Demon Beast Egg

When Feng Zhuo saw that Yun Li was about to leave, he immediately called out to stop her.

"Wait!"

He said in a clear voice, "What we just heard was only Junior Sister Su's side of the story. How can we take it as the truth?"

Everyone's eyes turned to him at once, but Feng Zhuo remained calm and unhurried. "Of course, Junior Sister Liu's words are equally difficult to verify."

"As I see it, why don't we ask the stall owner who first spoke to him about buying the stone?"

When Su Ruanruan saw that familiar red robe, her heart tightened. She regretted offending Feng Zhuo before joining the sect, when she had known nothing of his background.

Seeing Feng Zhuo speak up for Yun Li, she regretted it even more.

Now she could only hope that the stall owner had seen things turning bad and left first, or that he would be too intimidated by the pressure from Crimson Firmament Peak to speak the truth.

Su Ruanruan gave a fragile smile. "Senior Brother Feng, are you blaming me... for causing you to miss your chance to join Crimson Firmament Peak?"

"That truly wasn't my intention. It's just that Master had made up his mind, and my words carry little weight... I really couldn't change it."

"Junior Sister, your words are always so puzzling."

Feng Zhuo's expression was composed. "The Peak Master of Crimson Firmament Peak is a Spirit Transformation Divine Lord. How would I dare question the Divine Lord's decision? Besides, I'm quite satisfied with my current master and fellow disciples."

"I only spoke up today because I couldn't stand seeing two grown men bully a young woman. What does that have to do with status or grudges?"

"I just happened to pass by, happened to find it unpleasant, and happened to notice the stall owner leaving in the confusion. In the end, everything I've done today comes down to a single word: coincidence."

He turned to Cang Wuya with a slight smile. "Senior Brother, sorry for the trouble, but could you please bring back that stall owner who's trying to slip away?"

Feng Zhuo's claim that he had happened to notice the stall owner was naturally an excuse.

He had simply kept an eye out and happened to spot a furtive old man.

After catching him and asking a few questions, he found that the man really was the stall owner who had sold the stones.

How would this Qi Refining Stage Rogue Cultivator dare offend a direct disciple of the Supreme One Divine Sect's main peaks?

Whichever side he testified for, nothing good would come of it.

Only after Feng Zhuo promised him a Foundation Establishment Pill as payment and guaranteed he would be escorted away safely afterward did the old man agree to testify for Yun Li.

The enemy of his enemy was his friend.

Feng Zhuo would rather give the White Tiger divine beast to Yun Li than let Su Ruanruan get her hands on it.

Of course, it wasn't that he had never considered keeping it for himself, but the thought of this White Tiger following Su Ruanruan in his previous life disgusted him, and he abandoned the idea of forming a contract with it altogether.

Cang Wuya brought the stall owner over without a word.

The old man bowed, trembling. "G-greetings, fellow cultivators..."

Hua Zhaoye recognized Cang Wuya and snapped, "Cang Wuya! Is Carefree Peak determined to be Crimson Firmament Peak's enemy to the bitter end?"

"I don't like what I'm seeing."

Cang Wuya spoke coldly, repeating Feng Zhuo's explanation word for word.

Feng Zhuo's heart jumped. He had only intended to deprive Su Ruanruan of the White Tiger's help; he had not expected Carefree Peak and Crimson Firmament Peak to have an old grudge.

If this deepened the conflict between the two peaks...

Clang-

Cang Wuya drew his sword, making his position clear.

Hua Zhaoye's expression changed drastically. For all that he was at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, he had once failed to last ten moves against Cang Wuya's sword!

How would he dare fight now?!

He could only endure it for the moment and report them to his master later!

"Fine... very well!"

Hua Zhaoye ground his teeth. "We'll see about that!"

Everyone was still waiting to hear the outcome. With the obstacle gone, Feng Zhuo no longer kept them in suspense.

"Fellow cultivator, please speak freely. Who was the first to discuss the purchase with you? Rest assured, with Carefree Peak and Heaven-Soaring Peak here, I doubt Crimson Firmament Peak would dare do anything to you! Isn't that right, Junior Sister Yun?"

Yun Li understood at once that this Senior Brother Feng, whose family background was astonishing, was on her side. "That's right. Go ahead and speak!"

"If anyone from Crimson Firmament Peak gives you trouble, come find me at Heaven-Soaring Peak. I'll stand up for you!"

