Chapter 466: Just Speak Up Next Time (6K6, Out of Time, Posting First)

Chapter 466: Just Speak Up Next Time (6K6, Out of Time, Posting First)



A towering bronze lion glided through the sky, large enough to accommodate hundreds of people with ease.

Shen Yi sat cross-legged on the lion's head, flipping through a booklet that Li Qingfeng had organized.

The three elders of the Chen family and the crowd from Qinghaifu stood quietly behind him, all clad in the Nanyang executor's robe.

Only Jing JingSong, the most senior among them, seemed to have remembered something, his face betraying his anxiety.

"Oh no... In my excitement earlier, I completely forgot about something else."

He cautiously approached Shen Yi and said, "JingSong has something to bother Senior Shen about."

"My surname is Shen," Shen Yi replied, turning to look at him with a slight dislike for the term "Senior Immortal." "Go on."

Now that the other party had returned to the Nan Yang Sect, as long as they didn't ask to borrow anything, everything else was negotiable.

"Senior Shen, it's not really a troublesome matter. During the many years of sedimentation in the Upper Nan Yang Sect, we, the vassals of Nan Yang, have actually maintained a close relationship thanks to our ancestors' connections."

Jing JingSong smiled awkwardly. "Hence, we have always been doing business for the Shuiyue Merchant Alliance. They engage in escort services for valuable goods among the various sects, and we are responsible for helping them deliver those goods. I just remembered that we forgot to inform the Shuiyue Merchant Alliance. May I trouble the Nan Yang Immortal Sect to issue a decree informing them? As for the down payment received, Qinghaifu will refund it as soon as possible."

This matter was not really that troublesome.

Qinghaifu was busy handling affairs for the Nan Yang Sect and thus couldn't spare the manpower, and they had not defaulted on purpose. Even the Shuiyue Merchant Alliance was a vassal of the Nan Yang Sect, so there was no need to notify them, nor was there any need to refund the down payment.

However, Jing JingSong didn't want to leave the impression that he was going back on his word. He felt embarrassed, so he wanted Shen Yi to help vouch for them.

Seeing Shen Yi's hesitation, Jing JingSong added, "They are quite wealthy, and their tribute is always the most among equally powerful forces."

"..."

Shen Yi glanced at him sideways. Did he really look that greedy?

He nodded and said, "Alright."

His earlier silence wasn't due to hesitation but because, with his current cultivation, he couldn't issue a decree yet.

"Never mind, there's no urgent matter anyway," Shen Yi thought to himself. "Might as well just go there directly."

If he remembered correctly, he had indeed seen the name 'Shuiyue Merchant Alliance' on the gilt-edged roster earlier.

Their scale was an entire level above that of the Gui Sect.

Recalling this, Shen Yi manipulated his lion puppet with his spiritual techniques and abruptly turned it toward the direction recorded in the booklet!

Not long after the lion puppet disappeared.

The calm water surface below suddenly stirred up waves.

Several figures emerged from the water, clad in armor but with their identity marks deliberately chopped off with knives and axes.

They took out conch shells, their voices hoarse as they spoke into them, "The message is true. He is indeed here."

It was unknown what response came from the other end of the conch shells.

The water tribe members nodded slightly, their eyes filled with killing intent, before they submerged back into the water as if they had never appeared at all.

...

Above the endless ocean, there was a massive floating island.

Adorned with intricate arrays, the island appeared mystical and otherworldly.

An octagonal tower loomed overhead.

People came and went in a constant stream, and various treasure boats were docked around the floating island.

Shuiyue Merchant Alliance.

Backed by the Seven Sons Immortal Sect, they conducted business throughout Southern Hong.

At that moment, in a luxurious room at the top of the tower.

A tall and thin man dressed in plain clothes had a string of ordinary-looking beads on his wrist, the only adornment on his body.

However, a discerning eye would recognize that these beads were unique to the Dragon Palace.

