In He City of Zhao Kingdom, seventy miles away from the Corpse-Driving Sect, it's the nearest city.

After Lou Yi left the sect for five or six miles, he confirmed that no one was following him, then changed his appearance, transforming into an ordinary-looking middle-aged man.

In the nearby forest, he happened to find a black-skinned wild boar about ten feet long.

Its skin was covered with a thick layer of keratin, its eyes gleaming with cunning light, clearly not far from becoming a spirit.

Lou Yi was too lazy to run himself, so he used his Control Talent to harness the wild boar, sitting on its back as it rushed rapidly toward He City.

'Oink oink!'

The wild boar's speed was fast, 'thudding' as it dashed, leaving a trail of rolling gray dust.

An hour later, it reached the outskirts of He City, released by Lou Yi reluctantly.

The city tower of He City stands at forty to fifty feet tall, unusually equipped with many huge crossbows on the top.

On the main road facing the city gate, four or five circular patterns outlined with black lines are engraved, flashing with white light as each pedestrian passes.

But this was not all.

Then a dozen soldiers came to investigate.

Each had a cold expression, wearing iron armor, holding sabers, with bows and arrows on their backs, checking the travelers strictly.

"Why do you have a hand crossbow, what are you planning? Show your route pass!"

"You are... Excuse me, it's the Immortal Master, please come in!"

Lou Yi had passed through He City before on missions, but had never seen so many people.

Not only were there many martial artists carrying swords into the city, but also many loose cultivators in strange outfits, with cultivation generally above Qi Cultivation Middle Stage.

They were clearly attracted by the auction at Qinglong Manor.

It seemed this auction was far larger in scale than he had imagined.

Walking into the city, various noisy sounds greeted him.

"Qinglong Manor Auction's latest item list.

It includes not only the Life-Restoring Pill to save dying people but also many rare Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures!"

"Guiyun Teahouse, taste good tea, listen to good music, here you can relieve fatigue, feel at home!"

"Yunqi Inn, reserve top rooms in advance, less than two miles from Qinglong Manor, wait two days and you won't get them!"

"Good Luck Candied Haws, brings good luck, only five coins a string!

Eat them and excel at the auction, get the treasure you want!"

On He City's main road, many local vendors were enticing customers, trying to convert the rare large influx of customers into bright silver.

Lou Yi even encountered a heavily made-up madam who tried to drag him into an alley, saying her establishment had just welcomed young girls.

He struggled free from the madam's grip and entered a roadside teahouse.

"Guest, what would you like?"

"The best wine, the best meat."

A moment later, a large bowl of dry-cut beef and a jar of fine local yellow wine were placed on the wooden table before Lou Yi.

He drank and ate meat while looking ahead.

There stood a podium surrounded by wooden fencing, upon which an old man with a white beard stood, holding fast boards, speaking rhythmically:

"Dear guests, many are here for Qinglong Manor's auction right? Today I will tell the origin of Qinglong Manor's name...

Over a thousand years ago, Qinglong Manor was a lake, inhabited by a man-eating azure snake.

This snake was a thousand feet long, its blood-red mouth could swallow houses, ordinary people weren't even enough to fill its teeth...

The ancestor of the Gu Clan roared, "Hey, you demon, submit to your doom!" Only to see a flash of sword light, the enormous azure snake was split in half, its blood dyed the entire lake red!"

'A thousand-foot-long giant snake?' Lou Yi shook his head upon hearing this.

Such a long snake demon, probably not far from being a dragon. Not to mention Foundation Establishment, even a Golden Core cultivator might turn and flee upon seeing it.

He no longer listened to the old man's drivel, instead eavesdropping on the conversations around him.

This time, he came to He City solely for the Wind Riding Fruit.

And Elder Wang, knowing his purpose, had certainly laid a trap here, waiting for him to walk into it.

Thus, Lou Yi had to gather as much information as possible, ideally finding out the whereabouts of other members of the Wang Family.

Elder Wang has a large family serving him, most matters cannot be dealt with personally, certainly many Wang Clan members came to He City at this time.

Activating the Profound Yin Technique, his ears opened wide, all kinds of tiny sounds poured into Lou Yi's ears.

"Hey, the ancestor of the Gu Clan certainly contributed greatly, saving the people.

Unfortunately, his descendants have committed all sorts of evil deeds. Colluding with the City Lord's Mansion, seizing land, abducting women..."

"Shhh, keep quiet, do you want to live?"

"The auction list was only partially revealed, the rest will be disclosed on the spot, I wonder if there's millennium-old Polygonum multiflorum..."

"I just drank with a steward from the Gu Clan, he bragged to me, the pièce de résistance during this auction is extremely precious, sure to astonish everyone!"

"The competition for the centerpiece will certainly be intense, we should focus on a few other items. Treasures like the Wind Riding Fruit are extremely rare, not seen once in decades..."

Qinglong Manor's auction this time is the largest this year, thus everyone's discussions revolve around it.

Lou Yi listened for a while and became clear about the auction process, even learning some dirty secrets behind the Gu Clan backing Qinglong Manor.

Unfortunately, he heard nothing about any Wang Family members, they must have hidden just like him.

...

In a secluded residence in He City.

In a spacious hall, many people were either sitting or standing, several had cultivation reaching Peak of Qi Refining, only one step away from Foundation Establishment.

"Patriarch, please drink tea." A servant-like man respectfully offered tea to a short, stout middle-aged man in black who exuded a sense of authority.

"Wenbo has been killed, this hatred is irreconcilable!

My father said, the suspected killer must either come himself or send someone, surely to seize the Wind Riding Fruit, you must keep an eye on them!" The black-clad middle-aged man ordered coldly.

"Patriarch, rest assured, we will definitely avenge the young master!"

"When will the old Clan Leader arrive?" someone asked.

"He will come on the day of the auction. This place is not far from the Corpse-Driving Sect.

For him, it takes less time than drinking a cup of tea," the black-clad man said calmly, "We've marked the Wind Riding Fruit, even Foundation Establishment Great Cultivators would find it hard to notice."

"No matter who gets the Wind Riding Fruit, they won't escape our control.

Once we catch this young one, he will neither live nor die!"

The voice filled with intense hatred echoed in the room, its resonance lingering for a long time.

Elsewhere, Lou Yi had left the teahouse, intending to find an inn to rest.

"Osmanthus cake, sweet yet not greasy fragrant osmanthus cake!"

"Ancestral sugar figures, I'll teach you to blow, if not then no charge!"

"Scallion pancakes, scallion pancakes…"

On both sides of the main road, merchants eagerly hawked their goods.

"Boss, give me twenty meat buns." A dark-skinned, age-unknown man in gray clothes approached a stall and made his request.

As Lou Yi was moving forward, suddenly his steps halted.

An electric shock seemed to flash through his mind.

'This voice, why is it so familiar?'

He turned to look, coincidentally seeing the gray-clothed man turn his head, with eyes full of deep thoughts.

'Su Yu?'

Just one glance, along with the voice he heard earlier and the familiar figure, Lou Yi identified his identity.

...

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