Chapter 384: The Bustling Xiancheng

Ding Huan did not return to Xiancheng, but the large business screen outside his shop clearly stated that he would soon return to the shop.

Returning to the shop was impossible—he wasn't Bai Chi.

? ￠O

Would someone return to their own shop after exposing their identity?

He released this message through an array to find out who was searching for him, so he could later go to them himself.

He could see everything that happened inside the shop.

He had carved surveillance void-array patterns outside the shop; only those who understood void-array patterns could detect his surveillance arrays.

Those who understood void-array patterns, if uninvolved, likely wouldn't dare offend a void-array master like him.

As Ding Huan had predicted, after he released the message about his imminent return, his shop outside Xiancheng was now packed with people.

Nearly two years had passed since Ding Huan took his first job; even if he hadn't released the message, everyone knew by now that he would soon return.

The only people inside Ding Huan's shop now were Yan Yuefang and Chang Chang Danyi.

Chang Chang Danyi was helpless—her master insisted on finding Ding Huan, and just then news spread that someone in Xiancheng had opened a shop specializing in locating Immortal Spring sources.

Upon hearing of such a shop, they naturally rushed there immediately.

After identifying the shop's owner and learning the shop was rented by Ding Huan, Yan Yuefang, despite the resemblance being off, promptly bought the shop outright.

Appearance could be altered, and according to the original owner's description, the man who rented the shop was very likely the Ding Huan they sought.

So now the people inside the shop were Yan Yuefang and Chang Chang Danyi, and they too were waiting for Ding Huan's return.

When Yan Yan Huanqi arrived, he saw the shop outside Xiancheng packed with people.

He wasn't surprised that so many people gathered outside Ding Huan's shop.

If Ding Huan's abilities were exposed and people didn't crowd around, that would be strange.

What surprised him was that no one seemed to know Ding Huan had returned—why were people already crowding here before he even reached Xiancheng?

Gu Pei had learned immediately that the Yan clan had found an Immortal Spring source, but when Gu Pei left, Ding Huan was still in the Yan household searching for a second Immortal Spring source.

Just as Yan Yan Huanqi thought of this, he spotted Gu Pei waiting in the crowd.

Gu Pei also saw Yan Yan Huanqi approaching and greeted him with a smile.

"Yan friend, you kept this from me well—I only found out later that it was Ding Huan who helped your Yan clan locate the Immortal Spring source."

In Gu Pei's eyes, Yan Yan Huanqi and Ding Huan knew each other and were on good terms; with Yan Yan Huanqi's introduction, it would be easier to speak with Ding Huan.

"It was him—last time, he was the one who invited the shop owner to help find the Immortal Spring source…"

Someone in the crowd recognized Yan Yan Huanqi.

Instantly, a flood of people surged forward, surrounding Yan Yan Huanqi completely; everyone asked the same two questions.

First: had the shop owner helped the Yan clan find an Immortal Spring source? Second: where was the shop owner now?

Yan Yan Huanqi quickly shouted: "Everyone, quiet down—I'll explain."

After finally getting everyone to settle, Yan Yan Huanqi sighed and said:

"I can confidently tell you all that the shop owner, Friend Ding, is a capable man—he has already helped my Yan clan locate one Immortal Spring source…"

The moment he spoke these words, the crowd erupted.

Many gathered here were merely here for the spectacle.

Aside from Yan Yuefang, Gu Pei, and a few who suspected the shop owner was Ding Huan, most were just here to watch.

Now that Yan Yan Huanqi confirmed the shop owner could truly locate Immortal Spring sources for Immortal Sects, this matter had become huge.

In the Fourth Immortal Realm, who wouldn't want to invite such a person back to their sect to find Immortal Spring sources?

Instantly, messages flew out as they invited others.

Yan Yuefang's heart sank.

If no official sect master arrived, her chances of inviting Ding Huan were the greatest.

Once major sect masters arrived, the one who invited Ding Huan might no longer be her Shuangzi Mountain Sect.

Chang Chang Danyi remained silent; when she learned the search for an Immortal Spring source required a year, she knew it was definitely Ding Huan.

Ding Huan didn't need a year to find an Immortal Spring source—he needed a year to condense Immortal Crystals; otherwise, what was the point?

Would someone like Ding Huan do this for ten thousand low-grade Immortal Crystals?

Now that Ding Huan had located an Immortal Spring source for the Yan clan and the Yan people had arrived, she was certain he wouldn't return to Xiancheng.

At least not in the short term—she hadn't spent long with Ding Huan, but she understood some of his nature.

For Ding Huan, he would never let Immortal Crystals sit in his pocket and rot.

From how generously he gave her Immortal Crystals, she knew he wasn't someone who hoarded them—he was the type who spent two for every one he got.

During his year in the Yan household's Immortal Spring source, he must have condensed at least ten to twenty thousand Immortal Crystals?

With so many high-grade Immortal Crystals, if Ding Huan didn't enter seclusion to cultivate and strengthen himself, then she'd lose.

"Everyone, quiet down—listen to Yan friend," a loud voice in the crowd shouted to halt everyone.