While they might not be rare within the Dragon Palace itself.

The fact that a human cultivator wore them on his wrist was proof of his wealth and connections.

Shuiyue Merchant Alliance, Wen Qiujin.

As long as the price was right, he could even procure items from the Dragon Palace.

At that moment, Wen Qiujin rested with his eyes closed, listening to the whispers of the person beside him.

Occasionally, he would nod slightly.

"Alliance Master, the situation is roughly as follows," the person said. "The Nan Yang Sect has returned, and we have confirmed this with the Southern Hong Seven Sons. They did indeed show themselves at the Gui Sect first. However, according to the information we received, the current Nan Yang Sect might still be a bit weak, contrary to the information released by the Zhao family. I will send people to investigate further in the coming days."

"As for the next tribute, should we follow the usual procedure and hand it over to the Heavenly Sword Sect, or..."

Wen Qiujin raised his hand to stop the person from continuing.

He opened his eyes and said calmly, "Prepare two tributes, one for each side. For the Heavenly Sword Sect's share, add fifty percent, and deliver it in the name of another force as compensation."

The Wen family was in the business of trade, and their biggest taboo was offending people.

Moreover, they rarely needed the assistance of the Southern Hong Seven Sons, but they wanted to hold onto this tiger's pelt as a banner. It didn't matter which of the Seven Sons they paid tribute to.

After all, in the eyes of outsiders, the Seven Sons were one entity.

"Understood," the guard bowed and agreed. As he was about to retreat from the room, he suddenly paused and took out a jade slip.

A moment later, he looked up in surprise and said, "We've received a signal from our scouts. They spotted the Qing Shi Ling Gui of the Gui Sect, a puppet of the Nan Yang Sect, heading towards us. It's highly likely that it's the Nan Yang Sect's executor."

"That's too hasty!"

The Shuiyue Merchant Alliance had just been placed under the Nan Yang Sect, and these people were already rushing over to claim their share. It was worth noting that the tribute had just been paid once.

"..."

Wen Qiujin smiled wryly and slowly got up, patting his clothes.

His eyes, however, remained calm as he said softly, "Arrange for someone to greet them."

Even if it was the Nan Yang Immortal Sect, they had to follow the rules.

The Shuiyue Merchant Alliance was not off-limits, but they couldn't be devoured however they pleased.

If the seven sects took turns collecting tributes.

In a few years, the Wen family's vast wealth would be devoured by the Southern Hong Seven Sons.

Each of them took out a jade flute.

Soon, a reddish haze filled the air, and a peaceful melody enveloped the place.

As the celestial music played, a majestic bronze lion puppet appeared in the clouds.

Without a hint of arrogance, Wen Qiujin ascended and bowed in the air, followed by eighteen guards. "We welcome the arrival of the Nan Yang Immortal Sect to the Shuiyue Merchant Alliance. I, Wen Qiujin, apologize for not greeting you sooner. Please forgive me, Immortal Shen."

In that instant, all the cultivators within the Merchant Alliance looked up in astonishment at the bronze lion puppet.

To receive such a grand welcome from the Merchant Alliance's leader himself, what standing does the Nan Yang Immortal Sect hold...? I don't recall hearing much about them.

"...!"

Chen's group and the Qinghaifu cultivators were not used to such treatment.

Looking at the Nan Yang executor's robes they wore, they straightened their backs and held their heads high, their faces glowing with pride.

Shen Yi sat calmly within the lion puppet.

Seeing their host's peaceful expression, he knew that today's attempt at extortion would not succeed.

Since they had tracked his group's movements, they must be well-informed. If they truly intended to ask for something, they wouldn't have made such a grand display, offending the other Southern Hong sects.

However, it didn't matter.

Their attitude indicated their willingness to submit and abide by the rules.

With that in mind, Shen Yi manipulated the lion puppet, gliding directly onto the floating island.

