Friend, do you have a way?

"That's it?"

Was this the caravan auction rumored to hold countless treasures? That's it?

He had expected elixirs that could bring the dead back to life or restore flesh and bone, or perhaps Immortal treasures that could shatter a sect's gates with a single throw.

Instead, most of what the caravans brought were raw materials for alchemy and artifact forging.

Fortunately, he managed to acquire some precious ingredients. He could use them to replenish his father's Origin Qi and give his mother skin-care products to whiten her complexion. It was barely worth the trip.

Come to think of it, it would be unreasonable if such an auction could yield the auspicious beast Cheng Huang, said to grant a lifespan of two thousand years.

Wu Wang walked out of the large tent with a hint of disappointment. Lin Suqing followed behind, her arms full of storage artifacts, smiling like a blooming peony while casting wary glances to her surroundings.

Without lingering, they immediately boarded the Frost Wolf carriage and, under the gaze of the onlookers lining the streets, galloped towards the grasslands.

However, after they successfully rejoined the main group, Wu Wang made a decision that made his guards incredibly nervous.

Wu Wang said, "You all go back first and wait for me outside the Royal Court. I'm going to stroll through the marketplace again."

"Young Master is going alone?"

"How can that be! What if someone plots against you, Young Master!"

"Young Master, at least take a few guards with you. If not, we can surround the entire marketplace from a distance!"

"Keep it low-key, don't rush."

Wu Wang chuckled, "As long as no one recognizes me as the Young Master of the Bear Hug Tribe, there won't be any trouble."

Lin Suqing also added, "If you need to buy anything, I can run errands for you, Young Master."

Wu Wang said, "I suddenly want to walk around in a crowded place. Don't worry, obey my orders."

The guards dared not persuade him further and, following orders, escorted the carriage away.

To put their minds at ease, Wu Wang changed into a guard's attire right in front of Lin Suqing.

While he changed, the older woman covered her eyes with her hands, then peeked through her fingers a few times, her eyes filled with the satisfaction of seeing a child she had watched grow up.

Wu Wang: ...

His heart remained unmoved.

He removed the Beast Bone mask and applied a thicker, skin-tight 'Ice Crystal Film' to make himself appear slightly more robust. Then, he took out an 'Imitation Human Skin Mask' he had bought years ago, carefully spreading it over his face like a facial mask, instantly transforming into a rugged man.

The most crucial part of disguise and changing clothes was concealing one's aura.

Wu Wang drew a few talismans in the air, minimizing the fluctuations of the Star Invocation Technique. He also sprinkled some wine on himself to deliberately disrupt the regular circulation of his internal energy.

To outsiders, he now appeared as a genuine, burly man from the Northern Plains.

"Young Master~"

Lin Suqing transmitted her voice, "You really want to go out and have some fun, don't you."

Wu Wang glared at her and transmitted back, "Speak properly. What do you mean 'have some fun'? I'm merely getting accustomed to the chaotic environment outside in advance."

Lin Suqing covered her mouth and chuckled, her cheeks flushing slightly, her laughter gradually turning into a muffled giggle.

Everything was ready.

Wu Wang mounted a Giant Wolf and quietly left the convoy. He found a secluded forest midway, changed his attire again, took out a few low-grade Spirit Cores to sell later, and then headed back to the marketplace.

Without guards and attendants around him, his state of mind felt suddenly clear and open.

Sigh, was it easy for him?

For so many years, wherever he went, he was always followed by large groups of people. Even when he was in seclusion cultivating in his wooden cabin, there were numerous guards within a ten-mile radius.

Now, galloping on his horse—cough, wolf—he felt the vastness of the sky and the freshness of the air, his heart filled with exhilaration. The wind whistled past his ears, and he was like a fierce beast that had been caged for millennia, finally set free, letting out a hearty laugh.

However, half an hour later, in the most bustling area of the marketplace.

Wu Wang, holding a bag of newly exchanged small change, found a crowded restaurant and sat down somewhat dejectedly in a private room on the third floor.

This restaurant was the tallest building in the marketplace, with only three floors in total. Sitting in the private room and looking outside, he could see all the tents with distinct Northern Plains characteristics.

He had thought the marketplace would at least have some entertainment venues where one could play ring toss, archery, or goblet toss, or watch song and dance performances.

But as he browsed, all he saw were street stalls, and ninety percent of them sold three types of goods: ore, beast cores, and beast hides.

There was no childlike fun to be found.

Moreover, Wu Wang suddenly realized he had developed a "bad habit": he couldn't help but look at the eyes of passing women, subconsciously comparing them to the almond-shaped eyes he had seen in his dreams.

Once or twice was fine, but after looking too much, it was easy to make eye contact with the women, leading to slightly awkward situations.

A few older women had even given him suggestive glances!

The various tribes of the Northern Plains were generally quite harmonious. In this marketplace, he could see ninety percent of the Northern Plains races. Most of them were humanoid, retaining varying degrees of animal characteristics.

Just then, a few Rabbit-eared Girls wearing leather skirts and boots walked by. Their fluffy ears and small tails were quite cute.

