18: Gambling with Jindan

Three days passed in a flash.

Lu Yuan did not flee.

He knew very well that being locked onto by a Golden Core Cultivator's Divine Sense imprint, any form of escape would only accelerate his death.

That phrase, "consequences at your own risk," was a guillotine hanging over his head.

He meticulously tidied his appearance and changed into a brand new green Daoist robe.

The Low Grade Magical Artifact Flying Sword, "Frost Bristle," was re-fastened to his waist.

He wanted to make himself appear as merely a Loose Cultivator who had stumbled upon some fortunate encounters.

With everything prepared, he walked towards the center of power in Danyang City.

The City Lord's Mansion.

The armored guards at the mansion's entrance had a profound aura, their cultivation levels all in the Late Stage Qi Refinement.

When Lu Yuan announced his name and stated that he was there at the invitation of Family Head Chen, the leading captain's gaze immediately changed.

Arrogance faded, replaced by caution.

He did not encounter any questioning or difficulties.

A middle-aged man who looked like a steward quickly came out to greet him, making an extremely respectful gesture of invitation.

"Fellow Daoist Lu, the Family Head has been waiting for a long time. Please follow me."

Lu Yuan nodded slightly, following behind the steward.

He stepped into this mansion that determined the fate of countless Cultivators in Danyang City.

He passed through corridors and around rockeries.

Finally, he was led to a secluded side hall.

There was no luxury here, only a set of simple sandalwood tables and chairs, and a landscape painting with a profound Concept on the wall.

In the air, there was a faint, lingering scent of sandalwood, which could calm one's mind.

"The Family Head is inside. Please make yourself at home."

The steward bowed and retreated, gently closing the hall door.

Inside the side hall, only Lu Yuan remained.

The hall was empty.

But Lu Yuan knew that he had already arrived.

That invisible pressure was not a direct suppression of power, but a presence of a higher dimension.

It seeped in from all directions, filling every inch of space.

The cicada chirps outside the hall disappeared.

The breeze outside the window stopped.

Lu Yuan could clearly hear his own heartbeat, infinitely amplified in this dead silence: thud, thud, thud.

He did not move.

He just stood quietly in the hall, head bowed and eyes lowered.

He didn't know how much time had passed.

Above the main seat, a figure appeared without warning.

Chen Changqing.

He seemed to have been sitting there from the very beginning, integrated with the space.

He opened his eyes.

In those calm eyes...

"What is your relationship with Han Tiande?"

Chen Changqing's voice was light, yet carried a weight that pierced directly into the Divine Soul.

This was a judgment.

He suspected Lu Yuan was an accomplice of Old Demon Han, or even bait used for fishing.

Lu Yuan raised his head, meeting those eyes that seemed capable of seeing through a person completely.

His expression was calm and unwavering.

The real gamble had begun.

"Reporting to Senior, this Junior has no ties with that traitor, Han Tiande."

"It's just that I happen to have some Karma entanglement with him."

Chen Changqing's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.

Traitor?

Karma entanglement?

This Qi Refinement Stage Junior's answer deviated from all his preconceptions.

Lu Yuan did not give him a chance to ask further, continuing in a steady voice.

"This Junior comes from the Heavenly Secret Pavilion."

"I am a Scribe responsible for purging traitors from the organization."

"Han Tiande was once an peripheral member of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion. He was placed on the kill list for stealing intelligence and betraying the organization."

"This Junior has been tracking him for a long time. That day, I was about to act and purge him, but I didn't expect to disturb Senior's leisure."

Heavenly Secret Pavilion.

Scribe.

One by one, unfamiliar terms calmly flowed from Lu Yuan's mouth, each seemingly carrying an ancient and mysterious charm.

This was a meticulously woven tiger skin he had prepared for himself on the way here.

A tiger skin sufficient to make even a Golden Core Cultivator pause and consider.

Chen Changqing's eyes narrowed slightly.

The temperature of the surrounding air dropped significantly.

"Heavenly Secret Pavilion?"

"This old man has traversed the Southern Domain for hundreds of years and has never heard of it."

In his pupils, an extremely subtle golden glow suddenly lit up.

