Guan Yu, Courtesy Name Yun Chang

Immortal Spirit Stone was stunned. He had not expected his opponent to agree so readily, and asked in surprise, "Aren't you afraid I'll run away?"

"Run? Go ahead and try. I can guarantee that you'll be left begging for life, unable to die!" Yue Qianchou snorted disdainfully, then said impatiently, "Hand it over! I don't want to say it a third time."

Immortal Spirit Stone sighed. No matter how precious the item was, it could not outweigh his own life. Besides, he was not certain he could escape, so he could only nod silently and step over the collapsed bricks as he headed outside. Yue Qianchou backed away and watched him coldly. Though he had said he would spare his opponent, he still remained wary. Following him into the main hall, Yue Qianchou looked around. The temple was plain and sparsely furnished. A great deity was enshrined in the center, though he could not tell which one. A large meditation cushion below it caught Yue Qianchou's attention. His eyelids twitched as he thought, Could the Fu Xian Token be hidden here?

While Immortal Spirit Stone was still sighing, Yue Qianchou strode over and grabbed the cushion from the floor. The former's expression changed at once. Rip! The cushion was torn apart, and two objects clattered onto the ground amid a scattering of buckwheat husks. Yue Qianchou glanced at Immortal Spirit Stone, then slowly picked up the two items.

Shi Xiaotian followed in as well. His boss's ferocity just now had been etched deep into his heart, but he did not know why his boss had been fighting the other man to the death. Seeing Yue Qianchou playing with the two items in his hand, then seeing Immortal Spirit Stone's reluctant gaze, Shi Xiaotian's heart skipped a beat. "Boss fought tooth and nail... was it just to rob this man of his things?"

Yue Qianchou carefully examined the items in his hands. One was a wooden plaque, and the other a jade disc. The wooden plaque was ancient and simple, its edges carved with patterns. One side bore the words "Fu Xian," while the other depicted an island. When he sent out his divine sense to inspect it, he found a strand of wandering True Qi within. It had clearly been infused by someone. There was no need to say more—this had to be the so-called Fu Xian Token.

The jade disc bore the three words "Hundred Flower Valley." It too contained a strand of infused True Qi. There was nothing else remarkable about it, and Yue Qianchou had no idea what it was for. Looking at Immortal Spirit Stone, he asked, "What is this used for?"

Immortal Spirit Stone did not know whether to laugh or cry. He had gone to great lengths to hide the items, only for them to be found in an instant. He had thought no one would notice that hiding place. Hearing Yue Qianchou's question and looking at the item in his hand, he froze briefly before asking in astonishment, "You don't even know Hundred Flower Valley?"

Was it that famous? Yue Qianchou held up the jade disc and gave Shi Xiaotian an inquiring look. The latter shook his head as well, indicating that he did not know. Yue Qianchou's voice sank. "Am I questioning you, or are you questioning me?"

Immortal Spirit Stone froze, thinking, I'll endure it. Who told me I couldn't beat him? He sighed and explained, "This is a pass for entering and leaving Hundred Flower Valley. Hundred Flower Valley is the marketplace for cultivators in the Huaxia Empire. As long as you can afford the price, you can buy almost anything there. You can also trade items for things of equivalent value."

"Oh! That really is a good place. This Hundred Flower Token is mine too, then," Yue Qianchou said calmly.

"Ah!" Immortal Spirit Stone cried out. "What use do you have for my Hundred Flower Token? It is merely proof that lets one enter the valley without being inspected in the future. Any cultivator entering or leaving Hundred Flower Valley, regardless of their level, can register and receive one. Taking someone else's is completely useless."

"So that's how it is." Yue Qianchou nodded, then asked, "Where are Fu Xian Island and Hundred Flower Valley?"

"I... You don't even know that?" Immortal Spirit Stone looked at him as though he were an idiot. He was beginning to wonder whether Yue Qianchou truly belonged in the Cultivation World.

"What? You have a problem with that? Haven't you heard that one should not be ashamed to ask questions?" Though Yue Qianchou spoke like that, inwardly he sighed at how lacking his own experience was. He was a complete rookie in the Cultivation World. Shooting Immortal Spirit Stone a glare, he thought, This guy might actually be useful!

