49: Chapter 49 Demon Ash Guild

He hadn't deliberately concealed his actions at the time, and the commotion had been quite large, so it was reasonable that the Zangxiao Pavilion had gathered information on it.

Seeing Lin Qing's expression soften, a flash of joy crossed Su Lan's eyes. She struck while the iron was hot and continued, her crisp voice filled with sincerity:

"How about it? Young Master Xie Chen, would you like to seriously consider joining our Yaojin Guild?"

Lin Qing shook his head gently, his tone calm: "There is no need."

With that, he turned around, intending to leave directly.

Seeing Lin Qing leave without a hint of hesitation, Su Lan became anxious. With light steps, she quickly moved in front of him.

"Hey, hey, hey, Young Master Xie Chen, please wait a moment, don't be in such a rush to leave!"

The fingers Lin Qing used to grip his longsword tightened slightly.

Su Lan tilted her head up, looking seriously at the young man before her, who was so young yet possessed such terrifying strength, and said word by word:

"Our Yaojin Guild is one of the top three large guilds in Yanguī City. If you are willing to join us, you will be able to avoid countless troubles in Yanguī City in the future."

Lin Qing stopped, his gaze falling on the young girl blocking his path, and asked calmly: "What kind of trouble?"

He was new to Yanguī City and knew little about the undercurrents of this great martial city, so he was interested to hear exactly what kind of trouble she meant.

Seeing that he was willing to listen, Su Lan immediately began to explain, her tone becoming slightly more solemn:

"You are only nineteen years old, yet you possess the terrifying combat power of a Peak Realm Martial Artist. Such talent is rare to see in the Xia Kingdom even once in a century."

"It is not just our Yaojin Guild that wants to recruit you; the other major forces in the city have already received wind of this and are secretly planning to send people to win you over."

"Young Master, you must understand the principle that a tall tree catches the wind, right? For every person who admires your talent, there is another who will covet it."

At this point, Su Lan lowered her voice slightly, her tone carrying a hint of warning:

"There are even more malicious people who are convinced that you are carrying a precious treasure; otherwise, it would be absolutely impossible for you to have Cultivated to such a Realm at this age."

"If they cannot recruit you openly, they will harbor evil intentions in the shadows, waiting for an Opportunity to attack you and seize your Opportunity."

"But if you join our Yaojin Guild, you will have a solid layer of protection. Our guild can guarantee that we will never probe into your past secrets, nor will we covet any of the Opportunities you possess; we only wish to provide you with a place to settle down."

These words were entirely true and struck at the most troublesome issue Lin Qing currently faced.

Lin Qing fell silent upon hearing this, his tall figure standing on the street as he sank into deep thought.

It had to be said that Su Lan's words hit home. At nineteen years old and at the Peak of the Third Realm, anyone who saw him would think he possessed some Heaven-Defying treasure.

He was also well aware of the principle that an innocent man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is his crime.

A moment later, Lin Qing raised his eyes, looked at Su Lan, and asked slowly: "How does the hidden dragon list describe me?"

This was also what he was most curious about at the moment—just how much of his information had the hidden dragon list compiled by the Zangxiao Pavilion leaked.

Seeing that he had finally relented, Su Lan quickly replied: "The entry for you on the hidden dragon list is very simple: Xie Chen, age nineteen, cultivation suspected to be at the Peak of the Third Realm."

"The attached commentary writes that once, on a moonlit night, because others disturbed his enjoyment of the moon, he drew his sword in anger and killed a Late Stage Martial Artist with a single strike, showing extraordinary combat power."

As she finished speaking, Su Lan couldn't help but chuckle and added: "Now, the Jianghu has even given you a very elegant nickname—'Moonlit Guest'."

"Moonlit Guest..." Lin Qing whispered the nickname to himself.

He steadied his mind and stopped dwelling on it. Changing the subject, he looked toward the depths of the bustling street and asked in a deep voice: "Where is the Zangxiao Pavilion in Yanguī City?"

Su Lan was slightly taken aback, not expecting him to suddenly ask about the Zangxiao Pavilion. She immediately pointed toward the west of the city and carefully guided him on the route:

"Follow this main street all the way west, pass through three busy streets, and on the most prosperous street, Yunque Street, the most imposing building you see is the Zangxiao Pavilion. It is very easy to recognize."

Lin Qing nodded slightly, his gaze calm: "Regarding the guild, allow me to consider it for a while. Once I have decided, I will give you an answer."

With that, he did not linger and, following the direction Su Lan had indicated, set off toward the Zangxiao Pavilion in the west of the city.

