Chapter 469: Luring the Snake Out of Its Hole

Upon the golden throne carriage was Hua Tianxiong, whom Qin Ming had once briefly encountered on Qilin Island.

His signature corpulent frame and mercantile manner had left a deep impression on him.

Qin Ming gazed at the man, his eyes flickering, a sudden idea forming in his mind.

His status, position, and cultivation base were adequate, and with the Li Huo Palace as his backer, he was an ideal candidate to manipulate as a puppet.

"You're the one to wield the Black Talisman."

As chairman of the Qianji Trading House, Hua Tianxiong's presence in the Lingxu Marketplace was surely tied to the upcoming Five Elements Mountain Trade Fair.

Thinking of this, Qin Ming had already devised his plan.

Half a day later.

Qin Ming returned to the Qianji Pavilion at the heart of the marketplace, using True Demon Illusion to disguise himself as a Foundation Establishment cultivator seeking to sell rare spiritual materials.

The pavilion's shopkeeper, Wei Hong, seeing a Foundation Establishment cultivator arrive to trade, hurried out to personally greet him.

Inside the second-floor chamber.

"Esteemed cultivator, what do you require?"

Wei Hong asked with a beaming smile, his demeanor vastly different from when Qin Ming had first visited.

Qin Ming spoke coldly, expressionless: "I have a treasure acquired from a secret realm—its grade is slightly high. Can you make the decision?"

"Of course I can! Esteemed cultivator, rest assured." Wei Hong's eyes lit up at the prospect of a valuable item and rushed to reply.

Qin Ming smiled faintly, casually waved his hand, and an object instantly appeared on the table.

"This—this—"

Wei Hong stared in shock at the gray soul pill before him, its aura surpassing second-rank.

The aura swirling around it alone clearly reached third-rank, even higher. "Forgive this humble servant's ignorance—I cannot immediately determine its value. Please rest briefly while I report to the chairman, who will decide for you personally."

Wei Hong, having just boasted of his authority, now faced humiliation, his expression awkward.

Qin Ming nodded, unconcerned.

This soul pill was from a late-stage third-rank Golden Toad Ancestor; given his cultivation level, it was normal for Wei Hong not to recognize it.

Wei Hong arrived before the luxurious suite on the seventh floor, gently knocked, and respectfully reported:

"Honorable Chairman, a cultivator has come to sell a treasure. I am uncertain of its worth—please come and assess it."

"Come in."

A lazy voice came from within.

Wei Hong entered—and the scene inside made his face flush and heart race.

Their chairman, Hua Tianxiong, sat comfortably, his corpulent body flanked by two scantily clad female cultivators, leisurely eating fruit.

"Spit it out." Hua Tianxiong glanced impatiently at Wei Hong.

Wei Hong trembled, stepped forward, and recounted everything in detail.

Hearing this, Hua Tianxiong shoved aside the two alluring women, his expression shifting as he furrowed his brow.

"If what you say is true, this is indeed interesting."

"If my guess is correct, that gray bead is a soul pill left behind by a Core Formation ghost."

"In that case, its value is substantial."

"We might have stumbled upon a major bargain. Take me there."

"If it truly is, I'll reward you handsomely!"

Hua Tianxiong's face immediately lit up with anticipation.

Wei Hong, equally thrilled, could hardly believe it—his first deal of the day was already a jackpot.

Moments later.

Qin Ming was sipping tea when Wei Hong entered with Hua Tianxiong.

At the sight of Hua Tianxiong, Qin Ming feigned panic and bowed deeply: "I pay my respects to Elder Hua!"

"Hahaha! Young friend, no need for such formality." Hua Tianxiong, pleased with Qin Ming's deference, waved him to sit.

"I hear you have a fine item for sale. I came to take a look."

Qin Ming immediately produced the soul pill and offered it.

The next instant.

When Hua Tianxiong took the soul pill, his jaw nearly dropped.

'A late-stage third-rank soul pill!' Hua Tianxiong had seen countless treasures in his decades of trade.

Yet even now, seeing this soul pill, his heart surged with overwhelming shock.

Still, as a heartless merchant, he kept his expression perfectly composed.

After feigning a long, careful examination, Hua Tianxiong asked:

"I'll take this. How much do you want? Name your price."

"You're not from around here, are you? What sect do you belong to?"

He then turned sharply to Wei Hong: "Why haven't you brought the young cultivator better spirit tea? How do you manage this place?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Wei Hong broke into a cold sweat and immediately ordered a pot of second-rank spirit tea.

"Several fellow cultivators have died for this bead. I wish to exchange it for a Core Formation spiritual item, or an equivalent amount of mid-grade spirit stones," Qin Ming said, feigning nervousness.

"I am merely a lone cultivator—no sect affiliation."

Hua Tianxiong's smile froze on his face.

"Young friend, this item is valuable, but not worth that price…"

"I'll offer you two bottles of pills to strengthen your cultivation, plus three thousand mid-grade spirit stones."

"I'm sorry, but I cannot accept. I'll ask elsewhere."

"Wait, wait! How about two thousand more spirit stones?"

"I want only a Core Formation spiritual item."

Hua Tianxiong: "..."

Half an incense stick later, the two failed to agree on price and parted on bad terms.

Qin Ming pretended to hurry away, swiftly exiting the Lingxu Marketplace.

Inside the room, the two men were left in tense silence.

"What do we do, Chairman? That kid won't budge." Wei Hong asked nervously.

Hua Tianxiong was furious—he dared not provoke him further.

"Damn it! Is a cooked duck going to fly away?"

"What I, Hua Tianxiong, want, won't slip away so easily!" Hua Tianxiong's eyes turned dark and vicious as he smashed the table before him into dust.

Boom! His figure vanished instantly; his Golden Core spiritual sense erupted, chasing after Qin Ming's retreating trail.

"Go alert the Golden Core mercenaries in the pavilion—I'm going ahead."

Wei Hong obeyed and immediately gathered men to follow.

A thousand li beyond the Lingxu Marketplace.

Qin Ming flew through the sky, glancing back occasionally, a puzzled expression on his face.

He slowed his flight.

"That's odd. Did the fishing fail?"

"Why hasn't Hua Tianxiong caught up yet?"

"Could I have flown too fast?"

"He's a Golden Core cultivator—surely not that slow?"

As Qin Ming pondered, his powerful spiritual sense suddenly detected a figure rapidly approaching from behind.

He feigned panic and veered toward a nearby mountain range.

"Still trying to run?"

"Hahaha!"

"You refuse the cup of wine? Then take the punishment!"

Flash! A purple streak shot past, blocking Qin Ming's path—revealing Hua Tianxiong's bloated figure.

"Hand over the soul pill, and I may spare your life."

"But now, the price is halved."

Qin Ming's expression remained calm; he smirked faintly: "Oh?"

Boom! A crushing spiritual pressure of mid-stage Golden Core erupted from him! (End of Chapter)