It was just that their pupils were blood-red, which looked a bit frightening.

Almond eyes... almond eyes...

Wu Wang handed the money bag he had just exchanged to the waiter who brought tea, telling him to bring some food. The waiter quickly brought a table full of meat dishes and several pots of good wine.

Wu Wang drank and ate alone, leisurely and content, his gaze continuing to sweep over the eyes of the women passing by.

He had actually figured it out.

Firstly, the dream was now impossible to distinguish between reality and illusion.

If it truly happened, there was nothing he could do about it now, only wait for the other party to come find him.

Before that, the only thing he could do was become stronger, to deal with whatever situations might arise.

He didn't have any good feelings towards the figure in his dream right now.

Trapping him in this way, preventing him from interacting with the opposite sex, was unreasonable and abnormal!

Such power could never be smoothed over just because of high attractiveness; he, Wu Wang, would absolutely not, just because the other party was as beautiful as a celestial being…

Hmm? Almond eyes?

Wu Wang's spirits immediately lifted. He fixed his gaze on the long street outside the restaurant and happened to see a pair of almond eyes looking up.

Similar, very similar, but upon closer inspection, it wasn't.

These almond eyes he saw now were too cold, and the pupils were a lighter shade.

Before the other party's gaze could reach him, Wu Wang immediately withdrew his own. He saw, in general, that it was a woman from the Human Domain, dressed in a pure white plain skirt, wearing a bamboo hat and a veil. She had cultivation, and it wasn't weak.

Behind this woman were more than ten figures, half male and half female, all young-looking, dressed in fine clothes and beautiful skirts. Only one old Daoist, wearing a blue Daoist robe, trailed behind them.

The first impression this group gave him was that it was a disciple training exercise by an Immortal Sect from the Human Domain.

But Wu Wang soon discovered that the old Daoist's cultivation was only average, and the aura types of this group of cultivators were completely different. The strongest was that young female cultivator who wore both a bamboo hat and a veil, not revealing any skin.

Of course, it was also possible that she only appeared young. If a female cultivator was ruthless with herself, she could still have a youthful face even when her lifespan was nearing its end, appearing eighteen with no wrinkles at the corners of her eyes.

Refer to the Young Master's secretary, the old aunt.

This group entered the restaurant and also requested several private rooms by the window. They took out a few jade coins and ordered some tea, but did not order any food.

The waiter almost rolled his eyes out of his sockets.

If Wu Wang's senses were correct, the two weakest among this group of young cultivators had already entered the Golden Core realm, although their surrounding auras were not yet stable.

Were there so many young Golden Core cultivators in the Human Domain?

Wu Wang didn't pay them much attention. He continued to eat meat and drink wine heartily, watching the people coming and going on the street.

Originally, he had no interest in this group, until he heard a familiar title.

"Senior Zuo Dong, why the hurry?

We've traveled together this far, accompanying each other on the cloud boat for months. We're all going to the same place later, why not continue traveling together for mutual support?"

Zuo Dong?

Why did this name sound so familiar…

Wu Wang looked up at the old Daoist. He saw that the old Daoist had a thin face, white eyebrows, and a calm, long-lasting aura. He smiled as he spoke and clasped his hands from time to time.

Not only did he lack the airs of a senior, but he was also very respectful towards these young cultivators.

The old Daoist said, "This poor Daoist is truly worried about my disciple."

"Senior Zuo Dong," a beautiful woman in colorful clothing said seriously, "Your disciple is a cultivator of our Human Domain, trapped in the Northern Plains clans. This is also something we need to help with."

"I dare not trouble you all, I dare not trouble you all."

The old Daoist waved his hands repeatedly and said gently, "It is already this poor Daoist's fortune to be able to travel with you all on your cloud boat to the Northern Plains.

You young friends are here on orders to negotiate and trade with the human clans of the Northern Plains. This poor Daoist is going to rescue his disciple, and I might have to fall out with them."

Bang!

A male cultivator in magnificent clothing slammed the table forcefully and cursed, "This Northern Plains is truly barbaric! Who knows what torment Senior Zuo Dong's disciple has endured!"

"Indeed, if that Young Master of the Bear Hug Tribe truly, truly insulted your disciple, we must teach him a lesson!"

Pfft—

As the cultivators were indignantly righteous, they suddenly heard a noise from the side and all turned to look. They happened to see a burly man wiping his mouth with a wine bowl.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Wu Wang coughed twice. These more than ten cultivators withdrew their gazes and continued to discuss how to teach a certain Young Master a lesson.

At this moment, the expression in the heart of a certain Young Master was exceptionally vivid.

On the experience of eating melon and having it land on oneself.

Isn't this Zuo Dong Daoist the 'My Master, True Man Zuo Dong' mentioned by the old aunt?

This is too much, what are they all talking about? What lustful thoughts, how can they be so despicable and shameless?

Have they investigated? Have they collected evidence? And yet they are spouting such nonsense here.

As expected, rich imagination and self-righteousness are not exclusive to Earth's internet.

Wu Wang secretly pouted, continued to eat and drink, and began to observe this group carefully.

