Chapter 947: Fragrant Bun, Xu Xiao Shou

In Dong Tian Wang Cheng, the Jie Ji Chuan Song Zhen suddenly lit up with a brilliant glow.

The elaborate array, which had been empty moments before, now materialized a series of figures, each with varied expressions, most radiating excitement.

Among them were cargo wagons from major trading firms traversing the eastern domains; wealthy individuals out for travel, eager to see the sights of Dong Tian Wang Cheng; and affluent Lian Ling Shi drawn by rumors, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Tian Kong Zhi Cheng.

The Jie Ji Chuan Song Zhen was encircled by guards from the city lord's mansion, who checked each person's identity one by one before allowing them to pass.

Leaning over the barriers outside were playful and curious children from the royal city, idle young nobles with nothing better to do, and passing Lian Ling Shi who paused, captivated by the rare glow of the teleportation array that appeared only every few days.

"They're so rich,"

"to afford using a Jie Ji Chuan Song Zhen..."

"This teleportation array in our royal city is one of the most luxurious below the domain level, I've heard. Using it once could wipe out an ordinary person's entire savings in one go."

Someone leaned over the barrier, their face full of envy.

"Pfft, your savings probably wouldn't even cover one use!"

"I've heard that for each use, the fee runs into the millions of Ling Bi. And if you're transporting goods, you have to pay a high percentage based on the cargo's value."

"This is something only the major continental trading caravans can afford. Otherwise, you'd have to be a super-wealthy tycoon,"

"like those elegantly dressed folks inside... Tsk tsk, those outfits are clearly no ordinary threads."

Others shook their heads in amazement,

gazing at the wealthy individuals emerging from the teleportation array, marveling at the immense gap between people.

"No, look, there are a few in there dressed quite plainly, almost like us..."

A sharp-eyed observer noticed that behind the merchant caravans and wealthy carriages, there were several "ordinary" people, causing a twinge of jealousy—how could someone in such attire afford a teleportation of this scale?

"Shh!"

A person nearby quickly signaled for silence: "Based on my experience, those are strong Lian Ling Shi, at least Wang Zuo Jing Jie or higher—maybe even Zhan Dao or Tai Xu!"

This drew the attention of many at the barrier, who turned to look.

In comparison, merchant caravans and wealthy entourages might attract crowds in the mundane world, but in Dong Tian Wang Cheng, a central hub of the Lian Ling world, they barely turned heads.

Lian Ling Shi were held in high esteem, and right now, Dong Tian Wang Cheng was at the epicenter of turmoil in the Lian Ling realm.

So, those emerging from the Jie Ji Chuan Song Zhen were likely powerful figures above Wang Zuo Jing Jie, lured by the Tian Kong Zhi Cheng.

How could such individuals be simple?

Trailing behind the merchant groups,

and dressed less ostentatiously, was a five-person team.

Leading them was a middle-aged man with a calm demeanor and no standout features.

At his side was a woman with an alluring figure, barefoot and scantily clad, her movements seductive and captivating, as if she could ensnare anyone's soul.

Unfortunately, she wore a hat with a black veil that obscured her face, muting much of her charm.

Even so, many at the barrier began swallowing hard, losing all composure.

Behind the man and woman followed a lame old man with a weathered face, a hunched old woman, and a round-faced, wide-eyed boy who looked innocently cute.

"A family of five?"

"They don't really seem like it..."

Someone curiously remarked.

Because these five shared no physical resemblances whatsoever.

If there was any connection...

They all exuded a slightly cold aura, enveloped in a shadowy presence that contrasted sharply with the lively energy of the nearby merchant members.

"We're in Dong Tian Wang Cheng now!"

The middle-aged man at the front of the five glanced up at the sky, his eyes narrowing slightly under the imposing shadow of the massive ancient city overhead, then he spoke indifferently: "If no one objects, I'll take command of this operation."

"Of course, Shuang Shen is so boldly volunteering. With you leading the charge, the rest of us can relax properly."

The veiled woman giggled, stepping forward while lifting her veil slightly, complaining: "But why do you all get to show your faces openly, while I have to wear this thing? It's so hot..."

She pulled at her already loose neckline, fanning herself inside, and pouted with clear dissatisfaction.

A chorus of gulping sounds erupted from beyond the barrier, with some people straining over the railing.

The guards should have intervened to stop such behavior, but not a single one moved, as even their eyes were fixed on her.

"Ahem..."

The lame old man coughed heavily, sounding frail and aged: "Miss Jin Zu's charm is even making this old man feel the heat. If you don't behave, things might get out of hand here."

He glanced meaningfully at the crowd around them, consumed by desire.

Though there were Lian Ling Shi among the onlookers, they were acting like frenzied out-of-control individuals, desperate to rush into the array.

Jin Zu glanced back, lifting her veil to reveal half of her mesmerizing face, and laughed behind her hand: "Xie Lao, are you talking about... evil fire?"

Xie Lao coughed again, his body weakening as he hunched over further, saying no more as his focus shifted elsewhere.

