From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 25 Market Turmoil

The teahouse was bustling with noise, and the waiter was busy attending to the customers, but I felt as if I had fallen into an ice cave, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. Almost at the same time, Li Yan exclaimed and pulled me quickly to the side.

"Bang!" A teacup crashed heavily to the spot where we had just been standing, shards of porcelain flying everywhere and tea spilling out.

"Who goes there?!" Li Yan's eyes widened in anger as she drew her soft whip from her waist and cautiously looked around.

The people in the teahouse were startled by this sudden turn of events, stopping what they were doing to watch the spectacle with curiosity. I was secretly alarmed; the person who made the move was incredibly skilled, and we hadn't even noticed.

"You two ladies, you reacted quite quickly." A sinister voice rang out, and a man dressed in black with a cold face slowly emerged from the shadows. Behind him were two burly men who were clearly not to be trifled with.

I suppressed my unease and asked calmly, "Who are you? And why did you attack me?"

The man in black sneered, "Injure people? I just want to ask you two ladies to come over. If you cooperate, I won't make things difficult for you."

"Why should we believe you? What exactly do you want?" Li Yan questioned sharply, gripping the soft whip in her hand even tighter.

The man in black didn't answer, only staring coldly at us with a threatening look in his eyes. I quickly weighed the pros and cons in my mind. Judging from our previous exchange, we were no match for these three. A direct confrontation would only result in losses, and besides... I glanced at the crowd of onlookers. Their eyes held only curiosity and indifference; not a single person was willing to step forward to help.

It seems we have no choice but to get involved in this mess today.

“Okay, we’ll go with you.” I took Li Yan’s hand, signaling her not to act impulsively. Although Li Yan was unwilling, she knew that now was not the time to be stubborn, so she could only glare fiercely at the man in black and follow me out of the teahouse.

The man in black led us through a maze of turns until we arrived at a secluded alley. I had a vague sense of foreboding.

“Speak, who are you? Why are you arresting us?” I stopped and looked directly into the eyes of the man in black.

The man in black sneered, "Want to know? Then come with me to see someone, and he'll tell you everything." With that, he grabbed my wrist and tried to drag me away.

"Let her go!" Upon seeing this, Li Yan immediately brandished her soft whip and attacked the man in black. However, her attack was easily blocked by a burly man behind the man in black.

"Overestimating yourself!" The burly man sneered and knocked Li Yan back with a palm strike. Li Yan groaned and a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of her mouth.

I was extremely anxious, but there was nothing I could do. I could only watch helplessly as the man in black dragged me into an even darker and narrower alleyway... At the end of the alleyway, I could vaguely see a tightly closed wooden door with a plaque hanging on it, bearing three large gilded characters: Jubaozhai.

A pungent, musty smell hit me as the man in black roughly threw me to the ground. I rubbed my aching wrist and, in the dim light, looked around. It was like an abandoned warehouse, cluttered with junk, the air thick with the smell of dust. Li Yan was also pushed in. She struggled to her feet, glanced at me worriedly, but said nothing.

"Who are you people? Why did you bring us here?" I asked again, but my voice was weaker.

The man in black ignored me and walked straight to a corner, where he respectfully said to a shadowy figure, "Elder, the person has been brought."

The dark figure slowly turned around. In the dim light, I could only see his white beard and a pair of shrewd eyes, radiating a chilling aura of power.

"Are you Xiao Yao and Li Yan?" an aged voice asked, tinged with scrutiny.

"It is indeed I." I took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. Panicking in front of someone like him would only put me in a more unfavorable situation.

"I heard you've been searching for a treasure lately?" Elder Bai's tone was calm, but it sent a shiver down my spine.

Sure enough, they brought us here for that thing. I replied, trying to sound calm, "We were just curious and looking around; we didn't have any specific goal."

"Heh, little girl, when I was wandering the martial world, you weren't even born yet. Trying to outsmart me is still too naive." Elder Bai sneered, his tone full of disdain.

My heart sank; I knew things were unlikely to end well today. Li Yan gripped my hand tightly and whispered, "Don't be afraid, we'll play it by ear."

I nodded slightly, my mind racing as I considered a solution. Suddenly, an idea struck me, and a sly glint flashed in my eyes.

"Elder, you are wise to say that we are indeed searching for a treasure, and we are determined to obtain it." I deliberately raised my voice, my tone full of confidence.

"Oh? Tell me about it." Elder Bai became interested and looked at me with great interest.

“What we’re looking for is in your hands, isn’t it?” I looked directly into Elder Bai’s eyes, my tone resolute.

Elder Bai was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter, his laughter filled with sarcasm: "Little girl, you have quite the nerve. Do you know who I am?"

“We know that you are the mastermind behind Jubaozhai, with connections in both the legitimate and underworld circles,” I replied neither humbly nor arrogantly. “We are here today to discuss a deal with you.”