Along the way, he passed through streets crowded with people, lined with restaurants and teahouses, with Martial Artists coming and going incessantly. Compared to Yunlan County, the prosperity of Yanguī City was on an entirely different level.

Before long, a grand and imposing building came into Lin Qing's view.

It was completely different from the Zangxiao Pavilion in Qingyang County, which was hidden in the black market, tucked away in a quiet corner, and extremely low-key.

The Zangxiao Pavilion in Yanguī City made no attempt to conceal itself, standing openly right in the center of the bustling Yunque Street. The entire building featured carved beams and painted rafters, upturned eaves, and gilded roof tiles that shimmered in the setting sun, decorated with the utmost luxury and grandeur.

People came and went at the entrance of the pavilion; even during the day, the Zangxiao Pavilion was filled with guests.

Lin Qing straightened his clothes and stepped onto the stone stairs. A servant on duty at the entrance quickly stepped forward, bowed, and led the way, bringing Lin Qing to a quiet and elegant enclosed private room.

Pushing open the wooden door of the room, a faint scent of sandalwood wafted toward him.

The interior of the room was furnished in a simple yet elegant style, with exquisite tables and excellent soundproofing.

As soon as Lin Qing stepped into the room, a black-robed figure sitting across the table suddenly looked up. Through the thick black fabric, it seemed as if they recognized his identity at a glance.

A hoarse, muffled voice slowly sounded: "Young Master Xie Chen, please wait a moment."

After speaking, the black-robed figure stood up and retreated through the back door of the room.

Lin Qing sat down, his expression calm, and waited quietly.

Not long after, the back door creaked, and a new figure walked in slowly.

The figure was still covered completely by a black robe, but compared to the previous person, their frame was noticeably hunched and aged, and their gait carried the sense of twilight brought by the passage of time.

The old man slowly walked to the table and sat down. From beneath the black robe, an aged voice came out, enunciating each word with perfect clarity: "Young Master Lin Qing."

Even though Lin Qing had deliberately polished his Heart-Nature, he could not help but feel a slight shock in his heart at this moment.

However, after a brief moment of astonishment, Lin Qing eased his mind.

His identity as Xie Chen was, after all, a fake identity he had purchased with silver at the Zangxiao Pavilion in Qingyang County back then.

It was not surprising that the Zangxiao Pavilion could find out his real name.

Lin Qing raised his eyes to look at the black-robed old man opposite him and got straight to the point, stating his purpose: "I have come this time to ask if it is possible to remove my ranking from the hidden dragon list?"

This was his first purpose for coming here; being pushed into the limelight did not fit his usual style of conduct.

The aged voice slowly sounded, carrying a hint of helplessness and rigid adherence to rules: "I am truly sorry, Young Master Lin, but I cannot comply with your request."

"The hidden dragon list and the Heaven List are the core businesses upon which our Zangxiao Pavilion stands in the Jianghu, and we will do our utmost to ensure the authenticity and reliability of both lists."

"This time, it is only because your identity as Xie Chen originated from our Zangxiao Pavilion that we made an exception and concealed much of your key information."

Lin Qing had already anticipated this and had not held much hope for it to begin with.

Since the matter of canceling the ranking was not feasible, he stopped dwelling on it and changed the subject, stating the true purpose of his visit.

"Since that is the case, I will ask about another matter. Within Yanguī City, where can one acquire a Fourth Realm Cultivation Technique?"

"And I need a large quantity; at least five or more."

The black-robed old man was visibly stunned upon hearing this, his tone carrying a trace of surprise: "Young Master, did you not already obtain a Fourth Realm Cultivation Technique that day? Why do you need to search extensively for more?"

Lin Qing's expression was indifferent, his tone neither sad nor happy: "The Fourth Realm Cultivation Technique I currently possess does not quite fit my own path of martial Cultivation, so I wish to collect more techniques to compare and verify them from multiple perspectives."

The old man realized in a flash. After a moment of silence, he spoke slowly, directly pointing out three avenues:

"Since you have asked, I will give you three ways to acquire Fourth Realm Cultivation Techniques for free."

"First, plunder and robbery. A large number of Peak Third Realm Martial Artists are entrenched in Yanguī City, and there is no lack of Fourth Realm powerhouses. Most of them treasure various Fourth Realm Cultivation Techniques; if you have sufficient strength, you can simply seize them from others."

"Second, the city's auction houses. The dangers in the forests outside the city are not just Vicious Beasts, but also countless desperate outlaws. After they seize Cultivation Techniques from those Peak Third Realm or Fourth Realm experts, they will put those Fourth Realm Cultivation Techniques of questionable origin up for auction at the Yanguī City auction houses."

