Chapter 928: Time Jade

But Li Xiaofei had been prepared as the flash of crimson light appeared. He summoned the Darkblade into his hand. With a single, precise strike of the Naihe Bridge technique, he cleaved down on the crimson light.

Ding.

A soft sound rang out. Li Xiaofei’s wrist trembled slightly as half his arm went numb. The recoil was stronger than he had anticipated. He instantly assessed his opponent’s strength to be at the Seven Transformation Realm.

At the same time, Zhou Shisan’s expression changed ever so slightly. Clearly, he had not expected Li Xiaofei’s reaction to be so swift, nor his blade technique to be so exquisite that it actually blocked his Stabbing Tongue strike.

Indeed, that flash of crimson light earlier was one of the Yeniao clan’s innate secret techniques, Stabbing Tongue. It was known for its suddenness and devastating power. Often, it could kill or seriously wound an opponent of the same stage in an instant. But unexpectedly, it had failed this time.

Li Xiaofei’s gaze was now brimming with murderous intent. Anger surged, and he was already prepared to summon the Blood-Drinking Sword. But just at that moment—

“Wait,” the voice of the Grand Princess rang out in the hall.

The star of the banquet gracefully walked forward. She fixed her sharp and commanding gaze on Zhou Shisan as she said, “Causing trouble at my banquet and attacking my honored guest, does your Yeniao clan intend to declare war on my Hui Yao clan?”

Zhou Shisan laughed and said, “Haha, it’s a misunderstanding, Princess. Don’t be angry. I was just playing a little joke with this young brother here, that’s all. Haha, it’s nothing, really nothing.”

Li Xiaofei’s eyes remained cold. But in the end, he said nothing more. Instead, he drew a finger across his throat before turning away and leaving. Zhou Shisan’s eyes suddenly narrowed, and a cold gleam flickered in his pupils. But that expression disappeared in an instant.

Zhou Shisan quickly restored his courteous, gentlemanly demeanor, wearing what he considered a perfect smile as he looked at the Grand Princess. He said, “Princess, you must know how I feel about you. Hehe, to be honest, I just couldn’t stand seeing that poor, wretched-looking fellow sticking so close to you.”

Everyone knew that Zhou Shisan had admired the Grand Princess for a long time. He was one of her most relentless pursuers. Moreover, the Yeniao clan had always wanted to establish a marriage alliance with the Hui Yao clan.

The Grand Princess replied, “He wasn’t sticking close to me.”

Zhou Shisan nodded and smiled.

The Grand Princess added, “I was sticking close to him.”

Zhou Shisan’s smile froze instantly.

“You’d better not cause any more trouble, or don’t blame me for showing no regard for the Yeniao clan’s reputation.”

The Grand Princess’s tone was forceful, leaving Zhou Shisan no room to maneuver. With that, she turned and walked away.

Zhou Shisan still wore a faint smile as he watched her leave, his gaze seemingly filled with infatuation. But a careful observer could discern, hidden beneath that smile, a well-concealed glimmer of madness and malice.

At the same time, Master Jin glanced at the human man standing nearby and gently shook his head. He wore a snow-white ceremonial robe, and his body was tall, strong, and imposing. He had handsome features, and his presence exuded masculinity. In every respect, he was an exceptionally outstanding and distinguished man.

Yet his status was no higher than that of a pet-like companion. Like Master Jin, he had a master. His master was a female Reaper with a human body and a serpent’s tail. She possessed striking beauty and a cold, elegant temperament, exuding a powerful aura that made many guests greet her with respect, clearly indicating that her status was not low.

Seeing Master Jin’s gaze, the man let out a heavy sigh, pushed aside his private thoughts, and forced a flattering smile onto his face as he whispered something to his master beside him. There were five or six other human companions at the banquet.

When Li Xiaofei had summoned the Darkblade, their expressions had immediately shifted. But they had all worked hard to suppress their emotions.

“Are you alright, brother?” Wei Xiaotian came over to him.

Li Xiaofei shook his head.

“I saw everything just now,” Wei Xiaotian said in a low voice. “The people from the Yeniao clan are all madmen. It’s said that a bloodline of madness runs through their veins. That Zhou Shisan has been pursuing the Grand Princess lately, so that’s why he purposely gave you a hard time.”

Li Xiaofei nodded thoughtfully.

No wonder. Damn, these Reapers have really fallen. Even Reapers of this status have started to get jealous over romantic rivals. But, is there no reproductive isolation between different species of Reapers?

After all, Reapers of different races had vastly different forms. Even if they could take on human appearances, their true forms varied widely. Some couldn’t have looked more different in size, shape, or appearance.

Could such beings really experience love?

Countless questions floated through Li Xiaofei’s mind.

“But don’t worry,” Wei Xiaotian continued. “I’m famous for sticking up for my brothers. I’d never let my friends suffer even the slightest grievance. I’ll definitely help you settle the score.”

Wei Xiaotian went on, “But there are too many people at the banquet right now, so it’s not convenient to act. Once the banquet’s over, let’s find a chance to corner Zhou Shisan in an alley. Then we’ll take him out together.”

