Chapter 790: The Mantis Stalks the Cicada, Unaware of the Oriole Behind

"Heh, we are old acquaintances after all, Brother Guan, why must you be so aloof? As for the purpose of my visit, it is for these two fellow Daoists. They wished to come to Black Weasel City to buy some Purple Sun Warm Jade, so I brought them here." Black Wolf said with a chuckle, pointing at Han Li and the other.

"Purple Sun Warm Jade is such a rare treasure; how could a small shop like mine possibly have it? If you two fellow Daoists wish to buy it, you might as well go to the real big shops in the city. Although Purple Sun Warm Jade is precious, those big shops should have some stock." The gaunt shopkeeper said coldly to Han Li and the other, his expression indifferent.

Han Li smiled noncommittally at these words and turned his gaze to Black Wolf.

"Brother Guan, let's not beat around the bush. That batch of Purple Sun Warm Jade was obtained by all of us together, through life-and-death struggles, and Fellow Daoists Rixi and Rixie even lost their lives for it. You stayed hidden before, and I assumed it was to avoid the heat, so I said nothing. But if you intend to keep it all for yourself, that's hardly fair!" Black Wolf's eyes glowed green as he spoke coldly.

"Black Wolf, what do you mean by that? Am I that kind of person? I thought you three had perished, and now that I know you're alive, I naturally won't hog it all. But you've told others about this—have you forgotten the oath we swore together that day?" The gaunt shopkeeper's face changed color as he said sternly.

"That day, we swore together to accomplish a great deed. How Rixi and Rixie died, Brother Guan knows better than anyone. You betrayed us first, and still have the nerve to mention that oath." Black Wolf snorted coldly, his face full of mockery.

"Black Wolf, since things have come to this, there's no need to dwell on the past. Tell me straight: what do you want?" The gaunt shopkeeper looked at Black Wolf and the other two, the anger on his face slowly fading.

"Brother Guan, you're holding so much Purple Sun Warm Jade but haven't left Black Weasel City. On one hand, it's because of the pursuit outside; on the other, I suspect you're looking for a suitable buyer here. These two fellow Daoists are not from the Ten Miserable Mountains and are quite wealthy. They came to Black Weasel City seeking a large batch of Purple Sun Warm Jade, making them the perfect buyers. I've already negotiated with them to sell the jade at this price. Give me half of the demon yuan stones from the sale, and our grievances will be settled." Black Wolf took out a jade slip and tossed it to the gaunt shopkeeper.

The gaunt shopkeeper caught the jade slip, probed it with his spiritual sense, and quickly withdrew.

He appeared thoughtful, and only after a moment did he raise his head.

"I have no objection to selling the Purple Sun Warm Jade to you two at this price, but there is one condition: you must agree to it first." The gaunt shopkeeper looked at Han Li and the other, and after a brief hesitation, spoke again.

"Please speak, sir." Han Li said.

"You two fellow Daoists must swear a blood oath of heart demons that you will leave Black Weasel City immediately after the transaction and will not tell a third party what you have seen and heard here today." The gaunt shopkeeper stared at Han Li and the other, enunciating each word.

"Agreed. We only want to buy the Purple Sun Warm Jade and have no interest in your affairs." Han Li and Shi Chuankong exchanged a glance and nodded in agreement.

Without delay, the two immediately swore the blood oath of heart demons as the gaunt shopkeeper required.

"Since you two fellow Daoists have shown such sincerity, I will naturally keep my word. The goods are all here; please take a look." Seeing Han Li and the other swear the oath, the gaunt shopkeeper's tense expression relaxed considerably. He flipped his hand and produced a purple storage bracelet, placing it on the table beside him.

Han Li, seeing this, flipped his hand and took out two storage rings, placing them on the table. Then he picked up the storage bracelet and immersed his divine sense into it.

The thin shopkeeper and Black Wolf each took one storage ring and quickly inspected it.

Before long, all three withdrew their divine senses, satisfied smiles appearing on their faces.

Neither side had played tricks; the transaction was completed smoothly.

"Since the transaction is done, please leave, the three of you." The thin shopkeeper flipped his hand and put away the storage ring, unceremoniously giving them the order to leave.

Han Li and Shi Chuankong had no intention of staying either, so they immediately rose and left.

Black Wolf was even more reluctant to stay than Han Li and the others; he was the first to step out of the private room, striding quickly toward the outside without even greeting Han Li and the others.

But at that moment, the void above his head flickered, and a golden sword aura silently materialized, stabbing downward with explosive force.

This sword aura appeared without any warning, and its speed was unimaginably fast—neither a shooting star streaking across the sky nor a lightning flash could adequately describe it.

With a "puchi" sound!

Before Black Wolf could even look up, his body was pierced through by the golden sword aura, cleaved in two. Blood and entrails splattered everywhere, and he was dead beyond dead.

