Chapter 106: Set Up by Someone

According to the latest news, the sect's quota for inner sect disciples, apart from the fixed ten, had no upper limit based on disciples' performance against the enemy.

In other words, as long as one could establish sufficient battle merits—whether in reconnaissance, killing enemies, or logistics—there was a chance to become an inner sect disciple. This way, non-combat-type disciples could also participate.

In addition, a Golden Core stage patriarch would be going to this mission alone, so safety was also greatly improved.

Wei Yuning had little interest in becoming an inner sect disciple, but he was extremely curious about the outer domain battlefield. However, reason told him that any place called a battlefield was definitely not a scenic area—it was not a place for sightseeing.

At noon, Wei Yuning received a private message on his dragon ship jade token from Alliance Master Xue of the Hundred Alliance Merchant Guild: Ten-Li Fragrance, the Moon Zhi insect sauce, had become a first-class product of the Hundred Alliance Merchant Guild. As long as there was stock, it could be sold directly to the guild. The price was fair—it was the purchase price Alliance Master Xue had paid that day, which was three times Wei Yuning's current selling price.

"These spirit stones are too easy to earn, aren't they?" Wei Yuning sighed with emotion.

Currently, the various spice blends Wei Yuning had concocted had become his exclusive patent, and they were beginning to gradually show the power of a monopoly. Everyone in the sect knew that Moon Zhi insects made delicious ingredients, and there were also scattered Moon Zhi insect larvae for sale, but the Moon Zhi insect sauce paired with his exclusive spices was now even more popular.

Only Wei Yuning himself knew the cost of Ten-Li Fragrance. Calling it huge profits was being polite—in reality, it was no different from stealing money, no, stealing spirit stones.

Now, when the herb garden disciples discovered that the price of privately selling insects was not even as good as Wei Yuning's purchase price, they all willingly became Wei Yuning's upstream suppliers.

Just as Wei Yuning resolved to become the number one tycoon of the Cloud Concealment Sect, a streak of white light flashed past, and a flying bird message arrived.

"Red Plum Manor Master Mei Xuan is visiting. Please, Young Master Yuning, come to the Cloud Concealment Sect's mountain gate entrance."

The mid-mountain villa on Guest Arrival Peak only had an ordinary protective array and was not under the protection of the mountain-protecting grand array. If it was truly as Xu Ye had said, that he was the catalyst for Thorn Demon to become a great demon, then that place was definitely no longer safe.

Apart from Thorn Demon, there was also the Shadow Pavilion. The fact that their people had been killed by him had surely already been exposed, and whether the other party would seek revenge was also an uncertain matter. All in all, for his own safety, he could only stay within the sect's grand array for the time being.

His only hope now was that Master Chengxin truly had a way to deal with Thorn Demon, who was approaching the strength of a great demon.

He returned from Wind Lotus Courtyard to the Secret Medicine Pavilion and asked Miss Snow Eagle to go to the mountain gate entrance to receive the visitor.

Half a shi later, Wei Yuning, who was casually chatting with the female cultivator Haiyan inside the Secret Medicine Pavilion, suddenly looked toward the street alley to one side of the door. From the end of the alley, a woman wearing a moon-white bamboo hat and a black veil, dressed in a brown skirt garment adorned with plum blossoms, came gracefully walking over. Several zhang behind her followed Miss Snow Eagle, shrinking her head and cowering.

When the woman drew near, Wei Yuning felt a bone-chilling cold air spilling from her body, and the surrounding climate seemed to go from late spring in the third month to the depths of winter.

"This is a domain—at the very least, a Heart Movement stage cultivator!" Wei Yuning immediately made his own judgment.

A Heart Movement stage cultivator did not necessarily have a domain, but a cultivator with a domain was at the very least at the Heart Movement stage—this was a truth Wei Yuning only understood after becoming a Heart Movement stage cultivator himself. A domain could only be comprehended by a cultivator whose Dao methods were complete, meaning he had already formed his own unique Dao method. Only a Heart Movement stage cultivator could reach this step.