Liu Yiyi was also willing to back up her friend. "And there's my Profound Mystery Peak too!"

But Hua Zhaoye refused to let the matter rest. "Fellow cultivator, I advise you to think very carefully about what you should and shouldn't say!"

The old man gripped the porcelain bottle containing the Foundation Establishment Pill inside his sleeve.

He thought about how, if he failed to reach Foundation Establishment, he would only have a few years left to live anyway. Steeling himself, he called out, "The fairy from Heaven-Soaring Peak took a liking to the stone first! We'd even agreed on a price!"

The crowd erupted in an uproar.

They had thought Heaven-Soaring Peak was throwing its weight around, only to find that the female cultivator from Crimson Firmament Peak had been telling lie after lie!

"You're slandering her!"

Hua Zhaoye roared, abruptly unleashing his Foundation Establishment pressure.

The old man's knees buckled, and he nearly fell to them, but Cang Wuya's Sword Qi held him up steadily.

"What an impressive display, Senior Brother."

Red and white spiritual flames ignited at Feng Zhuo's fingertips. "Surely you're not going to silence him in front of everyone?"

Yun Li stepped forward at just the right moment, holding her longsword across her chest. "Everyone here today is a witness. If anything happens to this fellow cultivator..."

She swept a cold gaze over the people from Pill Peak. "Heaven-Soaring Peak will investigate to the very end!"

Ever since taking a master, Su Ruanruan's life had been smooth sailing. She had never faced a scene like this.

She gave a whimper, and the stone fell from her hand with a clatter. "I... I was confused..."

She turned and fled, covering her face!

"Tsk, a guilty conscience!"

Someone among the Rogue Cultivators watching shouted, and jeers immediately rose from all around.

"Junior Sister! Wait for me!"

Bai Wuxia hurried after her.

Hua Zhaoye watched grimly as the Rogue Cultivator old man kept glancing toward Feng Zhuo. How could he still fail to understand the trick behind it?

But Su Ruanruan had already run far away, and any further argument would be futile. He could only grit his teeth and swallow this grievance-there was a long road ahead, and there would always be a time to settle accounts!

Seeing Su Ruanruan flee in disarray, Feng Zhuo's lips curved up involuntarily. "Senior Brother, I'll leave this fellow cultivator to you."

As it turned out, when Feng Zhuo had bribed the old man earlier, Cang Wuya had offered to arrange a place for him to go, saving Feng Zhuo quite a bit of trouble.

Cang Wuya nodded in agreement, then suddenly asked, "Junior Brother, have you taken a liking to that Junior Sister Yun?"

"You're joking, Senior Brother."

Feng Zhuo shook his head with a laugh. "Didn't I just say so? I simply didn't like what I was seeing."

Cang Wuya gave Feng Zhuo a thoughtful look but asked no more. He whistled softly to summon a middle-aged cultivator and entrusted the old man to him to take away.

It was getting late. They should go to the auction and meet up with their eldest senior brother and second senior sister.

"Senior Brother Feng, please wait!"

Only after the crowd dispersed did Yun Li remember that she had yet to thank him, and she hurried after Feng Zhuo.

"I'd like to give you this stone, Senior Brother."

She held out a larger one. "I took a liking to two stones at that stall. I don't know why Su Ruanruan was so determined to fight over the smaller one, but I wasn't willing to suffer a loss for nothing, so we quarreled."

Yun Li paused, then said solemnly, "If not for your help, Senior Brother, I would not only have lost the stone but also damaged Heaven-Soaring Peak's reputation. No one has seen this larger one, so please accept it as a gift of thanks."

Feng Zhuo did not reach for it. Instead, he joked, "You're giving it to me just like that, Junior Sister? I've heard that some Demon Beast eggs disguise themselves as ordinary objects. Junior Sister Su fought so desperately for it, so perhaps..."

"You're joking, Senior Brother."

Yun Li spoke frankly. "My knowledge is limited, so I didn't know such wonders existed. I only bought them because I found them interesting. Even if it really is some rare Demon Beast, that would just be an unexpected delight."

She held the stone a little farther forward. "Besides, if not for you, Senior Brother, Su Ruanruan would have taken the smaller one long ago. It's already a great stroke of luck that I was able to keep it, so why shouldn't I give you the larger one?"