Chapter 361: Senior Brother, Live Up to the Name of Little Six
June’s midsummer, a season typically marked by heat and rain, saw dark clouds gathering over the mountain ranges north of the Western Regions. Mist permeated the wilderness, and cultivators traveling through either wore rain hats or carried oil-paper umbrellas.
However, after crossing the mountain range and continuing north for several days, the all-encompassing rain clouds gradually dissipated. They were replaced by a sharp drop in temperature and a stunning display of June snow.
Dark snow clouds enveloped the vast snow plains of the southwestern Northern Region. A flying boat carrying two people and a bird, like a phantom, skimmed along the ground, passing through a small path in the snow forest. The demonic beasts waiting for prey within the forest hadn’t even seen what hit them before they were left far behind.
On the flying boat, Ye Anping, clad in a black velvet jacket and carrying the Snow Jade Myriad Spirit Sword wrapped in bandages on his back, stared intently ahead, diligently piloting the flying boat.
The Snow Jade Myriad Spirit Sword, forged from the thousand-year-old profound ice of the Northern Region, felt right at home in the Northern Region. Ye Anping, therefore, did not store it in his storage bag. Instead, he carried it on his back, allowing it to absorb the frigid spiritual energy of the Northern Region’s frozen soil, and incidentally, to make Li Longling more comfortable.
Li Longling, born on the Chi Long Mansion’s scorching sun spiritual脈, had never even seen snow before. Upon arriving in the Northern Region, she found herself wearing more and more clothes. The more than ten heavy garments she had packed were now all on her body.
Wrapped up like a snowman, Li Longling, holding her Fire Phoenix, couldn’t bear it any longer and asked, “Young Master Ye… Young Master Ye, is the Northern Region this cold… Ha—Hajoo—” A cute little sneeze later, the cold spiritual energy of the air touched her and instantly formed ice crystals clinging to the tip of her nose.
Ye Anping glanced back. Seeing her state, he couldn’t help but suppress a laugh. After a moment of thought, he walked up to her and swept her into his arms. He then sat down cross-legged, letting her sit on his lap, and shielded her from the snow and cold with his own spiritual energy.
?!
Normally, if he did this, her Fire Phoenix would have immediately flown at him to scratch his eyes out. But now, the Fire Phoenix seemed so cold it had no energy to bother.
“Fulfillment Master Li, about tens of thousands of years ago, a Profound Ice Cold Tiger died here. Its shed cicada shell condensed into a spiritual脈 beneath the Northern Region, continuously emitting cold spiritual energy and causing the land within a thousand li of the Northern Region to be sealed in ice all year round. If you don’t protect yourself with spiritual energy, just adding more clothes is useless.”
“Spiritual energy… Do I have to use spiritual energy to protect myself all the time?”
“Yes.” Li Longling, having never understood this before, was slightly surprised and asked, “What about newborn infants? They can’t possibly…”
“They stay indoors until they learn to protect themselves with spiritual energy before they are allowed to leave the room.” As Ye Anping spoke, he was inexplicably reminded of his and Pei Lianxue’s harsh training methods in their youth, which were inspired by Northern Region cultivators. He continued, “Although childhood is not comfortable, as the saying goes, people are shaped by their environment. When compared at the same cultivation level, cultivators in the Northern Region generally have vaster and fuller spiritual energy reservoirs than those in other immortal cities, and their tolerance for icy spiritual energy is also quite strong.”
“What about mortals then? Mortals would surely…”
“There are no mortals in the Northern Region. This place is a death trap for mortals. As for those born without spiritual roots…” Ye Anping shook his head slightly, his gesture indicating the fate of those without spiritual roots in this place.
“I see…” Li Longling felt a little helpless about this, but her heart inexplicably marveled at how the Empress of Hantian Kingdom had managed to establish a nation in such a place. She had heard from her father before that the Empress of Hantian Kingdom, Sun Juehu, was a mighty cultivator second only to Dan Yue Shang Xian in his eyes. It seemed that as the Fulfillment Master of Chi Long Mansion, she still had a long way to go.
Li Longling mused for a short while and then suddenly regretted wearing so many clothes. Ye Anping was holding her now, and beneath so many layers, she couldn’t feel his warmth or heartbeat, even with her keen senses.
“Fulfillment Master Li.”
“Ah… Yes?”
“We will arrive at Linghe Immortal City shortly. After that, I will need you to take care of a few matters, and then our roles need to be exchanged.”
“Mm, Young Master Ye, please elaborate, and then…” Li Longling pursed her lips and added, “Just call me Longling. Fulfillment Master Li is too formal.”
Ye Anping lowered his gaze to look at her, letting out a sigh of helplessness. “Longling, I need to borrow your identity as the Fulfillment Master of Chi Long Mansion. Would that be alright?”
“Of course. Young Master Ye, whatever you need from me, just take it. You don’t need my permission.” Li Longling pondered for a moment and then added, as if joking, “Even if Young Master Ye wanted my body, you can have it.”
