Chapter 280

Following the two all the way to Yingchun Tower, the surrounding cultivators pointed and gossiped.

"Going out so early in the morning, that old man isn't afraid of throwing out his back."

"Maybe they have a prescription? At their age, they still go...."

Welcoming Spring Pavilion

Hall of Offerings

Wang Yan's face flushed with embarrassment as she said, "Senior Brother Huang, don't listen to their nonsense, let's go."

Azure Mountain Sect

Upon entering Yingchun Tower, a madam came over, yawning, and asked doubtfully, "Miss Wang, Miss Jin, when did you develop a taste for this?"

"Don't be rude, this is Senior Brother Huang from the Offering Hall."

"Oh oh, sorry sorry, please, Immortal Master, how many girls do you need?"

Yan Buji took a deep breath and waved his hand.

"Five?"

"Fifty."

"Ah? That many? You're... joking with me?"

"That's because you started joking first."

The madam rolled her eyes.

Wang Yan laughed: "Alright, alright, Junior Brother Huang, please come this way; I'll go fetch Senior Sister Mao. Junior sister, take Senior Brother to the side room to wait a moment."

"Okay. Junior Brother Huang, please come this way~" Jin Renxin said with a smile.

Yan Buji nodded and followed Jin Renxin to the side room.

As soon as he entered the side room, Yan Buji smelled a familiar fragrance. This scent was fresh in his memory—it was the perfume powder he had someone buy in Heavenly Way when he was a mortal in Kun Dao territory; its main effect was to arouse desire.

However, for cultivators, a slight circulation of spiritual power negates any effect.

Jin Renxin glanced at Yan Buji a few times, then suddenly asked: "Junior Brother Huang, you... what's your physique like?"

Yan Buji looked puzzled: "What do you mean?"

"As for me, although I've joined the Harmony Sect, I still only like men with good builds. Even though your appearance isn't great, I wouldn't reject you if you had a good figure~" Jin Renxin licked her lips.

Yan Buji chuckled: "If the chance arises, I'll definitely let you see for yourself."

"Oh? Then how about..."

"Spring nights are fleeting; why rush, junior sister? Besides, they've arrived."

Yan Buji stood up; just then the doors were pushed open, and he clasped his hands: "Huang Hao of the Green Mountain Sect, I pay my respects to the senior of the Harmony Sect."

"Don't mention it, senior. I'm Mao Feiya, the overseer of the Harmony Sect's Heavenly Way Huang Du. If you don't mind, just call me Senior Sister."

"Yes, Senior Sister Mao."

"Please have a seat."

After everyone sat down, Mao Feiya looked at Yan Buji and asked: "This time, how many people has the Green Mountain Sect sent to the Hall of Offerings?"

"Three people. Besides me, there are two Foundation Establishment senior brothers; they're likely patrolling the city now, ensuring the stability of Huang Du." Yan Buji said.

Mao Feiya nodded: "Since that's the case, although this is our first meeting, I see you seem to have sustained some injury. Fortunately, our sect has a specialty that treats internal injuries; please accept it first, Junior Brother."

"This..."

"Please accept it, Junior Brother Huang; consider it a gift for our first meeting."

Yan Buji gave a wry smile, picked up the pill bottle on the table: "Thank you, Senior Sister and junior sister; I'll take it then."

Mao Feiya continued: "Speaking of which, we indeed have some matters we'd like to trouble the two senior brothers of the Green Mountain Sect with."

"Oh? Senior Sister, please speak freely; I will certainly report it truthfully."

Mao Feiya said solemnly: "Recently, for unknown reasons, the number of rogue cultivators in the city has sharply declined, which has also affected our business here."

"A sharp decline? Exactly when did this start?"

"Just these past two or three months; many regulars have disappeared." Jin Renxin said from the side.

Yan Buji stroked his chin: "Could it be that someplace is holding an auction or something, and everyone went to join the fun?"

"If that were the case, it wouldn't be so bad, but lately there haven't been any major trade fairs in the Heavenly Way territory either. The key is that these people used to be in contact with us, yet suddenly we can't reach them. Although our Harmony Sect doesn't care whether they live or die, it's still not good that our business is affected. Moreover, this situation continues, and we don't know what's causing it."

"Have any of you investigated this privately?"

Mao Feiya glanced around, then whispered: "It might be... the people from the mountains who did this."

"The mountains..."

Yan Buji's expression changed; cultivators of the Eight Dao territory all know that the inner and outer mountains are two worlds, so they also refer to themselves and others that way.

Like Yan Buji and his group are outsiders of the mountain, while those inside the Wan Dao Mountain Range are the mountain people.

Mountain people are dozens of times stronger than outsiders; even the Green Mountain Sect couldn't afford to provoke them.

"No wonder the Xuan Qian Dao cultivators withdrew; they probably realized they couldn't afford to offend the other side's identity, so they sent us here as cannon fodder?"

Yan Buji's face darkened.

Xuan Qian Dao itself is a mountain‑inner power; after learning the news through some channels, they withdrew their people. This way, regardless of whether their offerings failed to secure Huang Du or they accidentally captured a mountain person, Xuan Qian Dao would be unscathed.

What a clever scheme.

Yan Buji pondered for a moment: "Exactly who is this person? Do you have any information, Senior Sister Mao?"

"It might be a disciple from a major sect who came out to the mountains to refine an Accumulation Device, but this is something only you and I need to know."

"Alright, I understand. It's getting late; I'll go find my senior brothers and inform them."

Yan Buji took a deep breath and hurriedly left the place.

Seeing Yan Buji's hurried appearance, Mao Feiya chuckled: "He's still young; I don't even have a clue about this news, yet he believes it."

"So, Senior Sister, you were deliberately deceiving him?"

It's not that serious; although many clues point to the mountain folk's ways, after all it's not something our small sects should meddle in. At worst, if things go awry we can just pull back and leave—but they are different.

Any trouble at a Huang Du inevitably brings endless investigations; the Huang Du of the Eight Dao Realm is of utmost importance. Initially the Kan Dao Huang Du fell to the monster race, and the Gen Dao Huang Du then witnessed the rise of a mundane emperor—one can imagine that now the whole Eight Dao Realm is seething with undercurrents, far too complex to sum up in a sentence or two.

Moreover, can you guarantee that the mountain person isn't acting under someone else's orders?

Mao Feiya's face darkened: "Just do business as usual; don't worry about other matters. These days even the Qian Dao Huang Du is unstable—find a chance to return to the sect."

Yes, senior sister.

Mao Feiya pondered for a long time, but still decided to leave this place of right and wrong.

It's also possible that in the near future the situation of the Eight Dao Realm will be completely different from before, but as long as the mountain folk take action, they won't stir up too great a wave.

But precisely because of this, when sharks and whales fight, countless small fish and shrimp perish in the fray.

No matter how they fight, the real thing is to flee quickly.