Chapter 56: Interception?
“I thought it was something valuable, but with goods of this level, I wouldn’t want it even if it were given to me for free.”
The voice was loud enough, and everyone around heard it clearly.
People looked in the direction of the voice and saw a ten-year-old child, who was adorable and jade-like in appearance, gazing disdainfully at a string of Buddhist beads not far away.
However, not a single person dared to step forward and scold this ignorant child. This was because, standing behind him, there were several Golden Core cultivators guarding him as if they were his personal bodyguards.
These Golden Core cultivators exuded a strong aura of bloodlust and killing intent, their gazes icy and merciless. It was evident that these people were anything but good, and their hands were likely stained with countless lives.
Some cultivators with keen senses even detected a demonic aura emanating from them.
These people were demonic cultivators.
At the same time, some people recognized the child’s identity as the youngest son of the Demon Sect’s leader, Zhu Zeyu.
Realizing his identity had been exposed, Zhu Zeyu did not panic; instead, he continued to speak provocatively, “Did I say something wrong?”
“Aunt, isn’t he afraid of getting retaliated against by the black market for such blatant provocation?” Ying Shao’an asked softly.
Ying Tong slowly withdrew her gaze. “Who knows?”
To say something like that in public—either he’s brainless, or he’s doing it on purpose.
But in either case, it had nothing to do with them.
Ying Tong noticed that, since the child had appeared, the eight Nascent Soul cultivators had been watching closely but had refrained from making any moves.
“Let’s go.”
The entrance and exit of the black market were not in the same place—one was on the east side, the other on the west.
This meant that, to leave, one had to cross the entire black market.
While passing a stall, Ying Xuejian suddenly stopped.
“Grand Aunt, I want that.”
Ying Xuejian pointed to a pitch-black stick on the stall, looking as if it had just been pulled out of a stove.
“Alright.”
Without asking why, Ying Tong led Ying Xuejian over to the stall.
Arriving at the stall, she noticed that the vendor hadn’t written any terms for the exchange, indicating that it would likely need to be discussed.
“Fellow Daoist, how much for this item?”
Ying Tong picked up the charred stick and asked.
Upon hearing this, the vendor glanced at the item in her hand and said, “No bargaining. One five-hundred-year-old Dispersal Spirit Flower.”
Ying Tong signaled to Ye Ying by her side, who took out a Dispersal Spirit Flower and placed it on the stall.
Once the vendor had checked and confirmed it, he nodded, and the transaction was complete.
Ying Tong handed the pitch-black stick to Ying Xuejian.
What had originally looked like a mere fire poker transformed in her hands, radiating new life like a withered tree brought back to bloom.
Seeing this, Ying Tong remarked, “It seems to suit you well.”
Ying Xuejian nodded. “I think so too. Thank you, Grand Aunt, for helping me.”
Suddenly, an annoyed voice came from behind them.
“Wasn’t the item supposed to be here? Why is it gone?”
Turning around, they saw Zhu Zeyu, who had been arrogantly speaking in the crowd earlier, now throwing a tantrum at his guards.
Liu Guang looked over at Zhu Zeyu and his men, then at the transformed black stick in Ying Xuejian’s hands, and said, “It seems they were also after this.”
Ying Tong shot her a glare. “Stop talking and keep moving.”
The group made their way from the east to the west side. Along the way, only Ying Shao’an stopped occasionally when he spotted spiritual herbs he wanted; the others saw nothing else of interest.
After leaving the black market.
“Venerable Yunhuang, why aren’t we returning to the courtyard? Why are we heading out of the city instead?” Ying Shao’an asked, puzzled.
While they were at the black market, Ying Tong had already sensed that someone was following them.
These people had been waiting outside the market’s exit, suggesting they’d been there for some time.
However, Ying Tong wasn’t certain if they had been specifically targeting them or if it was simply random.
After reaching an open area, Ying Tong took a look around. It was a good spot—ideal for a fight.
“Before we go back, we have some things to settle.”
“Some things?”
Ying Shao’an didn’t quite understand, but Ying Xuejian’s sharp senses picked up on something, and she discreetly glanced in a specific direction.
At this moment, the people hidden in the shadows, realizing they had been discovered, stepped out.
“So calm, even after spotting us—it seems you’re not scared at all.”
A greasy voice came from one of the men, as a group of six—two men and one woman on one side, and two women and one man on the other—emerged from both directions.
Though they claimed the group showed no fear, their faces were full of arrogance, clearly underestimating them.
They likely thought their side had six Golden Core cultivators, while Ying Tong’s group only had two Foundation Establishment cultivators, one Golden Core cultivator, and three others whose cultivation levels they couldn’t discern.
However, they didn’t believe those three were stronger than themselves—after all, they looked very young, and one of them was even a child.
Among them, only one of the men seemed slightly more formidable.
The reason they couldn’t see through the group’s cultivation levels was likely due to the concealment artifacts they wore. These artifacts were rare and incredibly valuable, well beyond the means of most people.
This realization sparked a glint of greed in their eyes.
“We don’t know each other. Why are you doing this?” Ying Xuechen asked in a deep voice.
“Kid, don’t play dumb. We’re here because you took something you shouldn’t have. If you know what’s good for you, hand over the Nine-Curve Golden Lotus. Otherwise…”
The greasy man leading the group waved his curved blade. “You won’t want to know what happens when you fall into our hands.”
“Boss, stop wasting time with them. If they have rare items like the Sky-Repairing Purple Mushroom, they must have plenty of other treasures on them,” said a rat-faced man beside him.
“Exactly. Hand over all your valuables, and I might consider letting you go,” the greasy man said, sounding as if he were doing them a favor.
At this, Ying Tong could no longer hold back her fury. On the brink of exploding, she raised her hand and, with a single strike from a distance, slapped the greasy man.
With a loud “bang,” the two people standing next to the greasy man suddenly felt a warm, sticky liquid splatter across their faces.
Turning to look, they were met with a shocking sight.
Their leader’s head was nowhere to be seen, blood gushing from his neck like a fountain as his body slowly collapsed.