The Zuo Dong Daoist was persuaded and sat in the corner, somewhat awkwardly chatting with the two or three young men beside him.

Wu Wang roughly estimated that if this group of people went to the Bear Hug Tribe to demand an explanation as they said, they would probably last at the Royal Court's main gate for...

Three, no, four breaths.

Of this group, the one who interested Wu Wang the most was naturally the woman in the plain skirt and bamboo hat.

She had likely already formed a Nascent Soul, giving Wu Wang an instinctive sense of caution.

After observing her discreetly a few times, Wu Wang felt that this woman in the plain skirt and bamboo hat was like a pool of clear, jade-green water.

Her posture was very upright, and the curve of her back, accentuated by her long skirt, displayed a woman's gentle beauty. Her legs were quite slender, and from the back, her figure was already that of a rare beauty.

As for the seven or eight male cultivators, four or five of them kept glancing in her direction from time to time.

That feeling of wanting to attract her attention yet not daring to approach reminded Wu Wang of his own middle school days in his previous life.

Judging by their behavior, they really must be a group of young cultivators.

What's more, Wu Wang didn't even have to try; these people revealed their upcoming itinerary and the reason for coming to the Northern Plains during their conversations.

This left Wu Wang, who had just resolved to gather intelligence on them, with no sense of accomplishment.

They had traveled by cloud boat, taking only a little over three months, and came from different Human Domain Immortal Sects. They were in the Northern Plains for a trial.

The trial was divided into two parts. The first objective was to deliver gifts to the Northern Plains human tribes, the Wave Tribe and the Bear Hug Tribe, to establish friendship and, ideally, exchange for a batch of artifact refining materials.

The second objective was to go to the 'Blood Soil Forest' in the Northern Plains to hunt a Fierce Beast with a lifespan of five thousand years and bring back its Spirit Core.

Upon completing this trial, they would be able to officially join a certain organization.

With the woman in the plain skirt and bamboo hat present, they would have no difficulty in fighting a Fierce Beast with a five-thousand-year lifespan. This trial was not particularly difficult.

Wu Wang lowered his head to drink, pondering slightly, and soon sighed inwardly.

To temper these talented human prodigies, to let them experience the hardships of the trial, and thus to grow, he decided...

He would send someone to notify the Wave Tribe as soon as he got back, telling them to drive these guys towards the Bear Hug Tribe!

Weren't these guys enjoying themselves cursing that 'lecherous' Young Master?

Heh, heh heh.

On the third floor of the restaurant, above the heads of these Human Domain elites, vivid red "danger" signs seemed to appear.

Just then, two light laughs came from outside the window, and a figure leaped directly through the window from the street, laughing as they said:

"Why aren't any of you fellow Daoists waiting for this humble one?"

The more than ten people who had been engaged in lively conversation all frowned. Several female cultivators immediately placed the magic treasures and items they were casually holding onto the empty seats beside them.

Wu Wang glanced at the newcomer, feeling a slight sense of confusion.

This was a rather handsome young male cultivator, with sword-like eyebrows, starry eyes, chiseled features, a slender build, and a well-proportioned physique. A faint fragrance even accompanied him, and his cultivation was indeed not weak.

It was second only to the woman in the plain skirt and bamboo hat.

However, this fellow seemed to have very poor social standing. The male cultivators acted as if they hadn't seen him, and the female cultivators as if they hadn't heard him. Not a single one invited him to sit.

It was True Man Zuo Dong who stood up and said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Ji, if you don't mind..."

"No need, Senior, please sit!"

The male cultivator surnamed Ji cupped his hands in thanks, then let out a hearty laugh and walked directly towards the woman in the plain skirt and bamboo hat... no, towards Wu Wang behind her.

Six black dots popped up on Wu Wang's forehead. This male cultivator had already taken a seat beside him and said with a hearty laugh:

"Friend, I've come from afar. I heard that the people of the Northern Plains are the most hospitable. Today, I've already felt the wind of the Northern Plains. Could you perhaps buy me a drink of Northern Plains wine?"

"Friend, please!"

Wu Wang replied in a gruff voice, making a grand gesture of invitation. His response was quite natural.

The group of young cultivators glanced over in their direction but didn't say much. However, their conversation was not as cheerful as before, and their voices were lower.

"Friend."

A wisp of sound transmission suddenly entered Wu Wang's ear, precisely from the male cultivator surnamed Ji beside him.

"You don't need to speak directly. This humble one will inquire. If there's a definite answer, blink your eyes. If you don't know, just smile. There will be a thank-you gift later."

Wu Wang nodded slightly, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

The male cultivator surnamed Ji transmitted, "Friend, are you local?"

Wu Wang blinked his eyes.

"I've brought some money and silks, but I'm troubled by having nowhere to spend them. I've heard that the women of the Northern Plains have exceptionally slender waists, and I'd like to experience that firsthand."

The male cultivator surnamed Ji calmly took out a folding fan and gently fanned himself. On the surface, he appeared to be a perfect gentleman of refined taste. However, in private, he was asking:

"Got any leads?"