Magical Beast Egg Secured! Uninvited Guests

"You!"

Yun Yun opened her mouth, wanting to rebuke Gu Han.

How could he bring up bathing together in front of Nalan Yanran?

But seeing Gu Han's utterly uninterested, righteous expression, she felt she could not make a mountain out of it.

They had merely bathed in the same hot spring. They could be considered bathing companions, but she could not let her disciple misunderstand.

"It was indeed lost by This Sect Master." Yun Yun reached out and accepted the hairpin, her expression calm. "Actually, you did not need to bring it back specially. When I went there next time, I would naturally retrieve it."

"As for you, since you accidentally discovered that place, it would be best not to go there again without This Sect Master's permission."

She was explaining to Nalan Yanran that she had merely happened to encounter Gu Han at some place where one could bathe.

"Yes." Gu Han agreed without sincerity, then turned to Nalan Yanran. "Senior Sister, let's go."

Nalan Yanran was eager to gossip, but a single look from Yun Yun made her abandon the idea. She thought she would ask Gu Han later instead.

"Teacher, this disciple takes her leave." Nalan Yanran performed a respectful salute and withdrew.

"Sect Leader, I'll be leaving first." Gu Han spoke as casually as though he were saying goodbye to a friend.

"Go on. Come back once you've handled your business." Yun Yun waved her hand, pretending not to care.

After Gu Han and Nalan Yanran had left, Yun Yun gritted her pearly teeth, the tips of her ears faintly reddening. "That little rascal did it on purpose."

Returning her personal hairpin in front of Nalan Yanran would naturally make Nalan Yanran suspect there was something between them.

"Little sly fox, full of Wolf's Ambition. Hmph!"

Meanwhile, Nalan Yanran led Gu Han down the mountain.

As they passed the outer sect, Gu Han noticed Zhang Chuchen standing in the distance with a sword in his arms. They exchanged a glance, and after Zhang Chuchen gave an almost imperceptible nod, Gu Han did not go over to speak with him and continued following Nalan Yanran.

It was not until they mounted their horses and headed for the Imperial Capital that Nalan Yanran could no longer resist asking curiously, "Are you very familiar with Teacher?"

"Not particularly," Gu Han answered truthfully.

In his previous life, relationships with women could be divided into first base, second base, third base, and a home run.

If bathing together counted as intimate physical contact, then they had only reached first base.

"Then why did you meet Teacher in the middle of the night, and why did you find Teacher's personal hairpin?" Nalan Yanran clearly did not believe him.

The place where Gu Han and Yun Yun had met seemed to be somewhere one could bathe.

If she did not know Yun Yun's character, she would have suspected her teacher of robbing the cradle.

"Would you ask the Sect Leader that question?" Gu Han asked in return.

"Of course not." Nalan Yanran thought that she was not stupid.

"Then why do you think I would answer?" Gu Han's face remained expressionless.

"You!" Nalan Yanran opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing.

In terms of talent and strength, Gu Han surpassed her in every way. Now, he also seemed to share a close relationship with her teacher.

Most importantly, Gu Han had done her a favor, so she could not really do anything to him!

The rest of the journey was quiet. They entered through the north gate and headed toward the eastern district.

As they passed through the market in the northern district, Gu Han casually came up with an excuse and had Nalan Yanran bring him to the Third Market.

"I'll take this Second-Order Magical Beast corpse." Gu Han led his horse to a stall and asked, "How much do you want for it?"

The middle-aged man looked up, his gaze sweeping over Gu Han's clothes and the strength badge on his chest. His expression grew more serious. "Young Master, there is a high chance that this corpse contains a Second-Order Magical Core."

"You are a disciple of the Misty Cloud Sect. I'll sell you the entire corpse for five thousand Gold Coins. What do you think?"

A Second-Order Magical Core was worth three or four times as much as a First-Order Magical Core. The Purple Winged Cloud Crane was a flying Magical Beast, so it was normal for it to be worth more than ordinary Magical Beasts.

Five thousand Gold Coins was indeed a fair price. Even though there was room to haggle, Gu Han could not be bothered.

After all, his target was the Purple Winged Cloud Crane Egg that possessed the Heaven Demon Phoenix Bloodline.

If word got out, there would be people willing to pay even five hundred thousand Gold Coins.

"Deal!"