"Please come this way, Immortals."

Wen Qiujin descended and, amidst the flute music played by the female cultivators, personally led the group of Nan Hong executors. "Please allow me, Qiujin, to express my sincerity."

The Shuiyue Merchant Alliance was highly efficient.

From receiving the message to the arrival of the green lion puppet, they had prepared a table filled with delicacies and fine wine.

"Thank you for your hospitality."

Shen Yi nodded slightly, his jaw. Without the opportunity to extort them, he wasn't particularly interested.

He was merely here to discuss the Qinghaifu matter.

However, since they were so accommodating, it wouldn't hurt to stay for a meal.

"Immortal Shen is too kind. It is only right for Qiujin to do so," Wen Qiujin said, dressed in plain clothes. He led the group upstairs and seated them, immediately discerning their status.

Without seeming deliberate, he guided Shen Yi to the main seat.

He then summoned a group of female cultivators to serve wine and dishes to the guests.

Although Shen Yi was unaccustomed to such treatment, he didn't say anything.

Several guards stood behind Wen Qiujin with their hands clasped behind their backs.

Their eyes discreetly scanned the group, secretly recording information.

The leader was at the fourth layer of the Returning Void, while the oldest among them was at the sixth layer. The rest were at the fifth or fourth layer.

They fit the profile of an Immortal Sect executor patrol.

However, aside from the youth, the rest seemed older than expected... and somewhat familiar, resembling the Qinghaifu cultivators.

Wen Qiujin seemed to have guessed their identities but didn't expose them. He raised his cup towards Shen Yi, "I heard that Immortal Shen passed by Qinghaifu. Our Merchant Alliance has had dealings with them in the past, but compared to our small business, the matters of the Immortal Sect are of greater importance."

Shen Yi raised his cup in response, nodding slightly.

In situations like these, he would have preferred to have Li Qingfeng by his side.

However, their host was perceptive, which saved them a lot of trouble.

As they drank and chatted, one of the guards approached Wen Qiujin and whispered, "Alliance Master, our ship has been sunk by the water tribe. We don't know their identities."

"..."

Wen Qiujin frowned, glancing at Shen Yi but not interrupting him.

It was the first time the Nan Yang Sect had visited the Shuiyue Merchant Alliance, and judging by their cultivation levels, they didn't seem prepared for conflict.

There was no need to put the Nan Yang Sect in a difficult position.

He replied in a similar whisper, "Send a letter to inquire about the reason. If we have unintentionally offended them, don't skimp on the proper courtesies. Don't let this escalate today."

After giving the instructions, Wen Qiujin forced a smile and raised his cup to Shen Yi once more.

"Immortal Shen, if you are interested, please allow me to show you around the Shuiyue Merchant Alliance. It has been many years since we last interacted, and some distance has grown between us."

He didn't intend to ask for another tribute today, but he wanted the Nan Yang Sect to understand the Merchant Alliance's current scale. That way, they would know how much to ask for in the future, preventing misunderstandings and conflicts.

"Very well."

Shen Yi was also thinking of using this opportunity to learn more about the outside world.

At the same time, in the busiest part of the floating island, an old man was arguing loudly, "For a piece of worthless land, you want to charge me this much? Are you full of dung in your head?!"

"Old Zhang, watch your mouth. This is the Shuiyue Merchant Alliance, and you know the prices. Don't you?" The young cultivator rolled his eyes, glancing at the man with an obvious identity standing behind Old Zhang.

The man had fresh scars on his face, and his aura was weak, indicating that he was a refugee cultivator in a desperate situation. It was a perfect opportunity to make a profit, and they couldn't afford to let it slip by.

"Ah..."

Xiao Yanlin sighed helplessly at Old Zhang, knowing that the price offered by the Immortal Fairy was enough to buy two pieces of that land.

However, considering the risk the man had taken to bring the people of Xiao Manor here, it was understandable that he wanted to make a larger profit.

