Chapter 131: All Weaknesses

Several days later, Mu Tongfeng came here once more.

Unlike his previous visit, this time he came alone, and his demeanor was far gentler.

"Manager Li, our side is willing to offer five thousand medium-grade spirit stones. What do you think of this?"

Li Mu continued to shake his head incessantly. "You have been here twice now. I can sell you those two items, but as for anything else, you will still need to wait in line."

Though slightly embarrassed, Mu Tongfeng quickly pressed on, "Manager Li, how about this? If you join the Yutie Sect and become one of its artifact refiners, you will be granted an exceptionally fine place for cultivation within the Cloud Mountain Realm, and all the materials for artifact refining will be provided by us. We only ask that you sell the refined artifacts exclusively to the Yutie Sect, while all the profits shall be entirely your own."

His attitude was completely different from before; his previous arrogance had vanished entirely. It was impossible to tell what had prompted such a dramatic change in him.

With a still indifferent expression, Li Mu replied, "Thank you. I am most pleased that you have come here for my artifacts, but I have no intention of joining the Yutie Sect, nor will I hand over my crafted artifacts to anyone else for sale. You may return now."

Mu Tongfeng let out a soft sigh, gazed at Li Mu, and said in a deep voice, "Even such an offer does not move you. Could it be that someone within our Yutie Sect has offended you?"

Li Mu chuckled and shook his head. "Manager Mu is overthinking. I simply prefer a bit more freedom."

"Very well, Manager Li. This makes the second time I have come here. Next time, things will not be handled quite like this."

Mu Tongfeng slowly turned and walked away, casting a final, meaningful glance back at Li Mu.

Li Mu remained motionless, merely smiling faintly as he thought to himself, "Another old trick. At worst, that Yibai will show up. And what of it? The me of today is no longer so easily bullied."

These were his true thoughts. In Li Mu's eyes, Yibai's cultivation level was at most slightly superior to Mu Long's. Since Li Mu had now entered the Pulse Refining stage, he was of the same tier; even if he could not win in a fight, he would not be bullied as he had been in the past. He still had room to maneuver and ample means to escape.

Returning into the shop, Li Mu proceeded to put out two more artifacts for sale.

The trade of secondary-tier artifacts was going very well, yet Li Mu dared not display too many at once, limiting sales to at most a few items a day.

Thus, tranquil days passed one after another.

Another visitor from the Yutie Sect was soon to arrive, but to Li Mu's utter surprise, the person who came was not Yibai, but rather Wang Ning, whom he had wanted to see.

She drifted toward the door like a wisp of gentle wind, arriving with effortless grace. Compared to before, her attire remained simple and devoid of ostentation, yet she appeared all the more remarkably lovely.

Suddenly, the front door dropped shut, and a sound-isolation barrier instantly manifested around Li Mu.

As Lady Wang drew slowly closer, a delicate fragrance wafted toward him, causing Li Mu's heart to flutter and compelling him to take an involuntary step back.

"Li Mu, is it not?"

Her bewitching voice carried a hint of languid laziness, exuding an extraordinary charm.

***

Shocked to the core, Li Mu was momentarily struck speechless, but he quickly recovered his composure and replied, "I am Li Tian. Lady Wang must be mistaken."

"How did you know I was Lady Wang?"

Lady Wang smiled faintly, her eyes sparkling with a trace of cunning she had never shown before.

Truly a mess. Li Mu silently cursed his own blunder and had no choice but to brazenly press on. "Who in Deyang City does not know of Lady Wang? It is hardly strange that I know!"

"Hahaha, stop playing games."

Lady Wang slowly stood upright, her captivating eyes shifting as she spoke at a leisurely pace, "When Mu Tongfeng offered you those terms—demanding only that you become an artifact refiner in unconditional service—it was an offer any artifact refiner would find irresistible. Entering a sect to obtain abundant free materials, honing one's skill, and keeping all spiritual crystals from sales is an opportunity no one would refuse. Yet you rejected it without a second thought."

What Lady Wang said was true, but since Li Mu did not view himself merely as a common artifact refiner, he hastily retorted, "What Manager Mu said..."

Without allowing Li Mu to finish, Lady Wang interrupted smoothly and swiftly, "Within the entire Cloud Mountain Realm, I have only ever known of one person capable of crafting secondary-tier artifacts using dual cultivation techniques. And that person is Li Mu."

"That is not absolute either. Perhaps..." Li Mu still attempted to argue.

Shaking her head, Lady Wang said, "I asked Yuzi."

"Yuzi?"

