Hearing this, Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, then smiled and shook his head. "I think I once saw a map fragment like this at an auction. I made a few casual bids, but the other bidder offered too much, so I gave up. When I suddenly saw this fragment here today, it seemed rather similar to the one I encountered before. That was why I wanted to ask."
The Purifying Lotus Demon Flame was no ordinary thing. This uncanny flame, ranked third on the Heavenly Flame Ranking, could stir greed in even a hermit who had no quarrel with the world. Xiao Yan would never be foolish enough to reveal outright that he already possessed a map fragment.
"Oh."
The old man swept his gaze across Xiao Yan's face, apparently believing his explanation. "There are no more," he said indifferently. "I only obtained this one by chance. Judging by my many years of mapmaking experience, it seems to be a fragment of a complete map."
"Then could you tell me where you found it, sir?"
Xiao Yan frowned slightly and continued questioning him.
"Dug it up in the desert."
The old man's indifferent tone betrayed not the slightest ripple of emotion.
Faced with such an utterly unhelpful answer, Xiao Yan gave a wry smile. Holding the map fragment, he asked, "Sir, could you sell this fragment to me? I'm willing to pay a high price."
"Not for sale!"
The old man slowly lowered his head and returned his attention to the unfinished map. His tone was flat, but it left no room for argument.
Taken aback by the blunt refusal, Xiao Yan gradually narrowed his eyes. No matter what, he was determined to obtain this map fragment. Never mind that the other party was an old man who looked