"I..."

Old Zhang's face twisted with anger, and he grabbed the young cultivator's collar, "Don't be too greedy!"

At that moment, his eyes caught a glimpse of something, and his angry expression faded, his disguise dropping as he froze in place.

Xiao Yanlin noticed his change in expression and followed his gaze, spotting Wen Qiujin in plain clothes. However, his eyes quickly shifted to the tall and slender figure in ink-colored robes beside him.

"Hey! The Alliance Master is here! Are you scared now? Will you buy it or not? If not, I have other business to attend to. Don't come crying to me later!"

His fingers trembled as he pointed at Xiao Yanlin and said, "It's... it's him!"

After their last parting, Zhang Ye's biggest regret was losing track of Shen Yi and not even knowing his identity.

He had speculated many possibilities, but he never imagined that Shen Yi would be connected to the Shuiyue Merchant Alliance!

The reasoning was simple: if someone could make even the Alliance Master personally accompany them, why would they need to use teleportation to travel and go to Baohua Sect to find medicinal pills themselves?

"...!"

Xiao Yanlin took a step forward without a word and stopped at the edge of the path that had been cleared by the guards.

In full view of everyone, he suddenly knelt down with a loud thud and kowtowed several times toward the ink-clad figure!

Without saying much, he kept bowing until the wound on his forehead, which had just healed, was torn open again.

Only then did he take a few deep breaths.

To Shen Yi, it might have just been a transaction with the Immortal Fairy.

But to Xiao Yanlin, it was a matter of his wife's life and death grudge.

"This..."

Wen Qiujin heard the noise, glanced back, and then turned to look at Shen Yi.

"He is an old acquaintance," Shen Yi said, signaling to Jing Jingsong with his eyes.

He had wanted to make another profit from the Immortal Fairy before, but it seemed too troublesome.

Unexpectedly, she had come to them, and the Nan Yang Sect lacked everything except space.

"Whoa!"

Seeing the sixth-layer grand elder walk out silently and lead Xiao Yanlin away, Zhang Ye immediately understood. He smiled and turned to the young cultivator, saying, "Keep that piece of worthless land for breeding, I'm not interested!"

He took out the payment given by the Immortal Fairy and quickly walked in the direction Xiao Yanlin had left.

This incident was nothing more than a minor sideshow.

Wen Qiujin quickly steered the conversation back on track and continued to show Shen Yi around the Merchant Alliance.

At this moment, the cultivator who had left earlier returned in haste.

His face looked even worse.

He walked up to Wen Qiujin and continued to transmit his voice, "Before our message could even reach them, it was torn to pieces, and another treasure boat has been sunk. It seems they have surrounded the Shuiyue Merchant Alliance."

"This doesn't seem like they're just trying to extort us, they clearly have hostile intentions."

"...!"

Wen Qiujin listened quietly, his palms clenching tightly within his wide sleeves.

He pondered for a moment but still couldn't figure out why the Shuiyue Merchant Alliance had offended the water tribe recently. His subordinates wouldn't dare to hide something so significant.

Moreover, the fact that they didn't even accept the message indicated that they were bent on continuing the conflict.

The Shuiyue Merchant Alliance was large in scale, but its own strength was not particularly formidable. They had recruited many powerful late Returning Void cultivators, but they were all at the seventh layer.

Compared to living cultivators, Wen Qiujin placed more trust in artifacts.

He had invested a lot in the arrays on the floating island, and without a cultivator at the Returning Void perfection stage, it was impossible to break through the grand array.

However, with the water tribe surrounding the area, business couldn't be conducted.

"First, call for them to stop their ships, and let Lao San go take a look."

Wen Qiujin retracted his gaze, but this time, he couldn't force a smile onto his face.

He had already searched within himself for the reason.

Yet he couldn't think of anything.

If he excluded the Shuiyue Merchant Alliance, then the remaining possibility...