The hunched old woman withdrew her gaze from Xie Lao's shrimp-like posture and slammed her staff on the ground.

A buzzing sound rippled out, dispelling the abnormalities in the surrounding people.

The round-faced boy had said nothing throughout, only staring intently at the towering ancient city in the sky, murmuring to himself:

"It's so huge, the Void Island... I really want to go up and play..."

Behind the five, scattered Lian Ling Shi quietly observed the scene ahead.

At the very back of these scattered groups, a one-armed old man carrying a large peach wood box was carefully perking up his ears.

"Shuang Shen, Jin Zu, Xie Lao?"

Xiu Yuan Ke furrowed his brow as the names clicked— these were the three main code names for the San Zhu Xiang gold medal hunt orders. In other words, the people ahead were assassins, at least Tai Xu level— or capable of hunting them.

"Then, the ones with them, who are easy to identify, must be 'Gui Po' and 'Xiao Ren'..."

He sucked in a breath. "Hiss, what kind of lineup is this? The five San Zhu Xiang gold medal hunters gathering in Dong Tian Wang Cheng so openly, without any disguise?

"Is it because of the Tian Kong Zhi Cheng?

"Hmm, possible. Dong Tian Wang Cheng is in chaos because of the Tian Kong Zhi Cheng, with Zhan Dao appearing frequently and Tai Xu passing through.

"As long as they don't draw too much scrutiny, they're hard to recognize. Once they slip away, it's like a fish in the sea— even harder to find.

"After all, who can be sure that the true faces of San Zhu Xiang gold medal hunters are their real ones?

"This is big— I need to report it to my senior brother..."

Xiu Yuan Ke's mind raced through thoughts, but he happened to catch Shuang Shen glancing his way, as if sensing something.

He quickly acted like an ordinary observer, shrinking back timidly and forcing a friendly smile, nodding in greeting.

Shuang Shen's gaze swept over briefly before withdrawing, detecting nothing unusual.

His assassin's instincts had alerted him to a potential threat, but upon looking, he found no major issues...

This only meant the problem was bigger!

Unable to sense who was watching him...

Shuang Shen narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice to the others: "Something's off. Let's cut the chatter and get out of here!"

The group tensed up, their expressions unchanged but their alertness heightened.

Xie Lao didn't turn around, but his spiritual sense scanned everything nearby.

He spoke in a low voice, not using telepathy: "The others are fine, but that old man at the back... the one-armed guy carrying a big wooden box with a small axe at his waist— if there's trouble, it's him."

Xiu Yuan Ke felt his liver twitch. What kind of razor-sharp intuition was this?

"Why?" Jin Zu asked, glancing back with confusion.

Xie Lao sighed: "Where are we? This is Sword God Heaven in the eastern domain! And where exactly? At a Jie Ji Chuan Song Zhen! Could there be ordinary people here? In the central domain, he might pass as a rich nobody, but in the east, he's likely an ancient sword cultivator!"

Xiu Yuan Ke's face paled slightly as he lifted his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his forehead, also hiding his expression.

Xiao Ren overheard and turned back with a grin: "Xie Lao, aren't you being too paranoid? The eastern domain is called Sword God Heaven, but not everyone here is a sword god."

Xie Lao shook his head: "You young folks always think the best. One day it'll get you in trouble. I say he's an ancient sword cultivator, and his sword is in that wooden box."

"How do you know? He doesn't have any sword intent!" Xiao Ren noticed the one-armed old man's odd behavior and teased.

"Hiding sword techniques— what's so strange about that? With the Tian Kong Zhi Cheng drawing in powerful ancient sword cultivators, and them ending up on the same teleportation with us, isn't that normal?" Xie Lao shrugged, doubling down on his theory.

Xiu Yuan Ke felt a chill run up his spine, the cold seeping from his feet to the top of his head.

This was uncanny!

Way too uncanny!

He needed to find his senior brother!

These assassins— they couldn't have their eyes on him, could they?

Jin Zu glanced back at the nervous, trembling one-armed old man and giggled: "You guys must have scared him. Our target is Xu Xiao Shou, not him."

Xu Xiao Shou?

Xiu Yuan Ke barely suppressed the urge to look up sharply.

These assassins were after the holy slave Xu Xiao Shou?

For what?

To take his head?

Of course— assassins would only have that in mind. But why say it out loud?

Wait, he didn't even know Xu Xiao Shou. Why was he getting so tense... Xiu Yuan Ke felt his feet grow heavy, as if weighed down by lead.

Shuang Shen caught on to Xie Lao's strategy and slowed his pace, feigning reproach: "Xie Lao, why reveal our target? Now everyone's in the know."

Xie Lao chuckled slyly, flashing a mouthful of yellowed teeth:

"That sword wielder might or might not know Xu Xiao Shou. But the holy slaves include Xu Xiao Shou and the eight venerables.

"If he's here because of the eight venerables, he might know Xu Xiao Shou. Then, if he tips someone off, we can follow the lead and take Xu's head for the bounty."

Xiu Yuan Ke suddenly found breathing difficult, the impulse to open his wooden box, draw his peach wood sword, and eliminate these five assassins rising within him.

