Chapter 834 What Did You Draw?
When Ye Xuanyue asked this, the old man first nodded, then shook his head.
“It was indeed established by us in the beginning. This Secret Realm also belongs to our Yuling Sect. But the original purpose of its establishment was not to serve as a market for humans to exchange goods. It had a different purpose. It was only later, as more humans learned of this place, that it developed into what it is now.”
The old man took another sip of tea and spoke softly.
“You were able to come here, so you must have some understanding of the Lingtian Continent by now?”
Ye Xuanyue nodded. Of course.
The old man said quietly,
“Then you should know that humans and Spirit Beasts are currently in an irreconcilable conflict. In truth, the major clans of the Beast Alliance likely know of the existence of this Wish-Granting Market. It is only because, back then, our Yuling Sect made an agreement with the Alliance Leader of the Beast Alliance, the one with the highest authority. That’s why the Spirit Beasts leave this place alone.
However, that Alliance Leader has been missing for a long time. Although his Aura Pressure still remains, no one knows how much longer it will last. This market will surely have to close within ten years.”
If these words from the old man were spoken outside, they could cause an earthquake. But right now, he said them to Ye Xuanyue very naturally. In his heart, he already regarded her as one of their own.
Ye Xuanyue’s expression softened slightly. She hesitated for a moment before asking,
“What about the Spirit Beast Gambling Event?”
The old man was slightly taken aback. He looked at Ye Xuanyue. She said in a low voice,
“Taking pleasure in betting on Spirit Beast fights doesn’t seem like the style of the Yuling Sect.”
The old man’s expression held a hint of a smile.
“The Spirit Beast Gambling Event is not what you think. It must be misinformation spread from outside. The Spirit Beast Gambling Event is actually just an activity for Summoners to spar. People outside think it’s a cruel event involving Spirit Beasts, but it’s not like that. Primarily, it’s for Summoners to communicate. The event is also not as dangerous as you imagine. Moreover, if there are promising talents, our Yuling Sect is happy to extend an olive branch—to let them join our sect.”
Ye Xuanyue nodded. If that was the case, then it wasn’t so terrifying. She thought of the squirrel and the young man she had met earlier. What felt strange to her was that the young man’s clothing closely resembled that of the Yuling Sect.
So, was that young man also likely a disciple of the Yuling Sect from the Lingtian Continent?
Ye Xuanyue thought about the young man who had passed by briefly, yet she felt it wasn’t that simple. Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly heard a loud rumbling noise from below.
Ye Xuanyue was slightly startled.
The old man frowned. He pushed the door open and walked out, glancing down below. A trace of faint anger appeared between his brows. Then he leaped up and jumped straight down, his tone filled with anger.
“What nonsense is this? Who gave you the right to act recklessly in my shop?”
Ye Xuanyue looked down and saw that the people fighting were an unfamiliar woman she didn’t know and Hou Xiaoyong.
The woman’s age wasn’t obvious. Her features were plain, not particularly striking. But at this moment, she stared at Hou Xiaoyong and snorted coldly.
“The thing you sold me last time nearly killed my Senior Brother and me. If I don’t demand justice from you today, I’ll…”
As soon as she finished speaking, she launched another move directly at Hou Xiaoyong’s chest.
Hou Xiaoyong retreated a few steps, his face wearing a bitter smile.
“The consequences of the items I sell are not my responsibility. After all, you inspected them on the spot. Who knows if you stored them improperly?”
Hou Xiaoyong had previously set up a stall to sell things, so he was very familiar with how to handle such disputes. He glanced around, then stepped over to Leng Moran’s side.
Even though this young man beside him hadn’t reached the Martial Emperor level, he could hold the line for a bit, giving Hou Xiaoyong time to prepare a big move.
Leng Moran had been focusing on his painting, completely ignoring everything happening around him. The fight between Hou Xiaoyong and the unfamiliar woman didn’t affect him in the slightest.
But when Hou Xiaoyong came to his side, the woman’s sword shifted, and a sharp, fierce Sword Qi shot straight toward Leng Moran.
Leng Moran’s brow furrowed tightly. His first reaction was to protect the painting in his hands.
Hou Xiaoyong hadn’t expected this young man to still protect that painting even now. He watched as the Sword Qi headed for Leng Moran’s arm.
The next second, the Sword Qi seemed to hit something—it changed direction, carving a deep mark on the wall.
Then, a cold, stern voice reached everyone’s ears.
“That’s enough! Don’t you know that fighting is strictly forbidden in the Wish-Granting Market? What are you doing? Reckless!”
The old man looked quite old, but his movements were very agile. He jumped down.
The next moment, the door closed. The old man looked up at the woman who had just attacked, his voice icy cold.
“There really aren’t many who dare to take action here.”
The woman was slightly stunned. She looked at the old man, gritted her teeth, and her voice sounded somewhat subdued.
“I… I didn’t know Elder Zheng was upstairs. I acted in the heat of the moment…”
Ye Xuanyue’s heart stirred slightly. So this old man’s surname was Zheng.
He snorted coldly, his tone still very cold.
“You know very well what punishment awaits those who attack first here. Go out and receive your punishment yourself.”
The woman’s expression still held some indignation.
“But… but this person here is too hateful! He…”
Hou Xiaoyong looked around shiftily. He was thick-skinned, acting as if this had nothing to do with him. The old man glanced at the woman, and she finally held back, saying softly,
“I understand. I’ll go out and receive my punishment myself.”
As she left, she didn’t forget to glare at Hou Xiaoyong.
Hou Xiaoyong wore an awkward smile. He looked around, wanting to change the subject. His eyes fell on the painting in Leng Moran’s arms, and he immediately couldn’t help but say,
“Why didn’t you dodge just now? How foolish. It’s just a painting, not some treasure. You could always paint another one.”
Leng Moran’s gaze seemed somewhat indifferent. He looked at Hou Xiaoyong but didn’t argue back.
Ye Xuanyue looked at his face. Leng Moran hadn’t retorted to Hou Xiaoyong…? After all, this trouble had been brought on by Hou Xiaoyong. And Leng Moran wasn’t the type to simply take things lying down.
Ye Xuanyue purposely walked over to Leng Moran. Her eyes lit up slightly as she approached him, her voice very soft.
“What is it?”
Leng Moran paused, then said,
“My painting.”
Ye Xuanyue also knew it was a painting he had drawn. She wanted to know what he had painted. But Leng Moran just looked at her gently, then tucked the portrait into his own Spatial Artifact.
Ye Xuanyue blinked.
Huh? Leng Moran had learned to hide things now.