Unexpected Complications

Fu Nanhua, seeing Cai Jinjian looking a bit down, took her for a casual stroll. They walked side-by-side, treating it as a way to clear their heads. He interspersed the walk with anecdotes about the strange and unusual happenings in the southern part of East Treasure Bottle Continent. Cai Jinjian still forced a smile, but her mood was considerably better than when she was agitated after leaving Mud Bottle Alley.

Her impression of this noble young master from Old Dragon City was gradually improving. After all, Old Dragon City had a deep foundation and produced many talents, only a hair's breadth away from being a top-tier sect. Compared to Cloud Mist Mountain, which was at the bottom of the second-rate sects, it was far superior. Yet, orthodox immortal sects like Cloud Mist Mountain, with their orderly traditions and pure lineage, held an innate sense of superiority over southern barbarians like Old Dragon City, who were confined to a corner of the land. If they had met before, it would have been considered good manners if they hadn't muttered "southern barbarian" behind her back.

Cai Jinjian said bitterly, "Brother Fu, although the Cloud Root Stone is the lifeblood of our Cloud Mist Mountain, since we made the agreement beforehand, I will not go back on my word. Even if I have to sell everything I own, I will repay you, Brother Fu."

Fu Nanhua comforted her, "Whether Gu Can's opportunity is already a done deal is still hard to say."

Cai Jinjian's face darkened, and she shook her head. "The River-Cutting True Lord, Liu Zhimao, has a terrible reputation, it's true, and his methods are not weak. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to establish a foothold in Book Scroll Lake. This opportunity is not something we can force. Once I anger Liu Zhimao, how can I withstand the might of a True Lord from an unorthodox sect? I fear Liu Zhimao already resents me. Once I leave this small town and am no longer under the protection of a sage or bound by rules, who knows what extreme actions Liu Zhimao might take. I imagine Brother Fu must have seen some clues on the border. The escorts from my sect who came with me to search for treasures are not strong enough; they are no match for him at all."

Fu Nanhua smiled, "Rest assured, even for those ten Cloud Root Stones, our Old Dragon City will escort you safely back to Cloud Mist Mountain."

Cai Jinjian turned and gave him a radiant smile, her clear eyes filled with affection.

Fu Nanhua felt quite pleased with himself and habitually reached to touch the jade pendant, only to find it missing. He then remembered that he had already given his Old Dragon Spreads Rain Pendant to that young man named Song Jixin.

Cai Jinjian let out a sigh of relief. As she walked, she tilted slightly to the left, and her shoulder gently brushed against Fu Nanhua's.

The trip to Mud Bottle Alley was an unplanned gamble for Cai Jinjian, a spur-of-the-moment decision, but one she had carefully considered. However, the outcome proved she had bet wrongly, and the price was ten priceless Cloud Root Stones. This filled her with anxiety for the rest of their visit to the small town, and she unconsciously developed a sense of dependence on Fu Nanhua. Or rather, she developed a gambler's mentality: ten Cloud Root Stones were a bet, why not fifty? If she won, she'd make a fortune; if she lost... Cai Jinjian felt she wouldn't lose, absolutely not. She was Cai Jinjian, the most talented cultivator in Cloud Mist Mountain! Her path of cultivation had been smooth sailing, her realm advancing like a broken bamboo, and Cai Jinjian refused to believe she would capsize in this ditch.

As Cai Jinjian's mood improved, Fu Nanhua, who felt the situation was under control, found himself with the leisure to truly appreciate Fairy Cai's beauty and figure. Undeniably, she was a woman with innate charm. If one were to become a Dao companion with such a woman and spend their days together, both in cultivation and in bed, things would gradually improve.

Cai Jinjian had once been praised by a highly respected senior figure as possessing "the wind of Cloud Mist Mountain, the bearing of a flying celestial." The implication was that she was an extremely rare choice for a Dao companion. The Old Ancestors of Cloud Mist Mountain, who were accustomed to relying on their mountain and doing business, had spared no expense in cultivating Cai Jinjian over the years, not without the selfish motive of selling her at a good price. Immortal marriages, a match made in heaven, were considered far more serious and long-term than the marriages of noble families in secular dynasties.

However, Fu Nanhua had no good feelings towards Cloud Mist Mountain. Placing the fate of their sect on the shoulders of a single woman like Cai Jinjian was simply unacceptable, and this was the reason for Fu Nanhua's poor impression of Cloud Mist Mountain.

Fu Nanhua reminded her, "What if the young man next door to Song Jixin is also a chosen person from some external force, and he still has that original porcelain ware? Then your actions this time will cause trouble, making it easy for people to follow the clues and find Cloud Mist Mountain and you. Furthermore, Song Jixin's master and servant, as well as the River-Cutting True Lord Liu Zhimao, might both detect this matter."

Cai Jinjian laughed, "Brother Fu might be focused on the clues to the opportunity and not pay attention to some unwritten rules here. For those born in this small town, if a boy at the age of nine is not taken away by the 'porcelain buyer' who has waited for nearly ten years, it means his innate talent is poor and he is no longer very valuable. The older he gets, the cheaper he becomes. Rather than spending a sky-high 'adoption fee' and being a sucker, those sects and gangs would obviously find it more practical to spend heavily on cultivating a few direct disciples."

As soon as Cai Jinjian mentioned that straw-sandaled youth, she felt disgusted. "Ordinary people should have the awareness of ordinary people!"

Fu Nanhua carefully chose his words, trying to persuade her, "That's the logic, but that young man is short-sighted. How would he know the nobility of Fairy Cai from your Cloud Mist Mountain? Even if he offended you, a lesson would suffice. Why did you have to strike twice?"

