Chapter 1296 1255: The Money-Grabbing Business

The streets of the Ancient City of the Heavenly Capital were bustling with people, and among them were even Minor Heavenly Position masters mingling in the crowds, passing each other by, with no one showing any strange expressions regardless of familiarity or not. This proved that within this Ancient City of the Heavenly Capital, even characters above the True Person Realm in the Minor Heavenly True Monarch Realm don't seem to be anything special...

And this is precisely the foundation of the Inner Region's so-called third city, the Ancient City of the Heavenly Capital, which is far beyond comparison with the cities of the Outer Domain. Not even Earth Martial City can compare with it.

When Chen Fei and the Nine Nether Palace high official entered the interior of this Ancient City of the Heavenly Capital, Chen Fei moved with numerous twists and turns through the spiderweb-like dense streets of the city, heading in a certain direction, leaving the Nine Nether Palace official behind him stunned. He couldn't help but ask.

"Mr. Chen, have you been to this Ancient City of the Heavenly Capital before?"

Considering Chen Fei's familiarity with the Ancient City of the Heavenly Capital, even he, who had been there several times, couldn't compare. If he hadn't frequented this Ancient City of the Heavenly Capital, how could he be so familiar with the route to the Hundred Knowledge Palace?

"I haven't been," Chen Fei responded with a shake of his head.

"Haven't been?" The Nine Nether Palace official was momentarily stunned, wondering how Chen Fei knew the way to the Hundred Knowledge Palace.

However, regarding his question, Chen Fei offered no explanation but followed what in his eyes was an obvious path marked and signposted, leading directly to an inconspicuous, tiny alley within the Ancient City of the Heavenly Capital.

This alley was situated in what was essentially the most ordinary, most remote, and most unremarkable corner of the Ancient City of the Heavenly Capital, like a mouse hole. Without a clear target, it was difficult for anyone to guess that the Cultivation World's renowned 'Hundred Knowledge Palace' would choose to establish its branch in such a barren corner.

However, this was already a habit for those familiar with them. Hence, Chen Fei found nothing surprising about the sight before him.

Following this, Chen Fei walked straight to the second-to-last couple of small shops at the end of the alley. A gust of wind blew, making the dilapidated door outside the shop creak, as if it could collapse at any moment, leaving people with a slightly eerie chill down their spine...

"Hundred Knowledge Shop." Outside the shop were four small words crookedly written on a panel full of pits and bumps, dirtied, and covered in cobwebs.

"Mr. Chen, this is it," the Nine Nether Palace official pointed at the dirty little shop.

Chen Fei smiled, pushed open the creaking wooden door, and walked inside.

Inside the shop, the light was very dim, pitch-black, with a dilapidated wooden cabinet of indeterminate age faintly visible in the innermost corner. Apart from that, behind the counter sat an extremely skinny old ghost.

The old ghost looked exceedingly frail, with a hand emerging from his filthy sleeve, resembling a chicken claw—it was quite unnerving. He was dozing off, his eyes half open and half closed, creating a strangely eerie atmosphere...

The old man's hair was a tangled mess like a bird's nest, and most absurdly, there was indeed a fluffy little creature nestled in it, pitch-black, with its bulging eyes fixed on Chen Fei and his companion, cackling eerily.

"Oh, a Yin-Summoning Chicken?" Chen Fei was surprised upon seeing the cackling little creature, instinctively reaching out to touch it, when the Nine Nether Palace official's expression changed dramatically with slight panic, stopping him, "Don't..."

He was so distraught because he knew very well that this chick seemed harmless but was actually a terrifying creature.

Previously, he had seen with his own eyes a female cultivator who seemed to find the chick cute and wanted to touch it, but an unknown energy incinerated her completely! He even knew the female cultivator, a leader of a second-tier sect in the Inner Region, close to attaining the Great Heaven Rank.

"Cluck, cluck..." The black chick cackled even more, its unnerving little eyes fixed on Chen Fei, glinting ominously.

"Hmm?" The old man resting on the chicken claw-like arm seemed to sense something, moving sluggishly like a zombie.

"This is bad..." Meanwhile, the Nine Nether Palace official was internally lamenting bitterly, feeling that today's events might go awry. No one had dared to act recklessly in the Hundred Knowledge Palace because those who did ended up dead mysteriously, not knowing who the culprit was. Over time, no one dared to challenge themselves in such a bizarre place...

Now, Chen Fei's rash action was evidently seen by him as somewhat 'reckless.' If it were anyone else here, who would dare act that way in the Hundred Knowledge Palace?

However, what happened next left the Nine Nether Palace official, knowing the Hundred Knowledge Palace's powerful reputation, stunned. Chen Fei's hand actually touched the black chick, he even picked it up, holding it in his arms...

