Lei Sisters

However, the second-in-command, a five-star Spirit Scholar, was also knocked unconscious by Sanbao in a single move. After picking the lock, Sanbao changed into one of their uniforms and quickly vanished into the back courtyard of the Lei Mansion.

The Lei Mansion was vast and guarded by many experts. Coupled with the unfamiliar environment, Sanbao dared not act recklessly. He simply used the cover of night to weave slowly through the back courtyard, hoping to find a way out as soon as possible.

"Check over there."

A few patrolling guards hurried past. Sanbao quickly hid himself, calming his breathing and steadying his heart. Only after the guards had passed did he quietly slip away.

The sprawling back courtyard of the Lei Mansion was like a labyrinth. No matter how Sanbao turned or maneuvered, after a long while, he still hadn't found a path to leave.

Unknowingly, he arrived in a courtyard with a beautiful environment, surrounded by lush green trees.

"Xiaohong, the bodice I bought on the street yesterday is so pretty. I'll wear it for you to see tonight."

"What's the use of me seeing it? You should wear it for your lover to see!"

"You little harlot, you're asking for death! If the mistress finds out, she'll skin me alive..."

"Fine, I won't say anything. We'd better hurry and serve the mistress!"

Two young maids hurried past the corridor in front of Sanbao. Sanbao secretly cursed his luck; there were simply too many people in the Lei Mansion. How were there people everywhere even in the middle of the night?

Carefully sneaking along, he had just reached the edge of the courtyard wall when a ghostly voice suddenly came from the other side.

"Who's there, skulking about!"

Sanbao was shocked and, in a panic, rushed into a side room. He had just closed the door when he heard a faint footfall outside.

"Huh, strange. I clearly felt someone pass by. Could I have been mistaken?" The intruder leaped up and quickly vaulted back over the high wall.

There were indeed many experts within the Lei Mansion.

Sanbao finally let out the breath he had been holding. Just as he was about to step out, a cold sensation accompanied by a faint, lingering fragrance suddenly appeared behind his head. In the darkness, a silver, gleaming longsword was pressed firmly against his neck.

"Speak, what are you doing skulking around?" Sanbao turned around slowly, only to discover that the owner of the sword was a tall woman.

The woman had a voluptuous figure and wore only a thin white garment. Her long, dark hair was draped loosely and slightly disheveled, clearly indicating she had just risen from bed.

Looking closer, the woman bore a seventy-percent resemblance to the second young lady of the Lei Mansion, Lei Yun, though her face held a more mature air. Her large, bright eyes were currently glaring at Sanbao with hostility.

With a flash of thought, Sanbao vaguely guessed the woman's identity; she must be Lei Yun's older sister.

He hadn't expected that, in a moment of carelessness, he would stumble into the boudoir of the eldest young lady of the Lei Mansion. Yet, this eldest lady was incredibly bold; after subduing Sanbao, she hadn't called for help. It seemed she was quite confident in her own strength.

"This one deserves to die. I took a wrong turn, please forgive me, Eldest Young Lady," Sanbao said, filled with trepidation. He quickly lowered his head to plead guilty, hoping to use the momentum to move his neck away from the woman's longsword; the feeling of having a blade pointed at his head was truly terrible.

"Don't move. Move again and I'll kill you. I know you aren't a servant of this mansion. Speak, who exactly are you, where are you from, and what is your purpose?" The woman was incredibly sharp, leaving Sanbao feeling quite helpless.

"This one is a rogue cultivator from within the city. Everyone says the Lei Sisters are as beautiful as celestial beings. I have seen the second young lady many times, but unfortunately, I have never seen the eldest sister. My heart was clouded by lust, and I dared to sneak in... I, I never expected..."

Pfft. Before Sanbao could finish his sentence, the woman burst into laughter. Although she knew Sanbao was spouting nonsense, flattery never fails; the woman clearly enjoyed being praised.

"Tell the truth. If you don't confess, I really will take action." After laughing, the woman quickly regained her composure, and the longsword in her hand pressed in a little further.

Instantly, a small trickle of blood flowed down Sanbao's neck.

Sanbao cursed inwardly; he had truly just left the dragon's pool only to enter the tiger's den.

"I came here out of admiration. I heard that the Eldest Young Lady is a Treasure Refiner, and I am also a Treasure Refiner..." With his mind racing, Sanbao suddenly grasped at something and spoke quickly.

Without waiting for the woman to ask, Sanbao spread his hands and simultaneously channeled his fire-attribute spirit power. Instantly, his palms turned bright red. With a shift of his intent, a faint golden light erupted in the blink of an eye, and at the same time, a powerful soul force pressed down toward the woman.

"Ah!"

The woman was shocked, thinking to herself that for someone so young, his soul power was truly formidable; such talent was rare indeed.

Soul power could be called the right-hand man of a Treasure Refiner. Beyond greatly increasing the efficiency of refining, it also played a crucial role in the success rate of producing Spirit Treasures (including Spirit Weapons and medicinal pills).

