Chapter 247: Leave, Seclusion

"News?"

He Pingsheng felt a surge of excitement.

Without Tianxiang Doukou, even news about it would be good enough.

At least there's hope, isn't there?

"Friend!" the black-robed woman said: "Tianxiang Doukou is extremely rare, and its growing conditions are exceedingly harsh—but I know where some grow!"

"Can this news exchange for your top-grade magic artifact?"

The girl lifted her head, her pale face facing He Pingsheng.

He Pingsheng smiled coldly: "You're joking. If I give you the artifact, how do I know you won't deceive me later?"

"If it were you, wouldn't you refuse as well?"

The woman said: "I won't deceive you. I've seen it myself."

"There's a whole patch of Tianxiang Doukou growing there!"

He Pingsheng said: "Tianxiang Doukou is a second-rank material. If you saw it, why didn't you take it?"

"I couldn't take it!" the woman said. "That Tianxiang Doukou belongs to someone—and that someone is very dangerous!"

"Here's my proposal!" He Pingsheng said. "After this trading fair ends, come with me. Take me to where the Tianxiang Doukou grows."

"If I see those beans, no matter who owns them, I'll give you this top-grade magic artifact!"

"What do you say?"

He Pingsheng stared at the black-robed woman.

This was his absolute limit of concession.

If she refused, she was essentially a fraud.

In the cultivation world, frauds were not rare—they were commonplace.

Otherwise, Zhao Linger wouldn't have spent a thousand spirit stones on a piece of trash back then.

"Alright..." After a moment's hesitation, the woman nodded.

"Um... when should we go?"

He Pingsheng didn't answer. Instead, he asked: "How far is that place from Hongshi City?"

The woman looked at him and said: "With your current cultivation base, flying there on a sword would take four or five days."

He Pingsheng said: "Give me two months."

"We'll meet at the entrance of the Hongyue Trading House two months from now!"

"We'll discuss how to get there then."

"Fine!" The woman stood, flicked her sleeves, and left.

He Pingsheng looked around—the sky was dark, and cultivators were packing up their stalls one by one.

He too needed to pack up.

Otherwise, when the Skull Mountain officials came, they'd punish him.

After packing his stall, he took Qiao Hui Zhu's hand and returned to his small house.

He Pingsheng constantly felt a faint, elusive spiritual sense watching him.

Once he entered the house, the 【Early Warning Array】 began ringing softly.

This proved someone was indeed spying with spiritual sense.

And it was the spiritual sense of a Golden Core cultivator.

Without a doubt, it was almost certainly Bai Shangli of the Xiaoyao Immortal Sect.

"What do we do?" Qiao Hui Zhu looked at He Pingsheng. "I feel someone's watching us."

He Pingsheng said: "Don't be afraid."

The warning array above rang for a while, then fell silent.

Bai Shangli couldn't keep his spiritual sense fixed on them forever.

"I'll think of a plan!"

He Pingsheng sat down, thought for a moment, then said: "Let's leave right now!"

We've bought almost everything we needed.

Even what we didn't buy, we've gotten news about.

He Pingsheng's goal had already been achieved.

Though thirteen days remained, staying longer wouldn't yield much more.

Besides, being constantly harassed by a spiritual sense was unbearable.

"Sister, listen to me!" He Pingsheng said: "My spiritual sense is strong, and I just swallowed a Double Spirit Pill—my spiritual sense now exceeds peak Golden Core!"

"That Bai Shangli? He's only Golden Core Eighth Layer!"

"His spiritual sense should be no more than four thousand zhang. Mine is ten thousand!"

"So he can't possibly fly faster than we can!"

"As soon as we leave, we take off on our swords—he won't catch us!"

"Do you trust me?"

He Pingsheng asked.

Qiao Hui Zhu nodded: "I do. In my whole life, I've trusted no one more than you..."

"Then come with me!" He Pingsheng waved his hand, dismantling each array one by one.

While Bai Shangli's spiritual sense was withdrawn, he led Qiao Hui Zhu out through the Skull Mountain gate, then waved his hand and took to the sky on his sword.

Meanwhile, Bai Shangli, after harassing them for a while, retracted his spiritual sense.

But after a short while, he extended it again—only to find the house empty. He flew into a rage, his massive spiritual sense exploding outward, just in time to see He Pingsheng flying away on his sword.

"Damn! That little bitch is running..."

Bai Shangli shot off like a streak of light toward the Skull Mountain gate, mounted his sword, and chased after He Pingsheng's trail.

"Hehehe..." As he flew through the void, still seeing He Pingsheng's distant silhouette, Bai Shangli was overjoyed: "Perfect! When I catch that little bitch, I'll kill her right there—and her husband too!"

"Killing's too dull. Better to bind him and make him watch—now that's some real fun!"

"Hehehe..."

As Bai Shangli chased He Pingsheng's figure, his mind wandered—until suddenly he realized the figure ahead was growing farther and farther away!

"What's going on?"

Bai Shangli was stunned: "This brat's speed is this fast?"

"Faster than me?"

"I'm a Golden Core cultivator..."

"Open—"

He pushed his sword's speed to its maximum.

But he couldn't catch up.

He simply couldn't catch up.

He chased for a full half-hour, all the way to the gates of Hongshi City—yet still saw no trace of He Pingsheng.

Meanwhile, He Pingsheng had long since entered his courtyard in Hongshi City.

Once inside, he immediately dressed Qiao Hui Zhu in his 【Jinlan Treasure Robe】, transforming her into an ordinary-looking woman.

Then he changed his own clothes.

Naturally, He Pingsheng revealed his true appearance.

Now, even if Bai Shangli's spiritual sense swept over the courtyard, he'd never recognize either of them.

"Sister!"

He Pingsheng sealed layer upon layer of arrays, then looked at Qiao Hui Zhu: "Here are some top-grade Qi Gathering Pills—hurry and cultivate, raise your cultivation base!"

"I'm going to close myself off in seclusion too!"

"To improve my cultivation!"

Lately, He Pingsheng had always felt time was running short—his cultivation base was too low.

It was time to raise it.

If his cultivation were stronger, why fear Bai Shangli?

If his cultivation were stronger, why endure such constant flight and hardship?

"Alright!" Qiao Hui Zhu said: "Then let's close off. Train for two months first!"

Even in seclusion, they couldn't stay long.

Because He Pingsheng had promised the black-robed woman they'd meet in two months to seek the Tianxiang Doukou!