Chapter Thirty-Nine: Show Some Respect

Ouyang Ke hesitated for a moment, his heart soaring with joy. Although the old man had already taken the bait, he still needed to find a reason that would truly tempt him. Yet, his own knowledge was shallow, making it difficult to cater to the old man’s preferences. Moreover, he hadn’t even had the opportunity to investigate in advance. Now, forced to improvise, he could only brace himself and say, “Senior, you may not know, but this matter has already resulted in several deaths. The notice posted by the authorities the other day actually hides the real story... All those people died in the struggle for celestial fortune. The city lord fabricated the story out of fear of further trouble.”

The old beggar’s brows furrowed slightly. “What does this have to do with a mortal city lord?”

Ouyang Ke responded instinctively, “Of course, the celestial fortune lies within the city lord’s manor. The lord of Lingzhou is simply trying to protect himself.”

The reason was not hard to deduce; he believed the old man, clever as he was, needed no further explanation. The old beggar finally understood, smiling amiably. “And what is this celestial fortune?”

No wonder…the city of Lingzhou had grown lively of late. He’d already noticed the influence of the Alliance of Righteous Paths.

Ouyang Ke pondered briefly before answering, “It’s likely the place where some senior passed away, leaving behind their lifetime’s achievements.”

While the old beggar mused over this, Ouyang Ke seized the opportunity. “Senior... I have a suggestion. I wonder if I should speak.”

Clearly, the old man was now interested. This time, Ouyang Ke had managed to avoid disaster, all thanks to his quick thinking. Had he not reacted swiftly, he would have failed to resolve the crisis with the lake demon and might have met his end at the hands of this old man. Though outwardly harmless, the beggar was not someone easy to deal with. Perhaps even abducting Ouyang Ke was part of some ulterior scheme; otherwise, how could he always know his whereabouts? His chance to escape had only come because the old beggar allowed it.

“Speak freely,” the old beggar replied, smiling as if he already knew what Ouyang Ke was about to say.

Ouyang Ke took a deep breath, his expression somewhat grim. “It’s thanks to your guidance, Senior. Otherwise… I might have been blinded by this celestial fortune. In hindsight, your advice was spot-on—I was indeed foolish this time. Even if the fortune is real, it’s not destined for me. The reason they told me about it is because my cultivation means nothing to them... Rather than coveting celestial fortune, it would be wiser to devote myself to cultivation with what I’ve seized from the Treasure Pavilion.”

The old beggar snorted, “A newborn calf fears no tiger. With your level of experience, you can’t possibly understand what the Treasure Pavilion truly is. With your cultivation, escaping their pursuit is just wishful thinking. If you want to focus on cultivation, you first need the ability to protect your life.”

This time, Ouyang Ke was truly flustered. “This...” He should have realized it—the old beggar’s reluctance was clearly due to fear of the Treasure Pavilion’s power. That’s why he’d sought out a scapegoat like himself. One disaster followed another.

Ouyang Ke had never doubted the truth behind the city lord’s lake demon targeting him. At this moment, his hatred for that young master was stronger than ever. Yet, there was no turning back; he could only cling tightly to the old beggar.

Ouyang Ke hurried to say, “I know this celestial fortune isn’t something I can covet. I’m willing to offer it to you, Senior. When you feast, perhaps I can at least drink some soup.”

He dared not hope the old beggar would protect him; such matters couldn’t be rushed, or it would only backfire.

The old beggar paused. “You said the Alliance of Righteous Paths will also be there?”

Ouyang Ke’s heart sank; he’d overplayed his hand. Was the old man afraid of the Alliance of Righteous Paths?

His mind raced, and soon he spoke convincingly, “I saw it with my own eyes. Su Henli and the Blade King met at the city lord’s manor and fought fiercely. Su Henli won, but only barely. Then, Su Henli’s attendant, Xi Wang, suddenly turned on him, struck when he was off guard, and took both their storage rings before vanishing. But that’s not the key point. I heard the Blade King say he’d only just discovered the exact location of the celestial fortune and hadn’t yet reported back to the Alliance. The person trading information with me stayed hidden the whole time. If we seize the fortune before they do, we should be safe!”

All that he said was inspired by the notices posted throughout Lingzhou. Everything was plausible—there was no reason the old beggar wouldn’t believe him.

...

The night passed uneventfully.

After a night of cultivation, both Su Ji’an and Zhao Qianxue had made some progress, their understanding of the Mystic Maiden Sutra growing ever deeper. Yet cultivation was never achieved in a single day, and the Mystic Maiden Sutra was especially obscure; advancing any further would require a long and arduous journey.

Su Ji’an was preparing to leave immediately with Zhao Qianxue. Lingzhou was on the verge of chaos; it was no place to linger.

He had already done everything necessary—whatever came next was no longer his concern.

At this moment, Su Ji’an and Zhao Qianxue were nestled together. Yesterday’s cultivation had been exhausting, leaving Zhao Qianxue still asleep. Su Ji’an wasn’t in a hurry; waiting a bit longer didn’t matter.

With talismans in hand, his heart was calm. Besides, he still had over a hundred thousand units of spiritual power unused. While it might not be enough to contend with a cultivator at the Return to the Void stage, it would certainly suffice to preserve his life.

After a while, Zhao Qianxue stirred awake, still feeling a bit aggrieved. But in the next instant, Su Ji’an handed her a bowl of medicinal cuisine, its effects tailored to her current needs.

He would have to give this inn a good review.

Zhao Qianxue, still a little dazed, took the bowl and grumbled, “Little Ji’an, you’re so practical. You weren’t this attentive to me before!”

Su Ji’an raised an eyebrow, then decisively took the bowl back, chuckling, “Then the old me is back. If you don’t want it, don’t dawdle—let’s hurry and get going to Yingdu.”

Zhao Qianxue was stunned... Was it too late to retract her earlier words?

She immediately got up and tried to snatch the bowl back.

Su Ji’an was not so petty as to argue with a woman, and eventually handed it to her.

Zhao Qianxue happily drank it in small sips.

Soon, she finished, quickly dressed herself, and muttered, “From now on, call me ‘Elder Sister.’ Don’t be so cheeky.”

Su Ji’an arched an eyebrow. Since she’d willingly lowered her status, he wouldn’t refuse this time. But there was no need to say it aloud—he understood well enough.