Fu Nanhua felt that Cai Jinjian's brazen attack was unusual and likely hid some mystery related to the opportunity. Therefore, he hoped to pry some information out of her to find some clues. Otherwise, he might be like the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Old Dragon City had gone through immense hardship and offered a price far more exaggerated than Zhengyang Mountain and Cloud Mist Mountain, yet only obtained fragmented secret information. It was only then that Fu Nanhua learned that for the past three thousand years in this small town, the so-called opportunities, after that earth-shattering and eternally legendary fierce battle, apart from those exceptionally talented children of the small town, had indeed only been magical treasures and artifacts left behind by previous generations of ancestors. However, as this blessed land faced complete collapse, things were not so simple.

In the last dynasty, when the land was broken and the mountains and rivers shattered, divine weapons and great treasures would surely emerge to usher in a new dynasty and a new era.

Cai Jinjian was somewhat dejected, "Don't mention him. Just thinking about him makes me sick."

Immediately, a rare ferocity flashed in her autumn-clear eyes. However, to avoid ruining her image as a fairy in Fu Nanhua's eyes, she did not voice her thoughts.

If she encountered that young bastard outside the small town in the future, she would make sure he died a swift death, rather than dragging out a sickly existence for another ten or twenty years.

The tall woman particularly disliked the boy's eyes. Deep down, she harbored an obsession she had never truly pondered.

That kind of clean gaze – she had cultivated in Cloud Mist Mountain, known for its "spotless clarity," for so many years, yet had only seen it a few times from beginning to end. What right did a poor boy, raised in a humble alley, have to possess such beauty day after day, year after year?

Cai Jinjian tilted her head and rubbed her eyelids. This action made her long, slender eyebrows appear even more delicate.

Fu Nanhua, who was casually observing their surroundings, teased her, "In the workshops of our Old Dragon City, there's a widely spread saying: the left eye twitching means wealth, the right eye twitching means disaster. Was it your left eye or your right eye twitching?"

Cai Jinjian quickly retracted her hand as if burned and glared at him. Her right eyelid was clearly twitching at that moment.

Fu Nanhua, who had brought trouble upon himself, quickly tried to mend his words, smiling, "That's just superstitious nonsense from common folk; it's not to be taken seriously."

Cai Jinjian's lips curved upwards. She turned sideways and gazed at Fu Nanhua's profile, saying triumphantly, "Fooled you, didn't I?"

Fu Nanhua was stunned. Looking at Cai Jinjian's childish and adorable demeanor, he felt an inexplicable stir in his heart.

He suddenly hesitated, his murderous intent towards her wavering. Would becoming a divine couple with her be more beneficial to Old Dragon City's plans to advance north? Once Cai Jinjian successfully obtained the opportunity here and returned to her sect, her status would inevitably rise. With proper maneuvering, she might even have a chance to become the mistress of Cloud Mist Mountain. There were precedents for women taking charge in the long history of Cloud Mist Mountain's ancestral records. If this happened, Old Dragon City would effectively have a springboard, allowing them to legitimately infiltrate the heartland of East Treasure Bottle Continent. From then on, they could coordinate north and south, advance or retreat as needed. This was the foundation of a great empire, enabling Old Dragon City to escape the embarrassing predicament of having strength but only being able to occupy a corner of the land, and to end the suffering of being ostracized for hundreds of years.

Not far ahead, a few steps away, was a crossroads where two alleys intersected.

Seeing the intersection, Fu Nanhua suddenly awoke, as if struck by enlightenment. His gaze regained its firmness.

Fu Nanhua, wearing his tall crown, felt fine beads of sweat break out on his forehead.

Those who disturb my mind must be killed to strengthen my Dao heart!

At this moment, Fu Nanhua looked at Cai Jinjian again. His gaze, demeanor, and state of mind had returned to their previous carefree state, purely as if admiring a painting. Both the beauty and the scenery could nourish the eyes. Now, he could look a few more times, after all, she was destined to perish by his hand after leaving this town.

Murder and arson bring golden belts, road building and bridge paving leave no bones.

Listen to that. Some common sayings from the lower strata of society are truly universally applicable.

Fu Nanhua's heart suddenly opened up.

Cai Jinjian, leaning sideways, asked in a soft, charming voice, "Nanhua, what are you thinking about that makes you so happy?"

She had subtly changed to a more intimate form of address.

Fu Nanhua shook his head and smiled. Just as he was about to speak, his peripheral vision caught a black shadow.

A slender young man, as if with a single step, crossed from the horizontal alley to stand before Cai Jinjian. His left hand swiftly slashed upwards, while simultaneously, his right fist struck the Cloud Mist Mountain fairy in the abdomen. The blow was powerful, and the sudden burst of force within such a short distance created a faint whistling sound, forcing the woman to bend over.

Although the young man's right fist had far surpassed that of his peers, he was actually left-handed. Therefore, the sharp object held in his left hand completely penetrated Cai Jinjian's throat, piercing directly through her lower jaw.

The young man was not finished. He punched the woman in the chest with his right hand, while still raising his left hand.

Ensuring that this sneak attack would not have the slightest mishap.

At that moment, blood gushed from the woman's originally slender and fair neck.

Then, the young man used his waist and ankles for leverage, slamming his shoulder into the tall woman's chest, violently shoving her into the horizontal alley.

Fu Nanhua's feet were rooted to the ground, standing rigidly in place.

The young master of Old Dragon City's mind went blank.