"The young woman you saw outside the Muyu Hall that day is my disciple. For someone who had just arrived in Deyang City a few days prior to take such a keen interest in the long-quiet Muyu Hall leaves no room for doubt. Could it be that he had ties to the Muyu Hall? Tell me truly, are you Sun Qi, Sun Sanjiu, or are you Li Mu?"

Lady Wang raised a hand and pointed playfully at Li Mu several times, a radiant happiness suffusing her features. "I am truly overjoyed to see you return here."

Li Mu had originally believed he could conceal his identity deeply, but before the sharp and experienced Lady Wang, his flaws had been exposed at every turn, leaving him practically unable to offer any further explanation.

With a helpless shrug, Li Mu sighed, "Lady Wang, you remain exactly as you were before. I yield."

Covering her smile as if she had just solved an exceedingly difficult puzzle, Lady Wang said with utmost delight, "It is fortunate that I have been managing affairs this past year. Prefecture Master Ye has gone away, and Prefecture Master Yu and the others have departed for a new city. Otherwise, with all your obvious flaws, you would surely have been exposed by Prefecture Master Ye, who still harbors quite a grudge against you."

Upon hearing the name Yibai, a trace of disdain crossed Li Mu's face. "I, too, harbor a grudge against him. Since he is not here, what business has taken him away?"

"He is cultivating on Mount Yutie, and perhaps he will soon step into the Core Formation stage. Prefecture Master Ye previously devoted all his thoughts to managing Deyang City, leaving his cultivation stagnant day by day. It was only after being humiliated by Hao Damei that he finally came to enlightenment. For a cultivator, the level of personal cultivation is paramount; casting all one's thoughts upon the protective barriers of a prefectural city is a deviation from the true path of Dao."

Lady Wang gained a new realization, then added, "Yet Prefecture Master Ye seems overly hasty this time... but let us speak no more of it."

Li Mu nodded slightly. "Cultivating... on Mount Yutie..."

"Do not even think of scheming against him. If you go after him now, you are simply courting death," Lady Wang stated without a shred of politeness.

"That is not necessarily true," Li Mu shook his head slightly, his thoughts seemingly drifting back to the matter involving Mu Long.

***

A look of doubt appeared on Lady Wang's face. "You have changed completely. You seem somewhat less respectful toward me now. What happened during the year or more since you left? Could you have reached the Pulse Refining stage? No, no matter how I look at you, you are still only in the late Spirit Building stage."

Li Mu smiled and chose not to argue further. Some words were simply not meant to be spoken at the present moment. "Lady Wang, I am glad to see you well. Over this past year or more, thank you for looking after the Muyu Hall."

"It was nothing, merely a matter of convenience. In truth, I have always felt a sense of apology toward you."

Shaking her head lightly, Lady Wang let her eyes wander over Li Mu. "Now that you have come here, what is it that you intend to do?"

"Can I speak frankly with you?" Li Mu gazed at Lady Wang, his eyes carrying a hint of solemnity.

After a moment of thought, Lady Wang replied, "As long as it has nothing to do with the sect, speak freely. I will never reveal it to anyone else."

"Ah," Li Mu let out a sound, a look of earnest sincerity flushing his face. "Thank you. I opened this shop primarily to find someone—Hao Damei."

Her entire body shuddered, and the bracelet on her wrist emitted a sharp, chiming sound. "Hao Damei? He is actually in the vicinity of Deyang City?"

Li Mu nodded. "I obtained this information from the Earth-Eye Den. I consulted many cultivators in the prefectural city, and they all said the information from the Earth-Eye Den is exceptionally accurate."

"The Earth-Eye Den?"

Lady Wang let out a soft sigh. "Then it must be true. Yet those people at the den never deign to sell information to people like us. Heh, the price you paid must have been exorbitant, no?"

Li Mu shook his head. "It was nothing much. As long as I can find him, it is worth it."

"Well, I am also willing to help you. Hao Damei's cultivation power is indeed terrifyingly high, surpassing that of ordinary Core Formation cultivators. The fact that he did not destroy Deyang City last time was our great fortune; he merely held back because the Yutie Sect was present."

A trace of bitterness surfaced on Lady Wang's face. The overwhelming might Hao Damei had displayed that day had thoroughly subdued her.

Did Hao Damei harbor hatred toward the Yutie Sect? Assuredly. But the vast disparity in power meant that even with such hatred, they could only watch and endure in silence.

"Thank you, Lady Wang."

"Think nothing of it. Provided you can flush him out... if that is your plan, I happen to have an idea..."