He stared intently at Shen Yi.

Shen Yi's sudden grand arrival was already unusual, and during the meal, he hadn't mentioned anything about paying tribute. This rendered Wen Qiujin's prepared excuses useless.

Everything in the world had a reason.

Shen Yi certainly wouldn't have come here for no reason.

Perhaps he had caused some trouble and was now eyeing the Shuiyue Merchant Alliance's array.

"Is there something?" Shen Yi asked, glancing sideways at him.

After all, he was a guest, and he had no intention of eavesdropping on their transmitted voices. Of course, he also didn't currently have the means to do so.

"Nothing," Wen Qiujin replied with a smile, shaking his head.

To use the tiger's pelt as a banner, one would have to pay a price. Although they had paid tribute, they would also have to protect the other party, and this sounded rather absurd.

However, in the Southern Hong region, there was no such thing as logical reasoning.

But his smile only lasted for less than an hour.

As Wen Qiujin was showing Shen Yi and the others around the merchant alliance market, the guard rushed back for the third time.

This time, his eyes were bloodshot.

Without even bothering to transmit his voice, he said, "Reporting to the Alliance Master, Lao San has been captured."

As soon as he finished speaking, before the Nan Yang Sect and the others could react, the cultivators of the Shuiyue Merchant Alliance had already paled in fear.

The so-called Lao San was one of the seven venerables that the Shuiyue Merchant Alliance had invited at a high price.

They were all powerful cultivators at the seventh layer of the Returning Void.

Having stepped into the late stage of the Returning Void, they were famous throughout Southern Hong.

Even the loss of one of them would be a significant blow to the Shuiyue Merchant Alliance.

"...!"

Wen Qiujin clearly hadn't expected the situation to be this serious.

Involving cultivators at the late Returning Void stage, how could they have made such a move without any warning or sound?

As if reading his doubts, the guard glared at the Nan Yang Sect group and then took out a hastily written letter from his sleeve.

There was no signature on the letter, only a line of blood-red words.

"Hand over Shen Yi, or there will be no more Shuiyue Merchant Alliance in Southern Hong."

After reading the letter,

Wen Qiujin closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they held a hint of anger.

He looked at the young man beside him once more and asked, "I don't recall anyone by that name in the Merchant Alliance. May I ask, sir, do you know Shen Yi?"

Traders feared trouble but also hated losing out.

To act so boldly in the territory of the Southern Hong Seven, they must either have a deep-seated grudge or overwhelming strength.

The attendants from the Nanyang Sect were stunned, and several of them spoke up, "Senior Shen, don't be impulsive!"

They were not naive newcomers. While they may not have considered all the possibilities like Wen Qiujin, they could still guess what was happening.

With the protective array shielding the island, the best course of action was to notify the sect for reinforcements, instead of acting rashly.

Even if it was the Dragon Palace itself, wouldn't they still have to give some face to the Nanyang Sect?

"Senior Shen?" Wen Qiujin, who had been addressing Shen Yi as 'Immortal Shen', now realized that the person mentioned in the letter was the young man before him.

So, he had indeed hidden his identity and come here for refuge?

Suppressing his anger, Wen Qiujin regained his composure. "Earlier, I spoke out of turn. Please inform the Southern Hong Seven Sons, and ask them to send reinforcements. The Shuiyue Merchant Alliance's array can hold for a while, and if they could break through it, they wouldn't be shouting from outside."

There was no need for reinforcements.

Aside from that wood-turned-hermit guy, all the strongest members of the Nanyang Sect were already here.

Accompanied by his entourage, Shen Yi strolled casually towards the edge of the floating island, gazing down at the turbulent waves below.

Ever since leaving the Nanyang treasure land, if there was any life-and-death grudge that remained unresolved, it could only be with one particular faction.

However, how they had obtained his information was a matter worth pondering.