?
Shouldn’t such words come from Yunluo? Ye Anping was stunned for a moment, then chuckled and retorted, “Really? I’ll take you seriously.” Li Longling froze. She had learned this from a book Xiao Yunluo had given her. In the book, after a woman said something like this, the man would become shy, and their feelings would deepen… Why wasn’t it like the book described?
“…”
“Just kidding.” Ye Anping shook his head. “Let’s get back to business. We need to go to a few ‘shops’ in Linghe Immortal City later. When you enter, tell the shopkeeper…”
…
On the vast snow plain, a magnificent city stood atop the mountains, like a beacon on land, guiding the way for passing caravans. Linghe Immortal City was a mandatory stop for cultivators from the Western Regions upon arriving in the Northern Region. Many cultivators who traded in the northwestern regions would rest and recuperate here. However, this also meant that the city was rife with complex criminal elements.
In the western part of the city, inside a shop selling Fire Stones and pills.
The shopkeeper, over fifty years old, was currently using his spiritual sense to read the contents of a jade slip. This jade slip was a “manifest” from the black market. In other words, it was a list of goods from other immortal cities’ black markets. He managed a black market shop in the Northern Region. When he encountered rare artifacts that weren’t available locally, he could dispatch people to fetch them from the address recorded on the manifest to sell.
However, upon seeing a line on the manifest, the shopkeeper’s face aged visibly, and he muttered, “A quasi-Golden Core of a Deity Transformation stage cultivator? Is the Western Region’s black market that powerful? They can even get their hands on a quasi-Golden Core of a Deity Transformation stage cultivator.”
Just as he was pondering this in curiosity, two figures suddenly entered the shop. The shopkeeper looked up and saw a girl wrapped in a fur coat, her eyes closed, carrying a Fire Phoenix into the shop. He was immediately bewildered and muttered, “A blind person with a bird?”
However, as soon as the words left his mouth, he sensed the powerful spiritual aura emanating from the man beside the blind girl, who was wearing a bamboo hat and a mask. He was startled and quickly stepped forward, “My apologies, my apologies. Are you two here to buy Fire Stones? Please come this way…”
The masked man narrowed his eyes and reached for the hilt of the sword wrapped in bandages on his back. “What did you just say about my young lady?”
Li Longling quickly reprimanded him, “Little Six, stand down.”
“Yes, Young Lady.” Ye Anping quickly cupped his hands in apology and stepped aside.
Then, Li Longling nodded slightly and asked, “Ice River Reflects the Four Directions?”
Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper’s face contorted with fear. He gestured for them to go into the inner room and said, “Northern Border’s Cold Heaven Snow. You are esteemed guests. Please, come in, come in.”
Once inside the inner room, the shopkeeper politely served Li Longling a cup of hot tea. He then sealed the four corners of the room with sound-proofing talismans, closed the doors and windows, and bowed again, apologizing for his previous rudeness. “I was rude just now. I hope the Fairy will not take it to heart. May I ask which senior introduced you?”
“It doesn’t matter who introduced me.” Li Longling asked calmly, “I heard that your Seven Kill Gate takes on any job?”
The shopkeeper replied with a wry smile, “Ahaha… we don’t take absolutely any job. Ever since those fools from the Western Region’s Seven Kill Gate destroyed themselves six or seven years ago, the Seven Kill Gate in the Northern Region has become much more restrained. As long as it’s not related to major sects, we can take it.”
Li Longling smiled and nodded, picking up her tea and sniffing it. “Is that so? Can you kill three people?”
“That depends on who you want to kill and what price you’re offering.”
“Two Core Formation stage cultivators at the mid-stage, and one at the early stage.” Li Longling paused for a moment, then raised her right hand in a palm, five fingers spread apart. “I offer this much?”
The shopkeeper twitched his eyebrows and asked, “…Five hundred thousand? To kill three Core Formation stage cultivators?”
Li Longling replied with a smile, “Five hundred thousand spirit stones per person. You kill as many as you can, and I’ll pay for as many.”
A big deal! The shopkeeper was intrigued, but the market price for Core Formation stage cultivators was generally between three to four hundred thousand, making him hesitate a little. “Young Lady, please tell me more about the three people you want to kill.”
“The first person has black hair and blood-red eyes. He is a Sword Cultivator with a demonic aura, named Gu Mingxin, at the mid-stage of Core Formation.” As she spoke, Li Longling took out a portrait from her storage bag and sent it floating in front of the shopkeeper with her spiritual energy. Ye Anping had drawn this portrait on the way. Having practiced drawing in his youth, his fine brushwork was far superior and more accurate than Xiao Yunluo’s “Immortal Palace Erotic Paintings.” Anyone with functioning eyes could recognize the person.
“The second person is also a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator, a Law Cultivator, plump, with a butt like ripe peaches, named Lu Meimei.”
