In front of the black hall, the blood-red umbrella was like a canopy and beneath it, the woman’s green dress and black hair swayed in the wind.

“Compensation must be made. My Fog Obscured Alms will take all the treasures that you offered to us at the market price.”

The woman who called herself Qing Ying had a soft and magnetic voice. As she spoke, she flipped over her hand that was snow-white to the point of being transparent, and resting on the palm was a purple jade badge.

“And from now on, as long as you hold this item, when you trade with Fog Obscured Alms, all treasures will be bought at 90% of the market price.”

Swoosh!

The purple jade badge turned into a streak of light and appeared in front of Lin Xun.

The palm-sized jade badge had a beautiful sheen with purple mist swirling around it to form the words ‘Fog Obscured’.

After a brief thought, Lin Xun accepted the item and said, “Thank you very much.”

Then, he bid farewell and left.

Qing Ying did not stop him and just watched his figure gradually disappear.

Under the blood-red umbrella, a thoughtful smile came onto her barely visible face.

Silently, the old dwarf man appeared and bowed respectfully, “Miss.”

“Has the Young Master left?”

“Yes.”

“Where’s Madam Yan?”

“Miss, please give your orders.”

“She did not follow the rules, do you not know what her consequences are?”

The old dwarf man immediately broke out in a cold sweat. “I know.”

Qing Ying turned around with a flutter of her green dress and entered the black hall while holding the blood-red umbrella.

“I want all the information about that young man within a quarter of an hour.”

A soft voice drifted around the void, but she was already nowhere in sight.

Only then did the old dwarf man relax and wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.

As the person in charge of Fog Obscured Alms in Lin’an City, the old man was like the ruler of the black market of the underground world, wielding terrifying authority and the power of life and death.

He attached no importance to even Big Saints!

Despite that, in front of Qing Ying, he acted so humble and submissive, not daring to show the slightest bit of disrespect.

He was the only one who knew well what sort of majestic and transcendent status Miss Qing Ying held in Fog Obscured Alms.

“Madam Yan, don’t blame me for being ruthless. I’m just following orders...” The old dwarf sighed and turned away.

In less than a quarter of an hour.

The old dwarf man appeared in front of the black hall again.

“Miss, I have acquired the information,” he said respectfully.

The door of the hall silently opened, and inside the fog-filled hall, a graceful green figure was sitting alone with a blood-red umbrella quietly suspended above her.

“The young man is called Yu Xuan. He arrived in Lin’an City yesterday on Whirlwind Ship of Heavenly Sound Pavilion from the Ziheng Star Field. I captured a passenger who was on the ship and interrogated him briefly. I discovered something strange.”

As the old dwarf man spoke, he brought out a jade slip and presented it with a bow.

The jade slip recorded in detail everything Lin Xun had done since he boarded Whirlwind Ship.

For example, he served as Liu Qingyan’s bodyguard, killed many Primordial Dao Court experts, was targeted by Netherworld Zen Master Wuming and others from Earth Treasury Realm, and suppressed disciples from the Jingtian Clan.

Qing Ying’s eyes gleamed as she read the notes, as if she guessed something.

As she continued to read it, her gaze drifted off in thought.

That night, Wuming and others from Earth Treasury Realm, as well as Jintian Xuanyue attacked together. After Yu Xuan defeated them all, Sword Emperor Brave Gale personally took action…

However, Yu Xuan did not die. Instead, Wuming and his group disappeared while Sword Emperor Brave Gale declared his stance that he would protect Yu Xuan and even told Jintian Xuanyue to stay by Yu Xuan’s side as a cultivator attendant!

This all was very unusual.

“What actually happened that night?”

Qing Ying fell into deep thought.

After a long while, she asked, “Is there any more information?”

The old dwarf man hurriedly reported, “I heard that Kong Yu from the Primordial Dao Court led people onto Whirlwind Ship to launch an attack, but Sword Emperor Brave Gale himself suppressed them all...”

“Kong Yu is stupid. How would a sword emperor who had made a name for himself thirty thousand years ago fear him because of his background?” Qing Ying remarked disdainfully.

Immediately, she asked, “Old Crane, who do you think in Ancient Nebula Road would dare to kill disciples of the Primordial Dao Court?”

The old dwarf man was stumped.

Without waiting for an answer, Qing Ying answered, “Maybe there would have been someone a long time ago, but in the past hundred thousand years, almost no one would dare to do it except for the ruthless characters of the Ancient Nebula Underworld who are unafraid of death.”

The old dwarf man agreed.

The mere mention of Primordial Dao Court was enough to deter anyone. How would its disciples not be treated with respect wherever they go?

Qing Ying’s soft, feminine voice was uniquely magnetic. “However, six years ago, in the Kunlun Dominion, someone killed not only successors from Primordial Dao Court, but who knows how many disciples from the Great Six Courts and Great Ten Battle Clans.”

“Lin Xun!” The old dwarf man blurted out.

“Correct, it is precisely him.” Qing Ying said, “Old Crane, don’t you find that the behavior of Yu Xuan and Lin Xun is very similar?”

The old dwarf man gasped, “Miss, do you suspect the young man to be Lin Xun?”

