Chapter 344: Immortal Treasures

"Has Master Song gone out?"

Li Rui was slightly surprised.

"Yes, Master Song left the city early this morning," said one of Song Shi's subordinates.

Song Shi's subordinate spoke.

"Thank you."

Li Rui bowed slightly, then descended from the third floor of Huacai Residence.

Today.

He had intended to report his recent investigation progress to Song Shi, but unluckily, Song Shi had left the city.

"What a diligent nature."

A scion of the Song family, yet so proactive.

Even left his men behind to guard the house while he went out personally.

One must praise him.

He could roughly guess why Song Shi acted this way.

Because the rewards for the Shadow Guards were truly lavish—so abundant that even someone from a great family like Song Shi would feel envious.

Of course.

It was also extremely difficult for Shadow Guards to earn merit.

They were exiled immortals.

Even if they had been cast down from the heavens, they were still beings no ordinary person could touch.

Jiang Lin had already explained this.

In the decades since the Shadow Guards were founded, they had dealt with only two exiled immortals; every case involving an exiled immortal stirred massive upheaval in Yu State.

The reason the world knew so little was simply because the Yu imperial court had exerted every effort to suppress the news.

Exiled immortals were powerful, so even the Holy Emperor demanded that the Shadow Guards observe primarily.

Song Shi was fortunate.

Eight years ago, he participated in one such case, and his status in the Song family soared—he even became a possible contender for family head.

He had tasted the sweetness.

When the chance appeared again, how could he let it slip?

Without that opportunity involving the exiled immortal, Song Shi would never have reached the Primordial Realm today.

Li Rui smiled and shook his head.

"Such a superior is fine."

Song Shi was handling it himself, so he didn't need his only Shadow Guard operative in Qinghe City to act.

He really should say thanks.

The Purple Gold Palace was too deep—he had no interest in getting involved.

Better to focus quietly on cultivation.

As Li Rui stepped out of Huacai Tower, he saw an acquaintance walking toward him.

"Master Li, we meet again."

Lin Wan bowed to Li Rui with graceful composure.

Li Rui hadn't expected such coincidence; he chuckled: "Niece Lin, you live here?"

Lin Wan shook her head:

"An elder of mine lives here; I came specifically to pay a visit after hearing the news."

Li Rui: "Is that elder surnamed Song?"

At this, Lin Wan's expression turned startled.

She had assumed Li Rui's intelligence network far exceeded expectations; her speech quickened slightly: "How did you know?"

Li Rui wore an air of complete mastery:

"Niece Lin, no need to go up—Master Song has left the city and won't return until later."

Upon hearing this, Lin Wan looked slightly disappointed:

"Thank you, Elder."

As the daughter of a merchant clan, cultivating wide connections was an essential skill.

The Tianyuan Merchant Association's base was in the capital; the Song family, as a major clan of the capital, was naturally worth cultivating ties with.

So when she heard Song Shi had come to Qinghe, she went to great lengths to inquire—and today, she came specifically to pay her respects.

She quickly regained her composure: "Elder, I haven't mentioned this yet—Brother Liu wishes to exchange goods with the Tianyuan Merchant Association. Has he spoken to you about it?"

Last time was their first meeting.

She certainly wouldn't broach business matters so hastily upon first meeting.

Not only would success be unlikely, but in her view, it would be impolite.

Today, by chance, they met again.

She mentioned not a single word of business, instead using Liu Tong as a bridge, merely hinting at mutual exchange.

With Liu Tong as intermediary, it felt less abrupt.

Moreover, it was Liu Tong who first proposed it—she was now merely offering a friendly reminder.

Li Rui held a favorable impression of this astute woman; he chuckled: "Niece Lin, these matters are for you younger ones to decide—I won't interfere."

Upon hearing this,

Lin Wan's eyebrows lifted with delight.

She understood perfectly—Li Rui was agreeing to let the Tianyuan Merchant Association do business with the Tiandi Alliance.

"Major ventures still require the guidance of experienced elders like you."

She spoke with such humility.

Li Rui chuckled:

"There is one matter, Niece Lin—you may discuss it with your father, the Vice Chairman, when you return."

While speaking, he took from his sleeve a black iron token.

As soon as she saw the token,

Lin Wan's pupils contracted slightly.

"Black Dragon Token!"

She came from a great clan, though unlike other noble families, the Lin family was a merchant clan.

As long as the Tianyuan Merchant Association had existed, the Lin family had flourished.

Merchant clans had their own unique ways of cultivating future generations: martial skill need not be exceptional, literary talent need not be outstanding, but one must possess sufficient insight.

Lin Wan had absorbed this through constant exposure.

Her insight was not something an ordinary person could match.

She recognized instantly—the token in Li Rui's hand was the Black Dragon Token of Wu State's imperial house.

"I heard Master Li had good relations with Wu State; I never imagined he was connected even to the Wu imperial family."

She understood the weight of this Black Dragon Token all too well.

In Wu State, only core imperial family members were entitled to possess such a token.

In the Witch Kingdom, only core imperial family members are eligible to possess this token.

only a handful of legitimate imperial princes might enjoy such privilege—even illegitimate princes could not.

With this Black Dragon Token, combined with the Tianyuan Merchant Association's resources and connections—immense business opportunities!