As Shen Yi turned to leave, Wen Qiujin followed closely behind, both men looking out at the surging ocean.

Sensing something, Wen Qiujin's expression changed, and he immediately notified the guards. In the next moment, a dense light barrier enveloped the entire floating island.

Six more figures appeared, hovering above the island with solemn expressions as they gazed into the distance.

Almost simultaneously, the calm waters erupted into towering waves, and as the wave crests receded, twelve figures silently emerged.

Clad in armor and bearing the marks of axe and knife slashes, they bore no identifying marks that revealed their origins.

Unlike ordinary members of the water tribe, they brought no shrimp or crab soldiers to bolster their numbers.

Their eyes were cold, and they were here for one purpose: to kill.

The weakest among them was at the sixth layer of the Returning Void, and they only comprised half of the group. The rest were seventh-layer water demons.

A fish demon with horns gripped the neck of a cultivator, its expression cold as it rode the waves towards them. "Hand over Shen Yi, and the rest of you may live."

"...!"

Wen Qiujin, known for his composure, clenched his fists until his knuckles cracked. As a vassal of the Southern Hong Seven Sons, when had they ever endured such humiliation?

However, he couldn't really push a disciple of the Immortal Sect forward to face the enemy. If he committed such a heinous act, the Shuiyue Merchant Alliance would truly be finished.

"Senior Shen, let's go back and discuss this further," Wen Qiujin said, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself. "I beg you, don't make this decision in haste."

As he spoke, he glanced at the other attendants, hoping to calm their nerves as well. To offer up one of their own as a sacrifice, what kind of price would they have to pay to appease the rest?

Before he could finish, a fierce beast's roar reverberated through the air.

A massive shadow suddenly appeared on the surface of the ocean.

Something huge plummeted from the sky.

A wave dozens of feet high surged as the creature crashed into the water! The fish demon who had been speaking earlier had disappeared without a trace.

"...!"

Before the remaining water demons could react, a shadow streaked across the sky and landed on the floating island.

In the next moment, a suffocating oppressive force erupted from below.

A robust and mighty figure slowly emerged from the water.

Its body resembled jade, and it was a rhinoceros demon.

With a sinister smile, it tightened its grip on the fish demon's neck, crushing its armor. The fish demon frantically struggled, its limbs flailing.

But no matter how it thrashed, it couldn't break free from the rhinoceros demon's grasp.

Infused with demon essence, the rhinoceros demon had endured torture for over two million years.

And now, it reappeared in the world once more.

The rhinoceros demon glared at the assembled demons with contempt.

Upon receiving its master's soul command, it opened its mouth, revealing sharp, icy fangs. With a fierce exertion of its five fingers, it crushed the fish demon's skull into a bloody pulp.

The aura of a cultivator at the eighth layer of the Returning Void caused the onlookers to fall silent, the air thick with tension.

"If something like this happens again," Shen Yi turned to Wen Qiujin and said calmly, "you can just tell me directly."

It was a stroke of luck that he had been able to save them this time, and such opportunities might not present themselves in the future.

"Th-they... they are..." Wen Qiujin stammered, unsure if he had misunderstood the situation.

Indeed, it wasn't Shen Yi's deliberate action, but merely a coincidence?

And why was this rhinoceros demon fighting for the Immortal Sect?

No, that wasn't right.

Wen Qiujin looked more closely and noticed something unusual.

This wasn't just some ordinary demon; it was a powerful spirit puppet, far surpassing anything the Puppet Sect could create in terms of lifelikeness and cultivation level!

It was as if it were a living being.

What incredible power had created such a masterpiece, defying the very heavens?

"...!" Shen Yi turned away, his gaze once again falling upon the assembled demons.

Coincidentally, he had no intention of revealing their identity either.

After all, with his current resources, he couldn't afford to go up against the Dragon Palace.

There would be more coming; he was sure of it.

The old dragon fish had yet to make an appearance.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end