"Uh..." Immortal Spirit Stone simply stopped talking. Whatever you say is right. Why should I make trouble for myself?

Yue Qianchou pinched his chin and paced in thought for a while before saying to Shi Xiaotian, "Xiaotian, I'm leaving."

"Where are you going? Hundred Flower Valley or Fu Xian Island? I'm coming too," Shi Xiaotian said.

Yue Qianchou smiled. "There's only one Fu Xian Token. You go back first. Once I find a Foundation Establishment Pill, I'll come find you. Don't worry! I won't forget you."

Shi Xiaotian fell silent. After a long while, he nodded. "Understood. I'll wait for you. Boss, be careful." With that, he left the main hall, called over his elder brother, who had been hiding to one side, and the two left the temple.

Seeing the boy lying on the ground, Immortal Spirit Stone went over to check him. The boy had long since stopped breathing; Yue Qianchou had kicked him to death with a single blow. Immortal Spirit Stone shook his head and sighed.

"Dead?" Yue Qianchou asked indifferently. Immortal Spirit Stone nodded heavily. Yet it was clear he was not particularly grieved. To cultivators, killing an ordinary mortal was hardly anything worth mentioning.

Yue Qianchou weighed the Hundred Flower Token in his hand, smiling as he passed it over. "Here, take it back."

Immortal Spirit Stone stood up, his gaze lingering reluctantly on the other Fu Xian Token. He shook his head helplessly and reached out to take the Hundred Flower Token. Suddenly, his wrist tightened. The hand passing him the token had already clamped around his wrist. Immortal Spirit Stone's face changed drastically as he shouted angrily, "You broke your word..." Before he could finish, his vision blurred, and the scene before him abruptly changed.

After dragging Immortal Spirit Stone into the golden bead, Yue Qianchou released him with a burst of laughter. Immortal Spirit Stone looked around and cried out, "Where is this? Let me out!"

Yue Qianchou shook his head with a smile. "You should feel honored. This is my territory. Ordinary people do not have the fortune to enter."

"You faithless, dishonorable, despicable villain! You promised that as long as I handed over the Fu Xian Token, you would spare me. Why are you imprisoning me now?" Immortal Spirit Stone pointed at him and cursed furiously.

"No, no, you have it wrong. Don't you think I've done everything I promised you?" Yue Qianchou waved his hand and smiled. "First, I only said that if you handed over the item, I would not kill you. I never said I would let you go, so you are still alive and well. Second, you did not hand over the item. I found it myself. Think carefully and you'll know I'm not talking nonsense. By that point alone, even if I killed you, it would not count as breaking my word."

"Twisting words and forcing logic! I'll fight you to the death!" Immortal Spirit Stone roared, lunging forward and striking fiercely at Yue Qianchou with his palm. Yue Qianchou merely smiled faintly. His figure vanished in a flash, and Immortal Spirit Stone struck empty air. Then a mocking voice came from behind him. "Killing you would be as easy as turning over my hand, while killing me would be as hard as ascending to heaven. So I advise you not to waste your strength."

Immortal Spirit Stone was so furious that he screamed repeatedly. He turned and lunged again, but no matter how wildly he struggled, Yue Qianchou always vanished into thin air with a smile. After this went on for quite some time, Immortal Spirit Stone suddenly seemed to think of something. He cried out at Yue Qianchou, "Shape-shifting? Is it the Shape-shifting that only someone at the late Tribulation Transcendence stage can use? Th-this is impossible! Could it be that you have been hiding your cultivation all along? No! That is absolutely impossible."

Though his mouth kept saying it was impossible, once he calmed down, fear rose in his heart. Whether it truly was Shape-shifting or not, the other man's cultivation was enough to kill him as easily as turning over a hand. So Yue Qianchou had been toying with him in the temple all along. Thinking of this, desolation filled his heart. At last, he lowered his hands in gloom and no longer had any desire to fight for his life.

