Chapter 122 - Ye Cike Frowned, Realizing That Things Were Not as Simple as They Seemed

Liu Yuan went to the small branch of the Sky Treasure Pavilion in the City of Ten Thousand Swords, intending to sell all the useless equipment and pills he had on him for spirit stones.

In Lanfang garden, Xiu’er began to report the information she had gotten from the stalkers in the past few days.

Ye Cike stood in the pavilion and looked at the paper spread out on the stone table in front of her. She picked up the brush and dipped it in ink.

The young girl’s wrist was slender and her skin was pale, revealing thin blue veins, but she wrote with great strength.

She had changed out of her luxurious and complicated dress, and there were not many accessories left. She only wore a thin layer of clothing, which made her look slender and thin. Even her original arrogant expression softened, and her slightly frowning brows made people want to smooth them out.

The cool wind blew the girl’s hair and her clothes, as if it was going to blow away her slender body.

Xiu’er was grinding ink and said, “That Cui Ting, he saved the mortal disciple of the 9-star swordsman on the way here. Then, he returned to the inn and asked Jiang Feng to take him to the Sword Pavilion for a walk. He actually passed the Shu Road trial in less than half a cup of tea’s time. The story of ‘a cup of tea’ has already spread throughout the City of Ten Thousand Swords. Even those who placed bets on the disciples of the big sects in the Singing Sword Meet have added Jiang Feng to the bet to prevent him from passing the third round.”

When Xiu’er said this, Ye Cike’s eyes also flashed with surprise.

They naturally knew that the Shu Road was not a difficult task. However, for a Foundation Establishment cultivator who was challenging Shu Road for the first time, it was almost impossible.

To be honest, even if she came to the sword Pavilion to challenge the Shu Road when she was in the Foundation Establishment stage, it would be impossible for her to go up in half a cup of tea’s time.

To a wandering cultivator, this was simply like having the help of the gods.

Xiu’er was also confused. She continued, “Not only that, when he came down from the Sword Pavilion, he happened to return the Skyring Sword to City Lord Duan, who personally escorted him down.”

“Personally?” Ye Cike’s hand froze.

Xiu’er nodded. “Yes. The next day, he had a conflict with Yan Guanlin in the inn. He showed his City Lord’s Token on the spot. It must have been given to him by City Lord Duan when he was in the Sword Pavilion.”

Ye Cike’s eyes flickered as he looked at the half-written ‘Jun’ on the paper in front of her.

If Duan Lanruo was here, she would definitely find that this word was exactly the same as the word ‘Jun’ she had written in front of Ye Cike.

Whether it was the strokes or the strength of the brush.

Although it was only half, Ye Cike had perfectly restored it.

This City Lord Duan actually values that Foundation Establishment cultivator brat so much?

For a woman who was in charge of a city and did things swiftly and decisively, if this guy was really indecent and had a bad character, was it really possible just because he passed through Shu Road?

She could not rule out the possibility that this guy was acting, like he was doing at the city gate, but… The possibility of that was very small.

After all, it would probably be much more difficult to fake it in front of the two older generation cultivators, Duan Lanruo and Zuo Youhuai, than going through the Shu Road.

Moreover, Zuo Youhuai had the Mind’s Eye.

Ye Cike frowned, feeling that things were not as simple as they seemed.

Xiu’er continued, “But before that, he stayed in the Inkstone Tower for one night.”

Ye Cike’s expression changed again. She furrowed his brows and said, “A brothel?”

Xiu’er nodded and said, “The only brothel in the City of Ten Thousand Swords, which is controlled by the Green Centipede. He spent a night there. It is impossible that he did not spend at least 300 spirit stones. He is an itinerant cultivator. I think he must have used up all his spirit stones for this.”

Inkstone Tower was not a charity organization. If you went in and ordered a glass of water, you would be kicked out almost immediately.

Either he had gone to the Inkstone Tower to find an ordinary room to sleep for the night to save face, or he was really a bad person and went in to relieve himself.

