Spiritual Power Affinity: 10]

[Favorability: 50 (Initial curiosity and appreciation due to the host's outstanding appearance and unfathomable cultivation)]

Yao Delong's heart stirred slightly. A Spiritual Power Affinity of 10!

This was the second person he had encountered with such top-tier talent, after the White Cloud Merchant Guild's mysterious Young Master, Yun Ruoning!

No wonder she reached Golden Core Perfection at such a young age. Han Ruyan's talent was actually on par with Yun Ruoning's!

Han Ruyan felt Yao Delong's inquisitive and surprised gaze and looked back at him.

When she saw Yao Delong's peerlessly handsome face and the strange, powerful Aura he exuded,

a flash of admiration and deeper inquiry also crossed her eyes.

She had no ill will toward Yao Delong, mostly curiosity, but that didn't stop her from continuing to target Lin Qingxue.

"What? Is Elder Lin speechless?"

Seeing Lin Qingxue's silence, the sneer at the corner of Han Ruyan's mouth deepened.

"Or does your Lin family think that by selling these things stained with the Marquis's blood and sweat, you can have a clear conscience?"

Han Ruyan's heavily mocking words still echoed in the hall, like a cold whip lashing against Lin Qingxue's heart.

Although the surrounding whispers were suppressed by Yao Delong's Aura,

the invisible disdain and scrutinizing gazes were as heavy as physical weight.

Amidst this suffocatingly oppressive atmosphere, Yao Delong moved.

He took a step forward, subtly shielding Lin Qingxue behind him.

His tall figure was like a steady mountain, instantly drawing everyone's gaze.

His voice was neither high nor low, yet it reached every corner of the hall clearly.

With a strange penetrating power, it instantly suppressed all other noise:

"Miss Han, your words are mistaken."

Yao Delong's gaze calmly met Han Ruyan's scrutinizing eyes from the second floor.

"The world is complex; how can things be generalized? The Lin family's actions may have been biased,

but what Junior Sister Qingxue is doing now is precisely an act of setting things right and making amends!"

Before his voice had even faded, he flipped his wrist, and a token appeared in his palm.

The token was cast entirely from a deep purple-gold metal, with cloud patterns flowing around the edges like living things.

Within the cloud patterns, star-like points of light flickered faintly.

In the center of the token, an ancient and vigorous character for 'Yun' seemed to contain some fundamental truth of heaven and earth,

emanating an indescribable Aura of nobility and majesty.

As soon as this token appeared, the light in the entire hall seemed to distort slightly,

and an invisible pressure originating from a high level quietly spread out.

"This is...?"

Most of the Cultivators in the hall looked dazed, only feeling that the token's material was extraordinary and its Aura intimidating, yet they could not recognize its origin.

They whispered among themselves, guessing that perhaps this was some special identity token of the Yin Yang Sect?

However, the manager behind the counter, whose face had still held a professional smile and a hint of imperceptible detachment,

saw the color drain completely from his face the moment he clearly saw the purple gold cloud pattern token!

His pupils suddenly constricted to the size of needlepoints, and his body began to tremble violently and uncontrollably,

as if he had seen something incredible that was enough to overturn his understanding of reality!

"The... the purple gold cloud pattern token?!"

The manager's voice became sharp and distorted due to extreme shock and fear, filled with an unbelievable tremor.

Almost instinctively, his legs gave way, and with a 'thud,' he knelt deeply toward Yao Delong!

His forehead slammed heavily against the polished floor!

"Dis... Distinguished Guest! Noble Distinguished Guest! This... this lowly one was blind!

I did not know it was your great presence! For my negligence, ten thousand deaths! Ten thousand deaths could not atone for my sin!"

The manager's voice carried a sob, and his body shook like a leaf in the autumn wind.

Where was the difficulty and detachment from when he faced Lin Qingxue just now? Only boundless fear and ultimate respect remained!

This sudden and shocking reversal plunged the entire hall into a dead silence!

Everyone was stunned by this dramatic scene!

The eldest Young Miss of the Han family, who had just been high and mighty, questioning the Lin family on behalf of the Marquis's Estate,

now seemed intimidated by this token and the manager's reaction. Her gaze was locked onto the token in Yao Delong's hand,

her brows tightly furrowed as if she were trying desperately to remember something.

And behind Yao Delong, Xin Yuelan's beautiful eyes beneath her mask also snapped wide open!

Taking advantage of the gap while Yao Delong was speaking, she had quietly walked to a dark corner by a pillar

and carved a strange symbol with a stone. It was precisely the contact signal of the Heavenly Demon Sect.

Having finished this, she had just breathed a sigh of relief when her gaze swept over the token in Yao Delong's hand and instantly froze as well!