Longevity through Upgrading Buildings

Chapter 887: Chapter 353: Extreme Abyss Gallop · The First Encounter [求月票]_5

Outside the door came Ma Gui’s lazy voice.

After weighing things over, Ji Yuan realized that staying out of sight definitely wouldn’t work, so he could only turn into an Escape Light and fly out from within the Cave Mansion.

When he saw that figure floating outside, his heart tightened, but on the surface he remained calm and cupped his hands in greeting.

"This old man greets Daoist Ma."

Seeing the old man before him, Ma Gui smiled. "Daoist Changgeng, you’re being too polite. What, a guest comes all this way and you’re not even going to invite me in to sit for a while?"

Ji Yuan’s expression turned a bit ugly; for a moment he had that feeling of being stuck—inviting him in would be bad, but not inviting him would be bad as well.

’Late-stage Core Formation, and a direct disciple of a Nascent Soul Monster. That status is higher than mine, and since he can represent the Bone Nightmare Sect running around outside, his strength is definitely not something that riffraff like Zhou Jin can compare to.’

Thinking of this, Ji Yuan spoke with a laugh: "My Cave Mansion is cramped. How about I invite Daoist Ma into the city to talk instead?"

As he spoke, Ji Yuan was about to step out, but just then, Ma Gui’s transmitted voice suddenly sounded within his sea of consciousness.

"Daoist Changgeng, don’t panic. I’ve come this time as a friend, not an enemy. You need not worry."

Ji Yuan’s feet paused. Though he appeared to shift his stance, he did not actually step out of the Array.

"What do you mean, Daoist Ma? Forgive me, but I do not understand."

Ji Yuan replied with a voice transmission as well.

Outside the Array, Ma Gui smiled, pacing a few steps back and forth in midair before once more sending a voice transmission:

"If I truly bore Daoist ill will... I would’ve already reported the matter of you killing Zhou Jin to the Black and White Divine Hall, instead of coming here now to waste words with you."

If Ji Yuan had still been uncertain before, after hearing this...

He opened the Array.

Neither of them were idiots. Since the other party had already said this much, if he kept pretending, that would be a bit too fake.

A waste of time, and unnecessary.

Seeing this, Ma Gui’s face showed a hint of a smile.

"Looks like Daoist really is a clever man."

He swaggered in, openly and without the slightest scruple, stepping into Ji Yuan’s Cave Mansion.

Ji Yuan, on the other hand, quietly activated the Inverted Dipper Array, and in passing also roused the two Frost Serpents in the Mountain of Mind and Heart on the Spirit Platform.

"I don’t know what business brings Daoist Ma here?"

Once they were in the Cave Mansion, Ji Yuan asked bluntly.

Ma Gui glanced around, then turned back with a raised brow, sounding somewhat displeased as he said:

"What, I come all the way to your Cave Mansion and I can’t even get a cup of tea?"

Ji Yuan folded his hands into his sleeves and smiled faintly. "If we can come to an agreement, it won’t be too late to serve tea then. If we can’t, serving it now would just be a waste."

Ma Gui stared straight at him.

Ji Yuan met his gaze without the slightest fear, and only now did he notice that Ma Gui’s two eyes were actually different colors.

His left eye was black like a normal person’s, while his right eye was a deep blue.

The last time Ji Yuan had seen such blue eyes was on Mu Xueyao.

"Interesting."

Ma Gui turned his head away, seemingly a bit unnatural, but just as he turned, Ji Yuan keenly caught a flash of resentment in his eyes.

"All right, I’ll be straight then."

Ma Gui took the seat where Xing Shuang had sat last time. "Since you’ve conducted so many transactions with the Zhou Family, you must know their relationship with our Bone Nightmare Sect."

"Indeed, our Bone Nightmare Sect has long found the Zhou Family an eyesore and wanted to get rid of them, but we didn’t expect those idiots to go and reconnect with the Black and White Divine Hall."

Ma Gui crossed one leg over the other and even reached up to rub his brow.

"So the fact that you cut down that good-for-nothing Zhou Jin this time was really quite nicely done."

Ji Yuan did not speak, nor did he sit. He simply stood across from Ma Gui, staring straight at him, as if waiting for what came next.

"Since you’ve already offended the Zhou Family, I’ll give you an opportunity."

As Ma Gui spoke, he snapped his fingers. A Token flew from his waist and hovered between the two of them.

The front of the Token was carved with the characters "Bone Nightmare."

"Join our Bone Nightmare Sect and obey my commands. When the time comes, we’ll wipe out the Zhou Family together."

"Join the Bone Nightmare Sect?"

Ji Yuan sounded as if he suspected he’d misheard.

"Exactly."

Ma Gui nodded. "What, our Bone Nightmare Sect is at least one of the Eight Holy Lands, and right now we could be said to be in our prime. It’s not like joining us would disgrace you, right?"

After listening, Ji Yuan said with a laugh he couldn’t quite hold back, "Isn’t it rather that Daoist Ma wants to destroy the Zhou Family, but fears offending the Black and White Divine Hall, so you need someone to take the fall?"

At these words, a trace of embarrassment flickered across Ma Gui’s face, but he quickly covered it up.

"And what if I do, and what if I don’t?"

Ma Gui spread his hands and said with a smile, "Could it be Daoist believes you’re still in any position to negotiate terms with our Bone Nightmare Sect?"

A direct disciple of a Nascent Soul Monster did, in fact, have some grounds to be arrogant.

Ji Yuan gave him a glance.

"So it seems I don’t have a choice."

"No, our Bone Nightmare Sect isn’t some sect founded by mindless fiends. How could we possibly not even give Daoist the chance to choose?"

Ma Gui rose with a smile, then suddenly leaned in a bit closer and lowered his voice. "Daoist also wouldn’t want the matter of you killing people in Lindong City to be found out by the Black and White Divine Hall, right?"

Ji Yuan’s expression froze.

As if he’d been frightened by those words.

Seeing his stiff expression, Ma Gui seemed extremely satisfied, and couldn’t help but throw his head back in loud laughter. "Relax. As long as Daoist obediently cooperates with our Bone Nightmare Sect, we won’t treat you poorly."

Ji Yuan’s face turned an iron-blue.

His hands unconsciously clenched into fists.

Ma Gui saw his reaction and wasn’t afraid in the least; if anything, there was a hint of anticipation in his eyes.