Lin Wan's mind raced.

She immediately sensed opportunity in the token. Wu State was a great nation; with imperial connections, business could expand enormously—profits so vast even the Tianyuan Merchant Association would be tempted.

If she brokered this deal, it would be a monumental achievement.

Not only would she gain glory, but even her father's prestige might rise dramatically.

The current Chairman of the Tianyuan Merchant Association was very elderly.

If she achieved such a great feat now, the chairmanship might be hers!

Lin Wan forcibly suppressed her excitement, barely maintaining her calm expression: "Master Li, I will discuss this matter thoroughly with my father."

"Don't worry—it won't take long."

Li Rui nodded calmly: "No rush. I'm not in a hurry."

If Lin Wan had agreed immediately, he would have thought less of her.

He wouldn't abandon cooperation with the Tianyuan Merchant Association, but he'd seek to replace her father with a more capable vice-chairman.

No mistake, no slip, no omission, no hidden content—everything is visible!

He finished speaking.

He strode down the street and departed with effortless grace.

"Still too young."

Li Rui smiled.

Lin Wan had performed admirably, but some things required more experience—especially great opportunities and great dangers—only after enduring them could one remain unperturbed.

This quality changed with one's status.

This thing changes with one's status.

For example, when Li Rui was a stable hand, he cared for a horse well and was praised by the Zhu family, earning him a permanent position as a true stable hand.

To him, it was already a great stroke of fortune.

After experiencing enough, he grew indifferent.

Li Rui had long entertained the idea of forming a merchant association.

The Heaven and Earth Alliance was simply too weak; even if he were alone, he could never elevate it into a major sect. It was better to settle for less and open a business.

After all, what he sought was immortality—nothing else mattered, not even a grand sect lasting ten thousand generations.

As long as he had money, that was enough.

Doing business with the Tianyuan Merchant Association would fully exploit the power of the Black Dragon Token given by the Third Princess.

Moreover, the Black Dragon Token was the key to this deal.

As long as he held the Black Dragon Token, he controlled the lifeline of the business.

As always, focus on the big picture and let go of the small details.

He had always been skilled at seizing the critical points.

As for the details, he naturally left them to Liang He and Liu Tong, his two favorite disciples.

Youngsters need more training.

Unlike him—he was old now, suited only to take what was already ready.

Deep within the Ten Thousand Mountains.

A valley.

Majestic buildings stood silently, like a monstrous dragon with its jaws wide open, ready to swallow anyone who entered.

From afar,

one could see crowds of people moving among the buildings.

Song Shi squinted slightly.

He had received word from Commander Yang and had followed the trail of the Exiled Immortal here; from what he knew, this time, as last time, the imperial court might have decided to kill the Exiled Immortal.

It would be a great achievement.

And all of it was hidden in the palace not far away.

"I want to see what secrets the Purple Gold Palace truly holds."

He murmured.

From his sleeve, he drew a vermilion-red talisman painted in orange-yellow ink.

Indeed, he was a rare practitioner of the Talisman School.

And a genius in the art of talismans.

Though he was not skilled in direct combat, his talismans had countless ingenious uses.

For instance, the Divine Concealment Talisman in his hand was crafted using the Secret Incantation of Divine Concealment, capable of hiding one's form.

It was precisely because of this ability

that he had caught the attention of Commander Yang of the Shadow Guard, been recruited into the Shadow Guard as a Mountain Seeker, and later promoted to Dingshan Agent.

This Divine Concealment Talisman had helped him achieve numerous remarkable feats.

Song Shi pressed the talisman against his body.

The next instant,

his form became insubstantial, his feet moving with astonishing speed, turning into a phantom shadow.

In the blink of an eye,

he arrived before the vast complex of buildings.

Song Shi did not take the main road—there were Qi Refining cultivators there—but chose a secluded corner.

The walls of the Purple Gold Palace rose over a hundred zhang high.

Ordinary martial artists could not scale them; archers and sentries guarded the top, making it impossible for even birds to enter.

But none of this was a problem for Song Shi.

He moved like a gecko, his toes seemingly adhering to the wall as he climbed swiftly upward.

In an instant,

he scaled dozens of zhang and leaped over the wall.

His speed was terrifying.

The sentries on the wall barely reacted before he flashed past them from behind, nearly undetected.

All of this was, of course, meticulously planned in advance.

For days, he had lived outdoors in the mountains, eating wind and drinking dew, using his Spiritual Sense Talisman to enhance his vision, and had mapped out the wall's defenses clearly from miles away—hence his effortless entry into the Purple Gold Palace.

Having served in the Shadow Guard for so many years, his experience was considerable.

Such tasks came naturally to him.

Otherwise, he would not have been kept close by Commander Yang.

Moments later,

he reached the heart of the Purple Gold Palace.

"I want to see what secrets the Purple Gold Palace hides—whether the Exiled Immortal truly exists."

His heart burned with excitement.

If the Exiled Immortal truly existed, perhaps he could leap straight into the upper three ranks.

But just as he prepared to press deeper—

A golden light suddenly flared in the sky.

A small golden pagoda, dazzling as the sun, shot forth from nearby at high speed.

Song Shi's pupils contracted sharply at the sight of the tiny pagoda.

"Is that… a divine treasure?!"

(End of chapter)