"A deal? With your abilities?" Elder Bai raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.

“Indeed, we have an important clue about this treasure, which I believe will interest you.” I said confidently, while pulling out an ancient parchment scroll from my pocket, deliberately showing only a corner of it.

Elder Bai's gaze fell on the sheepskin scroll, a barely perceptible glint of greed flashing in his eyes.

I was secretly delighted, knowing that my plan was half successful. Now, it all depended on Li Yan...

"Elder, we are at your service." Li Yan suddenly knelt down, her voice sincere.

Li Yan's actions startled me. According to the plan, we should use the sheepskin scroll to pique Elder Bai's interest before seizing the opportunity to escape. Why did she suddenly...? I was about to speak when Li Yan calmly shook her head at me, signaling me to wait and see.

Elder Bai narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Li Yan kneeling on the ground, his tone playful: "Service? How do you intend to serve?"

Li Yan raised her head without being humble or arrogant, looked directly into Elder Bai's eyes, and said firmly, "Elder, we know that you are a respectable senior, and you must have your reasons for doing this. We are willing to help you protect this treasure."

Elder Bai remained silent, seemingly moved by Li Yan's words. I seized the opportunity and quickly said, "Elder, we meant no offense, but this treasure is of utmost importance to us, and we must obtain it. If you are willing to trust us, we promise to do everything in our power to protect it and prevent it from falling into the hands of bad people."

The air seemed to freeze; the warehouse was so quiet that only their breathing could be heard. After a long while, Elder Bai sighed, his tone tinged with helplessness: "You should leave. This is not something you should be interfering in."

My heart sank. Had our plan failed? Just as I was feeling hopeless, Li Yan suddenly spoke again, her voice tinged with pleading: "Elder, we know what you're worried about, and we know the responsibility you bear. Although we are weak, we have a heart that yearns to uphold justice, and we are willing to share this responsibility with you!"

Li Yan's words were sincere and firm, like a warm current melting the ice in Elder Bai's heart. He looked at us deeply and said slowly, "Do you know that this treasure is related to the safety of the entire cultivation world? If it falls into the hands of the Demonic Sect, the consequences will be unimaginable!"

I was startled. This treasure was actually that important? No wonder Elder Bai was so cautious. I said solemnly, "Elder, please rest assured, we will do everything in our power to protect it!"

Elder Bai nodded, a hint of appreciation flashing in his eyes. He took out an exquisite wooden box from his pocket, slowly opened it, and inside lay a crystal-clear jade pendant.

"This is what you've been looking for. I hope you won't disappoint me." Elder Bai handed me the wooden box, his tone solemn.

I took the wooden box with both hands and nodded solemnly: "Elder, rest assured, we will take good care of it!"

After saying that, Li Yan and I exchanged a glance, then turned and walked out of the warehouse. When I reached the door, I suddenly stopped, turned back to Elder Bai, and said, "Elder, until we meet again."

Elder Bai watched our departing figures, a satisfied smile appearing on his lips.

Li Yan and I stepped out of the warehouse, bathed in sunlight, our hearts filled with hope and strength. I knew our adventure had only just begun... I gripped the wooden box tightly in my hand and hurried towards the agreed-upon location, with Li Yan close behind me.

"Boss Lin, we're back..."

Li Yan and I hurried into a shop called "Treasure Pavilion." The owner, Mr. Lin, sat upright behind the counter, his face immediately beaming with smiles upon seeing us. I gently placed the wooden box on the counter, opened it, and there lay the crystal-clear jade pendant, radiating a soft glow.

"Boss Lin, I have accomplished my mission," I said.

Boss Lin picked up the jade pendant and examined it carefully. His smile widened. "Good! Good! You two are indeed trustworthy people. I will certainly not shortchange you on your reward."

After saying that, he took out two storage bags from under the counter and handed them to us: "These contain the agreed supplies, some extra gifts, and some information about the Black Wind Demon. Please keep them safe."

I took the storage bag, a weight lifted from my heart. Although the mission was dangerous, it was very rewarding. Li Yan and I thanked Boss Lin and left the Treasure Pavilion.

"I didn't expect this mission to go so smoothly," Li Yan said with emotion. "It seems we're working together more and more seamlessly."

I smiled and nodded. This mission had indeed deepened our trust and understanding of each other. More importantly, our experience dealing with all sorts of people in the trading market had made us more adept at using our magical artifacts.

“Yes,” I said, looking at the bustling street, my heart filled with anticipation for the future, “If we work together, one day we will become true champions!”

However, at that moment, I suddenly felt a chilling aura coming from behind me. That aura... was so familiar, yet so terrifying. I whirled around and saw a dark figure flash through the crowd. Though it was only for a moment, I clearly saw those venomous eyes...

“Black Wind…” I murmured, a chill running from the soles of my feet straight to the top of my head.