"Third, purchase them directly from our Zangxiao Pavilion. Fourth Realm Cultivation Techniques cost one million taels of silver each."

Lin Qing was a little surprised: "You also sell Cultivation Techniques?"

The voice from beneath the old man's black robe carried a hint of a smile: "Of course, we also have Martial Skills. After all, the essence of both is information."

After learning of the three paths, Lin Qing did not linger any longer. He stood up, bade farewell to the old man, and walked out of the Zangxiao Pavilion.

One million taels—of course he didn't have that! After looting the three people at that wilderness inn, the silver he had on him had reached one hundred thousand, but it was still far too short of one million.

Standing on the bustling street filled with traffic and people, the evening breeze blew gently, carrying the warmth of the marketplace. Although the heavy night curtain shrouded the world, it did not bring darkness and silence.

The entire Yanguī City was illuminated with lights. Shops and buildings along both sides of the street lit their lamps. Glazed lamps, revolving lanterns, and lanterns were scattered in layers, with warm golden light stretching across the ten-mile-long street, brilliant lights and shadows overlapping to dispel the pitch-black night.

Pedestrians and carriages coming and going were reflected in the flickering lights; the flowing radiance and the clamor of voices made the night of this great martial city appear noisy and prosperous.

The matter of the Cultivation Technique had to be put on hold for now. Lin Qing found a roadside inn to rest for the time being.

The cost of living in Yanguī City was more than several times higher than in Yunlan County.

A few simple side dishes and a night's stay actually cost him twenty taels of silver.

The night passed without incident. After resting for the night, the next morning, the sky broke at dawn.

Lin Qing got up early, intending to go to the agency in the city to rent a quiet little courtyard to settle down for the time being.

But who would have thought that as soon as he stepped out of the inn, a familiar figure would appear before his eyes again.

Su Lan had been waiting at the inn's entrance early on. She spotted Lin Qing as he came out and immediately walked up to him, her eyes filled with anticipation:

"Young Master Xie Chen, after a night of reflection, I assume you have made up your mind, right? Are you willing to join our Yaojin Guild?"

Seeing this, Lin Qing was speechless.

After parting ways yesterday, he hadn't given much thought to the guild at all. He hadn't expected Su Lan to be so anxious, waiting here early in the morning.

However, thinking about it carefully, his current situation was indeed very dangerous. The reputation of a nineteen-year-old at the Peak of the Third Realm was too eye-catching. In the eyes of outsiders, he was a piece of fat meat holding a precious treasure, and everyone wanted to take a bite.

If he could join a top-tier guild, it would be equivalent to having an extra protective umbrella.

With a guild backing him, most of the overt solicitations and covert schemes would be blocked.

And those powerful Fourth Realm experts who wanted to attack him in the shadows would also have to fear the forces behind him by three points.

Back when Lin Qing was at the Peak of the Second Realm, he had already condensed a river of blood Qi, possessing vigorous blood Qi no weaker than that of a Peak Third Realm Martial Artist.

After his Breakthrough to the Third Realm, his blood Qi power had surged once again. Combined with his superb body control, even when facing a Fourth Realm Early Stage Martial Artist, he had the strength to fight and would not even fall at a disadvantage.

However, Yanguī City was filled with hidden dragons and crouching tigers; the waters were deep and unfathomable. There were several Fourth Realm Late Stage powerhouses on the surface, and who knew how many top experts were hidden in the shadows.

With his current strength, self-preservation in this great city was still difficult.

With this thought in mind, Lin Qing looked at Su Lan and said: "Let's find a place to talk first."

Su Lan was delighted to hear this. She followed Lin Qing back into the inn, requested a private room, and the two sat down opposite each other.

Lin Qing asked the question he was most concerned about: "If I join your guild, must I act with the group, and am I not allowed to go out alone without authorization?"

This point was crucial to him; he always had his own arrangements for his Cultivation and did not want to be bound by the guild's rules.

Su Lan immediately shook her head and replied seriously: "That is completely unnecessary; our guild does not have such rigid rules."

"Our boss and Uncle also act alone on a daily basis."

"However, as you are currently only at the Third Realm, I do not suggest that you go deep into dangerous places alone to hunt Vicious Beasts. But if you insist on acting alone, the guild will not restrict you; everything is up to your own will."

Hearing this reply, Lin Qing felt a sigh of relief in his heart.

Next, he asked a series of key questions, such as resource allocation.

Su Lan patiently answered them one by one.

After all his questions had been answered to his satisfaction, Lin Qing raised his eyes and said slowly: "Since that is the case, then I agree."