Understanding Sanbao's identity as a Treasure Refiner, the woman's hostility immediately dissipated significantly. She moved the longsword away by a few inches and asked, "Since we are of the same path, you could have simply sent a calling card to visit. There was no need to be so sneaky in the middle of the night, was there?"

"The Eldest Young Lady is right. I was just about to do so, but on the way here, I had some misunderstandings with your younger sister, and later..."

Sanbao quickly gave a brief account of his encounter with Lei Yun, his face full of indignation and grievance. Naturally, he pushed all the blame onto Lei Yun, though the facts were largely as he described.

Just then, a series of shouts from the guards rang out in the back courtyard.

"Catch the fugitive! Catch the fugitive..."

"Yun'er is truly being unruly. Young Master, please do not take offense. I will handle this matter for you..."

Hearing Sanbao's explanation, the eldest lady of the Lei Mansion, Lei Fang, quickly lowered her longsword. She called for someone to light the candles and led Sanbao to a small parlor outside the side room to treat him properly. Lei Fang herself went to change and dress before returning to the parlor.

Sanbao didn't know what the other party was planning, but since he had been discovered, it was impossible to sneak out again. He could only wait and see.

However, judging by her current demeanor, she didn't seem to have any malicious intent. He figured his identity as a "Treasure Refiner" had been a huge help, a fact Sanbao was well aware of.

Sure enough, after the two sat down as host and guest, Lei Fang immediately asked, "May I ask how old you are, Young Master, and what is your current rank?"

The ranking of Treasure Refiners is very simple, based on the grade of Spirit Treasure they can refine. Those who can refine low-grade Spirit Treasures are low-grade Treasure Refiners, and those who can refine high-grade Spirit Treasures are high-grade Treasure Refiners. Above that, there are True-grade Treasure Refiners.

Whether it is an Artifact Refiner or an Alchemist, reaching the high-grade rank requires at least the cultivation of a Spirit General or higher. Below the Spirit General level, the spirit fire one can control is very limited. Trying to refine a Spirit Weapon or pill takes too long, and the success rate is very low; at most, one can only reach the middle grade. Of course, the vast majority are only low-grade Treasure Refiners.

Therefore, the question Lei Fang asked was actually quite simple: was he a low-grade or a middle-grade Treasure Refiner?

With Sanbao's cultivation as a Spirit General, he could theoretically reach the level of a middle-grade Treasure Refiner. However, since he began his apprenticeship, Sanbao had never independently refined a single Spirit Weapon, so he couldn't even be considered a low-grade Treasure Refiner.

"I am sixteen this year, and currently, I have no rank," Sanbao answered truthfully.

"What?"

The woman in black had not expected such frankness from him. Although he was only at the Spirit General cultivation level, Luo Sanbao possessed an extraordinary soul talent; it was plausible for him to claim he was a mid-grade Treasure Refiner, but she never expected him to simply say he was unranked.

Unranked meant he had never successfully refined a Spirit Treasure on his own, which meant his utility value was extremely low—this was an obvious truth.

However, considering that Luo Sanbao was only sixteen years old and already a Spirit General, combined with his powerful soul strength, it was foreseeable that he could become a high-level Treasure Refiner given enough time.

There was another point: almost all Treasure Refiners had a lineage. Since he came from a background of Treasure Refiners, he must have a master. Being on good terms with a master-disciple pair of Artifact Refiners would only benefit the Lei Mansion.

The Lei Mansion was currently in a period of needing talent; it was better to "mistakenly recruit" than to let a potential asset slip away.

Many thoughts flashed through Lei Fang's mind in an instant. Once she had cleared her thoughts, she stood up, nodded toward Luo Sanbao, and said, "I am Lei Fang. On behalf of my father, Lei Li, I extend greetings to you and your master. If your master has the time, he is welcome to visit our Lei Mansion so we may exchange ideas."

Luo Sanbao hurriedly returned the gesture and stood straight, saying, "Miss Lei is too polite. I am Luo Sanbao. My master is currently living in seclusion in the mountains and rarely ventures out. If he ever comes out into the world, he will certainly come to visit the Lei Mansion!"

With each harboring their own motives, the two soon began to chat. Both being from a Treasure Refiner background, and with each catering to the other, they found themselves having a pleasant conversation for a time.

Half an hour later, Luo Sanbao was led by several servants of the Lei Mansion to a guest building, where he was treated to good food and drink for half the night before finally entering his guest room to fall into a deep sleep.

At the same time, inside a small courtyard of the Lei Mansion, Lei Fang was explaining something to a middle-aged man.

"Recruiting him would naturally be for the best, but can his background be verified?" the man asked with a nod.

"I have already sent people to investigate. Currently, we only know he comes from the east of Cloud Mountain and seems to have some connection to a small force in this city called the Hunting Hall. His specific origins are unclear, but one thing is certain: he has absolutely no connection to the Ye, Liu, or Lin families," Lei Fang replied solemnly.