The actions made the high-ranking members of Nine Nether Palace involuntarily inhale sharply, cold air chilling their hearts. Is this really the same monster chick capable of burning a person at the cusp of the Great Heaven Rank to ashes? How come it's so agreeable today, even letting someone hold and pet it?

"Cluck cluck..." At this moment, the black chick in Chen Fei's arms started to struggle and chirp incessantly, as if it hated being touched or held... Seeing this, Chen Fei smiled slightly, stroked his finger to reveal a flicker of dim white light. The black chick immediately fell silent upon seeing it, its eyes glittered as it focused on the white light, and its tiny throat audibly gulped down, seemingly swallowing saliva.

"Want to eat?" Chen Fei asked with a grin. The black chick seemed smart and could understand Chen Fei's words, its tiny head nodding incessantly like a pecking chick, leaving the high-ranking members of Nine Nether Palace beside them stupefied.

This, can even be played like this?

"Hmm?" At this moment, a surprised voice came forth, the old man gradually opened his eyes, revealing eyes with sclera but no pupils, so eerie they sent chills down one's spine. He looked pensively at Chen Fei and gently asked, "Who might you be?"

His voice was extremely slow, incredibly smooth and elongated, like a Hungry Ghost that hasn't eaten for a long time in the underworld, feeble and spiritless, making it feel as if he lacked any human vitality. Unlike a human.

"Since when did the Hundred Knowledge Palace start asking such questions?" Chen Fei smiled while holding the black chick and replied.

The old man was slightly stunned, then responded in a dry and stiff manner, "Apologies. Hundred Knowledge of everything, all-seeing and all-knowing. Hundred Knowledge Palace serves you, what do you need, guest?"

"We want to exchange for a Yin River Scorpion," Chen Fei said, squinting slightly.

"Yin River Scorpion?" The old man's movements were stiff, lifting his head to glance at Chen Fei, then at the high-ranking members of Nine Nether Palace behind him. Then, he shook his head slowly, saying, "No exchange."

"No exchange?" Chen Fei frowned and asked, "Why not exchange?"

The old man did not spare Chen Fei another glance, his movements became even stiffer and slower, lowering his head as if wanting to continue napping. His voice was as faint as a mosquito's antennae, barely audible: "The supply has encountered some issues, no stock, so..."

"What?" Chen Fei's eyes immediately narrowed, issues with the supply? Doesn't that mean... For a moment, silence descended within the shabby hut.

The high-ranking members of Nine Nether Palace, with their heads lowered, peered at Chen Fei, then at the old man sprawled over the table like wanting to continue napping, swallowing hard, just feeling as if there was a massive mountain weighing on their hearts, making it hard to breathe.

"Really not exchanging?" Chen Fei frowned and asked again.

"Impossible!" The old man already retracted his gaze, appearing sleepy, causing Chen Fei and the high-ranking members of Nine Nether Palace to look slightly displeased.

"Mr. Chen, what should we do now?" The high-ranking member of Nine Nether Palace could not help but ask. Without the Yin River Scorpion, doesn't that mean their major plan of turning the Blood Fiend Spirit Body into an Earth Corpse in Nine Nether Palace would come to an end and vanish like smoke?

Chen Fei didn't speak upon hearing this. After a long silence, he suddenly said, "Then I want the location of Ghost City... and this Yin-Summoning Chicken."

The old man suddenly raised his head, quite quickly this time, unlike his earlier sluggish movements. He squinted his eyes, staring intently at Chen Fei for a long time before slowly saying, "I can tell you the location of Ghost City, but the price is ten million Low Grade Spirit Stones, and as for the Yin-Summoning Chicken, there's no negotiation, impossible!"

"Ten million Low Grade Spirit Stones? Hiss..." The high-ranking members of Nine Nether Palace received the news with a shock, taking a cold breath. What kind of ghost is this Ghost City? Just a location costs ten million Low Grade Spirit Stones, isn't this daylight robbery?

"Impossible?" Upon hearing this, Chen Fei's eyes narrowed slightly as he said indifferently, "You say it's impossible, then it's impossible? Who it wants to follow, can you control that?"

With that, a flicker of dim white light appeared once again in Chen Fei's hand. Upon seeing it, the jet-black flaming chicken instantly had its eyes gleam, excitedly clucking and chirping continuously. Judging by its demeanor, even knowing that Chen Fei intended to 'abduct and sell it,' it would follow without hesitation, unwaveringly.

Upon witnessing this scene, the old man's face became extremely unsightly. He looked up at Chen Fei and, after a while, spoke slowly, "I can lend you the Yin-Summoning Chicken, but it would still cost ten million Low Grade Spirit Stones!"

"That's impossible!" Chen Fei shook his head decisively and said, "Don't forget the agreement between the Hundred Knowledge Palace and the underworld you signed. Do you think I don't know?"