A strange fluctuation enveloped Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan felt it trying to pierce his Divine Soul, scrutinizing the authenticity of his every thought.

The Chen Family's secret transmitted eye technique, "Discernment Spirit Eye."

Lu Yuan's mind did not waver in the slightest.

Because at this moment, he was the Scribe of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion.

Every word he spoke was the truth.

His heartbeat, spiritual power, and gaze showed no abnormalities.

He just stood there, allowing the other party to scrutinize him, as if narrating a perfectly ordinary official matter.

A moment later, the golden light in Chen Changqing's eyes slowly receded.

Beneath his mask-like, majestic expression, a hint of surprise appeared for the first time.

The feedback from the eye technique was—this person's mind is like an ancient well, and what he says is true.

Could it be... that there really is such a secret organization in the Southern Domain that he doesn't even know about?

Just as doubts surged in Chen Changqing's mind, Lu Yuan threw out his second bargaining chip.

"This Junior knows that Senior might not believe it."

He even showed a faint, understanding smile.

"However, as an apology for disturbing Senior, this Junior can provide a piece of information closely related to Senior, free of charge."

He did not wait for Chen Changqing's response and spoke directly.

"According to Heavenly Secret Pavilion intelligence,"

"The Zhang Family, the sworn enemy of the Pingyang Chen Family, is secretly acquiring a batch of 'Purple Gold Sand' and 'Bone Corroding Flowers' on the black market."

"These two Materials are precisely the main Materials used to refine the 'Yin Fiend Needle,' which counters your Family's Cultivation Technique, the Fierce Sun True Art."

These words struck Chen Changqing's heart like a hammer.

His expression finally changed.

He knew nothing about this matter!

But the combination of "Purple Gold Sand" and "Bone Corroding Flowers" touched the most sensitive nerve in him as a Family Head!

He now believed in the existence of the "Heavenly Secret Pavilion" by seventy percent.

An organization that could accurately know the secrets of his Family's Cultivation Technique and grasp the latest movements of his enemies... its power was absolutely extraordinary.

His gaze towards Lu Yuan completely changed.

From scrutinizing a suspicious ant, it turned into scrutinizing a highly valuable, yet potentially poisonous, tool.

"Very good."

Chen Changqing's voice softened considerably.

"The matter of Han Tiande ends here."

"However, this old man wishes to personally witness whether your Heavenly Secret Pavilion's intelligence capabilities are truly worthy of their name."

He no longer pursued Lu Yuan's identity but proposed a test.

Or rather, a transaction.

"Within half a month."

Chen Changqing extended a finger, its joints distinct, containing terrifying power.

"Find the whereabouts of the 'liu xuan's manual of the dao of alchemy' that went missing during the last Cinnabar Gold Ore Vein skirmish."

"If you can accomplish this, this old man will not only believe you but also give you a satisfactory reward."

"If you cannot..."

He did not finish his sentence.

But the sandalwood incense in the hall seemed to carry a bloody sweetness.

Thoughts raced through Lu Yuan's mind.

After all that, he didn't expect that the core item that triggered the leveraged buyout would ultimately fall into his hands in this manner.

He didn't hesitate in the slightest, bowing slightly to Chen Changqing.

"Senior's commission, the Heavenly Secret Pavilion accepts it."

"Within half a month, there will be a reply."

Having said that, he turned and calmly walked out of the oppressive side hall.

It wasn't until the heavy gates of the City Lord's Mansion closed behind him, and the warm afternoon sunlight once again shone upon him, that Lu Yuan felt a chill on his back, which was already drenched in cold sweat.

He knew he had won another round of the gamble.

A larger vortex had also completely drawn him in.

With a thought, he opened the Exchange panel.

In the search bar, he entered the three characters "Heavenly Secret Pavilion."

The next second.

A blurry entry with question marks slowly appeared.

【Heavenly Secret Pavilion: Cross-dimensional information trading organization (???), related to the 'Dao of Information' of the previous era. Insufficient permissions, unable to view details.】

Lu Yuan's calm expression froze.

A chill shot from his tailbone straight to the crown of his head.

The organization he had casually made up... actually existed?!