Chapter Sixty-Nine: The Bold Daoist Appears

The chubby boy had already visited more than ten inns, but still hadn’t found anyone from the Heaven-Forging Valley. Up ahead was another inn, supposedly the best on this main street. The little fatty drew a deep breath, glanced at the entrance, and finally stepped inside.

“Are you here for a meal or looking to stay?” The innkeeper’s assistant greeted him enthusiastically.

“I’m looking for someone,” the boy replied, rubbing his palms together, a bit embarrassed.

The assistant’s face immediately turned cold, the earlier warmth vanishing without a trace.

The chubby boy slipped a low-grade spirit stone into the assistant’s hand.

“Are the people from Heaven-Forging Valley staying here?” he asked quietly.

“You’ve come to the right person,” the assistant whispered, pocketing the stone. “They’re staying upstairs.”

“Which room?” The boy almost jumped with excitement, gazing up at the guest rooms.

“I’ll take you there,” the assistant offered, and together they headed upstairs.

Upstairs, everyone was discussing the recent purchases. Jing’er and Elder Guo Tianmeng were arguing heatedly.

“These items would be better exchanged at the gathering, no need to buy them at the auction,” Elder Guo said, pointing at the list.

“I must go to the auction. I think things will be cheaper there. Besides, none of us have been—except for you, Elder Guo, you went years ago and probably don’t care. But my junior sister, Elder Hu, and I have never seen it. I hear it’s magnificent,” Tu Tianxiong declared adamantly, leaving no room for negotiation.

“I agree with Senior Brother,” Jing’er raised both hands in support.

At this, all three looked toward Elder Hu, who was quietly sipping tea. He felt uneasy, but kept a calm exterior. This was a difficult situation: on one side was the old elder Guo Tianmeng, on the other, the future leader of Heaven-Forging Valley.

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

Knock, knock, knock, knock...

“It’s me, the assistant,” came a voice. “I’ve brought you some tea and snacks. Also, there’s someone outside looking for you, says he’s here to see an old friend.”

The four turned toward the door. Elder Hu finally seized the opportunity, stood up, and walked over.

“I’ll get the door. We can discuss this later. Besides, Elder Guo, the Valley Master only sent us to assist Tianxiong—we’re just here to observe,” he said, then opened the door.

Standing outside was a chubby young boy, with a round face, small nose and eyes scrunched together, smiling at everyone inside.

The assistant set down the refreshments and quietly slipped away.

Inside, the four exchanged glances in silence. The chubby boy looked around; the small room held only four people—no one extra, and Dao Sansheng wasn’t there.

“If you’re looking for someone, come in,” Elder Hu said, resuming his seat.

The boy stepped inside awkwardly, and after a long pause finally asked, “Are you disciples of Heaven-Forging Valley? Where is Dao Sansheng?”

His question startled Tu Tianxiong. Just as Elder Guo was about to reply, Tu Tianxiong stood up and pulled the boy out into the corridor.

“You know Dao Sansheng?” the chubby boy asked, surprised to be dragged out by a young man.

“I’m his senior brother. If you have something to say, I can pass it on, but whether he’ll respond is another matter,” Tu Tianxiong said through gritted teeth, his tone fierce.

“What’s happened to Sansheng?” The boy’s anxiety was written all over his face, almost in tears. He and Dao Sansheng had grown up together as orphans. Though Sansheng often teased him, he always shared whatever good things he had.

“To tell you the truth, he’s offended the young master of the Zi clan. I don’t know how much longer he’ll survive. But I know where he is. If you really want to help him, tell him this: either hand his sister over to the Zi clan’s young master, or prepare to die... There’s nothing more to say.” He patted the chubby boy on the shoulder.

“Where is Dao Sansheng?”

“You’ll probably see him tomorrow at the trading conference. Make sure you warn him, or it’ll be too late. Don’t blame me,” Tu Tianxiong sneered, then strode back inside. The group soon dispersed, and the chubby boy wandered the streets, settling outside the venue to cultivate. Tomorrow, he was determined to intercept Dao Sansheng before he entered.

In a brightly-lit courtyard in Qiuchi City, many people bustled to and fro. Zhao Jinqian and a group were sorting through stacks of documents, while Chao Xiong helped move things. After half an hour, Chao Xiong finally finished moving the files.

He sat down, sighing, “Why does Senior Brother Dao want us to balance accounts? The stores are sold—we could just count the money. I think he doesn’t care about the accounts, just wants to keep us busy. Thinks we’re too idle.”

“Chao Xiong, watch your mouth. Senior Brother Dao has his reasons. We’re just here to do our jobs. If you’re so free, help me with this,” someone replied.

“No thanks, no thanks,” Chao Xiong said, waving him off and sprawling on the ground.

Dao Sansheng came out of the house, saw everyone busy, and walked over.

“How’s the bookkeeping going, Brother Zhao? Are the calculations done? If not, just leave it—we’ll all go to the trading conference tomorrow. Everyone needs to be there.”

“It’s done. Just needed to move some things. Total sales: two hundred thousand top-grade spirit stones. If we weren’t in such a hurry, we could have gotten even better prices,” Zhao said regretfully.

“Here’s the amethyst card; all the spirit stones are stored inside,” he added, handing the card over.

“I’ll keep it for now. If you three want to buy anything tomorrow, come to me,” Dao Sansheng said before heading back inside.

“Zhao Jinqian, I kept asking how much you sold the spirit stones for and you never answered! Two hundred thousand top-grade stones—who knows how much you’ll buy tomorrow? Have you decided what you want?” Chao Xiong gazed enviously. He’d never seen so many spirit stones—hadn’t even seen many mid-grade stones while in the sect.

“I think you should help me work—you’re really too idle.”

The chubby boy continued on, not yet reaching the central plaza of Zixian City. Along the way, many stalls were already set up, selling all kinds of items. Most were run by itinerant cultivators hoping to exchange unknown goods for resources—without resources, cultivation was impossible.

So many people were gathered even before reaching the central plaza—who knows how many would come tomorrow when the trading conference opened. The thought gave the chubby boy a headache. If he couldn’t find his friend, what would he do then?