“As for the third person, he is an early-stage Core Formation cultivator named Wu Tianci, a Body Cultivator.” Li Longling produced two more portraits and sent them to the shopkeeper.
Seeing that the portraits were all well-drawn, the shopkeeper did not inquire further about their appearances. After a moment of silence, he asked, “Do these three possess any Magical Artifacts or spirit treasures?”
“I don’t know about that, but the price I quoted is a minimum.” Li Longling smiled. “Five hundred thousand, with no upper limit. As long as you bring me their heads, I’ll offer a million.”
The shopkeeper pondered for a moment, stroking his chin in evaluation. He then glanced at Li Longling, noticing she wore no expensive ornaments. “Since the Fairy was introduced, you should know my rules. If it were a small business, it would be fine, but you want to kill three Core Formation stage cultivators…” He stopped abruptly, implying that a deposit was needed, or that she should place the spirit stones with him first, to ensure she could pay after the job was done.
Li Longling naturally understood his unspoken meaning. Only now did she grasp the purpose behind Ye Anping’s earlier statement about “borrowing her identity as the Fulfillment Master of Chi Long Mansion.” She shook her head slightly, made a sword finger, and produced a fiery red jade seal from her storage bag, placing it on the table. “I wonder, can this be considered a deposit?”
“This is…” The shopkeeper narrowed his eyes and observed for a moment, his eyes widening. He then looked up at Li Longling’s tightly closed eyes, the Fire Phoenix on her shoulder, and her mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation. All of this matched what he had heard about the Fulfillment Master of Chi Long Mansion a few years ago.
“You… you are the Fulfillment Master of Chi Long Mansion, Li Fulifull Master?”
“Do I need to ask?” Li Longling smiled faintly and turned to point at Ye Anping, who stood by her side, his gaze intently fixed on the shopkeeper’s every move. “This is my guard.”
“I see… But this is the Northern Region’s Seven Kill Gate. If you want to buy something, it’s fine, but if you want to kill someone, the Northern Region’s Seven Kill Gate does not kill cultivators from the Western Region.”
“These three people are currently in the Northern Region. As for their exact location, I don’t know. I only know they are within the Northern Region.”
“In that case…” Since it was a job from the Fulfillment Master of Chi Long Mansion, she would definitely not renege on the five hundred thousand spirit stones. Although Chi Long Mansion was a righteous sect, its affiliated merchant associations relied on the black market to varying degrees. If she lost the black market’s trust, the black market could disrupt the business of Chi Long Mansion’s merchant associations. Since she had revealed her identity, it was enough to show her sincerity. The shopkeeper stood up and cupped his hands. “Then we will accept this matter. After it is done, it will be…”
“Bring their heads or their storage bags to Chi Long Mansion to collect the spirit stones. A few hundred thousand spirit stones is not too far a trip to the Western Region, is it?”
“Understood.”
“Then I won’t linger. Goodbye.” Li Longling put the jade seal back into her storage bag. She tapped the table lightly, and Ye Anping stepped forward, gently helping her up. Then, they walked out of the shop.
Watching the two leave, the shopkeeper looked again at the three portraits left on the table. If this matter were successful, it would be a sum of one and a half million spirit stones. According to the rules of his Seven Kill Gate, he would receive ten percent, which would be fifteen thousand. He only needed to send these three portraits to the Seven Kill Gate’s main headquarters and wait a few months to earn fifteen thousand, which was practically free spirit stones.
“Heh heh… Hahaha…” The shopkeeper chuckled, picked up the three portraits, and ran out from the back to find a cultivator who could contact the main headquarters to deliver the message.
Outside the shop, Li Longling seemed exhausted and suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. Through the eyes of the Fire Phoenix, she looked at Ye Anping beside her. “Young Master Ye…”
“Mm?” Ye Anping asked gently, “What’s wrong? First time dealing with people from the underworld?”
Li Longling nodded. She was a good girl who had never even set foot in a gambling house. Having to deal with people from the underworld now made her feel strangely uneasy. Her father had once taught her never to associate with cultivators who frequented the black market, lest it ruin her future.
“Mm.” Ye Anping suddenly felt a sense of guilt, like a teacher taking a model student to a brothel. He smiled bitterly and shook his head. “You’ll get used to it.” He then took out a list from his storage bag and crossed out the first line with his finger. “The Northern Region’s Seven Kill Gate is done. We still need to visit six more places to place bounties.”
Li Longling let out a long sigh and asked, “Young Master Ye, do you often deal with these people from the black market?”
Ye Anping smiled and said, “This is my first time too.”
“…I don’t believe you.”
“Really.”
“I don’t believe you!” Li Longling pouted and nudged him with her shoulder. “Young Master Ye, your scholarly image of integrity in my heart is completely ruined.”
“Stop messing around. Let’s go to the next place. We’ll try to finish everything before nightfall today. Let me think… the shop of the Seven Xuan Sect should be… a rouge shop on the west street of Linghe Immortal City…”
…
