157: Chapter 157 A Mature Woman in a Cheongsam? Those long, white legs are a waste not for riding a tricycle!

The Cultivators who had just been mocking Cao Kun for seeking death...

...were now all swallowing hard and quietly backing away, terrified of catching even a hint of his bad luck.

The Silver-Armored Commander's scalp tingled with shock at the mention of the "Headquarters" and "Pei Qinglan."

He was a smart man.

Ten thousand Top-Grade Spirit Stones was no small sum.

Moreover, the other party had even offered to take the blame for him.

To keep pressing the matter would be to not know what's good for him.

"Since you are a friend of Lord Pei, then this is naturally a misunderstanding."

The commander swiftly tucked the Storage Pouch into his sleeve and gave a grand wave of his hand.

"Xuantian Sect Young Lord Zhao Kuo harassed a female Cultivator in the street; his death is well-deserved! Take the body away, fall out!"

The City Lord's Manor guards came and went quickly.

In the blink of an eye, they disappeared down the end of the street with the corpse.

Even those two half-dead Soul Transformation Stage protectors were dragged away with them.

The blood on the ground was also conveniently cleaned up.

Having dealt with the people from the City Lord's Manor...

Pei Qinglan turned around, her bright eyes sizing Cao Kun up and down.

She walked up to Cao Kun and gave a slight bow.

The collar of her cheongsam was opened just right, allowing Cao Kun a clear view of that deep cleavage.

"This Young Master has impressive methods. To have such a cultivation at such a young age is truly eye-opening."

Pei Qinglan's voice was sultry and carried a natural affinity.

"I am Pei Qinglan. I wonder if I might have the honor of becoming friends with the Young Master?"

Cao Kun rubbed his chin, but before he could speak...

Yu Linglong, who had been clinging to him, reached her limit.

When one vixen meets another, sparks are bound to fly.

Especially seeing Pei Qinglan's cheongsam slit nearly up to her waist, Yu Linglong felt a sudden sense of crisis.

"Who are you?"

Yu Linglong lifted her captivatingly charming face.

Her peach-blossom eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze extremely aggressive.

"Does our Master even know you? You're acting awfully familiar!"

"Becoming friends? I think you've just taken a liking to our Master's body."

"Wandering around in broad daylight dressed like that, aren't you ashamed?"

"Master~ look at her vixen-like appearance, she definitely has bad intentions~"

The male Cultivators who hadn't dispersed yet almost spat out a mouthful of blood upon hearing this.

Are those words even fair!?

Your thin purple gauze dress isn't exactly modest either!

Faced with Yu Linglong's barbed mockery...

Pei Qinglan didn't get angry; instead, she covered her mouth and let out a charming laugh.

She had spent years navigating the sea of business; she had seen all sorts of difficult situations.

"Fairy, please don't misunderstand."

Pei Qinglan's eyes were sincere and her tone gentle.

She even took half a step back to maintain a polite distance.

"I see that the Young Master has an extraordinary bearing and simply wish to make his acquaintance, it's as simple as that."

Her gaze shifted, glancing at the growing crowd of onlookers.

"There are too many eyes and ears here; it's not the place for a conversation."

"If you two don't mind, why not come to my Treasure Pavilion branch for a chat?"

"I happen to have a collection of fine spirit tea and would like to invite the Young Master for a tasting."

Cao Kun watched the subtle clash between these two top-tier women with great interest.

He was clear-headed.

This woman's appearance was too coincidental.

Yuheng Province was a mandatory stop on the way to the Central Province; she was prepared and clearly coming for him.

Pies don't fall from the sky, and neither do rich women with big chests and long legs.

This woman spent ten thousand Top-Grade Spirit Stones to help him out; it absolutely couldn't be as simple as her thinking he was handsome.

A merchant's investment always demands a return.

However, Cao Kun had always been bold due to his high skill; since she had come to his door...

...he wanted to see what kind of scheme this woman he'd never met before was cooking up.

In any case, it was a chance to scout her out, and enjoying the scenery of that waist-high slit wasn't a loss either.

"Sure."

Cao Kun patted Yu Linglong's perky buttocks, soothing the bristling little fox.

Looking at Pei Qinglan, he smiled.

"Since Miss Pei has extended such a warm invitation, then I shall respectfully accept."

"After you, Young Master."

Pei Qinglan stepped aside and made a gesture of invitation.

As her slender waist swayed, the hem of her cheongsam billowed out again, revealing a glimpse of spring.

Yu Linglong was fuming and stomped her foot hard.