Naturally, Yue Qianchou would not tell him that he could go anywhere he wanted here. Smiling in an unfathomable manner, he said, "Mm. Knowing something cannot be done and choosing not to do it—that is what a smart man does. Immortal Spirit Stone, go take a look at what that is over there." As he spoke, he pointed at the mountain of bundled cloth bags ahead.

Immortal Spirit Stone looked in the direction he indicated, then eyed Yue Qianchou suspiciously. In the end, he still walked to the foot of the mountain. Many of the opened cloth bags exposed spirit stones within, tossed about casually like worthless junk.

"Th-this mountain... could it all be piled up from spirit stones?" Immortal Spirit Stone asked in shock. He had never seen so many spirit stones in his life.

Yue Qianchou suddenly appeared beside him and smiled. "That's right. They are all spirit stones, and every last one belongs to me. Now you should know which of us truly deserves to be called Immortal Spirit Stone!"

"Uh..." Immortal Spirit Stone was now completely convinced. He could not beat the man in a fight, and if they compared wealth, the man could crush him to death with money. An awkward expression appeared on his face as he said sheepishly, "My original name was Ji Wushuang. After leaving Fu Xian Island, I drifted to Spirit Stone Temple, where people began respectfully calling me Immortal Spirit Stone." There were some things he did not say: only after driving away Spirit Stone Temple's original owner had he become Immortal Spirit Stone.

Yue Qianchou had been watching the expressions on his face all along, and he was very satisfied with the result. This was exactly why he had brought him in. Yue Qianchou lacked experience in the Cultivation World and badly needed someone like this as a lackey. As for Ji Wushuang's petty affairs, Yue Qianchou could not be bothered to care. He frowned. "What Immortal Spirit Stone? Ji Wushuang, whatever Wushuang—it sounds terrible. I'm changing your name! I guarantee it'll sound better than the one you have now."

"Change my name?" Immortal Spirit Stone asked in astonishment.

"What, you're unwilling?" Yue Qianchou barked. The other man silently shook his head. He neither agreed nor disagreed, but having one's name changed around was uncomfortable for anyone.

Yue Qianchou stared at his red face and three long strands of beard, then laughed mockingly. "From now on, your name will be Guan Yu! Guan Yu, courtesy name Yun Chang. Guan as in closing a gate, Yu as in feathers, Yun as in clouds, Chang as in long and short. What do you think of that name?"

"Guan Yu, courtesy name Yun Chang..." Immortal Spirit Stone could not understand why he had chosen that name. He muttered it several times but found nothing special about it. Puzzled, he asked, "Why choose this name?"

Yue Qianchou chuckled, striking a mighty pose as though wielding the Green Dragon Crescent Blade. "Don't you think this name is imposing, magnificent, and weighty?"

Immortal Spirit Stone shook his head and muttered, "I can't hear it. Guan Yu... how much weight can feathers have?"

Looks like this guy wasn't very satisfied! Yue Qianchou's eyes rolled, and he chuckled. "As long as you promise to use this name from now on, I'll guarantee that you'll successfully reach Foundation Establishment within ten years."

"Really?" Immortal Spirit Stone's eyes lit up. Delighted, he said, "As long as you can truly help me reach Foundation Establishment within ten years, I guarantee I'll use the name Guan Yu from now on and never change it. If you can't do it, then naturally I'll change it back."

"Haha, it's a deal."

"It's a deal!" The two burst into laughter together.

Yue Qianchou happily patted his shoulder and said, "Guan Yu, follow me properly from now on! I guarantee you'll feast on fine food and drink every day, and sooner or later cultivate to the Tribulation Transcendence stage." Immortal Spirit Stone nodded along with a smile, not knowing why this fellow was so happy just because he had changed his name. Sigh! As expected, experts all have strange tastes.

Yue Qianchou was delighted! In his previous life, he had burned who knew how many sticks of incense and kowtowed who knew how many times to Second Master Guan, only to still get himself killed. Things were different now. He had gotten himself a Guan Yu as a lackey. Taking him out would surely be impressive. No! Once they got outside, he would have a set of blue robes and a blue cap made for him. Then Guan Yu would wear them with a longsword at his waist, one hand resting on its hilt as he followed behind Yue Qianchou. Only then would going out be impressive enough, frightening enough, badass enough!

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