Chapter 552 - Just a Spirit Beast? I Can Defeat It With One Hand!

Not only did the Tian Yun Merchant Association and the Ling Yun Merchant Association have very similar names, but their operating models were also identical. Gu Han simply wouldn’t believe that they weren’t connected. That aside, given how large the Ling Yun Merchant Association was, they were bound to have Soul Crystals for sale.

Gu Han quickly made up his mind. I might as well go take a look!

With that thought, he smiled at the cultivator. “Brother, I’m the type of person who always repays kindness and grievance clearly. You just tried to screw me over earlier, so this token will serve as your apology to me. That’s not too much to ask, is it?”

The cultivator hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. “N-not at all!”

Gu Han smirked. “Good! Then we’re even.”

He turned and walked toward the cave entrance. Beside him, Chongming appeared listless and dejected, as if he couldn’t find any joy without the little pup around.

Behind them, the cultivator clenched his fists as a flicker of struggle passed through his eyes. He had painstakingly escaped his pursuers just for that token. It was supposed to be his opportunity. The benefits were right in front of him, yet somehow Gu Han had snatched it all away! And on top of that, that sly man had two!

After seeing Gu Han about to step out of the cave, the struggle in his eyes twisted into savagery.

I’ll take the gamble!If I win, that’s good for me. If I lose—no! There’s no way I’d lose! Right now, he’s barely three zhang away from me. It’ll only take me a tenth of a breath to get behind him. I’ll just strike the back of his head with all I’ve got, and he won’t even have a chance to let his divine soul escape. Oh, right, and the rooster. I have to kill the rooster too. Can’t leave any witnesses...

His thoughts raced as he was driven by greed. In the span of half a breath, he had formulated a plan that was absolutely flawless in his mind. His cultivation surged to its peak. Just as planned, in exactly a tenth of a breath, he was already behind Gu Han.

His eyes gleamed with excitement. “Die!”

His hand was already half a chi behind Gu Han’s head.

He shouted wildly, his voice brimming with excitement, “The token’s mine! Lingyun City, here I—”

The smile on his face froze stiff. No matter how hard he pushed, his hand simply couldn’t advance another cun. His cultivation felt as if it had been sealed away, not a shred of power remaining.

Gu Han slowly turned around with a teasing look in his eyes. “Brother, you’re not really playing fair, are you?”

The cultivator was horrified to discover that the thing blocking his hand was actually a patch of shadow.

He swallowed hard as despair washed over him. “Brother, I-I’m a scavenger too! W-we’re in the same line of work! Please... spare me...”

Gu Han suddenly asked, “Have you ever heard the saying?”

“What?”

“Those in the same trade are rivals.”

The cultivator froze for a moment, and in the next instant, his head and body were separated. His divine soul quickly faded into oblivion. He felt a twinge of regret. If only I’d known... I shouldn’t have said we were in the same line of work...

Ah Gou reverted back to his human form, appearing thoughtful. “Master, were you fishing just now?”

“Yes.”

Ah Gou seemed to understand a little. After thinking for a moment, he removed the storage ring from the cultivator’s hand. “So this... is scavenging?”

Put it together, and that was fishing and scavenging!

Gu Han couldn’t help but praise him, “Ah Gou, you’re a genius!”

Being praised for the first time, Ah Gou was excited and overjoyed. He said shyly, “It’s... because you taught me well.”

Beside them, Chongming suddenly felt a little relieved. Thank goodness this little pup didn’t run into the real Fu Yulin, or else... phew!

***

A hundred thousand li away from the Lin Clan’s territory at the Qilian Sect, outside the mountain gate, Li Mao slowly descended. Ignoring the disciples who crowded around him, he channeled his cultivation and called out, “Is Senior Huang here? Li Mao has come to visit!”

The disciples were stunned for a moment, feeling it sounded somewhat familiar. Li Mao?

Just then, someone’s loud laughter rang out. A figure suddenly flew over from the back mountain and landed in front of Li Mao. He wore a yellow robe, with a matching beard, hair, complexion, and eyebrows. Although he was thin and gaunt, with slightly clouded eyes, a trace of terrifying authority lay beneath their dullness.

The disciples all bowed repeatedly. “Old Ancestor!”

Without sparing them a glance, the old ancestor cupped his hands toward Li Mao, his face full of smiles. “Young Master Li, it’s been a hundred years since I last saw you! What brings you here today? Please, come in! The spirit tea in my secret realm has just matured. Young Master Li, you must try some!”

Despite being only an eighth-stage Feather Transformation cultivator, Li Mao’s status as Ling Ya’s fifth disciple was enough to make almost every cultivator in the Tiannan Realm bow their heads to him.

Li Mao smiled and politely declined, “It’s okay. The reason I’ve come today is to ask for your help with something.”

“Please, speak freely, Young Master Li!”

Li Mao briefly explained, “Here’s the situation. One of my Senior Brother’s spirit beasts ran off. Senior Brother’s currently in seclusion and can’t leave, so he asked me to find it. I’ve already tracked down the beast’s whereabouts, but it’s lost control and gone berserk. I’m afraid I can’t handle it alone, so I wanted to ask for your help.”

The old ancestor understood and said without hesitation, “I see! Since it concerns your affairs, I will take responsibility, Young Master Li! I’ll go with you right away! Once we’ve captured the spirit beast, we can come back and have that tea!”

After a moment’s thought, Li Mao felt it wasn’t secure enough. “Senior Huang, please wait a moment. I’ll go invite a few more—”

The Yellow-Browed Ancestor waved his hand grandly and said with pride, “Young Master Li, it’s just a spirit beast. How high could its cultivation possibly be? Even if it’s at the Ascension realm... Heh, I won’t toot my own horn, but I could kill it with one hand!”

His cultivation was considerably higher than Changmei. He was at the eighth stage of the Ascension realm, making him top-tier among the second-rate forces of the Tiannan Realm. That was the source of his pride.

Li Mao shook his head. “No need to kill it. I just need you to keep it occupied. I have my own ways to subdue it.”

The old ancestor laughed heartily. “Then that’s even easier! I don’t like to boast, but it’s just a spirit beast... heh, I can capture it with one hand!”

Upon seeing Li Mao still hesitating, he quickly added, “Young Master Li, if we delay too long, unforeseen complications might arise!”

He had his own selfish motives: having Mu Feng owe him a favor. Since it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, he wanted to handle this matter alone. Besides, the more people involved, the smaller each person’s share would be.

Li Mao had already been out for several days. He understood Ah Gou’s unusual nature and didn’t want to waste any more time. After a moment of thought, he nodded. “Very well. Then I’ll trouble you.”

Laughing heartily, the old ancestor turned to the disciples and instructed, “Prepare the tea!”

The disciples were stunned. “Huh? Old Ancestor, aren’t you going out—”

The old ancestor waved his hand arrogantly. “How long could it possibly take to capture a spirit beast?! By the time I return, the tea will be just the right temperature! Then, Young Master Li and I will enjoy it together!”