As a body cultivator, Wei Yuning naturally did not fear the cold. He did not need to use any spells at all and could directly form a Qi shield on the surface of his skin. Although the cold air during breathing was unavoidable, it was much better than before.

"Are you Young Master Yuning?" the veiled woman's crisp voice rang out.

"Yes, are you Manor Master Mei?" Wei Yuning asked.

"Compared to the Cloud Concealment Sect, Red Plum Manor is nothing more than a few village cottages. How would I dare call myself a manor master? It would only make people laugh. Young Master Yuning, you may simply call me Mei Xuan," Mei Xuan said.

Wei Yuning felt that this young lady before him had a very good personality. However, calling her by her name directly still felt somewhat inappropriate.

"Even if the Cloud Concealment Sect has a thousand rooms and ten thousand houses, those belong to the sect and have nothing to do with me. But Red Plum Manor is Manor Master Mei's alone. However, since Manor Master Mei does not like this title, calling a young lady by her given name directly is also somewhat improper, so I shall call you Miss Mei!" Wei Yuning said.

"You sound like a pedantic scholar, hehe. Suit yourself!" Mei Xuan looked at the plaque. "Secret Medicine Pavilion—not a bad name. Young Master Yuning, are you not going to invite me in to sit for a while?"

When a guest arrived, the two shop assistants should have been the ones to greet them.

Wei Yuning turned his head and found that Haiyan and Snow Eagle were standing in the depths of the shop, keeping as much distance from Mei Xuan as possible.

"Miss Mei, could you… rein in this cold air of yours?" Wei Yuning asked.

Mei Xuan shook her head and said, "Of course not. I came to the Cloud Concealment Sect this time at great personal risk. The 'Frost Snow Armor' on my body is an area-type protective spirit armor. Not only can it guard against hidden arrows, but it can also block spells and poison attacks. It is my protective treasure. If the Plum Blossom Divination had not shown abundant vitality for this trip, I would never have left Red Plum Manor."

"So it's the effect of the spirit armor! I wonder just how high Miss Mei's true cultivation is!" Wei Yuning thought to himself. This was of course not something he could ask aloud. Between unfamiliar cultivators, cultivation level was not something one could casually inquire about.

"May I ask what exactly is the great danger Miss Mei spoke of?" Wei Yuning asked with a solemn expression.

"The Hundred Alliance Merchant Guild's Nie Ziqing—does Young Master Yuning know him?" Mei Xuan asked in return.

"…I do. Does Miss Mei know him as well?" Wei Yuning hesitated only briefly before answering immediately.

"How did you come to know him?" Miss Mei still did not take the initiative to answer the question, but instead posed one to Wei Yuning.

If it were not for Senior Xu Yan's wood spirit, Wei Yuning would certainly not have answered questions so passively. However, in a vague intuition, he felt that he should trust Manor Master Mei.

"Not long ago, I became a member of the Hundred Alliance Merchant Guild. He is the person in charge of the Hundred Alliance Merchant Guild's cooperative transport guild in the Cloud Concealment Sect, so I came to know him!" Wei Yuning answered truthfully.

"Then do you know whether or not he is the hall master of the Flying Fish Hall of the Sea King Gang?" Mei Xuan continued to ask.

"So what if I know, and so what if I don't? What kind of person he is has nothing to do with me, because I have no relationship with him whatsoever!" Wei Yuning was getting a bit annoyed by Mei Xuan's aggressive tone and could not help but retort.

Mei Xuan was choked speechless all at once. After quite a while, she finally said in a low voice, "I'm sorry, Young Master Yuning. I am not targeting you. I can also see that you are not in league with the Sea King Gang. But I still want to ask you one thing: was it Nie Ziqing who told you about Red Plum Manor having a wood spirit?"

Wei Yuning sighed and said, "That's right, it was indeed he who told me!"

He realized that he seemed to have been set up by Nie Ziqing.