Seeing this, Han Li and Shi Chuankong's expressions changed. They immediately retreated backward, back into the private room.

The thin shopkeeper's face showed even more terror as he formed hand seals with both hands.

The restrictions within the private room blazed with light, about to activate again.

The golden sword light flashed once more, and the entire room was split in two as if it were tofu, collapsing with a crash.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!

Over a dozen figures in black armor appeared around them, surrounding Han Li and the other two.

"Black Weasel Army!" Han Li's pupils contracted. He immediately recognized these people—they were the elite troops under the Black Weasel King.

Moreover, these individuals exuded formidable auras, all at the Golden Immortal level.

Next, two figures flickered into view in midair and drifted down.

One was a young man in his twenties, handsome, clad in a white robe, wearing a square scarf, and holding a white folding fan, the very picture of a dashing young gentleman.

The other was a woman in green robes, with delicate features but closed eyes, as if blind, and an expression of utter coldness, like an emotionless ice sculpture.

In her hand she held a golden longsword that emitted dreamlike golden light, making it impossible to see the sword's true form.

Both emanated a terrifying pressure as vast as an abyss or ocean, indicating they were at the Taiyi level.

The gaunt shopkeeper, upon seeing the pair, let out a terrified cry and suddenly flicked his sleeve.

A mass of black flame surged out from him, instantly transforming into a three-headed, six-armed black flame giant over ten zhang tall.

Black flames roiled over the giant's body, yet instead of searing heat, they emitted a bone-chilling cold that radiated outward.

Then its six arms blurred into afterimages.

Countless millstone-sized black flame fist shadows materialized out of thin air, shooting like meteors toward the dozen or so black-armored men around.

At the same time, its three heads opened their mouths and spat out three balls of black flame, which shot toward the pair in midair.

Having done this, the gaunt shopkeeper's body flickered with yellow light, blurred, and began to sink into the ground.

The white-robed youth sneered coldly but made no move.

The woman in green slightly shook her arm, and a golden sword light appeared again, flashing past with inconceivable speed.

The three black flames halted a few zhang in front of the pair, then were all neatly sliced in half, flying past them on either side.

The gaunt shopkeeper on the ground had only half-buried himself when his upper body tilted and he fell to the ground.

He had been cut cleanly in two at the waist, blood gushing out.

“Third Young Master, spare me! I was possessed by greed to steal the Purple Sun Warm Jade. I am willing to return all the warm jade I took. Please spare my life, and I will sign a slave contract with you, serving you for life…” the gaunt shopkeeper cried desperately.

The white-robed youth sneered contemptuously and, without a word, flicked his finger.

A streak of blood light shot out, flashing into the gaunt shopkeeper's brow like a blood-colored dagger.

The shopkeeper's cries ceased abruptly, and the light in his eyes faded.

The white-robed youth raised his hand, and the blood light flew back from the shopkeeper's brow, within it a small black figure—the shopkeeper's soul.

The small figure struggled desperately but to no avail.

“You made me search for so long, even let my father know about this, and got me scolded, and you still want to live? Only by imprisoning your soul in the Agony Flame for ten thousand years can I vent my hatred!” The white-robed youth grinned viciously, opened his mouth, and swallowed the black soul.

After doing this, the white-robed youth turned his gaze toward Han Li and Shi Chuankong nearby, a hint of gravity in his eyes.

The two sides had just been locked in fierce combat, yet these two stood in the middle of the fray as if they were invisible, completely unaffected.

“Who are you two? What relation do you have with Guan Sheng and Black Wolf?” the white-robed youth asked, his tone quite polite as he finally landed on the ground.

“We are merely customers who came to buy something from this shop. We have no connection with those two. Now that they have been dealt with, there is nothing more for us here. Farewell.” Han Li clasped his hands to the white-robed youth and walked out, with Shi Chuankong following closely.

The white-robed youth's expression darkened, a flicker of anger in his eyes.

“How dare you! Do you know who my master is, to speak to him like that?” A tall, burly black-armored man flashed in front of Han Li, blocking his way, and barked.

“Move aside!” Han Li stopped and said expressionlessly.

“You're asking for death! Surrender obediently, and you might just keep your life.” The black-armored man found it ridiculous.

These two ants at the True Immortal level dared to be so insolent, but without orders from the white-robed youth, he did not dare to act on his own.

“Young Master, these two were with Guan Sheng and Black Wolf; they are probably in league. They should be arrested immediately,” another black-armored man shouted.

“Right! We don't know exactly how many thieves infiltrated the mine. These two are likely accomplices. Although King Black Weasel forbids us from arresting people in the city at will, we need not be polite with criminals who stole our Black Weasel City's treasures,” another voice chimed in.