“The sudden appearance of the fearless Lin Xun already rocked the entire Ancient Nebula Road. Could there be someone else like him in this world?” Qing Ying said mysteriously, “There might be, but...he definitely won’t be an expert from the Imperial Yu Clan.”

A strange look came into her eyes of the old dwarf man. “Miss, rumor has it that Lin Xun holds the secret of becoming an Emperor and Ancestor. How about we...”

“No.” Qing Ying interrupted, “This is just my guess. I have used a secret art to observe Yu Xuan before and I indeed found that he was in disguise, but his true appearance was not Lin Xun. There must be more to this.”

The old dwarf man was taken aback for a moment before he asked, “Miss, what are your plans next?”

“Just wait and see.” Qing Ying stated calmly, “Remember, without my order, do not disclose what happened today.”

Old Crane hurriedly promised, trembling inside.

“Yu Xuan…” Qing Ying murmured. “I didn’t expect to encounter a mysterious person like you during my trip to Lin’an City. As long as you continue to trade with Fog Obscured Alms, we will definitely meet again…”

……

After leaving the black market, Lin Xun headed straight to the inn where he stayed.

He now carried an additional twenty four million dao crystals, which was six million more than he expected.

Lin Xun knew that this might be the ‘compensation’ that Qing Ying spoke of.

At the thought of that mysterious, enchanting and stunning woman, Lin Xun couldn’t help but think of the blood-red umbrella and green dress.

Immediately, he shook his head.

Once the auction was over, he would immediately leave Lin’an City, and they likely wouldn’t see each other again in the future.

“Huh?” When he reached the inn entrance, he suddenly halted.

In his spirit sense, he captured two pairs of eyes secretly spying on him.

One was a man in brocade garments standing in front of a stall, looking carefully and choosing some items. A few hundred feet away, there was a woman in plain clothes and with a simple hairpin was sipping tea in a teahouse.

He calmly continued into the inn.

In the room, Jintian Xuanyue was brewing a pot of tea. Her slender and fair hands moving skilfully and smoothly like flowing water captivated the eyes.

“Xuanyue, it seems like I am being watched.”

Lin Xun walked into the room, sat down on one side of the table, picked up a teacup and took a sip.

“Ah?”

A blush spread across Jintian Xuanyue’s beautiful fair face, and her long and dense eyelashes fluttered like a little fan.

“What’s wrong?” Lin Xun was taken aback by her response.

Jintian Xuanyue pointed at the teacup in Lin Xun’s hand. “Young Master, I just drank from this cup.”

Lin Xun went stiff and flushed with embarrassment, saying awkwardly, “That...I didn’t know. I hope you don’t mind.”

Jintian Xuanyue nodded and changed the topic, “Young Master, you were saying that you are being watched, is that right?”

Lin Xun nodded and scrunched his brows. “That’s right. We just arrived in Lin’an City and haven’t provoked anyone, yet I was secretly being followed as I returned here. This is strange.”

“Do you want me to investigate?” Jintian Xuanyue’s expression turned serious.

“Don’t alert the enemy just yet.” Lin Xun whispered, “We will leave here once the auction is over. Let’s see if they will take the next step then.”

Jintian Xuanyue nodded.

……

Meanwhile, in the Xing Clan’s residence.

As the most powerful force in Lin’an City, the Xing Clan occupied a huge area of land. It was like a blessed ground, with rockery, beautiful streams, pavilions, and gazebos. Every corner was like the home of immortals.

“If this operation is successful, I, Kong Yu, will not treat you badly in the future.”

In a large hall, Kong Yu was sitting arrogantly at the main seat with a haughty look on his face.

Sitting around the hall were all important figures of the Xing Clan, some men and some women but all were at least at the True Saint Stage.

A dignified man in a purple robe said respectfully, “Please rest assured, Young Master. There is nothing that our Xing Clan can’t deal with in Lin’an City.”

He was Xing Liushui, the head of the Xing Clan and an elder of the Purple Cloud Sword Sect, the third strongest force in Cloud Stage. He was a supreme perfect Saint-King who wielded mighty authority and power.

He was regarded as a top figure in the entire Qing State.

However, in front of Kong Yu, he acted extremely humble and respectful.

“If we rely on just the power of your Xing Clan, I’m afraid it won’t be enough to take down Yu Xuan.” Kong Yu remarked expressionlessly, “But don’t worry, when the time comes, my people will lend a hand.”

Xing Liushui gave a cupped fist salute and bowed. “Young Master, we await your orders.”

Kong Yu nodded, satisfied with Xing Liushui’s attitude.

“Yu Xuan definitely won’t stay long in Lin’an City. The moment he leaves is the time we will take action,” Kong Yu decided. “But before that, your Xing Clan must keep a close eye on him. If my plan is ruined...haha, then don’t blame me for turning hostile!”

With that, he got up and swaggered off.

From the beginning to the end, Xing Liushui and other important figures all obediently obeyed his orders and dared not show any discontent even when threatened.

The reason for that was very simple: Standing behind Kong Yu was Primordial Dao Court, a colossus that could flatten the entire Xing Clan with a snap of their fingers!

Three days later, in Donglai Treasure Pavilion of Lin’an City, the much-anticipated auction kicked off as scheduled.