But she could only obediently retreat to Cao Kun's side, secretly vowing...

...that if this vixen dared to do anything out of line...

...she would definitely give her a piece of her mind!

The three left the teleportation formation square and walked along the wide street toward the most prosperous part of the city center.

Everywhere they went, Cultivators on the road proactively made way.

What happened in the square had already spread.

Everyone now knew that this young man in the black and white dharma robe...

...was a ruthless character who didn't even fear the Xuantian Sect and had the Treasure Pavilion Headquarters backing him up.

Before long, a magnificent nine-story building appeared in their sight.

The entire pavilion was crafted from rare Warm Jade, emitting a soft spiritual light.

Above the main entrance hung a Purple Gold Plaque with the three large characters "Treasure Pavilion" written on it.

The brushwork was powerful and vigorous, with a faint flow of the Dao Law.

This was just a branch, yet its grandeur was more luxurious than the Main Hall of those major Sects in Qing Province.

Pei Qinglan led the two to the most luxurious private room on the top floor.

Cao Kun walked over to the main seat and sat down nonchalantly.

He crossed his legs and rested them directly on the sandalwood long table in front of him.

He showed no awareness of being a guest at all.

Yu Linglong sat close to him obediently.

Her jade-like hands skillfully massaged his shoulders, her eyes still warily fixed on Pei Qinglan opposite them.

Pei Qinglan walked to the tea table and began brewing tea with elegant movements.

Her actions were fluid; every time she raised her hand or poured tea, she perfectly showcased the flawless curves of her body.

Cao Kun's gaze swept over her waist, hips, and thighs without any reservation.

He might as well have written the word "hooligan" on his face.

Pei Qinglan acted as if she didn't see Cao Kun's wanton gaze.

"Young Master, try this Jade Blood Dragon Tongue. This is a specialty of the Central Province; only about ten pounds are produced a year."

She gently pushed the teacup in front of Cao Kun, her face full of smiles.

Cao Kun picked up the teacup and drained it in one gulp without even looking.

"The tea is good, and the legs are quite white."

"There are no outsiders here. Miss Pei, let's stop with the formalities."

Pei Qinglan was slightly taken aback.

She was used to the social pleasantries and hypocrisy of the business world.

She rarely saw someone speak so bluntly.

However, looking into Cao Kun's bottomless eyes...

...she knew that playing word games in front of a smart person would only be counterproductive.

"The Young Master is indeed a straightforward person. Then I shall not beat around the bush either."

Pei Qinglan tucked away her professional fake smile.

Her expression became serious.

"Actually, my appearance today wasn't entirely the Treasure Pavilion's idea."

"Rather, I was entrusted by a certain noble of the Great Yan Dynasty in the Central Province to wait here specifically for the Young Master."

Great Yan Dynasty?

Cao Kun's eyes narrowed slightly.

In his mind, he instantly recalled the scene from when he searched the souls of the Blood Fiend Twin Ghosts.

He saw the prince wearing a python robe, Bi Yuntao.

He had just killed his people, and now someone was proactively showing goodwill?

It seems there's quite a lot of drama within the Great Yan Dynasty.

"Oh?" Cao Kun remained calm and asked indifferently:

"Great Yan Dynasty? How could a Loose Cultivator from the backwaters like me catch the eye of a noble from the Great Yan Dynasty?"

"Young Master is too modest."

Pei Qinglan smiled slightly.

"Half a month ago, at the border of Hehuan Province, you killed two Early Void Refinement Stage old monsters with a single finger."

"If such a shocking feat is still called being a Loose Cultivator, then the Prodigies of those super orthodoxies in the Central Province would probably all die of shame."

"So?" Cao Kun leaned back in his chair. "What does that noble want with me?"

"Therefore, that noble wanted me to ask the Young Master..."

"...if the Young Master has any interest in cooperating with the Great Yan Dynasty in the upcoming Contest of the Three Thousand Provinces Orthodoxy?"

...

I have something to say to everyone. It's really frustrating; this book's revisions are giving me a headache. I simply deleted all the essence. The book's rating has already been suppressed low enough; only at 8.0 will there be a manual review (you guys understand, right!). This book isn't on any rankings, and the data is just average. I don't understand; for a 410,000-word book, after deleting 20,000 words, is it even readable anymore!? This is already the third time for re-review. If it doesn't pass, I have no choice; I've deleted everything that can be deleted! If it still doesn't pass, there's nothing I can do. I'm done, stop messing with me!

Yu Linglong