Just as the tension reached a knife's edge, Elder Li emerged from the hall, where he had gone to fetch the formation.
The appearance of an elder they recognized eased the bristling atmosphere a little.
"Elder Li, your nephew Zhu Ai of the Zhu Family has come to pay his respects!" Zhu Ai bowed with his hands clasped.
The two cultivators behind him followed their young master's lead, bowing to show their respect.
Elder Li recognized the young cultivator at once and replied with a smile, "Why, if it isn't Nephew Zhu and the two elders! Why didn't you send someone ahead to announce your visit?"
"Nephew Zhu Ai, wait a moment. Let me speak with Fellow Daoist Lu first." With that, he walked toward Lu Shang.
This only made Zhu Ai, who stood nearby, even angrier.
His dear "nephew" had not even been offered a seat to rest, yet some random formation buyer took priority over him.
The young master was right to come. Apart from the Revered Master of Red Moon, hardly anyone here knows him. If he doesn't visit more often, I'm afraid the marriage proposal will have little chance of succeeding when the Revered Master of Red Moon leaves seclusion, the elderly cultivator standing behind him thought.
Though advanced in years, the old cultivator still had his wits about him and had taken in everything along the way.
The treatment their young master received was entirely due to the longstanding cooperation and trade between the two islands.
Without that, hardly anyone would have recognized him.
Most people did not even know about their young master's relationship with the Revered Master of Red Moon.
Yet Elder Li's behavior made it clear that even those who knew of their connection did not attach much importance to it.
If the marriage proposal fails, losing our position as overlords of Longcry Island would be the least of our troubles. If the Inverse Star Alliance also loses interest in us and our standing falls, the Zhu Family could face a calamity that drowns us all.
No! Once we return, I must give some serious thought to how we should handle this.
The white-haired elder's brow tightened.
Meanwhile, with Elder Li's arrival, Li Xian'er also moved closer to him.
Li Xian'er took out seven demon cores and held them up before Elder Li, showing them off. "Look! I got seven beads from this big brother!"
Everyone present was startled when they saw the beads Li Xian'er held up.
Elder Li knew that Lu Shang had indeed made a wager with Li Xian'er a year ago: if she could comprehend the formation, he would give her three demon cores.
Of course, everyone knew that the girl possessed an extraordinary talent for formations, so it was only natural that she could comprehend the formation within.
But he had clearly promised three demon cores back then.
Now, however, she had produced seven.
Four fifth-rank demon cores, two sixth-rank demon cores, and one seventh-rank demon core.
Those demon cores were worth a considerable sum-far more than the outstanding balance. Yet in less than two hours, Lu Shang had given Li Xian'er another four demon cores. It was easy to imagine just how wealthy he was.
At the very least, he was certainly not short of demon cores. From what he had seen, Elder Li reckoned Lu Shang must have dozens of them.
To the Zhu Family members standing nearby, Lu Shang's abundance of demon cores meant that he had either hunted the demons himself or received them from the power backing him.
In Zhu Ai's eyes, either possibility meant that he could not touch Lu Shang for now.
If Lu Shang had hunted them himself, it meant he was among the strongest cultivators in the Core Formation Stage.
His own family had few Core Formation Cultivators and could not commit them to dealing with Lu Shang, while the power backing him could not casually intervene to help at a time like this.
If Lu Shang had a power behind him, he was even more untouchable.
The Inverse Star Alliance was currently planning something of great importance, and his family's influence was merely average. They could not afford to stir up trouble at will.
"Fellow Daoist Lu! What is the meaning of this?" After seeing Li Xian'er show off her spoils, Elder Li turned to Lu Shang in surprise.
"I've already given them to her. Don't worry, I won't ask for them back. Besides, even if I did, she wouldn't give them to me," Lu Shang said casually.
Li Xian'er's reaction promptly proved his words.
The moment she heard Lu Shang mention asking for them back, she drew the demon cores away and covered them with her hands.
"Ha ha ha ha!" Lu Shang could not help laughing at the sight.
Elder Li smiled helplessly. "Your word is worth a thousand pieces of gold, Fellow Daoist Lu. In that case, there's no need to pay the spirit stones for this formation."
"No, no. I gave these of my own accord. I must still pay the spirit stones."
"Uncle Li, what are you talking about? I earned these myself! Why shouldn't he pay his spirit stones?" Li Xian'er pouted as she looked at Lu Shang.
Elder Li's expression immediately turned awkward.
"Let's leave it at that, Elder Li."
As he spoke, Lu Shang took out a Storage Bag.
"The remaining balance is in here. Please take it. I have other important matters to attend to once I collect the formation."
Elder Li accepted the Storage Bag, then handed the formation over to Lu Shang.
Lu Shang took the Storage Bag back and secured it at his waist, then rose and said to Elder Li, "Then, Elder Li, until we meet again."
"Very well. Until we meet again."
Lu Shang then turned toward Li Xian'er once more.
Seeing Lu Shang look her way, the little girl instinctively shied away.
"Little girl, if fate lets us meet again, I don't want to see you playing the little cheat anymore."
As he spoke, Lu Shang approached Li Xian'er and placed his right hand on her little head, ruffling her hair.
A moment later, he withdrew his hand and prepared to leave.
Just then, Li Xian'er turned and shouted at Lu Shang, "I wasn't cheating! Hmph!"
Lu Shang merely shook his head lightly where he stood, then strode outside.
Li Xian'er remained rooted to the spot, her gaze fixed on Lu Shang as she watched him leave.
What Lu Shang did not know was that their brief acquaintance had left a deep impression on Li Xian'er.
Just as Lu Shang was about to disappear from her sight, a lonely stillness settled over Li Xian'er's heart, accompanied by a feeling she could not put into words.
Only then did she remember something.
Lu Shang was merely a passing customer who had come to buy a formation. Once he left this time, they might never meet again.
At that thought, her heart grew even emptier, and the indescribable feeling intensified.
As she watched Lu Shang gradually vanish from her sight, an inexplicable glimmer appeared in her eyes, like the sheen of tears.
Will we... really be able to meet again? Li Xian'er asked silently.
By then, Lu Shang had already strode out of her sight.
Seeing this, Li Xian'er no longer intended to remain there.
Without a word, she headed inside.
"Please don't take offense. Li Xian'er has been spoiled rotten. Please forgive her," Elder Li said to the three cultivators who remained.
"Of course, of course."
"By the way, nephew, what brings you to Red Moon Island this time?" Elder Li asked.
"Nothing much. It's been a long time since my last visit, so I thought I'd pay my respects to the Revered Master of Red Moon. I didn't expect him to have entered seclusion," Zhu Ai replied.
"The Revered Master of Red Moon didn't say how long this seclusion would last. There's nothing I can do about that."
"But since you're here, why not rest a little before leaving?"
"Never mind. Since the Revered Master of Red Moon is in seclusion, I'll visit another time."
"Elder Li, farewell!"
After exchanging a few brief pleasantries, Zhu Ai headed outside with the two elders.
"Young master, weren't we going to..."
Zhu Ai cut him off angrily. "We'll discuss it when we get back!"
When Lu Shang had walked past him with such carefree ease, Zhu Ai had seen the reluctance in Li Xian'er's eyes. Combined with Elder Li's indifferent treatment, it had left him furious.
Even Zhu Ai, whose patience was fairly good, could no longer endure several such incidents in succession. That was why he had decided to return and devise a new plan.
Meanwhile, after entering the house, Li Xian'er went straight toward her bedroom.
As she walked, she turned everything over in her mind, unable to stop the tears that streamed down her cheeks and soaked her outer garments.
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