“And according to his conversation with Yan Guanlin,” Xiu ‘er said, “he seems to be very familiar with the price and background of the Inkstone Tower.”

The beautiful maidservant snorted and put on a stern face. She said with her hands on her hips, “He must have investigated long ago. As expected, he’s not a good person! This person is definitely not the one the Young Mistress is looking for. He’s too weak!”

Ye Cike shook her head. “Even if he isn’t, to be able to achieve the ‘Clearing Shu Dao within a cup of tea’s time’, to be personally welcomed by the Sword Pavilion Master, and to have City Lord Duan give him the token, he is not simple… Keep an eye on him. The City of Ten Thousand Swords is only so big, so it’s possible that he’s secretly involved in some eye-catching people or things.”

Xiu’er nodded. She was sure that her Young Mistress was right.

“Oh, right.” Ye Cike suddenly said, “The Green Centipede… If I remember correctly, they have a Mother coin in their house, right?”

She was referring to the Green Phoenix Coin Spell. The Green Phoenix’s mother and child knew each other. As long as The Green Phoenix’s blood was smeared on the copper coins, the Child Coin or the Mother Coin would be formed. If either one of them is lost, one only need to hold the other, and they will eventually be attracted and reunited.

It could be seen that with the Green Centipede, money only flowed to them, and not the other way around.

They only cared about profits and nothing else. The industries involved were also very complicated. Information, resources, slaves, weapons, natural treasures, and so on could be traded.

Although it did not involve human lives, it was even more extreme than Bi Luo Mansion.

The Immortal cultivators in this kind of force were exactly the extreme type. Immortal cultivation was purely for power. They were neither on the right path nor did they do evil, but were in the gray area.

And because the Green Centipede did not trade human lives, it was favored by the cultivation sects of the Central Plains, and the Xuanyin family was one of them.

The Green Centipede would give the Mother Coin to its partners as a token, so it could enjoy some privileges.

Xiu’er nodded, “Yes, and I brought it with me this time.”

She took out a bronze coin from her sleeve, which was engraved with a Green Luan insect pattern, and it was shining with a green light.

Ye Cike did not immediately order Xiu’er to do anything. Instead, she looked at the ‘Jun’ character.

She was imitating Duan Lanruo’s handwriting.

After Ye Cike returned that day, she felt that something was wrong the more she thought about it. It was an intuition.

When Duan Lanruo was writing that word, her expression and movements were extremely focused. She was so focused that it did not seem like she was writing, but rather, she seemed to be watching someone.

Ye Cike had an amazing observation and memory. The ‘Jun’ word did not look like a single word. Instead, there were words before and after it, and they were connected together to form this.

She had practiced for a long time, and she did not know if it was an illusion, but she could only see a familiar name on the white paper.

“Xiu’er, please continue,” Ye Cike muttered.

Xiu’er answered obediently, “When Jiang Feng went up to the Sword Pavilion, Cui Ting challenged Green Lotus Swordsman for the second time. However, it seemed that he failed again this time. Green Lotus swordsman didn’t make a move, but he seemed to have cast some spell. She left the disciple of the Heart Sword Sect, and flew away on her, heading north of the city. However, she came back soon after.”

This matter was the most confusing and illogical one. The Green Lotus Swordsman had suddenly left and then returned. No one knew where she had gone and what she had done.

“She’s as aggressive as before?” Ye Cike asked.

Everyone had guessed that the Green Lotus Swordsman had come out of seclusion to find talents.

Xiu’er nodded.

Ye Cike waved her hand, and a map of the City of Ten Thousand Swords appeared on the white paper.

The young girl’s slender finger pointed at the Sword Pavilion and slid all the way down, passing by the Inkstone Tower, and landed on the Qingping Residence where Chen Sifan was staying.

Coincidentally, three points and one line.

“Prepare a call card for me. I want to meet the Green Lotus Swordsman. Also, give me a list of the people who were received by the Inkstone Tower that day.”