Wang Mingyue

Huang Qiao's sudden action left everyone else bewildered.

An old man burst into laughter and teased, "Old Huang doesn't even have a wife, yet he's already got a head full of romantic schemes. Forget him—we'll discuss our own business."

Several people nodded and smiled. Huang Qiao's departure was perfect; it meant one less competitor, and a formidable one at that.

Zhang Yang looked at them with a half-smile and said lightly, "Better wait a little longer. Someone's concubine might give birth again soon."

Though the earlier whisper had been very quiet, how could it possibly escape Ling Yunzi's spiritual awareness?

"The City Lord forbids any force in our Anqing City from cooperating with the Azure Cloud Sect. Violators will be held accountable!"

That was the message the young man had brought to Huang Qiao.

The others were completely baffled. Wouldn't they know whether their own concubines were giving birth?

But since the immortal elder of the Azure Cloud Sect had said so, they waited a little longer.

After the time of two breaths, a middle-aged man ran inside and whispered something into an old man's ear. The old man's expression changed drastically. Rising to his feet, he said, "Everyone, I... my old wife has died. I must return at once."

With two incidents occurring one after another, the others could all see the strangeness of it.

Then, people kept appearing, and people kept leaving.

Everyone who left wore an awkward expression. The first few still made up excuses, but those afterward did not even bother. They merely cupped their hands and departed.

In the blink of an eye, the top-floor room of Grand Celebration Tower went from lively to silent, until only Zhang Yang and Ling Yunzi remained.

"How dare they humiliate my Azure Cloud Sect like this!" Ling Yunzi flew into a rage. "I'll go see just how much nerve this City Lord has."

Seeing so many people come to discuss business, he had thought Zhang Yang would surely earn the Azure Cloud Sect a tidy sum. Who would have thought the City Lord would ruin it all in an instant?

Thinking of how they had just spent over a thousand Spirit Stones and still failed to get anything done, Ling Yunzi's anger flared.

The Azure Cloud Sect had kept a low profile these past years, but that did not mean it could be bullied by anyone.

They had cultivated immortality for so many years, not to swallow such insults.

"Martial Uncle, wait!" Zhang Yang hurriedly stopped him. "If we resort to violence at the drop of a hat, people will think our Azure Cloud Sect is overbearing and unreasonable. Then no one will ever cooperate with us again."

Ling Yunzi fumed, "So we just endure it?"

Zhang Yang shook his head. "Of course not! A mere City Lord is not worth your personal intervention. Martial Uncle, calm down. It isn't worth it."

Ling Yunzi sat down heavily, grabbed a wine cup, and drained it in one gulp.

"We still haven't sold a single Talisman this time!" Ling Yunzi sighed. "What are we supposed to do now?"

Zhang Yang was also considering how to resolve this matter.

He had never expected Anqing City's City Lord to stick his hand into this, obstructing the Azure Cloud Sect's plan to break into the Anqing City Talisman market.

Selling the Talismans they had on hand was not difficult in itself. At worst, they could set up a street stall, or even hawk them openly at Grand Celebration Tower.

It would be embarrassing, but they could not keep doing that forever, could they?

While Zhang Yang was still thinking, the door was pushed open again, and several people entered.

Zhang Yang looked at the newcomers in surprise. There were actually still people coming?

There were three of them. At the front was a woman in a black dress, her skin fairer than snow and her figure seductive. Yet why did her face look somewhat... ordinary? She was accompanied by a maid and a servant, so she appeared to come from a wealthy household.

That face truly did not match that figure!

"Hello. Did you come to the wrong place?" Zhang Yang asked in surprise.

The woman in black smiled. "If this is where your Azure Cloud Sect is holding its bidding, then I have not come to the wrong place."

"Oh? Please, have a seat, Miss. May I ask your name?" Zhang Yang rose and invited her over.

"Wang Mingyue!"

"Thinking of my hometown?" Zhang Yang blurted out.

Wang Mingyue froze awkwardly. The maid's face darkened, while the blue-robed middle-aged man raised his brows.

Zhang Yang immediately realized something was wrong and hurriedly said with a smile, "My apologies. Hearing your name made me think of a poem. Please forgive any offense, Miss."

He truly had not expected someone to have that name. His first instinct had been that it was a false name.

Wang Mingyue did not respond to Zhang Yang. She examined the state of the table and asked, "Your bidding is rather unusual. The guests have not arrived, yet the wine has already been poured."

Zhang Yang laughed and said directly, "They had already come, but perhaps we offended the City Lord. The City Lord will not allow them to cooperate with us, so they left. Miss, you should leave as well. You will have to go sooner or later anyway."

Wang Mingyue sat down across from Zhang Yang and asked, "You're telling me this so openly? Aren't you afraid you won't be able to sell your Talismans?"

Zhang Yang smiled proudly. "Would good goods fear being unsellable? Besides, this is not something that can be hidden. Miss will find out sooner or later, so why conceal it?"

The blue-robed middle-aged man nodded and quietly said to Wang Mingyue, "Miss, we truly should not offend the City Lord. Especially since we need to establish ourselves in Anqing City. If we offend the City Lord, we'll be in trouble."

Although cooperating with the Azure Cloud Sect had benefits, Anqing City's City Lord was an immediate threat.

Wang Mingyue fell into thought and said nothing.

Zhang Yang keenly caught the implication in the blue-robed middle-aged man's words and asked, "You aren't from Anqing City?"

The blue-robed middle-aged man could not help glancing at Ling Yunzi.

Wang Mingyue looked at Zhang Yang and nodded. "We truly are not from Anqing City. We are not even from the Cloud Mountain Empire. That is why we cannot offend the City Lord. Even if we very much want your Talismans, even if this is an opportunity for us to make money, we can only give it up."

After saying that, she rose to leave.

Zhang Yang also stood up and said with a smile, "If all you need is a place to settle down, then that is easy to arrange."

He had thought there was no way to open up a market, but unexpectedly, another opportunity had appeared.

Thus, he began his performance.

"Oh?" Wang Mingyue stopped and looked at Zhang Yang, waiting for his explanation.

Zhang Yang pointed toward the Azure Cloud Sect. "Three hundred li away lies Qingyun Market, territory of my Azure Cloud Sect. I can allow you to move into Qingyun Market right now and promise to cooperate with you in selling Talismans."

"A market?" Wang Mingyue curled her lips.

Clearly, she looked down on a market. Even if she had fallen on hard times here, she would not go to one.

Zhang Yang smiled proudly. "Miss Wang Mingyue, you may look down on Qingyun Market now, but I can guarantee that before long, trying to establish yourself in Qingyun Market will be as hard as climbing to the sky. If I were you, moving into Qingyun Market now and securing a piece of land would be the best investment. You have come here from a foreign land for some reason, and your safety is even less assured. Qingyun Market, however, can guarantee your safety."

Wang Mingyue smiled faintly. "Isn't your Azure Cloud Sect the greatest threat? Besides, what right do you have to make guarantees on behalf of the Azure Cloud Sect? What right do you have to claim you can expand a tiny market?"

Ling Yunzi gave the blue-robed middle-aged man a meaningful glance, then said to Wang Mingyue, "He truly can make that guarantee! Because he is the acting Sect Master of the Azure Cloud Sect!"

"What?" Wang Mingyue stared at Zhang Yang in disbelief.

The blue-robed middle-aged man also stared at Zhang Yang in shock. An acting Sect Master so young and so weak—had the Azure Cloud Sect gone mad?