Chapter 224: Suspicion Arises

As Hu Meiniang used the talisman snatched from Hu Rui's hand, ignoring Hu Rui's shout of "Don't," she immediately activated a Golden Light Talisman, forming a golden barrier before her, which felt very familiar.

A flash of inspiration crossed Hu Meiniang's mind, recalling what happened at the Wang Family last night; the Wang Family, under the impact of a powerful qi wave, had also formed a golden barrier, identical to this one.

Just...

Hu Meiniang shook her head, guessing it was merely similar, not the same kind; the defensive power of the Wang Family's golden barrier last night had somewhat frightened her, so it couldn't be an ordinary elementary Golden Light Talisman.

It should be an upgraded version of the Golden Light Talisman—the Copper Wall Iron Wall Golden Light Talisman; and even among Copper Wall Iron Wall Golden Light Talismans, it must be of top quality, perhaps even supreme.

Although she knew the Golden Light Talisman she had just used differed from the one she had seen at the Wang Family last night, she was still curious about what made this talisman special, able to attract Hu Rui.

Hu Rui is her junior, the daughter of the current clan chief of the Nine-headed Mountain Fox Clan, essentially the main line of the main line; from birth, she grew up with a golden spoon in her mouth.

Because she was intelligent from a young age and early on involved in the Nine-headed Mountain Fox Clan's business, it cannot be said that the current Nine-headed Mountain Fox Clan Merchant Guild is not under her management.

After all, the Nine-headed Mountain Fox Clan Merchant Guild is the largest source of cultivation resources for the Nine-headed Mountain Fox Clan, a merchant guild spanning surrounding counties, prefectures, and even the Prefecture Capital, with ties to many great demons and human cultivators.

Countless rare treasures!

Hu Rui, from a young age, showed curiosity about business, and her parents took her to engage in the Nine-headed Mountain Fox Clan Merchant Guild's business; although she is still young and not yet considered an adult among the fox clan, she is merely a maiden.

But after years in the Nine-headed Mountain Fox Clan Merchant Guild, she also counts as one of its stewards!

According to Hu Rui's father's status in the Nine-headed Mountain Fox Clan, plus her being beloved by the ancestors, if she does not marry outside to other demons and remains in the Nine-headed Mountain Fox Clan, she is very likely to succeed to the position of chief of the Nine-headed Mountain Fox Clan Merchant Guild.

With her status, ordinary buy-low-sell-high businesses would never catch her eye.

This stack of elementary talismans, even if numerous, might earn some money, but not a fortune—at most just hard-earned cash.

No matter what, it would never attract Hu Rui!

Obviously.

These elementary talismans must have something unusual about them!

Hu Meiniang instinctively unleashed a wave of demonic energy to personally test the defensive strength of this Golden Light Talisman, in order to understand how this elementary talisman differed.

"How could this be?"

Hu Meiniang's face drastically changed; she never imagined that her own demonic energy wave would fail to destroy the golden barrier before her.

After all, she is a late-stage Golden Core cultivator; even a casual strike could seriously injure or even kill a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Yet there was no way to destroy the golden barrier formed by the Golden Light Talisman.

How could she not be startled?

"Bang!", "Bang!", "Bang!"

Hu Meiniang did not ask Hu Rui what was different about the Golden Light Talisman she had snatched; instead, she continued to wave her demonic energy, attacking the golden barrier before her.

From initially using twenty percent of her power up to fifty percent, only then did she destroy that golden barrier.

Hu Meiniang watched the golden barrier shatter like a mirror; not only did she not sigh in relief, her expression instantly grew extremely grave as she stared deeply at Hu Rui and exclaimed:

"I told you, with your status as Xiao Sanzi, even if ordinary elementary talismans were numerous, they could never attract you to do business; it turns out this elementary talisman of yours has something unusual."

"It can rival the upgraded version of the Golden Light Talisman, the Intermediate Talisman—Copper Wall Iron Wall Golden Light Talisman!"

"Aunt Meiniang, this talisman business is something I finally found; you must not snatch it!"

Hu Rui looked pitifully at Hu Meiniang; she and Hu Meiniang seldom interacted, only meeting once or twice at critical moments, and she didn't know whether Hu Meiniang was unwilling to stay longer in the Nine-headed Mountain Fox Clan's territory.

Or perhaps someone did not want Hu Meiniang to stay longer in the clan's territory, fearing she would corrupt the Nine-headed Mountain Fox Clan's offspring.

Her understanding of Hu Meiniang still came from some rumors.

"This talisman business is not merely for earning low-grade spirit stones!"

Hu Meiniang ignored Hu Rui's unpleasant expression, as if wanting to say some threatening words, turned her head to look at Wang Ping'an, gave a charming smile, and said ambiguously:

"Fellow Daoist, have we met before?"

Wang Ping'an was startled at once, suspecting Hu Meiniang had seen something; but at this moment, he was controlling a Paper Person, so he wasn't worried that Hu Meiniang would notice anything odd from his expression, and he casually sent a mental transmission:

"Fellow Daoist, I don't understand what you mean; I don't recall ever having met you."

"Really?"

This novel you to

Hu Meiniang snorted coldly, just as she was about to continue pressing for answers, she saw Hu Rui step in front of her, indignant:

"Aunt Meiniang, Fellow Daoist Li is my friend; I don't know if you've misunderstood something, Auntie, or whether this friend of mine has ever offended you; please, for my sake, don't treat him as an equal opponent."

"My father, the ancestors, and other elders all miss you, Auntie; they often mention you in front of me. Now that you've returned, Auntie, why not visit our clan's territory to see my father and the ancestors? They will surely be delighted to see you back."

Hu Meiniang ignored Hu Rui's indignation, knowing she valued Wang Ping'an as a cooperative partner, fearing a conflict between her and Wang Ping'an, knowing Hu Rui's prowess, fearing Wang Ping'an would suffer a loss before her.

That's why she said those words!

Hu Meiniang casually said, "Fellow Daoist Li, we may not have met face to face, but I have seen this talisman in a human household; I don't know what your connection is to the Wang Family of Hutou Gou."

"Not acquainted!"

Wang Ping'an suppressed his inner agitation, never expecting Hu Meiniang, relying on that Golden Light Talisman, to actually discover his connection to the Wang Family.

Too bad.

No matter how Hu Meiniang thinks, she could never imagine that he would be Wang Ping'an.

After all.

He had only just been born, couldn't even speak, let alone cultivate; how could he possibly draw talismans?

"Are you truly not understanding, or just pretending not to?"

Hu Meiniang snorted coldly; before she could finish speaking, Hu Rui angrily interrupted:

"Aunt Meiniang, you may not know that Fellow Daoist Li is not selling talismans for the first time; his elementary talismans, which rival intermediate talismans in quality, are priced lower than intermediate talismans, and they quickly sell out due to others snatching them up!"

"The identical talisman you saw at the Wang Family of Hutou Gou could very well have been purchased from us or elsewhere!"

Although she was also curious about the true divine identity of Li Fugui, she could never let others know Li Fugui's true identity.

Not even if Hu Meiniang is her paternal aunt!

(End of chapter)