Gu Han took out a Gold Card worth five thousand Gold Coins and handed it to the middle-aged man. With a wave of his hand, he stored the Purple Winged Cloud Crane corpse in the Xuanwu Secret Realm. Of course, to outsiders, it appeared to have been placed inside his Storage Ring.

"Young Master is straightforward!" The middle-aged man beamed.

He had assumed Gu Han would use his status to haggle further and had already prepared himself to earn less from this deal.

Gu Han gave a slight nod and turned to leave.

Just then, a young man's voice sounded from beside him. "I want this corpse as well. Brother, would you be willing to resell it?"

Gu Han tilted his head slightly and saw a bare-chested young man with bulging muscles.

"Not for sale." Gu Han spat out two words.

The young man's expression stiffened, and one of his lackeys immediately spoke up.

"Kid, our young master is from the Mu Family."

"Think carefully before you answer."

"..."

Gu Han frowned slightly and looked at the young man. "Keep your dog under control. He cannot afford the price of barking recklessly!"

The young man frowned. At that moment, Nalan Yanran rode over on horseback and asked, "Mu Zhan, what are you trying to do to my junior brother?"

"Nalan Yanran!" Mu Zhan narrowed his eyes, then suddenly smiled. "I was merely asking. If he is unwilling, then forget it."

As he spoke, he turned and left with the guards at his side.

"His name is Mu Zhan. He is the young master of the Dou King Family, the Mu Family, and one of the Imperial Family's most steadfast supporters. Most of his clansmen serve in the Imperial Military, so their influence is considerable," Nalan Yanran explained to Gu Han.

"As far as I know, he should have already been assigned to the army for training."

Gu Han nodded faintly, paying no attention to this minor incident.

Afterward, he followed Nalan Yanran to the Nalan Family.

Nalan Su had long since made preparations. A Nalan Family merchant caravan had gathered outside the residence.

"Gu Han of the Misty Cloud Sect greets the Nalan Family Head." Gu Han cupped his fists in greeting.

"Hello, Young Friend. Welcome, welcome." When Nalan Su saw a handsome youth beside his daughter, he instinctively frowned. But when he saw the Five-star Dou Practitioner badge worn by the latter, his demeanor immediately became exceedingly cordial.

After exchanging pleasantries, Nalan Yanran and Nalan Su went aside to whisper for a while.

Once they were done talking, Nalan Su's gaze toward Gu Han became even warmer.

Nalan Yanran handed a Storage Ring to Gu Han. "This is the compensation Teacher prepared for the Xiao Family. Decide whether to give it to them and how much to give based on the circumstances."

"Alright." Gu Han put away the Storage Ring.

Afterward, Nalan Su arranged for him to ride in a carriage at the rear.

Not long after, with an order from Nalan Su, the entire merchant caravan set out.

Jia Ma Holy City and the Misty Cloud Sect were located at the northernmost edge of the Northern Province of the Jia Ma Empire. Wutan City, meanwhile, lay at the easternmost edge of the Northeast Province. It was the major city in that province closest to the Monster Beast Mountain Range, with several satellite towns surrounding it.

Traveling from Jia Ma Holy City to Wutan City only required following the outskirts of the Monster Beast Mountain Range southeastward. On horseback, they could arrive in just a few days.

Gu Han took out the Cold Jade and cultivated inside the carriage the entire way, until the caravan stopped to make camp after nightfall.

"Young Friend, would you care to join us for dinner?" Nalan Su took the initiative to invite Gu Han.

He had already learned from his daughter just how monstrous this young man's talent was. Moreover, Gu Han had earned Yun Yun's favor, so Nalan Su wished to befriend him.

Gu Han did not keep others at arm's length and agreed to dine with them, though he maintained superficial politeness throughout.

After eating and drinking his fill, he was considering what excuse he could use to leave temporarily when Zhang Chuchen's voice suddenly sounded in his ear.

"Junior Brother, be careful. We have uninvited guests!"

Gu Han's heart tightened, and he instantly became alert, his gaze swiftly sweeping across the surroundings.

In the forest not far away, bushes shook, and several pairs of dim green eyes flickered in the darkness.

Immediately afterward, deep growls came from the woods, accompanied by an aura of brutality.

Nalan Su's expression changed slightly as he ordered, "Stay on guard!"