At that moment, Shuang Shen added with mock rebuke: "Xie Lao, if you had such a deeper plan, you could have told us privately. Now you've said it out loud— what if he's preparing to silence us?"

Xiu Yuan Ke froze mid-motion.

Xie Lao let out a strange laugh and glanced back:

"He wouldn't dare.

"Since I dared to say it so openly, I'm forcing his hand. If he moves, I'll fake my death— the Sheng Shen Hall won't let anyone who attacks at a Jie Ji Chuan Song Zhen gateway get away.

"Then he'd be a wanted man... and his head would be worth something. We could decide whether to go after it."

Xiu Yuan Ke's scalp tingled.

These people were insane!

After going in circles, it all boiled down to money?

He silently suppressed his urge to act, calming down and feeling like he'd been played.

But how did they read his thoughts so easily? Did they have mind-reading abilities?... Xiu Yuan Ke felt exposed before these assassins, like an open book. He yearned to return to his senior brother's side.

The areas outside Can Yue Immortal City were just too dangerous for a pure and kind ancient sword cultivator like him!

He pulled out the thousand paper cranes hidden in his pocket, intending to locate his senior brother, but then recalled the assassins' conversation.

"If I contact senior brother, they might trace it back and expose his identity— what then?"

As he hesitated, sweat dripped down his forehead, soaking his sleeves.

Ahead, the five gold medal hunters from San Zhu Xiang passed through identity checks without issue and merged into the crowds of Dong Tian Wang Cheng.

They kept their spiritual senses on the hesitant Xiu Yuan Ke, who lingered in the flow of people— they all sensed he wasn't simple, but couldn't pinpoint his identity.

He was genuinely naive, though!

Too scared to use his communication tool...

"Ha, hilarious."

Xiao Ren couldn't help but double over in laughter, shaking his head: "Are all eastern domain sword cultivators this dense?"

Xie Lao's face shifted from mockery to seriousness as he said calmly: "Laugh if you want, but if it comes to a fight, these seemingly dense types are the most dangerous. Back in the day, when I tried to assassinate one of the eight venerables..."

"Pfft!" Jin Zu, who was sipping from her water pouch with elegance, suddenly burst out laughing and sprayed water. "Xie Lao, oh Xie Lao, let's not bring up those embarrassing stories, okay?"

"Heh." Xie Lao shrugged, unfazed and proud: "If you don't want to hear, fine. But I'm the one who survived an encounter with the Eighth Sword Immortal."

Shuang Shen shook his head slightly, eyes fixed north:

"Time to move.

"Remember, our target is Xu Xiao Shou.

"Deal with side issues if they're convenient, but don't create unnecessary complications."

The four behind him nodded in agreement.

Jin Zu wiped the water from her lips with a handkerchief, asking casually: "So, where will Xu Xiao Shou be?"

"Let's head to Yun Lun Shan Mai first!" Shuang Shen replied.

The storm's center was in Yun Lun Shan Mai.

No matter what, now that they were in Dong Tian Wang Cheng, they had to check it out.

The holy slave Xu Xiao Shou was likely there too— they could pinpoint his location once they arrived.

The five assassins set off toward the storm's heart.

Just then, each of their gold medal hunt orders beeped simultaneously.

The five exchanged glances and pulled out their orders, seeing a new message:

"'Mobilization Order' concluded. New bounty issued: Black Gold level, available to all."

Black Gold bounty?

Shuang Shen and the others looked at each other, surprised.

A Black Gold bounty— the highest tier, matching the Black Gold mobilization— how many years had it been?

They scrolled down quickly, and the details appeared.

"Black Gold Bounty Order:

"Target One: Wu Ji Lao Zu, real name Xuan Wu Ji, a Tian Ji sorcerer and ghost beast. Current ghost beast host identity unknown. Strength limited by host, approximately Tai Xu level. Rewards for providing clues.

"Target Two: Holy Slave Storyteller, Zhan Dao realm, fully survived the Nine Deaths Thunder Tribulation, approximately Tai Xu level. Rewards for providing clues.

"Target Three: Holy Slave Xu Xiao Shou, Zong Shi realm, Zhan Dao strength. Current location: Yun Lun Shan Mai, Gu Yin Ya. Rewards for providing follow-up clues or the head."

The glaring words "Xu Xiao Shou" caught their eyes, leaving the five assassins stunned.

"A Black Gold bounty on Xu Xiao Shou too— what did he do?" Jin Zu asked, dazed, then quickly reacted with urgency: "Yun Lun Shan Mai, Gu Yin Ya! We don't have leads on the first two yet, but this one— our chance is huge!"

"It's huge indeed..."

Shuang Shen was equally excited, his gaze distant as he thought deeper: "But with a Black Gold bounty on Xu Xiao Shou, our competition won't just be eastern domain hunters anymore!"

"Anyone can claim that Zong Shi's head at San Zhu Xiang, whether they killed him or not!"

Shuang Shen warned the group, his eyes alert: "This mission just got dangerous..."