"Patriarch Liu, what an honor to have you here. Forgive me for not coming out to welcome you."
As soon as he entered, the steward of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion came forward to greet him, a professional, false smile plastered across his face, though a barely perceptible trace of mockery lurked in his eyes.
"You're too kind, Steward. I've come today to request an audience with Pavilion Master Zi." Liu Zhentian cupped his hands, keeping his tone humble.
"The pavilion master is cultivating in seclusion on the ninth floor. He left instructions not to receive visitors," the steward replied with a smile that never reached his eyes.
Liu Zhentian's heart sank. He knew the man was making things difficult for him. Gritting his teeth, he took a heavy storage pouch from his Storage Ring and discreetly slipped it into the steward's hand.
"A small token of my appreciation. Please make an exception, Steward. I truly have a matter of burning urgency-it concerns my son's life."
The steward hefted the storage pouch, and his smile grew a little more genuine. "You're too kind, Patriarch Liu. Since it's so urgent, I'll announce you. But I can't guarantee the pavilion master will see you."
"Thank you, Steward."
A short while later, the steward returned and led Liu Zhentian up to the ninth floor.
Inside the elegant meditation chamber, the purple-robed man still sat before the Go board, toying with a black stone without even lifting his eyelids.
"Liu Zhentian pays his respects to Pavilion Master Zi." Liu Zhentian bowed respectfully.
"Patriarch Liu, why have you come running to my Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion instead of staying home to teach your son?" The purple-robed man's tone was flat, betraying neither pleasure nor anger.
Liu Zhentian inwardly cursed the old fox, but forced a bitter smile onto his face. "You jest, Pavilion Master Zi. My son is unruly and offended an honored guest. I've come specifically to apologize. May I ask just who... who that young master is?"
"Who he is?" The purple-robed man finally raised his head, regarding Liu Zhentian with the hint of a smile. "Patriarch Liu, your son broke three red sandalwood chairs, destroyed a formation wall, and soiled the carpet in my pavilion's meditation chamber. Shouldn't we settle that account first?"
Liu Zhentian froze, then understood. This was a shakedown!
Suppressing the urge to cough up blood, he nodded repeatedly. "Of course, of course. The Liu family will compensate you tenfold for every loss... no, a hundredfold!"
"A hundredfold? You certainly have deep pockets, Patriarch Liu." The purple-robed man smiled faintly. "In that case, hand over a hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones."
"A hundred thousand... low-grade spirit stones?!" Liu Zhentian sucked in a cold breath and nearly lost his footing.
A hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones for a few lousy chairs and a wall?!
"What? Do you find that expensive, Patriarch Liu?" The purple-robed man's expression darkened. "Is the reputation of my Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion not worth a hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones?"
"No... not at all..." Liu Zhentian could only swallow his shattered teeth along with his grievance. With trembling hands, he transferred a hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones from his Storage Ring and handed them to the purple-robed man.
"Pavilion Master Zi, now... can you tell me that young master's background?" Liu Zhentian's heart bled, but he steeled himself and asked anyway.
The purple-robed man put away the spirit stones and nodded in satisfaction, then leisurely lifted his teacup and took a sip.
"I don't know."
"What?!" Liu Zhentian jerked his head up, his eyes widening. "You... you don't know?!"
"My Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion is open for business. We recognize spirit stones, not people. That young master was here for the first time. How would I know his background?" the purple-robed man said as though it were only natural.
"But... but just now you..." Liu Zhentian pointed at him, trembling all over with rage.
"What did I do just now? I merely asked you to compensate my pavilion for its losses. Did I ever say I would tell you his background?"
The purple-robed man set down his teacup, his gaze gradually turning cold. "Liu Zhentian, your son offended someone he should never have offended. That's your family's failure to discipline its children. By staying out of this, my pavilion has already shown your ancestor respect. If you keep making unreasonable trouble, don't blame me for showing no courtesy!"
A terrifying pressure instantly enveloped the entire meditation chamber.
As though struck by lightning, Liu Zhentian turned deathly pale and staggered backward.
He finally understood. He had been played!
The Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion had extorted a hefty sum from him, yet he hadn't learned a damn thing!
"Yes... I was presumptuous. I'll take my leave!"
Gritting his teeth, Liu Zhentian turned and left the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion in humiliation.
He knew the pavilion was openly waiting to laugh at the Liu family's expense.
Damn it! Damn it!
Once outside the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, Liu Zhentian roared furiously in his heart.
Grand Elder! You must tear that brat into ten thousand pieces for me!
Meanwhile, carrying the half-dead-with-fright Young Master Liu, Qin Chen left the secluded tavern and headed straight for the harbor at South City Market.
He had no intention of staying on Penglai Immortal Island for long.
He had beaten the Liu family's young master. The Liu family certainly wouldn't let him off.
"You... where are you taking me?" Young Master Liu dangled from Qin Chen's hand like a tattered sack, his voice trembling uncontrollably.
"To send you on your final journey." Qin Chen's tone was flat, as though discussing something utterly insignificant.
"No! You can't kill me! My father is at the Nascent Soul stage! My ancestor is in the Void Insight realm! If you kill me, they'll hunt you to the ends of the earth!" Young Master Liu screamed in despair.
"Noisy."
Qin Chen frowned slightly and was about to crush his neck outright when a series of urgent whistles suddenly came from the far end of the street ahead.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
More than a dozen figures descended from the sky like lightning, blocking Qin Chen's path.
All wore the Liu family's attire. Even the weakest was at the Golden Core mid-stage, while the several men leading them had reached the late Golden Core stage.
"Brat, release the young master and surrender! Otherwise, you'll beg for life and be denied, beg for death and be refused!" a late Golden Core stage Liu family cultivator shouted fiercely.
"You think you can do that?"
Qin Chen sneered. Without the slightest pause, he charged straight at the dozen or so Golden Core cultivators.
"You're courting death! Form the formation!"
The dozen or so Liu family cultivators swiftly spread out, forming a profound formation that surrounded Qin Chen on all sides.
Dozens of fierce streaks of sword energy interwove into an airtight sword net, descending over Qin Chen's head.
"Break!"
Qin Chen gave a low shout. The miniature stardust within his Shanzhong acupoint spun madly, and violent Star Force surged into both arms.
He used no magical treasure and cast no spell. Relying solely on the terrifying physical strength of the Heavenly Cycle Star Body, he drove his fists like dragons straight into the sword net.
Boom!
Deafening explosions echoed through the street.
Beneath Qin Chen's iron fists, the seemingly indestructible sword net collapsed in an instant like a fragile spiderweb.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Qin Chen darted through the crowd like a phantom, every punch accompanied by a dull burst.
Before Qin Chen, those Liu family cultivators at the middle and late Golden Core stages might as well have been made of paper. A direct touch killed them; a glancing blow left them wounded.
In just a few breaths, more than half of the dozen or so Liu family elites had fallen. The few remaining were all wounded, staring at Qin Chen in terror as though looking at a demon god that had crawled out of hell.
"This... how is this possible?!"
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