"You’re courting death..."

Liu Xuan swayed, about to charge at Nie Yun, but Liu Yuan blocked him before he could move.

"Young Master..."

"This is the Pill Assembly. If we cause a scene and my uncle finds out, he’ll definitely blame us. Just figure out who he is, find a chance to snatch that Petrifying Tumor, and teach him a lesson while you’re at it. That’s all."

Liu Yuan narrowed his eyes, watching the youth’s retreating back, and let out a low, cold snort.

If Nie Yun had heard him, he would have been surprised. Not many people could recognize a Petrifying Tumor, yet this youth somehow could.

"How dare he act so arrogant in front of the Young Master. Hmph, once we snatch his thing, I’ll definitely kill him!" Hearing his young master’s orders, Liu Xuan didn’t dare to object. A smirk played on his lips as he snorted.

Nie Yun paid no mind to the ramblings of these two buffoons. Never mind the City Lord’s nephew; even if the City Lord himself acted arrogantly before him, Nie Yun wouldn’t mind killing him with a single strike!

With his status as an Ultimate Venerable Powerhouse and the master of three Ultimate Venerable Demon Pets, if he killed someone, so be it. Not even the Imperial Family of the Divine Wind Empire would dare to say a word!

He took a few steps and arrived before Tie Lan. He saw the girl standing in front of a pile of jewelry, her eyes shining so brightly she seemed rooted to the spot.

The moment she entered the City Lord’s Mansion, she had stopped right here. He couldn’t believe that after all his wandering, she was still in the same place!

’It seems that even though this girl is carefree and acts like a boy, she still has a soft spot for things like jewelry.’

"Heh."

Nie Yun knew that although she was the daughter of a Mercenary Corps’ leader, she didn’t have much spending money. With a faint smile, he asked, "How much for this jewelry?"

"This headdress is 500 taels, this jade hairpin is 400 taels..." the seller said with an eager smile.

"Alright, I’ll buy it all..."

Money was not something Nie Yun lacked right now. He casually tossed out two silver notes, each worth ten thousand taels, and bought all the jewelry the girl liked.

"Nie Yun, this..."

The girl was startled by the youth’s extravagance, and a blush crept onto her face.

’He’s buying me jewelry... Does he mean... that? Should I refuse him, or accept...?’ For a moment, the girl was completely lost in thought.

While the girl’s imagination ran wild, Nie Yun hadn’t thought that far. For one, he was clueless about matters of the heart. For another, he felt he owed her from his past life and simply wanted to make it up to her in this one, with no other intentions.

After buying the jewelry, they took another stroll around the City Lord’s Mansion. Nie Yun then realized with some resignation that there was no sign of the Purple Splendor Jade Seal at all.

’Could I have remembered wrong? Did the Purple Splendor Jade Seal not appear at this Pill Assembly after all?’

"Excuse me, you must be Miss Tie Lan, correct? I am Liu Xiao, Guard Captain of the City Lord’s Guard Team. The City Lord is holding a top-tier trade meet in the Inner Hall and has invited the most influential people in Jibei City. He hopes you will be able to attend!"

A few guards had approached the pair as they walked, and the one in the lead had said this with a respectful expression.

"A top-tier trade meet? Nie Yun, let’s go check it out!" Tie Lan’s eyes lit up.

Although the Pill Assembly was a grand trade event for the common people, for those in power, its most important function was to foster relationships among the nobility. The outer market, while lively, wasn’t where influential figures like the City Lord would participate. They held their own trade meets, and only the most distinguished individuals could attend.

Now that Tie Lan possessed a Demon Beast at the Peak Level of Qi Sect, her status was comparable to that of an Imperial Prince, so it was only natural she received an invitation.

’A top-tier trade meet? Could the Purple Splendor Jade Seal be here...?’

Hearing about this trade meet, Nie Yun nodded to himself.

It made sense when he thought about it. While the previous trade meets had plenty of good items, they weren’t quite at the level to be selling something like the Purple Splendor Jade Seal.

"Alright!"

With that in mind, Nie Yun nodded and followed closely behind Guard Captain Liu Xiao, heading toward the main hall of the City Lord’s Mansion.

This hall was usually used for official business. Upon entering, he saw a long table placed inside, laden with all sorts of fruits and drinks. There weren’t many people inside, only twenty or thirty, but every single one of them had a calm and steady aura. Even the weakest among them was at the Peak Level of Armor Realm!

Jibei City was a first-rate city in the Divine Wind Empire, and it had a fair number of Qi Sect Powerhouses—as many as seven or eight. Each one presided over a major faction and held the city’s lifeline in their hands.

Seated in the very center was a middle-aged man with slanted eyebrows and bright, piercing eyes. He had an imposing air without being angry. This was the City Lord of Jibei City, a Peak Powerhouse of Qi Sect, Liu Jifei! 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Entering the hall, Nie Yun glanced around casually and noticed that the arrogant Young Master Liu Yuan was also present. He was currently standing respectfully behind a middle-aged man. ’It seems that middle-aged man is his father, the legendary third-greatest Alchemy Master in the Empire, Liu Chengze!’

"Oh, since everyone has arrived, let’s begin the trade!" Seeing Tie Lan walk in, Liu Jifei gave her a friendly nod and spoke with a smile.

"First, let me explain the method of exchange. We are all the most influential figures in Jibei City, so money no longer holds much appeal for us. Therefore, this trade will not be measured in money, but in bartering! In other words, we will each present the items we wish to trade. If you see something you like, you can use your own items to exchange for it. Of course, the prerequisite is that the other party is willing to trade with you!"

Liu Jifei explained the rules of the trade.

"It’s the same old rules. No need for a long speech, City Lord. Let’s just get started!"

A gruff voice rang out. The speaker had fiery red hair and a cold, indifferent expression on his face.

This was the Guard Commander of Jibei City, Liu Chen. He was Liu Jifei’s fiercest general, a hard-line supporter, and a Late-Stage Qi Sect powerhouse!

"About the item exchange, if two people want the same item, and the seller likes both of their items, will it be the same as we agreed last year? The two buyers compete for it?"

A voice suddenly harrumphed this question from the crowd.

During item exchanges, it was common for two or more people to want the same item. Usually, the seller’s preference would decide the trade. However, if the seller was interested in items from multiple buyers, it would be difficult to choose. In such cases, the two buyers would have to compete to determine the winner. They could either have a martial contest or compete in some other way, as decided between the two of them.

To put it simply, if Person A is selling something that both Person B and Person C want, and Person A also wants items from both B and C, making it a difficult choice, then B and C must compete. The winner earns the right to the exchange.

"Everything is the same as the previous rules, no difference at all! Alright, let the trade begin. Everyone, please bring out the items you have prepared!"

They had held this kind of trade meet many times, so everyone basically understood the rules. Liu Jifei didn’t waste any more words. He clapped his hands, and a subordinate brought over the items he had prepared. There were over a dozen items in total, including Spiritual Medicines and weapons, all of them far more precious than the best items sold outside. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)