Li Xiaofei replied, “Alright.”

From a distance, Liu Shaji was also staring at Zhou Shisan, licking his lips excitedly. He said, “Leave it to me. I’ll duel him one-on-one and finish him off.”

Li Xiaofei said, “Fine.”

He knew exactly what these two were thinking. That sly old fox Wei Xiaotian saw Zhou Shisan as a threat to his own planned marriage alliance and was using the excuse of avenging his brother to eliminate a rival.

Liu Shaji, on the other hand, was much simpler. He simply wanted to use intense combat and slaughter to restore his cultivation. Those two bastards, who were obviously looking out for themselves, still insisted on putting on an act of standing up for their brother.

Fortunately, Li Xiaofei also wanted to kill Zhou Shisan. He was not the type to swallow his anger and let things slide. His earlier decision to back off had not been because he was giving face to the Grand Princess.

He hadn’t wanted to cause a scene, disrupt the banquet, and delay the exhibition of the Time Jade. Li Xiaofei wanted to get his hands on the Time Jade. That treasure would help him find Si Kongxue in the depths of the Holy Ruins.

According to Wei Xiaotian’s description, Si Kongxue and her daughter had been taken deep into the Holy Ruins. The journey to find them would no doubt be fraught with countless dangers, but the Time Jade would greatly reduce the difficulty.

𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

The banquet continued but the atmosphere had turned somewhat awkward. Those who had previously shown interest in Li Xiaofei because of the Grand Princess now kept their distance, as if avoiding a plague.

Even the succubus, Xue, had become a target of this avoidance. Some people even looked at her with the eyes of the dead, faces filled with schadenfreude. Li Xiaofei silently memorized the faces of all these people.

Moments later, the treasure exhibition segment began. The Hui Yao clan, eager to show off their strength, spared no expense in displaying treasures. Every piece was carefully selected and of the highest quality, showcasing part of the family’s heritage. This was the way of the Reaper world.

One had to display their strength and influence. Absolutely nothing could be hidden or held back. Only then would one earn respect. Li Xiaofei’s interest was piqued as well.

A True Dragon Bone? A nail sheath from an Ancestral Being? A half-rotted tooth? Damn. What kind of nonsense is this?

Li Xiaofei looked at these so-called treasures and was utterly unimpressed. Yet the Reaper nobles in the hall were absolutely captivated, letting out constant sounds of amazement and admiration.

Wei Xiaotian’s eyes were practically glowing as he pressed his face against the protective barrier of the formation. Li Xiaofei deeply suspected that if he wasn’t outmatched, he would stolen the goods on the spot like a bandit.

Liu Shaji grabbed Li Xiaofei and pulled him close, whispering, “For heaven’s sake, at least pretend to be interested. We’re supposed to be Reapers now. That completely indifferent look on your face is going to blow our cover!”

Li Xiaofei couldn’t be bothered with this clown.

Half an hour later, the atmosphere reached its peak when the night’s main treasure, the Time Jade, finally made its appearance.

A dark green metal box was brought to the center of the hall under the protection of two peak Seven Transformation Realm experts from the Hui Yao clan and placed on a pedestal that had been prepared beforehand.

Everyone immediately stepped back ten meters. The formation was activated and a transparent barrier slowly descended.

Click.

The dark green metal box opened automatically, with metal panels unfolding on all sides, revealing the true face of the Time Jade inside. It was an ear-shaped piece of white, translucent jade.

Under the influence of the formation, it floated above the metal box, slowly rotating and emitting a soft, white light. Even with the formation’s protection, it radiated a strange energy that spread through the barrier like gentle ripples of water, permeating the entire banquet hall. The surroundings instantly fell silent.

Everyone’s eyes were drawn to the palm-sized, ear-shaped piece of lustrous white jade. Li Xiaofei included. He moved closer to observe it carefully. The shape of the jade seemed naturally formed, without any signs of artificial polishing.

Its surface was extremely smooth, without any sharp edges. Yet there appeared to be a single thin, gravel-like crack inside.

No, that’s not a crack,

he thought.

Li Xiaofei focused even more intently, and he discovered something new. The Time Jade seemed to be hollow on the inside. Those fine, crack-like markings were actually fragments of jade, existing within the hollow interior and slowly shifting around.

Even more remarkably, its hollow interior was divided into an upper and lower chamber, connected by a single narrow passage. The instant Li Xiaofei saw it, a term immediately came to mind, an hourglass.

This Time Jade was essentially a naturally formed jade hourglass. An hourglass, after all, was often associated with time.

“Today, we will randomly invite a lucky appraiser to join me in demonstrating the power of the Time Jade,” said the Grand Princess as she appeared gracefully.

Her words immediately caused a stir in the crowd. It seemed like this was a last-minute addition to the program. A demonstration of the power of the Time Jade was a rare chance to witness the secrets of this treasure. Everyone grew excited, their eyes expectant as they looked toward the Grand Princess.

“I wonder if this gentleman would be willing to join me in demonstrating it for everyone?” The Grand Princess stepped in front of Li Xiaofei and extended her fair hand as she issued the invitation.