Yan Yan Huanqi cleared his throat and continued:

"After Friend Ding helped my Yan clan locate the Immortal Spring source, he left our Yan clan. Because our Yan clan faced imminent destruction, we could only gather seventy thousand Immortal Crystals for the promised hundred thousand."

"After Friend Ding left, we hurried to gather the remaining crystals—now that we've collected them, I came here immediately to deliver them to Friend Ding."

Yan Yan Huanqi did not mention the intervening months, nor did he say Ding Huan had actually taken an extra hundred thousand Immortal Crystals.

"But Ding Huan the shop owner hasn't returned to Xiancheng," someone asked doubtfully.

"Could it be your Yan clan did something to Ding Huan?"

"That's entirely possible—file a complaint, we must file a complaint—the Yan clan dares to imprison the shop owner…"

Yan Yan Huanqi broke into cold sweat and shouted loudly: "Everyone, rest assured—my Yan clan has done nothing to Friend Ding Huan.

Friend Ding Huan truly left our Yan clan—I, Yan Yan Huanqi, swear before the Great Dao: Friend Ding has done us great favor; how could our Yan clan possibly detain our benefactor?"

Yan Huanqi felt a lingering dread in his heart—if his Yan clan really had kept Ding Huan, the consequences would likely be exactly as they had predicted: they could no longer survive in the Fourth Immortal Domain.

It wasn't that the people of the Fourth Immortal Domain had a sense of justice, but rather that Ding Huan's value was too great; the Yan clan had no right to keep Ding Huan for themselves alone.

Gu Pei, wanting to curry favor with Yan Huanqi, took the initiative to help explain:

"When Fellow Daoist Ding was helping the Yan clan locate the Immortal Spirit Spring, I was also at the Yan household. I didn't see Fellow Daoist Ding off when he left, but I imagine the Yan clan probably didn't try to keep Fellow Daoist Ding.

The reason I came here is also to wait for Fellow Daoist Ding."

Her explanation was actually worse than no explanation at all; fortunately, no one thought too deeply about it.

"Danyi, do you think it's possible the Yan clan kept Ding Huan?" Yan Yuefang transmitted her voice to ask.

Chang Danyi shook her head: "From what I can guess, the Yan clan definitely wanted to keep Big Brother Ding, but they didn't have the ability to."

If even the Yan clan could have kept Ding Huan, then Ding Huan couldn't possibly have survived until today.

Now she was even certain that even if she hadn't tipped Ding Huan off in Void City, Ding Huan might not have been a match for Wu the Madman, but for Wu the Madman to want to keep Ding Huan there—that would be a fool's dream.

Whether it was Void City or Baihe Immortal Dao, Ding Huan always got what he needed before leaving without any danger or mishap.

At Yaoyue Xiancheng, since Ding Huan dared to set up this stall, he must have already thought it through long ago.

So Ding Huan wouldn't be coming back in the short term.

"Ha ha, where is Fellow Daoist Ding, the array master of my Baihe Immortal Dao?" a deep, resonant voice rang out.

Those who knew him understood—this was Meng Zhongqi, the sect master of Baihe Immortal Dao, arriving.

It wasn't just the sect master of Baihe Immortal Dao; following behind Baihe Immortal Dao's sect master Meng Zhongqi, one figure after another rushed swiftly toward Yaoyue Xiancheng.

These immortal sect masters each displayed their own abilities—whatever teleportation talismans, teleportation arrays, and the like they could use, they used them all.

One immortal sect master, seeing that more and more people were searching for Ding Huan and that he himself probably had no hope, simply stepped forward and declared in a clear voice:

"Fellow daoists, our Fourth Immortal Domain has finally produced a genius capable of locating immortal spirit spring eyes after great difficulty. If any single immortal sect invites him over, it would be improper. My proposal is that we establish a Domain Immortal Spring Office.

This Fellow Daoist Ding shall temporarily serve as the head of the Immortal Spring Office, locating immortal spirit spring eyes for us—how does that sound?"

Chang Danyi, hearing these words, instinctively shivered—it was truly vicious.

The words sounded pleasant, but it was clearly meant to imprison Ding Huan, turning him into their tool.

If this matter really went through, Ding Huan would never again have a single moment of time belonging to himself. He would spend every day locating immortal spirit spring eyes for the various great immortal sects.

Chang Danyi very much wanted to pass the news to Ding Huan, but unfortunately she didn't have Ding Huan's communication bead.

"Could Ding Huan have obtained the Yan clan's immortal crystals and chosen a place to go into closed-door cultivation?" Someone in the crowd began to suspect Ding Huan wouldn't be coming back to Yaoyue Xiancheng.

This kind of suspicion was actually quite normal, because the Yan clan's territory wasn't very far from Yaoyue Xiancheng.

Even Yan Huanqi, who set out later, had already arrived; there was no reason for Ding Huan not to be here.

"What if Ding Huan doesn't come out?"

"We can look for his friends and bring his friends here; he will definitely come to meet his friends."

"Who are his friends?"